From MikeF - Alpha Legion Xiphon Interceptor and some Bonereapers for AOS - 50 points

 My final post for this challenge is the crowning jewel of my Alpha Legion, the Xiphon Interceptor from Forgeworld. The last Horus Heresy game I played was with GregB's excellent Space Wolves against Dallas' Iron Warriors. Both brought our their Storm Eagles and Greg's in particular performed well from what I remember. I thought it would be fun to get something that could shoot them down by turn 2. Fun for me, not necessarily Greg. The Xiphon is an air superiority fighter with 4 lascannons and a rotary missile launcher in the underside. In the fluff, it was an extremely hard plane to control, so only a space marine could operate it. It even has a space marine pilot! 

I wanted to show off the cockpit and pilot, but thought the clear glass canopy wasn't very interesting. I liked the effect some people online got using clear paints on their canopies and decided to give it a try. I picked up some clear green enamel paint and painted the underside of the canopy. It didn't go on all that smooth and I thought I pooched the whole thing by adding too many coats, but when the canopy was placed onto the model it magically looks flawless. I included a picture of the painted cockpit to prove that I put effort into something that no one will ever see. 

For points I score it at 25 points as it's a fairly large 28mm model and I'm requesting sympathy points for the cockpit fiasco.

At the start of the challenge I mentioned completing some Ossiarch Bonereapers for Age of Sigmar. That plan didn't really pan out, but I did manage to paint up a few Mortek Guard today. I used contrast paint for the bones and conventional paints for the armor. Maybe the Bonereapers will feature more heavily next challenge!

For points that's 5 x 28mm models for 25 points!

Many thanks to Curt and the Minions for their work during this challenge. This has been my most successful year of the challenge and I'm very happy with my production these last few months. I'm most satisfied with the Alpha Legion vehicles as their disassembled grey resin components were a constant source of shame. Best of luck to everyone as we enter spring and hopefully we can return to gaming soon.

Take care,

MikeF

From MikeF - Alpha Legion Heavy Weapons - 35 points

 I've been racing to complete my final few entries and managed to get a few things done before the final mad dash to the finish line. I've completed a Rapier Laser Destroyer for the Alpha Legion. This is basically a small tractor unit with an enormously powerful gun mounted on it. It's crewed by a space marine operator and spotter. I guess the spotter just points out things he wants to die and the operator obliges. The second group of models are Alpha Legion Heavy Weapon dudes armed with missile launchers. This group of 4 rounds out a 6-man squad I inherited from GregB prior to his move to Toronto, making a full squad of 10. It's a horrifying number of points, but that's the nature of the Horus Heresy. If it's worth doing, then it's worth overdoing.

For points I score it at 10 points for the Rapier and 5 points for each based figure for a total of 35 points.

Thanks for visiting

From MikeF - The Altar of the Snowlord - Alpha Legion Glaive Superheavy Tank - 50 points

 For my offering to the Snowlord's Altar I was tasked with completing a super-heavy vehicle for my 30k Alpha Legion. By strange coincidence I had one sitting around! The Glaive is one of the many super-heavy tanks operated by the Space Marine Legions during the Great Crusade and Horus Heresy. In the fluff it was designed to fight the various alien empires that mankind sought to...make safe. It's armed with a Volkite Carronade or "Giant Laser Thingy." The chosen legion to operate it are the stealthy and deceptive Alpha Legion! It's true that a super-heavy tank doesn't really fit with the stealthy nature of the Alpha Legion, but that's exactly what they want you to think...or is it? So much mystery!

The tank took a few pots of sotek green to cover, but it came out well I think. The decals are Forgeworld as are the special Alpha Legion doors. For the carronade I attempted to paint the burnt metal effect that seems popular for heat based weapons. It's made by painting bands of seraphim sepia, druchii violet and drakenhof nightshade and blended together. It took several attempts to get it to where I was satisfied. I'd say the result is ok considering it's done with a brush. I can see where an airbrush would shine at this sort of thing. The effect itself is actually a bit curious. Painters like to add it to jet exhaust nozzles as well, but when you actually look at pictures of real jet engines, this dramatic blueing of the metal doesn't seem to be a thing. It sometimes occurs at the end of a blowtorch and when it does appear on an engine exhaust system it actually appears further up the system near the engine where it's the hottest and not at the nozzle. I'm not saying it never happens, but it seems to be extremely rare. Maybe it's more common in combat operations when the components aren't maintain to the same standard. If anyone has real world experience/knowledge with this affect on metal, I'd welcome your input.

