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Post by borkies on Mar 26, 2020 22:46:03 GMT -5
Quick update, I've now finished my first 3 Valhallan autocannon teams, finishing the last major hurdle for my first 3 infantry squads I made my own Steppe grass flock after mixing army painter static grass, GF9 dead/winter grass and GF9 dried grass. I've also added small amounts of snow, I'm looking to get a dirty early spring/late winter steppe feel for the army with mud/grass/snow mixed. Team 1- Helmet Crew    Team 2- Bucket Crew    Team 3- Boards Crew    I'm working on the bases for the infantry squads, I should have a platoon shot before the end of the weekend. After that it a squad of 3 Mortar teams and a squad of 3 Lascannon teams, which will round out the first Valhallan Battalion. Please let me know what you think -T |
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Post by nutty on Mar 27, 2020 7:40:55 GMT -5
very nice! the muddy/slushy snow looks really convincing, and the flock looks good to.
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Post by cheminhaler on Apr 5, 2020 11:53:47 GMT -5
They are looking very smooth T
I have a delaque with a shotgun I think and might have the same model that you GS'd over the head (delaque with a stub pistol and knife) Good sculpting on the headscarf by the way. And I have a few Wargames Foundry Cossacks on foot but they are historical 18th century minis with muskets, pistols and sabres, sometimes a mix of all three.
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Post by borkies on Apr 5, 2020 17:51:42 GMT -5
@ Nutty- Thanks, I really love the look of these gun pits. The rough cut of the boards/uneven floor boards and the sandbags really add a ton of character to the gun pits. @ Cheminhaler- Thanks, the delaques really match into the appearance of the Valhallans, I'm really happy they worked out well, I'll be painting the converted Delaque Sgts first for my next 3 squads Big Update- So back in September I made my 1st project goal and I'm happy to say I've finished all but 2 units of it (Lascannon Squad and Mortar Squad are on the painting table). These guys are fully painted, based and dole coated, I was even able to figure out a dry brush high light for the coats and packs. The painted units fill out a Battalion and are ready for table top! 1st Company Commanders (HQ) Captain Kozlov 2nd Company Commander (HQ) Junior Lieutenant Turgenev 1st Ministorum Priest (Elite)
Preacher Rostiff’ 1st Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Smirnov's Squad 2nd Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Antipin's Squad 3rd Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Pockinko's Squad 1st Lascannon Squad (Heavy Support) - Painting Table 1st Mortar Squad (Heavy Support)- Painting Table Another aspect I wanted to do is write up more lore for my troopers and Valhalla in general, as part of that I've written a little lore battle that will introduce each new units as I go along. Here is some mediocre battle writing to go with my troopers, including Sgt and officer names for every unit (they gain a name when they're done): Captain Kozlov crouched low in the trench, motionless as he scanned the winding road that cut through the rolling fields of snow-covered steppe grass. Shielded from the bright midday sun by trees and camo netting, the Valhallan’s frosted breath was the only signs of life from the seasoned officer. The Captain was flanked by guardsmen of the 5th Valhallan Guards regiment, who quietly remained below the parapet of their rough trench hidden among the tree line overlooking the road. His men had spent the night digging in and were now ready to ambush the approaching traitors before they reached Imperial lines. The silence had been shattered for the last 10 minutes by the hum of engines and grinding tracks carried over the cold breeze.
At last a handful of figures in ochre fatigues came into view on the road, walking South in a loose formation towards the distant black clouds of the Lefast Promethium Refinery. Even at this range Kozlov could spot the troopers ragged uniforms and the debased symbols of Chaos. Before long the road filled with dozens of traitorous guardsmen, carelessly walking in undisciplined groups. Finally, a pair of Chimeras came into view with several traitor guardsmen riding their hulls. These powerful IFVs had their camouflage patterns crossed with bloody 8-pointed stars and crudely painted white claws the traitors used as a unit symbol.
Kozlov smirked to himself, this scum had become careless since killing their officers a few months back. The Captain gave as short command once the front of the column reached the center of the road.
With a roar the hillsides exploded as the Valhallans unleashed a hail of fire into the surprised masses. The autocannon from Sergeant Smirnov’s squad tore the rear Chimera apart in a hail of rounds, killing several of the riders as men inside tried to climb from the burning hulk. Fire from Antipin’s and Pockinko’s squads tore the tracks out of the other chimera as plasmagun fire disabled its turret, leaving it dead in on the road.
An attempt to charge by the panicked traitors was broken up by directed fire under the orders of Junior Lieutenant Turgenev. The Valhallan lasgun volleys and sweeping autocannons ripped bloody swathes from the exposed infantry on the road. The wild cry of Preacher Rostiff’s war chants, their fiery tempo adding to the fury of the Valhallan Black Guards, carried over the din of battle.
More traitor troops began to move up the road into the wasteland of carnage, the smoke of burning tanks pierced by webs of lasbolts and autocannon fire.
Kozlov smiled to himself as more traitors surged into the kill zone, this will be a good day indeedCommanders- Preacher Rostiff, Captain Kozlov and Junior Lieutenant Turgenev  1st Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Smirnov's Squad  2nd Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Antipin's Squad  3rd Infantry Squad Plasmagun/ Autocannon (Troops) Sgt Pockinko's Squad  Full Unit  Thanks again for the interest, please let me know what you think of the finished product. I'll get some finished heavy weapon squads later this week -T |
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Post by judcottrell on Apr 6, 2020 16:32:25 GMT -5
Nice backstory!
The platoon looks really effective together and the basing is top notch!
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Post by borkies on Apr 13, 2020 22:22:46 GMT -5
Thanks Jud, I thought it would be cool to give a theme to each unit as they enter the fray, the Chaos army is loosely based off a luckless traitor guard army a past hobby friend played.
