Breaking the silence.

So yes. I'm breaking the silence of being too busy to update.

Here we go:
I'm working on the revised background for my Dark Angels Successor Chapter(which has actually been renamed to "Order of the Grey Blade", and will mostly be a Deathwing styled force--of course, their version of the Deathwing is called "The Seneschals" which will be using the standard Dark Angels iconography. I don't know what it is, but I really like that icon of the winged blade!) and have started on the Venerable Dreadnought.

Here's where you lot come in:
What should he be posed standing triumphant over? An Ork Killa Kan? An Ork Deff Dread's battered and fractured faceplate with an Ork corpse laying nearby?

Or a Carnifex, broken and cast down as the damned Xenos it is?

Bear in mind: This will have repercussions on how the army's background will be designed--and even impact the background of the Cadian 82nd Special Tasks Group! They're going to be linked together quite nicely, and I hope to have a readable background done before July.

If Orks, the jist of it will be:
The Alpha Legion and a warband of The Fallen have been operating in conjunction towards the Cadian Gate, destabilizing systems and their governments before an Ork Waagh! hits them. The Order and the 82nd STG find themselves in a situation where they've got an unlikely chance to bring down an Ork Warboss before he becomes too powerful--and a chance to get at the renegade Astartes prodding him forward.

Tyranids are still a WIP.

Hope you enjoyed the update!

Good news everyone!

You're now reading this in Professor Farnsworth's voice.

Hah. You're totally welcome for that.

But yeah, today the rear doors for the Chimeras arrived! Hooray! They're soaking in the cleanin' now.

Chimera ramps are drying, but something fantastic arrived today. Something so vainglorious I just have to share it.

So.

Well, the Chimeras are....stalled for the moment. Got alot of work to do cleaning the detail kits, and am waiting for my FLGS to scare up one final "old" Chimera for me to round out the group. But, for an upside?
I found my copy of Caesar's "The Gallic War". Fantastic read, if a bit dry.

It's Science!(Sort of)

Today, the beginning work was done on the Chimera "Cadian Mercy". It'll be the HQ squad's Chimera, and like the other Chimeras...it'll have all the gubbins you can dream of! Track guards, armor skirts, interior detailing...the works!

Took a picture while working with the resin, think it captured the mood quite nicely:


Because as Adam Savage of Mythbusters is fond of saying...

It's SCIENCE!

An update about my brainstorming process...

Yes, I know I tend to make alot of updates and they tend to be very...rambley. But that's my process, as it stands now. I have a hundred things firing off, and tend to work with whatever crops into my brain at that time.

On that note, I decided to finalize the color scheme for my "Order of the Ascendant Blade" today.

Very Alpha Legion rather than standard Unforgiven fare, isn't it?

A Sneak Preview(And a Review of Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer)

So, here goes. That's my Ariadnan Scout-Sniper for Corvus Belli's "Infinity" line, primed with my absolute favorite primer.

Tamiya's Fine Surface Primer.
Here's a quick review of Fine Surface Primer. Ready?
It's amazing. It clings to details without obscuring, and even works well in low temperatures. The only downside is the size of the cans they sell it in(they're about a quarter of the size of standard primer--for $9ish) and the fact that NO hobby shops I've been to have ever stocked it in-store. I've always had to order it from Squadron Mail Order.

Now, bear in mind this is just a teaser and he's already been basecoated his primary color(which will be Vallejo Olive Grey) and the rough idea of how he'll look is done in my mind.

But I figured I'd share, and actually make sure my camera's y'know...working.

Still need thoughts and brainstorming sessions on my Cadians though.
Hit me up on AOLIM as JarranVerth if you want to get in on the sessions.

Hooray!

So, list of good things:

The Zouaves arrived. The Loup-Garou arrived, the Scout arrived.

My Stryker arrives tomorrow, and my primer alongside.

So the question still remains either way.

Should I go for a solid uniform color on my Cadians...or an intricate camouflage pattern?

First stages of planning--completed!

Well, after finding out one Chimera sideskirt is missing(and getting a replacement sent out asap), the planning for the painting/assembly of the Cadian 82nd Mechanized aka "The Gate Wardens" has begun.

I'm sketching out masks for camouflaging the Chimeras as it stands, and also figuring out masks for the Valkyries and the massive amounts of Sentinels that will also be present in the force.

So here's the kicker boys and girls(or probably just Dante as the case may be :P):

Should the Sentinels have standardized camouflage, or should they be given a more 'personalized' look ala Vietnam era gunships or nose art consistent with most fighter aircraft?

The Joys of the US Postal Service!

Today, I went to get the mail.


And what should I see on my doorstep?

My Chimera conversion kits!

Planning begins--NOW!

The Waiting Kills Me...

Well, it's that special time.

Where I'm waiting for packages to arrive(replacement Ariadnan Zouaves--the dog apparently decided that she liked the smell of the paint, the Forge World Chimera stuff hasn't come...yet, and I'm waiting for Squadron to mail out the Tamiya Fine Surface Primer since I can never find the damned stuff at ANY hobby shop or crafts shop near me).

The upside?
When I ordered my Fine Surface Primer, an AFV kit I've been looking at giving another shot at went up for sale.

The M1130 'Stryker' Tactical Air Command Party/Control Vehicle(TACPCV from henceforth and pictured at the top of the page) went from $50...to $29.

Spring Break is gonna both rock AND roll this year.

Made a bigg-ish order from Forge World the other day. Here's the kicker.

So, I bit the bullet and used most of my model funds for the Winter/Spring on detailing kits for my Chimeras for the 82nd Cadian 'Strike' Detachment. Extra armor sideslats, interior detailing kits, and the far nicer track guards that Forge World sells.

The real kicker?

I've figured out how to light the damned interiors!

More! Mooooooooooooooore!

Due to a backlog of college work, and lack of time to set up the photo booth(along with no access to my normal place to host photos)--no photos today. BUT a name update on my forthcoming project!

The Successor Chapter will be called...
"Order of the Ascendant Blade"
The basic color scheme, as it stands now, will be Scorched Brown armor and Dark Angels Green robes/cloth bits. That, by the by, will be standardized across the army. The "Deathwing" equivalent, the "Ravenwing" equivalent, and even the vehicles.

And what's more, my Ariadnan Merovingian detachment is almost fully primed(the Loup Garou is being stripped and repainted. Was unhappy how the leather effect on his duster looked)!

Ridiculous Times at Nick's Workshop

So, while there's not been a photo update of the Dreadlord(I know, I know. "LIAR!") due to actually painting more than I expected to that first day--I've begun work on my NEXT next project.

A Dark Angels Successor Chapter, of my own design.

The caveat?
I'm trying to come up with names now, alongside of the fact that I want to keep the standard Dark Angels iconography(the winged blade, etc).

So far, name ideas:

The Blades of Redemption
The Blades of Ascension
The Swords of Caliban
The Swords of Vengeance
Blades of the Lion

Thoughts+comments?

And so it begins...

Well lads and lasses! This is the beginning of my Blog. Mostly it'll be focused on whatever models I happen to be working on at the time.

Right now, for example, I'm working on the absolutely gorgeous Dark Elf Dreadlord on Cold One(Games Workshop produced). I've done some minor work to create a truly excellent look for him.

Namely: He has been reposed to look as though rearing back for a strike with his left hindtalon.

Photos to come later after he's primed and basecoated!