Imperial Fists, Very Early Stages And Planning

So on Friday I had a mini rant about Finecast. Not about how crap it is but about how much I like it. Well here is further evidence of what I was on about. Here you can see (part of) the very early beginning of my Imperial Fists. I've stayed away from power armour up to now, though as someone who spends a good dose of their week in one or the other warhammer universes I could hardly stay away from the Imperium for too long.

I chose the Fists because they're yellow and should be great fun to paint: simple as that really. I've chosen the models you see here because they're some of the most ornate marines currently available. None are specifically Fists - yes, you can see Ultramarines and Black Templars there. Yet thanks to the wonders of Finecast they need not be other than Fisty for long! Resin means easy conversion opportunities. For example, compare these two identical honour guards:

It's not difficult to see which will be easiest to convert to a Fist. And here's what will help me with the whole process - Forge World Imperial Fists etched brass.

This is brilliant value when you consider how much emblem bearing shoulder pads cost. There's enough here to change the insignia on a whole force. I'll be busy with Chaos for a while yet, but in the background I'll be patiently and quietly picking up marines from eBay, getting Finecast bargains every few weeks...

There's A Storm Brewing

What, you might ask, am I doing with a Stormraven Gunship? It's a good question seeing as I've so often sniggered at all the power armour lovers out there. Well it turns out that I've been wrong all along and it's time to get me some Space Marine loving.

It all began when I was thinking about future paining projects. I wanted to find something different in order to really stretch my skills and learn a few new techniques along the way. My Nurgle project, Beastmen, and soon-to-be-started Dark Eldar are all bestowed with a grubbiness that I adore. However, it's never a good idea to stick in a comfort zone, so I'm going to have a shot at some Imperial Fists.

And there's an additional plan at play here because long-term - by which I mean next year - I'm going to enter my force in GW's Army On Parade (probably). This will be a totally new challenge and goal for me. It's all getting started with a few crafty eBay purchases, as I build up a small and elite force that has just the aesthetic I'm looking for.

Oh yes, and why the Stormraven Gunship? Aside from being able to zoom it about making whooshing noises and pretending it's for the benefit of the kids (it's not). It looks as though Space Marines will get the use of this fine war bird with the advent of the new 'flyers' supplement, due in a few weeks time. And it was a bargain and I'm such a sucker for a bargain on eBay.

(Must stay off eBay...Must stay off eBay... Must stay off eBay...)