Thanks mate. I like the white and gold of the Spire Guard too, reason why I carried it on to that TIE D. Hmm, I still like pastels, and I like the canopies on Howl's there. It's almost beetle-like. Now, a penal unit would be cool too. -ponders- Orange or larger grey stripes, even some similar decals like 0's, or some sort of 'refurbished' mark on the panelling might be pretty cool to break up the monotony.

All I really know is that I'm burned out on the black and greys, so I might be looking in to more Spire Guard , or FO, or something like that in the future. 2 standard wings and an independent group (19 flights/squadrons) should be enough. I might finish up those Tibanna Bats , but we'll see.

I'm looking at white or grey-white base for Mithel's fighter wing. Though still keeping to the black solar panels. I might however do a white-gold or bronze TIE Def when it comes to Armada perhaps? Heck, I'm hoping TIE Phan comes to Armada!

This is meant as homage to your AFII conversion, not to hijack it! I really liked what you did which inspired me to further chop up a previous conversion I had made to the venerable frigate.

Still room for more details, but I'm happy enough to set the paint brushes aside for the moment. The "Invigilus."

You guys are brave. I don't dare to raise the scapel on my ships

Why have I never seen the top banding used as a name plate before?! Invigilus is a great ship, and thanks a ton for showing it off. Oh, and don't worry about any notion of thread-jacking Red Winter, if I wanted to only hear my own voice, I'd live in a cave

That is a great usage of parts and scratch too. Might I ask, how'd you fill in the central body? It looks like there's a marking on the obverse side, is it a mirrored pattern or something else? Is the spine of the bridge or some other part on the ventral side? I see some spires (I'm liking it by the way, I really really am). Good take on the aft drive section panelling too.

I'm perpetually fascinated by execution and this is top notch. Yep, I'm still of the opinion that elongated assault frigates are the way to go, and I think you pulled it off handily.

As an homage I'm just honoured that I could create something that could inspire work like that. The Invigilus is a ship unique on its own; spot on complimentary colour between the black and ivory, and great weathering. Hmm, I may have to add on those name plates too... Latin or Aurobek is a tough one.

Hmm, here I was, saving my extra bridge for an MC30 conversion, but you might have sold me on yet another Assault Frigate. They're just a ton of fun to cut and convert. Thanks a ton mate, and feel free to stop by whenever you like!

I wanted to show some comparison, but I'll add some detail shots when I have the time. there is another bridge spire on the central side though. more to come.

Edit:

100% agree with the predatory look of longer vessels. Janus is a beaut.

Having a little more time now to type, the scratch build conversion was my first serious attempt at dismantling and significantly changing the superstructure of a model. In the past I've worked quite a bit with various miniatures (warhammer and warmachine for instance). Fortunately, I'm well equipped with tons of bitz from games like Battlefleet Gothic. These parts provided beautiful conning towers and ventral antennae structures. The bridge is from an old Chaos cruiser, while the ventral pieces were from a Space Marine Battle Barge. I actually did not fill in the core of the ship. Using super glue and insta-dry, I was able to stage the original plastic pieces prior to adding plasticard. Next, I cut a variety of plasticard pieces to fill in the sides, the dorsal, and the ventral open spaces. Insta-dry was invaluable. Once these were in place, I used liquid green stuff to smooth edges and fill in gaps. Then, I let the Invigilus sit overnight. I thought about switching the direction the fins were facing, but having already had it like that on my previous conversion, I actually liked the original facing with the longer length. The following day, she was sanded down and then sprayed with brown primer. At this time, she was ready to enter my wheel house of painting. The decals came on after that. Both were from a Space Marine decal set, but they are not mirrored. On the starboard side, the decal is of a Dark Angels crest. I wasn't wholly satisfied with how it looked, so I went back over it with some paint until it was unrecognizable as a Space Marine symbol and looked more like some kind of alien graphic.

