Curis' Painted 40K: Primaris Space Marines, Rogue Trader, Orks and more!

I painted my first Primaris Space Marine! He’s Nemesis Chapter – an Ultramarines successor chapter with origins in the dark days of the Horus Heresy.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/p...r-sergeant.jpg[/url]

Sergeant Glaucon, 2nd Battle Company, 3rd Squad, Nemesis Chapter. His banner reads ΝΕΜΕΣΙΣ – “nemesis” in Greek capitals.

This Intercessor Sergeant, from Games Workshop’s Dark Imperium starter set, is largely indistinguishable from the squad he leads. Traditionally, Space Marine sergeants have a different weapon configuration (something Napoleonic like pistol and swords), bare heads and big banners to mark them out. I originally finished painting the mini, but was uneasy with how he looked alongside the rest of the squad. Only thing to distinguish him was the helmet being red.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/p...is-chapter.jpg[/url]

The eagle-eyed amongst you will also spot the checks added to his right pauldron since this photo was taken.

So I added a dirty great banner. This one is from the Space Marine Ironclad Dreadnought, which matches the swollen proportions of the 2017 Space Marine iteration. Here’s Glaucon next to some classic Space Marines with flags to show the scale creep over the last 30 years.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/p...n-primaris.jpg[/url]

Left to right: 1987 Blood Angel; 2013 Ultramarine; 2017 Nemesis Marine.

Yeah yeah, I know you’re gonna say “Marines got swole cos of Guilliman’s super-seed”, but I reject your fluff-lead view of Games Workshop’s miniatures and state flatly that Primaris is the new de facto Space Marine and is directly comparable to the other two Marines above. Nurrr.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/p...enus-close.jpg[/url]

Glaucon leading his little brothers from Ultramarines Squad Varenus.

The Dark Imperium box is overwhelming with the amount of Marines in it, and I’m going to trick myself into thinking it’s one of the smaller starter sets so I’m making better progress through the purchased model pile. Next off – the rest of the Intercessor squad!

More miniatures on my blog: [url]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk[/url]

At the start of the year me and my mates realised we were all keen on painting Titans, and March of the Titans was born – paint any Titan at any scale by the end of Mars’ month. I fancied rewinding time to 1989 when Warhound Titans first appeared in the Warhammer 40,000 universe, and painting one in the seminal War Griffons colours.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/e...-dwarf-116.jpg[/url]

The original advertisement for Codex Titanicus in White Dwarf 116.

I’ve been the proud owner of a secondhand 40K scale Armorcast Warhound Titan for years now, and it was the perfect excuse to repair and repaint him. Here it is with the previous owner’s, frankly terrifying paintjob.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/forums/a...unstripped.jpg[/url]

The Chaos Titan Sclera Morphiosa ready to stare down opponents.

Several baths in various chemicals melted away the thick paint, revealing the bare naked resin. I prised away the putty embellishments like the Chaos Star forehead and the odd groin-face, thankful that these were additions made without damaging the original model. Evenings were spent refilling casting bubbles, reshaping with car body resin, sanding and preparing the kit for a glorious War Griffons paintjob. I bought greenstuff rollers and brass wire to do some extra greebling, and planned designs for the legio’s banners.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/forums/w...-stripping.jpg[/url]

Reconsecrated for Imperial service.

Only now the March deadline was looming. And I’d never painted a kit this size before – the biggest things I’d painted recently were a couple of small Blood Angels vehicles in 2015, and vehicles are not my strongpoint. Excitement had turned to dread as the remaining timeframe meant the paintjob would have to be chronically rushed.

Fuuuuuuu…

And so I changed tack. I paused the 40K scale Titan and painted an Epic scale one in the same scheme. I could lie to you and say it was a deliberate move to practise the colour scheme and study the challenges of painting its 40K scale counterpart, and the matching weapon options back me up. But it wasn’t. It was a cop out. A tactic to avoid getting bullied by the likes of Asslessman and Rochie who had already finished their March of the Titans offerings.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/e...titan-left.jpg[/url]

Introducing Improcerus Compromissum, with Vulcan Mega-Bolter and Turbo-Laser Destructor.

I spent a while squinting at the original Wayne England illustration, trying to work out what the dappled grey pattern on the carapace was. Was it WW2 German dapple camoflague? Was it an attempt to emulate the airbrushed textures of H. R. Giger? Was it depicting a beaten metal texture as opposed to the trimming’s chrome? Was it the artist trying to give a sense of immense scale? Twitter consensus was that it was a dapple texture, so I painted and highlighted a series of blobs on the carapace. I refined the technique as I worked around the Titan – you can see the inside of the Titan’s right leg in the photo above being different to the other areas.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/e...itan-right.jpg[/url]

I’m dead chuffed with the freehand Legio Gryphonicus devices on the banner and the calf.

I interpreted the golden yellow areas as actual gold, rather than matt yellow (as Rochie has on his Legio Gryphonicus). I’m unsure if this was the right decision, and I might switch it to yellow for the Armorcast one. Yellow is much bolder than gold, and would give the Titan a much more toyriffic vibe that’s completely in keeping with the goofy anthropomorphised animal design. Let me know what you think in the comments.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/e...ce-marines.jpg[/url]

Improcerus Compromissum supported by the 2210th Imperial Navy Fighter Wing and Dark Angel Space Marines.

Check out Asslessman’s Warlord here. And you can check out Rochie’s Warlord here, which is accompanied by a Warhound from the War Gryphons just like mine.

Stay tuned to Ninjabread for the completion of the 40K scale Armorcast counterpart.

With a Strontium Dogs game on the horizon from Warlord Games, my mind is all a-flutter with 2000AD miniatures. Games Workshop had the licence in the 1980s and put out a sweet range of figures just before creating the iconic Warhammer 40,000 Rogue Trader, and this is the first release in that range – Judge Dredd himself.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/j...d-isolated.jpg[/url]

“Taking photographs of a judge on a blue fade background – that’s five years in an iso-cube, creep.”

Fascinatingly a number of 2000AD figures were recycled into the nascent Warhammer 40,000 range. Figures either had their parts cannibalised (like Traitor General‘s head reappearing as an Imperial Inquisitor’s), or were simply rereleased with new names (like Slaughter Margin “Mek” and Mega Hound becoming Imperial Assault Trooper and Robo-Dog).

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/j...ted-angles.jpg[/url]

“Rotating a judge on a blue fade background – that’s fifteen years in an iso-cube, creep.”

I went for blue and an NMM yellow on the uniform instead of black and gold to emphasise the comic book nature of Dredd. The figure was an experiment but I’m really pleased with how he turned out and will happily roll the colour scheme out to the rest of my Justice Department miniatures.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/j...udge-dredd.jpg[/url]

Dredd guarding N₂0 canisters – bet that’s a … barrel of laughs.

The chemical barrels and wooden pallets are advance castings from the excellent Fogou Models – they should feature in a Kickstarter soon. While Asslessman and axiom have taken the approach of simply drybrushing and weathering their advance castings, I’ve went utterly overboard with biohazard symbols and other freehand.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/j...ou-barrels.jpg[/url]

In the grim darkness of the far future, there is only Warhol.

As well as more judges, I fancy painting a gang of the classic 2000AD alien mercenarys – Kleggs – for a Necromunda campaign. Or Rogue Stars games. Watch this space!

This time I present Battle Brother Groma from the Crimson Fists Space Marine Chapter, and Ruin Priest Theodolitus from the Adeptus Mechanicus.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk"]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...urvey-team.jpg[/URL]

Only the strongest will surv-ey.