I'm glad you like the basing, I want these troops to be stationed on the Steppe in the late winter, everything is cold but muddy. The snow won't always be clean, the boots will be dirty and the grass is still patchy.
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Post by cheminhaler on Apr 20, 2020 7:38:53 GMT -5
Excellent looking platoon, T. The 'Hero' model/ lieutenant really fits in well.
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Post by borkies on May 16, 2020 18:09:00 GMT -5
Finished my next section of the 1st Battalion, my first Heavy support choice: a Valhallan mortar squad! Turns out these complex weapon bases can be a pain and the less said about the frustration in pinning these heavy weapons/guardsmen the better. The delay in turning these out is largely based on the complexity of basing these guys and placing the models without overcrowding. Overall, I’m happy with the look of the weapon bases but I need to refine the process. Fortunately, the Lascannon bases are a bit sparser as the weapon’s foot print in huge. Captain Kozlov calmly walked along the trench line, accessing the firefight and pausing to issue orders to his men as the battle developed. The reek of ozone and cacophony of battle made the memory of quiet rolling Steppe from only a half hour before seem like a distant world. The scenic snow-covered landscape on both sides of the road was now scared with weapon impacts, dotted with bloodied bodies and shrouded by the smoke of the burning Chimera wrecks. The captain came to a stop among the Guardsmen of Antipin’s Squad, surveying the enemy attempt to move off the road towards the Valhallans. Kozlov sighted several small groups of Traitor guardsmen start to give focused return fire into the Imperial positions, even scoring some kills along the line. “Seems the shock of someone shooting back at them has worn off, they’re finally getting organized” Kozlov thought to himself. “They must have missed a few officers in the purge, at least the remnants of 17th Yopra Infantry is trying to fight.” “Captain, enemy infantry advancing on the left”, the voice snapped Kozlov back to the situation, turning to see Trooper Marovich pointing towards a wave of armed cultists surging up the road. Unlike the fallen guardsmen these cultists were poorly armed with a mix of fire arms and crude melee weapons. Few had little more than some tattered clothing, with most lacking shoes or boots, but still they swarmed forward with reckless abandon. “The Yoprians were always unimaginative, sadly we can’t wait for the cold to kill this trash. Goraka! Get Sgt. Delvin on the line, we have work for him.” After making a few adjustments to the voxset and hearing a return on the unit Junior Sgt Goraka nodded to the Captain. “Grid 658-411, massed infantry in the open, no ranging rounds needed, all guns fire for effect” Soon a high-pitched whistle rose in volume over the field, followed by a trio of explosions erupting near the front of the cultists swarm. Short columns of dirt flew into the air as shredded bodies were pitched to the ground, yet the cultists kept advancing, making no attempt to find cover. “Good hits comrade Sgt, repeat and sustain bombardment” Before long the air was filled with the whistle of a chorus of shells... 1st Heavy Weapon Squad (Heavy Support) Sgt Delvin's Support Squad  Mortar 1 Sgt Delvin   Mortar 2   Mortar 3   I've almost finished two of my conversions for a Valhallan themed units, I'll post those tomorrow once I get it all set. Hope you guys like it, any feedback is appreciated -T |
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Post by judcottrell on May 17, 2020 12:49:22 GMT -5
Nice looking Mortars!
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Post by borkies on May 19, 2020 0:23:11 GMT -5
judcottrell Thanks a lot! much more went into these models than meets the eye, I'm glad the look got through. Sorry to post twice so soon but I thought I'd give a minor update on some models that will be part of the 2nd Battalion hobby Goals. I've been working on some conversions between painting and recently finished these models for my next leg: 1. I'm going to work some more converted guardsmen into the 2nd set of 3 infantry squads (30 guardsmen total). Here is the most recently converted Valhallan Trooper, I used a Delaque Ganger body with Basilisk crewman's head  2. An Valhallan Master of Ordnance, made from a spare Basilisk Crew with a GSC voxset and wyvern map  3. Anyone who thinks of Valhallans will immediately thinks "Send in the Next Wave", so obviously Conscripts had to be part of this blog. Now I have 2 issues with using the normal valhallan models as Conscripts- 1. Materially/crunch wise using the same 8 lasgun models for normal guardsmen as well as conscripts is both confusing and monotonous. I need something that is immediately clear as a conscript on sight that also adds army variety. 2. I have the lore for the 5th Valhallan Guards as an Elite/Veteran unit, so straight conscripts is a tough fit for one of the Planet's premier units. Sure the Valhallans may be simplistic or unimaginative, but the top units would still get the best recruits. Fortunately 40k and WW2 Soviets have an answer for both, Penal Legionaries (shtrafniki)!  I've gathered every tank commander/cadian commander torso I could find, plus GS casting a few more. After that I added VM heads and GSC/necromunda autoguns to get a feel of poorly equipped penal troopers sent in to eat fire for the Valhallans. I currently have a few of these guys built but the plan is for 60 to repay the Imperium with blood, I feel the brutal losses of unwilling troops will play out the 40k/Soviet themes nicely. Let me know what you think! -T
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Post by judcottrell on May 20, 2020 8:34:25 GMT -5
Don’t apologise for posting! It’s threads like this that keeps us coming back for more!!!
It’s always nice to other people’s processes.
As usual, good modelling! I’m all thumbs when it comes to building stuff!
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Post by mediocrehobbyist89 on May 21, 2020 6:12:35 GMT -5
Might have already said so, but brilliant work from both of you. Really like the approach to the conscripts - they're not good enough to be given greatcoats. Plus I like the small change you've done to the officer's left hand. I'm not sure if I'm the only one but his original chainsword always looked a bit too phallic to me...
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