Space Marine Battlefleet Gothic Fleet
My Azure Flames Battlefleet Gothic fleet. 2 Battle Barges, 5 Strike Cruisers, 6 Nova Frigates, 6 Gladius Frigates and 10 Hunter Destroyers.
Jelnac, Master of the Forge of the Azure Flames with Conversion Beamer
Modeling
Jelnac’s torso is the Blood Angel Techmarine with Jump Pack torso. Standard bike and legs. Modded left palmtop to be textured like the right one, from Torquemada Coteaz with the Thunder Hammer. Backpack is a standard old Techmarine Servo Arm.
The Conversion Beamer was based on the old Conversion Beamer (see pic above, the blue gun). The Sidecar was a standard pewter attack bike sidecar. I used a Chaos Defiler Battle Cannon mount for the hinge. It is attached to the sidecar with a filed piece of Defiler armor and some putty. The Chaos star was filed off, and a seven-toothed cog sculpted. Into this cog, I pressed the filed down skull from a Servo Skull which looks like the Ad Mech logo.
The central plasma coil is a Gene Seed canister from the Battle For Macragge box set. Sprue and plasticard rod made the rest of the body. The lower cable is guitar wire. The dish is a Tau Battle Suit Shield Generator, filed and puttied to be a smooth dish. Part of a Space Marine Radar Dish antenna (the small one from the new sprue) comes up from the bottom. The antenna is an old antenna from the 2nd ed Space Marine Vehicle sprue.
Painting
The only painting flourish I’m proud of is the screen on Jelnac’s bike. I painted a Matrix-code-like pattern of falling green characters, blending from Scorpion Green to a mix of Snot and Dark Angels green.
Backstory
The Azure Flames are barely 400 years old as of the end of M41. How, then, did they get a Pre-Heresy weapon in their arsenal? This conversion beamer belonged to the Myridian Suns Space Marine Chapter. When they fell to Chaos, the Azure Flames cleansed their homeworld of Myridia and destroyed every last Myridian Sun. Their Geneseed was quarantined and their wargear studiously poured over by the Techmarines and Librarium of the Azure Flames to prevent the taint of Chaos from touching the chapter. Few artifacts were salvaged, most were corrupted beyond hope of salvation by the traitors, but Brother Jelnac brought forth the remains of a Conversion Beamer taken from the Master of the Forge of the Myridian Suns. The Beamer was damaged, as Jelnac had smashed part of it with his Thunder Hammer during the fight.
After being declared free of taint, the Beamer was given to Jelnac. The old power source was damaged beyond repair, and the matter inversion coil was totaled. Jelnac modified a plasma coil to replace the matter inversion coil, and mounted the beamer on a Space Marine Attack Bike to provide power. Now, one of the most ancient weapons of mankind is at the disposal of the Azure Flames.
Why they call me “The Madman”
My nickname is “The Madman” and it’s well deserved. For those who know me, or have trawled the archives of this blog, you know that I tend to take modeling and painting seriously. I put a lot of effort into each mini, and I don’t do jobs that are “just good enough.” I take every aspect of the game to the extreme. I make every model as well as I can, even taking the time to pin minis that will probably break (Privateer Press, I’m looking at you!) I paint every model to a quality that I can be proud of, no Black Primars or three-color tabletop standards for me. I play every game as well as I can. I write stories that get out the creative impulses trying to break out of my brain. This is the Four Strands ethos: take every aspect as far as you can.
This explains why some may call me “mad.” However, it’s not how I got my name. During my senior year at Michigan State, we had been unceremoniously kicked out of our previous playing grounds in Mary Mayo residence hall. Rant about that will come at another time and have HUGE CUSSES. We re-located to the basement of Owen Graduate Hall. One day, some reporters for the local campus rag of lies and failure, The State News, arrived to chronicle our gaming club.
During their visit, we staged a game, and tried to explain our hobby to these talentless hacks. I told them the general format of the rules, and said that there were more, showing them the rulebook. Several other comments were made by myself and others.
EDIT: Lexington reminded me that halfway through the interview the “writer” up and left without telling his photographer! He was so confused when his colleague ditched him. Perhaps he was the unpopular photographer.