There is still a lot I could do, but I'm satisfied with her for now. I'll work on a series of better images.

PS: future add-ons may include the thrusters from an Emperor-class Battleship and additional layers of highlights. I'm not sold on the rear armor section, it was more of a lazy finish than desired result. I will probably pick up a graphing pen to further refine the lines of plating and plate a variety of colors to represent replaced hull portions. Janus sets the bar high and I've been out of the painting game for almost two years, but I like to imagine that perhaps Invigilus and Janus were the insane creations of disenfranchised Rendilli Star Drive engineers!

That ship looks great! i wish i had the spare pieces to modify one of my AF's

I'd certainly like to see some more comparison shots.

Ah thanks, I agree though, the predatory look of the longer vessels just have a really nice set of lines. I always have an issue calling them 'frigates' when they really are cruisers comparatively. Aye, Invigilus and Janus, I can easily see them as insane creations, prototype 'rival' design by less content engineers in the Rendili corporation. I always figure if the design team went with the 'stock' RAF Mk.II, and the final version itself was so removed from the Mk.I, then their early alternate production models must have been quite varied. They feel like larger prototypes before everything was miniaturized down, thus minimizing the need for larger drive cores and critical midship systems, maybe just more automation like the Mk.I was to the Dreadnaught. So, you get ships like the Invigilus and Janus , mothballed and set into storage or remanded to old empty dockyards.

Really? That was your first scratchbuild when it comes to the full hull? Colour me duly impressed. I don't do a ton of scratchbuilds honestly; part of the reason why is just the difficulty of getting decent plasticard stock, but I wanted a ship that I could be happy with. The stock Assault Frigate just wasn't my cup of tea. So, I raided my bitz box too, and while I've used a lot of my previous stocks on other scratchbuilds (three complete ships worth of light cruisers) I had a few bit left. BFG, some 40K, some of the Bandai stock I heard is pretty awesome too. Ah, blessed be the bitz boxes, eh?

-smiles and nods- I figured the Invigilus's bridge was from a chaos cruiser. I have one painted up waiting for some hull to fit it on (probably MC 30, but gah that looks good. Might need to make it another RAF). But bits from a battlebarge, that's awfully committed. It's rewarded too. That and the plasticard build up is pretty smooth. I like the elongated mid section, the paint job just exemplifies it and sets it off. So once again, excellent work. Hmm, liquid greenstuff. I haven't had a chance to use any, does it work or does it take a dozen odd coats?

Aaaah, Dark Angel crest, alright, still love to get a picture of that glyph sometime I'd certainly be proud of it too, but thrusters from an Emperor-class? That might really work, though I'd always be squeemish on using something so beloved … unless I had extras like that Retribution bridge. It's true, the thrusters have always given me the most trouble. But with parts like that, I think the Janus would be sorely outmatched when compared against a ship like that.

Keep up the great work, mate. Love to see some more from ya some time, eh?

As promised, I've cobbled together a few more shots including one of the MkII:

Vykes,

BFG was the best game Games Workshop produced to date. While that fact is open to debate, it captured so many great qualities of maneuvering fleets and creating mood. But, alas, those ships were painted while I was in high school. While they were involved in the evolution of my miniature painting career, I have no BFG contacts and am quite satisfied now with Xwing and Armada to fill my gaming need. Indeed, as a father, career minded individual, and devoted husband, my availability for a plurality of games is precious. So, those ships have sacrificed themselves for a greater future within the patchwork fleet of the Rebel Alliance. At some point, probably soon because I'm already feeling anxious to continue the project, the rear plate will be removed and holes drilled to fit the repurposed engines. I love your rendition of the aft on the Janus. It works perfectly with the spires and the single, primary thruster. Then continued painting, rebuild my OSL muscles a bit.

