Desert Dogs -> OptiMAT's Guard Army (13/10)

[optimat]

Okay, so there's some amazing miniatures being thrown around on this forum, way better than mine at least, but I wanted to share with you guys some of my favourite models in my army - at various stages of completion I hasten to add, so there may be some mould lines here and there. If you guys want to add some critique etc that's more than welcome, I know my painting is hardly top notch and I don't do faces but still...

So this thread can keep being updated I suppose, there's a 2000point army also at various stages of basecoat, painted, plastic, or not even bought yet so there's a lot to keep me going without a doubt. It's mostly infantry with 2 mechanised veteran squads, a Hellhound for alpha strike potential and a Heavy Support tank.

They're a mix of cadians and catachans where appropriate with a desert scheme. Basic troops are Desert Yellow fatigues washed with Devlan Mud with Scorched Brown armour with Bestial brown highlighting. The skin is Tallarn Flesh base soft highlighted with a mix of Tallaen/Elf Flesh and then washed with very watered down Bestial brown in the recesses. I decided plasma and power weapons were to be glowing red, and that's about covering the basics.

I kept the images as clickable thumbs to save some thread space. Without further a-do:

Major Raskall


Commissar Sancton


Captain Kirk, older, balder commanding officer, modeled to be calling back to the Master of the Ordnance for another barrage.


Trooper with wounded arm. Carrying his lasgun and aiming his sidearm. Sidearm for modelling only of course.


Trooper with Robot Arm. The pack horse of the 20man Blob


Trooper reloading on the move.


Sgt Tasker of the 20man Blob, ready to bring his weapon down on the head of some Orks


Sgt Robinson from the rear lasgun gun line squad, a more static commander, perhaps calling for fire on his target, with Space Marine axe as his CCWeapon of choice.


Trooper in dress hat, helping to aim the heavy bolter from the back. Separate from the HWT of the squad of course.


Grenadier with (in focus) his supporting guardsmen. I chose to show this model because I hope to have captured the bad-eyesight aiming pose of the model.


Meltagun model from the 20man blob, holding honours of being a special weapons trooper within the squad, clearly strong enough to be wielding the Space Marine style melta.


Part of the flamer SWS, liked the gas mask and his support with spare flame tank.


Support Trooper from the Sniper SWS, love the DMR pose and think the lasgun with Space Marine bolter sight doesn't look too bad!


Veteran Lt Ruscoe, looking tired with the battle. Shotgun comes from scout bike sprue, but leaves shoulder armour a little large. as it's his front arm and has extra fore-arm armour too I was happy with fluffing it as just some extra armour for his facing arm.


Another Veteran...


Some squad members next to my game pieces to represent the Snare Mines, waiting to be painted, based, and covered in static grass to be hidden.


MELTA BOMB!

[Cosmic]

These are looking very promising I like the posing and the Khaki and Brown uniforms are a very believeable scheme

I look forward to more!

One thing I have noticed though, the guy that's reloading....he's holding a pouch, not another clip be pretty tricky to pull the clip out the puch one handed

[optimat]

Thanks for the words of encouragement!

Quite right about the pouch/clip, but when I cut the bottom of the lasgun currently loaded off, it was much too small to be used as the item in hand, understandably as it was missing the top half! I didn't know what else to do other than give him a pouch to hold. I tried to model the arm behind his back as if he'd just unclipped it from his belt, but on the run it looked awkward.

[optimat]

Double post of DOOM!

This (or these) are my failed entries for the Big Guns competition. I pulled them out because they weren't really turning out to a standard that I wanted entered, or rather they weren't going as planned. I didn't get enough time planned out either during my week off which was really annoying. I would appreciate some help getting them up to standard, bearing in mind these pictures are only half way finished...

Eradicator



Vanquisher

[Major Downer]

Good start sir, I would recommend getting some highlights on some of the panels and edges of the tanks, just to bring them out a touch so it doesn't look so flat.

Then waethering and washes but like you said you half way through so one step at a time

Look forward to seeing the finshed results.

Major Downer

[Cyrion]

The miniatures are looking fine.

And true, some more highlights would make it even better.

[optimat]

So I finished the Eradicator just about. Minus some clean up and transfers these are the final images.



I wont risk another double post. Added a picture to the chain above which is the final transfer/marking set up. 3 for the tank number, red line for the unit (within the armoured regiment) and then the regiment symbol which is that lovely lightning fist.

The below is just some random shots. Firstly, the wall of plastic I have coming up...


My attempt at cooling fluid being in vials on the back of the Vanquisher, cooling the lascannon and engines down.


And lastly, a lowly objective. Perhaps some sort of ancient Teleport Homer the Adeptus Mechanicus are after?