This pair came into being as I've already painted iconic archaeologist Indiana Jones for the project, and it's made me want some more Warhammer 40,000 excavation personel.

Theodolitus is an Adeptus Mechanicus Ruin Priest (not to be confused with the Rune Priests of the Adeptus Mechanicus or Space Wolves), specialising in archaeological investigation. You can see from his hunched back and tattered trousers Theodolitus has spent his entire career painstakingly trowelling back trenches hoping to uncover archaeotech secrets and alien artefacts from ancient times. He is a very different adherent of the Cult Mechanicus to the Techpriest Enginseers normally seen repairing machinery mid-battle; Theodolitus only works on battlefields abandoned centuries ago. Actual warfare – he wouldn't touch that with a ten foot pole.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk"]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...-team-rear.jpg[/URL]

Check out the holstered trowel added to the Ruin Priest's belt.

Theodolitus is a minor conversion of the standard RT601 Adventurers Tech-priest. I replaced his staff with brass wire, but kept the original top with its 1980s Adeptus Mechanicus wing symbol – simply flipping it backwards and adding a ball of putty painted like a survey lens. On the back of his belt I added his trusty archaeology trowel – "Trenchbane" – made from a diamond of plasticard, a length of wire and putty.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk"]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...uin-priest.jpg[/URL]

Theodolitus recording an ancient battlefield containing wreckage of an original Mars Pattern Warhound Titan.

Battle Brother Groma has been temporarily requisitioned by from the Crimson Fists chapter to serve with the Explorators of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Groma served in his chapter as a Fire Support Specialist, relaying co-ordinates the rocket strikes of the Crimson Fists' Whirlwind formations. He is equally at home operating the las-survey devices of the Adeptus Mechanicus to record their archaeological digs, though it took him time to adjust to the tedium of measuring points on a landscape without witnessing their fiery destruction seconds later.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk"]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...etails-tmp.jpg[/URL]

Groma's graffitied survey case and his freehand Crimson Fists Chapter icon.

I converted Groma from the biker-with-scanner torso from the 1980s Space Marine bike range. His legs are a mongrel of metal biker legs and RTB01 plastic legs. The tripod is plastic rod, and bits box spares.

I decided on Crimson Fists colours as it's the iconic Rogue Trader look, and it might lead in to a Battle at the Farm project later in the year. I experimented with several different blues, trying to keep him away from the Ultramarines Blue as seen on my Rogue Trader Marneus Calgar, settling on a mix of Citadel Mordian Blue, Citadel Mechanicus Standard Grey and Vallejo Royal Purple. The key to a classic Crimson Fists scheme is staying away from white and gold, and getting in a lot of crimson.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk"]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...vey-team-2.jpg[/URL]

Groma sometimes imagines Theodolitus and his ******* pole obliterated in a storm of rocket fire when he glimpses him through his sights.

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/category/blog/rogue-trader/"]More of my 40K Rogue Trader minaitures here.[/URL]

[URL="http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/"]More of my every sort of miniatures here.[/URL]

Necromunda’s just been re-rereleased, and there’s a piece of art floating around in White Dwarf and Warhammer Community that doesn’t correspond to any of the miniatures released yet, but is a lovely call back to a couple of 1980s classics.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...tte-amazon.jpg[/url]

Necromunda Mauretania makes all her decisions on the hoof.

The hoofed mad-haired Amazon in stockings is a leitmotif Games Workshop trot out occasionally – much like female miniatures. Let’s chart a quick family tree.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...e-dwarf-79.jpg[/url]

John Blanche’s Amazonia Gothique on the cover of White Dwarf 79 (July 1986).

This piece of art was made into the LE15 Kinky Chaosette miniature released a couple of months afterwards. The version on the left was a conversion by John Blanche himself, rather than a commercially available miniature. I’d love to know where the gun component came from.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...amazonians.jpg[/url]

White Dwarf 82 Amazonia Gothique miniatures (October 1986).

The Amazon with a gun concept did appear as a commercially available miniature a couple of years later, sporting a paint scheme very similar to the John Blanche conversion. She’s an Amazon, but she’s in space.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ace-amazon.jpg[/url]

RT601 Space Amazon Adventurers, White Dwarf 99 (March 1988).

This Space Amazon turns up in those exact same colours, zebra stripe, leopard spots, piebald cow blobs in the John Blanche art compilation a year later. Sto’Knor Macekiller has painted his copy to match this, right down to the polka dot neckerbow.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ace-amazon.jpg[/url]

Space Amazon by John Blanche, from Ratspike (1989).

Flashing forward to 2017, past some other possible miniature incarnations of the Amazon, and the cheeky nostalgia monkeys at Games Workshop re-relaunch Necromunda with this character popping up in the promotional art teasers.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...-amazonian.jpg[/url]

Interestingly, I think the yellow patterns on her armour are meant to evoke the shape of the shield from the original Amazonia Gothique. I hope we see a miniature based on the this concept! Until then, I have painted the Rogue Trader incarnation based on the new (and the original) artwork.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...cargo-haul.jpg[/url]

Mauretania and the Claw Nebula pirates in the Jericho Ironworks on Necromunda.

Time to collect a new Space Marine force! Crimson Fists – the Rogue Trader poster boys. These Fists are hand-picked from the 1987–1989 Imperial Space Marine ranges sculpted by Bob Naismith, Aly Morrison and Mark Copplestone. I have a real soft spot for this era of Mk6 design. There’s a certain je ne sais quoi to the early Warhammer 40,000 aesthetic that was lost when the Mk7 Jes Goodwin designs were introduced in 1990. There’s a joyful bulbousness to them that reflects the early days of Rogue Trader, before it settled down into the tightly-codified juggernaut that endures to this day.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...-iso-front.jpg[/url]
Fist in, last out – Squad Onan.

Veteran Sergeant Onan’s casting had a damaged head, and has had a new one grafted on from a Golden Heroes Supervillain. I added the bionic eye during painting to hide the incredibly long eyeball that continued round the side of his head. The banner is tomato puree foil mounted on a brass rod pole. The bladed bionic arm with its super-awkward pose is entirely original – if anyone know what he’s actually meant to be doing please leave a comment.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...n-iso-back.jpg[/url]

The backpacks and other elements were sculpted with a beautifully ham-fisted assymetry.

I’ve settled on the rule of left-hands-crimson on Battle Brothers, and both-hands-crimson on Veterans. The Heavy Bolter Marine has Veteran status to justify him wearing a Power Glove. I particularly love this model as his nonsensical wargear (that’s illegal in all future editions of Warhammer 40,000) places him firmly in Rogue Trader territory.
[size=14pt]
Freehand Fist Icons[/size]

My rendition of the Crimson Fist icon is based on the banner from the Rogue Trader cover, but I’ve experimented with simplifying the thumb/forefinger area between Marines. Since their armour designs differ so much I’m not going to revisit and amend any designs once I’ve settled on the final iteration.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...so-details.jpg[/url]

This hobby is called: The Freehand Fists Hobby.

I couldn’t resist adding the correct weaponry icons and armour graffiti too. I’ve got to add a Medic to the force simply so I can scrawl “FIST AID” on his armour. I also fancy a Marine with “FIST BUMP”. In fact I’ve got a whole list of quickfire “FIST” and “HAND” phrases ready to deploy.

