Ork Big Mek and bonus Azure Flames Outrider hand swap

My newest Ork list has a Big Mek to help some Flash Gits.  To make sure I get my points for painting, I made him the most recent priority.  Here he is!

I did a glow effect on the Kustom Mega Blasta, but I was a bit disappointed because the Lifta Droppa is a cooler looking gun, and the drill is a cool melee weapon too…

Wait…

Fully magnetizable?  Yes!  In fact, here’s a better look at the drill with a good look at the battery corrosion effect I did near the top:

This Big Mek is ready to lead some Gits!

Finally, as a quick project, I did a hand swap for my Azure Flames Outriders, which can now have a melee weapon on the Sergeant:

Next: Probably Tankbustas because that is the last unpainted unit in my preliminary Ork list.  After that, there’s a lot of options!

Updated Land Speeders

That’s three old school Land Speeders updated for modern gameplay:

Found some old Land Speeder Typhoon missile lauchers in the bitz box (thanks Lexington!) and popped ’em right on.  One of the above Land Speeders didn’t have an old pewter driver’s sight, so they got one of the newer plastic ones.  Finally, I chopped off the old Flying Base Ball Joint top, hand-drilled a new hole, and slapped them on a new flying stand in a brand new regulation sized oval base.  Complete with either Heavy Flamer or “Onslaught Gatling Cannon.”

Next: Ork stuff, Gothic Tyranids, and Legion Imperials

Scout Squads re-based and re-touched

So!  The new Scouts are on new, larger bases!  What’s that?  The standard 32 mm bases for the new Primaris Marines?  No!  That would be too EASY.  They have a new 28.5 mm base.  That’s right, we’re going to half millimeters.

Thanks to Ebay, I got some of these new bases, and painstakingly and carefully violently ripped my usual Scout Squads off their old 25 mm slotta-bases.

After attaching them to the new bases, I made sure to do some touch ups on the old minis.  For starters, I got a serious upper arm workout filing the disgustingly prominent mould lines from these old pewter beauties.  I then also touched up several areas of paint to try to make the squads fit in more with my modern paint jobs.

Without further ado, here they are:

Next: We have some Land Speeders that need some new bases and missiles, some brand new Ork thingamajigs including a Dakkarig, a Wartrakk, and a Weirdboy.  Not to mention a whole stack of Legion Imperialis stuff.  To be continued!

Azure Flames Company Heroes

Recently, I faced the World Eaters in a game of 11th edition.  Due to points constraints, and due to the fact that my squad of Company Heroes was not complete.

Not anymore.

Start with the Company Champion:

This is actually a Captain model, with a pointing arm and a different head.  This model and all others in the squad have cloaks from the Dark Elf Black Ark Corsairs (out of print and expensive!)

Next, the Company Ancient:

Other than the cloak, this gentleman is just the Ancient from the new Armageddon box.  The flame near the top of the standard was sculpted, and the Ork skulls were filed off.

Finally, the support guys:

These dudes were from a squad of Intercessors that I purchased long ago but didn’t get around to painting.  The Heavy Bolter is from my (insane) bitz supply and fits a Primaris scale marine pretty well!  The Bolter guy has a gold rosette from a plastic Sternguard torso.

Next: Apparently they changed the size of Scout bases from 25 mm to 28.5 mm?  I need Scouts for the current meta, so two five man squads are getting re-based.

Battlefleet Gothic 1250 Fleet Engagement – Azure Flames vs. Imperial Navy

Another BFG game with Cole happened during a smoke storm from Canada!  We managed to brave the horrible air conditions to play a Fleet Engagement!

We both chose a Wedge formation, so a good roll allowed Cole to choose the smaller deployment area:

The fleets met in a brutal scrum during which Thunderhawk Gunships and Boarding Torpedoes turned off many of the Navy’s assets!

Finally, the Navy retreated.  Victory for the Azure Flames!

