The Ninth Circle - Blackstone Fortress Rein & Raus and Traitor Guard

 

I wish regular old Cadians looked even half as good as these scum.

Hunter's Instinct - Blackstone Fortress Dahyak Greekh (Kroot) and Beastmen

I have a soft spot for Kroot with capes. There are probably around a dozen kits and collections I regret parting with, and one of them is my little Kroot collection led by Anghkor Prok from one of the few Gamesdays I went to. I played Tau right when they very first came out, and I always liked the Kroot line (more than the main Tau one, especially in the early days) which has unfortunately gone nearly unsupported: one ancient plastic kit, three equally ancient metal kits (one of which didn't need a model), two variants on an Inquisitor-scale model, and a little Forge World stuff. More than that, I've also had a soft spot for underdog mercenaries, rabble, bandits, or otherwise independent forces for as long as I can remember, from Warmachine mercs to Malifaux Outcasts to Astral Claws/Red Corsairs, to any number of post-apocalyptic settings including Mordheim (another regret). I'm going to be personally honest here: I think this sensibility might be the most typically American part of my lifestyle, very much influenced by the ideology if not always the aesthetic of Westerns, etc.

Now the Darkness Got a Hold on Me - Huron Blackheart conversion

While the Astral Claws are easily my favorite chapter, and Huron is also one of my favorite characters, I think the stock model for Huron Blackheart is just... dumpy.

So, of course, I needed to do something about that.

Traditionalist Radicals - Blackstone Fortress Black Legion

I've painted lots of red & gold & black, and I'm personally a fan of jade, so I decided to do my own take on Black Legion, that heralds back to their Sons of Horus days, which I just find so much more stylish.

We are the Earth-Intruders, We are the sharp-shooters - Amalynn Shadowguide & Spindle Drones

Eldar were actually my first serious army, in any game with miniatures at all, so I wanted to do something special with Amalynn Shadowguide, a model I thought was so close to being awesome, but had ended up a bit flat.

The Faithful - Taddeus the Purifier & Rogue Psykers

Taddeus is... probably my least favorite of the Blackstone heroes. I don't really like playing cleric-type characters (I actually often do

, trying to make it work, but it rarely does), and I think his face is, well, one that only a mother could love.

Flame and Shadow - Pious Vorne and Ur-ghuls

Pious Vorne is one of my favorite recent models.

Sailing the Seas of Cheese - Blackstone Fortress Explorers: Espern Lorcarno & Janus Draik

 My group has been slowly making our way through Warhammer Quest: Blackstone Fortress. Crawling through the space-dungeon, if you will.

I Wanted to Build an Empire to House the Machine to Kick His Ass - Astral Claws Armenneus Valthex

So, I decided not to let it stop me that Valthex has one of the dumpiest and most static character models that Forge World has ever produced.

(Next time, I'll tell you what I really think ;) )

(Already on?) the Bandwagon - Vindicare Assassin

Okay, I'm going to admit it: the leaked White Dwarf rules were exactly what got me painting my Vindicare.

Starting Small - Test Tyrant's Legion / Death Korps squad

My first Imperial Guard collection was the original Armageddon Steel Legion released in third edition the regiment raised to defend the system's central world, and I guess I'm finally returning to my roots.

Definitely Human. Definitely. - Genestealer Cult Magus and Acolytes

The Genestealer Cult Magus is one of my favorite updates on a 40k model in quite a long time.

Who's Laughing Now?! - Harlequin Wraithknight Conversion

So, this guy started as just a simple re-pose, but became something far more elaborate.

Opening Salvo - Astral Claws Lieutenant and Tactical Squads; battle report

So, I have something to admit: I've actually only been on the sidelines for 8th edition, rebuilding my 40k collection for a while since I'd purged it maybe 15 years back. That means this is my first 40k fight to return to in a long time (I think I played two heavily proxied games in 7th when we were starting to test the GW waters).

Black Operations part 8: Wyches

 Expanding the continuing Mandrake army, I've put together a couple new units.

Black Operations part 7: Command

Rounding out the continuing Mandrake army with some command. Two pretty liberal interpretations of Dark Eldar command, they have roughly inverted colors.

Black Operations part 6: Dark Eldar Ravagers

Honestly, the Raider/Ravager redesign some years back had me extremely sorely tempted to start an army for my personal collection. I think the vehicles are just fantastically well-designed, as a mix of the original design and an updated, more explicitly pirate-themed look that evokes classic sailing (mostly) without feeling out of scale.

These are, of course, painted for the Mandrake army I've been adding to for the last while; I was going for pretty much as sleek and stripped-down look as I could get, while letting that teal really pop. I repurposed the "squad" look, with helmeted captains/pilots (heads from misc. dark elf kits), and, with a little tweaking, got it so the sponsons are actually replaceable.

Mobile Command Convertible - Astral Claws Rhinos and Variants

So, until my Astral Claws graduate to larger scales of games, my footslogging characters will be riding around in this guy.

Black Operations part 5: Venoms and Starweavers

It would hardly be a Dark Eldar army without some vehicles, right?

Black Operations part 4: Mandrake Scourge Conversions

Another quick* post today, continuing the Mandrake force I've been working on, and wrapping up its infantry units.

Conceptually, these aren't much different than the previous Witch conversions, but I'm still very happy with how I got these wings to look.

* That would be short, not speedy subject matter.... and yeah, probably no one else saw that unintentional pun.