Howto: Grey knights Part 1 (Purity seals)

PURITY SEALS

The other day, I played a game of 40k. My opponent said that if I were to lose, I had to show him how I painted my GK so quickly.

Suffice to say, I lost. 

Hence, I will be doing a six part tutorial on my painting process.

The tutorial episodes will be:
1. Purity seals 

2. base coating, model decisions. 

3. basic details, how to pick out details

4. Painting parts, putting the model together and picking out final details.

5. Painting the blade and basing

5a. materials. 

6. weathering the model

In addition, following the fifth tutorial, I will include a list of all the used materials during this process

Without further adieu, my process for painting purity seals. (with focus on the wax.) 

Please, I'm still using old citadel, if you are making the switch, plan accordingly. 

Colours needed: 

Blood red 

Blazing orange

Golden Yellow

Dheneb stone

Gryphonne Sepia

Brushes required:

Fine detail brush

Detail brush

Wash Brush

Difficulty: 

Simple

Skills needed:

Basic brushwork

Patience

Stage 1. Picking places

Find areas that will be the paper of the purity seals (note the book on the knight's shoulder - it is done in this same method.) Paint them Dheneb stone. 

Once this has dried, wash the colour with Gryphonne sepia. 

Outcome of Stage 1.

Stage 2: Picking Places: Reds

After the sepia has dried, paint over the grey seals with blood red. This will probably require two watered down coats of paint. Since you will have to wait for the paint to dry, it is acceptable to do all purity seals red layer at the same time. (the same can be said of every stage, in fact.)

 Stage 3: Painting orange

Luckily for you, the orange is going over red. that means there shouldn't be a need for more than two layers over red.  paint the edges of the seal in orange. if there is a skull, brush over it with the paintbrush a few times to get an appealing effect. At this time, you may want to consider painting 'writing' onto the seal if you see fit.

Stage 4: Painting yellow

This is the same as the last stage. It does require more finesse, however. If you plan to paint the skull on the seal, only go over it once. more than that and it will all become yellow. 

paint very lightly around the edges as well

Please, feel free to contact me if you have any further questions regarding the series, or any requests.
My e-mail is diaord@hotmail.com or you may reach me at www.dakkadakka.com under the persona Scipio Africanus. 

Grey knights updated. The Storm Raven

In my last post I did an Expose on my grey knights army. In that time, a lot of progress has been made. While fundamentally the list hasn't changed, the painting scheme has been finalised and I'm ready to produce more models as I need to. 

What I realised with this 32 model + 7 tank army is that there aren't very many models to be built, that means every model has to be well done. As such, every model - including tanks - will be highlighted and every model - including infantry - will have some form of weathering done to it. 

Finally, I will give every model an authentic name. Every model and every pilot will have a part of a daemon's name in it - My first purifier squad will have three models - Magna, Imunde and Unum (If someone can give me the correct grammar for this phrase, I'd appreciate it.) - roughly, the 'Great Unclean one' 

Since this really should've been four or five posts, I'll go in order. 

Profile of the Storm Raven

Magnetized door. 

The storm Raven is fairly basic. The side doors remain and the guns will be magnetized. I left the front part of the thrusters and the missiles unglued so they could be removed when used/immobilised. In addition, the front hatch is unglued, magnetized instead. This can represent an immobilisation or just to aid in removing the front gun. 

The model has since been painted and weathered. The grey is just a spray paint of tamya german grey. Worked wonders, by the way. 

The right thruster. 

The left Thruster

The carbonisation on the vent exhausts and the front left
thruster. The thruster is detatchable.

Central intake exhaust dust

The gun is boltgin metal that has been painted in brown oil.
I then reduced the paint away until it remained in the recesses,
like a wash. 

Front view. Both open cockpits are fully painted. 

The multi-meltas are done in the same way as the assault-
cannon.

The thrusters after they have dried.

The thruster once it had dried. 

This is further work on them, the grey meant to be the metal
coming through because the heat burns away the debris.

