Warhammer 40k Forum and Wargaming Forums banner

"Children of the Emperor! Death to his foes!" - A pre-heresy Emperor's Children plog

22K views 71 replies 18 participants last post by  Deus Mortis 
#1 ·
"Children of the Emperor! Death to his foes!" - A pre-heresy Emperor's Children plog

Greetings heretics! Welcome to my pre-heresy Emperor's Children project log.

I have recently decided to start an Emperor's Children army, set around about the time when Eldrad tries to warn Fulgrim of Horus's imminent betrayal, and I intend to make it a fluffy army. This mean that whilst my army will include Fulgrim with the Blade of the Laer and unit's which use sonic shriekers, they will be few and far between. I intend to make my force largely of those who would later be betrayed at Isstvan III. This also means that I will not be including many tanks, pieces of artillery or Cataphractii terminators, but will mainly be collecting infantry, jump infantry, jetbikes, etc and using a lot of MKIV armour.

Currently, I have bought/been bought 10 tactical marines, 10 assault marines, the box of two legion praetors (I'll probably use the artificer armoured one as a legion champion or something) and a unit of Palatine blades.

That's probably enough rambling, so onto some of the actual fruits of my painting thus far. I have to admit that I am not a great photographer, but hopefully the photo's I include will be sufficient for you guys! I will appreciate any comments, criticisms and tips you guys have for my painting and photography!

So without further ado, enjoy Palatine Blade squad Aelius and Praetor Sabinus! :eek:k:
 

Attachments

See less See more
14
#5 · (Edited)
Wow, so I was rather rude and didn't respond. Let me correct that now.



Thanks :victory: My thought was that when they go full Slaanesh-y they need much brighter purple/pink to help their damaged optical nerves tell the difference so I wanted a darker purple.

Really like your colors on those. Well done! The only thing I don't like (and it's a personal thing) is the glossy look to them. Makes them look "slimy" to me.
See (again, personal taste) I like the glossy look because I think it makes the paintwork look like it's been freshly painted and possibly has a coat of varnish or something applied to it, which strikes me as 'in keeping' with the Emperor's Children's image of not only warriors but artists and sculptors etc.

Anyway, now the holidays are over and my progress has slowed now that I'm back at uni. Still painting up my stuff from Christmas, but I use it as a reward for doing uni work. Something's got to keep me motivated :laugh: Anywho, I finished the other 5 assault marines so now have a complete squad of 10. I'm aware that the photos aren't the best, but hopefully they're good enough for you guys to comment on:

So, I put the slightly odd looking helmet (well, odd looking to me) on the guy with 2 chainswords because I thought it had a might less elegant look to it which matches the aesthetic of a guys wielding two chainswords.























So, I put the slightly odd looking helmet (well, odd looking to me) on the guy with 2 chainswords because I thought it had a might less elegant look to it which matches the aesthetic of a guys wielding two chainswords. I honestly am much happier with this second lot of 5 guys in terms of poses. I think they look more dynamic and actually more realistic, almost like they're a freeze frame of some assault marines in battle. I also did some highlighting on them, which came out rather well and doesn't make the models look too light as I had previously feared, so I will go back and highlight the rest of the guys I painted.

Here are a few groups shots of both the full squad and all I've painted thus far:









And that's all I have for you so far folks. Next I'm working on a 10 man tactical squad to complete my 1 HQ, 2 Troops minumum. In future I plan to buy some proper Emperor's Children should pads and a boarding shield to fit on my Artificer armoured Praetor, but that will be after I've painted up the tacticals most probably.

As always, C&C are welcome and I hope you guys enjoy the update! :eek:k:
 
#4 ·
Yay, update time! Due to the fact that I have not decided to do any uni work yet and had a lot of free time on my hand, I've painted up 5 of a 10 man Legion Assault Marine squad, including their sergeant. Here they are for you guys to enjoy:



Here are some close up's of the individual marines, starting with the sergeant:





Those of use with a decent eye will spot that I used a Nemesis Falcion as his power weapon. I could have gone for an axe or a fist, but I'm trying to make a fluff-y Emperor's Children army and so I figured a sword fitted better.

Anyway, the rest of the squad:









Also, as a general note of what more you can expect to see. I already have 10 MKIV Tactical Marines and 5 more MKIV Assault Marines, so I'll be painting them up steadily. Oh, and I painted up the other (i.e. the artificer armoured one) Legion Praetor. I'll get some photo's of him up soon.

After those, I will probably invest in a 10 man unit of Sun-killers (basically lascannon equipped heavy weapons teams), Phoenix guard (and use them as regular terminators, as I don't own Massacre and I'm not sure I want to pay £70 to be able to use one unit) and at least one Contemptor.

As always comments and criticisms are welcome. Also, if any of you folks go "Hey Deus, you should add/have you thought about adding *this* to your army?" I'd like to hear that too.

Until next time!
 
