Finished - Deathwatch Marines

While two months is not a record for something gathering dust on the painting table, these three really seemed to languish. I started and finished several other projects while these guys were waiting. The Ork big gun, Nate's Haemonculus, the whole Hellion commission. I even started the three Warbuggies before putting the finishing touches on these minis.

Regardless they are done. The good news is that I've already written about them a bunch now so there are only a few details left out.

Since the last time that I posted about them, I really only finished the backpacks and pauldrons. Before that, I was trying to think strategically about Black Shields. I am still not sure that I understand how to use them the best even now. And way back when, I was griping about points.

Aside from the Black Shield, I picked the other two Chapters at random. The Black Templar shoulder pad was painted before this project even started. The idea was for him to be a Veteran. In the Black Templars, their Vets are Sword Brethren and they get to paint their cross and trim red. I have no reason to think that this change in color would survive the transition to the Deathwatch, but it makes for more variation in shoulder pads.


I like doing Imperial Fists and Crimson Fists in pairs. Long ago, I painted the two Marines to the right as a pair. The idea was to have one right-handed and one left-handed as a pair. The bits at the time did (and to some extent do not now) support a Marine holding a Bolter in a firing position across the chest in any other pose than right-handed. this doesn't make much sense in that Marines are supposed to be ambidextrous. In retrospect, I could have done "the twins" in one-hand firing and made them mirror images of each other.


Up next I have two commissions to finish. The Dark Eldar are coming along slowly but I have a good plan. I also just landed a giant commission for 40 Blood Angels. The client agreed to pay with more toys so for the 6 weeks or more it might take for painting almost half of a Company, I will get a bunch of minis that I have been looking for. Doom Scythe will fill the rest of the foam tray that has lain empty for so long. I have (what I hope is) the new Lord of Change. I have an old metal model to use as my Lord of Change/Greater Deamon of Tzeentch, so I can make the plastic model into Karios. It will take some time before I will have the skills needed to paint that model into a centerpiece. I am going to use every color on him! I also have a Gorkanaut coming. Now the rules stink but the model is pretty awesome. Pricey too which is why I have not picked one up yet. I also have a Ghostkeel coming from this person so I can see what everyone is losing their mind about. Last up is a Dark Apostle. I don't have any particular use for a CSM Chaplain, but I have an idea for an interesting conversion.

With just that, I pretty much have my painting through to the Spring. In the meantime, I also have my own stuff to paint. There are 5 Deathwatch Marines that are in bits and need to be finished, the three converted Warbuggies and the rehabed Lord of Change that has been idle so long that I'll need to brush the dust off of him before he can be painted.

I have my work cut out for me.