These two versions of the MkII probably competed in trials against each other to be awarded contract from planetary defense forces, the Galactic Empire, or even the Corporate Sector. I love the imagery of "failed" test vessels mothballed in a disused dry dock, meant for salvage. Maybe they didn't make the cut because they were too advanced, too expensive. The Army does the same thing every day. It was a joke among soldiers, like myself, that the Army always provides equipment from the lowest bidder. So, the current MkII is the Panzer to the Janus' Panther. Good thing they were salvaged by Rebel forces.

The question is: were they "liberated" through fleet action, covert operations, or gifted as the Janus was?

You're not going to find any disagreement with me on that one, BFG was the best game they conceived as far as I'm concerned. I do know the feeling though, mine are about 10 years old, but simple green is nice enough that I can still consider some repaints.

But I won't. -sighs- so I'm much the same, my BFG ships are a museum fleet. But I do love staring at it from time to time. The IN- Reynas has had too many good years on her for me to break her up, regardless of how nice a heavy prow would be on an Assault frigate. I'm a bit sentimental, perhaps even blissfully so in addition to naively wishing that it might be revived some day for some last grand campaign.

At least His Majesty's Imperial Navy ships will have gone to a grand cause. -smiles and nods- Aye, I think the engines will fit. The Janus 's aft is a pretty nice design, frankly it's part I scavenged off a just previously built freighter from X-wing, but when I saw the stock Mk.II I just thought, “That could work!” I'm very much of the same mind, a single primary thruster and the secondaries feel right, though it reminds me a little of the Imperial Kuat-built ships. Even so, I'm pretty excited by the prospect of seeing what some proper plasma drive cores would look like on an extended assault frigate. I do wish you the absolute best of luck and I'll be eagerly waiting to see the result!

You're entirely right: it might have been designed for use by the Rebel Alliance, but it had to be ostensibly built with appealing to PDF's, Governors, the Empire's primary fleet, and Corporate Sector fleets. There needed to be a market or it would have never gotten past the initial design stage. Thus, multiple versions seem not just plausible, but almost certain.

So, where would such a 'failed' ship go? Would they be kept in service, a la' the Victory I vs. Victory II and the dual vs. tri-thruster variants? Perhaps they were refitted to act as enhanced experimental platforms for new systems? (I always liked that explanation for ships like the Paragon ). But maybe the first experimental line, whether two, ten, or twenty, were simply mothballed and whisked away.

It could have been simply too expensive, too time consuming, not enough standardization, or even that other economic concessions had to be made*. I'm immediately reminded of the T-62 vs. T-64, the Panzer-Panther, the YF22-X23, or even the engine design alterations that led to the Avero Arrow's fate. Of course, there's always the potential that a rich or influential patron wanted the iconic 'label' and structure to come through over the more efficient system, making making it very close to the Tiger-Panther comparison. While I adore the long hull and far larger engines, I can imagine it being an issue if they could miniaturize the design for a more cost, crew, or space-effective ship with the same result, even if it sacrificed functionality in some other aspects. I always just counted the Shrike as a typical MK.IIB refit, nothing more.

And so, their numbers never being entered into the registry, the ships were completed but relegated to sitting idly in small far-flung dockyards scattered across the dark corners of civilized space. They would have remained disused, neglected, forgotten until they were nothing more than dusty relics of a far bygone era, were it not for providence.

-chortles- ah, but where did the Janus really come from? It was 'found' then gifted, but what else happened to bring her to the Renegades of Ceknell?

Now, as for those pictures, I'm still tremendously impressed. Aaaah, the front hull isn't inline with the back. I like it, I like it immensely. The ventral spires are just spot on, but I'm still extremely impressed with the alterations made to the main hull to elongate the design. Fantastic work, absolutely fantastic.

*Yep, my father said the same thing when he was in the army, and that was back in the 60's. War, war never changes.

I LOVE IT!!!!

How did you cut the hull so that you could pull the nose forward and lower it into the hull?

