Foodhammer 2K11 Best Painting

Everyone,

Just a quick update today, time is limited!  Last week, a friend and I made the trip up to Flint, MI (4 hours!) to play in the Foodhammer 2011 charity tournament!

A big "Thanks!" to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K and Gamers Sanctuary for hosting this awesome tournament!  We had a great time, and met some great people!

Alas, I didn't fare very well in the gaming part of the tournament.  But, I did take home the awards for Best Painting!  Here's a pic of the army I took to the tourney (credit goest to Fresh Coast 40K for the pic):

Thanks again to all the guys at Fresh Coast 40K for the kudos!  I've spent a lot of time and effort on my Space Wolves over the last 2+ years, and if is awesome to think that other appreciate it, too!  There were several armies at Foodhammer that were super-well painted; I'm honored and humbled to have been awarded Best Painting from that field!

That's all I've got time for this week... please check out my Commissions page if you're interested in some work.  I've recently simplified and reduced the pricing structure, so now is a great time to get some work done!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Contemptor Dread WIP, Lone Wolf, and Discounted Commissions!

As you can probably tell, Space Wolves is my army of choice in the world of 40K.  I love the fluff, they suit my play style, and they have a terrific codex.  But, sometimes, I get tired of painting blue all the time!  Over the last few months I've been planning a totally fun (that is, not competitive at all) Angels Sanguine list as a side project.  It has been pretty slow moving, but painting red and black is nice for change!

Once I saw the Contemptor Dreadnought from Forge World, I knew I had to have one!  So, I decided to pick one up to use as a Librarian Dreadnought in my Angels Sanguine list.  It arrived on Wednesday, and I got a chance to assemble it this week:

This model was an absolute joy to assemble!  Basically, every joint on this model is either a ball socket or a rotating wheel joint, which makes is extremely poseable.  You can really get unique stances and poses with this kit.  I've got him stepping on a Dark Eldar Scourge, and he is on a Desert Mesa base from Secret Weapon Miniatures.  

Since I'm using him as a Libraran Dreadnought, he is equipped with a Force Weapon.  I had one left over from the Blood Angels Furioso kit (which I used to make a Death Company Dread), so I used that.  I modified it a bit, since the Contemptor is so much taller than a standard Dreadnought.  I cut the shaft in half, added some plastic rod to the middle, and sculpted a bit of green stuff for a handle.  I think it looks pretty cool, and the added height is definitely better.

I still have to add a ton of Librarian details (Psychic Hood, icons, etc.), but I'm pleased enough with the start to show it off.  I've also taken some pics of a Space Wolf Terminator, which I usually use as a Lone Wolf:

I finished this guy a while ago, but I like him a lot.  I love the wolf pelt/cape thing, and really like the Space Wolves Storm Shield, too.

The shoulder icon was drawn on with a Micron pen, all my Space Wolves have Ragnar's markings.

Also, I've decided to run a promotion on my Commission Service!! For the next 30 days (through 10/24), any commissions that are scheduled (with a minimum of 5 models per project) will receive a 20% discount!!  That is like getting work on one model for free!  

Please check out the Hire Me page for prices (please not, they do NOT reflect the discount) and contact me if you are interested!

As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave

Kitbash Rune Priest

Hey all,

Been a bit busy with a commission this week, so I am a bit behind on updates.  But, I've finished a kitbashed Rune Priest, which I'd like to share.

This Rune Priest is entirely from the Wolf Pack box, but I used some plastic rod to make the Runic Weapon a but unique.

I also went a unique direction with the shoulder-pad markings, using the same fang theme that my entire army has, but with a different color scheme.  I went with Enchanted Blue, to tie him to the typical Librarian color that most Space Marine Chapters use.  

I used the same technique as I did for Logan Grimnar's Axe Morkai on the Runic Weapon.  I went with a purple effect, so it would stand out a bit on the tabletop.  

Overall, I'm pretty happy with how he turned out.  I think he has a really aggressive look, and he looks great on the tabletop.  Of course, this just make him draw even more fire than usual...

I've got some commission slots open.  If you're interested, check the details on the Hire Me page, and contact me!

Thanks for reading!

Dave

Njal Stormcaller and Canis Wolfborn

A bit late posting this week, I've been busy with a D&D miniature commission for a friend (update forthcoming!)...

This week, I thought I'd show off a couple of Space Wolves special character models.  First up, we've got Njal Stormcaller:

This actually one of my oldest Space Wolves models, and the first metal model I ever painted.  Finecast wasn't even rumored at the time, but I wish I'd knows it was coming.  I find metal models a real pain to work with, and I like the sharpness of the Finecast models.

