Squaduary 2020 - Adeptus Custodes Vertus Praetors - Complete

So the end of the month looms large and with it, the end of Squaduary 2020. I'm happy to report that I finished my squadron of three Vertus Praetors for my Adeptus Custodes force.

The squad, in all their shiny glory.

It's very cool to have a squad of these guys painted up and it really feels like my little Custodes army is off to a flying (pun intended) start.

Those big lances make them kind of hard to photograph.

Unfortunately my work rate slowed in the last week of the month. I was feeling a bit burnt out and had a cold which meant painting was starting to feel like a chore. Nevertheless, I managed to push through and get the squad finished within the month.

The guy in the middle was the most arduous to paint.

As I've said before, I'm thrilled with the way these have turned out. The colours are working well together and I've been able to complete them in a timely fashion. I can't wait to get stuck into my next challenge for Monster March which should be posted up on the blog shortly. Keep your eyes peeled for that one!

Now to see how they fare on the battlefield!

All that remains is to say thanks to Rory at Stepping Between Games for running Squaduary again this year. I hope you all enjoyed my contributions, if you'd like to read my previous posts you can find them here and here.

Squaduary 2020 - Adeptus Custodes Vertus Praetors - Week 2

Apologies for the delayed post, last week turned out to be busier than I thought so I've not got around to posting my Squaduary update until now. Still, I think it's worth the wait.

This is getting out of hand! Now there are two of them!

As you can see, I've added another completed jetbike to my squad of Vertus Praetors. Now I only have one model left to complete for the full squad! I'm really pleased that I've been able to match the quality of the two models so closely and it gives me a lot of hope for expanding the army going forwards.

The newest member of the squad.

Once again, I used the wet palette for the feathering technique on the lance blade and it certainly seems to help by keeping the paint workable. I don't think I would bother with it for anything that isn't serious blending or feathering though.

Detail of the rider.

For some reason, the zoomed in photo had trouble picking up the true colours of the miniature. Still these are gorgeously detailed miniatures, so I thought it was important to show some of it.

Get ready for the hurricane, heretics!

Anyway, I'm delighted with the way Squaduary is going so far. We're over half way there and I only have one (large) model to go. Certainly feels like I might have a finished squad by the end of the month! But as always, the hobby is a fickle mistress, tune in next week to find out if it has all gone horribly wrong.

If you'd like to see my previous updates you can read them here and here.

Squaduary 2020 - Adeptus Custodes Vertus Praetors - Week 1

The first week of Squaduary is finished and I'm off to a flying start! (pun intended)

Jetbikes are so damn cool.

That's right, your eyes do not deceive you, I've managed to finish painting the first of my Vertus Praetors for the three model squad. I used the colour scheme shown in my previous post, but I modified the purple slightly as I wasn't 100% happy with the original. Other than that, the scheme has stayed the same and I'm really delighted with how this one has turned out.

I nearly poked my eye out on that spear several times.

As for the other two jetbikes, I've managed to build one of them and about half of the other. Hopefully I can get them primed this weekend and then crack on with the painting. It's too early yet to say how the month will pan out, but I certainly hope to keep up the pace and work through the squad.

You can see the base better here.

I'm particularly happy with the result I got on the blade of the lance. I used the same feathering technique I had tried previously on the swords of my Sicarian Infiltrators but refined it slightly. This time around I even tried out using a wet palette and I was a little nonplussed. It certainly elongated the drying time of the paint on the palette, but I feel as though I could achieve a similar result with a conventional palette. Perhaps further use will divulge the supposed brilliance of the wet palette.

Squaduary, by the way, is an annual painting initiative run by Rory over at Stepping Between Games. It encourages participants to paint up a squad of miniatures during the month of February. Having got off to a good start myself, I'm looking forward to seeing what my fellow Squaddies have got up to. If you're interested, check Stepping Between Games every week during February to see the community results.

