Proper Venerable Chaplain Dreadnought Livery Conversion!!!

What a GREAT time to be involved in the world of Warhammer 40,000 and the current competitive scene!  It has been such a wonderful experience being involved these past few years, enjoying a hobby that I absolutely love!!! However, as the world of competitive 40k starts to become more "standardized" sometimes there are expectations that can bring some challenges as we adapt.

Being a dedicated Deathwatch player, and having to be creative with the limited unit choices we have to bring to bare, my fellow Xenos hunters have been aware of the Venerable Chaplain Dreadnought for some time.

With the recent change in the meta to be Space Marine Heavy, it seems that the world-at-large has discovered the Venerable Chaplain Dred... and now they are very difficult to find, and I think Forgeworld might have even discontinued them! Soooo... what is one to do?!  Well, here is a suitable conversion that is equitable in size, and (in this hobbyist's opinion) might just fit the bill!

Here is a side-by-side comparison of my conversion on the left, Deathwatch Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought, Gormann the Elder of the Crimson Fists; and the actual Venerable Chaplain Dreadnought borrowed from a friend!

Now, lets get into the actual build! You will need: 1) the Blood Angel Death Company Dreadnought Sarcophagus, and 2) the Blood Angel Furioso Sarcophagus!

Next, you will need to separate the center part of the Death Company Sarcophagus from the side panels, and do the same for the Furioso Sarcophagus! Be careful not to trim too far into the structure of the pieces you will need to glue together!

If you haven't already built the main body of the Sarcophagus, you will want to do that next.  Now glue one of the "winged" panels of the Librarian Sarcophagus to the body.

Next, glue the other "winged" panel of the Furioso Dreadnought to the body.

Now, you will want to put in the Death Company Sarcophagus center piece, making sure it fits before gluing it down.  You can always do a little trimming if need be to get a snug fit!

You may need to put in some green-stuff to take-care of any "major" mistakes.  Now, using your modeling glue to secure the center piece down, put some glue in between the panels and centerpiece to chemically "weld" it together the pieces together! Voila!!

Now, I can put either two close combat weapons on with dual Storm Bolters...

Or, I can put a heavy weapon... like a Lascannon!!!

Now we have a very convincing conversion, using all Games Workshop parts, for a solid Chaplain Venerable Dreadnought Conversion for competitive play! Now go out there and get some "For the Emperor!!!"

Frontline Gaming ITC 40K Hobby Track Showcase!

Never would I have thought that in my lifetime I would have a championship trophy sitting on my mantle for being the best in the world at anything!  But, last year in 2018 from among 3,500+ individually recognized and registered participants, I was selected as being the very best "Hobbyist" in the Frontline Gaming's, Independent Tournament Circuit, for the Warhammer 40k Hobby!!!

A huge "Thank You" to Reece Robbins, President and CEO of Frontline, as well as his business partner and Co-Founder, Frankie Giampapa and COO, and all the rest of the Frontline Crew: Jason Butler, Pablo Martinez, Mariana Vera, Pascal DeForeset (and everyone else there) who have brought and continue to bring, a viable and fair/fun way to hobby and play 40k!!! They have become the "Go-To" folks for everything competitive 40K, AoS, and so many other games! Thank you to Frontline's  ITC Tournament Organizers, like Chris Morgan, for creating the scoring rubric and making sure they stayed true to their judging criteria! Thanks to you all for sticking with it... even when there were times you may have felt it wasn't worth pursuing!

Thanks to all the competitors, for without which, there is no competition!  A shout-out to my team-mates: Thomas Heagstrom-Oaky, Seth Beddes, Rich Kilton, Dave Johansen, Bryan Humpherys, James Weston, Scott Rumple, and Christian Bernfield, for helping me with ideas, concepts, and fine-tuning things to completion!  Thanks to the community for all the love and support, and to the Utah Community for being so kind and supportive--great peeps, all of ya!!!

Lastly, without my family and my wife's support, it wouldn't have happened! Thanks, dear for putting up with, and enthusiastically supporting this crazy hobby of mine.  Thanks, to my daughters for encouraging my art, and to my boys for picking up the hobby and rolling dice with dad!

