Les Grognards

So in my quest to collect them all, all the guard that is, I have purchased some more Les Grognards from Wargames Atlantic for conversion in to DKoK command squads, heavy weapons and engineers

 I plan on getting hold of a box of DKoK Command Squad, Engineers and also a Heavy Weapons Squad and using the extra bits to build more squads. 

Looking through the various bits in the command squad I think this will be the hardest one to bash together as it’s designed to build only a limited number of models, although I think there will be several bits that can be used to build at least two, if not three additional models (using Les Grognards bodies)

The heavy weapons squads will be a little easier, while there will only be enough bits in the box to build three weapons platforms, it should be easy to convert up three more from the heavy weapon options in the Les Grognards box. The will also be bits left over from the Les Grognards box to build three more heavy weapons teams, built as mortars (played as cadian HWTs) to add some extra support.

The Engineers is actually going to be the easiest to convert up. The box contains enough weapons to build five models with club and pistols or 5 with shotguns plus a remote mine, flamer and Sgt, also with several options. This means that the box can build at least 13 models, possibly 16, so it should be easy to build three 5 man squads with the bits in the box and Les Grognards bodies. With a few extra bits, building a couple of remote mine operators and flamers will.also be fairly easy. 

I have yet to get the DKoK boxes but I'm hopeful to grab them soon, although given current event, it might not be as soon as I would like.

Subductors squad 2

 So this is the second squad of subductors. Very similar to the first squad with only a couple of minor differences in the poses. Again, there are 11 guys to give those options of using the flag or not. 

The main difference between the two squads, apart from the poses are the colour reversal, both on the tabards, shields and the standard.

Again we have a trooper reading the paths or battle litanies but we also have a 'medic'. Ok, you can't actually take a medic as part of the squad but I think it's a cool little detail, after all what squad is not going to go in to battle without someone who knows how to use the sticky plasters.

There is another gun wielding book worm among the squad as well, although this one has a significantly smaller book.

Above book guy two with two shield and pistols and below are three board and mauls

Again we have the three "characters", board and icon, Proctor-Subductor with Nuncio Aquila and the standard in the centre. 

So that's the two squads sorted and done, minus doggo's. I will get the dogs done at some point soon, plus I need to figure out the transports, as I really would like these guys in transports, ready to keep up with the knight. 

Subductors squad 1

Following on from the Station Forge character models, here we have the Station Forge Royal Guard Templars. This is the first squad of models, although the second squad is pretty similar. There are actually 11 models here, and doesn’t include the doggo, which is still in training (AKA not painted yet). There was one model that I decided not to use, mostly as that model looked very tricky to glue to a base as it was running with only the front foot section of one foot on the base. As I had enough models without that model, I decided to not bother with it. 

I only need 10 models for the squad, I decided to build the 11 models as for competitive play, having a giant flag in the squad is not a great idea.  

These two models are basic troopers, however I really like their poses. One is reaching round to grab his pistol from his holster, the other reaching for a grenade. You can also see their shields laying on the floor, which is a nice little detail I think.

Next up are the three formed of two with shields and pistol and one with book and shield. I can imagine the book wielding trooper reading out the rites of battle or the oaths sworn to the Laird of Fellengarde (my knightly house).

More classic board and swords type of guys (or rather board and stick). 

Lastly are the "characters". The standard bearer, which had no effect in game, apart from presenting a big target to shoot at, the Sergeant, or Proctor-Subductor, with Nuncio Aquila and last, dude with little icon thingy. 

These are not painted to the highest standard, but they are certainly table top ready, minus the basing obviously. I intend to play them at some point when I actually get around to a game. Next up will the the second squad, same as the first but different!

 

Station Forge models

 There are going to be a few picture posts over the next couple of weeks as I play catch-up with some of the models I have painted in the last couple of months. 

These are from the Station Forge Royal Guard Elites. There is a model missing, as it broke while I was trying to fix some issues but I haven't bothered fixing it as I don't like the model and have no use for it. 

First up are the priest and rattling. The priest will no doubt find a place somewhere, although I very rarely run a priest as they are pretty useless. The rattling will find a place with my other ratlings as I have nine and need ten to field a full squad or two 5 man squads. I haven't run ratlings for a while but plan to try some in a future game. 

Next we have the Navis Imperialis or Imperial navy. There are two characters here, a proper senior officer type and gun wielding junior officer. 

I have no idea what they can be used as but I really want to use the senior officer for something, I think he is the best posed model here. If the guard still had regimental advisers I'd have used him as the Officer of the Fleet but alas, they are no more. 

Here we have two quite different models, one really jumps out as an Inquisitor, the other is a Rouge Trader. I really like the rough trader model and she will make a suitable substitute for the actual rouge trader model I have. The Inquisitor, while he looks good, is unlikely to see much action, as I have my custom built characters that I play. He may get bumped down to primaris psykers on occasion but given the next set of models that's also unlikely.

As alluded too above, the last set of models we have are the psykers. These three models will work nicely as primaris psykers and may find themselves getting used quite a bit as I tend to use primaris psykers quite a bit for their 4++ invulnerable saves. 

The central model is my favourite one here, mostly because of the warp flames emanating from his hands. The lady on the right could also be used as an Inquisitor, as she is regal enough but I think she works better as a psyker. 