My guess, from experience, would have been splitting the ship in half and cutting the lower 'palette' of the ship. Only the bottom portion of the ship's bow is connected to the aft, the top fore-end is actually detached and comes off in one easy piece. Filling in the middle in a convincing matter is more the issue, one that Red Winter nailed

There was a bit of cutting involved. The ship itself splits into three different portions out of the box. Top, bottom, and aft. So I had to slice the fore sections away from their aft counterparts to lower it appropriately and then use the plasticard to bridge the gaps.

Liquid greenstuff is very function. I used a paintbrush to apply it to gaps and smooth some edges. Working with it though, I should have taken the time to refit my exacto knife and work in my basement workshop (the furnace room). Would have been a cleaner project that way, but I like to be around the family even while desconstructing warships. There is so much Warhammer Fantasy, 40k, and Warmachine that I need to catalogue and sell off just to make room (which is also why my fighters languish in their production greys)!

Another thing I like about working with Armada is that you don't have to paint EVERYTHING. Your free to spend your time on an individual masterpiece instead of 38 Lothern Seaguards!

Keep up the great work, Vykes.

Speaking of cutting, is it just me or is FFG's plastic comparably harder than most? Did you go with multiple cuts, score and snap, or something else to split it?

Hmm, I may have to look into picking up a pot of the liquid green then, I heard good stuff back when Finecast was a thing, but never had need to touch it as I never touched finecast. Still, if it can ease some transitions, it might be worth it. -laughs- yeah, I know the feeling, construction tends to be like that for me too. My Armada stuff is the one that's constantly out, taking up space, everything else is on shelves.

This is true, you don't need to paint everything, or do more than some touch ups on some. And the plastic is resilient enough to be able to take a Simple Green bath and toothbrush scrub. No comment on the Seaguard -casually kicks a box of elves back into the closet-.

Thanks mate, likewise

Battle of Weissroe Straits:

...

Weeell Well well, I was expecting a DVD in the mail and got something a little different.

First of all, apologies for not really keeping much up to date. With the slow evolution of the forum in the past month or so, I've been bit disconnected. But, I'm not leaving, nope. Just waiting for it to settle down a bit (fine, also an excuse for pre-Christmas ick that happens every year).

Alright, as it stands... I got my first order in! Which means I've got a lot of painting to do, but I'll be working on them just as soon as my last Space marine is done* (and I'm literally on my last one, just the banner needs to be finished). Anyhow, I've got 2 more small orders to go! Now that most of my group has their stuff, things should pick up. I've already heard reports of a madness* of MC80's out in the Yenkurran Sub-sector.

That's the technical term for a group of them, right? A madness. Like a gaggle of Gladiators, a flock of Raiders, a swarm of CR-90's, and a murder of Imperial Star Destroyers.

*Not this one, but a proper standard bearer. Even so, you get where I'm coming from. I don't even play 40K these days, why did I focus on these?!

Come on Vykes... I'd like to see how you colour up the space "sea cucumber"

I'm truly clueless for that.

ive been wondering when you would get around to wave two

Okay, so ostensibly while waiting for a banner's primer to dry, I um... finished most of an ISD.

It's a little samey but I wanted something more or less classical looking before I move on to the next steps in my second ISD. Now the question remains, what shall be its emblem. I'm waffling back and forth between a dragon, an iron gauntlet, or a lion rampant. Once that is done, the ISD will be finalized... I'm not sure if that counts as a pun or not.

You weren't the only one to wonder when I was getting wave 2, Centeepoint I had basically no word for weeks, then a notice on the 3 ^rd that my first preorder shipped. But there's still more to be had. Lo, I have seen the Destroyers of Centerpoint, and they are glorious! There's a few other things I'll note, buuut I'll save em for your thread. Spoilers: all of them good!