"For Humanity!!! For the Emperor!!!!"

Here is a picture of me receiving the award from Reece... Epic!

Here is the award itself, accompanied by a few of my characters that helped bring it home!

Here is a picture of the display at the convention, ready to be judged!  From bottom to top, it is almost 36 inches in vertical height!

Thanks to #Battlefoam for being my "go to" bag of choice for protecting my minis!

Here is the link to Frontline Gaming's ITC 40k Hobby Track, Champion's Army on Display for several pics of the army and the display board!

Thanks for taking a peek and sharing in this moment with me!

Patience is Always Your Best Paintbrush!

At the end of 2018, after a gruelling year of competition, I ended up winning the Frontline Gaming Hobby Track title and bringing home the trophy! I felt this to be a capstone accomplishment in my "hobbying" as I have been doing this for over 25+ years, and there were over 3,500 ranked competitors world-wide!!! It was kind of an emotional time for me as I went up to collect the trophy, and "yes" I did get a little misty.  As I walked up to meet Reece Robbins, CEO of FLG, I was reminded of the many, many, many late nights over the years painting, and hobbying and enjoying this game.  It truly was a sweet moment!  I am so grateful for the opportunity to compete and win!  Below is a pic of the trophy along with some of my characters that brought home the victory. 

I was reminded of a letter I wrote over 25 years ago, to a dear friend of mine, Mr. Ken Rhodes who owned and operated the local gaming store after losing the painting side of a tournament I attended late October of '98 in Cedar City, Utah (I think there were six, or eight of us total).  The tournament was an important turning point for me, because it forced me to realize I was "in fact" a hobbyist!  The letter was written November 1st, 1998, shortly after the 3rd edition release of Warhammer 40k.  Included are all its incorrect grammar mistakes and typos.  I am still friends with Ken to this day, and those stalwart few guys who helped get the hobby going in Southern Utah: Chad Hardin, William Bagnall, Steffan Holmes, Tony Pectol, Mike Kenefick, along with a few others!  Thanks, to all, who helped me along this 25 year journey, to claim the prize!!!  Below, is the reprint of the letter... crazy to see where the game, myself as a hobbyist, and the community have come!!!

November 1, 1998

Dear Ken,

I guess this is sort of a confession of a closet hobbyist that is just coming to the realization of the fact that I am indeed a hobbyist.  I used to view such as geeky-little nerd-oids that wore Spock ears and officer dress to Treki conventions.  I see that this is not the case as I look at myself in present circumstances and realize that, while 40k is a stress reliever for me, I am into the total hobby experience as Games Workshop refers to it.

I’ve been seething this evening about the tournament today and venting with William (my brother) about some things that took place that made us rather unhappy.  I might add, before I continue, that there are no hard feelings directed toward you, and that anytime you want to get a game in just call. Having said that, I wanted to write to you that I might be able to put to bed some things that I have been mulling over in my mind this evening.

I have come to the conclusion that the biggest reason why I play Warhammer 40,000 is because I enjoy the people, barring few exceptions, that are associated with it.  It is fun to talk about imaginary clashes that take place on an imaginary battle field with monolithic war machines and devastating super-soldiers.  I enjoy sharing in each other’s victories and defeats.  I enjoy seeing the latest conversions, and to hear about the frustrations that went into an ultimately triumphant piece of miniature artwork and to see the creativity of the human mind displayed in 25mm scale.  Ultimately, I enjoy the smiles and laughs that come from participating in the hobby.  However, I haven’t witnessed the hobby experience for awhile in the tournaments sponsored by Adventures Unbound.  I would even go so far as saying that, while the title claims it, I have felt anything but “unbound” in participating in events sponsored by your proprietorship.  Let me share with you why...

First of all the tournaments have been terribly stacked against those who have tried to play with the “spirit” of the game instead of trying to go for a strait-up tournament win.  Since the new rules have come out, I have terribly optimistic about the overall fairness of the game.  I have been patiently waiting for the next 40k tournament to be sponsored by Adventures Unbound to see how the new rules were to be reflected.  When I finally got the news about the new rules, I was overjoyed to learn that finally the total hobby experience was going to be promoted. 

