Ultramarines!

It feels like it's been a while since I worked on some UMs. The full 2nd Company I featured years ago was sold on.

Since Warhammer Conquest, my major Marine focus has been on Silver Templars, Howling Griffons and now Crimson Fists but the UMs were my first Space Marines and I can't ever see myself NOT having some on the go.

Although primarily Contrast, I have used the new Tone Pro Ultramarine Blue 3 for the armour. I'm not a fan of the Contrast Ultramarine paint. Always felt a bit too dark for me. I must be a fan of the bright 2nd Ed colours.

 

On The To Do List

You've seen what's waiting on the Home Front. What's on the Work Front?

The list is long, exhaustive and this photo doesn't capture all of it.

I need to finish of Commissar Graves and the crew.

Final touches required on the Armageddon box Crimson Fists.

More Crimson Fists and Tigurius.

The Grimdark Rifles and various characters.

The first squad for the Howling Griffon jump pack Intercessors. The second squad remain unbuilt!

More to follow.
 

Away From Home But What's Waiting There?

I've found that as I've aged and children grow up and there is, unfortunately, less family to visit, I have more time on my hands despite work requiring me to live in two places.

As such, while my work home is full of 40K and other sci-fi projects, home home is where I'm concentrating on the Airfix 1/32 scale soldiers I've had for years.

At the moment, it's the classic German Infantry. Mostly, it's completing the rifles and some tidying up.

 Once I'm home again, I'll break out and finish the British Infantry and the Support Group and complete the final touches on the first batch of US Paratroopers.

After that, it'll either be the Commandos and British Paras or head out to the Far East for Australian and Japanese Infantry.

More on that later.

Grimdark Rifles Squad Constructed

As per the title, that's the new Captain Caine and the Rifles characters and squad constructed. Time for some undercoat and getting ready to start the painting over the next couple of days.

 

What's On The Shelves?

Answer? At the moment, a little bit of everything while I'm unpacking. Final displays may change ir rotate but there are 29 cubes to fill.

A Red Panda executive toy.

Beer!

Weta statues from LOTR extended edition DVD boxsets plus a Space Marine from the original GW/ Weta collaborations.

Various Lego sets, Mk I and Mk II Roboskulls, 80s Empire Strikes Back Star Wars figures, my beloved Diaclone and over on the Billy bookcase, the Hoth Micro World series from Kenner.

 

House Moves, New Starts, New Cave

Finally, after quite some time, the house move is complete AND the garage has been converted into a room. To be more precise, my room, albeit shared with a tumble dryer and a fridge freezer.

Why is it my room? I have a wonderful other half who has decided that my stuff clutters up the rest of the house, especially taking up the dining table when painting and modelling.

I've only ever been into an Ikea store three times and one of those was in Oman. True.

I do like their stuff and having bought a four compartment Kallax previously, I used their 'design a room' feature to see what I could fit in. Well, that turned out to be a 25-comparrtment Kallax, three different size Billy bookcases and a decent size desk.

It's still a work in progress as I'm only home at weekends but that Kallax will allow me to display stuff that tickles me from 40K through Star Wars and Action Force. 

Best of all, thanks to a UK firm called Funserts, I can add different printed backgrounds to the Kallax. Some are already in there like the space themed one that the Roboskull is sitting in.

Unlike Ron Burgundy, I do not possess many leather-bound books but many, many Annuals. Hence my manly display of Warlord, Victor, 2000AD and Judge Dredd volumes. Better than living in a box in the loft anyway.

Finally, the work desk with different projects on the go. The 40K projects afre a weekday work in progress whilst at home will be catching up on the Airfix plastic soldiers.

 Life is good and, hopefully, all is set for retirement within the next six years or so.

Who'd have thought that I'd be looking forward to the phrase "Go to your room" at my age?

New Grim Dark Arrivals

Arriving fresh from the Kirton Games 3d printing service are a selection of characters and a Rifle squad printed up from the stls I purchased. Now in addition to what is shown here, I've also ordered a couple of the squad options from Redbeard's Forge shop on etsy.

RedbeardsForgeShop - Etsy UK

They purchased the retail stl option and have a fair selection that can be ordered as physical prints. Delivery is potentially slow with an estimated date of 30 Oct - 11 Dec  but for £17 for a squad, I can wait.

It wouldn't be a Victorian Grimdark campaign from Victoria Miniatures without a Captain Caine. New, improved and I've gone for the pith helmet option.

Note that this model and the next two haven't had glue applied yet. The plug and socket system allows some good dry fitting first.

An addition mid-campaign was some not-Sharpe's Rifles. Below we have Lt Sean Blackthorn and, again, I've gone for the headgear version.

At the bottom is a not-Harper with a six barrelled autogun or lasrifle, whichever one prefers.

Bits and bobs for the Rifles squad including Sergeant parts and the vox torso. I think I've ended up with more than I thought I ordered but I'm covered for some breakages.

Time is tight and I'm living in two places again (work and home) so I have no idea when gluing, undercoating and painting will take place but hopefully soon.