Devastators

Just started a Devastor squad, so far I like the kit. Devs are fun stuff!

Scouts infiltrating my hobby room!

Just moved my entire workstation to a new room and I like the new workspace much better.  This is my first model in a few weeks, so I am just adding more units as I delve deeper into the hobby.  Right now I'm basically putting together the more "basic"units, and you can't go too far wrong with a Scout Squad.  Scout's have never been terribly exciting to me, but after reading more about the Scout squad in Codex: Space Marines I think they do have a nice role in the game.  I like the look of the unit using Sniper rifles and Invisibility cloaks, I plan to replace the standard Sergeant with Sergeant Telion...mostly because I love the look of the Telion model, and his stats are very impressive.

Assault Squad built

My second squad built is an Assault squad. This kit took a lot longer to build than the Tactical squad I started with. The minis just had a lot more flash, mouldlines, and generally took a lot more effort to clean up. So this five man squad took almost as long as a 10 man, the improvement in the newer kits is significant. Happy with the results though, again I especially like the Sergeant, love the Power Fist and Combat Shield which makes him look like a formidable combatant.

Assault Squad and old molds.

Overall the quality of these molds is quite a step down from the newer 2013 Tactical kit. The newer kits are far superior on fit and do not have nearly as many mould lines to clean up. I don't remember dealing with any "flash" on the Tactical kit, just some very faint mould lines.  Even the quality of the plastic is better on the new kit, it has crisper details and the finish is more uniform and smooth.  Also, the plastic on the older Assault kits seems harder, so it's harder to file without using more pressure.

I also don't like the fit of the exhaust area of the jump packs.  The fit is just off, the side seams I just filled with Citadel Liquid Green Stuff and filed down a bit which worked great. Inside the exhaust port is a different story. I don't have the files it would take to clean those areas up. Looking around the web it seems a lot of folks don't even fill the sides of the jump packs, and just accent them instead.  I don't mind the look of the intake area lines, they look mechanical, the sides of the pack look better filled and cleaned up in my opinion.  I'm going with filling the sides and living with the ports for now.  Maybe if I had a file kit like this, I could have a go at cleaning up the very small ports on the back of the pack...for now it stays.

I'm still happy with the models once they are cleaned up and assembled.  Some pretty nice stance and gear options, I just have a hard time with the port area...it's hard to ignore.  Probably need to get to some painting before I build more.

Exhaust port seams.

Jump Pack sides filled with Liquid Green Stuff.

A Sergeant arrives!

The Sergeant is built, and I'm very happy with the end result. I went with a Chainsword and Plasma Pistol.  This Sergeant also carries a banner. I added a few extras like the scroll carrier and loincloth. This is my favorite Marine yet, no surprise. I'm glad I waited to build the Sergeant last.

Mark VI Corvus Battle Plate!

I decided to build my next Marine equipped with MK VI Corvus armor, in the past I wasn't a huge fan of the "Beak" helmet but after building this model I really dig the look of it.  I also used the alternate hand so he looks like he's getting ready to slam another full magazine in his Bolter.

Mark VI Corvus Battle Plate.

Slamming a full clip into his Bolter.

I made a small mistake on the Purity Seal on the shoulder plate, it will interfere with the Ultramarine decal that will be placed on this shoulder guard.  I'm going to have to cut it off and file it back down which shouldn't be too hard.  This is the first model that may require a bit of Liquid Green Stuff to fix some errors.

One thing I noticed that I was missing in this unit are Grenades, which are standard weapon load out for Tactical Marines.  This battle brother has both Frag and Krak grenades on hand ready to decimate foes that are closing in or behind barricades.  These things are so tiny that I lost the first on on the floor, and almost lost another which I found after getting on my hands and knees using a magnifying glass.  Going to head to the hobby shop today and pickup a hobby tweezers!

Krak grenades and a large finger!

Frag grenades.  Elbow mishap.

The elbow on this model had a small gash from getting a little "over zealous" with the clipper, this is the other spot I'll need some liquid greenstuff to fix.

And then there were four . . .

