Just closing the year here! I hope you are enjoying some quality days (I'm working, but the spirit of Christmas is in the air, so it makes it all more easy going) and having a good time. Enjoy and rejoice!
I'm getting back to an old project, my realscale Space Sharks Marines (you may have to have a look at the Carcharodons label on the blog to know what I'm talking about, I'm afraid the project is that old). I used the Space Hulk Terminators to build my Veterans Squad, and it was kind of my plan for the whole army, just to make conversions on Terminators. But you know -I'm really lazy. With the years an easier solution just came out by itself, as Games Workshop produced the infamous Primaris Space Marines. They happened to be just the right size, so my life suddenly became easier!
Yup, we'll have to talk about aaall those Terminator bits I had amassed with the years in preparation of this project. But not today. Ahem.
Before anyone asks, no, of course I'm not doing Primaris, nor accepting that stupid, ridiculous, absurd [redacted] fanfic GW pretended to be official background. My Space Marines are Space Marines. The Galaxy may be quite an awful place, yes, but there are Eldar and not Aeldwhatever. There is Imperial Guard, not Astrabullshitaris. Well, you know. Stuff. I made my peace with the change from Rogue Trader to 2nd Ed and now I'm over it. But another change this big is too much for me.
I may have to change my mind if the future TV show is anything good, but for now I'm sticking to the old fluff. So expect no Primaris, no Intercessors or whatever they are called. I'm doing a Space Marines Tactical Squad, just with realscale fellas.
So to the pics! The conversions are really minimal, as I considered the bodies good enough to pretend to be real Marines. So I just changed the helmet and shortened the bolter
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| Will look good enough at table distance |
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| You'll believe they're real Space Marines |
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| That's even a 2nd Ed plastic chainsord |
You might have noticed I added some greenstuff on the Sarge's nose. If my Carcharodons have that quite Maori aesthetic influence, I wanted to make them a little bit racial, as I've done previously. I'm aware that according to official background they are pale as snow and blah blah. These are my Space Sharks. If you don't like my approach, there are many, many fantastic, gorgeous places over the internet being GW-orthodox, and you should spend more time on them. Do that, please.
Making the bolter shorter (well, I don't even know if that new gun is still called 'bolter') was relatively easy. Chop'n'stick, that's it. But the plasma gun proved more challenging.
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| I take it for granted the weapon in the background is not called a 'plasma gun' anymore |
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| I could have used an old weapon, but I liked the shape of this, with the Picatinny thing and all |
I wasn't sure either of what heavy weapon to use, and in the end I used the Rule of Cool:
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| A Space Crusade Multi-melta |
But I wanted something that was visually imposing. Something showing that this weapon is terrifying, that not even a Space Marine can handle easily, stressing the heavy in heavy weapon. Of course I have a visual reference in my mind which is indelible:
Right, a harness, improving the operator's movements and aim by distributing the weight of that monster over the hips and not solely on the arms or shoulders of the Marine. So, with a bit from the Imperial Guard Chimera set I got this:
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| I'm only now realising that the Aliens guys have the auxiliar arm on the other side |
Well, it looks like I have all the conversions I need, so let's spill some paint on these!
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| 50 shades of grey, Warhammer edition |
I may have overdone the highlights and done way too many layers, but once I started I couldn't stop! I even had this issue with the shoulderpads, as there was a point in which they were black no more, but dark grey, even getting confused with the rest of the armour, so I had to tone them down again.
Another trial and error thing was the symbols. I insisted in doing Maori style icons, so I painted tatoo style sharks on the shoulderpads:
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| Space Sardines |
But you know, I could live with that. Where I screwed it up was on the other shoulder, trying to make that Maori thing with the Tactical Squad arrow symbol. As I have no shame, I'm showing the crime:
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| Squid Games Marines |
Damn awful. I repainted the shoulderpads and started again with decals:
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| Again, I can live with this |
So little else! Here you have them:
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| Hmm, I need a larger backdrop thing |
Size comparison shot!
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| Please notice the different bases regarding height |
This is my Carcharodons Space Sharks force right now:
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| Tactical Squad, Veteran Squad and characters |
I have plans to expand these, but you will hear of that next year, for we are getting to the end of 2022. I hope you enjoy these last days of the year and let me wish you all the best for 2023.
Cheers! Happy new year!
