Status Update

Long time, no post. Yeah yeah....my bad.

This time of year, apparently is not a good time for me. Too many raw emotions from events that occurred just last year and as a result my mindset has just...plummeted. Hard to focus, hard to actually do what I want to do. That combined with a bit of a financial rough spot which has lead to me selling off most of my army means I'm now in a situation where I need to look at starting afresh next year with a focus and direction on where I'm going with the army...rather than just building whimsically and at random.

So, the Black Legion currently stand as follows - 1 Chainlord, 1 Dark Apostle, 1 Jump Sorcerer, 1 Greater Possessed and 2 squads of 10 Chaos Marines. Yeah, I've sold a significant chunk of stuff off.

I have a rough idea for an army direction, with Faith and Fury coming out at the end of the month...and due a pending Wonga repayment (yay companies going into administration?) for missold policies I'll be getting a decent chunk of stuff toward the end of January.

But the rest I need to get gradually and over time.

I've not been...completely devoid of doing anything. I am (slowly) working on some character tier commission stuff for [redacted] as a  [redacted]...and also decided to do a sort of custom repaint of some really old and horrible Jurassic Park diecast metals from the early 90s.

I also need to get back to working on the Beastmen for Mordheim. Hells, there's a lot of things I need to get my mind back into...

Grabbing the Beast by its Tail

Well, this has been a stressful week.

To compensate I've spent a small bit of time painting more of the Chieftain for Mordheim...but there's also a bittersweet sadness to this. It appears that the chap who was supposed to be providing the bits to make the heroes of the warband has basically scammed me out of them and the postage to boot with no way to reclaim.

Suffice to say I'm disappointed. And annoyed.

Also a little disheartened at a lack of comments or...well...anything. I want to paint, no one wants me to paint. No one wants to help or say anything so...yeah.

Maybe I'll just keep posting the odd post to myself. But it's getting real disheartening at this point in time.

Just a reminder...I am available for commission as per the earlier post and the Ko-Fi link is on the side for anyone wanting to help support this endeavour of mine. If not...that's fine too I suppose...

Will Paint For Pizza - Paint Monkey Ooking For Duty

Yes. Ok. I can't procrastinate. I need to get off my arse and actually do stuff.

As such, I'm going to open myself up for Commission Painting - I want to start small and do my absolute best for folk so I'm going to put four 'tiers' as it were. Two for units, two for characters.

The Tiers are as Follows:

Tabletop Standard - Basic colours, minimal highlights, clean base, clean paintjob. Tabletop standard is just that. Nothing too fancy or exotic, maybe a different technique for an effect but the intent is to be quick, clean and efficient. This is the base level for units/squads.  Tabletop Standard is priced at the Unit/Model's total RRP in GBP - not factoring store specific discounts etc.

Below are some examples of Tabletop Standard.

Tabletop Plus - Tabletop Plus has more detailed highlighting, blending, allows for freehand and new techniques and will have more detailed bases. This is the 'display' tier for units/monsters/etc. Tabletop Plus is priced at the unit/model's RRP plus 25% - in GBP.

Some examples of Tabletop Plus are shown below.

Display - Display Standard is the standard level for character type models or centrepiece monsters. It is the same level of detail as Tabletop Plus and is priced the same. Display Standard is priced at the model's RRP plus 25% in GBP.

Display Standard pieces are shown below.

Display Plus - Display Plus is the Highest Tier of painting I can offer. In short, it means I pull out all stops and go all in on the miniature in question. As such it's restricted to single models or monsters only. I cannot afford to realistically put so much time into full units at this standard. Multiple techniques are used, I go to town on the bases and I'll even go as far as researching odd things like bone decolouration and how metals rust to get the right effects down pat. I want you to be happy with a Display Plus piece...to be able to show it off.

Display Plus is priced at the model's RRP plus 50% in GBP.

Some examples of Display Plus are shown below. This includes some older work.

FINALLY - When undertaking a comission payment is to be as follows... 50% up front to cover costs of labour and supplies and 50% on return of the miniatures. The buyer is responsible for covering Postage Costs.

To help with this endeavour I've also set up a Ko-Fi page for friends, family etc. who want to donate and help me with supplies, setting up a lightbox proper and eventually, long term getting a decent desk lamp and better camera for the sake of photography purposes. Any amount will help - from the smallest paint pot to something greater.

https://ko-fi.com/totaketheblack

Thank you all. Comment if you will, tell me if you think I am underselling myself or being too cheap. I am fairly new to this so I want to make sure I don't end up hating what I love.

Proof of Life

Oof. Where have I been for nearly a month?

To tell the truth, trapped in a psychological pit of apathy and self loathing with a dash of Imposter Syndrome, watching other people have success and loathing my own self and my failures as a result. Not good.

But that's not the point of this post. As it says, the point of the post is Proof of Life. i.e. I'm here, alive and doing stuff. Hurray?

First up, a Black Legion update. Slow moving, but we're getting there. As I originally set - Character, then a unit representative of their followers. This seems to have become a model from a unit...with my skittish and erratic attention span going back to the rest later.

