Dark Angels Assault Combat Squad: TO-DONE!

Hi folks,

As part of my To-Do list this year I have a 10 man Assault Squad that I wanted to update for use in 8th Edition. I have owned these models since they were first released and they have seen a couple of different coats of paint (some more comprehensive than others...). A few editions ago I snapped off the plasma pistols because they always seemed to overheat and I was losing marines before I ever made it into close combat. I replaced them with eviscerators, when that option became available. I liked the way they played, they reminded me a lot of the days when you could have multiple powerfists in a squad. It should be noted that in those days (2nd Ed.) I preferred the power axe/plasma pistol combination!

I repainted the Sergeant a little while ago, after the wifey made clear her displeasure of the changes I had made to him over the years. I returned him to a more classic look which I was really happy with.

The eviscerator blades are from Victoria Miniatures, which I have grafted onto Dark Angels powersword hilts form the Ravenwing sprues. The pose on the left hand side comes from some powersword parts I got from Sergeant Waz. To jazz these guys up a little I added a round of green highlights, added detail to the eye lenses and painted the armour joints Leadbelchers which I washed with Nuln Oil (Gloss). I also added some weathering to the back of the jump pack which I will show off when the second combat squad is complete.

I have  had a love/hate relationship with plasma weapons for ever. I love the idea of them but I have lost so many models on the battlefield to overheating it's not funny. Well... it kinda is...

Anyway, I was happy to add them back into the squad. With the new rules I at least have a choice whether I want to put my model at risk or not. In the old days, when you shot plasma weapons they would take a turn to recharge. You still had to choose carefully when to use them but they would not blow up randomly in your face. That is why the plasma pistol/power axe combination was so much fun; you would use the plasma pistol for a turn and then swing the power axe two-handed in the next! to freshen these guys up I gave them the same added detail as the eviscerator marines and changed the plasma glow to turquoise to fit the rest of my army.

So that's half the 10 man squad done, though it feels like I am more than half-way through the project. The next five do not require any major details to be painted, like new arms or shoulder pads. Hopefully, I can knock them over fairly quickly and get the whole squad on the tabletop. For now, I get a Minor badge for my efforts.

 See you across the table,

Marc