015 The March of the Sentinels...and Nose Art!

NB: For some reason - doubtless linked to me fiddling about with settings - this post has no facility for comments. Sorry!

This whole blog thing really has forced me to get more painting done - brilliant!

Now, before I nip off to darkest Devon, here are the two A/P sentinels from my mechanised bn - both armed with multilasers:

The first one presented here, Faith, is one part of the trio Faith, Hope and Charity [*see footnote] and is the first to have fully undergone a repaint.
Originally, the three were black with drab green disruptive pattern lines painted on (you might still be able to see some of the relief of this underneath the Dark Angels Green in certain angles). Much as I liked this scheme, it didn't go with the rest of the force, so I changed it a few months ago; sadly neglecting to strip them first. This one was re-armed with a multilaser; the others retained their lascannon, and I'll post them when(!) I finish re-doing them.
The nose art is something new for me: I've never done any freehand painting before, so I thought I'd start with something simple - I'm happy with the result, although maybe the "24" could've done with being a little higher. My wife painted the pilot, way back in 2002 when the models were new!

The camouflaged one originally came from an eBay win, but I decided to try a conversion. It worked fairly well, considering it was some time ago, now: the weapon is an old warlord titan weapon from Epic, and the ammo belt was cobbled together from hvy bolter ammo - I'd do it less clumsily now, I hope.
This sentinel is the only one painted this way, as that's how it came. I decided to keep it like this (a) because I quite liked it, and (b) because this sentinel was crewed by an officer (Capt. Stephenson - yes, it's a fairly obscure reference). Also because the others (at the time) were all armed the same and came as a trio.
More to follow anon...

- Drax.

* Named after the three famous Gloster Gladiators from the defence of Malta in the 1940s. Also, by happy chance, an old friend named Faith got back in touch with me today - hurrah!

014 Mechanised Infantry Army List

So... before now I've posted my chimerae, hellhounds and salamander, but I thought (as it's half-term* and the weather's filthy) I'd post up the notes on my contingent of the Cadian 24th mechanised battalion. And yes - just to clarify, the regiment has one light bn. and one mech bn.

This basically includes all my light vehicles - tanks will be covered another time.

The problem is that I don't like any of the published army list options for a mechanised force, neither Chapter Approved nor Imperial Armour. I can actually make this force codex-legal (see below), but I don't like to as it always feels rather forced. Yet another reason to appreciate the Apocalypse rules!

To that end then, army lists notwithstanding, here are the constituent parts of my mechanised force:

Salamander HQ;
4 Chimeras, with a mounted platoon in them (HQ + 3 sects);
4 Sentinels (two autocannon; two lascannon);
2 Hellhounds;
Griffon S-P mortar;
Basilisk S-P artillery.
[13 light vehicles in total]

Here's how it becomes an [almost] codex-legal list, based on the IG Codex: Mechanised doctrine: HQ= salamander + 2 sentinels; TP= 1 mounted pl. of 2 sects; 1 A/F squad; FA= 2 hellhounds; 2 sentinels; HS= basilisk and griffon. By dead reckoning (with accoutrements) I make this about 1406 pts.
I may decide to make the mounted troops into stormtroopers (grenadiers) - I have the models for both but I've not yet decided. I probably won't - not least because in gaming terms I like the s/tprs' deep strike capability and in modelling terms I don't wan't to paint s/tprs green, which they'd really have to be to complement their transports.

Also, I have a converted Cadian rough rider unit, but although I like the models I don't really like their rules much, and I can't decide how to paint them.

So there you go: that's the mechanised element of the Cadian 24th. More pics will doubtless follow as and when stuff gets finished.

- Drax.

* "half-term": I'm a high school teacher, and in the UK we get a week-or-so off in the middle of each term.

013 A/T Squad B

August '09 - NB: Since the new Codex: Imperial Guard, my fire support platoons have been disbanded, and their constituent units re-allocated. In this case, these missile launchers are now part of 1 Tactical Platoon.

...Or to be more precise, "1 (F/Sup) Pl, B Section" - from D (F/Sup) Coy.
This is one of my A/T missile launcher sections (there's one in each of D Coy's two F/Sup [hvy wpn] platoons, along with an autocannon section and a hvy bolter section), and the first one to have been fully based. I should point out that the three models with missile launchers are amongst the earliest I painted - years ago - so they're rather blotchy and there are *gasp!* obvious mould lines. I think I was also a little heavy on the varnish. You'll note these have a 'B' on a green flash: D Coy's 1 Pl has the green flash, and the 'B' is because that's their section designation. Out of interest, 'A' is the A/T lascannon squad (on permanent detachment to D Coy HQ); both 'C' and 'D' squads are A/P - with autocannon and hvy bolters respectively.

The rest of the platoon is more than half done, but needs a little more work yet: not least because only today I've started revamping their bases (courtesy of a top-tip from Col Gravis ) in order to make them a little more practical for playing. I'll try to include an account of this anon.A discussion of why I've opted for the Heavy Weapons Platoon doctrine will follow another time, too.

- Drax.