Next: Reaver Titan!

Sangamon Taylor, Azure Flames Epistolary Librarian

Sangamon has had a long and storied history as a Librarian in the Azure Flames.  Now, he crosses the Rubicon and joins a new millennium:

Here he is next to his old model:

Sangamon Taylor was part of the original Sons of the Salamander.  When Atrus fell, Sangamon assisted him in creating the Psychic Amplifier.  Sangamon was the only one who knew how to properly tune the device that allowed Atrus to access his damaged Psychic Powers.  Sangamon still serves in this new Era Indominus, smiting the Emperor’s foes with his gifts.

Next: Reaver Titan for the Legio Praesagius!

Khalil and Piers – Azure Flames Primaris Captain project complete!

In 2024 I set out to replace all of my older and almost never used Space Marine Captains with Primaris versions of themselves (which also probably would rarely be used).

2025 sent that for a curveball with all of my painting competitions.  There were only two left and they sat on the backburner.

In truth, they were 99% done until today.  I was waiting for a custom waterslide transfer order.  Now, they are finished.

I’ll start with Khalil.  He uses the new (but not the newest!) Space Marine Captain with Jump Pack model.  Because the newest model allows for Thunder Hammer/Storm Shield, I used Vanguard Veteran bits for the arms.  Additionally, older players will recognise that head from the 3rd edition Tactical Squad box; the same head I used for Khalil in his two previous models.

Standard paint job, but I’ve added a glow effect that I practiced on my Inceptor models last year for the jump pack.  I also gave special attention to the script on the shield and pauldron.

Khalil was recruited from an ailing Hive world past its prime; where being able to climb the rotting superstructure of the domes meant the difference between life and death.  He broke the record for shortest time in the aspirant trials, and was, after serving in the reserve companies, assigned to a Land Speeder squadron.  His squadron was destroyed by the forces of Victor Kalan during his dark campaign with The Alliance, but Khalil managed to crawl from the wreckage with what remained of then Lieutenant and soon-to-be-Captain Edgard.  Khalil continued to serve and was promoted to Captain during the opposition campaign against Grimgull the Red.  Khalil himself had the distinction of ending the Red Ork, but not before Matthius, Prophet of the Four had reclaimed the daemonsword Ba’arzunipal.

After the Chasma Spica war, Khalil struck out with a portion of the fleet after the fleeing Chaos Warlord Esharradon of the Sicarii.  The relentless campaign of vengeance earned him the nickname “Fury of Iperin” as he was a living embodiment of the wrath of the Azure Flames’ new homeworld.

Before the Omega War, Khalil almost lost his Battle Barge, His Anvil (additionally most of the 7th company and his own life).  However, due to the brave actions of Zeraf Antonius, His Anvil was salvaged and refurbished.  Now, Khalil lives every day trying to live up to the name Fury of Iperin, slaughtering the foes of the Imperium with speed and precision.

Piers was named by my friend Joe during our writing of Big Game V.  I chose his first name after Virgil from the 90’s television adventure cartoon Might Max.  Piers’ voice is Virgil’s haughty British one on the occasion that I hear him speak in my head.  He uses the new Space Marine Gravis Captain model, modified with a bit of green stuff at the shoulder to cover one of the WORST MODELING GAPS I HAVE SEEN in a modern GW model.  Additionally, the helmeted head had the neck clipped and was attached to the hip, and the head replaced with the pewter head that Piers’ previous model had (the Captain with the Thunder Hammer from the old pewter Master of the Chapter box set).

Piers has a small OSL effect on his wrist, and the VII on his leg is a custom decal that I ended up painting over.  The “purple” from the printer was a bit more like dark purple and red pixels, probably due to printing limitations, and the top had an unsightly white stripe.  I covered it gently with the same purple as the cloak.