As for me, tune in next week to see if I've managed to knock another one of these bad boys out of the pile of shame!

Squaduary 2020 - Adeptus Custodes Vertus Praetors

Somehow it's that time of year once again. That's right, Squaduary is back and this time it's personal! For those that are unaware, Squaduary is an annual event hosted by Rory over at Stepping Between Games which encourages participants to paint up a squad of toy soldiers in February. 

As you may know, I've been doing this for a few years now and have made some good progress by doing so. Hopefully this year will be no exception.

The Vertus Praetors will use this colour scheme.

I painted this chap as a test model for the squadron of Vertus Praetors I intend to build and paint during squaduary. These will form the starting point of a new Adeptus Custodes force for Warhammer 40k.

Honestly, I am slightly daunted by the prospect of painting up three Praetors in a month. They are large and detailed models and I want to do them justice. I hope, that by using the scheme above, I will be able to complete them all to a good standard in time.

Slightly blurry detail of the cloak.

Come back next week when hopefully I will have made a good start by building the squad.

Squaduary 2019 - Sicarian Infiltrators Part 3

What a week it's been! Excellent progress has been made, but not necessarily in the direction I expected. First up, I finished painting my squad of five Sicarian Infiltrators from the kill team box set.

So stealthy.

As I've said before, the Infiltrators have been an absolute delight to paint. I will definitely do another five or ten of these in the near(ish) future. I'm really delighted to have another squad of infantry to add to my army as well. Some of you may know that my current collection is a bit top heavy (what with all those knights!) so adding more little dudes is a must this year.

Really happy with the Princeps too.

I got a bit snap happy with these guys last night, so here are a couple more photos showing them off.

Bunged a transfer on there, just because.

I'm in love with these pink swords.

But that's not the only thing I have to report this week! As most of you know, my goal was to paint the new Tech-Priest Manipulus from the kill team box as a new HQ for the Adeptus Mechanicus. Well, behold!

Erm, that's the wrong tech-priest.

Ok, some explanation is in order. I've mentioned in a couple of posts that I'm currently doing a 'tale of four warlords' with a few of my buddies. January's target was to paint a patrol detachment which I failed because I didn't finish the HQ.

Don't concentrate on the finger....

I had started painting the Dominus shown above though. So, once I finished the Infiltrators I was left with a choice. Either, start the Manipulus and potentially have two part painted tech-priests by the end of the month. Or, finish painting the Dominus and see what could be done with the Manipulus in the remaining time. You've probably guessed by now I went with option 2.

Really looks like he's preaching in this shot.

I had a lot of fun with this guy too. I went for a kind of colour invert; using beige on his robes and green/brass for his armour. I think he fits well with the rest of the forces whilst still looking suitably different to my other painted Dominus.

I have also made a bit of progress with the Manipulus, but it's just some shoddy basecoats at the moment.

I've been really pleased to take part in Squaduary this year which is run by the excellent Stepping Between Games. The amount of progress made by all the participants has been really inspiring and I'm thrilled to be able to contribute.

Tune in next week for a final post and to see if I manage to finish another tech-priest!

Squaduary 2019 - Sicarian Infiltrators Part 2

Well, it's been a bit of an odd week this week. I have made some great progress with the Infiltrators but haven't taken too many photos, so this will probably be a short, and somewhat wordy post.

Nevertheless, this is how they were looking on Saturday.

The gangly gang.

Since this photo was taken I have managed to get a fourth member of the squad finished and made a start on the Princeps. But unfortunately I negelcted to take further progress shots so you will have to make do with the same photo from a different angle.

I'm starting to feel seasick.

It's an absolute blast painting these guys, I'm enjoying it so much that I can definitely see myself doing five more in the not too distant future. First though, I have to get the Manipulus painted up.

