Project P is all about getting my very first project finally into
playable shape after 25+ years. The Purple Hearts space marines
were the first force I painted with a common theme. I started with the
classic RTB01 marines when they were brand new and since then
I've expanded with various items over the years.
This is probably not a legit force with current rules, but I don't
really care since I've pretty much lost all desire to actually play
40K.
Which is probably part reason why this has not been moving anywhere
recently...
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Ahh! The good old days! These were real fun to do. Lots of bits and pieces and easy conversion possibilities. |
Sergeant Uruk of the Purple Hearts marines. I chopped the head off a crossbow orc from another manufacturer. Tamiya WWII German 1/32 accessories got incorporated into the models a lot. |
I wrote the names with calligraphy ink. |
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The shuriken catapult is converted using brake and clutch handles from a motorbike kit. I presume the magazine is a former engine part from the same kit, but I'm not quite sure. |
Power Glove and tri-blade bayonet. |
Missile launcher from the Purple Hearts. |
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Standard bearer for my very own chapter if space marines: The Purple Hearts. Yup, that's a LEGO helmet on the flagpole. |
And that's a genuine bullet hole. After the flag was finished, in a flash of brilliance I shot it with an airgun. Most of the paint flaked off from the impact and I had to repaint the damn thing all over again... |
And THIS is a venerable dreadnought. Don't buy into that current stuff that looks like overgrown pigs, this is the real thing: Contemptor class dreadnought 'Eddy'. I think. |
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For some reason, I was really into writing slogans on miniatures at this time. I guess it seemed like a display of painting prowess to be able to paint legible text in this scale. |
Closeup on slogans. |
And ofcourse it had to have eyes and teeth. |
Some later reinforcements. I won't put the Land Raider
assemble pics here, because that
story
has already been told.
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I chose to follow the original (very simple) color scheme instead of cooking up something jazzier. |
Some scrounging went into these figures - I had piles of bolt pistols, but very few bolters handy. Thus the brother marine on the right actually has a new model bolter. |
Missile launcher. Note the veteran trooper markings. |
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Brother marines among Official(tm) GW ruins. |
The silver studs are one of the few details in the color scheme. |
Three different ways to build the commander, and I had to try them all. The heavy bolter might actually be an illegal choice for a character, so I might have to field him as a normal devastator squad trooper. |
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Terminators, straight off the hulk. |
Standard terminator and one with heavy flamer. All that edging takes a surprisingly long time to paint, especially when the scheme looks so simple and fast to do. |
The cannon came from Space Crusade. I trimmed off the hands and turned it sideways on top of the storm bolter. The ammo can is from the bits box. |
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Tactical troopers straight off the crusade. Due to severe manpower problems, the chapter was forced to accept non-MkVI armor into field service. This is also the use of the white edging on shoulder pads.
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Flamer trooper. They claim it's a plasma weapon, but since the chapter was short on flamers, these guys got reassigned. |
Regular trooper of the Crusade breed. They have discarded their bayonets but are otherwise vanilla. |
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Finally finished. |
Note the trademark silvered bolts again. |
The tank performed splendidly at the Westwood proving grounds. Practice targets visible in the background. |
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The handrail is rather fragile, I guess I really should have left it off as most people seem to do. |
Here's the squad from the Macragge box set. Now I have everything from the box set painted, and it only took about six months. |
Sergeant and flamer guy. |
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Missile launcher. |
Here's the 1995 era plastic/metal hybrid predator. I wonder where they put the old all-plastic molds... |
Side view of the Predator. |
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The sponsons look pretty stupid, but whattaheck... |
Purple Hearts motor pool on display. |
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I bought this used model relatively cheap. While it's the Chaos version, I plan to rip all the spiky stuff off and convert it into a loyalist Razorback or maybe even old skool Whirlwind. |
I have the original Whirlwind instructions tucked away somewhere... |
Fortunately this is nothing new to the hard working techmarines of the Purple Hearts. |
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More reinforcements for the Purple Hearts. |
Some assault terminators and other old school recruits just itching to join the Purple Hearts. |
These guys may not know it yet, but they've just been recruited into the Purple Hearts. They're going to get a bath next. |
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I really should have pulled the kit completely apart... |
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Here's the latest addition to the Purple Hearts motor pool, a Rhino reclaimed from the Bad Days... er, sorry, vile chaos forces. |
I don't know why this sat on my desk for so long. Once I fired up the airbrush, it was really finished in no time. |
I bought this used, assembled and primed. I really should have pulled it completely apart and reassembled. |
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The original builder didn't bother with most of the detail parts and they were lost by the time I got it. |
But why is the top hatch so devoid of detail? Because I have a cunning plan... |
The decals, or rather the varnish on them stick out a bit too much. |