The Azure Flames have a policy; if they answer your distress call and fail, they save whoever they can as Chapter Serfs.  If they succeed, they ask for a percentage of age-appropriate boys to take the tests to join the Chapter.  This policy has been in place since the Azure Flames were the Sons of the Salamander.  One year after their Founding, the flagship His Hammer responded to a daemonic incursion on a small space station.  Few survived, but Chapter Master Logain himself led the counter-incursion and banished the last of the daemons back to the Warp.  With a successful mission, the station owed a portion of its youth to the Chapter, and that was Virgil Piers, the only surviving child on the station.

Born in the void, trained to operate high tech void weapons for the majority of his life, and possessing a once-in-a-generation genius, Piers showed tactical acumen that made him a Sergeant faster than anyone else in the Chapter (only later surpassed by Zeraf Antonius).  Ambushes, sieges, counter-sieges, line duty, covert actions, and any other scenario was understood, enhanced, and executed superbly under his leadership.  His experience in Void Combat let him eventually be appointed Master of the Fleet by Atrus himself.  Piers rarely leaves the Command Throne of His Hammer II.  Now that the Chapter has a homeworld, he tends to lead expeditions on behalf of the Chapter.  Only recently during the relief of the 4th company on Altea has he commanded the fleet in its entirety.

And that wraps up the Primaris Captain project!  Now all ten captains plus the Chapter Master have new models and backstory.

Next: Legion Imperialis Astartes Infantry!

Finish It Complete! All Painting competitions finished!

It is done!  All painting competitions are one hundred percent complete!

This has been a long time coming.  So many things to paint.  There were a lot of difficulties, like the tiny details on all the Legion minis, the colors on the Necromunda girls, and the sheer volume of the Orks.  But I worked hard and budgeted time, and it paid off.

Without further ado, here’s the final project: The Nicassar Dhows!

These Dhows are painted in the same color scheme as the “official” scheme shown back long ago when GW sold these, but elevated with Turbo Dork paints. They don’t photograph well, but let me assure you they are SHIMMERY.

Of course, these Dhows are magnetized to their bases to allow them to do… this!

Adding the Dhows to the Orbital I painted previously lets me field a Caravan if I wish.  Basically a much worse version of the Blackstone Fortress, but also cheaper.

With this, the Finish It competition is complete!

Here is the whole Finish It challenge.

Wait a minute… that’s not my normal work table.  That looks like…

WHOA!  That’s a lot of minis!  In fact, it’s ALL OF THE MINIS I PAINTED THIS YEAR!

Oh, yes, this is pretty far away.  Zoom and Enhance!  (or just take more pics)

Here’s Q1.  The Space Marines are: Chapter Master Perseus (painted BEFORE the competitions but during January), Captain Valerien, a unit of six Intercessors, and a Redemptor Dreadnought.  Above them, a Warboss in Mega Armour, five Meganobs, Ten Ork Boys, and a unit of Squighogs plus a Trukk that should have been in Q3 but looks better here.

Q2 starts in the middle with the Necrimunda Escher gangers and friends, then above with the Orks, a Beastboss, ten Beast snaggas, eight Lootas with two Spannas, a Deffkilla Wartrike, three Warbikers, and a Trukk.  Below, from Q2 orks, a Shokkjump Dragsta, 10 Nobs, a Big Mek with a Shokk Attack gun, 20 Gretchin with two Runtherds, and a Trukk.

This is Q3 with the first 1/2 year competition.  Above, 10 Flash Gitz, two units of 5 Stormboys, and 10 Kommandos.  In the middle, the All the Same competition Minotaur, the Color Competition Lieutenant from the Star Cyclones, and the Carthaginian Elephants.  Below that, the 1/2 year competition Legiones Astartes Sons of Horus, consisting of two sprues each of: Infantry, Support, Fast Attack, Rhinos, and Kratos tanks.