I did manage to get the Infiltrators on the field last night for a game against some Necrons. The squad performed fine, but didn't manage many kills themselves. I think in all, they accounted for half a squad of Necron warriors. Still, I like to think they are more of a strategic unit than one possessed of raw killing power. I might write it up as a short wordy battle report if anybody is interested (comment in the comments!)

All of this by the way is part of Squaduary, the annual painting event held by Stepping Between Games in an effort to bring more colour to the tabletop. I absolutely love these monthly painting challenges, so thanks again to Rory for running it.

Tune in next week to see the (hopefully) finished squad and find out if I've managed to overcome my fear of painting the Manipulus.

Squaduary 2019 - Sicarian Infiltrators Part 1

Well, one week down and what a week it's been! I've been making some excellent progress with my Infiltrator squad and have already painted two of them.

Looks super stealthy.

Following the fun I had painting the power sword for my Skitarii Ranger Alpha, I couldn't help but go for a full squad of guys with power swords. I'm really enjoying knocking out a bit of quick and dirty blending on these blades and I think it will make the squad look really distinctive when they hit the tabletop.

All of this, by the way, is part of Squaduary. Run by Stepping Between Games, Squaduary is a community event to encourage all of us to delve into the grey pile of shame and get some more colour on our battlefields. This will be the third year I have participated and I expect to be just as pleased with 2019's squad as I was with the previous two. You can look back fondly at my previous efforts here.

Dodgy work in progress shot.

As mentioned in my initial pledge, these guys form part of the Theta-7 Acquisitus kill team box which also includes the brand new Tech-Priest Manipulus. I haven't yet made a start on painting the Manipulus yet but I did manage to get him built last weekend. I have to say that the amount of detail on the miniature is staggering and he will prove to be a challenging and exciting model to paint. I want to get his retainers out of the way first though.

More dodgy WIP.

That about sums up my first week of Squaduary 2019. Tune in next week for more pink power swords and hopefully a Sicarian Princeps to lead this pack.

Squaduary 2019 - Theta 7 Acquisitus Kill Team

Yes, it's that time of year again. Squaduary is once again being inflicted upon us by the wonderful Stepping Between Games. As is my custom, I'll be piling in, trying to get another squad painted up for my Adeptus Mechanicus forces. As it happens, Games Workshop have decided to release the new Theta-7 Acquisitus kill team box on the second of February. Well, it seems my choice of models is made for me!

It's time to acquire!

The set includes 5 ruststalkers/infiltrators as well as the new Tech-priest Manipulus and a small terrain bundle. I'm very excited by the prospect of a new tech priest and I really like the Manipulus model.

More bounce to the ounce!

The model has proven somewhat divisive online. The styling is somewhat unusual and it's not been helped by the slightly odd angle of the GW photograph. However, I really like the look of the Manipulus; he's creepy and cybernetic in a way that is not really shown by other models in the range. I can't wait to add him to my forces and see what he's capable of on the table.

At any rate; that concludes my Squaduary 2019 pledge. Stay tuned as I try to paint a squad of elites and a new HQ in the month!

Squaduary 2018 - Wargame Exclusive Kataphron Destroyers: Part 4

We've reached the end of Squaduary 2018 and I'm pleased to announce that I've completed my pledge of three Kataphron Destroyers for my Adeptus Mechanicus force.

Robots with abs, what's not to love!?

I know three models isn't exactly impressive compared to some of my fellow Squaduary participants but I'm pretty pleased with myself. The squad has come together nicely and added another 200 points to my growing force.


Painting some models with a bit more flesh was a breath of fresh air in the midst of my mechanical hordes. Wargame Exclusive have created a nice set of miniatures here, which were a lot of fun to build and paint.

So much plasma, so much potential for gets hot!

I've yet to try fielding these guys on the tabletop which is probably a first for me (completely painting a squad before they hit the tabletop). I do have a game booked this weekend so I feel duty bound to give them a test run.

Third squad member complete.

