Thunderbolts Chapter, 1st Company Reinforcements

Hi All

Bluddtoof here with an update on my recent work on some Assault Terminators and a couple of character models. All these models were originally painted a few years ago but I'd only given them a basic paint job on the weapons. I painted up the Captain and tried a lightning effect on his hammers to represent the power field.
Recently I was preparing for a big apoc game and decided I wnted to run all my termies, so I decided to update the ir weapons to be like the captains, at the same time I needed to rearm my Chaplain who was previously armed based on a much older codex version, so he got a new shiny Crozius and a combi flamer, all the better for purging the Heretic!

Some pics...

..of the newly re-armed 1st company assault squads.

At some point in the hopefully not too distant future I will be re-basing the entire marine army to be more inline with my Imperial Knights, for posts on them see here , here , here , also here , here , this too , and this , this , this as well as here , here and finally (or initially) here

Next job is my Typhon, and a vindicator which I will be painting using my new airbrush, so some practice is ongoing with this new tool.

Bluddtoof

Contemptor Pattern Dreadnought, Thunderbolts Space Marines. Build and WIP.

Hi All

Bluddtoof here with an update on my progress towards Dreadnought number 11 for my Space Marines; the Thunderbolts. That's right, 11! I may have now reached critical mass on dreadnoughts......or maybe not!
So anyhoo, this is my second contemptor, as I said in my previous post about my latest mortis pattern I'd originally planned on a mortis contemptor, however this was shelved with the build of the mkv. Last month I visited GW HQ with some of the code boys for the FW open day and whilst browsing the store cabinets I saw the iron warriors contemptor and immediately thought "that'd look cool as a thunderbolt". Knowing I had a spare contemptor Lascannon arm in the bitz box I had a quick think about weapon options and plumped for a heavy conversion beamer and cyclone launcher (I've got plenty of assault capable dreads so another fire support dread made sense and the HCB is a nice gun.
I think this load out will make him a threat to pretty much anything non flyer and with 2 mortis dreads I've got flyers covered.
Currently...

I started the build process and straight away decided to go with sub-assemblies, which I don't usually do with my Imperial dreads. I also played with a range of basing and posing options, I considered a braced firing position but the ankles don't rotate enough to get a good look. So I decided on a stoically advancing pose with both feet posed in mid step to convey a sense of motion. I also wanted him to look like he was firing and thought through this too, I've had little success with previous attempts at OSL but I'm going to try it again on the conversion beamer and also I really wanted to try rocket exhaust modelling, (after seeing the fantastic displays at GW) so I did some research and with a little advice from the code boys I got some clump foliage and had a go.
Here's a few pics of the process of building...

The bits laid out awaiting clump foliage for the exhaust clouds.
All the load bearing joints got pinned using 1 mm uncoated jewellery wire, FW resin is very light so the pins are really only there because I don't trust "super" glue, but also to make the process of painting sub assemblies for later attachment easier.
As usual the hardest part with a contemptor is positioning of the legs and feet to get the desired pose, there are a lot of pieces to work with and super glue sets fast so you need to work quickly, again pins and dry runs are the order of the day.

Making the cyclone was really good fun and I'm pleased to have learnt a new technique, here's a series of shots...

The missiles are from the marine tactical sprues, well old ones anyway, I haven't bought a new kit so I don't know if you still get them. Carefully chop out the small, narrow shaft connecting the fins to the missile body and discard. Clean up the new surfaces and VERY carefully drill a hole in the back of the missile body and through the centre of the fin assembly.
Remove your selected missile tip(s) from the cyclone, clean and drill a hole. Fit your wire into the launcher, thread on the fin section and fit the missile body. Just the tiniest drop of thin super glue after assembly fixed the fins in place so that I could fiddle with the positioning at my leisure.
I think it's really important to use different lengths of wire to avoid an unnatural symmetry.
I spent ages wiggling and adjusting the wires to get them straight and in line!

Next the exhausts!

