Half God Studios- Golden Demon Winner

El Kaye of Half god studios is a Golden Daemon winner from  Warhammer Fest 2014, 15, 16, 17 & probably 2018.

golden deamon

Above is his Silver winning entry the from the monstrous creature category at Golden Demon 2014 Horus the warmaster is from the  range of Forge world Horus heresy character series.

El Kaye entered several different entries in Golden Demon 2014, which can be seen below.

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Dark Angle Chaplin Black Templars Captain Krom Dragongaze 40k Single Miniature Golden Demon 2014

Dark Angle Chaplin Black Templars Captain Krom Dragongaze 40k Single Miniature Golden Demon 2014

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You can see more of the awesome work from Half God Studios here.

Half God Studios Facebook Page

Lastly a personal Apology to El on the length of time he has waited for this feature on Chapter Masters to go up. Since Gaz drafting it, and then taking a sabbatical from Chapter Masters, Ellis has been featured in White Dwarf a number of times. I can’t claim this was worth the weight, but hopefully it’s still welcome.

Ben

40k Single Miniture – Golden Demond 2017

The Single 40k Miniture catagory is always one of the most popular and Golden Demond, 2017 was no exception.

This was the first set of photos from the day and unfortunately therefore the worst quality. I also got to this cabinet so early, they were a bit Spartan. None the less they were still some fantastically well painted models.
Blood Angel Captain 

Built using the Master of the Recuits model from the Masters of the Chapter box set. The power Sword had been expertly converted for a Blood Angel power sword with a helmet and plasma pistol and back pack icon also added from Blood Angel plastic kits.Blood Angel Captain Golden Demon 2017

Space Wolves Wolf Guard 

This is a strightforward use of the Storm Bolter and Wolf claw from the Space Wolves termintor kit. Wolf Guard Golden Demon 2017

Dark Angel Interigator Chaplain 

While using a modern colour pallet, the yellow plasma pistol is a old school nod back to the second edition days.Dark Angel Chaplain

Tech Priest

Dark tones have been used to make the red robes of the machine cult stand out adding some warmth to an otherwise very cold colour pallet. Tech Priest Golden Demon 2017

Ultramarine Chapter Standard

A straightforward interpretation of the Ultramarine Chapter ancient. The blue has been extensively blended creating a pastal colour tone to off set the darker reds used on to acsent the details.

Ultramarine Chapter Standard Bearer Golden Demon 2017

Space Wolves Blood Claw Sergeant

Every year it seams there is someone who replicates a Mike McVey paint job from the old days. They never do well in Judging but as a grey beard I always enjoy seeing them.

Space Wolves Blood Claw Sergeant golden Demon 2017

Space Marine Captain

Space Marine Captain Golden Demon 2017

Ultramarine Chapter Champion 

Made using the Ultramarine upgrade kit and a plastic MK4 space marine. The helmet has been painted white to reflect the Mariens service within the 1st company.

Ultramarine Chapter Champion Golden Demon 2017

Space Marine Limited Edition Terminator Chaplain

Space Marine Limited Edition Terminator Chaplain

Geanstealer Magus 

Geanstealer Magus

 Space Wolves Legion Chaplain 

Lunar Wolves Chaplain Golden Demon 2017

Emperors Children Leagion PreditorGeanstealer Magus and Lunor Wolves Chaplain Golden Demon 2017

Emperors Children Leagion Preditor

Dark Angels Terminator Chaplain conversionDark Angels Terminator Chaplain conversion Golden Demon 2017

Harlequin Solitaire Harlequin Solitaire Golden Demon 2017

Catachan Jungle Fighter – Colonel ‘Iron Hand’ StrakenCatachan Jungle Fighter - Colonel 'Iron Hand' Straken

Imperial First Legion Centurion

Imperial First Legion Centurion Golden Demon 2017

Dark Angel Legion Champion and Ultramarine Tech MarineDark Angel Legion Champion and Ultramarine Tech Marine Golden Demon 2017 

Space Wolf  Arjac Rock Fist conversion 

This model has me confounded as to what parts have been used to recreate this classic Space Wolve miniature.
Space Wolf  Arjac Rock Fist conversion

Ork War Boss on Bike

A surprising entry of a bike in the category, however the rider is undead an Ork Warboss.