It's hard to do this part justice - what is it meant to look like?
I just tried an oiled look, like the thing had a filmy coat of a
brown oil over it, in the hope that it would be enough. 

In the next post, I'll show my first grey knights. They have been weathered so they look a little beaten up, but mostly just with mud on their legs.

Grey knight Purifiers + list

So, I've fallen victim to this. I have finally decided to fork out the money and build myself a cheesy list. 

So, this is my 2,000 point Purifier list. 

HQ

Grey Knights Grand Master

- Rad Grenades- Psychotroke grenades- Master crafted Force Sword- 195 points


Ordo Xenos Inquisitor- Psychotroke Grenades- Rad Grenades- servo skull- 58 points


Elites


Purifier Squad- 10 man- 4x psycannons- 5x halberds- 1x Daemon hammer (carried by Knight of the Flame)- 295 points


Purifier Squad- 10 man- 4x psycannons- 5x halberds- 1x Daemon hammer (carried by Knight of the Flame)- 295 points


Troops


Strike Squad- 5 man- Psycannon- Daemonhammer- 120 points


Razorback- Psybolt Ammunition- 50 points


Strike Squad- 5 man- Psycannon- Daemonhammer- 120 points


Razorback- Psybolt Ammunition- 50 points


Fast Attack


Storm Raven- Multi-Melta- 205 points


Storm Raven- Multi-Melta- 205 points


Heavy Support


Dreadnought- Twin-linked Autocannon- Twin-linked Autocannon- Psybolt Ammunition- 135


Dreadnought- 115

Dreadnought- Twin-linked Autocannon- Twin-linked Autocannon- Psybolt Ammunition- 135
1998 points

These are the starts of my purifiers. I've painted 4 - I have 28 infantry models left to paint!

The design is very simple. The body is grey, light highlighting (they will be weathered later.) The boltguns I have intentionally left unhighlighted because the colour looks better (in my opinion) how they are now.

The helmets are silver because I preferred it to white. (I can paint white fairly well, but I don't like conforming as you can tell... sorta.) 

I'm trying the crackling energy thing on all the halberds and swords, don't know how well it'll turn out, though that one there's the best I've ever done.

So I'll finish this unit of 5 purifiers (5 more coming in later, I had to strip them for some ungodly reason.) Then I'll do that storm raven.

I'll finish the other five marines and buy either a terminator box or a brother-captain stern to use as the grand master.

Then, who knows? Maybe I'll scrounge up the money to buy contemptor dreads to use as the psifleman dreadnoughts (it's actually cheaper for me to buy 3 of them than to buy 3 normal dreads and autocannon arms.)

Ultimate MEq Killer: Mathhammering

What kills a T4, W1 Sv 3+ model? 

Well, anything can, really. 

What? 1 lasgun shot won't kill squat?

Well, be it as it may, The game is dice. 

If something hits on a 4+, wounds on a 5+ and then 3+ cancels it, what does that mean in averages?

Did you know, that that there shot has a 50% chance of hitting?

or that it has a 33.33% chance of wounding?

And only a 66.66% chance of being cancelled out? 

In math, that's a 3/6 chance, a 2/6 chance and a 4/6 chance. 

Overall, that's a 1/6 chance to wound, and a 1/9 chance of actually causing a wound. 

Welcome to math hammer. 

What was the chance of that?

Probabilities: Expressed as fractions. 

Some simple pointers for conversion of /6 into percentages:

6+: 16.67%

5+: 33.33%

4+: 50.00%

3+: 66.66%

2+: 83.33% 

1+: 100.0% 

A model with BS3 shooting a gun with S3 AP- at a target with T4 W1 Sv3+ 

So, BS3 S3 AP- V. T4 W1 Sv3+

There's a:

3/6 chance of hitting

2/6 chance of wounding

4/6 chance of saving

All up, that's a 24/216 chance of fatally wounding, or 1/9. So, for every 9 lasgun shots you should kill one marine. 