I played a 2000 point game recently, and fielded Njal in place of a vanilla Rune Priest.  I had 2nd turn, so a couple of his buffs weren't in effect, but he was pretty valuable anyway.  Unfortunately, he took wounds in the game when I rolled perils of the warp, killing him in turn 4.  Statistically, I don't think that would happen often in a game, but I'd like to field him a few more times before I make a final judgement call.  The model is great, though.

I went a bit heavy on the snow effects for Njal.  I really wanted him to look like he'd been in the elements for a while, fighting implacably for the All-Father.  

In the same 2000 point game, I fielded Canis Wolfborn, too.  I've played with him a few times, and he seems to die a lot before he can get into combat.  Truthfully, I think the size and look of his model make him a target in games, but he was really valuable in this match.

Again, I wish I'd waited for the Finecast version.  He's a seriously heavy model!  I learned in this last match that, if he survives to make in into combat, he is SUPER vicious!  A minimum of 7 rending attacks on the charge, with a 19"-24" assault range is a pretty tough combo.  Ultimately, I think he is probably only worth it against horde Orks or Tyranids, where his attacks can decimate a larger squad, and he is more likely to not die to shooting.

I really love the level of detail on Canis' model.  The fur looks amazing, and he is positively huge!  He even has his helmet hanging from his belt!

That's it for this week.  Next week, I hope to have some updates to the gallery page, and to get my commissions pricing and policies up as well.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments and critique are welcome!

-Dave

Logan Grimnar Conversion

This week, I've decided to show off my Logan Grimnar conversion.  I posted some WIP shots a while back, but I've since completed him.  Here he is in all his glory:

I really, really dislike the official GW model for Logan, and when I started this model it was only in metal.  Finecast wasn't even a rumor yet.  I didn't want to try and kit-bash a metal model, so I decided to make my own.  I used some arms, legs, a torso, and a head from the Space Wolves Terminator box, but I sculpted his bear from green stuff.  I used the fur cape from the Chaos Terminator Lord box, and added a wolf pelt from my bitz box to the top.  I then sculpted the arms of the pelt by hand as well.

I wanted Logan's Axe, Morkai, to be special, and stand out on the table.  I used 2 Chaos Power Axe blades, which fit the fluff about the weapon nicely, and attached them to a Power Weapon arm from the SW Termies.    The double-headed wolf icon is cut from plasticard, and appears on both sides.  

I decided to paint the Power Weapon effect in green, since my Space Wolves Army has no other green in it.  This makes the Axe Morkai, and Logan, really stand out when I field him.  I am really pleased with the Power Weapon effect, as well as the free-handed shoulder pad icon.  All my other Space Wolves feature Ragnar Blackmane's iconography (except for Arjac Thunderfist), but Logan deserves his own pack marking on his shoulder!  I think it is officially supposed to be white, but I painted in in Chainmail, so it would look a little cooler.  You might have noticed the Hormagaunt in Logan's left hand:

I use Tyranids as details for several of my Space Wolves HQs and Special Characters.  I like the flavor it adds, and it is another awesome detail that helps powerful units stand out.  Logan is grasping this 'guant in his fist, which was an interesting modelling challenge.  I ended up using my Dremel Stylus to drill out holes for the fingers of Logan fist to fit into, then sculpted some "guts" oozing out, to add to the effect.  I also added the wrist-mounted Storm Bolter, which Logan Appears with in some illustrations.  

A bit of bark to make the model taller, and some snow to finish the scenic effect, and he was complete!  I'm really happy with how he turned out, and I love having a unique model for this character.  He's always a conversation starter in games, too.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments always welcome!

Dave

Wolf Scouts & Wolf Scout Snipers

This week, I decided to show off my 2 Wolf Scout squads.  One squad is pretty basic:

It's a 5-man squad, with few upgrades.  But, there is one Scout with a Meltagun:

The Meltagun is kit-bashed a bit.  It is a Bolter, with the barrel of a spare Dreadnought Multimelta glued on.  I also added the fuel tank (or whatever it is) towards the rear of the gun.  Last, I glued a small length of guitar string for the tubing slung underneath.  It isn't perfect, but I didn't want to hunt down Meltagun bits or buy the metal set GW makes. 

