Showcase: Company Master & Command Squad

Hey all,
It's been a while since I last posted, but with good reason: I was very busy with a lot of things. Work, life, etcetera.
Two week ago I had an epic battle. One of which I promised to post a lot of pictures. Unfortunately, I forgot my camera. Though I wasn't the only one planning to bring a camera (Others didn't forget it!), the quality of the photos taken was very poor, and those few action shots that passed the test were either taken poorly, or full of the people playing with the armies. Not really much use for the blog, methinks.

Just before the match started (early morning, on the day the game was planned) I managed to finish up my command squad. Though it's not fully done (heraldry, I know), it's done enough to give them some love here on the blog.

The Company Master and his squad were riding a Storm Eagle right into the heart of the action in turn three.
After they disembarked, they managed to come into close combat with an actual Soul Grinder.
Only the thunder hammer carried by the Master itself could actually punch through its armour. They were carrying the Chapter Banner, together with a charge, giving the Master two extra attacks. Add that to the three attacks the master has by default, it comes down to a grand total of five staggering hammer hits.
Result: the Soul Grinder had been utterly obliterated. One of the most epic moments in the match.

Enjoy the pictures.

The Test-List: 1750pts with Forge World stuff.

A friend of mine has asked me to build a list of 1750pts, for him to test his own tournament list against. I'll be using some Forge World stuff in it, to add some extra spice. Ofcourse there'll be a Contemptor-Mortis, for AA duties, as well as a Land Speeder Tempest (which is, cost-wise, hopelessly obsolete since Death From the Skies came out) and finally the mighty Storm Eagle will take to the skies for the first time.

When it comes to lists, bigger is better. My FLGS has a lot of beginners, so most lists I have played with are hovering around 1000pts.
As always, comments and criticism are more than welcome.

HQ
Company Master – Thunder Hammer/Artificer Armour – 140pts
- Command Squad – Company Standard/Champion/Apothecary/Plasma Gun – 160pts
Librarian – 65pts

Elites
Venerable Dreadnought - 2xTwin-linked Autocannons – 145pts
Deathwing Terminators - 1xLightning Claws/Assault Cannon – 240pts

Troops
Tactical Squad - Vet. Sergeant/Power Fist/Flamer/Missile Launcher - 190pts
Tactical Squad - Vet. Sergeant/Power Sword/Meltagun/Heavy Bolter - 185pts

Fast Attack
Storm Eagle - 2xTL-Lascannon/TL-Multi-Melta. - 300pts
Land Speeder Tempest - 110pts

Heavy Support
Contemptor-Mortis – 2xKheres Assault Cannon/Cyclone Missile Launcher – 215pts

Contemptor-Mortis Dreadnought

Storm Eagle in the works. Part VI

Finally, the base has been done.
For the base I used a large oval resin "Temple" base by Micro Art Studio. With a hobby knife and lots of exotic files, sweat and ters, I cut out a cross for the flying stem in the resin base. After several faulty glue sessions using a glue gun, I bought some ultra strong super glue, which finally did the trick.

The Recon marine on the base has been made to look like wearing a hooded cloak, Guardians of the Covenant-style, while holding a sniper rifle from the Space Marine Scout set. A little gimmick is the chainblade attachment, which is from the Forge World bolters. It stuck right to the barrel. Very nifty.

Vehicles of the 6th Company.

Vehicles. Oh how I love to paint vehicles. The bigger the better. I decided it was time for a group shot of my Guardians of the Covenant armoury.
Joining the group soon: a Land Raider Terminus Ultra, a kitbashed Whirlwind and last but not least a Damocles Rhino.
The one thing that's missing, is the chapter and company icons and heraldry. Those are on their way, however. As I'm experimenting with printing my own decals.
More info on this soon.

Storm Eagle in the works. Part V

And finally, the cockpit's done. Tough it looks nice, I'm not a fan of object source lighting, so I didn't apply it there. Anyhow. I like how the cockpit has turned out. That, and the robed, hooded pilot was a must and finishes the whole aesthetic. Here are some pictures I took with the last clear daylight today had to offer.

Storm Eagle in the works. Part IV

Almost done.
Those two words mark the end of one of my most frustrating, but in the end most satisfying project to date.
The Storm Eagle has been one heck of a build and a huge thing to paint. I painted it by hand, and slathered almost half a pot of Badab Black wash over it's metallic areas, it's the last pot and it's almost gone now (too bad!).
Though some people didn't like the little conversion I did, I think the added tail section really, really finishes the model. It's more of a little brother to the Thunderhawk now. I'm really happy with the result so far. Though it's not yet finished. There are a few lenses and lights that still need work and the metal itself needs some highlighting. Last but not least, the chapter heraldry and company markings need to be added, but I will  wait with that stuff until the very last (I'm really bad at freehanding).

For the sense of scale, I added a Land Speeder Tempest and a vanguard veteran. The Tempest really fits with the Eagle's aesthetic, especially when looking at the wings.

Anyway, here are some pictures I took (without flash) in broad daylight. Hell yeah, a Guardians of the Covenant Mortikah-pattern Storm Eagle!

Storm Eagle in the works. Part III

It's been a while, I know. Have had little time for the hobby last few weeks. Nevertheless, today was a productive day. I spent some hours further finishing my Storm Eagle. The final layers, shaders and washes are on. All that remains now is the cockpit, some detail on the pilot, highlights and ofcourse heraldy. May sound like a lot, but believe me. Compared to bulk painting and the awful building process, it's peanuts.
I guess I have right to say that mine is the first ever Guardians of the Covenant Storm Eagle.
Anyway, here are some pictures.

Storm Eagle in the works. Part II

Today was a big day. My Storm Eagle got basecoated. Somehow, I think the models look even better when they have a slick basecoat. There's no difference in colour anymore due to it being a resin/plastic kit, and overall, the models looks simply stunning.
It was a real tough nut to crack, when it came down to building it. Some parts still don't really seem to fit, but the gaps and creaks seem to have faded a bit now that it has a basecoat. The next big thing will be to paint the majority boltgun metal and scab red (Yes, old GW colours!) followed by some washing, highlighting and details. I look forward to working on this one, but I will take my time.

Storm Eagle in the works.

Here she is. And it was a bloody paint to build. Almost nothing seemed to fit and almost everything was warped. After a lot of fiddling with a hair-dryer, glue and elastic bands, it finally fits together.

I made a light conversion to the model: I added a tail fin from the Storm Raven kit after being inspired by a fellow blogger. This finishes the model and makes it look more alike it's bigger brother, the Thunderhawk.

Building the Storm Eagle

Oh man. The Storm Eagle is the worst best model I've been building so far. The stuff is warped beyond recognition and even when bent back into the right position it doesn't all seem to fit.
Anyhow. I made a big mistake: I ruined the front hatch (which is the same from the Storm Raven kit). The part broke, with probably no way to fix it. So what I did: I ordered one from a bits site. In the meantime, I'll go on constructing the Storm Eagle and painting it up. The model itself and the level of detail looks splendid, but the construction is one hell of a job. Pictures are to follow later