Hovering Vengeance

The second Ravenwing vehicle was painted with the same technique as the first one, however, I did learn a few things from the Nephalim. First, I was much more aggressive with the blue edging highlights. This is really what makes the model pop, and the best effect is achieved when all edges have an even blue tone. The bone highlight is what is used to bring up certain corners and give the model dynamism.

Otherwise, this was a very quick and enjoyable paint job.  The cockpit instrumentation turned out really well and adds great detail to an otherwise fairly mono-chromatic model. And thanks to my experience with decals on the Devastators, I added the skull decal on the gunner without problems. Again, I had to score the decal to allow it to wrap around the shoulder pad.

Next up, Dark Angels go camping.  Or rather scouting..

Attacking with Bikes

This miniature taught me a valuable conversion lesson.  No matter how seemingly trivial the change, always double check your results.  I decided to make the bike a Raven Wing machine by adding two wings to the sides of the main bike armour. Super simple and adds a nice visual detail. I did not, however, remember about the driver. After the model was assembled and painted, I tried slotting the driver into his position and discovered that the wings block his hands from getting to the handlebars.  Fortunately this was fixable by removing the lower portion of his backpack and gently nudging him in. Lesson learned: always double check the model after changing it.

The paint job was very simple, with the standard black armour and Army Dip to keep the model consistent with the rest of the force.

Next up, Raven Wing seeks vengeance..

The Nephilim Arrives

This model was too large to use the Army Painter dip with, so instead I opted for a traditional paint job. The one new technique I tried was when I painted the wing detail. This would have been perfect for an air-brush, however, one must do with what one has and I used foam-stippling. By building up shades of stippled grey, I was able to achieve an interesting effect, which nicely breaks up the large, open spaces of the wings.

The rest of the model was edge-highlighted with dark blue and then bone, which is my go-to combination for all Raven Wing armour. 

I decided to not touch the base yet, as I think that for such a large surface, you have to build a complete diorama. Otherwise, you end up with a rather bland plate of flock or sand which in my opinion does not look any better. At least here, I'm saying that the base is not part of the model. Only a bit of a cop-out...

Next up, the Raven Wing gets back to its bike roots

You're a Devastator Now, Brother

This set of Devastators was painted with the usual dip method. The one new technique I tried was using decals for the Dark Angel shoulder pad insignia. As much as I enjoy playing around with the occasional free-hand design, I know that there is no way that I could do an acceptable job with the highly symmetrical and structured Angel Winged Sword. I am quite pleased with the final result!  The one tip I picked up is that in order for the decal to adhere to the highly curved shoulder pad, it needs to be scored. Diagonal cuts create flaps, which allow the decal to wrap on itself, allowing it to become convex. The end result really does look painted on and I will certainly be using decals in the future.

Next up, we look to the skies..

The Razorback: Sword of Wrath

The Rarorback, which also doubles as a Rhino, is ready to go.  My Dark Angels will finally not have to trudge across the battlefield on foot, but instead will be able to get around in style, inside Sword of Wrath's armoured hull.

The model was undecorated with Army Painter's excellent Angel Green undercoat, then painted with classic techniques including dry-brushing and blending. I also tried the new GW dark brown wash for the first time and was quite pleased with the results. It worked very well on the bone coloured scroll, the driver's face and the white angel ornament. For the text, the micron pen proved invaluable. If you like to do scroll work or writing, a 0.5mm pen is a must.

Up next, the 3rd company gets some needed air support!