For points I scored it as a 54mm vehicle because it's absolutely huge, so 30 points, plus 20 points for completing the challenge.

There are only about two weeks left in the challenge and I'm hoping to complete one final vehicle for the Alpha Legion.

Thanks for visiting

From MikeF - 30k Alpha Legion Vehicles for the Hydra! (70 points)

 I haven't posted in a while, but I haven't been idle. Curt asked me to complete a superheavy vehicle for my 30k Alpha Legion and I've been working away at it for the past month. Alongside the big vehicle, I also completed 3 smaller (and not so small) vehicles for the Alpha Legion. These include a Rhino, Predator and Land Raider Proteus. The Predator is heavily converted and includes bits from Ebay company Blood & Skulls Industry. They produce great resin parts for GW models to give them a nice 30k feel. The turret, weapons and side sponsons are all from B&S's and all the parts have pre-drilled holes for magnets. The resin parts need some cleanup and heat bending, but no more than Forgeworld parts. I wouldn't consider it a "cheap" alternative to Forgeworld, unless you had some spare Rhino's or land raiders kicking around.

Hopefully next week I'll have the superheavy completed for the Altar.

The front plate is from the original Predator model. The sponsons are attached to the hull with magnets

Executioner Plasma Gun

Mega-Melta Cannon

Camo netting at the rear for the sneaky Alpha Legion

This was originally the armored proteus model with smaller side doors. I wanted to keep the big doors so I used the sponson from the Storm Raven gunship model.

Thanks for visiting
 

Nice painting. Oh, and "Hail, Hydra!", errrrmmm, wrong franchise! Forget what I just said.

I've scored the three as 28mm vehicles and added a few points for the biggie and a few more for the conversion work.

Tamsin

From GregB - More Epic 30k (85 points)

In the grim darkness of the far future, we've got any size of equipment you might need for your war...

Well the end of this edition of the Challenge is in sight.  The countdown clock has been posted. Time to look at the huge pile of stuff I hoped to paint and realize that only some of it will be finished before the zero-hour arrives next week.  That means I have to focus, something I'm terrible at, but there are some external drivers helping me along.  One is that our group is hosting an Epic 30k demonstration game at a local hobby event here on the weekend, so it is a good time to get some stuff done for use on the table.  A further motivator along that line of thinking is that JamieM is once again tossing last minute sandbags in our 30k painting duel!

So with that motivation, I decided to continue on the painting path from last week - more Epic 30k stuff!  This week my submission covers almost every size available to that "scale" of game, running the gamut from foot sloggers to another pair of towering Titans!

Alpha Legion tactical marines - while my 6mm freehand is not quite as sharp as Byron's, I managed to get some markings on to most of the shoulders and vehicles!

We'll start with the smallest ones first - this is a Space Marine tactical detachment from the Alpha Legion.  During this edition of the Challenge I started painting a new force of Alpha Legion troops for my 28mm-sized forces, and I have enjoyed the colours and the backstory of that particular Legion so much I thought it would be great to have them for Epic as well. 

Command troopers in the (blurry) front

Alpha Legion motor pool - a pair of Rhino APCs, each capable of carrying two stands of infantry

 

Two more APCs, along with a command variant in the left of the photo

 The tactical detachment is the basic building block for any Epic Space Marine force, so I thought it would be a good element to paint first.  There are 40 little marines here, as well as transport for them - four Rhino APCs.  There is also a command-variant Rhino to provide some command & control assistance and serve as a ride for the command figures which I hope to paint further down the road.

Moving up in the size department we have a group of four Knights.  The 30k/40k setting does not lack for large walking things with guns, and the Knights have their place on the spectrum of those vehicles.  As you can see, they loom over the infantry, but pale in size compared to the Titans, so they are on the smaller-end of the walking-terror-scale of the dark future.

Four Knights - walkers with a nice assortment of weapons to choose from

Knights are organized into semi-feudal households, with a backstory that is too lame to even try to explain.  The bottom line is that, as with the rest of the Imperium, the Knight households divided during the Horus Heresy, with some embracing hope and change with the Warmaster, and others sticking with the so-called "Emperor".

"Paladin" variant on the left, "Errant" variant on the right

I had no specific Knight household in mind, just wanted some different colours from my first bunch, so they could be opponents on the table

Even though they are "small" (you know, relatively), Knights still provide a big punch on the table, forming an extremely mobile and versatile force that hits pretty hard.  While GW has made these available as models in 28mm scale (and it is one of the nicest new kits GW has ever issued, just beautiful) the Epic setting provides the room, scope and proper context required for these things to really be fun on the table.  There is an astonishing variety of weapons assortments, and whatever you choose, these things will have a good time stalking around, terrorizing enemy tanks and infantry.  But they will have to watch out, because in the grim darkness of the far future, there is always something bigger...

