Not the post I had intending for my Crimson Fists, but proof that I am still interested in that project. I have spent a lot of time (as you can probably see in the photos) sourcing Forge World and various Space Marine parts for my Crimson Fists, and while I have some form of list in my head, the real priority is to get this group of miniatures looking as interesting as possible. What I am hoping for is a identity that not only ties in with the old Rogue Trader artwork, but also has a little bit of my personality in there through intricate conversions and cool poses. On the painting side, I think this project is shaping up to be some of my best work to date, which is great for my confidence.
First up, a messy shot of what will soon be the bulk of my Crimson Fists army.
I have literally spent an two whole weeks trolling bits stores and waiting on bits to arrive. So many little envelopes and packages have been arriving on a daily basis, that I am sure the Postman thinks I am dealing in dodgy substances. It probably does not help with me answering the door wearing a pair of black latex gloves and respirator...The Sternguard are still in the box, to minimise clutter, but are next on the painting list after the Tactical Squad.
The tactical squad is pretty much finished: guns, back packs and transfers are all that are left to do. Today I had enough time to get shoulder pads and helmets done, and more importantly painted the Sergeant's head. It had been a while since I had painted human skin (
Warrior Priest was the last figure with any skin), and quite frankly I am pleased with the way it has turned out as I have built on the experience working on the Priest. It is on par with the way I used to paint skin before I stopped painting and with a little more practice I expect to finally meet my personal expectations.
Awesome how cool stuff looks, when they have heads on! You can also see the a bit more of the overall colour scheme of my Crimson Fists, the much darker blue with sharp highlights works well for me - ignore the fist though, it still needs work - but I will be interested to see how it works on vehicles. The Sergeant will not be a veteran, to represent a relatively fresh tactical squad, so will only have his left fist painted red, the combi-weapon that will be equipped hass a pin in it to allow changing from melta to what ever I need on the day.
I love the new Tactical Squad box set as I have stated in the past. The poses are a lot better, with the legs looking much more natural compared to the 3rd edition version, it is just a shame that I will not be fielding more than one squad, but at least I have the Sternguard (and other cool looking units) to look forward to. I think ultimately one of the best things about collecting a Crimson Fists army is this - Fluff wise the majority of the force will be veterans, scouts, devastators and assault marines; all very interesting units; but non more so than veteran units like Sternguard, Vanguard, Terminators and Honour Guard who all have their own personalised armour and heraldries. It is almost like painting units of characters, which suits me best and I really look forward to sharing these paint jobs with you all very soon.
Thanks for reading,
DiStudios
The 14th legion
p.s Almost forgot, the fiance bought me a Proteus Land Raider, un-boxing video when it arrives!
