Long Fang Squad and a Wolf Scout Test

Been quiet for a while, I know. Had very little time to myself what with work being crazy at the moment, and my laptop being stolen and a whole host of other issues I wont bore you with.
I did however get some building done this weekend, and a few weeks ago took the plunge into CMON. more on that later.
I decided I was lacking long range fireepower, and the cheapest way to get that for wolves, is long fangs. I had to ponder where to get missile launchers, and which ones to use, and just as I was pondering this, lo and behold, Forge World issue this pack which is perfect, and fits in with the idea that Long Fangs are some of the oldest marines in the chapter.
I also fancy using the melta/flamers on my blood claws, just cos they look cool.
So here’s the Squad.
 
 
 
There’s still some clean up to do and some gap filling. I might embellish more if I feel they need it after another look., but essentially they are built. I went with 4ML and a Plasma, and gave the leader a plasma pistol.
should cover it :)

This guy was built as a test, and while he holds up, the posing is a tad static, I blame the terrible scout legs, and promise to do better with the next ones :)

On the cool mini topic, I’ve posted some of my guys over there and been pleased to see I’m getting 7’s mostly. that's good, it reflects that I’ve got work to do, but that I’m a bit above tabletop quality.
http://coolminiornot.com/artist/Karitas#
Take a look if you like.
In one thread a poster suggested I take a WiP and post that for feedback. I might just do that, and try to follow the process on here too.
I’m thinking this guy would make a nice start, what do you all think?

 
I’ve put about 90 minutes into the skin and face so far, so he’s just started :)
he needs a lot of smoothing and final highlight, then colour choice and work for his clothes etc.
We’ll see if I get any feedback on the CMON forums :)

A Better Day

Well it felt better, I will ultimately leave it to you as to whether it looks any better
 

Or indeed any different at all :)
How I feel – well I feel like I got the gold a bit warmer, and a bit more contrasty- which it needed. I feel like there is more range and contrast in the greys of his armour. His face also is more varied, the osl worked better and the mini, to me, feels more “together”
Ultimately that’s what I’m after.
Things I’m still shaky on – well I used blood. I don't normally do that, well, ever, but a space wolf with a chainsword, it kinda felt like I had to. I tried not to overdo it.
I’d like still to have a little more variance in the red shoulder pad colour. and well the 3d chapter badges are a bit rough for my liking, but I’m going to live with them.
other issues- overall his face is maybe too dark and the “bone” on the skulls came out a tad rough.
But I count it an improvement on the last one, and if I can get the whole army to this kind of standard, I’ll be happy enough. this guy took about 8-10 hours. I can live with that too.
I’d be very interested in your comments on how you all think this compares with the last guy, and whether it’s all in my head or not :)
Next up is a bike test, then a batch paint of grey hunters, I think I can manage 4 at a time to this kind of level. let’s see eh? :)

We can all have bad days, right?

Right?
Well here’s one of mine.
 

With the first wolf I painted, the guy a few posts back built out of non-wolf bitz, I took my time, and though I wasn't ecstatic about his paint, I thought there was something there to build on.
I went in this time with the intention of trying out the airbrush for speeding up some sections of the army paint. well it sped things up, but I’m not happy.
I know some of the things I did wrong, – I over highlighted with the airbrush for one and had to fix that, I didn't make my NMM gold warm enough, and there are other things.
Upshot is I'm not too keen on the job I did. Luckily this wasn't a core member of the army, it was another test model that I’ll maybe use as a lone wolf. I also used him to test some battle damage Ideas on, rather than the indiscriminate sponge technique I’ve used until now.
So hopefully this weekend I’ll get another stab at some Wolves. though I’m out of “test” figures, so I need to make sure I get it a bit better than this last fellow.
The basing works okay though, for snow.

A Gentleman’s Generosity

I won something!
I didn't enter thinking to win, or wanting the prize. If B.Smoove had posted saying he wanted a banner I'd still have sent him the same stuff. I love working on images on the computer. I even Teach it as part of my day job.
The fact is though, B.Smoove DID put it up as a competition and I was lucky enough to be chosen to receive an amazing prize. the competition was stiff, and some of the other entries were simply wonderful, so I'm quite surprised and honoured that my effort adorns his site now.
I’m also surprised and honoured that I have the above loot sat by my desk.
Yes.
That is a Stormlord kit.
It leaves me with the question.. what to do with it.
You see, I could paint is to match my desert IG, build it with a big gun and call it done.
But there's a part of me that wants to build it as a Stormlord, and paint it in space wolf colours, and fill it with blood claws :)
I’d love to hear your thoughts on which of my forces should receive this mighty gift.

SteppenWolves

Get yer motor running…
or something.

It’s been another week of hard work at my job, leaving little time for the hobby, and a lot of that has been taken up by Killzone stuff, which you can see over at Big Jim’s blog. but it’s coming on very well and if you want to see what we’ve been up to he’s intending on having a mini launch of the current test rules on the 7th, pop that in your blog diary :)
I was also fortunate enough to be regarded among the stunning banner entries at B.Smoove's Blog and am incredibly proud that my Photoshop efforts now adorn his site.. I am assured some form of prize is on it’s way to me, though I did not in truth enter for the loot, I will however humbly accept it and chart its development on these pages.
Now, to the picture above. I wanted to expand my wolves to 1500 as that seems a sound number for most games, my original 1k force being too small for most opponents. I figured the most fun and cost effective way to do this was to purchase a Ravenwing battleforce.
I love in your face armies and the ideas of space wolves, being Norse in origin, having a thing for bikes just resonated with me, those Scandinavians do like their choppers.
the guy who received the most conversion was my Rune Preist. I think i will call him Sven Steppenenwulf :)

The birds will be painted as ravens, and his robes will be a very dark blue. at least, that's my current thought.
The attack bike looked odd without a base, so i built one-

out of two bike bases and some plasticard.
The rest of the gang are fairly vanilla. I didn't use as many wolf bits as I could, or maybe even should, as I have it in my mind that they get more customised as they get older, and progress, so my long fangs should be positively dripping in pelts, but my claws less so.





as you can see there are some clues to their wolfyness, but the rest will be done with paint.
The landspeeder is likewise fairly vanilla in it’s build. It does sport a flamer conversion though, thanks for a sentinel kit.

