Thursday, October 16, 2025

Celestial Lions Boxnaught (Part 3)

 This week I have made a bit more progress from were we left things last week


I used Leadbelcher over all the components that are painted black. Then I used classic Shining Gold as an edge highlight. 


After that, I paint the left should blue. This is where the chapter icons will go.  I used Stormhost Silver to highlight all the rivets and bolts. I so used is as a subtle edge highlight. 


I used Stormhost Silver to highlight the skulls and a acquilla icons that are scattered across the model. 


I am not too sure I like that result, so I might try some ideas to see if I can't visually punch some of those icons out. 

Tuesday, October 14, 2025

Blackorctober (Part 2)

 Continuing on from Part One, I was finally able to get some paint onto these guys. 



By "some" I mean just Baal Red Contrast Paint all over their armor. And brown paint and washes on the base. I really stlopped on that red and I have spent a good bit of time just touching up some of the areas where I was a bit too sloppy. 


The Baal Red is a very intense color. To the point that these guys remind me of a Blood Bowl team. It doesn't hurt that the Black Orc  Blockers from the 3rd edition of Blood Bowl were clearly patterned off of the Black Orcs from that time, right down to the pose!


My favorite miniature of this unit is easily the standard bearer. It's such an imposing banner and so well sculpted. It's got a good weight to it also, which is something you rarely get in a modern miniature. I am looking forward to making more progress on this guy and the rest of his red armored companions. 

Thursday, October 09, 2025

Celestial Lions Boxnaught (Part 2)

 Welcome to the second part of this year's Dreadtober challenge. In Part 1 I spelled out the plan, and now I'm plowing ahead with it.  To start, I shook up a can of Krylon 18kt Gold Plate spray paint and took it and this hunk of metal outside and blasted away. Afterwards I used classic Chestnut ink (I am so glad I still have some of this!) and used it to darken all the joints and recesses. 

A 41st Millennium solid gold dancer. 

And then I used Abaddon Black to basecoat the areas that are going to end up a silvery metal as opposed to gold. 

Black basecoats. 

That's all the progress I made on the miniature itself, but I did almost finish his base. Just a few minor things to finish on it (the skull and bullet casings specifically) and it's done. 

The base. 

We'll see how much further I get with this next week, but so far this is rolling along well. 


Sunday, October 05, 2025

Black Orctober (Part 1)

 Orctober* is here! 

Metal Black Orcs.

I don't usually get a chance to do both Orctober and Dreadtober (although I have combined them in the past), but this year I am going to go for it. I recently found some classic metal Black Orcks from the turn of this century, plus one guy, the leader, who is from the mid '90s. 

Mid-'90s Big Boss.

The set I had included a single plastic guy converted to be a rear rank stand-in.  That model just wasn't going to work for me however, so I tracked down this muscian guy to add to the unit, since this collection was lacking one. He currently stands out due to the shiney and clean appearance versus the guys who have been stripped of their previous paint coatings. 

The command group.

Here are some of the rank and file guys. They're oddly posed but that's more of a production choice I think than anything else. Regardless, I really like these models and have always wanted them, so I am glad to have finally achieved that goal. 

They rank up so much better on 30mm bases. 

Ok, so yes, these are rescues. They spent about a month soaking in diluted Superclean to get their previous painting efforts removed. Speaking of which here are some examples of what they looked like prior to being stripped. 

At least he had a great dental plan.

Metallic Green skin. 


Yell loudly and beat 'em with a big stick. 

Ok, so that's my stated goal for my fantasy regiment in Orctober. 

'ere, we, go!!!

* or Orktober,  as those who are  going to set a 40k hobby goal this month. 

Wednesday, October 01, 2025

Celestial Lions Boxnaught (Part 1)

 Ah, Dreadtober! My favorite reoccurring project of the year returns! 

"I'm pretty sure I'm a Blood Angel."

For this year's dreadnought I have decided to repaint this old classic. This is a 30 year old boxnaught. He may be small compared to the toys you kids have today, but this thing has the weight and heft to truly harm someone if employed in a violent manner. To be clear, this came to me second-hand and I was not the original painter of this thing. After-all, I don't play Blood Angels and I don't think I have painted one since around 1993 (for Space Crusade). And back then, they were a bit more orange.  Anyway, this guy is going to get stripped all the way down to the bare metal.... 

"...well, I was anyway."

...well, mostly. 

Next week, painting!