Black Templars Venerable Dreadnought

After chatting with my local staff at GW Chadstone (Dean and Shane). The idea came together. A Dreadnought walking into battle carrying the chapter's banner. The concept is based on a novel that Dean had read. After researching through the codex's and the players book, I really liked the Black Templars (and it has a chapter up-grade box) and looking through my ideas it seemed to fit my vision.

Conversion

I started by lengthening the legs with new hydraulic rams/pistons. The hydraulic cables were replaced under the head and body shield on the main torso. New cables were added around the connection to the torso and the leads (waist). The gun barrel was up-dated, and the twin barrels were replaced as well. The Shoulders were covered with Green Stuff then letters were embossed into the green stuff. It reads: MORTEM EFFUGERE NEMO POTEST which means NO ONE CAN ESCAPE DEATH. The banner was scratch built using the skeleton from the Giant box sprue's banners are Green Stuff, and other bits and pieces from the B.T. up-grade box. The design can be found on page 7 of the Black Templars' Codex.

The Base

Dean had lent me some of The Horus Heresy graphic books. And pouring over them I really liked the idea of a trench war that had taken place in the story. I started by building up the height of the base with plastic card. I needed a flat edge to have my trench wall, and by using narrow strips of plastic card started to shore up the wall. I wanted to have the trench as a very old trench. I added bodies to the wall foundations with Milliput sand bags in between the shored up walls. Thin sheets of lead were placed at the sides and bent into looking like corrugated iron. Damage was done with a sharp scalpel blade. Watered down PVA glue and sand to finish. The top was made again with milliput for the ground surface, a broken stick to look like a tree. Brass shell casings were pushed into the milliput and sand to finish. The bullet shells were hollow tubing with an end sealed up and glued on the surface of the ground, but not pushed into it. Razor wire was the last to be added.

Painting the base - corrugated iron: 950 black+ 982 cavalry brown+ 946 dark red. Highlights were adding GW golden yellow. Chalk dust was used to give slight changes in colour - black, red/brown, red and yellow tones. Brass casings: GW shinning gold. Juices of Snakebite, bestial and scorched brown + black, then back to shining gold to clean it up.

The Dreadnought

This was broken up into 5 pieces and painted separately. Black colour: Base colour 899 Dark Prussian Blue+ 950 Black. First highlights adding 995 German Grey till pure German Grey, then adding 820 Off White till pure Off White.

Metal Parts: Base colour GW Boltgun up to Mithril Silver. On the dark area's shaded with 939 Smoke then smoke + Black. On the light areas, juices of 903 Intermediate Blue.

White Parts: Foundation Astronomican Grey. Shaded with 943 Grey Blue + 995 German Grey to pure German Grey. Cleaned up with Astron Grey. Highlighted with Grey Blue + White to pure White.

Red Parts: Foundation Mechrite red. Shaded base + black. Highlighted Base + 935 Transparent Orange. Juices of 934 Transparent red.

Stone Swords including the Banner Sword: 991 Dark Sea Grey. highlighted Base + white to pure white. Juices of 991 German Cam. Black Brown.

Gold Parts. Base: GW Snakebite Leather. It was then washed with Flesh Wash. Cleaned up with Snakebite. Highlights: Snakebite + Bronzed Flesh to pure Bronzed. Bronzed Flesh + Sunburst Yellow to pure Sunburst. Sunburst Yellow + white to pure White. Then the details were darkened with Flesh Wash + 939 Smoke.

Skulls and Bones: Base GW Snakebite Leather. Washed with Smoke. Cleaned with snakebite. Highlighted Base + Bleached Bone to pure Bleached Bone. Bleached Bone + White to pure White. Lastly a very thin wash of 939 Smoke.

Parchment: Old Parchment: 977 Desert Yellow. Highlighted Base + 820 Off white to pure off white.

Guild Artisan,
Mark.