Monday, December 19, 2011

Grey Knight Squad Painted

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cesped
es
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for Grey Knight assistance


I have finished a squad of 5 GKs based on the first test guy I did. This squad is 2 halberds, 2 psycannons, 1 Knight of t
he Flame/Justicar with a D-Hammer. I really liked the red/white look and carried it through.

I changed the force weapons to blue with a lightning look, rather than going with the pink/purple. I also added battle damage to everyone as I feel it gives them a gritty mid-combat look. Once I base the
m and seal them I will try my 1st attempt with weathering powders to dirty up the legs.

These guys are all pretty much bog standard out of the box except the Knight/Justicar who has a fantasy head, and one of the pyscannon men with a space wolf head and a non-standard pose.


The Gang of 5:
The KoF/Justicar:

The Psycannon Boys:





The Halberd Boys:


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Tuesday, December 13, 2011

Not-so-Grey Knights

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for possible Grey Knight assistance


I started base coating my acolytes
and other models, but I wanted a consistent color scheme to run across the entire army. I had been building some GK and Termies and I decided to paint a standard GK first to establish the look I wanted.

I decided to go with two difficult colo
rs, red (more maroon) and white. This is one of my 1st attempts at painting pure white, and man is it' a pain in the ass. I like the end result of the colors, I just need to figure on how to get the white thinner, as it came out gloppy and textured. I tried watering it down, but it basically became a wash. I need to find that magical consistency to layer it up I guess. Shame patience is not my best virtue.

Things that are missing are the small details of the eye highlights, the name plate, battle damage, weathering and the force weapon effect. The force weapon will use that bright purple rather than the standard ice blue.



At least now that I have my colors I can start on my acolytes. Though they will be more red (maroon) and black.

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Wednesday, November 30, 2011

Winner, Winner, Boltgun Dinner

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry generalities


I just found out that I won a prize from a contest I entered at the
Legion 9 Studios blog. Thanks for that! Now I will soon get something new to read from their Black Library collection!

The Legion 9 Studios blog is a great place for tips on conversions and painting to get the look you want for your army. If you don't want to do it yourself, or can't, they also offer commission work, which from the looks of it is pretty awesome.

Update wise on my army, I have assem
bled a crap ton of GK marines and Termies as well as a Draigo and a conversion for Anval Thawn (made from the Arvann Stern FC). I am working on a Knight of the Flame based off the Emperor's Champion FC model as well, but I am really taking my time on him.

I also began dropping some color on my acolytes as well. Photos of all this to come this weekend.

Lastly, I finished up my Land Raider Re
deemer with Forgeworld Inquisition bits and covered it in antennae because I just think they look wicked. I didn't realzie until after my 1st game that I should have put the Flamestorms on the FRONT mount positions rather than the rear. Oh well, live and learn. Here you go:


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Wednesday, November 16, 2011

Bits Bash Ordo Malleus Inquisitor

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for inscription of Ordo Malleus


Here is a bits bash conversion for an Ordo Malleus Inquisitor in power armor. The sword arm, and back pack are that of a standard GK marine. The torso is half space wolf, half GK marine. The combi-plasma hand I think is from the finecast Librarian or maybe the Techmarine (I forget which). The legs are space wolf, as is the head, just with the Mohawk filed off.

The Iron Halo, which the real HQ can't even take (I just wanted him to stand out) is just a simple conversion of a warding staff. That idea was taken from the
512th Cadian blog. The rest of the skulls, scrolls, books, etc are a mix of GK marine bits and WHFB stuff.

At the end of the day he was a bunch of unused spare parts and he came out as a nice power armor Inquisitor. I think I may give him the gold armor treatment when I get around to painting him. I may also give him a psyber animal as well, maybe an owl or a crow.

There are two sets of photos here, one flash on, one flash off.







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Tuesday, November 15, 2011

Titan-Forge DCAs (contains minature nudity)

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for inscription of death cult assassins


I picked up 6 Death Cult Assassin proxies, called Demon Assassins, from Titan-Forge last month when they were running a 50% off deal, and it was worth it. The models are very nice resin and need very little clean up. The hands and swords are rather thin and fragile, but that's the standard with lithe models. The set came with 6 extra female heads without masks since I chose to use all the cool ritual mask heads.

