Rough Rider Squad - Sgt Martin

I wanted distinctive Catachan based Rough Riders and, without seeing it was the go-to conversion, settled on Dark Elf Cold Ones as the mounts. These took a lot of filing and modelling. There's only one set of Catachan legs capable of being used for 'riders' and even then they need a lot of filing. The Cold One Knight lances, stripped of evil shapes, serve as Hunting Lances, although the explosive tips I have yet to figure out and add. The assorted left arms have hands that look as if they could be holding reins.

There are three 'charachter' models: The Lieutenant shown by his 'Carapace Armour' shoulder pads in keeping with 2nd Edition Lieutenants, the Sergeant with Laspistol drawn and the Standard Bearer, lance held high to take a paper standard later. With these models its possible I could have a 5-man Rough Rider Command Squad and a 5-man Rough Rider Squad.

Sergeant                               Standard Bearer                               Lieutenant

The squad has an assortment of stowed gear, befitting an independent unit behind enemy lines. The Comm-Link is there in keeping with the rest of my army. Two models have magnetised arms to allow for swapping Hunting lances for Special Weapons, though I've yet to make Special Weapon arms. Now that cavalry move 12" it may be worth me having two more magnetised models so I can have two 5-man units each with 2 Meltaguns moving over 12" a turn!

I didn't want wide 40mm round bases that prevent lining up the unit, nor rectangular 25X50mm cavalry bases as they wouldn't fit in with the round base 40K system. The custom bases are cut-and-shuts of Bike bases sized to match in area both 40mm round and 25X50mm cavalry bases.

Servitors

I can't take credit for painting these, but they're as I'd want them. They can now escort a Techmarine or Techpriest Enginseer.

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Support Weapon Battery

The Servitors were originally for manning a Space Marine Support Weapon Battery with a mixture of early 2nd Edition weapons. The two outer Servitors in the top photo are 'Spotters' with optics and antennas whilst 3 man the weapons, with one loading a Mole and one remotely operating the Rapier Laser Destroyer.

Mole Mortar                               Thudd Gun                               Rapier Laser Destroyer

The Mole Mortar is a felt-tip pen tube supported by an Imperial Guard Mortar support. The Mole is made from greenstuff. The Thudd Gun is an original and I suppose it could be fielded as its descendant the Thunderfire Cannon. The Rapier Laser Destroyer is original Rapier tracks with two Imperial Guard metal Lascannons. I chose the lascannons over the original guns as they looked better and more in keeping with the current aesthetic.

Howling Banshees

These are Wendlepot's favourite warrior Aspect. Big Fergus helped paint the Exarch. It was difficult to see how to add some craftworld colours to the Aspect's existing paint scheme, so Wendlepot used Dark Angels green on their loin cloths and 'breast'plates. Purple helms and shoulders were tried but didn't look too good. Wendlepot used Screamer Pink on their hair to match her own (much to Big Fergus' dismay), as opposed to the recommended Red Gore.

Since the change in Craftworld colour scheme Wendlepot has changed some of the Howling Banshees colours. This is a work-in-progress as below:

The Howling Banshees now consist of 10 Banshees and 2 Exarchs (and Jain Zar). The first Exarch is equipped with an Executioner. The second is magnetised with Power Sword/Mirror Swords, Triskele and Shuriken Pistol options:

The magnetisation is done by recessing double-stacked 3mm magnets into the shoulders of the body and adding locator pins underneath:

These 4 magnets all align to give a stronger magnetic field, and so spare arms attract to each other. The Shuriken Pistol arm is cut from a regular Banshee while the Triskele arm is a Jain Zar Triskele and part of a Banshee Power Sword arm. The arms have 2mm magnets and holes drilled to accept the locator pins:

Jain Zar

As Wendlepot likes Howling Banshees so much Big Fergus bought her a Jain Zar model. It needed some greenstuff repair. It's based jumping off a Power Armour backback, probably her last kill.

Wood

Wendlepot was originally interested in scenery and this was her first purchase and painting project. The Autumn colours of the leaves worked better than hoped. This piece is simply and affectionately called 'Wood'.

Eversor Assassin

This Eversor Assassin is one of Big Fergus' earliest models. Considering how young I was when I painted it I'm still proud of the result.

Wendlestar

With the work on the Crimson Hunter progressing it was time to decide a paint scheme for this. The result was Wendlepot deciding she didn't like Il'Kaithe colours after all. She now tells me that she went for Il'Kaithe as 'Elves should be green'. She wanted something pink and black but, on discovering the ret-conned Altansar colour scheme in the new codex (Screamer Pink instead of Red), considered this as well. Big Fergus set about painting an Altansar Guardian to trial it whilst Wendlepot painted one in her new pink and black craftworld.

This was Big Fergus' first attempt at painting lightning around power weapons and it went well enough. The pink and black won the day, with the arrangement of colours on the face and chest modelled on Il'Kaithe. With that decided Big Fergus mocked up how the scheme would work on other models using Paintbrush and the Eldar Painter:

Warlock                           Farseer                           Guardian                           Ranger

We discussed how to make the Warlocks etc stand out as Wendlepot didn't want them to look too much like Guardians. She wanted them in Screamer Pink robes but Big Fergus thought to save Screamer Pink for the Farseers' cloaks whilst using Emperors Children for Warlock and Farseer robes. Big Fergus painted a Warlock to see how dark Emperors Children would be with a wash of Carroburg Crimson. Wendlepot was converted.