And that would include the Titans!  I painted two more to add to the group from last week (see that post for explanations on the colours and Legions involved).  To maintain rough strategic parity in my Epic 30k collection, there is one for the rebel side and one for the loyalist side.

Reaver class Titan from Legio Mortis

Reaver class Titan from Legio Gryphonicus

These are Reaver class "medium" battle titans.  In addition to a slightly more artful carapace than the ones from last week, these ones are also sporting close combat weapons! Because in the grim darkness of the far future, it doesn't matter if you are 10 stories tall and armed with weapons which can level entire city blocks in one shot - you STILL might have to PUNCH something...the engineers of Mars have got you covered! Behold, the titan-sized power fist - it's silly, and I love it!

Large close combat fist for extra-smashing duties

Still sporting a big laser cannon and "apocalypse" launcher for more conventional fun

Equipping your titans with close combat weapon systems is something of a gamble in the Epic game.  The power fist comes at the expense of mounting one of the other, very useful and terrifying weapon systems.  This sucks early in the game when you wish you had one more volcano cannon shot to bombard the enemy.  A further consideration is that the fist is only useful if you are close enough to punch the other titan, so you have to basically charge forward and get to grips for it to be worthwhile...

A view of another close combat attachment

This Titan is also sporting a scary-as-hell plasma cannon...it can only fire every other turn, so the crew can spend that time moving the Titan closer to whatever needs to be punched while it powers up between shots

On the plus side, if you bring your titan into close combat with another one and succeed, the results tend to be immediate and rewarding, as a Titan that is unsuccessful in a "close combat" tends disappear in some manner of spectacular explosion - indeed, so spectacular the Titan which defeated it risks serious damage itself! Did I mention I love how warped all of this is...?

Titan maniple from Legio Mortisi now ready for action! The big guns for a better universe! Horus for hope!

I felt both sides should have one Titan sporting a close combat power fist.  There are several gamers in our group who display the proper level of aggression to make the most of them on the table!

Titan maniple from Legion Gryphonicus, ready to defend the so-called "Emperor" to the bitter end...deluded fools...

So, in total this includes two Titans, four Knights, five 6mm sized vehicles and 40 6mm sized infantry.  I will leave it to the minions to score the thing properly, and I bow to their infinite wisdom as to the worth of this in terms of points...hope to have more to share as the finish line arrives!

Alan and Paul: Unlike Paul, Alan has never played anything 'K', and has never really seen the appeal. However, even he, grizzled old Grognard that he is, has been enjoying seeing your Epic force coming together, and particularly the affection and good humour with which you describe the silliness which is one of the hallmarks of the Far Future. These guys just look great - beautifully colourful, but also a bit grimy from all that trudging around through lots of Orkz or Skullz or Bogz or whatever. I've scored the Knights as 28mm figures and the Titans as 28mm vehicles, and thrown in a few extra points for the loely detail.

From GregB: Some 30k Characters (18 points)

A trio of characters for 30k gaming...converted from GW's Age of Sigmar line...

I've been having some fun diving into a new period and setting with my SAGA project, but I haven't lost my 30k obsession - I have a side duel to fight, after all! Not many figures in this submission, but I hope they will be fun for folks who enjoy the Horus Heresy setting - it is fun to have many fellow fans in this Challenge!

I'll subdivide this submission into two sub-sections, one for each character, but before I dive into the details you will see both of these models are slight conversions of figures from GW's "Age of Sigmar" fantasy mass-skirmish game.  I remembered that conscript Mike A had referred to the new "Stormcast Eternals" as "Sigmarines", and this entered my mind as I tried to think of how to get some unique-ish figures into my 30k lineup...hence this little submission. OK, enough of that, on to some background...

Herald Of The Warmaster

"I have a message of hope and change to share!"

The Warmaster is a wonderful, inspiring presence in the universe.  Such is the demand on his time, he cannot possibly be expected to make every public appearance requested of him.  And so Horus Lupercal relies on this helpful Herald to spread his message of hope and change throughout the galaxy.  From TV interviews to speeches at charity luncheons and banquets, the Herald is the go-to for the straight facts on Horus' plans to Make Terra Great Again.