Finally, here’s Q4 and the 2nd 1/2 year competition.  The orks were seen better above.  The Finish It competition is eight Tau Wardens, two Tau Messengers, eight Tau Transports, a general purpose Orbital, an Air Caste city, an Orbital with four Gravitic Hooks which can be combined with four Nicassar Dhows to make a Nicassar Caravan, and of course the Dhows and their magnetic bases.  Below that, the 2nd 1/2 year Solar Auxilia, which consists of two sprues each of: Infantry, Support, Dracosans, Leman Russ, and Leman Russ Exterminators.

There you have it!  That’s a year of painting!  Slightly more if you count Perseus.  Am I done?

HAHAHAHAHAHA NOPE!

There’s a super secret project I’m working on! (don’t get hyped, it’s small, but it is secret!)  Additionally, I am planning out next year; this won’t be at AFK, as my pile of gray doesn’t line up with the competitions anymore.

Speaking of AFK, here are the minis due by the end of the year in the cases, ready for judging:

You’ll notice that the Orks are so numerous they don’t fit on one shelf!

Next, the Super Secret Project, and a timeline for 2026, in which we will celebrate the 15th anniversary of Fourstrandshobby.com!

Daenan, Redemptor Dreadnought of the 4th Company – AFK March Large Model Submission

Daenan fell near the end of the second war against the Orks on Altea, and ended the war in the shell of a Redemptor Dreadnought.

This model was bought second hand from a time when I was financially not too well off, and it had several sprue wounds and the stripping process was not fantastic, but I worked hard to cover those sins and the model is more than tabletop ready.

This represents a return to my forays in freehand, adding a portrait of Antonius to the right shoulder.  I also did dynamic lighting effects on the glowing plasma and the overheated gun barrels.

Next: Squighog boys to finish the 1st quarter army painting!

Primaris Captain Project – Alain Valerien, Captain of the 9th Company – January AFK Submission

Valerien’s new model is mostly the new Primaris Black Templar Marshall, just as his previous model was the limited edition Captain that was painted as a Marshall in the Armageddon codex.  I did some arm swaps with regular Primaris arms to get rid of the massive amounts of chains.  I also clipped out the stockaded skeleton in the Iron Halo as that’s not Valerien’s style.  I added a brazier to the axe from the Salamander upgrade kit.  I also swapped the shoulder pads.  His left pad (on the right in the pic) was a huge pain; the original was a sort of straight line pad instead of curved, and I stupidly did not dry fit before priming.  I had to take a dremel and some putty to the shoulder and re-paint a decent part of the cape.  Always dry fit, kids!

–

Alain Valerien is the only recruit from Nouvelle Provence, an unassuming moon populated by an unusual group.  Strict discipline has kept their language from changing at all for forty millennia.  They are proud of their odd way of speaking, only learning Gothic to speak with outsiders.  In their tongue, they refer to it as “La Langue Douce” or “The Sweet Tongue” in Gothic.

Valerien was recruited during routine resupply long ago before the Azure Flames had changed their name; back when they were the Sons of the Salamander.  He rose though the ranks through perseverance and skill.  Unlike most Chapters, Valerien shares duties with the 10th Company in the newly created role of Master Instructor.  He prepares anyone from full battle brothers to the newest Neophytes in matters dealing with anything other than combat.  However, unlike the Master of Recruits, Valerien maintains an emotional distance from his pupils.

–

This will be the last part of the Primaris Captain Project I upload for a while.  Thanks to the staff at AFK games in Holt, I’m kicking my hobbying into high gear!  I will be participating in 11 different painting challenges over the course of 2025.  Valerien is my entry for the January challenge of a single model.

Next: February’s challenge will be a unit of Primaris Inceptors (full unit of 6).  Additionally, I will be starting the 1/2 year challenge of a roughly small force which will be an entire Legiones Astartes starter box for Legions Imperialis to add to my Sons of Horus.  Finally, the year-long project will see the revitalization of my Orks under the leadership of Gargatok Gitsmasha!  Stay tuned!