The next day, we read the article in the paper. Saying that things were blown out of proportion would be an understatement. My quotes were taken out of context, and PUT IN ALL CAPS LIEK I WAS SHOUTING!!!!!111111ONE In addition, several other comments (regarding the insanity of Games Workshop’s business model in 2004) were attributed to me, making me sound like a deranged raving lunatic.
From then on, I was called “The Madman” and took to the nickname with a perverse sense of glee. “Hi! I’m The Madman! Would you like a cookie?” *disturbing grin*
ZOMG DOUBLE EDIT: The original article here, thanks to Scott: http://statenews.com/index.php/article/2004/09/group_peacefully_participates_in_combat
Manik Upzindownz, da Mad Mek
Modeling
Manik uses the Assault on Black Reach plastic Warboss. His Big Shoota was cut out of his hand, and his hand was cut off and turned 90 degrees to hold the handlebars of the bike. The wrist was joined with putty. The legs were modded to fit a bike, which included destroying the tabard. The Arrows are cut from plasticard.
The Trike Conversion entailed using a regular Ork Bike wheel for the third wheel and a Trukk wheel for the front wheel. The third wheel was held on using the ammo belt as an extension. The guns include two Ork Bike guns and an Imperial Guard Autocannon. Extra Ammo canisters were added. The Front shocks of the bike were sawn apart, and the main bars replaced with bent brass rods. The Plasma Cannon comes from the old pewter Chaos Space Marine Dreadnought. The bit was sawed apart using a jeweler’s saw which was INTENSELY PAINFUL to do. The jaws are standard Ork Bike fronts.
Painting was done using the standard dipping method. Extra care was given to the reds and yellows to make them pop. Boltgun metal was added to edges on the back banner to make it appear worn.
Background
Never challenge a Weirdboy to a Staring Contest. Not even if the prize is the tastiest squig you’ve ever seen.
Mag da Mekboy made this mistake. For two years he hung out with the Madboys, making as much sense as a Grot Warboss, until he attempted to open up his head to fix his broken wires. Amazingly, he succeeded, and put his brain back in, half upside down.
Ever since then, he has managed to be at least coherent on good days, alternating with barking mad on bad days. Some boyz say that he even talks different when he’s gone off the deep end, like a different Ork altogether. This earned him his name, Manik Upzindownz.
Years of madness honed his imagination, and he is responsible for Smartyskull’s one Gargant, a massive smoking monstrosity called “Da Gentul Teddy Bear.” Do not ask Manik why; he will shoot you in the kneecaps.
In battle, Manik is rarely seen without his Shokk Attack Gun (on “stable days”) or his souped up Dakkabike 9000 (on less than stable days). He fights for Smartyskull because a half super-ork-brained, half humie-machine-brained hulking warlord who enjoys tea and smashing stuff is the obviouschoice for a leader. He is the only one of Smartyskulls Lieutenants that requires absolutely no bribery.
Often, this forces Smartyskull to put Upzindownz in command of raids he cannot attend, though Smartyskull is often afraid Upzindowns will not follow orders and instead lose it entirely and orate about the beauty of the squighound’s bark for hours on end, as he does bi-weekly at scheduled speeches attended by the bored or stupid.
Why I’m doing all this: Creating Communities of Gaming
Take a look at the Categories section to the right of the page and you’ll see I play a LOT of model games. I hope to add more soon. Why?
I am a teacher. I currently teach science in a nice little DOOMED middle school. Tonight our fate will be decided, and safe money says I won’t have a job next year. However, it is my ambition to teach high school, and to start a wargaming club in that high school.
To that end, I did not want students limited to 40K or Warmachine, so I expanded. I’m trying to get at least 2 playable forces for each game, along with the neccesary terrain dice, etc. to put on demo games. Hopefully once students are interested in one (or more) games they wil have their own armies and play with their friends. It is my wish to give these kids the support of a local gaming group, and a place to play that is easily accessible.
Some of the best times of my life have been playing 40K back in the old Mary Mayo days. Studio 40K doesn’t exist anymore as far as I know, but if I get a high school teaching job, I want to start up a similar club. Unlike Studio 40K, it would be free to the students, and provide a safe fun alternative to drugs and alcohol (which is how I will pitch it to the principal).