The sword is for emergencies only - the Herald loves peace, after all...

Fake news remains a big problem in the 30th millenium. Pro-Emperor fools in the mainstream media flood the airwaves with all sorts of #alternatefacts.  The events on Isstvan III are portrayed as a "betrayal", while military developments on Isstvan V are reported as a "dropsite massacre".

The Herald of the Warmaster works tirelessly to correct this record. He has the data to prove how the Isstvan III incident was a terrorist act carried out by pro-Emperor false flag operatives - the real atrocity! Meanwhile, any diligent review of travel and communication logs will show the unfortunate losses among some of the Legions on Isstvan V were the result of illegal interstellar immigration which caused a training accident during military maneuvers, and not some supposed "attack" carried out by certain Legions.

Can you feel the hope? It's intense, man...it's intense!

Supporting the Warmaster is an all-consuming, passionate activity.  You can see that from the facial expression of the Herald...his love for Horus' cause is intense. He is channeling his love of the Warmaster to his audience, applying the skills learned during a public speaking course he took as part of a corporate lodge retreat on the world of Davin...

I hope this figure will make for a useful and entertaining objective model for 30k games, or maybe one day participate in a narrative-style RPG game that Curt could run.   

Alpha Legion Praetor Librarian

A senior officer of the XXth Legion - and his trusty pet gryph-hound...

Space Marines are essentially lab creations.  Sure, they start with "recruits" from somewhere, but with the genetic engineering, implants etc. the resulting warrior is largely an artificial construct.  As with the warriors, so with the Space Marine officers. Sergeants etc. are promoted from the ranks, but the top leaders,  they are made for command - literally.  The senior figures in a Space Marine legion are legendary, near-demigod figures.

I wanted a very senior Alpha Legion command figure for the table, someone who reported to Alpharius himself (or who knows, maybe even is Alpharius...why should mere civilians like us know the truth?). The model would have to tower over the other models, a challenge as Space Marine models are already pretty hefty figures. To represent such a senior command figure for my Alpha Legion forces, I wanted some kind of over-the-top figure, something totally pimped out, absurd and outrageous.  Thankfully, the Stormcast Eternals had me covered...

"Follow me! It is written! Just not translated..."

Super size? Check. Ridiculous "close combat" weapon(s)? Check. Silly cloak? Check. Massive, powerful looking sculpted armour? Check.  Weird symbols implying great power? Check.  A couple of small adjustments, and I felt this figure would make an ideal Praetor Librarian for the Alpha Legion.  He emits, for me, the correct amount of over-the-top obnoxiousness to fit as a senior and respected figure within the XX Legion, a confidant of Alpharius the Primarch and Supreme Commander of the Alpha Legion.  The military mind of Caesar with blended with the demeanour of a Bond super-villain...that's how I imagine senior officers in the Alpha Legion.  With this in mind, I'm really pleased with how this whacky model turned out.

Pimped out cape and super halberd? Seems right to me...

The power fist seems more like a winter glove on this monster...

He is not named, of course, because the Alpha Legion doesn't release that kind of information to the public.  It's need-to-know, and chances are very, very high that you don't need to know. Even asking about it can be bad for your health...

Socrates has his eyes on some loyalist fools...

Adding to the "I can't believe it's me either" vibe of this figure is the familiar/pet! A gryph-hound! Seems like exactly the kind of thing this guy would travel around with - an exotic, genetically engineered attack pet.  And while the officer is not named, the pet would have some kind of @sshole-ish-sounding name speaking to the presumed superiority of its owner - like "Socrates".  The Praetor will bring Socrates to meetings, interrogations, orbital drop assaults and swanky dinner parties.  All of the Legion marines will roll their eyes, but be careful to stay out of Socrates' way...you don't need a bad rep with the boss' pet, after all...

***


So these three 28mm figures should be worth 15 points.  Not a lot of points, but hopefully a lot of fun on the table!  The conversion work here was very, very slight. I'm tempted to use some more Stormcast Eternals to perhaps try and cobble together some manner of insane honour guard to accompany the Alpha Legion officer, but might just leave him be...we'll see...anyway, see you next week!

Alan and Paul: Lovely painting Greg, and I really enjoyed reading your fake news. Unfair! 30K is so totally not my thing, but reading this had me chuckling and appreciating the humour of the absurd weapons and baroque ridiculousness of the whole aesthetic. Your painting is top notch, as always, and I've given you a couple of extra points for the conversions. And remember, a gryph-hound is forever, not just Christmas.