Storm Eagle Hydraulics

This Storm Eagle is supposed to be one of the center pieces of my Sons of Horus army. However no matter how hard I try, I cannot get the kit to fit together properly. This kit is hell. So after another unsatisfying round of trying to fit it together, I decided I would experiment with hydraulics. in order to make the ramps more interesting. The design is relatively simple, and should survive the next dozen attempt to glue the body together.  I've got a pack of secret weapon cables that I will glue onto the main portion of the hydraulics as well as some plastic rivets.

So what to do with the front ramp? I can't very well have one cool ramp and not another. I guess it is back to the desk to fabricate another set.


*EDIT
I found my Secret Weapon metal cables and added them to the hydraulics. Also, after consulting the FW directions, it appears they can't even build one of these things with all the angles lining up properly. I think I am good to go. Now I just need to wire in the fiber optics. ;)

**EDIT

Added some paint

Sons of Horus Rhino

I am just about finished with the rhino attached to my rotor cannon squad. I tried something different with the tracks, which can't even be seen in the photos. I used black primer, AK interactive track wash, and then weathering powders. The dozer blade was a bit of a disappointment for me. I managed to get the color wrong but decided to proceed with it. After oil washes, paint chipping, and wash of powders, I think it looks ok. Not what I intended, but what I got.

The interior still needs some stacks of ammunition boxes. Those are next now that the thing has tracks. The silvering of the decals really bothers me, but that will be taken care of on the next tank. I think I have a process that works with the SoH transfers now. For whatever reason, those transfers are just more temperamental than others I've used.

Thunderhawks Viable?

At 2k, I can fit a Thunderhawk (with d-cannon), two storm talons, and a storm raven into a list. This looks great on the table. By the rule of cool we may have already won. On the other hand, not a lot of points are left for the rest of the army. The remainder is spent on three full tactical squads lead by tigerius. (there is a rhino thrown in there to act as a bunker for the first turn).

In terms of game play, two squads are deployed along with Tigerius. The last squad is split across the thunderhawk and storm raven. Even using the lighter aircraft to provide cover, I think the Thunderhawk would get blown out of the air by massed wave serpents.

Is there a viable list including a thunderhawk? The variant to this list is to put a Death Star in the Death Star, and rely on scouts to hide on the ground. I am not sure either list works.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/d1b3go1aksm32xv/Ultramarines.pdf

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad

Friendly Pick Up List With a Warhound Titan

With my Ultramarines Thunderhawk complete, I immediately decided to pull it from the list, replacing it with a Warhound titan.(thank you FW for adding this to all imperial armies!)  My model is not equipped with a str D weapon, and isn't even fully painted. However,  I like the look of it so much I just had to add it. At 2000 points, the titan makes up 720 points of the army. I don't now how hard these guys are to bring down, but with such a large amounts of points locked up in one model maybe D weapons make sense. The army has only 4 weak troops, and a terminator squad to protect the titan. The two fliers exist to provide air cover.

If you replace my captain with Tigurious, add Coteaz with some inexpensive troops,  I think this army could be competitive, and would look right for an imperial force.

Thunderhawk Stand Complete

I added an oil wash and weathering powders to the Thunderhawk stand / ruined building terrain piece. I couldn't resist adding a few more of the left over posters from the imperial statue I created earlier.

Now the only question is, which should I add to my force for a pickup game at the GW Springfield store. Should I use my Warhound which has no D weapons, or this lovely flying box of death? Regardless of which superheavy I use, I will be including three storm talons and a thunder fire cannon and some lovely void generators.

Thunderhawk Flying Base WIP

Escalation is going to be a lot of fun. However there needs to be a way to actually put the thunderhawk on the table. Most people are not going to want to drill holes in their hawks, so my solution involved a silicon mold of the thunder hawk's carriage. The silicone acts as the interface between the hawk an the plastic stand, forming a perfect mitt.

The building required reinforcement on the inside using extra sprues. I also mounted the building on a solid plastic base, in order to give it a really good foundation. My original intent was to take this and then embed it in a larger base, however the thunderhawk has been really stable on it, so maybe this is as far as I will take the base.


The stand/building is just base coated, but it will get several layers of pigments before this it is complete. That will darken up the building quite a bit which will make the Thunderhawk stand out more. I broke out my partially completed realm of battle board just to show the scale. The thunderhawk is really far too large as a playable model, but it looks great on the table.

Dataslate – Adeptus Astartes Storm Wing

GW got me at exactly the right time. A little groggy from waking up, a nice cup of coffee, and oh look a 40k instant purchase. cool!

I like the concept of dataslates. This one allows two storm talons to escort a storm raven onto the battlefield. The storm raven gets strafing run as a bonus. This is pretty cool. Having two flyers escort a troop transport will look really good on the table. I imagine dawn raids and zero dark thirty situations, all made possible because I can finally use air cavalry. Just load up a vet squad and a dreadnought in a storm raven and escort those guys in. I think think the AASW will add a lot of fun to space marine armies.

Then I read the part about how formations are taken.

bleh.... not so hot.

I don't want to see random armies on the table. Imagine an Ork mob being supported by chaos marine allies and a space marine storm wing assisting. I just don't want to see that on the table.  The army would look random and pieced together. I just don't see an army built like that telling a good story.


How about this for a solution. Only allow dataslates for primary or allied detachments. Ensure that the primary detachment makes up 75% of the points spent.

Terrain: Scratch Built Candles

I am really glad I decided to create some candles for the stature. I like imagining imperial citizens scrambling up the ladder in lulls between gun fire to ensure the Astartes are properly worshipped. The ladder is still to be painted, but I left it in the shot because it adds more sense of scale.


Candles:

1. Bretonian lances cut to shape
2. thread drilled into the top of the candle and inserted as a wick
3. white glue used to build up dripping wax areas
4. gloss varnish in the paint in order to give a little shine

In the photo above you can see a mattress pushed to the far corner of the Shrine of the Aquila. I am not sure I managed to pull it off, but maybe when I add a make shift table it will work better. The bottom shot has a tea lamp that will be used for destroyed vehicles. I am going to make 5 of them so the battle looks more dynamic as games progress.