I've thoroughly enjoyed Squaduary again this year. Once again, seeing the progress of the other participants has given me the motivation to finish a squad of my own. Big thanks to Rory over at Stepping Between Games for organizing the event and posting weekly updates of everybody's progress.


If, like me, you're a fan of these monthly painting challenges, Swordmaster at Path of an Outcast will be running Monster March again this year. I will be taking part and attempting to paint my Cerastus Knight Castigator (such an awesome model). Check back later this week for an introductory post to Monster March.


As usual, you can see my Squaduary progress here, here and here. I've had a blast, let's do this again next year!

Squaduary 2018 - Wargame Exclusive Kataphron Destroyers: Part 3

Three quarters of the way through Squaduary and things are looking pretty good. I've got two of the three models completed and have made a good start on the last one.

Now with terrain!

As you can see, this model is equipped with the Wargame Exclusive plasma culverin rather than the Games Workshop version. There is very little to choose between the two. If pushed, I would probably say that I prefer the GW version slightly, but they both look great when painted and scale well with the models.


As before, the details on the Wargame Exclusive models are just excellent. Each of the three servitors is crammed with individual touches which make them stand out from one another and gives the impression of a tech priest really hashing them together from odds and ends. A lovely image for something that the Adeptus Mechanicus would consider a disposable asset.

The 'pec plates' are pretty cool.

You may notice that these photos are a little different than my customary black background. That's because I took these during a little photo session for my whole army to celebrate the completion of a fully painted 1000 points. That's a pretty good benchmark for me but I'll discuss it more in another post.

It's plasma time!

Thanks again to Rory at Stepping Between Games for running this event. It's really pushing me along and I'm looking forward to adding another 200 points to my growing forces. Thanks as well to all  the other participants, let's keep it going and get those models finished!


You can check out my Squaduary history here, here and here. Tune in next week for the final, hopefully triumphant, Squaduary post.

Squaduary 2018 - Wargame Exclusive Kataphron Destroyers: part 2

So it's the end of week two of Squaduary, and things are progressing nicely! Although I'm struggling to believe that we're half way through February already.

Who says you can't have both claws AND guns??

I've finished painting one of my Kataphron Destroyers and have made good progress in painting the other two. I've very much enjoyed painting these models from Wargame Exclusive and they have made a nice change from the Games Workshop version.

Glad I increased the base size.

I've continued with the green and brass colour scheme common to the rest of my Adeptus Mechanicus forces. These models however have a lot more bare flesh than the usual Mechanicus range, so some different colours were called for. The skin was basecoated with Rakarth Flesh before following up with thin layers of Cadian Flesh (pretty sure this is from the old Citadel colour palette). Then I washed the recesses with a little Reikland Fleshshade and some Carroburg Crimson to make the implants look sore and poorly maintained. Finally I highlighted up with a mix of Screaming Skull (old palette again) and Cadian Flesh. Overall, I'm pretty pleased with how it turned out. Skin tones are something I tend to agonise over but this time I tried to paint a bit more fast and loose and I think it turned out fine.

The back is nicely detailed too.

I also tried to paint the raised veins in kind of a blue colour. I'm not 100% happy with the effect, but I don't think it detracts from the models.




So, that's another step towards the completion of the squad. Join me for next week's post when hopefully I will have another completed model to share.


If you'd like to read my previous Squaduary posts you can find them here and here.

Squaduary 2018 - Wargame Exclusive Kataphron Destroyers: Part 1

That's week one of Squaduary down and how am I doing? Well, ok.....sort of. I've managed to get the miniatures built, including some minor conversions, and I've undercoated the squad. I've also made a very small start with the painting as you can see in the photos below.

So grey, so incredibly grey.

You might not be able to tell from the photos but they are undercoated, I swear! It's just that I am taking a departure from my usual process and using a pale grey undercoat rather than good old Chaos black. The main reason for this is because these models have a lot of exposed flesh; which should be easier to paint over a light coloured undercoat. I have always struggled with flesh tones over black and found that they need plenty of thin coats to ensure good coverage.