This was surprisingly easy, if you've not used this method then I would suggest you get some NOW! Dirt cheap, a fiver for a huge bag, and easy to use. The clumps break into bits easily but hold size and shape too allowing you to fix a clump in place and then carefully pinch little bits off to get the desired structure. Once it was built I gave the whole piece a good coat of spray matt varnish to hold it and stop the foliage from sucking up too much paint.

All in all very pleased, next post will be with more paint on it.
As ever C & C welcome.

Bluddtoof

MkV Mortis Pattern Dreadnought; Thunderbolts Space Marines

Hi All

Bluddtoof here with a little update on my most recent work; a re-arming of a very old dreadnought. I think this was in fact the 2nd dreadnought I originally painted for my marines something in excess of 10 years ago!
Up until a last year he was a venerable dreadnought armed with an assault cannon and a massive hammer clenched in his power fist, this counted as a power fist and was from way back when I started this army and Marine forces could take traits, I can't remember which edition but the marine codex has changed somewhat! Anyway I used to field a great many thunder hammers, the fluff being that the thunder hammer was a symbol of office for most characters (I'd even converted my old termy Librarian to have a force hammer), I liked hammers I think!
Early in 2015 I decided to update my collection of dreads to have a broader range of weapons, at the time I had 4 venerables with assault cannons. the upshot of all this was a range of dreads (9 at the time) with lots of variety. The big hammer moved onto an Ironclad as a seismic hammer and I was left with this original metal venerable dreadnought with no arms. I figured 9 dreads was sufficient even for the most dread obsessed player! Incorrect! I can NEVER have sufficient dreadnoughts!
So a few months ago I decided to get number 10 armed and active; I'd been long considering a Mortis Contemptor but had just never got round to it, so having recently purchased the Imp Armour book War Machines of the Adeptus Astartes (new version) and already having a quad autocannon mortis mkv I decided to upscale to quad lascannons for that extra punch.
My bits boxes provided me with lots of spare lascannons from many kits, predators, razorbacks, dreadnoughts, flyers and landraiders. The only twin linked ones were from the predator kit but didn't really suit as they are just barrels sticking out from a curved mounting suitable for a turret, not really an arm.
I finally chose to use the landraider lascannons as they had complete power lines and generally looked the best. Admittedly they are pretty huge but I kind of like that, he looks like he means business. It was a simple task to file down the side panels of the lascannons so they would butt up together nicely to form a twin linked pair. The original hole for mounting to a side sponson served well, with a little enlargement, for mounting the pair onto the original shoulder pin, and hey presto...... twin linked lascannons at zero cost! Win!

Pics...

The painting involved a little touching up of the original model where the knife had slipped during the conversion process and some adjustment of original colours (10 to 15 years old!) to match closer to the new paints. I also added a smoke launcher, spotlight and a gothic looking gubbins to represent the helical targeting array.
Overall well pleased for a cut and shut job.
Welcome to the Thunderbolts forge, revered ancient!
That's 10 ready to roll, and number 11 on the way! More on him in the very near future...

C and C welcome as ever....

Bluddtoof

Showcase; Deimos Pattern Relic Predator Executioner, Thunderbolts Chapter of the Adeptus Astartes.

Hi All

Finished my new predator executioner and very pleased with it too. I've swapped to Vallejo foundation white instead of Citadel ceramite white, it's not as opaque but it flows better off the brush and along with a new thinners; Tamiya X-20A, it's much easier to use. The final result is less solid white and allows the Fenris grey base coat to show ever so slightly giving the white a very nice blueish tint. I likes it! works nicely with the ice blue spot colour.

some piccies...

With the transfers and iconography I've stayed with the V for my chapters "5th forging"; the equivalent of a codex company, the Thunderbolts use a more flexible organisation than the rigid codex system due to their long affiliation with the adeptus mechanicus based on the forge world they established their fortress monastery on. This affiliation has led to their predilection for vehicles and a larger than usual number of tech marines. The chapters organisation is largely formed around the many forges they maintain and it is a rare force of Thunderbolts that does not contain a tech marine and his mechanical charges.