Coming up... (Once I finish the Vanquisher) is Lizard-riding Rough Rider Catachans, and maybe a Catachan (Sahran if you've glanced over my Fluff thread) Guardsman Marbo if I can spare the legs from the RR.

[optimat]

Sorry for the new post of the same old project but I was really happy with the outside photos and wanted to share. After finishing both the Eradicator and Vanquisher, I finally get to turn my building table back into a building table from being a painting table. I've got to say this hobby is a little bad for me, as I enjoy the building much more than the painting... this leaves me with a lot of unpainted models. Some images of the Lizard Rough Riders scale. Going to be doing a lot of inside leg filing to get them to fit right but being inside leg they should look smooth from the outside... I hope!

[optimat]

Hey guys here are some pictures of the latest projects. As per the last two images above I have gotten a little further with the Lizard Rough Riders. They were giving me some trouble in that even with an EXTREME amount of inner leg surgery and thinning of the lizard bellies I still couldn't get the widest legs to sit right, as you can see:



So I decided to delve in a little bit of greenstuff shaping for the first time ever. I've used the liquid stuff to fill in gaps before but this was the first time I'd used the play-do stuff to mould anything. They were only generic saddles that are going to be 50% covered anyway so no big loss if they were terrible, but I think in the end they accomplished what I set out to do when I asked my partner if she could tell what they were supposed to be and she said 'saddles'. (I also had to fill in this particular guy's legs as my filing was a little extreme)



I then also started and promptly finished my Sahran Guardsman Marbo. Complete with poison rounds, Catachan blade, Demolition Charge (throughout my army I'm using the Catachan Voxes to represent those), Krak grenade pouches, Advanced range detonator (chest mount) and his rolls of camo tarpaulin being carried. I got that idea from Ashot's great looking Marbo figure. The pose is a little meh but at least I dont think anyone is going to have it! I imagine him slicing through an enemy or some terrain but doing a movie-style "I'm shooting someone behind me without looking" style thing.



Finally, I also started my first Valkyrie. I'm painting the inside to a degree (not too detailed) because while I'm currently undecided on opening top I would like moveable rear door and the option of having swinging Heavy Bolter gunners should I decide to purchase those or not for the upcoming battle. You can just see in the background how I managed to mess up the middle 'spine' and have had to file away at the paint because it came out the spray can too gloopy. Thankfully waiting for it to dry and then filing it off like so will enable me to second coat it and sort it out. Interestingly, if I was that interested in making the thing look really tattered (heavy effect), it makes for a great edge wear and tear technique.



Thanks for looking, if you've got any tips or comments please feel free to add them because I'm interesting in hearing what others have to say! I know my painting isn't as interesting as some of the Veterans of here but I'm enjoying the hobby and chatting with you guys none the less.

[optimat]

So here's another update. I plan to use this post solely as Valk update post and the above as the Lizard RR squad post so any updates for that will just be edited into there. The Lizards went on the back burner when I got my new toy. This is my first Valk build, and so far I have found it quite exhausting. It's a big kit with a lot of parts put the effort will make it worth it I'm sure.

I decided to give my Navy blue/grey uniforms as befits their roles! This Valk will be a Multi-laser and MMP load out so I decided to model the HB in a retractable fashion so that this would be the anti-infantry Valk with optional HB. One gunner is mounting the weapon and the other is checking over things with the loading bay doors. You can see a shot of the roof, and when the elastic comes off and I get a bit further I can take some shots of it with the guns out the doors.



Okay, long delay because I've been at a festival, but after that I decided to get on with some stuff for the Valk. After thinking long and hard about what I wanted to do with the squadron (knowing I eventually want 3, and want them to look the same) I decided to stick with a basic yellow, so no camo, but do white underneath. It's not unique by any means, I know many people do it and I also understand it's supposed to be camo from below (sky colour) so after deciding Sahran desert sky would be very light, I started with a spray and then added paint. Getting it even has been very difficult, but I like how it's turning out. There will be some light grey shadowing and mud washes later when I get to that stage in the model.



Managed to find a stronger fish-eye lens so could get really close to these, but then realised I probably didn't want to! messed up a little on the pilot's top right circles - will sort that out later - and blurred the left bar graph which I thought I had done a nice looking gradient on!

Really messed up the attempt at chrome visor on the gunner, but decided to keep it because you probably won't see it anyway unless you look as closely as this camera does!

[Deleted]

Look mate I'm not trying to be annoying but I CAN'T Handle these types of photos. Soo small. Soo soo soo small.

Models look great though, keep up the good work

[Deleted]

Where did you find the NVG head ?

[teku18]

You're not alone on the building and painting thing buddy trust me. I have only just gotten into painting for real and it's sometimes getting the better of me. Keep up the good work tho all your stuff looks great.

