Adeptus Astartes Centurion Warsuit - WIP

Like many people, I wasn't exactly overawed when I first saw the 'new' Space Marine Centurions. But after the more in focus official pictures appeared and then the kit was released I found myself beginning to like them. After building one for a friend shortly after the release I liked them even more, the kit is fantastically detailed and has a lot of potential, I just don't think the ones in all the official photos fully realise that potential.

With this in mind and having 'acquired' a single Centurion from a friend, I set about trying to create a dynamically posed miniature.  While I'm still playing with a couple of elements I think that I've mostly succeeded:

Mechanising the Minotaurs

The chapter forges of Kraetyr has been working overtime to provide APC's for my Minotaurs army.

I needed a way to represent the Extra Armour upgrade that I don't think any vehicle that can take it should leave home without and hit upon the idea of using a spare pair of side hatches I had lying around to up-armour the glacis of each Rhino.

Once I've got the bits I need sorted out I'll be adding a pair of Storm Bolters to the cupola mounts of each Rhino as well, for an extra 5 points the Rhinos can actually harass lightly armoured troops with with their armament.

I'll also be adding a pair of Whirlwinds to the army soon too...

Minotaurs Space Marine Army - WIP

Once the jump packs are attached to the Assault Squad tomorrow night this lot will be ready for undercoating and painting...

Front and centre is Veteran-Captain Laeonydaes who is armed with the Burning Blade and a Storm Shield, expensive? Probably but the Astartes of the Minotaurs Chapter are not known for their subtlety.

 On the left Squad Andronicus 'The Hammer' -Veteran Sergeant Andronicus carries a Powerfist while his squad includes two Meltaguns which will be run as flamers in games due to the new Codex: Space Marines removing the Meltagun option from Assault Squads... fingers crossed this will get FAQ'd but in the meantime it's still a brutally effective squad that has 39 attacks on the charge if they haven't jump packed (and 29 if they have which isn't too shabby)

Finally on the right is Squad Alkaios 'The Stalwarts' - Veteran Sergeant Alkaios refuses to carry anything more ornate than his Combi-Grav Rifle into battle. His squad's armament includes a Grav Rifle and a Meltagun to support their volleys of Bolter fire.

I plan on adding another Tactical Squad which will give me a legal army that should look good and perform reasonably on the tabletop too...

Minotaurs Epistolary Lykourgas - Completed

Epistolary Lykourgas is finished :). This mini was a joy to assemble and paint and I tried out some 'corner-cutting' ideas with some of the colours on him as well.

And here's how the army looks so far....

While a Librarian and a Contemptor pattern Dreadnought don't constitute an army as such, there is a Tactical Squad and an Assault Squad on their way as well....

Cometh the Red Ruin... well, nearly

I thought I'd put up some update shots of Ancient Moraie of the Minotaurs. After much thought I've decided not to go over the top adding battle damage to him due to the Contemptor chassis having atomantic shielding... I figured only the most fell weapons the Emperor's foes would actually strike Moraie's frame such as the blow that tore away part of his left pauldron...

"The Red Ruin" and Hunter Killer Servitor N-M86//J83 Zsadist - Update

Some pretty good painting sessions today meant I could progress these projects along before I start work on the Competition Prize for the Tabletop Trading UK group. After a slight re-think on my part I thought it'd be better to paint it to the winner's specifications rather than my own. The comp organisers agreed and so Robert John Walker from Oxfordshire who was the lucky winner has chosen to have it painted to match his existing Dark Angels Space Marine Army....

Ancient Moraie:

Hunter Killer Servitor:

I should have the Servitor finished on Monday and I'm going to start planning the placement of Moraie's heraldry and markings shortly so that they can be 'weathered' into his armour a little.

"The Red Ruin" - Minotaurs Contemptor pattern Dreadnought Ancient Moraie

Inspired by a Jonathan Hart and Ead Brown's stunning Minotaurs I've FINALLY made a start on my Minotaurs Contemptor:

Still heavily WIP, I'll be shading and defining the 'silver' metal next...

Tabletop Trading UK Giveaway Prize

As I mentioned in a previous post, the online trading group Tabletop Trading UK approached me and asked if I could build and paint something as a prize for a giveaway they had planned. With all the Forge World Space Marine goodness that's available now it wasn't a difficult decision as to what to make:

Now to get my paint on... this fella isn't gonna turn into an Imperial Fist all by himself...

Inverness Tabletop Gaming Giveaway Space Wolf - Complete

One lucky winner at the Inverness Tabletop Gaming Club will get to take this fella home with them soon...

For more information about the Inverness Tabletop Gaming club you can check out their Facebook page here:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/405356062809382/

Damocles Command Rhino - Update

It's been quite a while since I did any work on this project for a variety of reasons but I have made some progress on it recently:


After re-reading the Damocles specs in Imperial Armour and discovering that it's crewed by veterans from the chapter's command staff I figured that warriors of such renown would NEVER be out of reach of their boltguns. With this thought in mind, I stowed some within arms reach for them:

Due to the top panel shrinking considerably I decided to remodel the top of the Damocles. Since it's not a front line fighting vehicle I replaced the usual cupolas with a pair from the classic plastic Rhino kit that I got from a friend: 

There's still a lot of work to be done before the build is complete. I'd like to detail the underside of the top plate inside the crew compartment and I need to decide what I'm doing with the front armour amongst other things but it's getting there... slowly.

Heresy Era Raven Guard Recon Marine

Inspired by the very tasty Recon Squad kit from Forge World and the character Nykona Sharrowkyn from Angel Exterminatus, a Raven Guard Recon Marine prepares to strike from the shadows...

Ivanus Enkomi Update II

The finish line is now in sight for this mini. I just need to highlight up the black and he'll be done. With better light outside today I thought I'd get some photos from different angles to show him off a little.

Minotaurs, Ho!

Spent a few hours this evening cleaning and assembling one of Forge World's fabulous Ivanus Enkomi Minotaurs Chaplain mini's that was very kindly sent to me by a good friend in the US of A. The detailing on the mini is astounding and it fit together with the minimum of fuss. I decided to reverse his pose on his base to make him more intimidating as befits one of the spiritual leaders of the Adeptus Astartes. Although I've had the mini for a few weeks now, its taken.me this long to decide how to paint him, but after a lot of thought I think I've figured it out, suffice to say, although it borrows elements from and is influenced by the 'official' Forge World scheme, it'll be something a little different yet wholly fitting...