Next up for the Thunderbolts will be a Typhon heavy siege tank but first I'll be concentrating on my newly delivered Deadzone 2 goodies in the shape of some plague reinforcements and a new industrial scenery set which will probably see action in future instalments of our narrative campaign; The Cypra Incident.

Hope you like the new tank, C & C as ever welcome.

Bluddtoof.

W.I.P. Relic Predator Executioner; nearly there.

Hi All

Another quick update on my progress on this Relic Predator for my Space Marine Chapter; The Thunderbolts.
Everything's done now except for the White panelling on the turret, sponsons, hatches and exhaust guards. I always leave the white til last as it's a pig to paint in the first place and if I do it before any other colours and make a mistake that effects the white finish then it's even worse to do over.
Once the white's done I'll finish with the transfers.

Some pics of it currently...

I didn't like the weathering effects I'd done on the main body so I re painted the silver where necessary to cover it up. After much thought I just don't like weathering on this army, don't know why but I just don't so I'm not gonna waste my time on it.

I am however a fan of the rusty sponge weathering I did on my recent scenery project; see here  for the final showcase post, and I'll be using that on my recently delivered Mantic Kickstarter Veer Myn for Deadzone along with another rusty wasteland scenery set I'll be making later this year.

But first more to come soon on the Predator.

C & C as ever please.

Bluddtoof.

Deimos Relic Predator Executioner, a bit more WIP.

Hi All

Just a quick one today, an update on my progress with the predator..

Some pics...

Getting there, brass done and even weathered a bit, which is a first for me and my marines. I'm going to try doing this model weathered to see if I like it. Then depending on the outcome I may well go back over my marine collection and apply some subtle weathering effects. Maybe...

C & C welcome.

Bluddtoof.

W.I.P. Deimos Pattern Relic Predator Executioner

Hi All

Just a quick post to show the current WIP on my new Predator.
Here's some pics

I will recommend that if you build one of these then paint the sponsons as sub assemblies, they're very awkward to paint once fitted!

Enjoy. C & C welcome as ever.

Bluddtoof.

Showcase; Thunderbolts Space Marines Jump Pack Captain.

Hi All

Bluddtoof here with another new addition to my Space Marine Chapter; The Thunderbolts.
This is my new Captain with Jump Pack, Shield Eternal and Teeth of Terra. He will be leading a demi company with auxiliary support as part of a Gladius Strike Force against a bunch of filthy heretics in the form of Docs Traitor Guard; in a game in a week or so. Beware Doc!
Here's some piccies....

The base model is an old metal one I had in my bits box; one of the old Masters of the Chapter models. He originally had an axe in his left hand I think, I chopped the head off and replaced it with the large chain blade from an old metal Vanguard Veteran; also from the extensive bits box. The jump pack is just a plastic one from the old assault marine sprue.
I'm really pleased on several fronts; firstly I painted this in less than 2 days, pretty impressive for me; my painting occurs at glacial speeds usually! Secondly I built him over 2 years ago and he's been sat in the "to paint" case all that time. Thirdly the white went on so much easier and smoother than I'm used to; only 3 coats as opposed to my usual 4 or 5. Win all round.
And hopefully Win against the renegade filth on the 28th!
For The Emperor!

Bluddtoof.

Showcase; Thunderbolts Space Marines Stormraven and Strike Force Ultra.

Hi all,
Bluddtoof here with a showcase of my recent additions to my space marine chapter; the Thunderbolts.
With the new codex came some tasty new formations; the one that really jumped out at me was the Strike Force Ultra.
I absolutely love terminators and dreadnoughts and with a special rule called Force of a thunderbolt it was an easy sell really!
I had a game planned with Doc a few weeks in advance so I wrote a 2k list including a Knight ally and ordered myself a stormraven; the only model I didn't own yet. I also needed to paint up an extra squad of terminators.
So here's a few pics of the stormraven and the completed army....

That's it for now, c and c welcome as always, next project is a scenery set for the group. Future post to come on that.
Bluddtoof