Secondly, when I found out that Army painting and Army selection could quite possibly earn you up to 60 points I thought, “finally, four years of hard work and patience have finally paid off!”  I went into a frenzy to finish the many minor changes in my army that I had started to work on two weeks ago in preparation for this tournament.  Reconfiguring squads, adding purity seals, painting on terminator honors, swapping arms, switching weapons, shaving here, trimming there, doing everything to make sure that: 1) The theme of my army maintained its integrity.  2) Every miniature to be used in the tournament was painted in detail. 3) My army was evenly balanced and reflected the spirit of the game. 4) All miniatures were armed as shown. 5) It was a very characterful army that really went right to the heart of the spirit of the Space Marine chapter that I command.  After being given the impression that this was going to be a major part of the tournament, I tried to make sure that I was in compliance with every aspect of the rules, both letter and spirit.  When this did not happen, I was angry to say the least.

Third, I suppose some people would say, “Dude!  Its just a game!” And, to that I would say,”Yes it is.”  But, for those of us that are hobbyists, (Remember, I just cam to the realization that I am one.)  We get slighted when just the commandership is the major factor in scoring.  When Jervis wrote this recent rendition of the rules, he seems to have the hobbyist in mind, not just the gamer.  What does the gamer lose who just wants to play for a good time?  Nothing.  Typically those that show up without painted armies, and haphazardly thrown together army lists care about one thing and one thing only; playing a good, intense game of 40K!  Well, they still get their needs met.  However, for those of us that spend so much more time in conversions and painting, etc.  (And I disagree that there is no such thing as “I don’t have time,” I would gladly match my schedule to anyone’s) we get the proverbial shaft.

Fourth, If you are going to set up some guidelines, please stick to them.  I am stating this at the risk of giving you the impression that you think I am frustrated because I did not win.  This simply is not the case.  I am frustrated because of the time spent by myself, and others, to prepare for this event and have it treated so haphazardly so as to give no value to the time spent preparing for such.  I almost went to the extent of typing up a little booklet and having it bound at Kinko’s to help explain why I chose the army I did and give a little background on my troops, but also to get extra points toward the overall presentation of my army.  I am so glad that I did not have the time to do it because it would have been for naught!

I hope you are not offended by my comments.  You might also know that I am not the only one who feels this way, but will probably only be the one who takes the time to tell you.

Know that I will always value our association and that if I can be of any help in the future, as I have been in the past, I offer my services to you.  I want to preserve the hobby of 40K and continue in associations with those that want to do the same.  It is entertaining and fun.  Maybe painting classes again, get the club up and running, I don’t know.  But one thing I do know is that I do not want to participate in another tournament so haphazardly run.  I suppose in fairness to you, I have no idea what is going on in your life right now, and am maybe being quick to judge.  If I am, I hope that you’ll forgive me.  I would state once again that I hold no malice toward you in anyway.  This is just merely a poor attempt at expressing a frustration in the hopes that maybe it will be of some benefit.

I hope life is going well for you, and that the move to your home has been a blessing for you.  I might add that your association and the chance to game and hobby has pulled me through some low points in my life when I had nothing else to cling to except my wife.  For that I express my sincere appreciation.

Well it’s late and this letter is getting too long.  But I hope it has been of some benefit.  Looking forward to more memories.

Respectfully,

Lou Rollins

Deathwatch Smash Captain - Antor Delassio

In preparation for the ITC in 2018, I needed a spectacular centerpiece for my Deathwatch Army, and with Blood Angels having (hands down) the BEST Captains equipped with Thunder Hammers and Storm Shields, I decided on a build.  I pulled together special pieces to get just the right pose and "feel" with the model.  The most important part were the wings--I used the wings from the Celestine model because they create the movement of the wings opening up like the model is getting ready to land.  This is what I ended up with... he ended up taking 2nd Overall at the Las Vegas Open, individual model competition. Let me know what you think!

Watch Captain Antor Delassio!

Upon Wings of Fire!

Charging forward with the Hammer!

Glazing technique used on the wings to get the transition!

Love the Spread!

Dynamic Pose!