Hopefully I can find a job next year and realize these ambitions. Until then, keep a look out for more posts, especially for my new Necromunda board, made by Jen.
Update: The meeting that could end my middle school has been postponed. The Sword of Damocles will hang over our heads for a bit longer, it seems.
Cozamalotl, Skink of the Konquata Monitors
Painting
Cozamalotl is my test Skink for my new color scheme. He was painted with an undercoat of Games Workshop Ice Blue. His scales and crest were given a light coat of Vallejo Hawk Turquoise. He was then given a full body wash of P3 Turquoise Ink. His skin was then highlighted with Vallejo Jade Green. His shoulder pads are GW Mechrite red with a Blood Red drybrush and a Blazing Orange Highlight, finished with Skull White for the numerals. His claws are Snakebite Leather with Bleached Bone and Skull White highlights. His eyes are Sunburst Yellow with Chaos Black pupils. His mouth was very carefully inked black. The base is Goblin Green with static grass, Chaos Black and Skull White for the Name and Number.
Cozamalotl is an authentic Nahuatl name, and the numerals on his shoulder pads read “32” in Mayan numerals.
Loudmouf Sneakilla
Loudmouf Sneakilla
Modeling
Loudmouf uses Snuikrot’s body. I used the head from the plastic Nob box that has Cylon eyes, and connected it with putty to fill out the neck. Into the neck and mouth-tube I inserted Guitar Wire that runs up to the speakers, which come from the Sisters of Battle tank sprue. The frame on his back is a sprue. The canopy is from the old plastic tree terrain sprue. Loudmouf’s custom Cesti (plural of Cestus) are sharpened pieces of sprue held on with custom sculpted putty vines to hide Snikrot’s dog tags. The switch on the back is putty and paper clip.
Backstory
The last words Loudmouf uttered with his own vocal chords were: “Oi! I just ‘membered dat I left me favrit squig at ‘ome!”
This was as his Kommando squad was about to infiltrate an Imperial Guard base and bring down the defenses so that Smartyskull could raid it. His Nob was less than thrilled when two thirds of the squad was obliterated by heavy bolter fire. Dragging Loudmouf by his neck all the way back to camp, the Nob deposited him before Smartyskull and asked for a judgment, as Da Boss always found funny ways to punish the stupid or careless. Smartyskull’s verdict was that because Loudmouf’s neck was so badly injured, that he should go see Dok Gilgivva, hur hur hur.
Loudmouf’s Nob didn’t like this verdict much; so on the way he took a large chunk of Loudmouf’s neck with him. This was the luckiest thing that could have happened to Loudmouf, as you can’t install gills into a ruined neck. With the help of Manik Upzindownz, the Dok installed another invention he had been working on, his patented loudener.
Once finished, Loudmouf was unable to utter any syllables below 130 decibels. The Dok’s new loudener also came with a very important feature: a mute switch. Though it tends to get caught on things, Loudmouf became adept at moving so that he doesn’t accidentally turn it on. This has made him the new paragon of Ork stealth. (So stealthy in fact that his Nob didn’t hear Loudmouf sneaking up on him.)
His signature weapons (custom made at great expense) are cesti (horseshoe shaped bars, sharpened along their outer edge), strapped to his forearms. This allows him to slash up Humies in combat while keeping his hands free to move underbrush, open doors, or muffle a sentry before he can shout. Loudmouf enjoys creeping up on an enemy, then turning on his loudener and shouting “WAAAAAAAAAAAGH!” in a blast that leaves the enemy temporarily deafened, and unable to hear orders. Then, he shuts off the loudener and melts back into the background, ready to pop out and kill again.
Gotz more trukks, boss! Job’s a good’un!
Here’s my other three trukks. The first you saw before was an Evil Sunz Trukk, so it was red. Other clans are more subtle with their red paint job.
The Goff trukk with the black and white checkers has some red panels. Red’s a good Goff color too! For extra combattyness, this trukk has a wreckin’ ball!
There’s a yellow Bad Moons trukk with a wicked red racing stripe. Added black flames for more style.
Then of course there’s the Deathskull trukk. The red paint job is UNDER the fresh blue paint job that was put on minutes before the battle started. So no one will know it’s stolen.