As you can see, there's been progress. Still WIP, hopefully to be mostly done by later today, but more skulls, more gunmetal...the 2nd edition style scheme works well on Terminators at least. The weapons have been started, they just need the initial basecoat and highlight on the covers/plating and then the wash to start the weathering proper. I need to also focus on that Space Marine helmet...whether to have it as a normal Blood Angel or to do either a white stripe or laurels around it. Keeping it battered and weathered of course. My concern was that it would be too much red on the model but I think it works out as is.

Special mention to the skulls. I've enjoyed painting these up, weathering them and ageing them to look yellowed rather than bleached - keeping them as suitably grisly trophies. Yes, I actually googled this sort of thing. Buried bones tend to darken, bones left out in deserts bleach and trophies tend to yellow. I suspect because trophies aren't cleaned so much so what you get is a bit of decay from the residual blood and muck tarnishing it....

But that's not all for today. For there is also the start of the Beastmen warband for Mordheim. In particular, the conversion work for the Leader that I just want to show off. 

I do want to take up commission painting. I tried setting something up a few years back but...no one bit. Nothing happened and it just disheartened me. As a result, my variety is going to be a bit all over the place the next week or so, with Mordheim Beastmen, some Daemons, more Renegade CSM (I'm thinking Dean's Skulltaker Terminator is a decent example of tabletop standard...what about you guys?) and my own Black Legion. Plus a spare Lizardman Skink character.

Good example of Tabletop Standard for Comissions? Let me know!

We have an Incursion...

Ok, so, it's been forever and a day since I updated this. Why? Well, no one else was reading it so I was getting more results off of sharing photos on Facebook. Which is a damn shame as it sort of just completely defeats the point of...well, doing this.

But I digress.

A significant leap in progress, to be followed by more soon if I ever stop procrastinating. Save some tidying up of the top of the base the Chain-Lord (still as of yet unnamed) is done. And surprisingly, along with him came 3 Chaos Cultists - a fourth is pretty much done but not based so didn't make it along. To clarify - the Lord is mine, the Cultists belong to a good friend, Dean and are being done in such a way that they can be fielded in either his Cleaved (Death Guard), Skulltakers (Red Corsairs) or with my Black Legion to form a Cult of the Damned specialist detachment with the Dark Apostle and a Sorcerer spare to form a second Battalion.

I',m really pleased with how the Chaos Lord has turned out. Hopefully his follow up unit won't take as long or be too ridiculous though I'm still going to have to pull off the aged trophy skull trick on them. 

Can I also say I'm happy with the base and how that has turned out? The Ultramarine is suitable weathered, battered and worn and looks well and truly like a corpse on a battlefield. I never understood the desire to make corpses, particularly Space Marine ones as bright and clean as their living counterparts - their armour should be battered, weathered and dulled down. The Marine went down with a fight - it's not really right to assume they just spontaneously dropped dead in parade ground bright clear and clean armour just for the sake of it.

I like him. I like the black tones of the armour and hopefully next time I'll be able to show some of the difference - subtle as it is between this Chaos Lord and the other Chaos Lord who just happens to be a bit...less alive. Mixing blues into the black and greys into the black for different results.

 Let's finish off on Cultists. As you can see, they're delightfully...common. And generic. Which is what I need them to be otherwise they will drive me mad. The one on the right of the picture is done in a (former) friend's Imperial Guard scheme - if anyone wants their own Guard to be used let me know as plenty more cultists to go. Same with Ad-Mech. And yes, different skin tones as well. I'm planning on making them a generic...rabble. So experimenting with skin tones as you can see. Some paler than others, some different ethnicities. I want the idea that the Cultists are generally the masses of humanity from a world and the regiments and forces stationed there.

Anyhow - there is more coming. Terminators to follow the Chain-Lord, the second 'character' - though really it's two characters (fluff reasons coming) and some photos of my work on Dean's Skulltakers. Oh, and maybe some WIP shots on a very, very large Lord of Change. One I finish cleaning the bloody tabs off the damn wings to start.

Progress. Slow, but Progress at least...

Just an update. I don't think anyone is really reading this so I am largely talking to myself.

But some progress is being done on the Chain-lord. Working up from the legs has been odd to say the least...and I'm at odds whether or not to do some scrawlwork or markings on the skulls or to keep them bleached and bare.

Suffice to say the metalwork I'm happy with, the progress is slowly getting toward the final bits  - head and shoulders and the weapons. Thinking for the daemon chainsword of going with a sort of...purplish OSL effect around the teeth, illuminating the weapon casing and some of the armour around it...but doing the teeth and blades themselves in purple tones and going for a 'slick' effect with inks.

But anyhow, enjoy the progress photos. Comments and all welcome as usual.

That Boy Ain't Right...

Well, now that I can get some decent sunlight I've done what any sensible lunatic has. I've set down and started painting.