The model scale, though 28mm has them coming in as tall as, if not taller than, regular GK marine. Though they have the stat line and abilities to back up that scale as far as I am concerned. The downside to this is that when placed with GW DCA's in the same squad they dwarf their metal sisters. I will have to take some photos to show this height difference.

Overall they are stunning models that are very clean for resin casts and are easy to assemble. I prefer them to the GW blisters.



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Monday, November 14, 2011

Inquisitor of the Ordos Xenos

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for query into the Ordos Xenos


I love the concept of the Ordos Xenos and I also love conversion beamers. This led me to converting up a Xenos Inquisitor with one. The plan, stick him at the back of the board in a Purgation Squad and use Astral Aim to let him snipe all around the board through any terrain within a measly 72". I know they get the 4+ cover, but it seems like all my target always have that or are out of sight. At least the jump-fire-jump Tau will actually have to roll some saves now.

Another option is to also beef up the squad with a Techmarine with a second conversion beamer, also able to see through walls like superman. 2 Shots a turn, both blasts, both BS4 and hopefully in 12
" of a servo skull for the scatter reduction.

Has anyone tried this?

Here is the conversion in progress on the Xeno Inquis. He is made of the IG command frame sniper and a really old conversion beamer from the chaos marine special weapons frame. The wind swept head was found in my fantasy bits box, and it's probable Empire or Bretonnia. I still need to load him up with Xeno Inquisty bits like scrolls, skulls, eldar symbols, etc.





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Real Swords for Real Crusaders

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for wargear upgrade of Crusaders


I was unhappy with the looks of the blades on my Crusaders which I wrapped up last month. I recently purchased a bunch of GKs and |GK Termie boxes and they are super bits heavy. With the extra force swords I was able to swap the blades out on the Crusaders and give them a more uniform look. I like the results and intend on making more of these guys in the future if I can get a hold of more cheap storm shields.


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Saturday, November 12, 2011

Finished Chimera Conversion

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for Inscr
iption of Custom Inquisitorial Chimera

Sorry for the long gaps in posts, I have been very busy with work and not able to build as much as I would have liked to. That aside, let's dive in.

Following two different tutorials I found on other blogs, I was able to combine their teachings to get the desired result I wan
ted for my Inquisitorial Chimera. The goal was to create a set-back wheeled Chimera using the basic kit plus the rapid response wheeled chimera kit from Chapter House Studios.

The set-back tutorial was from The Back 40k blog. The modification of the Chapter House wheeled kit came from WarFrog's Ho
bby blog.

Essentially the Chapter Kit is a bit of pain to wo
rk with unless you just want it the way they give it to you. But their design has the parts aligning in an asymmetrical manner which I found put me off. I magnetized the multi-laser as well. In the end I am happy with my final result.


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Friday, October 28, 2011

Another Razorback

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for Inscr
iption of Razorbacks

Since I only had two of the Forge World rhino door kits I did this razorback up using the Inquisition brass etched designs. This guys is the standard heavy bolter config, but I changed the pintle mounted storm bolter to have it's own optics as I never liked the look of the guy popping out of the hatch. The communicator antennae skull thing on the back is from the Aegis Defense Line kit.


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Friday, October 14, 2011

Meq Time! LasPlas Razorbacks

+++ TO: All Citizens of Formosa
+++ FROM: Inquisitor Astoraga Cespedes
+++ SUBJECT: Data entry for Inscr
iption of Razorbacks

I put together two of my LasPlas Razorbacks using the tutorials I found on Red's Corps old blog (no longer on the net, sadly). This was to have the one LasCannon on the back and the TL Plasma Gun mounted in the gunners position. I really like the look of it and pretty much followed his plan the entire way. The only thing differet was incorporating the Forge World Inquisition Rhino bits and just the usual odd bits and bobs.

The one difference between the two Razorbacks beyond basic bits is that each uses a matching pair of side doors from the two Forgeworld kits. So one Razorback has two plain Inquisition symbols while the other has two doors with the skill embossed Inquisition symbol
.










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