#6 ·
Alrighty just a wee update for you guys, one I'm hoping to get some comments on. I've had a go at free-hand painting the Emperor's Children emblem on the shoulder pad and (whilst it's hard to see because the boltgun hides it) the Palatine aquilla on their chest-plate and it'd be great if I could get your feedback on it. So here's the first of 10 tactical marines for your viewing pleasure.







 
#7 ·
Great work on that guy! :good:
 
#8 ·
Cheers Tawa

Not much of an update again. In fact, this is barely an update. I tried out the legion symbol on another tactical marine (not featured, but will be when I finish this batch of 5) and I'm happy enough with the consistency of it's shape and size that I'm going to free-hand paint it on instead of buying the shoulder pads from FW, meaning I have more money for actual dudes :victory:

Also, I purchased this gem as the boarding shield for my artificer armoured centurion/praetor:



It measures 20mm (width) by 29mm (height) so it's roughly the same dimensions as a boarding shield. Well, it's bigger than a combat shield at any rate which is the important thing. Sadly, since Chapterhouse are in the US and I'm in the UK it might take a bit for it to get here. But hopefully by then bitsandkits will have restocked on phoenix spears and I can purchase on of those as well!

That's all for now. I'll try and have a real update for you soon :eek:k:
 
#10 · (Edited)
"Children of the Emperor! Death to his foes!" - A pre-heresy Emperor's Childr...

Edit: Thanks Khorne's Fist. I appreciate your appreciation!

Sorry, again only a mini update. I was trying to finish the 5 men I've been working on before I went home for the weekend, but sadly I am 2 legion emblems painted and 3 models highlighted short of that goal. However, I do have some pictures of the one of the free hand aquillas I've been painting on the chest of the 3 which otherwise have plain chest plates (one already has a small aquilla and the other has a skull). Hope you enjoy and as always, C&C welcome :eek:k:







 
#11 ·
Well, it's been a while since I gave you guys an update but, as promised, this is a a proper update. I have finished my Legion tactical squad, and here it is for your viewing pleasure!













As you can probably see from those pictures and the other ones, I've painted the Palatine Aquilla on all of their chests, trying to keep in line with the Emperors Children's fluff. I also painted the legion symbol on all of their shoulders. My plan is to re-do my assault marines with the Legion symbol and the Aquilla on their chests. Anyway, enough of my plans.

The next part of the update is my Legion Centurion. I haven't managed to secure the Phoenix Spear he will be armed with, but the boarding shield from Chapterhouse studios is attached. Here he is:





Now, apart from buying some Legion Heavy Support squads, Apothecaries and Phoenix Guard to build up to 1500 points, my immediate project is dependent on this wonderful tool I purchased recently:



It's a 3mm diameter pin-vice which I am using to magnetize various components and models. At the moment, I am in the process of magnetizing my Palatine Blades and Centurion so I can swap out their regular backpacks for jump packs when I need them to. Currently the backs of all of them are magnetized like so:





I cannot believe I never bothered to magnetize things before now, and now I am incredibly glad I am. I magnetized the boarding shield as it stays on better that way instead of just trying to convince it to stay on with glue.

So, yeah that I what I have been up to lately. I hope you have enjoyed seeing my progress in this project and I look forward to any comments or criticisms you guys offer me :eek:k:
 
#13 ·
Thanks for the kind words Asamodai :so_happy:

Now, I do have a pressing question. I recently got given some money from some loved ones and I have a choice to make. I could buy two 5-man heavy weapons teams (one which I would give lascannons and the other volkite culverins) and two apothecaries, which will help me towards my 1500 points list I'm working towards...on the other hand I could just buy a 5 man Phoenix Guard squad and Fulgrim the Illuminator.

So, what do you guys think; misc heavy weapons and apoths or Fulgrim and Guards?
 
#17 ·
The practical answer is definitely the heavy weapons. You won't feel the same buzz when you get them, but once they're made and painted you'll probably feel you made the right choice. They'll be dependable and something your army can always consist of, whereas Fulgrim and the Terminators are more 2k+ and Apocalypse-level. They'd look very pretty, but I'd say stick to your goal! :eek:k:

Also, nice painting! I'm also collecting Pre-Heresy EC but I've gone for a metallic rather than ceramic purple look. It sounds odd described like that but I like it (hooray washes!), but this scheme does look much more striking. MOAR!
 
#18 ·
Not much of an update, but I made a decision...I went for the practical option. In that vain, here's what came in the post today:



I also ordered a set of 5 Volkite Culverins and 2 apothecaries. When I get money I'll be purchasing some other goodies, such as a 5 Lascannon heavy weapon team, more tacticals and a unit of 5 phoenix guard which I will use as regular terminators in smaller points levels.

I'll post more when I have more to show. Until then :victory:
 
#20 ·
I figured I'd give you lovely folks an update. I have had exams these past few weeks and will continue to do so for about another week and a half. However, in order to stop myself going quietly round the bend, I've found brief moments to work away at some models. So, behold, the first of the two apothecaries. He still needs some highlighting done and maybe some work on a few patchy bits of white, but he's mostly done. Enjoy!