Well Cruiser, your wish I my command... mostly

Spoiler for Below:

I think I've at least settled on the body's base but now I'm totally stuck on what markings I want to toss on it. Maybe a dual diagonal stripe across the bow in addition to whatever emblem I stick on the thing. Naturally, the lights aren't done, the engine's aren't done, and I've got some minor highlighting to go, but markings need to be considered first. On another note, there is that one -really- ungainly seam running down the flank of the MC80, the likes of which I haven't seen before. I'm really considering picking up some liquid green stuff to smooth that over, then repaint from there.

Anyhow, totally open to suggestions and the likes, mates.

That seam is precisely the reason why I havn't started on my MonCal yet... Its the first ship we've really gotten that has an actual 'convex' shape on the outer limit, rather than the Concave... All of the SDs and the Assault Frigate have that 'inner superstructure' at the join point that conceals any mismatch of angle, but that MonCal, she wants to be Organic.

Otherwise, its a brilliant set of colours for both. Yes, the SD is a little close to the original, but its tidied up, and a little less contrasty, so its got double-ticks in my book... You know mine's just going to end up White anyway

The MonCal though, yes, beautiful colours. With that hint of organic, in this case, more snakey - rattler or Python mottling - so I'd even keep running with that.

I couldn't have said it better myself. I didn't notice that it was so noticeable until after I'd hit it with an ink, and yeah it's... I'm really thinking of heading to the local GW for some of that liquid green.

I hadn't actually considered the convex vs. concave shape conundrum, but you're absolutely right. That does explain why I hadn't seen anything like it before (the closest thing I've dealt with is the cockpit of the Falcon, and I just used a file on that). If this is going to be something of a running theme, with ships like the MC40, MC80 liberty, etc, then I think investing in a sure solution will be worth it.

Thanks a ton mate, I rather like the Mon Cal's colours. It really does look like a rattlesnake doesn't it? I mean, it's even got the 'weird' tail and all. Man, baaad bad memories there Hmm definitely going to work that into its name.

I'm looking forward to that white ISD, mate. More so now because, to tell you the truth, this one was white when it started. But because I added a sepia ink at one or two spots, it just looked grotesquely dirty and it wouldn't clean off! So I mixed up a cheap home made wash and went over it with a few coats of the Fang. I still rather like Centerpoint's Chiss ISD in comparison as it has pretty similar colours and picks up the colour better. Now I'm curious to see what a proper white coat will look like.

Great job!

I couldn't have said it better myself. I didn't notice that it was so noticeable until after I'd hit it with an ink, and yeah it's... I'm really thinking of heading to the local GW for some of that liquid green.

I hadn't actually considered the convex vs. concave shape conundrum, but you're absolutely right. That does explain why I hadn't seen anything like it before (the closest thing I've dealt with is the cockpit of the Falcon, and I just used a file on that). If this is going to be something of a running theme, with ships like the MC40, MC80 liberty, etc, then I think investing in a sure solution will be worth it.

Thanks a ton mate, I rather like the Mon Cal's colours. It really does look like a rattlesnake doesn't it? I mean, it's even got the 'weird' tail and all. Man, baaad bad memories there Hmm definitely going to work that into its name.

I'm looking forward to that white ISD, mate. More so now because, to tell you the truth, this one was white when it started. But because I added a sepia ink at one or two spots, it just looked grotesquely dirty and it wouldn't clean off! So I mixed up a cheap home made wash and went over it with a few coats of the Fang. I still rather like Centerpoint's Chiss ISD in comparison as it has pretty similar colours and picks up the colour better. Now I'm curious to see what a proper white coat will look like.

thanks vykes, i think you just helped me decide how i want to paint my mc80. im gonna go eastern diamondback i think.

I do like your yellows. they are just different enough from the reds ive been seeing to catch the eye and look great on the table.

Loving both ships.

I always think you have to do the basic paint schemes before you can understand how to do something a bit more interesting. Like knowing the rules before you can break them.

The bumps on the MC 80 and the overall shape is not giving me any inspiration at all

I am at the same stand point. I want to paint my Cal Cruiser, but I am not sure what colour to even start with. You start with white on that one Vykes?