2nd Half Year Painting – Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia Infantry

I’m getting ahead of schedule!  The hardest part of the 1/2 year painting competition for the Solar Auxilia was going to be the Infantry with all their fiddly little details, so I prioritized them.  Take a look!

Next: Lootas and the model chosen for the “Everyone paints the same model” challenge!

2nd 6 Month Painting Challenge – Legion Imperialis Solar Auxillia Leman Russ Exterminators

The second half of the year challenge has begun!  This challenge would normally be a Solar Auxilia Box Set.  However, for the Legion Imperialis teaching list that I played with Brian, I needed the Baneblades, but at the time no Baneblade box sets were available, so I raided the starter box.

To make up for this lack of one of the five included box sets within the starter box, I added the above: a seperate box of Leman Russ Exterminators.  I opted for these instead of the Annhilators because the Leman Russ Vanquishers I already have are exemplary anti-tank shots, but I needed more anti-infantry.  These fit the bill; they are cheap and effective.

With this, my obligations for July are taken care of more than TWO WEEKS EARLY!  This lets me get ahead, so the next painting priority is the hardest; the Solar Auxilia Infantry sprues.  These are full of tiny fiddly figures, so they’ll take extra time, but I’ve got it!  After that, we shall see what will be chosen as the “everyone paints the same model” challenge for August!

Half Year Half Army LI Legiones Astartes Rhinos – Challenge Complete!

With these 10 Rhinos, my Legiones Astartes box set that I am painting for the 1/2 year 1/2 Army painting competition is complete!

Here is the whole box set!

This not only finishes my obligations for June two weeks early, it lets me have some breathing room for the next 1/2 year!  Here’s the big board; look at all that GREEN!

Next: Stripping Ork Trukks, re-making an entire Nob squad, prepping Beast Snaggas and a Beastboss, and making a custom Lieutenant for August!  Then, I’ll start the 3rd quarter strong with a mystery model from AFK, the Beastboss, and the Leman Russ Exterminators which will replace the Baneblades that I already stole from the LI Solar Auxilia Box!

AFK 1/2 year challenge LI Astartes Fast Attack

May’s last obligation got done a bit late, but June will be a light month.  In truth these were done yesterday except for the clear plastic flying stands.

Next: the remaining Escher girls and plus two Bounty Hunters and an Imperial Agent, then a squad of Kommandos and 10 LI Rhinos and Q2 is done!

AFK 6 month Army Challenge – LI Legiones Astartes Support

That’s the Support frames from the Legiones Astartes box set, bringing me up to 3/5 done!  This fulfills my obligations for April, meaning any more painting I do this month is getting ahead!

Next: More Escher girls, an Ork Trukk, two squads of 5x Stormboyz with Nob, and the LI Astartes Fast Attack sprues!

Six Month Half Army Painting Challenge – Legiones Astartes Kratos Squadron

The 6 Month painting challenge of half an army is coming along smoothly.  This Kratos squadron and the two frames of Infantry I painted represent about 2/5 of the Legiones Astartes Box Set which is my goal.  All I need to do is paint one set of frames per month to stay on schedule.  Remaining frames are Fast Attack, Support, and Rhinos.

However, this completion marks the end of my necessary obligations for March!  Anything else I do is bonus!

Coming up next in March to prepare for the rest of the year:

• Take stock of Escher gang for Q2 Skirmish painting challenge, possibly adding on Hangers on or other models.
• Convert one Flash Git (the original Flash Gitz squad I converted from Nobs only had nine members because the tenth was a Painboy in 5th edition)
• Convert two Stormboyz Nobs from the old pewter Stormboyz
• Strip Trukks and write article about new stripping agent.
• “Loot” old Battlefoam Space Marine Case to make it worthy for the new foam I ordered for the Orks

And coming up next for painting:

• Escher Gang and Hangers on for Q2
• Finish Legiones Astartes box for Half Year
• Ork Year Long Army for Q2:
  • Deffkilla Wartrike
  • 3x Warbiker, Nob w/Power Klaw
  • Trukk
  • 5x Stormboyz, Nob w/ Power Klaw
  • 5x Stormboyz, Nob w/ Power Klaw
  • 10x Kommando, Nob w/ Power Klaw, Skorcha, Distraction Grot, Bomb Squig

That’s a lot of work for three months!  Hopefully I’m up to it!

Legions Imperialis Training Mission – Lexington’s Debut!

I’ve been sparse in posting recently because I’ve been preparing to get married.  However, I was working hard on previous projects for Legions Imperialis in order to set up a Training mission for my Best Man and longtime friend of Fourstrands, Lexington.

We played a 1500 point mission, Sons of Horus (Lexington) vs. Manachean Bulls (me).  I was busy setting things up so I wasn’t the most prolific photographer, but here’s the board at the top of turn three:

By the end of the game, the traitors were triumphant!  Let The Galaxy Burn!

As a Best Man’s gift, Lexington for TWO full starter boxes for the Legiones Astartes, more than enough to have a tactically viable force!

Next: my triumphant return to 40K painting with the continuation of the Primaris Captain project.

Legio Praesagius Warhound Titan

Legio Praesagius walks for the Emperor!  Vengeance for Calth!

This features custom waterslide transfers, and the straight lines were painted with the assistance of automotive masking tape.

This completes the 1500 pt list for my Solar Auxilia teaching list.  Anyone who wants to learn LI can now do so with a fully painted army!

Next: Unless I desperately need something for LI, I think I’ll be moving back to the Primaris Captain project for the Azure Flames.  Additionally, look for this model and all the others in my teaching lists in a game where I show Lexington the ropes!

Solar Auxilia Armoured Column

Big batch paint completion for LI Solar Auxilia!  The Manachean Bulls will be supported by some heavy armour!

Leman Russ Vanquisher Squadrons.  I painted different stripes to allow me to more easily use them as separate if desired.

Emperor’s Husband Malcador Tanks with Battle Cannons and Heavy Bolters

Finally, some of the legendary Baneblades!

Next: Legio Praesagius walks for the Manachean Commonwealth, for the Omnissiah, and to bring vengeance to the hated Surturvora!

Manachean Bulls Ogryn and Leman Russ proof of concept

Finally finished the four infantry frames for the Manachean Bulls with the Ogryn:

Additionally, I built 8 Leman Russes, 4 Malcadors, and 2 Baneblades! (partially).  I came up with a paint scheme that will hopefully let me paint them super fast with high quality.  However, all schemes need a test.  So, I painted one Leman Russ completely to make sure the scheme worked.

The tank was primed Grey Seer on the sprue.  Then, partially assembled (turret, body, and rear struts seperate).  Here is the scheme after that:

• Metal areas were painted flat with Two Thin Coats brand Sir Coates Silver.
• The entire tank (except the dude popping out of the hatch) was washed with 50/50 Nuln Oil/Lahmian Medium.
• Yellow areas were carefully painted with Iyanden Yellow contrast.
• Blue areas were carefully painted with Asurmen Blue contrast.  Lines were cleaned up with Grey Seer and Nuln Oil.
• Gold metal is Retributor Gold with a light wash of Gulliman Flesh where there was detail
• Tiny details were added, along with decals.

Note to all LI players who want to build Russ tanks: the rear struts WILL BREAK FOR LIKE NO REASON.  Be EXTREMELY careful when clipping them off the sprue or cleaning them.

Next: more tanks!