[size=14pt]Crimson Fists Grand Plan[/size]

I’ve planned 1,000 points using the Whitescars army list from the Book of the Astronomican. This era of army list is the sweet spot for me. Space Marines have been rounded out from the single squad type presented in the Rogue Trader rulebook, but it’s before a lot of their iconic troop types have been dreamed up – no Terminators, no Scouts, no Rhinos, no Techmarines. On one hand they’re recognisable enough to a modern Warhammer 40,000 player, but on the other hand there’s a smattering of ideas like “Cobra squad” and “Reconnaissance squad” that have since disappeared from the background. I love this particular early incarnation of the Warhammer 40,000 universe where the concepts are still crystallising.

[size=8pt]
SQUAD ONAN

1 Marine Champion [9], Bionic Arm [30], Bionic Eye [30]
69 POINTS

3 Marines [3*8], 3 Bolt Guns [3*2] and 3 Frag Grenades [3*1]
33 POINTS

1 Marine [8], Heavy Bolter [15], Power Glove [15], Targeter [5], 2 Suspensors [2*2]
47 POINTS

Basic Equipment (all models): Bolt Pistol [1.5], Knife [0], Powered Armour [6] (with Communicator [0.5], Respirator [0.5], Auto-senses[0.5])
45 POINTS

TOTAL: 194 POINTS[/size]

The full force (17 Marines on foot and a Dreadnought) is partially based on the seminal Rogue Trader Battle at the Farm scenario (which was Pedro Cantor plus fifteen Tactical Marines), but I’ve spiced up the weapon choices for the sake of variety and model availability. Here’s the first squad defending make-shift farm barricades!

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...s-orks-mk4.jpg[/url]

Bonus Ninjabread points if you can spot where Tech-priest Theodolitus is hiding.jpg

Sho3box has very generously lent me Skabsquig’s Skallywags for these Battle at the Farm photos. You can see more of them [url=https://sho3box.com/2014/07/06/more-skabsquigs-skallywags]here[/url] and [url=https://sho3box.com/2014/06/28/skabsquigs-scallywags-mr-killgore-and-da-swabz/]here[/url].

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...rader-mk15.jpg[/url]

Crimson Fists parading their farm candy.

This terrain I’m using as the iconic Rogue Trader farm is going to launch on Kickstarter imminently from the excellent [url=https://www.fogoumodels.co.uk/]Fogou Models[/url]. Mr. Fogou sent me an advance casting in return for me taking photographs like this.

Coming soon – another Rogue Trader Crimson Fists squad and maybe a character!

More of my miniatures at: [url]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk[/url]

Man, I'm loving these, keep 'em coming!

Cheers Cactus!

*********

At BOYL (Bring out Your Lead) it’s become a community tradition to create one-off figures to celebrate the three-day extravaganza of Oldhammery painting and gaming. Here are three from 2017 painted up just in time to pick up 2018’s without any leadguilt.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...miniatures.jpg[/url]

Left to right: Helsreach Mayor, Grox Egg and Olivia Neutronbomb.

I really like event-exclusive miniatures as they’re tethered to a set of memories of friends, games, meals out, heavy drinking, stupid decisions and hangovers. Lemme explain why these three minis came to be.

[size=18pt]Olivia Neutronbomb[/size]

Olivia was the 2017 event’s commemorative figure, sculpted by John Pickford. She’s a 28mm metal incarnation of the classic 1987 Rogue Trader illustration by Martin McKenna.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...der-olivia.jpg[/url]

I painted Olivia to slot into my Rogue Trader Godbreak 84th Imperial Army. Her animal-print trousers were repainted a few times as I wrestled with various animals’ colours clashing with the Godbreak’s grey-green and black. Then I realised I needn’t be constrained by real animals in the distant alien future of Warhammer 40,000! Hence the “Greyscale Giraffe” was born in my imagination. (Geeez Curis, all that creative potential and possibility and all you come up with is a desaturated giraffe.)

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...al-army-v5.jpg[/url]

Olivia leading the Godbreak 84th, showing her head for strategy.

[size=18pt]Grox[/size]

Grox are the cattle of 41st Millennium. They appeared as an illustration in the 1987 Rogue Trader rulebook, though they’ve never had a miniature incarnation.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...rader/grox.jpg[/url]

That was until axiom commissioned John Pickford to sculpt this cheeky little hatching Grox. Why? Cos axiom was running a Grox-herding participation game and going several egg-stra miles to realise the world of grimdark ranching.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ace-cowboy.jpg[/url]

Mungo Beefhead lassoing a hatching Grox. [url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/rogue-trader-lizard-space-cowboy/]Find out more about this Space Cowboy here[/url].

I painted the egg with green spots – obviously channelling Yoshi from Super Mario. The shell fragments are cut-up plastic carton lid glued onto the base after drybrushing. I planned on making a small nest diorama with several unhatched eggs (my sculpting ability just able to cope with unhatched eggs), but I ended up doing something more ambitious…

[size=18pt]Mayor of Helsreach[/size]

Curtis at Ramshackle Games sculpted this miniature to celebrate his massive participation game at BOYL 2017, set in Helsreach – the iconic Rogue Trader townscape. This miniature is really characterful and fun to paint, and on finishing it I immediately went and jumped some other Ramshackle bits to the front of the painting queue. The game is running again at BOYL 2018, and I recommend stopping by to drink in all those square feet of his miniatures and terrain Curtis, Aidan and Danny have put together.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...o-facility.jpg[/url]

The Mayor touring the Cullentown Grox Incubation Facility. His Techpriest tour guide is regarded as the Helsreach’s leading "egghead".

The Grox incubation chamber is a cut-down cryo-stasis piece from Games Workshop’s Sector Imperialis Objectives. The transparent “glass” component needed great care to resize – the plastic is so brittle any stress on it will cause massive white cracks to shoot through the whole thing. There were a few near-misses and lots of eggs-pletives.

More of my miniatures at [url]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk[/url]

Thanks monkeytroll! I loved doing her trousers.

Thanks Insaniak!

The Crimson Fists are getting reinforcements, hand over fist. My 1980s Rogue Trader Space Marine grows with the addition of another 5-man Tactical Squad composed of vintage metal and plastic Citadel Miniatures from another era.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...-iso-front.jpg[/url]

Squad Huerta, ready to put the huert on.

To my amazement and envy, in the time taken to finish this second squad of Battle at the Farm Crimson Fists, [url=http://nico-realmsofchaos.blogspot.com/]Nico[/url] has painted every Crimson Fist for the scenario, plus he’s modelled an evocative scenic base, plus he’s painted all the Orks and – if that wasn’t enough – some Ork reinforcements. I feel like Falcon running round the park and being lapped repeatedly in Captain America: The Winter Soldier.

Freehand & Crimson Fist Icons

Again I had some fun adding freehand chapter icons and armour graffitti to the squad. “THE TRUTH HUERTS” is just punning off the Sergeant’s name. “INFINITE PLASMA” is a reference to the Battle at the Farm scenario, which Zhu points out gives the Space Marines unlimited Plasma Missiles (as they normally cost 1 point each, it technically means the Marines outclass the Orks by INFINITY POINTS).

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ta-details.jpg[/url]

I now need to paint a second Missile Launcher so I can reference Elton John’s Rocket Man.