[optimat]

Jun 3, 2012 18:21:00 GMT -5 @mael said:

Look mate I'm not trying to be annoying but I CAN'T Handle these types of photos. Soo small. Soo soo soo small.

Models look great though, keep up the good work

Hey man no worries, They're small so the forums don't die but if you click them they should also be links and go to a much larger image. Appreciate you saying that.

About the NVG head though I'm sorry I don't know what you mean. All of the heads come from either the Cadian, Catachan, or Space Marine Scout plastic kits. I think, looking at them, the one you mean was just from the Valkyrie flight crew kit.

Thanks Teku! enjoying your Cosmics?

[Deleted]

Must be space marine scouts, cheers

[optimat]

Oh yes, sorry, NVG - Night Vision Goggles, yes that's Space Marine Scout Snipers.

You would need the head and the 4th listed (L->R top row) Accessory D to attach to it. I find they fit the Cadian bodies quite well.

Updated the Valk post and have committed myself to a full squadron (which, with the Rough Riders, would end up as one Tank Hunting Valk and 2 Rocket Pod Valks together) and then maybe another three on top of that. It's a big kit but it's a good one and all of a sudden I've really got into my aviation. Having given the heave-ho to my new Catachan artillery project I will simply expand!

Decided on some schemes for the squads, I want to use the white fist you get in the standard transfer pack for my aviation wing, will match the white underbelly and then extra painted white markings well I think.

Looking forward to converting some of the Valks too, (for now assuming 3 in total) I want the next two to have rows of home-built gravchutes inside out of cut up space marine backpacks, and at least one of those to then have 1/2 jumpers glued so when the main ramp is open it looks like they're about to jump, in place of the Heavy Bolters and crew in the above Valk. Anyone with some cool ideas for Valk conversions please feel free to share!

Also committed to a Demolisher LR, Classic 5x Storm Trooper squad, and a new Veteran Squad (got to give these airships something to carry!) that will be a Cadian 3x Grenade Launcher vets using the GW metal guard heads maybe, as my current grenadiers all use those heads above, then I dont think standard heads for the vets will cut it.

tl/dr: A load of plog rubbish without any pics! Well, the pics are there they're just in the post above. Thanks if you did read, more discussion/comments welcome!

[teku18]

I really like the color of your valk and tanks that is the color I was going for with my armored vehicles. What colors did you use if you don't mine me asking.

[optimat]

No worries at all, Teku.

Not that you wanted this much detail but if it helps, this is my full formula for the Leman Russ of which most will be used on the Valk:

* GW Black Primer
* Army Painter Desert Yellow Spray Primer sprayed at angles so dark areas have a 'shadow' feel
* GW Desert Yellow on all top edges
* GW Mud/Sepia Wash all over, heavy water mix
* GW Black Wash on the oily/engine areas
* GW Bleached Bone Prominent Edge highlight
* No Brand Dark Brown, Red Brown, and Yellow Pastels ground to a powder, with a TINY bit of water to turn it into a murky wash when it dries it has a dusty texture.

[egon]

How's it going with the rough riders? Would love to see them painted?

[optimat]

Haha, yeah me too! Sorry but they've not gotten any further.

So much stuff to do and I'm really enjoying the Valkyrie at the moment so haven't been project skipping like usual, I only really have enough space at the moment for one project at a time anyway.

I have a HWT, a box of Cadians, and what's left of the Catachans from the RR all to do, in some cases not even out of the plastic film. Once I have all of the above built up, the RR are definitely next on the painting list!

When I get to that stage I'll be sure to share some photos, I thank you at least for showing some interest!

[teku18]

I know that feeling. I still have 9 HWT to start let alone finish my tanks.

[optimat]

Opened that Cadian box! They're my Grenade Launcher Air Drop Vets. They will have some nifty features (well, on as many of the 10 as I can with my bits) like Head-cams, the Breathers, lots of pouches (ashot style) and the Gravchute made out of the Space Marine backpack - but I dont need to tell you guys that!

[egon]

Nice use of flamer nozzles as helm-cams. I'd trim it a bit to get a more snugg fit to avoid snagging though.

[optimat]

Will do, thanks. I'm thinking of using some larger flamer nozzles I have left over from some Vehicle flamers as an over-the shoulder job rather than on the helmet, just so the squad doesn't look like a bunch of clones. What do you think?

[egon]

Personally I'd have them all have the same equipment. After all, it's not something that you would build yourself but rather was issued.

If you want to make them look different I suggest giving them slightly different gear. Some might have their knives strapped to the leg, others have grenades, one might have a pistol he "acquired" somewhere.

You could also paint some kind of markings on the helmets or armour, something to help identify them from each other. One guy might have an ace of spades, one a smiley face etc. Even just numbers.
I always marked my gear with black tape so I would know which stuff was mine.