My initial plan is to paint each of the 'figurehead' characters of the faction and a squad that follows them to get a better idea of their appearance. Of course, being characters I'm going to put attention into them and do them to the best of my ability. Weathering, scratches and all.

So the first character to start with...the Jump Lord.

Seriously, I need to hash out a name and background for him proper. For now, let the paint talk. And I will say I'm proud. So very proud. Thanks to a jank brush that I forgot about I can get away with tiny scratches and chipping and the result so far, on the legs is wonderful. Nowhere near complete - obviously I have to do the gold detailing, the skulls, the tabard and work my way up a bit...

But mmm-mmmh! The legs. The trims have come out just right. You can also just barely see hints of the blue mixed into the black as well. So far I'm happy with the result and dare say I feel this is some of my best. Just from trims on some damn legs!

The Path of Ascension: Rocco's Black Legion Successor Warband

The Ascended  

Parent Legion - Black Legion (Formerly Sons of Horus, formerly Luna Wolves)

Primarch - Horus Lupercal

Colours - Black, Gunmetal, Crimson (Gold details and trims on officers of rank)

Chapter Heraldry - Stylised Heresy-era Eye of Horus

Chaos God - Chaos Undivided 

Specialty - Strong Command Structure, Flexible Organisation

*****

Okay folks. Here goes. Over the years I've been a Chaos player at least...but never consistently stuck to one particular force. I started out Iron Warriors, went Death Guard, went Renegade (Extinction Angels), went Death Guard again, went Thousand Sons, went Emperor's Children, went World Eaters and now finally it seems I have settled on a Black Legion splinter warband. 

But why though? How do I know I'm not just going to sell the army like every other? Well, first the problem I had was that every other army, save the Extinction Angels who were sold off as I needed money and their paint scheme seemed a chore (though it was unique - unique enough that a Google image search for Extinction Angels results in my old minis being in the first two rows of results still after all these years) was simple - their playstyle stagnated and I felt trapped and inflexible. They were all specialists - exceptionally good at one particular playstyle but shitstomped in the Rock-Paper-Scissors meta that is 40k far too easily. 

A Black Legion splinter band allows me to be more flexible. I can add new units in from pretty much any Chaos army (I ultimately plan on perhaps one day going back to do Thousand Sons and Death Guard again) but I can paint them all as a Black Legion based scheme. So if I do decide I fancy an Emperor's Children or Thousand Sons army or whatever I can do them and add relevant units from the Black Legion without them looking out of place. Common sense prevails!

The paint scheme is simple - inspired by 2nd edition Chaos where there was no abundance of gold trims or details...simple black and gunmetal. To break up the monotony of colour I've decided the piping should be done in a deep crimson (rather than the 2nd edition orange. Ewww.). For squad champions I can pick out details (Chaos Symbols, Skulls) in gold. For characters I do do gold shoulders and details but keep the gunmetal trims. Chosen of course will be done in champion colours with their own champion being treated as a character.

Of course, it wouldn't be me without a somewhat complicated and convoluted background and some twists in the tail, would it? And in the case of The Ascended that comes in the form of the characters. My current forces have no less than 6 characters (!) and I've decided that a theme of the warband is its command structure. The Ascended is a proving ground for future leaders and champions. As such it's made up of smaller retinues and bands, who owe their loyalty to a particular character.

And of course, the Council of Traitors stratagem from Vigilus Ablaze is the perfect inspiration and reason for it so far...

There are 3 factions in the Ascended (so far) - The Fated, The Reborn and The Righteous.

The Fated are the main power of the warband - they consist of the Terminators and Chosen and are lead by two characters - a Chaos Lord with a jump pack - converted from Harkaan Worldclaimer and some Chaos Raptor chainswords (yay Chainlord) and his second in command, a Chaos Sorcerer who is simply a Dark Vengeance Chaos Lord without any conversion work! 

The unifying 'marking' for The Fated is simple - gold detailing. In order to join this particular faction you have to prove yourself worthy. Something the Chosen and Terminators will already have done.

The Reborn are a bit more sneaky. They have a Chaos Lord, using the Dark Vengeance Chosen with a Power Axe - but he's not the true power. Instead that comes to the Chaos Sorcerer (a converted Dark Vengeance Lord using Harkaan's Helspear, an outstretched hand and Harkaan's skull mask head). The idea for the miniature choice for the Lord is the horn growths and bone growths from the armour. I want to paint a soft glowing corpselight where they meet the armour and really, the principle is that the Chaos Lord fell several millenia back and is being animated by the Sorcerer as a facade

The Reborn consist of the Chaos Havocs and 2 of the CSM squads in the army.

The unifying marking for The Reborn is to be a bone-coloured vambrace.

The final sub-faction are The Righteous...a faction of zealots lead by a Dark Apostle (a converted Dark Vengeance Chosen Champion) and his right hand Greater Possessed. This is the more aggressive portion of the force and is 2 assault based CSM squads - well, assault-hybrid squads.

I've got the initial lot of things undercoated - I need to wait til Wednesday to buy more spray but hopefully can get started proper over the next week. I'll share pictures as I get things done.

The