Primaris Captain Project – Nwabudike Abiola, Captain of the 5th Company

Continuing with the Primaris Captain project, I set about a task: re-create the old Space Marine Captain model from scratch.  In the past, three of the ten captains for the Azure Flames were based on this model (it was pewter and there wasn’t a lot of other options…).

So, I combined a Primaris Lieutenant body, the cape from the Primaris Jump Pack Captain, a Dark Angels Scabbard, a Forge World head, an old Iron Halo, and some random Primaris arms to re-create the old Captain pose.  Behold!

Abiola’s old model is on the left, the new one on the right.  The ropes on the chest and the flame on the scabbard were sculpted with Green Stuff.

Here’s a better pic of the front.  The face came out really well.  Nwabudike’s first name was chosen from Sid Meier’s Alpha Centauri, a game I often steal inspiration from.

The cape was custom detailed with flames, similar to other captains.  The shoulder pad has a custom sculpted flame.  Abiola’s name is on the shoulder.

If you zoom in on the bolter, it says “Mortis.”

So, pretty successful!  This kitbashed mini is a pretty true homage to the old pewter captain!  There’s not much more that I could have done.

Wait, someone’s handing me something.  Who are you and how did you get in my house?

Oh.  Oh no.

It seems that several months after I kitbashed this mini, Games Workshop released the new Company Heroes box set, complete with this stunning fellow:

HAHA had I just waited several months I could have just used this mini and not had to work hard to kitbash, but I’m glad I did.  Abiola’s new model is unique; no one else has a Captain like this.

Next: more Captains!

Primaris Captain Project – Chayton Dakota, Captain of the 6th Company

Just before heading off on my honeymoon, I’ve finished another of the Rubicon-enhanced Captains of the Azure Flames!

Dakota’s original model is on the left.  The classic Space Marine Captain with Power Sword, I modded him to have a Bolt Pistol in 5th ed to be a bare-bones super cheap HQ choice for low points value games. (goodbye 3rd Edition Space Marine Leader with Storm Bolter for 35 points… *sniff*)

During the writing of Big Game VI, Dakota got some characterization.  He became the dour, practical pessimist.  No one expects Dakota to be jovial or enthusiastic.  But the entire chapter knows that he never puts forward criticisms unfounded.  He always supports the other Captains, even when they choose to neglect his caution.  And, on those rare occasions he calls for decisive action, his opinions are given all the more weight.

Dakota’s new Primaris model is the Captain with power fist and plasma pistol, with the same pose as a much earlier classic mini.  I got this mini from the last Swap Meet of the Highland Gaming Club in the Highland Michigan Library, before the club dissolved and eventually made its way to Ypsilanti under the Golden Rhino Games banner.

This mini sat, unloved, in a box, until late last year when I began the Primaris Captain project.  Legions Imperialis delayed it, but it’s done!  Here’s some highlights!

This angle shows Dakota’s face a little better.  Part of the Primaris Captain Project is to add personal names.  Chayton is a Lakota name for Falcon or Hawk.  Dakota’s eyes were painted with a brand new Psycho brush from Army Painter.  The Plasma effect is Baharroth Blue, drybrushed with Altdorf Guard Blue then Pro Acryl Black.  1 part Pro Acryl white was added to three parts Lahmian Medium and carefully washed into the white areas.

Dakota’s hair is XV-88 with a wash of Black Templar Contrast.  This is amazing for dark brown hair!

The cape is Magmadroth Flame over Grey Seer, highlighted with Jokaero Orange (because the new contrast is much more flat).  The flames at the bottom are Altdorf Guard and Baharroth Blue.

All of the Primaris Captain Project minis are converted in at least some way.  Dakota’s hair was custom sculpted from Green Stuff, as was the flame on his shoulder.

Any of the brownish metal is a flat coat of Brass Scorpion with Nuln Oil wash.

Next: I’m on vacation, but after that more Captains and possibly a few more options for Legions Imperialis!

Primaris Captain Project – Orpheon Leonidas, Captain of the 1st Company

When crafting the back story of the Azure Flames 20 years ago, I came up with the character of Leonidas as a brash and obstinate counterpoint to the main narrative pushed by Atrus.  Not everyone is ready to change their entire Chapter livery and practices on the word of one man, much less someone who claims to have received a vision from the Emperor.  Leonidas demanded to wear the old colors of the Sons of the Salamander, and was such an incredible fighter that he was promoted to the Captain of the 1st Company to try to tame him.