Lovely miniatures, it's a shame they're not painted.

For those that missed out, Squaduary is an event run by Rory over at Stepping Between Games. The goal is to paint a squad of miniatures during February and update your progress regularly to help motivate all the participants.


My pledge is to build and paint a squad of three Kataphron Destroyers for my Adeptus Mechanicus forces. For those who are familiar with the Mechanicus model range, you will have noticed that the models I'm using are not your usual Kataphron battle servitors. These miniatures are produced by Wargame Exclusive and provide a nice change from the tracked versions produced by Games Workshop.


I have altered the models slightly as I wanted to change the weapon loadout of the squad. Wargame Exclusive provides two models armed with Heavy Grav Cannons and a single model armed with a Plasma Culverin. I really wanted my entire unit to be armed with Plasma Culverins, so, I removed the Grav Cannons and replaced them with GW Plasma Culverins that I had left over from my Kataphron Breachers. Scale wise, the GW cannons are slightly larger than the Wargame Exclusive, but not so much that it spoils the models. The slightly tricky part was that the GW weapons are designed to be side mounted onto the shoulder, whereas the Wargame Exclusive cannons are all mounted at the elbow. This required a raid of the bits box to find some suitable parts with which to cover the intended connection point. Fortunately I have a good supply of Mechanicus spares and managed to fill in quite well.

The Wargame Exclusive cannon.

And the GW version.

I have also changed the phosphor blasters for cognis flamers. This was a pretty simple swap as I just shortened the barrels and added the nozzle from a cognis flamer. It did require some creative repositioning of the large claws that each model possesses; but I'm pleased with the way they turned out overall.


As for the models themselves; the quality of the resin and the detail pick up is excellent. There were very few casting flaws and no warping was present across the squad. I did have some trouble gluing the parts together, however this was easily remedied with a little patience and the occasional pin (needed for some of the weapon swaps).


So that's week one over, here's hoping that week two will bring a bit more colour to the squad. If you missed it, you can check out my initial Squaduary pledge here.


Thanks for reading!

Squaduary 2018 - Wargame Exclusive Kataphron Destroyers

Well, it's that time of the year again (if you can say that about something which has only been around for two years?) That's right, Rory over at Stepping Between Games is encouraging us all to paint up a squad of some sort during the month of February. Does he desperately need the motivation of his fellow hobbyists? Or is he just a civic minded chap who wants to help us all cut down on our unpainted piles of shame? Some questions are best left unanswered, after all, a curious mind is a heretical mind.......


At any rate, I digress. If you didn't grasp from that rambling paragraph, I will once again be taking part in Squaduary. Last year I managed to get through a small squad of Skitarii Vanguard and to be honest, I was pretty pleased with myself. This year I will be trying to expand my Adeptus Mechanicus forces again by adding a squad of Kataphron Destroyers.


As some of you may know, I have built and painted a squad of Kataphron Breachers for my Mechanicus previously. To be honest though, I'm not totally in love with the models, even with some minor modifications. So, in order to add something a little different to the army, and provide me with a fresh challenge, enter Wargame Exclusive with their Kataton Destroyers!

Now that's pretty badass!

Wargame Exclusive have been on my radar for a while but I could never really justify buying their miniatures. Then Black Friday came along and these guys were 20% off and well, the rest is history.


Having the models in hand, I have to say that they definitely live up to the images on the website. The details are crisp and there is very little flash that needs to be trimmed off of the components. The only issue that I have is that ideally I want a squad armed with plasma culverins and cognis flamers (because I like to burn things). So some weapon swaps and some minor conversions will be necessary to get things the way I want them. I will also be increasing the base size because I think they will look a little odd perched on a 40mm base (even if the ones supplied are nicely sculpted).