“FOR NOW WE SEE BUT THRU A SCANNER DARKLY” on the Marine with scanner is a 1 Corinthians 13:12 / Philip K. Dick reference simply because he’s holding a scanner. “FIST OR FAMINE” is from my handy stockpile of fist-based puns. It’s a treat at the end of the painting process to choose some scrawly handwriting to give the battle-brothers an additional touch of the Rogue Trader era

Crimson Fists Grand Plan

To fit in to my planned 1,000 points (using the Whitescars army list from the Book of the Astronomican) the five Space Marines come out as:

SQUAD HUERTA

1 Marine Champion [9], Power Glove [15], Bolt Hun [2]
26 POINTS

3 Marines [3*8], 3 Bolt Guns [3*2] and 3 Frag Grenades [3*1]
33 POINTS

1 Marine [8], Missile Launcher [30], 12 Plasma Missiles [12] Targeter [5], 2 Suspensors [2*2]
59POINTS

Basic Equipment (all models): Bolt Pistol [1.5], Knife [0], Powered Armour [6] (with Communicator [0.5], Respirator [0.5], Auto-senses[0.5])
45 POINTS

TOTAL: 163 POINTS

Here are the two squads in action alongside each other, with a sneaky eleventh Citadel Miniature tucked away somewhere … can you spot it?

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...d-onan-mk5.jpg[/url]

Squads Huerta and Onan fighting in the ruins of Blas in the Gallego system.

Crimson Fists Painting Tutorial

I’ve been getting a lot of questions about how I paint Crimson Fists, so I photographed a Marine inbetween each step of the blue power armour process.

[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/p...numberless.jpg[/url]

If you want to see these steps broken down, with the techniques and theory behind them spelt out [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]the tutorial is available on Patreon[/url]. The skills you’ll learn are transferable to all colours of power armour.

Coming soon – more vintage Crimson Fists to creep the army closer to game legal.

More of my miniatures at: [url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Tutorials at: [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread/]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread/[/url]

British comics lost an icon this week with the death of Carlos Ezquerra – the creative genius behind Judge Dredd and Johnny Alpha. Carlos’s character designs and universes underpin a lot of subsequent science fiction – including Warhammer 40,000. Two years before Games Workshop gave birth to Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader, they were dabbling with science fiction miniatures such as this trio of Strontium Dog characters.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ontium-dog.jpg[/url]

Left to right: Wulf Sternhammer, Johnny Alpha, Gronk.

I’ve been painting this triumverate of bounty hunters with an eye on Warlord Games’ new Strontium Dog game. Excitingly they can also be shoehorned into modern Necromunda with the recent bounty hunter rules.

The miniatures are from Citadel’s 2000AD range produced for the 1985 Judge Dredd: The Role-Playing Game. Though technically Johnny Alpha and Judge Dredd inhabit separate universes, they have crossed over several times for reasons of awesome.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...gement-day.jpg[/url]

Johnny Alpha and Judge Dredd, Judgement Day, 2000AD #799.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...eam-up-mk3.jpg[/url]

The Rogue Trader universe borrows a lot of its overall look from Carlos Ezquerra’s artwork. The amount of time and artwork the Rogue Trader rulebook spends on the (non-Chaotic) random mutations tables is testament to Strontium Dog’s influence. There’s a lot of Strontium Dog wargear that pops up in the forty-first millennium too, such as gravchutes, stasis grenades and electro-mauls.

But wait – there’s more…

There was a mystery for almost thirty years about the miniature that appears in a single murky black-and-white photograph on page 11 of the Rogue Trader rulebook.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...er-page-11.jpg[/url]

The mystery figure, top left corner.

The figure never made it into production, appearing only in this photo. Only in 2013 did details of the figure emerge thanks to Steve Casey’s Eldritch Epistles – it was a one of several Judge Dredd figures that had been converted and cast up in-house to playtest the upcoming Rogue Trader rules before actual miniatures had been made.

It was released a couple of years later by Wargames Foundry, so people like me and Rochie can paint and play with our own copies of this odd curio.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/r...ontium-dog.jpg[/url]

Inquisitor Ezquerra and Johnny Alpha.

I plumped for white and papal purple to spin the figure as an Imperial Inquisitor. (It was tempting to paint him in green and yellow trousers, as if it’s Johnny improvising a disguise as an Imperial Inquisitor.) He’s so wee. being from 1985 when sculptors tended to 25mm scale, that I built up his base to help him keep some sense of imposing Imperial authority over the rest of the Imperium’s servants.

More vintage Crimson Fists coming soon!

More of my miniatures at: [url]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Tutorials at: [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread/[/url]

Man, that's a whole lot of sweet oldskool stuff. It's a trip down memory lane!

Thanks Meph!

Golden Demon! Games Workshop’s prestigious painting competition I’ve dreamed about winning since I was an eleven year old boy. Like the Oscars – there’s big statuettes. Like the Nobel Prize – the winners are selected by internationally respected judges. Like the Turner Prize – there’s a no contribution to the actual world of art. It’s the ultimate battleground for miniature painters. And these Sisters of Silence Prosecutors took home the bronze statuette at the Warhammer 40,000 Vigilus Open Day.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...-statuette.jpg[/url]

Silence is golden (demon).

I spent three weeks of hobby time getting these miniatures from sprue to plinth, sweeping all my ongoing projects aside to focus solely on these Sisters. The pressure of an immovable deadline and the harsh scrutiny of the judges meant I pushed myself hard to make the squad’s copper Vratine armour truly shine.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...-pizza-box.jpg[/url]

Prosecutors in early November, broken into sub-assemblies and looking intimidatingly unfinished.

The Prosecutors are each designed with one fixed pose – your only real choice is the way you point their head. Assembled out of the box, all have their Boltguns held across their chest. Reposing is a challenge, but with lot of cutting, putty and spare arms I opened up three of the poses to make the squad more action-packed.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...of-silence.jpg[/url]

Silent. But deadly.

I was itching to introduce a bit of component variety into the squad, such as a heavy weapon, or a fancypants sword for the Sister Superior, but the Index Imperium wargear options forbade it. To get the squad to (silently) scream “LOOK AT ME” I added a massive banner from Wood Elf Eternal Guard kit. The original detail has been carved off and sanded away so I could paint on my own Adeptus Astra Telepathica designs on both sides.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...er-details.jpg[/url]

“Exigua est virtus praestare silentia rebus, at contra gravis est culpa tacenda loqui.”

I wracked my brains for a phrase to freehand onto the banner. I considered Latin versions of “Enjoy the Silence” and “Hello darkness my old friend” – but tongue-in-cheekiness didn’t suit these dour space nuns. So I found two high-minded lines in Ovid’s Ars Amatoria which translate as “Slight is the merit on keeping silence on a matter, on the other hand, serious is the guilt of talking on things whereon we should be silent.” I’ll save the Depeche Mode for some goofy Rogue Trader or Blood Bowl nonsense.

Patterns in the Ivy

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...e-1-angles.jpg[/url]

The ivy on the banner was originally a [url=http://funkywenisrodeo.blogspot.com/]Captain Crooks[/url] suggestion. I used swirly ivy creepers on the breechcloths and cloak outsides, and angular ivy leafs on cloak insides. In folklore, ivy is taken into the home to ward off evil spirits much like Sisters are taken in your Imperial force to ward off evil. Aaaaand, ivy is mildly poisonous to humans, in the same way Sisters of Silence and their Pariah gene are psychically unsettling for humans to be around. I’m so happy with the symbolism of the plant that I might spin it out to the iconography of the whole Sisterhood Vigil (equivalent to a Space Marine Chapter), if I do any more. Call them “Crimson Ivy”? Mmm, no, too burlesque. “Ivy League”? Mmm, also no.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...e-2-angles.jpg[/url]

The skullrific bases are from a Shadespire warband (Magore’s Fiends) with their footholes sculpted over. To ground them in the Warhammer 40,000 universe I added a helmet from a Thousand Sons Scarab Occult Terminator.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...ce-marines.jpg[/url]

Squad Philomela supporting the Nemesis Chapter battlelines.