This failed.  Leonidas remains a headstrong and effective combatant, but is still completely out of anyone’s control.  He has, however, gained the respect of many within and without of the Chapter.

Leonidas was the son of a Planetary Governor who went against his father’s wishes and joined the Sons of the Salamander.  I gave him the first name Orpheon after the founder of his world.

Leonidas’ original model was created by a guy named Greg who ended up being a bit of a douche.  He gave the model to my buddy Matt, who didn’t use him at all because Matt played Chaos.  However, I played Salamanders and Leonidas’ original model had Chaplain Xavier’s old backpack and hammer, so Matt gave him to me.

I upgraded Leonidas with a Dreadnought sized Heavy Flamer when Vulkan He’Stan became a prevalent character back in 5th or 6th Ed.  He won me so many games I stopped using him because Vulkan He’Stan was kind of completely irresponsibly overpowered.

Now, in 10th ed, as I upgrade all of my old Captains to Primaris models, Leonidas has gone through the Rubicon Primaris and is a more modern looking stand-in for Vulkan He’Stan:

Greg’s old model for Leonidas is on the left.  I re-based him and added the heavy flamer.  Leonidas’ new model is on the right.  As you can see, he fits the scale of 10th better.

Leonidas’ body is the Primaris Captain with Jump Pack body.  The head is from the Black Templar Marshall.  The arm is a Primaris arm upgraded with a Grey Knight Halberd, topped with a Blood Angel Power Sword.  Another Primaris Arm was chopped and slotted into a Terminator Heavy Flamer (the previous edition so slightly smaller than the most modern version).  Finally, Leonidas’ cape is an old Dark Elf Sea Dragon Corsair cloaks.

Leonidas’ left shoulder pad has been upgraded with a sculpted flame (possibly against his own wishes!)

Each scale on the Sea Dragon Cloak was highlighted twice, top and bottom.

The Spear was upgraded with a Sisters of Battle flame bit sculpted on with Green Stuff, and painted with a technique to make it look like it was molten hot out of a forge.

Next: more Captains get the Primaris treatment!

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!

Legion Imperialis Manachean Bulls

Google sucks.

That’s the post.

Just kidding, if you saw the thumbnail you know that there are new images of things I’ve painted.  Namely, three more sprues of Legion Imperialis Solar Auxillia infantry.

However there was a problem.

When I needed reference for the commander for the Auxillia Tactical Command (the lesser command base) I looked up the image on Google Image Search.  This is what I did when I first chose the color scheme for the Saturnine Rams.  They had a lovely blue with yellow scheme I thought would be complimentary to the Sons of Horus and look good against them on a tabletop.

However, the reference images I found for the color scheme THIS time named them the Manachean Commonwealth Bulls.

*rage simmers*

Oh well, crying doesn’t fix misapplied decals.  I’m glad I caught it this early.

Here is a redone Legate Commander and another new one:

Here are the Tactical Command bases (which will be used more frequently):

Lasrifles:

Flamers:

Veletaris:

Sentinels with redone decals:

Next: Charonite Ogryn and then tanks!

Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia Saturnine Rams first sprue and color scheme

As part of an effort to get some Legion Imperialis Solar Auxilia painted and ready for a future event, I started in on the first sprue that came with my starter box.  I chose the Saturnine Rams because blue and yellow are starkly different from the teal and black of the Sons of Horus, and I think these two forces would look good squaring off against each other.

Here’s the color scheme:

• Prime Grey Seer
• Blue: Asurmen Blue Contrast
• Metal: Two Thin Coats brand Sir Coates Silver on metal areas, washed with Nuln Oil
• Yellow: Grey Seer and then Iyanden Yellow Contrast over cloth areas.  Tiny areas or edge highlights Yriel Yellow
• Gold: Retributor Gold washed with 50/50 Agrax Earthshade/Lahmian Medium for gold areas.  Fine details edge highlight Pro Acryl Light Bronze.  Deep recesses darkened with Nuln Oil edge paneling
• Visors and flamers: Pro Acryl Light Bronze.  Edges of flamers messily drybrushed Abbadon Black.
• Power Weapons: Grey Seer then Blood Angels Red.  Highlight edge Trollslayer Orange.
• Bases: Grey Seer primer.  Sir Coates Silver or Warplock Bronze for metal areas.  50/50 Nuln Oil/Lahmian Medium over all.  Stipple Grey Seer on grey areas to create a concrete effect.  Reinforce base sides with Grey Seer. (note, this is the same as the Sons of Horus, so these forces can be used together, or will look perfect against each other)

The Command base was done first.  I used one of the larger decals on the banner as well as the numerals from a lower part of another Solar Aux banner.  I used the other large decal on the back of the commander’s cape.