So there you have it, my Squaduary pledge for 2018. Three Kataphron Breachers armed with plasma culverins and cognis flamers. Will I succeed? Or will I be cast down in failure? Only time, and this blog, will tell.

Skitarii Vanguard - Squaduary progress week 4

Well, we've come to the end of the month! I'm incredibly proud to say that I've completed my Squaduary pledge of five Skitarii Vanguard. I would have liked to have painted more of the squad but that was always going to be an ambitious target and between playing a few games of 40k and painting other projects it slipped through the cracks.

The finished squad in all their finery.

Painting these guys has been a thoroughly enjoyable experience, the models are great and I'm pleased with the overall finish. Hopefully this will spur me on to painting more of my Adeptus Mechanicus minis.

Sorry about the blur.

Speaking of being spurred on, Swordmaster over at Path of an Outcast is running an event called Monster March. You guessed it, the idea is to paint a monster in March! The event is really aimed at fantasy creatures but Swordmaster has been incredibly generous and allowed me to pledge my Kastelan robot maniple (they are monstrous creatures after all). So expect further updates here as I attempt to paint both of the robots along with their attendant Cybernetica Datasmith. Will I fall at the first hurdle or will it be another resounding success? Only time, and my battered paintbrush, will tell!


To round off Squaduary, I'd like to say a huge thank you to Rory over at Stepping Between Games, for running and organising the event. I must say that seeing the photos of everybody else's work was enormously motivating and really pushed me to finish the entire squad.


If you've missed out and want to read the rest of the Squaduary journey you can do so here, here and here.

Skitarii Vanguard - Squaduary progress week 3

Yet another week of good progress, the end is rapidly approaching but I feel like the goal of painting a five man squad is easily within my grasp.

Pink is the colour of warriors!

As you can see from the pictures, I have completed four out of five models and am working on the fifth. So far I'm very happy with the way that the challenge has pushed me to paint the squad (even if a plasma caliver and an arc rifle aren't the ideal armaments!)




The arc rifle in question.

Also, this guy.

As before, I'm in awe of the Skitarii Vanguard kit, the whole thing has been a delight to build and paint. Hats off to Games Workshop for this one.


If you missed the first and second Squaduary installments you can find them here and here. Tune in next time for the exciting conclusion, will I finish the squad? Will I manage to paint any extras?? Only time will tell.

Skitarii Vanguard - Squaduary progress week 2

So week 2 is over and yet more stellar progress has been made; I am proud to present, my first two completed Skitarii Vanguard! (Pause for rapturous applause)




Skitarii Alpha ready to lead the soldiers of the Omnissiah!

I'm delighted with the way these guys are turning out. In fact I like them a great deal more than the Skitarii Rangers which the kit also builds. When I first saw the models I thought the Rangers looked nicer but upon building and painting them, I think the Vanguard are a firm favourite. I know it's only a head and weapon swap but sometimes it's these little details that make all the difference.

The Legio Skitarii Needs You!

I know I'm not following the plan set out by Squaduary, but generally I prefer to paint a batch of models to a certain level (basecoats and maybe a basic wash) and then finish them all up individually. Doing this helps keep my motivation going as I get to admire a finished miniature every so often along the way. I have tried complete batch painting in the past and found it soul destroying (looking at you Hormagaunts!)

Plasma caliver!

Ok, I know a plasma caliver isn't the best armament for a Skitarii. Hugely expensive, enormously likely to kill the wielder, not particularly versatile etc etc. But I just love the idea of letting rip with three of these things, especially if the target is a monstrous creature or a group of terminators. Just imagine the look on your opponent's face as nine plasma shots batter away their 2+ saves!

Anything but a 1.....*rolls 3 ones*

Anyway, you can probably tell I'm delighted with how Squaduary is going so far. Many thanks to Rory for running it and motivating me to paint these guys; otherwise they'd probably still be languishing in their undercoat.


Stay tuned for the next update in a weeks time. If you want to read the start of my Squaduary exploits, you can find it here.