Death Korps Full Army With Display Board Mock Up

With the aegis line and quad gun done, it is time to mock up what the display board could be. My original idea was to have a ruined european looking village in the background with the guns emplaced within it. However, with this many models, I think I am going to have to go with a less is more approach. One sharpe and a paper towel template later, and I am happy with the result. The board is bifurcated by a small stream down the center, with the Aegis line behind it, and soon to be build barbed wire sections in front of it. I plan to add two rusty metal bridges on each end of the stream. The front of the board hosts my assault and fast response groups.

My deployment plan is for the Hades drill and grenadier centaur to hold back, while the Death Riders sally forth under heavy artillery support. In the background my HQ unit will issues orders and operate the quad air defense gun. In the far back of the board, the Bombards will blast away at other player's tables. You read that right. I intend to fire those 60 foot range weapons at other player's tables. If one of my teammates calls in fire support I will fire at their opponent. If in a doubles game my team member happens to be outside my minimum range, and our opponents agree to a cessation of hostilities, then I will fire upon my own team if they are showing any signs of fleeing Earth.

The NOVA Open narrative event is mean to bring players together and provide story. My goal is to help players have a good time. As an evolving story, the narrative event has reach the point where the alien "Virtue" who had come to wipe humanity out, and the UN defense forces, have essentially fled Earth. Finding humanity more evolved than they had expected, and their own leaders more evil, the Virtue have fragmented. In a final act of evil, a Virtue battle cruiser was crashed into the earth, causing nuclear winter like effects. Victory is bitter for humanity. U.N. forces have largely abandoned earth and fled into deep space. It is in this context that our games will be played. My force, the Death Korps of Peoria Illinois, have steadfastly refused to abandon Earth. With gas masks and artillery all will be made right. The Death Korps are patient, and their guns have a very long reach.

Death Korps Aegis Defense Line And Camouflage Tutorial

 

In building my list for the NOVA Narrative event, I've wavered quite a bit as painting dragged on and on. However, just as I was finishing the last model I need for the 2k list, I decided to change it up. After all, what kind of artillery regiment does not have anti-air, or hard cover. So I dropped a commissar, and added an Aegis defense line and quad gun. The quad gun painted up spectacularly, almost surprisingly so. I was not expecting much from the model. I think the walls came out ok. I wanted them to look realistic. I also wanted to treat them like models, rather than scenery, which is usually painted at a lower standard. The level of detail is a little iffy on the walls, so I got out my hobby knife and added all kinds of battle/transport damage to them. Then I stood back and admired them. Something was wrong. If my Krieg had enough time to put up walls, they certainly should have also put up camouflage netting. So out came GW's Model Masterclass book. Fortunately there was a nice description of how to make this camouflage in the book. Here is my take.

Step 0

Cover model with plastic cling wrap.

Step 1

soak medical gauze in a 50/50 mixture of white glue and water

Step 2

letting the plastic wrap protect the model, lay the netting out so it conforms to the shape.

Step 3

cut out strips of tape and stick them all over the netting

Step 4

prime black, and paint as desired

Step 5

wish I had used a stickier tape

Death Korps 18 Death Riders And Counting

I've managed to complete 18 Death Riders with a great deal of support by this community. I was right at the point of giving up and reworking the army list with what I have completed, but you guys kept me going.

Thank you.

I only have 7 more death riders and 1 commissar to paint. I suppose it might even happen today, though I really want to take a break and work on a competition piece. (I realize the humor that my relaxing from painting is more painting. Trust me competing pieces are easier) Once the riders are complete, I have to go back and paint chip the armor on 30 artillery crew. After that I can add decals and then weathering powder. I love the way the powder looks over the black chipped armor. Weathering powder covers up a lot of detail, but it provides a finish and texture that makes the models look much more real to me.

Before I forget, the mix I am using for my pigments is 50/50 Secret Weapon Miniatures Green Earth and SWM Yellow Earth.

DKOK Death Rider 1st Squad WIP

Before you are eleven almost completed death riders. I took a long painting detour making the flags three colors, before deciding they looked horrible and painting them orange. I am fairly happy with these, yet there seem to be an endless amount of detail still to paint, and I have 15 more of these guys to go.  So what is it about NOVA that makes people attempt epic feats of painting? I'm pretty sure a squad of DKoK dies as fast as a normal guard squad after all.

DKoK Death Rider WIP

I don't paint that many horses. So when it came time to start the 30 Death Riders needed for my NOVA Narrative army, I was at a loss. So, here is my first DKOK horse.  At the moment, I am using the following recipe.

Horse body

• Base Vallejo Flat Earth 70983
• Middle Vallejo Green Brown 70879
• Highlight Vallejo Iraqi Sand 70819

Controlled wash of either

• Secret Weapon Miniatures Flesh Wash OR
• Secret Weapon Miniatures Dark Sepia 

Plenty of details are not finished on this model, I just wanted to block in enough color in order to see how the horse would look.  The washes obliterated a lot of shading, but on the flip side, made the details stand out really nicely. Dark Sepia is my favorite of the two variations at the moment, but I figured I needed to have some slight variety in skin tones.

Hades Breaching Drill WIP 2

*EDIT updated images

I managed to add paint chipping to just about half of the vehicles, so in order to reward myself, I decided to do some pin washes and weathering. There are parts of the drill that are still unpainted, but  I was excited. So here it is, one sub-terraining 40k death machine. The gloss coat will be dulled down after all of the oil effects. The semi-gloss varnish makes the paint alternate from yellow to brown depending on the angle. Only 9 more vehicles/artillery to go.

Three Weeks Till NOVA Open Must Paint Faster!

With only three weeks till the NOVA open, and my Krieg only halfway done, I might have to investigate some backup options. I need a least a week to prep my painting entries. That means I really only only two weeks to finish these vehicles and move onto the Death Riders. All 30 Death Riders. What on earth have I gotten myself into!

So, I have a very packed three weeks. What do you have to compete before the NOVA Open if you are going? Have you donated to the NOVA Open Charitable Foundation army raffle? If not, then that is an excellent way to spend three weeks. We've managed to raise over $60,000 for Doctors Without Borders. I would really like to see us have the best year we've ever had.

To purchase tickets you can visit the NOCF site here:

http://novaopenfoundation.org/?tcp_product_category=raffle

To see more of these great armies, check out the NOCF blog here:

http://novacf.blogspot.com

Death Korps of Kreig Vehicle Color Scheme

I appreciate the comments on the color selection for Krieg vehicles. I've decided on the brown color scheme as you can see from the photos. The Interiors are a minty-green color in order to contrast. Looking at all of these vehicles, I can see that I have ages worth of paint chipping to do. I think they will look nice in the end, but it is a bit daunting. What isn't pictured here is the Bombard squadron. Yep, you read that right. Three bombards round out this force. The army has absolutely nothing special in terms of characters or death stars. Just a lot of artillery and horses.

I haven''t quite figured out what to do with this iron looking wheels. I am tempted to just shine them up with metallic weathering powders along the road facing portion.