Forging ahead in the with an Angel's Vengeance!

Deathwatch Armory Assessment - ITC Hobby Track 2019

Lou Rollins ITC Hobby Track Painting Rubric:

As a hobbyist and painter of 40k miniatures and armies, I have always taken tremendous pride in having a fully painted army.  This year for Frontline Gaming's, Games Workshop Warhammer 40,000 Independent Tournament Circuit Hobby Track Competition, there is a painting rubric that is being used for judging:

Painting:

1) Is the majority of the army painted? Yes, 100% of the army is pro-painted!

2) Is the army Fully Painted (no primer showing)? Yes, 100% of the army painted!

3) Are details such as grenades, buckles, claws etc. painted across the entire army? Yes, 100% of those tiny details are painted, and highlighted!

4) Is the majority of the army shaded and or highlighted? Yes, 100%!

5) Are squad markings or unit identifiers present over the majority of the army? 100%, Yes!

6) Are squad markings or unit identifiers present over the entire army? Yes, and because Deathwatch, Death Company, and Sanuinary Guard are unique I had to get creative with it for you to see it (like put it on the bases!) But it is there!

7) Is the entire army based? Yes, 100%!

8) Are advanced details like eyes, gems, rivets, bone shards/teeth and lenses painted across the entire army? Yes, 100% in phenominal detail!

9) Are advanced techniques like OSL, weathering, camouflage, glowing, NMM or freehand present? Yes, every model has either/or/all OSL, NMM, weathering, camouflage, freehand, etc.

10) Are advanced techniques like OSL, weathering, camouflage, glowing, NMM or freehand over the majority of the army present? Yes, every model has either/or/all OSL, NMM, weathering, camouflage, freehand, etc.

1) Are multiple elements and features visible/painted on the bases for a majority of the army? Yes, every base has multiple elements on the base, as well as free-hand painted squad markings!

2) Are there examples of kitbashing or conversion work present in the army? Yes, everyone of the character models is a kit-bashed conversion!

3) Are there examples kitbashing of conversion work present for the majority of the army? While there is kitbashing present, it is not over the majority of the army.

4) Were all the mold lines removed and gaps filled over the majority of the army? Yes!

5) Are advanced hobby materials used like plasticard and greenstuff? Yes, almost every model has greenstuff somewhere on it to fill gaps, and several advanced hobby techniques were used for the diorama, including foam sculpts, plaster casting, water features, etc.

Display/Theme:

1) Is a display board and/or a printed original story (background) present for the army? Yes, a lot of time and effort went into the display board, and a couple of online stories can be found at the jump: Hjalkar Redmane and Deathwatch Devotion!

2) Is the basing consistent across the entire army and/or match the display or story? Yes, in fact there are subtle little details in each base that tells a story of its own!

3) Is there a distinctive centerpiece model that stands out from the rest (such as the Warlord or a titanic vehicle), or a focal point for the army? Yes, there are two that compliment each other quite well; a) Blood Angel Captain, Antor Delassio with his Angel’s wing, equipped with Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield, and b) my Knight Crusader “Unbowed” piloted by Baron Artimedorous, The Herald of House Terryn!

4) Are all squad leaders, lords, heroes, captains, brain bugs, or nobs etc. distinctive and easily identifiable? Yes, every character is sitting on a raised, platformed base and has a tremendous amount of detail on it… not to mention the iron halo marking!

5) If everything was checked above, then check this box too – This army represents a cohesive force indicative of the Warhammer 40k universe. SWEET!!!

Hjalkar Redmane - Death and Decay!

His eyes steadily scanned the dust strewn rocks and crags on the alien landscape. The planet’s twin moons began to set. Sweat trickled down his back, cooling his body. Most importantly, it cooled his temper. The coppery taste of blood, mingled with dusty sweat, seeped into the corners of his mouth. Nostrils flaring, the Deathwatch Marine inhaled the putrid, lingering stench of decay in the surrounding area. His vox barked to life, “Brother Hjalkar, do you see anything?” Hjalkar Redmane, of the Space Wolves, had been seconded to the force militant of the Inquisition. These Adeptus Astartes of the planet Fenris, were of the more savage chapters in the line of the All Father’s sons. He constantly had to fight the urge to delve into combat from his days as a Blood Claw. However, the constant threats against the Imperium of Mankind, allowed him to put his battle skills to good use with regularity... so he didn’t mind. 