Patreon Painting Tutorial

Last week the Patrons of Ninjabread got access to a detailed stage-by-stage write up of the paints and techniques used to paint the copper armour.

[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/g...-by-stages.jpg[/url]

If you [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread] become a supporter today[/url] and you’ll get access to this in depth masterclass tutorial, and also the back catalogue that also covers two varieties of Space Marines power armour, and human flesh. Thanks to everyone’s that signed up to date, I’m really enjoying spending the time sharing the secrets.

Now the competition is over, and the intense focus has ended, I’m enjoying picking at preslotta odds and ends on the painting desk, toying with possible future competition entries. I need to blast through some gaming level paintjobs for a bitand get back to my Space Marine armies over the Christmas break. Watch this space!

More of my minaitures at: [url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread] https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

Thanks Salvage! You're pretty spot on there – the kit is a bit like the Tzaangor from Silver Tower that have a limited potential you have to really work through. But GW followed them up with a much more versatile kit – pray they do the same for Sisters.

Thanks youwashock. Cheers Tyranid Horde!

I love doctors. And I love Space Marines. Put them together, and you get Doctor Space Marines, dispensing healthcare and the Emperor’s justice across the battlefields of the 41st millennium.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ce-marines.jpg[/url]
Brother Herophilus on the Nemesis Chapter battlelines.

Here’s the 2017 Primaris Apothecary alongside his very own primogenitor – the very first Apothecary miniature Games Workshop produced back in 1987. Oh, how far miniature design has come in thirty years.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ce-marines.jpg[/url]

“Here child, have this necklace.”

The Primaris Apothcary is absolutely loaded with so much detail he crosses the line from miniature into micro-diorama. He stands over a fallen Battle Brother, having removed the progenoid glands, and every surface is festooned with details like cannisters, helix motifs, lenses and surgical tools. However, I have become obsessed with one detail – the mysterious skull strapped to his arse.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...rines-rear.jpg[/url]

“Dad, your bum is looking at me.”

During the long evenings of painting, I came up with my own backstory about who this skull belonged to…

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...arse-skull.jpg[/url]

“Ultracurses. Thus I die.”

The Rogue Trader Apothecary came from Rochie of Buried Under Lead. Rochie has converted and painted up this mini already – [url=http://buriedunderlead.blogspot.com/2018/06/back-again.html]you should check it out here[/url]. Thanks for the gift, Rochie!

If you’d like to learn how to paint white exactly like this, I took super-detailed stage-by-stage photos on the [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Ninjabread Patreon[/url], and have written up the method, colours and theory.

[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...n-tutorial.jpg[/url]

A twelve-step tutorial teaching twelve steps to crisp white armour.

On top of this tutorial, patrons get instant access to the whole six month back catalogue with five more masterclasses covering other colours of power armour, cloth and my Golden Demon winning piece.

I’m really keen on collecting more Apothecaries now, and am taken by the idea of one with a Crimson Fists one with a bike or jump pack with “Fist Responder” armour graffiti.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...fogou-fort.jpg[/url]

Brother Rochfort supporting the improvised Crimson Fists defences./

The sheet-metal walls you can see above are a preview casting of a Fogou Models terrain set that’s coming soon! Keep your eyes peeled!

Coming soon: even more Space Marines, old and new!

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]More miniatures at: https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Painting tutorials at: https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

It was Christmas 1987, and Games Workshop celebrated the festive season by releasing two limited edition Space Marines (or “Spaced Out Marines” as the advertising called them). I’ve painted the pair for my growing Crimson Fists force.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...itions-iso.jpg[/url]

Crimson Fists, more like … Crimson Pisseds.

These castings came thanks to @DocRods – who’s been sending me an absolute surfeit of vintage beakies and 2000AD bits. Thanks Doc! A very merry Christmas to you, more of them appearing painted very soon.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ns-details.jpg[/url]

The Battle Brothers have I FEEL FISTIVE and PUNCH DRUNK graffitied onto their armour.

The cigar-smoking Space Marine has a wisp of tobacco smoke sculpted onto his cheek, which other painters have misinterpreted as a casting worm to remove, or a facial scar to paint pink.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...s-iso-back.jpg[/url]

“Everyone! Let’s … hic… get (war)hammered!”

There are two varieties of plastic mk6. backpacks – identical except for the placement of the depressions where they attach to the Marine. One hole is so high up that when mounted on the metal Rogue Trader Space Marines it looks like it’s sliding down his back – but on this one Marine it’s perfect for the drunken dishevelled feel.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...d-editions.jpg[/url]

The Crimson Fists stagger back from the Candlemas celebrations. But who-ho-ho is lurking in the woodlands?

I’ve brought a pile of metal Space Marines away with me, so hopefully it won’t be too long before I can post up some new squads, characters and vehicles. Will 2019 be the year they can reach the critical mass of a workable army?


[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]More miniatures at: https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Painting tutorials at: https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

I normally have a cooling off period before I buy new Games Workshop releases, as every miniature is turbo-exciting on first reveal and owning all of them is impossible. But the new Genestealer Cult Locus is such an instant classic he was not only pre-ordered but jumped to the front of the painting queue.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...gles-front.jpg[/url]

The sentinel-like pose, with him resting nonchalantly on his weapon in a set of long hooded robes, is one of Citadel Miniatures’ time-honoured sculpting tropes. Chaos Dwarf Khazek Doomlord, Human Wizard Pedregar the Green and one Champion of Tzeentch have also appeared with it. There’s a cheeky little Genestealer tail poking out under the robes’ hem which tells you he’s more than human, and when you get round the back there’s a set of carapace ridges that make you wonder about what generation of Hybrid he is.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ngles-back.jpg[/url]

The shoulderpads I painted with a little Cult icon and a W so when you look at the miniature from above it spells out “CW” – my initials.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...fort-fogou.jpg[/url]

Not the actual Broodlord, but certainly the Lord of Looking Brooding.

Here he is on an advance casting of the Scrap Fort from Fogou Models, which is my ongoing major terrain project at the moment. I’ll be showing off the complete fort soon, and maybe using it as a rationale for growing the Genestealer Cult (can’t have just one Locus knocking about in such a large fort on his own).

As the Locus is 95% robes, he’s a great miniature for teaching the technique for painting cloth. The purple uses a “wet-blending” method that’s been photographed between stages from all angles and written up clearly and comprehensively, breaking down the theory, technique and colours used.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-diagrams-.jpg[/url]

8 simple steps to perfect purple cloth.

It’s my seventh instalment in the [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Patreon tutorial series[/url] that’s proved really popular. Big thanks to last month’s new patrons Craig, John, Steve, Ben, Jason, David, Toby, Jamie, Victor, Dimitrios, André, Alan, Brian, Alexander and Philipe.

The Genestealer Cult range is dripping with great models, from homages to the original Rogue Trader range (the Nexos), and new character types (like the Locus and the Kelermorph) which mean my Cult will inevitably grow. Though I might take an oldskool detour with the vintage 1980s Throned Patriarch and some Bob Olley Hybrids. Watch this space!

With Space Marine players jumping for joy that the new Primaris miniatures get jump heavy weapons, I’ve jumped at the chance to do a Rogue Trader era squad – when jump heavy weapons were also a thing.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...uad-beitia.jpg[/url]

I regret not thinking of “JUMP THE GUN” as the armour graffiti for the squaddie with Heavy Bolter.

