What Next: Fresh Troops/Chimeras or Vendetta?

Based on what I see of my army group shot so far, I think I should update a few other pieces of armor so they are done and get back to painting infantry again.

But then I think about the Vendetta kit I own and haven’t built yet. It seems a must-have piece of gear, especially for groundpounders like the Valhallans.

What do you guys think I should do next? Chimeras and more troops or a Vendetta?

Current Valhallan Group Shot

Click for larger image

Here's the Valhallan force so far. I still have less than a squad to finish up for my specific 1500 point list (the pic shows more than that.) From there I'll get two more Leman Russ to the table then move to more Chimera and my Medusa.

Switcheroo

Let me put my poems in you

Since I’m closing in on a solid 1500 pt painted Valhallan IG list I figured I’d take a small breather from GW and look to finish off the Khador Greylords that I have sitting around.  I had started them before contracting GW IPV (Infantry Painting Virus.)

Overall, I’m continuing the “cold” look with the Greylords, as seen with my Butcher’s skin tones above.

Here’s the Koldun Lord WIP

And Ternion WIP

All the color is essentially blocked in. I’ll look to go back, smooth out some colors with layers and some shading. The Koldun Lord’s insignia of rank was a mystery to me until I got the Forces of Khador book and saw what the sculpt was supposed to be. Up until that point I was painting it like a Star of David. I'll be reclaiming some of that tabbard with some brown, Terracotta and then Blood Red. Then details and finally, basing.

40K: Valhallan Company Command Squad Done

 Valhallan 554th Company Command Squad (minus rocket team)

Here’s Captain Gloval and his company command squad, finished up earlier today. They'll also be joined by the previously completed rocket launcher team to round out the squad to 4 vets.

Captain Gloval:

As described in an earlier post, here is Captain Madison, company liaison to Battlefleet Tiamat, in direct support of planet operations on Hammerfall V:

Company Standard:

You'll notice that the vox officer and standard bearer are the same model. The standard bearer uses the pitchfork pole and zombie hand from the Zombie sprue, Aquilla and antenna whip from vehicle accessory sprue. The pitchfolk pole goes straight into the base and is anchored with greenstuff under the base. His hand is pinned so it is very secure. These models are both ammo loaders for the Valhallan heavy bolters, which I'll have a few of in the army later. At some point next week I'll try to design up some paper banners for the banner bearer and squad pennant bearers.

Up next, melta vets and another squad.

100% Total Hurray

From BOLS:

Being a Khador player, I fully support this concept and hope that the model looks half as bad-ass in real life as this magical Leman Russ does in the picture.

WIP: Officer of the Fleet

Here's a quick update on one model that I'm really liking right now. I have the Company Command Squad on the paint table and they are about halfway done. Attached to this squad is an Officer of the Fleet (OoF)and building a suitable model has been fun. It was either him or Demolitions Doctrine for the Hardened Vets at the same points. I have a Master of Ordnance and Astropath being built right now too.

I think the currently available OoF model is really awesome but I don't think he totally fits into the look of my Valhallans... plus I'm totally broke. Further, I have 2 decades worth of bitz so if I can't scratch build one for free then I may as well hang it all up.

I did an image search and saw a few people doing a conversion using the old tank commander model, one that I still have and never used. I think this bit works well because my officers all have frogging to tie them together and this tank commander does too.

Here’s the original bit over at Dakka Dakka:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/42-Commissar%20Tank%20Commander.html

The challenge would be to make him look like the off-world Naval advisor that he is, be WYSIWYG/apparent, still look "cold" and still look unique without being distracting.

He didn’t have legs so I trimmed the current standing Tank Commander plastic legs until he was in proportion and lined up well with the Valhallan models. I sawed/trimmed some pouches and original sidearm away and then added a plastic las pistol/holster. I filled a minor gap at the waist and then primed him.

Converting was easy but the color theory wasn’t so cut and dry.

I decided that I’d use a light grey so his overall tone is lighter than the Valhallans but the stain wouldn’t deviate too much from the overall feel of the models. I hoped for a monochromatic result. I trusted the stain wouldn’t make him too dark and the final appearance would be complimentary blue/grey to the powder blue of the Valhallans.  The silver with ice Blue wash took to the stain nicely too, some nice glint accent.

Here are 2 WIP of the model right before final paint

And just after stain

I’ll post up pics after he is Dullcoted and based.

WIP: Melta Vets

Non-traditional I know but pretty much as I expected them to look and so, I'm happy. I think their look backs their fluff (they are ex-miners) and so the steadycam look is ok. I may add a melta power cell somewhere too but I don't want them too bulky.

I had hoped 3 points of glue would hold them without pins but that ain't happening. I need to pin them.

They need some greenstuff and pouches too.