The Lasrifles were next.  My original idea was that these loyalists were to look ragged and beat up, but initial attempts to do that didn’t quite look good so I abandoned it and kept it simple.

Next: More LI Solar Aux!

Legion Imperialis Sons of Horus Thunderhawk

I’ve been painting a lot of Legion Imperialis lately.  May main faction is Sons of Horus, although I’m starting up some Solar Auxillia to have a teaching force.  I added an image gallery for LI, but I never did a post on my painting scheme, so for all of you Sons of Horses who want your XVI Legion to look snazzy, here’s how:

• Primer: Black
• Green: Basecoat Sybarite Green.  Wash with 50/50 Coelia Greenshade/Lahmian Medium.  Reinforce flat panels or areas where the wash pooled too hard with Sybarite Green.  Edge highlight Gauss Blaster Green.
• Black: Abbadon Black.  Edge highlight Warpfang Gray.
• Metal: Two Thin Coats range Sir Coates Silver either drybrushed onto black for slightly larger or isolated pieces, or painted flat and then washed with 50/50 Nuln Oil/Lahmian Medium
• Bronze: Brass Scorpion
• Red: Small areas are pure Evil Sunz Scarlet.  Larger areas or textured areas like capes are Pro Acryl White with Blood Angel Red contrast and then Trollslayer Orange on edge highlight or raised areas.  (for this Thunderhawk, the Trollslayer Orange was mixed 50/50 with Contrast Medium and lined at the bottom of the panel)
• White: Pro Acryl White (literally miraculous compared to previous white paints I’ve used)
• Bases: Primer Grey Seer.  Add Grey Seer to any place the primer didn’t hit well.  Paint metallic areas with Warplock Bronze or Sir Coates Silver.  Wash with 50/50 Nuln Oil/Lahmian Medium.  Drybrush stipple flat areas to cover up wash and make it look like concrete.  Reinforce base sides with Grey Seer.

Four Strands Re-Launch! Updates, New Novel, and Surprise Announcement!

Welcome back!  Fourstrandshobby has returned, with a new scheme same as the old scheme!

A while ago, WordPress updates made the old scheme for this site unworkable.  This was after years of hackers breaking into the site again and again.  It turns out that scheme was vulnerable.  I chose another one that was very… blue.  And ugly.  And as such I wasn’t incentivized to post.

But, thanks to Lexington, I have a new scheme that looks like the old scheme, but works with modern WordPress and is secure!

In the intervening years, I’ve been up and down, but I’ve always made time for Modeling, Painting, Gaming, and Storytelling.  I played a lot of 9th edition 40K and then 10th when it came out.

I also got into Legion Imperialis!  I have a huge Sons of Horus force that grows all the time and will soon be joined (opposed?) by a Solar Auxillia force!  Click the link below to see the brand new Image Gallery!

Legion Imperialis Image Gallery

More importantly, I’ve been writing!  Big Game V: The Battle of Iperin was a novella made of vignettes contributed by multiple people on the old BGV forums and was chiefly written by myself, Lexington, and Joe.  Big Game VI: The Omega War was a more focused narrative written by Lexington and myself.

However, the newest novella to be featured on Fourstrands is Home Fires: An Azure Flames Novel.  This finishes what I’ll refer to as the Azure Flames Omnibus at least in terms of main stories.  I also have a short story between BGV and BGVI, and I am considering another between BGVI and Home Fires to make a complete Black Library style omnibus.  Click the link below, or the one in the Features bar.

Home Fires: An Azure Flames Novel

I’ve also done several projects for the Azure Flames!  I’ll post a few pics below, but most will have their own posts soon.

But finally, and most importantly for my life, I’m getting married!  Me and my Fiancée bonded over the classic Adult Swim show: The Venture Brothers.  As such, I commissioned an expert to 3D print the Monarch and Dr. Mrs. The Monarch from their wedding.  I then painted the duo myself.

Coming up next: Legion Imperialis Thunderhawk Gunship, some Solar Auxillia, and hopefully a battle report against loyalist scum, the White Scars at AFK!