Stamped out in Warhammer 40,000’s second edition, and now only just reappearing 26 years later – Space Marines with heavy weapons could also select jump packs in a number of ways in the various army lists. Squad Taurasi have done it here by being a Tactical Squad upgraded to “Cobra Squad” status in the 1988 Book of the Astronomican army list – and the highly mobile lad on the far right is toting a Heavy Bolter.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eitia-back.jpg[/url]

Sergeant Taurasi’s graffiti reads “I SAY JUMP” and “U SAY HOW HI”, showing she’s the lady charge.

I had a lot of fun painting checks on the jump packs, to give the squad some visual interest, and distract from the assymetrically lumpen sculpting of these vintage Marine miniatures. This design of jump pack commands a high price on the collector’s market and is frequently pirated, meaning it’s taken years of patient hunting to source five genuine castings – so they’re worth lavishing the paitning time on.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eitia-side.jpg[/url]

Sergeant Taurasi is not actually a Space Marine miniature, but “Female Warrior Jayne” from the RT601 Adventurers range, meaning this blog counts as part of the Choose Your Own Adventurers series I’ve been doing with cheet0r and axiom. Recently, cheet0r has incorporated some of the [url=https://sho3box.com/2019/01/03/choose-your-own-adventurers-17-18-19-infiltrators/]Adventurer Cyborgs into his Necron army[/url], and axiom has turned an [url=https://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.com/2018/08/cosmic-forces-beyond-all-comprehension.html]Adventurer Pilot into a Buck Rogers homage[/url] – check ‘em out!

To spin Female Warrior Jayne as a sergeant she’s received a thigh-mounted helmet with rank stripe markings, and an an Imperial Eagle command trinket (in lieu of an unaerodynamic back banner) on her jump pack.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-in-action.jpg[/url]

Squad Taurasi reinforcing the Crimson Fists battleline. Fort and towers coming soon from Fogou Models.

Squad Taurasi pushes my Crimson Fists force pleasantly closer to the initial 1000 points goal.

SQUAD
1 Marine Champion [9], Power Sword [7]
16 POINTS

1 Marine [8], Power Axe [6], Bolt Gun [2]
16 POINTS

1 Marine [8], 2 Power Gloves [2*15]
38 POINTS

1 Marine [8], Plasma Gun [5.5], Hand Flamer [2]
38 POINTS

1 Marine [8], Heavy Bolter [15], Targeter [5], 2 Suspensors [2*2]
32 POINTS

Basic Equipment (all models): Bolt Pistol [1.5], Jump Pack [2], Knife [0], Powered Armour [6] (with Communicator [0.5], Respirator [0.5], Auto-senses [0.5])
55 POINTS

TOTAL: 195 POINTS

If you’d like to learn how I paint Crimson Fists, I’ve photographed a Marine in between each step of the blue power armour process.

[url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...numberless.jpg[/url]

These steps broken down, with the techniques and theory behind them spelt out, [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]the tutorial is available on Patreon[/url]. The skills you’ll learn are transferable to all colours of power armour. The back catalogue of tutorials also covers white armour and brass armour – and will continue to expand every month.

Coming soon – some vehicles and support characters to round out this vintage Rogue Trader force. I’ve been painting a Missile Armour Dreadnought on the [url=https://www.twitch.tv/curisninjabread]twitch[/url], and also powering through the original metal Land Speeder, and collecting the glorious classic Techmarines. Stay tuned!

More of my miniatures at: [url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

The gaming table at Ninjabread HQ has a new centerpiece in the form of an absolutely giant space castle. This humungous 18″ x 18″ fortification dominates the desert landscapes of the far future – a rock solid bastion for miniature soldiers to defend. This is Fort Hardknox.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-setup-mk4.jpg[/url]

Over three hundred square inches of post-apocalyptic fortress chonk.

This giant resin kit came courtesy of Fogou Models. I got to paint and keep an advance casting of it in return for encouraging all of you to go and back its [url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1818300257/fort-hardknox-a-28mm-post-apocalyptic-fortress]incredibly succesful Kickstarter campaign[/url].

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...shot-angle.jpg[/url]

The Godbreak 84th garrison Fort Hardknox against [url=https://sho3box.com/2014/07/06/more-skabsquigs-skallywags/]Skabsquig’s Skallywags[/url].

I’ve kept the paint scheme quite neutral so I can deploy it on the table for games of Strontium Dog, Warhammer 40,000, Judge Dredd, Doctor Who, Necromunda et cetera. It perfectly suits Mad Max, Fallout, Gorkamorka and anything with a post-apocalyptic flavour.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ne-terrain.jpg[/url]

Psycho Sam claiming Fort Hardknox for the glory America.

The Psycho Sam miniature was the event exclusive from the Oldhammer USA Weekend that Grove kindly gifted me. Asslessman, Lopez and Sean have all already painted this miniature in the red white and blue of the American flag, so to out-patriot all of them I modelled mine holding an actual American flag.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...punk-front.jpg[/url]

Republicans! Sportsmanship! Books!

There’s a gallery of yet more Psycho Sams in the [url=https://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=oa.973780042703950&type=3]Oldhammer Community[/url].

[url=http://leadplague.blogspot.com/2019/03/time-to-set-scene-fogou-fort.html]Asslessman[/url], [url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.com/2019/02/theres-scrap-fort-in-badlands.html]axiom[/url] and [url=https://sho3box.com/2019/03/23/fort-hardknox/]cheetor[/url] have all painted their own advance castings of Hardknox. The four of us have been comparing notes, swapping photos and bickering about whose painting approach is the best for months now. There’s talk of us combining our forts into one truly giant structure that would be big enough for the smallest of us (cheetor) to sleep inside.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ox-by-doti.jpg[/url]

Fort Hardknox painting by Doti of [url=https://www.facebook.com/katsinaminiatures]Katsina Miniatures[/url].

And finally, don’t forget to check out the [url=https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1818300257/fort-hardknox-a-28mm-post-apocalyptic-fortress]Fogou Kickstarter[/url], ending today!

More of my miniatures at: [url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

It was competition time again over at the Oldhammer Community. The friendly neighbourhood Jeany-Bap-Baps challenged hobbyists to paint miniatures sculpted by the great Bob Olley, and have them judged by the Lord our Bob himself. I couldn’t resist, and so I created this mini-diorama.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-patriarch.jpg[/url]

"Yeah! Smash the patriarch-y!"

Bob Olley was one of the key contibutors to the nascent Warhammer 40,000 range, and he sculpted a huge portion of the Squat range that I’ve loved collecting, painting and gaming with through the years.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...der-squats.jpg[/url]

Olley-days are coming. Olley-days are coming. Olley-days are coming.

The Squat Berserker isn’t actually one of those original Rogue Trader miniatures, but a hyper-limited edition that Bob sculpted for a tiny indie manufacturer that’s since disappeared. I was hoping its extreme rarity would mean everyone who saw my painted casting would HAVE THEIR MINDS BLOWN with the novelty.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-berserker.jpg[/url]

The original concept art for the Fantastic Miniatures limited edition.

Only not. The first bloke I showed mine to simply said, “Yeah whatevs, looks like the one I did.” Screw you, Paul. Screw. You.

Not only that, but turns out his blogpost features loads of other cool indie manufacturers’ Squat miniatures that he also painted before I did mine. Sho3box is exactly the kind of person that turns up to cool parties wearing the same Decepticon logo shirt as you. And with the girl you were hoping to ask out already on his arm.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...erslayer13.jpg[/url]

A sample of sho3box’s trailblazing indie Space Dwarf collection.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...riumverate.jpg[/url]

Rogue Trader Squat Cyber-Slayer and some Mantic Forge Father bitsCuris’s woefully derivative imitation collection.

