SHOWCASE: Alpha Legion standard bearer

Horus Heresy: Alpha Legion standard bearer

This is the first of just three models I managed to finish in February. I've worked on several others that will hopefully show themselves in the coming months, but for now I'm focusing on those that are done. This one—a standard bearer for what will be the command squad in my Alpha Legion collection—was a relatively quick job, following the pattern I'm already familiar with from my veteran tactical squad. The most difficult part with this was applying the transfer (from Forge World's Alpha Legion transfer sheet) to the banner. It took lots of patience and decal medium, but it's done now and ready to join the others.

WIP: Alpha Legion veteran tactical squad

Horus Heresy: Alpha Legion veteran tactical squad (first half)

It's been a while since I posted. I did hardly any painting in December while I focused on other projects, not least my writing, which has been very beneficial. The downside has been that what was already, for me, a disappointing year on the hobby front ended with barely a whimper. I have, however, not been entirely idle. In the last few weeks I have returned to painting with a renewed motivation and some renewed goals. Among them are these offerings from a new army: the Alpha Legion.

SHOWCASE: Blood Angels assault marine

Warhammer 40,000: Blood Angels assault marine

It's been a while since I've looked at my Blood Angels. Some readers will know that I started a tactical squad at the beginning of the year. I still have four of the ten left to finish, but I have managed to get a sanguinary priest and Baal predator painted since. This model is a test piece for an assault squad to go with them. It's also the first Blood Angel I've painted with an airbrush—something I'll consider for future models as it sped up the process a little.

SHOWCASE: Tau fire warrior

Warhammer 40,000: Tau fire warrior

There have been a lot of new releases for the Tau in the last month or so. It's an army I like the look of but have never actively collected. I do, however, have a small number of models from their range. The model pictured above is a fire warrior; the Tau equivalent of a tactical squad. They make up the bulk of the Tau army and specialise, like most of the Tau race, in ranged warfare. My objective with this guy was to come up with a quick paint scheme that I could apply to the rest of the models (twelve in total) from the box he came in. It didn't need to be pretty; just easy to replicate.

SHOWCASE: Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne

Warhammer: Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne

I finished one! Regular readers (if there are any) will know that finishing a model is a rare treat for me. We're into October and I'm still some way off finishing even twenty models so far this year. With this one, however, I can at least increase the tally by one. It also represents my first finished miniature for the Age of Sigmar range. I'm pleased to introduce you, then, to the Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne.

SHOWCASE: Ultramarine tactical squad space marine

Warhammer 40,000: Ultramarine tactical marine

I'd like to introduce this as 'something different', but I don't know that I can. Okay, it's a different army, but it's still a space marine. After showing you Blood Angels, Space Wolves and Imperial Fists this year, I can't very well claim another space marine is something different. This one, however, is an Ultramarine and, at least within the context of this blog (so far) and still very definitely within the somewhat narrower 'space marine' category, it's something different.

WIP: Exalted Deathbringer

I've yet to be swept up in the Age of Sigmar excitement. It's not that I'm not interested. I am. It's just that, as a non-gamer, I'm not yet willing to jump on board. The simplified ruleset does intrigue me, and the ability to put together very simple armies for very simple games is far more likely to encourage me to play than, say, the massively over-complicated rules for Warhammer 40,000 these days. I am, however, always interested in a cool model. This Exalted Deathbringer of Khorne fits the bill. This one is still very much a work-in-progress and still has a fair amount of work to do on it, but I'm happy with how it's going and have enjoyed painting it so far. Given a few more sessions, I might even be able to show you the finished piece.