 
#21 ·
Consider a pair of codex grey 'slashes' down the vials and then gloss varnish, I find that it works for me as a feeling of glass separation between the 'interior' fluid and the observer's eye.

Otherwise, really nice work mate! Those Emperor's children models from FW are lovely and I'm tempted to get one to convert to an inquisitor - I'll be watching yours closely to see how they go.
 
#22 ·
Cheers for the advice, and I'm glad you like the models :victory:

I am officially done with my exams for the summer, a fact I am very happy about. I also have made a few acquisitions. As well as the 5 man Volkite Culverin squad, I also managed to get a 5 man Lascannon squad, which I will be painting up soon.

But, that is not the best bit. No no no no no. I have managed to acquired Fulgrim himself off of eBay. I was going to by him at a later date, but when he was £45 (including postage, as opposed to Forge Worlds £60 including postage) and I had enough disposable income I decided "Why the hell not!" :wink:

So, that is a run down of what you can expect to see here soon, but for now, here is my second Apothecary :eek:k:











The vials do actually have an 'Ardcoat over them which in real life makes them look more glass-y. However, I'm not sure if you can see it in these photos. Hopefully you can. Hope you enjoy him :good:
 
#24 ·
Well my friends, more time has passed and I have some more models to show you:











I bought some lads with Iron Armour because one of the Apothecaries had Iron Armour as well and since I plan to put the Apothecaries with the Heavy Weapons squads I wanted them to have a unified theme.

The Iron Armour itself was a lot of fun to paint and you really get a feel for how bulky and protective the power armour is, which I find is rather lacking from the later marks of armour. So, for anyone who is collecting SM, pre or post heresy, if you want your marines to look well armoured and stoic, get yourself some Iron Armour.

However, it's for that reason that I won't be having many/any more marines in my Emperor's Children army with Iron Armour. I just don't think it fist with the aesthetic of the Legion. The only reason I like it in this scenario is because they are carrying heavy weapons, so it works.

Now, whilst I hope you enjoyed them I really really hope you'll like my next project...





That's right, the Phoenician himself will be gracing my army. I am unbelievably excited to be working on him :grin: Since he is such a monumental project, I'll be keeping you guys updated fairly regularly with my progress. Stay tuned :victory:
 
#25 ·
Perhaps it is the curse of the Emperor's Children that rather than take this model piecemeal as I had intended, I found myself possessed by an obsession to finish it to an incredibly high standard. As such I have found myself these last four days doing little else aside from painting Fulgrim the Illuminator, eating and sleeping, and even those two suffered due to my need to finish this model.

Worse still, I find myself becoming more and more drawn to the Kakophoni, despite my noble intentions for this to be an army free of the influence of Slaanesh. I fear this is the beginning of a downward spiral...:shok:

Anyways, enough of my ramblings, here are the collection of photos I took whilst painting to show how the model progressed:



























And, the final product...









I'm still not 100% certain he is 'done'. I might add some more highlights, possibly on the purple or I might leave him as is. I am very happy with him.

The model itself is fantastic. I have got to say that I think the Forge World team have done a fantastic job at capturing Fulgrim's essence. The model has so much movement to it and it is lithe without being frail, it is just gorgeous.

I hope I've done a really good job on him but I'd love to here your comments and criticisms :good:

Next up will be a 5 man "Sun-killer" squad (lascannon heavy weapon squad in essence), and after that I'll have to put another order through to Forge World for any/all of the following: Phoenix Guard, an Emperor's Children Contemptor and 10 tactical marines.

Until next time folks :victory:
 
#27 ·
I'm glad you like it. I would paint each part individually if I were you. There is so much detail on the model that if you stick all together and then paint it, you'll find it a real sod to get at everything.

On the note of assembling him, I would have some green stuff to hand, just because some of the little tassels (I think the instructions call them plutarges?) need some encouragement to stay on the model and you can use the green stuff to patch up any gaps. I also pinned the little bit of stone Fulgrim stands on to the base and pinned through the center of his hand and into both ends of the sword, just so it wouldn't snap off in transit.

If you like I'll break down the paints I used in the various sections and you can use them to get more of an idea of how you'd like to paint yours. Looking at your plog, your purple is roughly the same shade but I think your gold is a bit brighter?
 
#29 ·
There are some beautiful models in this thread, sterling work indeed :victory: They have tons of character and your purple and golds offset each other perfectly.

The armour on fulgrim looks fantastic and he's very nicely painted. If your not 100% sure you're finished i would do the following personally: Add more contrast to the hair and purity seals, tone down the highlights on the gloves & add more contrast to the cape.

The cape already looks really nice but i think it could do with a bit more shading and highlighting a it's such a big part of the model.
 
#30 ·
Thanks for the comment Varakir! I might try and do some low lights on the cape to add contrast and re-do the hair because adding the contrast would be more difficult than starting again but leaving more contrast in the recesses.

I'll try and get the breakdown of colours for you soon Terricus
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top