So I had to push further to ensure novelty, and modelled the Slayer standing over another Olley sculpt – an original Citadel Miniatures Genestealer Patriarch. I sawed that huge lead torso diagonally in half, and chopped apart and resculpted the limbs until I was satisfied the Patriarch was looking sufficiently collapsed, defeated, and bleeding out into the cold metal grille of the base.

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...high-angle.jpg[/url]

The Patriarch’s tounge lolling out of his head helps sell the, “Argh! Thus I die!” vibe.

It’s also the second Genestealer model I’ve painted recently, the first being a Locus for a wet-blended purple cloth tutorial for Patreon supporters. Check it out here!

[url='https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...action-mk3.jpg[/url]

Squats from the Furnace Valley Brotherhood coming together to battle the Genestealer menace.

Over forty people made it to the finishing line in the Oldhammer Community‘s Olley competition, and we wait with baited breath to see who Bob judges the best. (If it’s sho3box, I’ll explode.)

More of my miniatures at: [url]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

Thanks Krastellian!

Space Marine Chapter founders love a good animal name. Mythical beasts of terror (Howling Griffons, Minotaurs, Silver Drakes…), apex predators (Space Wolves, Celestial Lions, White Panthers…), birds of prey (Hawk Lords, Necropolis Hawks, Raven Guard…), venomous reptiles (Iron Snakes, Viper Legion, Salamanders…). But I’ve just painted these Deathwatch, the Chapter named after tiny insects that burrow into your wooden furniture.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...banner-iso.jpg[/url]

Deathwatch Aggressors on secondment from (left-to-right): Emperor’s Reckoners, Ultramarines and Imperial Fists.

They’ve come to destroy the xeno-filth of the galaxy just like the beetles destroy your antique furniture. I suppose they’re not the only Space Marine chapter named after insects – there’s Mantis Warriors. But Mantises are cool insects that do decapitation and look like samurai. Maybe my problem with the Deathwatch name is just me, growing up binging on episodes of Antiques Roadshow and Lovejoy, and Joe Public just thinks it’s kewl as it starts with “Death” and death is kewl.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...erse-angle.jpg[/url]

Other Space Marine Chapters named after insects: Emperor’s Caterpillers, Ladybird Legion and the Astral Lice.

The Primaris Aggressors’ poses are entirely fixed, so the closest thing you get to choice is slicing the tag off the heads so you slightly twist them, though not too much as they’ll just end up staring at the inside of their armoured hoods. Fixed poses aren’t a bad thing, if they’re dramatic, but all three are “video game character selection screen” poses. It would have been cool to them pointing their guns not at the ground, and have the Sergeant pointing dramatically. But attempting any of that requires a filthy amount of modelling work, re-engineering all the pipes and ammo feeds.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-close-ups.jpg[/url]

Detail close ups.

So, with no reposing potential, I stamped these Deathwatch as “mine” with a big freehand banner on the Sergeant. It’s taken from the Ironclad Dreadnought kit – just like my Nemesis Chapter Intercessor Sergeant. The design is a combination of the Deathwatch and Ultramarines chapter icons, bordered with black and white checks. I was super-keen to get Ultramarines icongraphy front and centre since both the Sergeant’s shoulder pads are taken up with sculpted details.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eant-fogou.jpg[/url]

Sergeant Amorgaudium leading his squad aboard the Eye of Kea.

I picked out the Deathwatch skull in red with a white stripe (along with the skulls on the fist, leg and shoulder), echoing the Codex Astartes veteran sergeant helmet markings. He’s named Amorgaudium as it’s High Gothic for Lovejoy – a rascally antiques dealer who understands how terrifying Deathwatch Beetles are.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...harp-black.jpg[/url]

The six steps to crisp black power armour.

I’ve photographed and written up a [url= [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread][/url] masterclass tutorial[/url] with all the steps, paint mixes and theory for the black on these Deathwatch. If you’d like access, it’s over on the [url= [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Ninjabread[/url] Patreon page[/url], along with over a dozen other masterclasses.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...hapter-mk4.jpg[/url]

Deathwatch supporting battle-brothers from the Nemesis Chapter.

The squad’s now ready to join my Nemesis Chapter army as an Auxiliary Support Detachment. What next for the army? Maybe some Troops, maybe some HQ, (Death)watch this space!

More of my miniatures at: [url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url= https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

Buenos dias, Ninjabread readers. Today my Mexican-flavoured vintage Space Marine army gets some Adeptus Mechanicus reinforcements. An “Adeptus Mexicanicus”, if you will.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ion-beamer.jpg[/url]

I’m gonna paint all my Techmarines with that big blue hand symbol so they can rub banners with each other while solemnly chanting “high five” in High Gothic.

This Marine is one of the vintage Mark Copplestone designs, wearing a modified suit of Mk 6 power armour – instantly recognisable from its chest cabling and beaked helmet. What makes the Copplestone Techmarines really stand out is the wealth of bonus tech details – the toolbox, the magnifying lenses, the drillbit and equipment mounted on the belt. They’re a joy to paint.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eamer-side.jpg[/url]

“A day like today is not a day for soundbites, we can leave those at home, but I feel the hand of history upon our shoulder with respect to this, I really do.”

The gnarly witch hand sculpted onto the right shoulder is the original symbol of the Adeptus Mechanicus, before it changed to the skull cog of today.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eamer-back.jpg[/url]

Check out the standard Mk 6 backpack, before Techmarines started on their journey to becoming grimdark Doctor Octopuses festooned in servo-arms and mechadendrites.

Back in the olden days, Techmarines were just basic lads with a bolt pistol, who you had to field one for each vehicle or support weapon in your army. Over the years they’ve grown in stature and are now mighty HQ choices striding around the battlefield with an exotic array of wargear and special rules. So that I can field this miniature in modern games of 8th edition Warhammer 40,000 and still have it backwards compatible for Rogue Trader, I modelled his modern wargear as a separate little drone.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...beamer-wip.jpg[/url]

Three more of the planned 36 Techmarines this army will feature.

The drone’s chassis started life as an upside-down 6mm Epic-scale Land Raider with the smoke launchers and sponsons sliced away. The weapon is the business end of the standard Rogue Trader Imperial Conversion Beamer, mounted on the much meatier body of a Eldar D-Cannon.

To descale it, I added big chunky rivets made from sliced down plastic tubing, and a big fat radio-control antenna with a pennant with the classic Beamer identification symbol.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...mson-fists.jpg[/url]

Crimson Fists Techmarine happy to see action. “Positively beaming”, you could say.

In games of Warhammer 40,000 he’s been great at zapping enemies, but has yet to unlock his full potential as the army has precisely zero vehicles for him to repair. But I plan to remedy that soon with some solid lead Dreadnoughts, Landspeeders and support weapons!

Ninjabread communication complete!

More of my miniatures at: [url]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

I ni ce Ninjabread readers. Fogou Models recently sent me advanced castings of their brand new mud hut range, on the condition I sent them back painted photographs for their Kickstarter. And now I have an entire mud hut village to play games over.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/f...w-shot-mk1.jpg

[/url]

Dogon Princess Aminata looks upon her kingdom at dawn, preparing to break into a soulful power ballad.

