DIY SPACE MARINE CHAPTER

While most of my hobby time during the past year has been devoted to Orks, I still kick around ideas for my DIY space marine chapter. After going through several ideas, I'm starting to see why there are so many people with an Ultramarines army. It's frustrating to have a great idea in mind, only to see it turn to crap once a mini is actually painted (maybe it's just my painting).

The culls include (in various states of incompletion):

The Dawn Breakers

The Granite Guard (these guys might find their way out of the cull pile...not much different from Ultras...but I like blue)

The Ursus Bellum

Other randumb schemes

So after all that, I'm thinking of making my own Ultramarines army, or maybe Imperial Fists. I'd probably get caught up in Red Scorpions if I could afford Forgeworld's resin crack.

VCT Basing Legion of the Damned

Here's an example of the VCT (vinyl composition tile) flooring in action, providing basing material for some of my Legion of the Damned.  For my Space Marines, I want to base them so they'll fit in with either an urban or barren-blasted-rocky-desert terrain.  I think the VCT does a good job of passing as either slabs of rock or concrete paving.

A lot of good things about using VCT:  

The break pattern is very similar to concrete/rock crack patterns, or you can score and snap it in a straight line.  Free samples are easy to obtain, but even if you have to buy some, it's available at any big-box home center and it's dirt cheap.  60-70 cents a square foot, and in theory on square foot will base 144 minis.

This is just a 2"x2" sample, similar to the one used to base all 6 models above:

For me, the tile is free, and it took only minutes to prepare all of these bases (of course, drilling and pinning the models to the bases took some time, but basing plastic models this way would take very little time).  

It could actually be used to produce a very similar look to Les Bursley's bases, here.  Someday, I'll get some paint on these and provide an example of a finished product.

PAINTING ORKS...

Almost finished with a test Nob.  He's kind of middle ground, more than I plan to do for the boyz mobz, but less than what I hope to achieve on some of the special characters (KFF Mek or Ghaz).

Still needs some paint on the nose ring and other little details, along with some more attention to the base...not sure where to go with that though (fortunately my projects move at a snail's pace, so I'm sure to come up with something by my next hobby opportunity)

NEW STORMBOYZ MODELS...

I'm not very interested in Boar Boyz, but the new models could make for some pretty cool Stormboyz.  Even though the actual Stormboyz models are excellent, it never hurts to add variation to the excellence.

40K Madness...

Have you completely lost it when you start playing games of 40K...against yourself?

It's not a problem, though...I can quit any time I want.