So that's the characters all covered. There is quite a random bunch of models here, covering a wide range of possibilities. Some may get a fair bit of use, others will probably never see the table top in anger. 

Random models

Alongside the AoS Sigmar models I brought for the Sanguinary Guard, were these three models. I'm really not sure what I will use them for, I had though I could put together the Blood and Zeal Sanctifiers kill team for use in an Imperial Agents list but they don't really fit with any of the models there. 

I painted these up fairly basically, as they are monks or acolytes, so wouldn't be very fancy. The idea is leather coats\cloaks with gold trim. 

The smoke pots worked quite well with a little bit of wet blending and contrast paint. It's not a good as I'd have liked but I think it looks good. I added some red to the base to give it the look of burning coals, which looks ok but I think I should have gone with orange or maybe even blue for some more aethereal vibe.

Just a very quick and simple side project that I did to give me a bit of a pallet cleaner in-between other projects.

Eagle Knights characters

So, as usual, I was browsing eBay and came across a model, the Stormcast Eternal Knight Arcanum to be precise, and thought, Librarian, so I brought it. Now I already have a librarian but he's got wings and is flying (ala wings of sanguinis) which is now not a thing. So I wanted to build a new one. While I was at it I thought I'd see what other models I might be missing, and one that popped up a few times in videos was the Lieutenant with combi weapon, so a quick hint around lead me to the Underworlds Emberguard Emberwatch, a bit of a mouthful that  and Farasa. I did initially think about using Ardorn and I'm still thinking I might get him too, but I went for Farasa for the twin blades.

Then I came across Stormsire's cursebreakers and specifically Averon Stormsire. This threw a bit of a spanner in the works as I had already brought the Knight Arcanum as the librarian but after a bit of thought I switch the Knight to a Sanguinary Priest and will use Averon as a librarian.

Three new characters

The combi weapon lieutenant was the most fun to build. There were a couple of issues with switching the AoS weapon across to a combi but it worked out quite icely in the end. 

Pouches, pouches and grenades, that was the main order of the day. This guy is supposed to be a one man army kinda guy, so makes sense he would want to carry everything he might need on him. 

Next we have the sanguinary priest. I wasn't really planning on building one of these but I'm happy I did. The pose is not perfect but I do like it. This model took the most amount of work, as I had to fill some holes in the body that were left when I didn't add the original parts to the waste. You can just see some of the green stuff on the left hip of the model. Additionally, the hands both required some work, the left to attach the pistol and the right to swap the hand from the original arm to a new arm to give a better pose. 

Lastly, for now, we have the librarian. As soon as I saw this model I knew it had to be the librarian, why? Well, smite is a witchfire power and see that in his hand? Yes, this model has fire in thier hand! I trimmed a few bits off and added some other details plus a quick head change on the staff (which is a little wonky) and we have a librarian. 

 I said he was the last "for now", as I have one more model in mind and I now actually have some of the bits. The last model I need, or as it actually is, would like, to build is an Ancient. I have a spare body and now I have a suitable standard, a Brentonian standard. Now all in need is to find a way to combine them in to a suitable Ancient. 

Armiger knights

The next models on the paint table were some bigger models, in the form of two new armigers. These were the newer kits, so.coupd be built as either Helverins or Warglaves, something I didn't actually realise when I brought the kit. So as you can imagine, the first order of the day were magnets. 

Following the trend with the original two Armigers I built, the colour combinations on the tops are reversed for each model. I did do a few alterations, such as the head and hood combinations, which are solid colours here but split on the originals, plus the leg colours are reversed on this pair, red on the inside compared to blue on the originals. There are a few other differences but on the whole, same but different.

Another nod to the original two are the colours of the actual bodies. It's not as easy to see on these two but they are different. The original two were gold and silver with these two being bronze (above) and copper (below). I had hoped for a bigger difference between these two, but it's ended up being quite subtle. Maybe I should have gone for something very different for one of these but I'm not sure what I could have done and I don't have other metallic colour to hand. 

Also note the icons on the front of the shoulders, all four have different symbols here. I will get all four out at some point for a side by side comparison.

All the options for both models were magnetised, meaning I can run these as either Helverins or Warglaves, although given my experience with Warglaves, I imagine I'll be running these as Helverins most days.

Armiger Helverin

Armiger Warglaves 

Armiger Warverin (or Helglave??)

Was hoping that we might get something like this for the new knight model but no, we got the other thing. I really wish we would get a proper combat Armiger, like the Chaos Karnivores. Alternatively, a proper anti-infantry with Gatling cannon (ala Stalkers) or one with a big flamer (like Krieg heavy weapons flamer or hellhound inferno cannon). I think that 4 options for Armigers would be great but not likely. 

 

New Sprues

 So, in amongst all the new models, we have these two beauties. Two sprues of Wargames Atlantic Death Fields Bulldogs. These have been purchased with the aim of building a third Kasrkin squad and a couple of Castellans with the left over parts.

This is to enable me to run three squads in the three chimera transports for the Mechanised assault detachment. 

Not really a lot else to say, just need to get them built, although I might end up taking them with me.on our trip this summer.