In keeping with Sven Bloodhowl’s Great Company I am using flamer and melta wherever possible.
I’ve started some paint tests, relying on the airbrush fairly heavily. I’ll post an update once more progress has been made on that front :)
Thanks for reading, :)

Two Hundred!

Wow.
wow.
Really. wow.
Two hundred followers. Cool. Thanks :)
Okay, I’ve been a bit slow posting because, well progress has been slow. I got myself Involved with Big Jim and am contributing to the Special Operations: Killzone rules he’s working on with a bunch of other people.
 
It’s been very rewarding so far, and I’m looking forward to getting some play testing in soon. Check Jim’s blog and the work in progress rules out Here
On the modelling front I have been working on more wolves, – Some razorrides for my Grey hunters, and some other models, which I won’t be sharing just yet :)
In the interests of interest, here’s the Razors, both with extra bitz and modded turrets.:
Las/Plas

 
AssCannon
 

Did I mention? I hate the smoke launchers on these things!
Thanks for reading and for helping me to 200 readers!

The Last Wolfguard

Ohh, good title for a short story :P

This is the last troop for my small Wolf force, with two razorback transports to follow.
Another home made combi melta and power weapon. Now, on my last post it was pointed out to me that I could save points and have more attacks with a different Loadout, and while I did briefly consider it, I didn't change the setup. Partly because I’m not really about that level of tweaking, but also because I had intended for this force to pop vehicles efficiently (fist plus two melta, plus las transport) and slaughter troops mercilessly, – and I think the extra power weapon attack does more to the troops, which is currently weaker, than the extra pfist attack adds to the already strong anti-vehicle. anyway time and play will tell.
Anyhoo, short update as I’m back at work now (boo) so progress will be a little slower during the week :)
Thanks for stopping by!

Grey Hunter Squads built

I’ve also assembled one of the Wolf guard in PA who will accompany them, I’m missing a set of legs for the other guy, so I’ve ordered that. I do have kneeling legs, and tried it, but couldn't make it work. then I realised why.
Space Wolves don’t kneel!
:)
Here they are.
Squad one (I know, they need names..)

All the “file troops” were modelled with chainsword and Bolter, really so that it’s obvious that they have that dual-role.

Powerfist and Meltagunner, This squad was fairly vanilla, again I like to learn my way round a kit before I start converting much. The meltagunner does have normal tac squad legs though.
 
Their Wolf Guard with a home-made combi-melta.

Melta and two file troops for squad two. again here and there I’ve used tac squad bitz to get the pose I wanted.

File troops and Powerfist for squad two. I wanted a different Powerfist so used one from the termie box tagged onto an arm from the ravenwing bike sprue.
Wolf guard two will appear as soon as his legs arrive :)
on the vehicles front the raider is in the paint shop as we speak, the razors have yet to be ordered.
I must say that this kit was also excellent fun to put together, and I look forward greatly to building a huge pack of bloodclaws from it, This and the wolf guard kit offer so much in the way of bitz and options, I can really see why wolves have taken off the way they have, choice, flexibility and character.
Thanks for reading while I build these guys, primer and paint soon!

Wolf Guard terminator basing

There's a lot of different takes on how to make scenic bases, some are easy, some very intricate. In my grey knight posts I covered what I do. It’s mostly wood filler (spackle) with stuff stuck in it :)
These are no different.
 
In this case it’s bits of wood chips from the garden (thoroughly dried and de-bugged) just cut to rock-like shapes and stuck in the wood filler

Here are the normal marine bases I plan to use for the rest of the force.
You could use any material here – whatever your usual rock stand in is, cork, cracked milliput, your call.
The making of the bases is the easy part. it’s getting your guys on them looking good and staying put that seems to present difficulties, and is often never really discussed. so here we go.
 
This is what you’ll need. – a pin vice with a 1mm drill bit, and some 1mm gauge wire (those sizes aren't compulsory, they just have to match and not be bigger than the parts youll be drilling :) ) you’ll also find wire clippers useful.
While it’s tempting to use your sprue cutters, try to resist as the wire WILL put dents in your blades.
 
First thing we do is test fit. one thing to note is that, while assembling your spackle with bits in bases, you should have an eye on level places you intend to put feet :)

Once you’ve worked out the foot that will have the most surface contact, we drill a hole for the pin.
 
and glue that pin in place


Then we return to the base and use the pin itself to mark the next hole. if you like you can place a dab on paint on the pin end to use to make your mark.
 
Then drill that hole.

Last thing, glue the guy down.
 
This is the squad all based.
Not very adventurous I know, but I have this thing where, the first time I build with a kit I like to build it fairly “vanilla” to learn the kit as it were. this one is awesome. imo one of the best kits GW have produced in recent years.
the observant will note that the “rule of cool” has caused some changes in the roster previously posted, and that claws have proliferated :)
Anyway there we have it, pinning 101 I guess, – the same principles apply to pinning heavy components together, though the adhesives required might be different. oh and apologies for the pics, I used my phone and they aren't great, but I( think the steps are still legible.
Thanks for reading, I’ll post results when the grey hunters are assembled!