Got a lot done in the past week and a half (apologies regarding the lack of updates!). First, I received my 60mm textured bases! After reading about the Imperial Guard rumors surrounding Heavy Weapon Teams (specifically, that they're now a single base with two wounds), I ordered 12 industrial-themed 60mm resin bases from Back 2 Base-ix. While I haven't seen the actual wording behind the rule, I've seen the IG summary sheet, which has the two-wound thing. Since I want to play this army in tournaments (maybe even a Grand Tournament, though I'm sure I'll lose horribly), I had to rebase. Despite Back 2 Base-ix being located in Australia, the bases only took a couple weeks to arrive. So, I rebased my one painted Missile Launcher team. These bases fit in very nicely with the smaller Champ Industries bases I use.
Next, I completed 'A' Platoon's command squad. This one's a tank-hunting squad. Here's the Junior officer, Meltagunner, and close combat troopers before painting.
I've found that I can fairly successfully splice together Catachan heads with the helmets I got from WestWind Productions. Since the WestWind heads themselves are a bit too small, and are also metal (meaning they need to be pinned to really be stable) and the Catachan heads require work to get rid of the bandanna (which I'm removing on the rest of the troops who aren't wearing helmets), combining the two works very well.
I took some pictures as I painted the command squad, to give some insight as to the process I use. First, I paint the uniforms with Mechrite Red. I follow with a wash of Devlan Mud, which adds really nice depth. Then I do a highlight with Mechrite Red to bring the depth out.
Mechrite Red is a very nice color, and being a Foundation paint means it gets great coverage, but it's definitely got more of an Adeptus Mechanicus feel rather than a Chaos/blood feel. It also looks very pink in these pictures. Blood Red is better, but it's also very bright. On the other hand - as anyone who's used it extensively will attest - it does not cover well. In this case, it's an advantage, since a partially-transparent highlight with Blood Red steers the overall color scheme away from that Ad-Mech shade. So, to finish the uniforms, I do another highlight, this time with Blood Red.
Next, I paint the skin using Tallarn Flesh, followed by Ogryn Flesh wash, followed by a highlight of Tallarn Flesh. It comes out nicely pale against the bright uniforms.
Finally, I hit the boots, belts, and pouches with Calthan Brown, Devlan Mud wash (can you tell how much I love this stuff?), and a highlight of Calthan Brown. The armor is painted with a 50/50 mix of Tin Bitz and Dwarf Bronze, and weapons are drybrushed with Boltgun Metal. Their masks are done with a Boltgun-Black wash-Boltgun highlight, which gives them a nice beaten-metal kind of look that contrasts with their weapons. Lastly, I paint the details such as hair and trophies.
The spikes some of them have attached to their backs, by the way, are from the plastic Chaos Terminator sprue. I ordered a ton of them from The Warstore, and they're an incredibly easy (and cheap) way of adding a lot of spikes to the army. I've attempted to give each trooper in the army either a backpack or spikes, so that everyone's carrying something. Also, before anyone asks: Yes, the Meltagunner moonlights as Erik in Andrew Lloyd Webber's The Phantom of the Opera. ;)
Another little addition that I wanted are Stielhandgranates, or Stick Grenades. These are mentioned in a number of places in the Gaunt's Ghosts novels, and so I bought a whole bunch from The Assault Group. The Assault Group is an awesome miniatures company for 28mm accessories, and every time I browse their site I'm tempted to buy loads of neat backpacks and guns and stuff, because not only is it all 28mm, it's all pretty cheap!
I got two kinds of stick grenades - ones in pouches, and loose ones. I think the loose ones are more immediately identifiable.
So, now I have twenty troopers painted.
What's next? Well, the three remaining infantry squads are built, but most still need green stuff work before I can paint them. I'll be doing this over the next three weeks or so... I think I've got 15 masks left to sculpt. I'm also realizing that I'm going to need to expand the army, due to the new IG codex; I haven't decided exactly how to rework my list, but I know I'm going to need more troops and more specialists. Over the next few weeks I'll be brainstorming, but I don't want to do anything definite until I get my hands on the new codex. Until then, these three squads, and their Chimeras, are more than enough to keep me busy.
I also have one more squad that's ready for painting: the Hardened Veterans. I plan on painting these up by the end of the week. However, I will be cursing their three plasma guns the whole time, since this is going to be a bloody expensive squad in the new codex (not to mention, the sergeant can't have a Storm Bolter anymore, negating my neat conversion!)
Also, apologies for the somewhat schizoid post. But hey, progress is progress, no?