A boltgun? BS4 S4 AP5 V T4 W1 Sv3+ 

4/6 chance of hitting 

3/6 chance of wounding

4/6 chance of saving

all up that's 46/216 chance of fatally wounding, almost a 2/9 chance of wounding.

Of a lascannon, plasma rifle or meltagun? 

Since its a 1 wound model and all have an AP better than 3, they're all equally effective! 

Assume: BS4, 2+ to wound V. 1W no save

4/6 chance of hitting 

5/6 chance of wounding

0/6 chance of saving

20/36 chance of wounding (don't count the 0/6 chance, or else it'd be 0/216!) or 5/9 chance of wounding 

Flamer? 

1/3 chance of fatally wounding

Never thought of a flamer as an anti-marine weapon, did you? the numbers don't lie.

What about a flamestorm cannon? the weapon specifically built to kill entrenched marines? 

5/6 chance of killing him. 

When you look at all these vaules, you decide on the three best: 

The last three. 

but, you don't stop to consider which of those is actually the most effective. 

the lascannon is likely to kill one marine. but there are, on average, nine more you need to deal with. The plasmagun can get rid of two as well, but there are still 7 more to kill.

Leave it to the boltguns. 

So, one boltgun shot at 12" will kill .33 of a marine. that's 5.28 points! 

You coulda killed .44% of a guardsman instead. and that's only 2.2 points. 

Leaving it to the boltguns, you have at least 17 boltgun shots usually [sergeant may have a bolt pistol, which he does for this example.] 

that's 5.6 marines dead. did you know that? 

That's 89.6 points worth of dead marine. 

The moral of the story: 

Quantity is a quality all of its own: never expect to win anything shooting only the hard hitting weapons. 

In that case, this is my advice:

There's no point getting caught up in having the most high strength, high powered and over powered weaponry if they don't put out enough firepower to stop your enemy. No-one shoots a lascannon at a unit of termagants, though it has almost an 100% chance of killing it in reality. No, you use it on the tervigon behind it, who you have 0% chance of killing outright with one lascannon, but is potentially more of a threat.

When you buy dedicated transports, do you give them lascannons automatically? This is a good thing against mech, you're right, but sometimes 3 S5 AP4 shots would really help you out!

Don't forget your heavy bolters. Don't forget your normal bolters, don't forget to use what you have at your disposal. Use everything to its maximum effect each and every turn, and you stand a far better chance in any game. Don't be afraid to roll 6 lasgun shots, don't be afraid to roll 1 boltgun. it only takes 1 lasgun shot to perform the killing blow on a daemon, however unlikely that may be. You need to think like this and then you will succeed. Don't think in terms of mathammer - think in terms of 'there's a chance' because 'there's a chance' always applies, whereas mathhammer ends when you put the pen and paper down and play a game.

Consider Heavy Bolters. Don't shy away from them. You don't need many, but 4 twin-linked Heavy bolters is potentially 12 dead marines. Don't just go for the biggest and best, remember your staple and don't forget about anti-light infantry and you'll do fine. 

Sometimes, these babies are all you could hope for.

Chaplain Vaerra's Realisation model update.

I'm afraid that right not I'm fresh out of cash - not a dime on me. Therefore, buying the Emperor's champion model to make this model won't be bought for a long time. Suffice to say, I'll wait until I have the model to paint the wings and backpack. 

Regardless, here's the progress on the model. You'll notice that these IOB's Griffon wings are massive - a problem that may make the model become ridiculous.

To mitigate this likelihood, I've planned to put him on a flying stand when he is put on his base. He will probably be at an angle, maybe about 60 degrees facing forward rather than bolt upright.

We'll see. 

Here's the conversion in all it's glory - Noe the massiveness of the wings against the small backpack. Aside from some cutting and minor green stuff, this is a simple pinning into place that enables the wings to stay in place. 

A size comparison between the two wings. 