 That's it for now, tonight I build number five which when added to the others will form my first 5 man squad.  I think #5 will be wielding a Missile Launcher.

Burn the heretic!

My third tactical Marine is wielding a flamer, I also used the head sporting the special rebreather....certainly a good choice for a Space Marine bathing the unclean in holy promethium!  I wanted to be sure at least one model would have skin tones to paint even though I prefer helmets.  It will be good practice and it makes the flamer stand out, plus I like the look of it.

Battle Brothers....

So number two is put together and wow....doing a dry fit with putty along with gluing up the arms and bolter one at a time really made the whole process go much smoother. Plus, no glue smears!

Mounting arms and Boltguns...adhesive putty rocks!

Getting this phase of the marine together is giving me fits. I now realize that trying many different left and right arm combinations using adhesive putty is the key. Hopefully I can get a better fit this time.

I didn't see at first that many of the arms look identical at first glance, but there are minute differences like the angle of the wrist joint.....or maybe the angle is different where the arms meets the torso.  Time to work on my dry fit more this time around.

Adding adhesive putty to pose arms.

Full mocked up.

No clog cement trick....put to the test.

Shamelessy stole this trick from White Dwarf, but so far it has worked great.  If your cement keeps clogging, just store them sealed tightly upside down.  Supposedly even a clogged tip will clear after about a half hour upside down.  So far I've had no clogs so I figured that I would pass it along.

Must drill those gun barrels!

From day one I've always planned to drill out all gun barrels using a bit that gives the same large bore impression you see in 40K art, drilled barrels just look so much more realistic. This bore looks right to me...and it was a very tight fit.  I was waiting for the gun barrel to break any second....but it worked in the end. 

I used a 1.0mm bit for the side ports and a 1.5mm bit for main bore. I used the new Citadel drill for the job with the included bits and it worked great.  The bits seem very sharp, they dug in fast and required almost no pressure to bore a clean hole.  I did make a small pilot whole with a push pin.

First miniature built!

Short post....it's a bit late. So there he is, my first Space Marine.  My plan is to start with the more "vanilla" space marines, then move onto some of the customization options, finishing up with the Sargeant.  It was nerve wracking and already a learning experience.

Going to do all ten in this squad individually, that way I can learn from each one and apply what I learned to the next model.  Overall I'm pleased with how it turned out, I had a bit of a problem gluing the bolter and two arms in place all at the same time.  I'm sure there is a better way to do it, I think I'll post for some advice on Dakka Dakka to what other modelers do at this stage.  I ended up with a bit of plastic cement getting on the trigger hand, hopefully I'll be able to do some filing to clean it up.  So that's it for now....it will be fully cured in the morning. Hopefully I applied the plastic cement correctly so I have a strong bond.

Light....highly recommended!

Had to run to hobby lobby to get a light/magnifier. I don't know why I thought I could make it without some type of light on my work surface, I just plain could not see any of the details.  Also, I have no idea how anyone can work on these without some kind of magnification.  From what I have read online there are a lot of folks that have no need for a magnifier, I'm not one of them . . . must be my middle aged eyes.  

Made a trip to Hobby Lobby to see what they had and found a small desktop lamp/magnifier which certainly did the trick for now.  It is rather cheaply made, and I intend to pick up a higher quality unit later, but for now it is a life saver for $39.00

The Space Marines have landed!

A package arrived today from The War Store, right on time and in perfect condition, so great service on my first order.  I picked up the cutting mat at my local Hobbytown USA, it's nice and thick and should do a great job protecting tables while cutting.

Upon opening the Tactical Squad I was reminded how tiny some of the pieces can be, so yeah it's a bit daunting upon first inspection.  The are just a ton of options to consider on weapons, stances, armor, so many decisions to make.  Very cool kit though, I spent a lot of time just looking over the all the pieces in the sprues.

Upon first inspection and after a chance to see how they feel firsthand, the tools seem to be a solid kit to cover most my tool needs for a while...at least through this first squad.  The quality seems to be decent, no sloppiness in the tools and the finish looks like it will last a long time.    The Nylon "spreader" had me puzzled in the videos I saw, but after checking it out in person I think it will do a great job spreading texture paint on bases without having to muck up a brush.  I guess I'll know more about them after using them to complete this first squad.