I imagined my buildings as a Dogon village at the time of the Arab Conquest, as that’s the period I want to game in. But I kept the paint scheme neutral so that with a tactical choice of accessories I can pass the buildings off as coming from the Pre-Pottery Neolithic B era, the Tunisian campaign in World War 2 and ANY POINT IN THE INTERVENING TEN-THOUSAND YEARS OF HUMAN HISTORY.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/f...ier-1-1200.jpg

[/url]

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/f...ier-2-1200.jpg

[/url]

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/f...ier-3-1200.jpg

[/url]

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/f...ier-5-1200.jpg

[/url]

If the giddying versatility of mud huts through history is simply not enough for you, the buildings can slip into a similarly vast array of fantasy and sci-fi wargame settings. Oldhammer peers axiom and asslessman both science-fictioned up their advance castings with all sorts of greebles transgressing the historical wargamer’s sensibilities. Rather than stare on enviously, I asked Fogou nicely for another hut that I could spin as a Space Ork adobe.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/fogou/s...ou-village.jpg

[/url]

Morkus Masher atop his workshop, preparing to break into a soulful power ballad.

I had so much fun painting these buildings that even though I’ve blasted through a whole village I’m keen to do more. Maybe fill a whole 6×4′ table and play big games of Warhammer 40,000 Cityfight but in an Ork city rather than the bog standard Imperial one.

The thing that doesn’t come across in these photos is how the kits are designed to be painted super quickly. Assembly is minimal, and they’re moulded in yellow resin that you can drybrush without having to prime or basecoat. You could paint up a whole Dogon village so quickly I begged and begged and begged Fogou to call the project…

Thanks to Fogou for all the buildings! Check out the Kickstarter, which ends this week. K’an bεn!

More of my miniatures at: [url]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

Cheers Zahnib! The texture is cast onto the huts, they come like that.

More Nemesis coming soon...

It’s Bob Naismith Challenge Time on the Oldhammer Community. Painters the world over are working on pieces from the grandmaster’s extensive back catalogue of gems, to be judged by the Lord Bob Almighty himself. Bob was so prolific in the 1980s (and still is today) that my shortlist of entries was 38 ideas, and one mini that bubbled to the surface was the Traitor General.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...eral-front.jpg[/url]

Citadel 2000AD Rogue Trooper Traitor General

The Traitor General is the central antagonist in 2000AD’s Rogue Trooper strip – a treacherous military commander being hunted by the eponymous Rogue Trooper.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...or-general.png[/url]

“Natseon natseon yeojaui natseon hyannggue! Yes I want some new face!”

The Citadel Miniature is a great likeness of the comic art, burnt face and all. Bob’s sculpted him with a blinded swollen eye, permanent snarl from soft tissue damage to the lips, and the ultimate signaller of evil – a bald head.

I have modified the miniature – filing away the original scupted detail of the burnt scalp, which I feared would look like a hairpiece rather than damaged skin.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...ral-angles.jpg[/url]

I added a little Souther symbol to the air tank.

The miniature came courtesy of Jason Fulford, who’s already painted a copy and has been a great help pointing me at reference material and inspiration for the colours. A lot of Citadel’s 2000AD range never appeared painted in the official publications, and the comics were in black and white so colour choices took some research. Thanks, Jason!

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...h-da-squad.jpg[/url]

All the 2000AD miniatures I’ve painted as an adult. More on Johnny Alpha and friends here.

There’s still loads of time to get your own entry into the competition, just head over to the Oldhammer Community for full details.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...z-zone-mk4.jpg[/url]

The Traitor General in the Quartz Zone.

But this one miniature isn’t my complete entry to the competition. Coming soon… more Naismithery!

More of my miniatures at: [url]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]

This March I am proud to present an Ultramarines combat squad deliberately contrived to conjure up a very particular point in time – November 1990. It’s March for Macragge.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...enus-front.jpg[/url]

Tactical Squad Rhenus. Their presence remakes the past.

In November 1990 Space Marine design saw a step change with the release of the RTB15 Strike Force boxed set. The new age of Warhammer 40,000 was ushered in with these brand new metal-plastic hybrid Marines.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...henus-left.jpg[/url]

Sergeant Rhenus’s left shoulder pad omits the red skull marking of the Sergeant, as it wasn’t established until circa 1994.

It was the transition point from mk6 power armour to mk7 power armour. It was the transition from one-piece metal castings to metal torsos with plastic arms and accessories. It was the transition from Bob Naismith, Aly Morrison and Mark Copplestone designing Space Marines to Jes Goodwin.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...enus-right.jpg[/url]

A lot of people assume the bare-headed Sergeant is a conversion. But he’s actually an obscure variant of the Strike Force torso that didn’t appear in the original boxed set or any of the catalogues at time of release, though he was available in some blisters.

There are two versions of each of the Strike Force torsos – the earlier verion had rounded shoulders which made them backwards compatible with the RTB01 plastic arms, and the later version had the shoulders flattened off to fit with the 1991 redesigned arm sprue. The 1990 arm sprue from the Strike Force box was curiously discontinued – if you know why, please enlighten me in the comments.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...o-redesign.jpg[/url]

Original torso designs with the RTB01 arms on the left, and the later redesign with the 1991 redesigned arms on the right.

The 1990s would go on to see the mk7 range fully rounded out with more torso designs, special and heavy weapons, jump packs, and all new accessory sprues. But in November 1990 if you wanted any of that for your mk7 marines you had to use the old mk6 pieces – which is what I’ve done on this squad. The Sergeant’s powerfist and weeny bolt pistol, the rocket launcher, various ammo packs and binox are all pilfered from the RTB01 kit.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...henus-back.jpg[/url]

Okay, I admit the back banner is an anachronism, coming from the 1999 Veterans blister, topped off with an icon from a spare Marneus Calgar. But I like sculpted banners more than paper affairs.

The RTB01 rocket launcher (below left) requires a bit of fiddly modelling to get it to work on a Strike Force torso – the arm toting it is a combination of the original RTB01 arm with a Strike Force shoulder pad, and some putty for the wrist armour.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...-launchers.jpg[/url]

“Ahhhh, so that’s why I’ve been stuck with the snidey Space Crusade affair.”

The Ultramarines project means I’m painting three blue Space Marine armies concurrently. I’d be nice to have the three projects more visually distinct, but I’ve got strong emotional reasons for each scheme individually so I will just have to live with a big jumble of blue in the display cabinet. It’s like that Eiffel 65 song. Da Ba Dee. Da Ba Daa.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...comparison.jpg[/url]

Left to right: Crimson Fist, Ultramarine, Nemesis Chapter

I’m bursting with ideas for other Ultramarines squads, and while I’m not going to collect the entire Chapter there are 99 other squads to explore with 1990s-themed collecting and modelling ideas.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...n-shot-mk6.jpg[/url]

Squad Rhenus looking as cowabungily rad as my collection of POGS.

This squad makes me feel as nostalgically 1990s my other hobby – standing outside derelict Global Video stores.

[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk/images/...obal-video.jpg[/url]

I beat on the windows and tearily demand “True Lies” on VHS.

I’m putting together a full tutorial for Ultramarines power armour which will publish soon. If you head over to the Patreon, there’s already a wealth of tutorials for how to paint [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Blood Angels[/url], [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Crimson Fists[/url], [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Nemesis Chapter[/url], an [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Apothecary[/url], [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]Deathwatch[/url], [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]gold power armour[/url] and [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]battered yellow armour[/url], as well as lots of [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]skin recipes[/url] and special freehand walkthroughs.

Coming soon, more blue Space Marines. Ninjabread out!

More miniatures at:[url=https://www.ninjabread.co.uk]https://www.ninjabread.co.uk[/url]
Painting tutorials at: [url=https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread]https://www.patreon.com/ninjabread[/url]