“No, Brother-Captain, at least not now.” He retorted, gore still oozing from the teeth of Tratiorsbane, his chainsword. He had just used it to dispatch a small brood of unsuspecting, and mindless, reanimated walkers who had been unfortunate enough to meet him. His genetic enhancements, coupled with the reinforced bone structure and power armor had him standing almost three meters in height; tall even for a Space Marine. Hjalkar, being modest, was worth a hundred guardsmen by himself. While he dispatched this brood of walkers with relative ease, one had managed to get in a lucky blow to his head knocking off his helmet, and bloodying his lip.

His kill-team had spread out, and while still in vox range, he could not see anyone. Suddenly, he caught movement. “Wait!” He said, more to himself, then to his team. He realized with these putrescent walkers around, their masters were certain to be close at hand. He squinted in the twilight, nerves on edge, clutching his chainsword tightly and adjusting his grip on his bolter. He activated the shot selector to load his Hellfire rounds. “What do you see, Brother Hjalkar?”

Then, it appeared. Cumbersome. Bloated. Puss oozed, dripping from various sores and infections rotting on its fetid armour. Small clouds of blackness moved and danced around its disgusting girth. Warp flies, no doubt. Its lethargic movements belied the deftness, and strength of its armoured cast. It hefted a massive, corroded battle-axe. Chorded muscle underneath the decaying, fleshy-plating, twitched with anticipation of the kill. “A Lord of Contagion.” he replied, almost at a whisper. Then, he felt it rising again: the anger, the fever, the berserker inside! The penchant need to destroy anything that stood within an arm’s reach! With jaws clenched, he offered up an incantation to the All-Father to guide his hands. He activated his chainsword, the chitinous teeth whirring to life, thirsting for another victim. Then, with a bellowed oath, he charged...

Wolf Lord Majesty!!!

With the recent release of the New 8th Edition Codex, I had to do something fun, engaging and spectacular!  What better thing to do than kit-bash a new Wolf Lord in Gravis Armor!!!  This was a particularly difficult piece because of all the custom work required!  Pulling wolfy capes from terminators, trimming, cutting, green-stuffing in gaps... I am quite pleased with the final result!

Standing erect, bellowing a howl to charge forward into the fray!

Varying sides showing off some of the detail!

...other angles to see the intricate work put into this model!

Spent Brass at his feet!

Little bit closer look at the front!

Sure had great fun putting this guy together!

Let me know what you think!!!

This guy is up for sale on Ebay at: 

https://www.ebay.com/itm/273428622209

W.I.P. Wednesday... (Sort of!)

For those of you who are part of the non-nerd-modeler/painter crowd, a  W.I.P. is an acronym for a "Work In Progress" and has become something of a nerdy-phenomenon in the modeling, gaming, pro-painter world.  This is a 'sort-of'' post because... well it isn't Wednesday (It's Thursday-although my brain is still locked in last night) and it isn't a W.I.P., it is a completed project.  But, enough banter... here ya go!

Games Workshop released the boxed game Overkill almost two years ago, with some fabulous sculpts  for Deathwatch Space Marine armies.  It took me a bit to convert over from vanilla Space Marines painted like Deathwatch, to an actual Deathwatch army, but once I did... it has been a lot of fun!  Jetek Suberei, is the White Scar Biker sculpt that comes with the set.  One of the things that makes him so cool, is the Deathwatch bike, with it's accompanying scroll-work and Inquisition iconography.

Since the release of the model, I have wanted to do another comparable build, using the model but making a space wolf, since much of the markings would work well with a grey hunter seconded into the Deathwatch.  I had to be careful to not disrupt alot of the fine detail, so searching for the right bits did a little bit of doing, but I finally got around to it, and am pretty pleased with the result.

In a bit of a rush to get to work (so the pics are more amateurish), but I hope you like the finished product!!!

Jetek next to the converted Jarl Magnesun of the Ragnar Blackmane's Great Company!