So, with all that decided the paint stripping, base removing, white metal reglueing etc began with earnest: what a month! All that remains are a Craftworld name and symbol. Wendlepot has settled on Craftworld Wendlestar whilst Big Fergus has suggested a Spirit Stone or Heart with a single wing as the symbol, as this uses existing transfers.

Il'Kaith                                         Altansar                                         Wendlestar

Warp Spiders

Big Fergus bought these Warp Spiders to add a bit of speed with the new rules changes. They haven't seen battle yet but I'm told they're filth.

I've two Exarchs to choose from, one with and one without Powerblades. The Exarchs are magnetised to allow all weapon options. There are 4mm magnets in the tops of their backs and backpacks and 2mm in the bottom.

The weapons have a locating pin sticking out both into the backpack and the back. I was going to have their locating pin in the body of the model but then noticed how weak the weapons became when they had a hole drilled through them, so reinforced them by gluing the pin into the weapons. The Spinneret Rifle is an extended Deathspinner with extra acceleration tubes and a longer firing chamber, made mostly from plasticard and greenstuff.

Rangers

These rangers were for Big Fergus' Allies. Under the previous rules the Pathfinders were godly snipers, if extremely expensive. As with Wendlepots Rangers these are only part painted, partly out of boredom and partly as we're deciding on the cloak's colours. Big Fergus is thinking a black cloak with Screamer Pink, Scorpion Green and Dark Angel Green thorns, although this may be a bit too dark.

Spiritseer / Eldrad Ulthran

I got this Eldrad model as part of an Ebay collection of Warlocks but his head had been mostly filed off. Seeing the Hemlock Wraithfighter pilot's head and knowing that only Spiritseers now have staffs I saw an opportunity for a small conversion. Since the majority of the model is there I see no reason why he can't still also be fielded as Eldrad Ulthran.

The left arm is a Guardian's arm with much greenstuff, including what will be a large Spirit Stone in his hand. The head swap was finished with greenstuff cabling at the back. The scenic base was for raising him up to the level of the modern Farseers. The base was an intricate bit of work with individually cut tiles for the broken floor he stands on, a broken sewer pipe and 'metal' girders in the ground from scrapings of plastic. The base even had a slot for his tab to fit in.

Solitaire

This was a Harlequin High Avatar from GW's Skulz scheme that I got for a steal off Ebay. It'll be used as a Solitaire using the Autarch + Mantle of the Laughing God rules. It gives Wendlepot the option of a more Harlequin themed army. As the modern Harlequins are raised off their bases I raised the Solitaire to match with a tall scenic base showing a busted Star Cannon.

Shadowsword - 'Shot in the Dark'

I got this Armorcast Shadowsword in the USA in '98. It is an officially licensed Games Workshop product, as the GW logo on the box can attest, though that hasn't stopped Games Workshop recently considering it banned from gaming in their stores. Armorcast produced a Shadowsword and a Baneblade, both scaled up versions of the then Epic super-heavy models. I didn't bother with the Baneblade then as it had the firepower of 2 Leman Russes for the points cost of 3, while the Shadowsword added firepower nothing else could. This was around £60.

The then rules stated a Shadowsword had a Volcano Cannon, Hull-mounted Heavy Bolter and Bolter and two sponsons each with a Lascannon and 3 Bolters. The 3 Bolter concept is probably what evolved into the 3 Lasguns on the modern Chimera. I didn't like the pudgy metal Bolters so cut square holes and added plastic Marine Bolters. The Heavy Bolter on the front is from an original Leman Russ while its housing is made of plywood.

The 'Dozerblade is 2 old 'Dozerblades bolted together with a suitable skull and wings from a plastic ring I found on the front. I've added a searchlight, Stormbolter and an inbuilt Hunter-Killer Missile.

Heavy Weapons Teams

All the Heavy Weapons teams in this army are magnetised to allow for easy storage in a quarter-height KR tray alongside the rest of the squad, to allow for wound counting by removing loader models mid game and to allow for use as 2nd Edition models with no large base. Most bases have some sandbags for detail and a bit of ammo to identify the base by. Much of the ammo had to be crafted from Greenstuff.

The 64mm bases have a hole cut out using a rotary cutter (looks like a compass with a blade on the end). Then a filed down section of Lord of the Rings infantry tray is glued into place as this is designed for 25mm bases to fit into. The edges of the infantry tray stand proud so are smoothed using greenstuff. A 3mm magnet is super glued centrally in the 25mm recesses and another under the base of the models, which requires some of the base and metal tab to be carved out.

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Missile Launcher

This simply uses a double section of infantry tray to fit the loader and firer models.

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Mortars

These use a double section of infantry tray to fit the loader and firer models. The Mortars are pinned at the join and have a bar running between the Mortar and stand for strength. The Mortars have a 3mm magnet in their base and the 64mm base has raise bits to hold the mortar in position.

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Heavy Bolter & Autocannons

These all use a common chassis. The firer models have a 3mm magnet in their back side. The chassis has a 3mm magnet in the seat and another, almost lined up, on the bottom below it. A third is placed below the crossbar of the chassis with attracts to one in a piece of sprue on the 64mm base.

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Lascannons

I haven't figured out the Lascannons yet. There'll be some structure to hold a magnet up under the frame and maybe magnets at the end of the legs of the gun.