Next up, we have a squad of Wolf Scouts with Sniper Rifles:

No major conversion work here, but I added another homemade Meltagun to the Scout with the rolled up cloak (on the far left).  It is glued to his back, you can see it here (on the far left, poking out about the Scout in front of him):

This one is a Bolter with some plastic rod acting as a Melta barrel.  I didn't have another spare Melta laying around, so I had to improvise.  I had planned on painting a camouflage pattern on the cloaks of this unit, but I couldn't find one that didn't look "toyish" to me.  And, since Wolf Scouts don't have access to stealth cloaks, I let it go.  I like the look of the simple, white cloaks, though.

As always, thanks for reading!  Comments, criticism, etc. always welcome!

-Dave

Land Raider Twins

Hey everyone,

It's been a while, but things have been hectic lately.  I've actually managed to get a lot done over the last few weeks, and even managed to get 3 games of 40K in!  I don't have battle reports, but I won 2 out of 3.  I'm starting to get the hang of list building a bit, and I am also getting to know my units a bit better, which is helping.

I plan on updating more regularly, so I'll keep this post somewhat short.  I've pretty much completed my Land Raiders.  As I was taking these photos, I've noticed some things I forgot to paint.  First up, here's my standard Land Raider:

It has the Space Wolves doors from Forge world on it, as well as some bits from the brass etch Space Wolves kit.  I'm not 100% happy with the look of GW's washes on vehicles, but I managed to make it look acceptable.  The snow is from Gale Force Nine's basing range.  Here's a side view:

Next up we have my Land Raider Crusader:

This one has the same Forge World doors and brass etch.  Here's a side view of this one:

The name on the plate is Tanngnjostr, the name of one of the goats that pull Thor's chariot, the other one (the standard load out) is called Tanngrisnir.  You can read about the myth here. 

I think the names sound cool, and fit the Space Wolves fluff perfectly.

That's it for this week.  As always, and feedback or thoughts are welcome.  I'll leave you with this preview of my Las/Plas Razorback, a work in progress:

Thanks for reading! 

-Dave

Space Wolves HQ Conversions

I finally found the time to snap some pics of a few of the HQ conversions I've done for my Space Wolves force.  They are in various stages of painting, but I wanted to share them from a conversion point of view.

I'll start with my favorite conversion so far, my take on Logan Grimnar:

I'm not too impressed with the official Games Workshop model for Logan, I think it needs an update.  In this conversion, there are bits from a Space Wolves Terminator box, some Chaos Lord bits, lots of green stuff (mostly fur) and a but of plasticard.  Oh, and the Tyranid in his grasp there.  Logan is still a few steps from final paiting, though.  Here are some more angles:

Next up, we've got Ragnar Blackmane:

Again, I found the Games Workshop model wanting, so went my own way.  I tried to ape the official model's pose a little, though.  Also, this was the first conversion I attempted, so it isn't very ambitious.  It's a fairly vanilla model, all parts from the Wolf Pack box.   There fur cape and the fur on the figure's left shoulder-pad are hand sculpted in green stuff, though.  Here are a few more shots:

More recently, I worked on a conversion for Arjac Rockfist:

For this model, I used a torso and shoulder pads from Scibor's Monstrous Miniatures which give Arjac a really unique look, and I feel fit his fluff.  The Foehammer and Anvil Shield are both custom made, from combinations of green stuff, bits, and plasticard.  Here's some more detail:

I've posted a pic of my Bjorn the Fell-Handed before, but I've got some new angles this time.

Bjorn is mostly made up of Ironclad Dreadnought bits.  I wanted to give his chassis a tougher, older look, but I wasn't into the Venerable model as much.  There are tons of random bits from the Space Wolves terminator kit, as well as the Wolf Pack box, and the claws on the Dreadnought CCW are custom sculpted.  The Lascannon arm is from a Venerable Dread box.

These last few conversions are not painted yet, but I wanted to show them off anyway.  First we have two Rune Priests:

Nothing too fancy, just a bit of kit-bashing on the Runic Staffs.  I wanted them to stand out a bit on the table, and I thought the long staff helped a lot with that.  I also have a Wolf Priest (with Jump Pack):

You might be starting to notice a bit of a theme to my Space Wolves: I hate Tyranids, so, by extension, my Space Wolves hate them, too.  There is a small amount of green stuff on this model, on his right leg.  Other than that, it is all Wolf Pack bits and some brass etching from the Forge World Space Wolves brass kit.  And, of course, the Jump Pack.  Here are some more shots:

These last models are not HQ choices, but I spent a lot of time on their conversions, so I wanted to share.  Here are my 3 Thunderwolf Cavalry:

All three of the mounts were made from the Knorne Bloodcrushers kit, with liberal amounts of green stuff fur and tons of bits form various Space Wolves kits.

That's it for this week.  Feedback and comments are welcome!  As always, thanks for reading!

-Dave