At any rate, by the time I had time to sit down and look things over it was too late for me to start in on a project.  I did however pull off probably the most glamorous and exciting part of miniature modeling....cleaning the sprues!

I'm sure it isn't completely required, but after reading many times that the best idea is to clean your sprues to remove and manufacturing residue that may be left over I decided it was just too easy not to do.  So, I give you my first giant leap in modeling!

After a quick soak in tepid water with dish soap and a rinse followed by a towel dry, I guess they are ready to move forward.  Hoping to get something put together tomorrow night.

Behold, the Adeptus Astartes of the Ultramarines!

On the way, my first mini's and my first step towards an Ultramarine force.  The legendary Space Marine Tactical Squad.  This should be a great way to cut my teeth in the hobby with a TON of parts and options to choose from.  From the Games Workshop site . . .


"Space Marines
In order to build the Tactical Squad you get 11 torso fronts (of which 10 are unique designs); 10 different leg poses; 16 different heads (13 with helmets, 3 bare-headed); 22 shoulder pads; 10 backpacks (of which 9 are individual designs); and 10 sets of left and right arms.

Weapons
There are 10 unique boltguns, a gravgun, a meltagun, a plasma gun, a flamer, a missile launcher (including backpack and spare missiles). The squad Sergeant can be armed with a combination of power fist, power sword or chainsword, and plasma pistol, grav pistol or bolt pistol. You can also make any 1 of the following combi-bolters – combi-grav, combi-melta, combi-plasma, or combi-flamer. The squad can also be armed with a melta bomb, a selection of combat knives, and enough Frag and Krak grenades to arm each Space Marine.

Extra equipment
As if that wasn’t enough, you also get: a back banner for the squad sergeant (with the choice of 3 different banner tops); a holstered bolt pistol; targeting scopes for the boltguns; parchments and purity seals; ammo pouches; an auspex; and 3 spare hands (1 pointing, 1 holding a grenade, and 1 holding a boltgun cartridge).
The Space Marine range is designed so that all of the plastic parts can be swapped between different kits. If you want your Tactical Squad to include a Heavy Bolter rather than a missile launcher, then grab one from the Space Marine Devastator kit, or from the Sternguard Veterans and it’ll fit. This allows the opportunity for truly unique collections of miniatures.
This plastic kit contains 179 components with which to make a 10 man Space Marine Tactical Squad (and so much more!). Also included are 2 Space Marine transfer sheets with which to add Chapter iconography and squad markings."

First Purchase . . . the new Citadel Tool Range.

The Citadel Tool Range

So I finally made my first purchase into this rather expensive hobby.  Just like any job, you can't do much modeling without the proper tools.  It just so happens that as I was ready to buy my first set of tools when Games Workshop released the brand new Citadel Tool Range.  

There has been some mixed opinions I've read around the 40K forums regarding the price of these tools.  I guess I'll wait to see what I think once I get a chance to open them up check them our for myself.  After looking at a few other viable options, the price difference was negligible with the discount I got on the Citadel tools. 

So it begins . . .

As King Theoden said . . . "So it begins", as does my journey into the world of miniature modeling.  My focus will primarily be miniatures from Games Workshop's "Warhammer 40,000" universe.  As time goes on I'm sure I will branch out into other miniatures and modeling including of course Games Workshop's other series, Warhammer Fantasy minis.

After years of following the 40K lore through novels, video games, and lots of internet sources I have decided to take a stab at the core of the Warhammer 40K hobby which is assembling, painting, and gaming with Citadel Miniatures.  I have no idea what to expect in terms of difficulty and learning curves, but I will forge ahead and take my best shot. 

My main goal with this blog is for my own personal enjoyment, but this will also serve as a chronicle of my journey in the hobby.  I plan to document each phase from the very beginning...from my very first purchase all the way to the completed figures.

So here goes . . . more posts to follow!