I plan on cutting hand off the shield - I'll use the models clenched fist as to show him holding the shield 

The front of the shield. I though the large shield, wings and sword would represent the eagle perfectly. 

Chaplain Vaerra, The Eagle of the ninth's realisation rules and model

"And so, Arturius charged forward, his wings beating were reminiscent of the sound of war drums. He drove forward with such force that his squad were filled with all the same righteous zeal as their chaplain and leader led them with, they charged an army while all the world wondered..."

 Excerpt from the Charge of the Eagle of the third.

All Chaplains embody the brazen courage that supposedly becomes their title. They know less than no fear fight with all the zeal of three fighters and will fight until their dying breath. Truly, Chaplains show Wild cantankerous Choler of a true warrior. This is no less in the Eagles of the Son's of the Emperor.

An unofficial title, The Eagle, numbered using 'of the x' is a commanding influence within the Chapter council they are considered to be the right hand of the Chapter master, despite the Chapter's preference for ranged and armoured assaults. In his Duties, the Eagle is considered the leader of the Chaplains. Aside from that, the Eagle is able to call upon every assault marine and every vanguard veteran in the army. This may prove a slight deviation from Codex, but it is allowed as a result of the value the eagle brings to the table. Though the eagle is a title held until death, the eagle is expected to fly into the face of death without thought of self preservation. Though still tactically minded as any commander of marines, the eagle will blindly charge into combat no matter the cost. Many a squad has been lost following an Eagle into combat, but those who remain after the dust has settled are borne witness to possible the most beautiful example of Imperial combat.

Although the Eagle is a powerful combatant as a marine, when realised in combat, the eagle becomes more godlike. His power increases and his skills wits increase. The wings of the eagles flight literally increase in size and provide the ultimate symbol of power to the men of the eagle's army.

For this reason, it is a terrible day when the Eagle is lost, and should he be lost, his body would become a reverence point for the marines, and an important holding point.

That's my attempt at a formal explaination of the character. I hope it is exciting enough for your tastes.

The Vaerra model himself is fairly simple, he has already been shown Here.

The model will be an impressively long length, and he probably will be prone to fragility of the wings.

I'm hoping the model will look excellent, there is every chance that it will be a complete failure as a model, and I do believe the wings may look just a little too large.

Hopefully this isn't the case, but I am speculating.

The design notes for the Space marine model that will be used. Nice and simple, huh?

A set of corresponding rules can be found here.

Update 9/1: Superdetailed Wreck Rhino

This is the first time I've ever painted a Rhino's interior. 

 So, on the Twenty-second of last month, I left you with an image of a half-painted rhino, which had obviously seen some heavy punishment. This is an update on that tale.

The wreck so far

The wrecks of Rhino's are found on all battlefields where the imperium can be found. Yet there is no model for a wrecked rhino, there is noone producing wrecks as models. I thought I'd pretend to be original, and make a wrecked Rhino of my own.

This will be a game piece, but it will also be part of a diorama, depicting Space marines of a tactical squad running out of the vehicle,
smoke billowing from the top hatches as they leave.

As you can see here, I have since painted the top and the front of the vehicle. You can [barely albeit] see the damage and penetration marks alongthe front, and there are golden parts in the front and right side of the tank - bullet holes.

There will be another follow up sometime, but I am putting this project to the side for a while, so I can focus on my new Space marine Biker's army.

An aerial I added myself. Just a piece of brass and a scope, but the effect is pleasing. you can see my bikes in the background here. 

Some of the fallen Space marines, From your perspective, Left to right:
Injured soldier, supplying missile launcher
marine firing pistol past side of rhino
marine reloading bolter. The clip has a small piece of brass on the tip to make it look like it is full.
A missile launcher marine, the last missile only just having been shot [it's on a flying stand, jetting out of the missile launcher]
Wounded marine clawing at the ground. 

This is the sergeant. He is the expample of the paintjob I was going for with these guys. He is injecting a stimulant into  his leg, presumably through a chink in his knee's armour for that very purpose.