As a painter first, fluff enthusuast second and a gamer third, I find myself buying models for planned projects and trying out new paint colours when I should be finishing off things I bought ages ago.So in a bid to rid my ever increasing unpainted pile of shame and to kickstart my Iron Hands project, I’m pledging to paint everything I have bought for the army before I get too many models and I inevitably lose interest and start something else.

Right now I have the following in varying degrees of assembly:

1 x Land Raider Crusader/Redeemer

1 x 2013 Tactical squad

1 x Devastator squad

1 x Techmarine with 4 Servitors

I also have 3 of the mid-nineties metal Techmarines that I’ve got on the sidelines to spice up my interest in-between the units, I’m debating using them as regular sergeants in the squads to add the extra Mechanicum element that the Iron Hands have.

The tactical squad is spruced up with bits from the GW upgrade kit and I’ve got some Mk IV shoulder pads from Forge World so no Astartes should have to have a decal on the left pauldron.  Also from Forge World is the upgrade doors for the Land Raider, I’m trying to make each model have something specifically modeled on it and it saves the hassle of using too many decals, those things are a bitch.  I’ve not experimented with any weathering pigments before so I’d like to make everything look like it’s seen at least a few battles without a break.  Hoping for some tips from anyone with experience in this field.

I’m also taking my first steps into the world of magnetizing weapons, the devs and special weapons from the tactical squad are going to be magged up, I don’t want to be that guy who has to say “yeah those meltas are actually flamers.”

I’ve finished one model, this Servitor.  I’d like all of my Iron Hands have this half alive kind of skin tone, first attempt is a little too white but I know my recipe now so should be good to go on the next model.  It’ll almost be as if The Borg assimilated the Astartes legion during the heresy and everyone else just thought they’d gone overboard with the augmetics.