Jarl, re-pleat with proper Space Wolf markings on his Deathwatch Bike!

All the proper Space Wolf shield, wolf-totems, and blades have been swapped out from the original model!

  

I used the torso and big, nasty, battle-axe from the Thudnerwolf Cavalry kit (had to work to locate one) in order to make it really appropriate! I also added another wolf totem above the neat Skyclaw chainsword I acquired!

I also added the Thuderwolf Cavalry head to the model, with the beard flowing in the wind to finish it off! Really enjoyed this project, and am very happy with the final product!

What are your thoughts?

Deathwatch Frag Cannon Build!!!

With the viability of Deathwatch armies in 8th Ed Warhammer 40k, it was time to get serious about adding some Deathwatch Frag Cannons to my army!  They are hard to come by, so I pilfered through my bits box, and figured out an inexpensive way to build one outta bits!!! Yes!!! So, without further adieu... her ya go!

Everyone should have a bits box, if you are a serious modeler... this is your "go to" place to kit-bash, franky-build, etc.  This is my Space Marine bits box, which is a sectioned-tackle box purchased from Wal-Mart!

You are going to need: One (1) Heavy Bolter; six to seven (6-7) Space Marine frag/crack grenade glue-ons; one (1) Heavy Bolter magazine; one (1) Orkboy Shoota; some plastic rods off of some flashing;

and some Green-Stuff!

First thing you are going to want to do, is cut the Heavy-Bolter Belt off of the gun with some clippers...

You will want to notch, or cut the Heavy Bolter magazine so that it fits into the place where the belt was attached to the Heavy Bolter (Sorry gang, I forgot to take a pic); but once that is done, you will want to start gluing the grenade packs onto the gun and magazine...

Once as that is done, clip the end of the Orkboy gun barrel off and glue it to the end of the Heavy Bolter.  Glue on the rods, and then Green-stuff the casings around the rods in!

Here is the finished Fragcannon on the right!!! On the left, is the "actual" Fragcannon produced by GW! Because the bits are all from GW products, and it is almost unrecognizable from a distance... it is totally legit for tournaments! Enjoy your build!!!

Here is another variation build on youtube that is even quicker... and while it doesn't look as authentic as mine (IMO) it still looks GREAT!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HMQXttK9r60

Deathwatch Devotion!

This post was originally posted 11/18/17 but since that time I was fortunate enough to win the 2018 Independent Tournament Circuit, Warhammer 40k ITC Hobbytrack!!!

I had several very kind and gracious comments about the paint on my Deathwatch Army (Thank you all!)  An artist always appreciates the kind words!  At any rate, I don't know that anyone in the area that I live in currently knows: a) That I started this army about five years ago (2011- 6th Ed), largely due to the versatility it provided in chapter tactics by playing ALL the Space Marine Chapters, b) that it was several years PRIOR to the release of the 7th Ed Deathwatch Codex, c) It has been a true passion of mine for several reasons (which I will get into later)... for now, I thought I would share a few pics of the army on display along with a jump to more pics of the Deathwatch Fortress and army!

Movement tray/Display Piece at the Las Vegas Open 2018!

(here is the jump to more pics at Frontline Gaming!)

 The Full Army!

 Yes... I finally broke down and bought a Titan for support!

 I use the Vindicators in an "add-on" Space Marine Patrol Detachment... they are beastly!

 Characters including: Two Watch Masters Scratch Build (over fourteen bits a piece!), Watch Captain with Thunder Hammer and Storm Shield, Watch Captain Artemis, and Inquisitor Galandor Kree!

 Scout squad with Sergeant Torias Telion

Some of the kill teams with various weapons, but most of all... frag cannons! (Second row back, far right was scratch built! I'll put a post up on how to do it!)

 Every single model has a alot of personalized detail...

Including a name and chapter taken right out of the black library books, codexes, and other literature!

Thanks for taking the time to sneak a peak! Sure enjoy playing the game with so many of you!!!

(If you haven't seen "Deathwatch -- Tyranid Invasion" By Rodeo Games, Unreal Engine and GW... check it out!)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioBUh1SdWf0