Sentinel Stand In 2

Work continues on this protoype. I have added a tail and fin and tried a 1st attempt at some proper legs...

At first I liked it but it soon became obvious that the rotors would have to be lengthened in order to maintain a consistent look. So I scrapped the legs (damn...) and went with this instead:

I scrounged a landing foot from my Valkyrie kit and it seems to be the winner. I like it most because it helps maintain a nice, compact look...which is what I wanted from the start.

This does not complete my work, I am still considering how to address the rotors. I am looking to straighten them out a bit or maybe build new ones from scratch.

Please feel free to comment and leave thoughts, your feedback is much appreciated.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Opinion Needed - Sentinel Stand In

I have done some more work on my "counts as" Sentinels. It is a mutation of Deffkopta and Sentinel parts. Because of the shape, I have un-officially dubbed it the Scorpian.

Obviously, this is very much a work-in-progress. Feel free to offer suggestions or criticisms. The design isn't written in stone so I can always make adjustments to the prototype.

I am interested to read your feedback.

The wars goes on,
Hessler

Hardened Veterans & More...

I finished 5 of my first 10-man Vet squad. The next five will have some helmets without camo to offer some variety in the look of the unit. I want these guys to look like they are allowed to fine tune their uniforms to their own tastes.

I have started some work on the squads Chimera, as well. I wanted to go open topped, with a canopy of some sort. This variant is designed to be more of a fast attack transport than an AFV. I'm not sure about the wire "supports", I'm still considering something a little more substantial...maybe some lengths of sprue(?)...not sure.

The multi-laser has been converted to an automated turret that responds to the HUD of the driver.

Finally, I was inspired by the Sentinel stand-in that a fellow blogger did HERE. Although I tried his method, it wasn't enough for me so I am revamping the concept and have started clean with the cockpit/engine.

I will be using some of the frame from the AoBR Def Kopta but it will be scaled down and cleaned up a little. I am still deciding between a gyrocopter design or a helicopter deisgn, the main difference being the tail rotor.

More pics to come. C&C is welcomed and appreciated.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Hardened Veterans 01

Well it was great taking some time off and I hope everyone had a blessed Christmas. I painted up the first of a 10-man Vet squad; the 1st of 3 such squads I will be painting over the next months.

This veteran trooper, armed with a shotgun, is wearing a camo pattern from the Boadasil Campaign. Like all Sadoukadi veterans, has has adapted his camo to reflect the particular foliage and season of the battle. In this case it was late autumn during the battle for the Salinese Valley, just outside of the capital city of New Carson.

It was there that elements of Battlegroup Hessler, under the command of Col. Stephen Hessler, first clashed with the forces of Chaos. Using an elite, handpicked force of veterans and mechanized troops, Hessler brought the Emperor's wrath to the dogs of Chaos in what would turn out to be the first of many bloody, hard fought battles.

Anyways...hope you like. More to come as I continue to re-connect with my paintbrushes.

The war goes on,
Hessler

I Went Down To The Crossroads...

I have come to a rather unpleasant crossroad, in regards to my Guard forces. From time to time I will look through an image archive I maintain for some painting inspiration. Today, as I was looking, I came upon and old painting commission I did for someone. The color scheme was meant to capture the look of Steel Legion, only the models were Cadian. Here's an example...

As I happily reminisced, my thoughts turned to my current troops project and my heart dropped. Bottom line...I don't like them. They have become overwhelmingly boring and it has been taking way too long to get even a squad completed. I suppose I brought it on my self, deciding to trim off ALL the shoulder pads and going with a certain direction with other details, like different heads that are metal (details are less defined) and trying to achieve a specific effect with some of the painting.

I am wondering whether I am simply bored with this color scheme, or if I am bored with painting all together. I had an idea is to start a different army for a spell but that doesn't sit well with me because I don't like to leave something unfinished.

And that's were I am right now. I am 80% done with my 2nd squad of troops and I still have the Command squad to finish. I don't really force myself to finish a painting project, but today I noticed I was becoming sloppy with the paint in an effort to get these done. I was trying to rush the process and it annoyed the hell out of me.

I will be taking a few weeks(maybe a whole month) off from painting to clear my head and get a better idea about what I will work on as I move forward. Ultimately, I want to be able to complete a project that I can set on the table and be happy to just look at it and know I did a good job. Maybe I will swicth between 2 different armies, possibly breaking things down into small, achievable pieces. Hmmm, not sure.

Has anyone out there ever come across this before? How do you deal with it? Should I go ahead and finish what I started before moving on? I am interested to know people's opinions.

The war goes on,
Hessler

The IG Laboratory Bubbles To Life...

I have to admit it, lately I have been in more of a building mode than painting mode. Although I did get my 2nd squad primed, I was drawn back to the creativity of the workshop. I must confess, I really love the hobby aspect of this obsession of mine. So here is my latest creation...

These are 97% Pig Iron, bodies are the Ferals and the heads are the Kolony Militia with covered helmets. For the sake of something "official", I transplanted some DKoK lasgun barrels onto the ends of their weapons...I never really liked the Pig Iron weapons so there you go. In case anyone is wondering, I did try some Cadian heads on these and they were too big.

To me, these models scream Veterans with camo cloaks. I picture them as the vanguard of a Death World unit, infiltrating hazardous terrain and environments while looking for any and all targets of opportunity.

I think I will go with a Vietnam style camo/color palette. I might try my hand at some water effects to add that "I've spent the last 30 days in the rainy jungle" look. Here's a close up...

Also, just for kicks and giggles, I thew together a few more officers...

This one will either serve as my Platoon Commander or possibly as a Sgt. for a Vet squad. He just has that "veteran" look about him.

I've never had cause to build this "classic" greatcoat officer so I made one, just so I can say I did. He needs something more...just not sure what.

I raided a few different kits for this Vox Operator. He will serve well, whether at the Platoon level...or higher.

Guess that's it for now. Cheers to my fellow bloggers across the pond and Happy Thanksgiving to my fellow Americans. Here's to turkey and more turkey.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Drop Troops Test Mini

Assembly on my 2nd squad of troops is finished and I have completed the test mini for my new drop troops. Here's a pic to get things going...

I have used Pig Iron Heads, but gone with a lesser used style...they all have a bulkier helmet with mouth pieces. The grav-chutes are from Hasslefree. Legs, torso, and arms are Tau and the Las Carbine is a modified Catachan weapon.

I went with Tau components for several reasons. They suggest a slighter physical build than the Cadian models; this fits in perfectly with the fluff for this unit. The poses seem to convey a sense of alert, which is how one would be when dropping through the sky into the middle of a battlefield. The leg and shoulder "pads" represent a lighter version of flak armor, something that airborne/drop troops would favor.

I did some minor surgery on the Tau scanner and added some wire to make it more Imperial...at the very least, less Tau.

And, as an added bonus on this fabulous Friday the 13th, I received 3 Cadian Command Squad kits. These will be put through some serious paces this weekend...I intend to finish my infantry platoon and possibly start to work on some other unfinished elements of my army, namely more tanks.

That's it for now, everyone have a smashing weekend.

The war goes on,
Hessler