Well this chap was a mega fun project. What do you do when you can't find a model to buy that you want to put in your army? You make him from scratch 😎
This post will break down the creation process of my Chapter Champion.
So here goes...
RAID THE BITZ BOX!
This took me to some wonderful imaginative lengths, allowing me to be as creative as I liked, without having to go mad with serious model alterations like using heat guns and melting parts into different shapes. I had my base model and I was damn happy with it.
This kitbash took parts from kits such as:
- Space Marine Terminators
- Devastators
- Tactical Marines
- Scout Snipers
- Sternguard Veterans
Probably one of the most noticeable features are the wings on his helmet, and here's why...
For this miniature, I wanted him to be depicted as his role. He was to be highly commended with purity seals and to look like an important figure. Also as his job is Chapter Champion, this means that he is in the Honour Guard, protecting important figures of authority. So when sat with other Honour Guard Marines (winged helmets), he needs to be uniform, but also stand out.
So as you do, you snip the wings off an Armorium Cherub and stick them to his face. Voila... Chapter Champion.
As he would naturally be a Veteran (I imagined high ranking personnel would get this wonderful job), he needed a unique pauldron to set him aside. So a pauldron from the Sternguard Veteran squad seemed fitting.
As he is made up from an Ultramarine Character, this would also mean he came with Ultramarines iconography. Now as Blood Ravens we can't be seen as Ultrasmurfs... So I hacked away at the Omega symbol on his left knee pad to make it smooth, like the rest of my Marines. But I did however leave the Omega on the Relic Blade's hilt, for a reason...
Blood Ravens are notoriously known for 'borrowing' relics and claiming them for the Chapter. So my Champion's backstory is that he obtained the blade in a 'ceremonial exchange of arms' between him and a fellow Ultramarines Lieutenant. The only problem? The Ultramarines don't have any records of this 'exchange'.
Oops.
Swiftly moving on...
Once I was happy with the kitbashing and converting, it was onto the undercoat / priming. Now this turned out to be probably one of the best coats of paint the Mephiston Red can from Citadel has actually provided me. Such a clean surface to apply lots and lots of paint to... Lovely jubbly.
After base-coating all the primary colours such as the metals, leather, black areas and gold, I moved onto layering. The thin coats of Evil Sunz Scarlet shortly found themselves accompanied by what I could genuinely claim as 'THE GREATEST EDGE HIGHLIGHTING I HAVE EVER PRODUCED". I couldn't believe it when my hands decided to play ball and gently caress the edges of the armour panels, revealing what could only be described as a 'non-sexual-personal-pleasure-peak'.
Also this was the first time I had attempted to paint a 'white' Veteran helmet. Before, this had been the stereotypical Blood Ravens 'cream' colour to represent Veterans, but for this guy, I wanted him to look SHINY.
Using glazing methods with reds, oranges, yellows and whites, I came up with the pattern for the Relic 'Burning' Blade. I needed yet another piece on this model to pop, and having already done some wet-blending effects on blue power swords, I just had to attempt a fiery one.
With a full Nuln Oil wash, some more highlighting, this chap was based and done. Armour looking as clean as whistle (aside from the dust weathering), a badass head tilt, *shiny golds*, this dude was ready to hit the field and deal the killing blow to the foes of the Emperor.
*(Retributor Armour, Auric Armour Gold, Seraphim Sepia shade, then another coat of Auric Armour Gold)*
He's awesome !
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