Ork War Bike Golden Demon 2017
There were a lot more entries which were off for judging. As always this was a very competitor category at Golden Demon. Not one for the first time enterant to try, unless they are extremely talented.

Warhammer 40,000 Squad – Golden Demon 2017

The Golden Demon Warhammer 40,000 Squad entry was very difficult to get near at Warhammer Fest. I managed to get most of these photos later in the day when the area around the cabinets had calmed down.

Space Wolf Long Fangs by Michael ‘Harley’ Rutz

Mechanicum Thanatar Siege-automats

Ork Warboss and Bodyguard 

Emperor’s Childers Blade Sqaud

Raven Guard Vanguad Veteran Squad

Ultramarine Cataphractii Terminator Squad

Iron Hands Sterguard Veteran Squad

Death Guard Cataphractii Terminator Squad

I havn’t notice GW doing a kit for these so assume this is some excellent conversion work. [Edit: correction this is a Forge World upgrade set. Nurgle get the love]

Blood Angel Kill Team

Dark Angeld Fallen Squad lead by Cypher

Space Marine Assault Squad and Chapter Upgrade Kits

I think it’s fair to say most Space Marine collectors have been excited by this week’s releases. They mark a couple of important changes for Games Workshop. Before looking at the changes let’s look at the new kits.

Assault Squad

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The old Assault Squad kit was showing it’s age when the last Devastator set was released in 2007. The legs on the old kit where very poor sculpts compared to GW modern Space Marines. This new set appears to really up the standard of GW’s Space Marine kits. It uses 2 parts for each set of legs. This results in far more detail on each leg. The other new components are vey similar to the Tactical Squad. However there appears to be far more options for each Space Marine. The new options include Grav Pistol, Lightning Claw, Double Handed Chain Sword and Thunder Hammer along with a great deal more heads to pick from. This set also includes some rubble to help mount the Assault Marines on their 32mm bases. So what has been lost. The old pointed finger power fist is gone. I don’t think that is a great lost. Also the option to make your Assault Marines left handed, again not a great loss. So it there really any significant draw back to this new kit. Well a the price of a Ten Man Assault Squad has gone from £41 to £50. That’s almost a 20% increase. Do the extra options in this kit justify the increase? Well that is for you to decide. At this new price I won’t be rushing out to replace the 20 models in my plastic Battle Company, nor will I be building an Assault Company using this new kit.
Is there any alternative to this kit. Well only one that will save money. Is saving up all your mk5 and perhaps mk6 tactical and Devistator torsos and buying jump packs at £5 a pop direct from GW. That way you can still make an 10 man Assault Squad for £36. The other alternatives that spring to my mind, although not cheaper, is the Vanguard Veteran set. You might want to swap some of the heads for less ornate versions from the Tactical set. Perhaps if you have older Vanguard Veterans you might want to swap the jump packs around as well.

I do intend to pick one of these new sets up, and if the other tens of thousands of  Space Marines collectors do the same, I’m sure the new CEO won’t be too worried. I personally think if this set had been priced at £22.50 I would have already ordered one and would be thinking about a second.

Overall 8/10 great but not great value.

Ultramarine Upgrades

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It’s almost unbelievable that GW have never done an upgrade set for their most popular chapter. This kit which is replaes the Finecast, formally metal Ultramarine Shoulder Pads, looks fantastic. I have the miss pleasure of owning one of the old should pad sets. The shoulder pads where tiny compared to the modem plastic shoulder pads, which forced you to buy a set of the equally poor shoulder pads with squad markings. The symbols where also poor and difficult to paint well. So you ended up spending £10 and getting smaller space marines! This new kit is long over due and most welcome. The fact it comes with other components it fantastic. The one downside of the kit is that some of the shoulder pads are a bit too ornate for a Tactical Squads. Forcing you to buy 2 kits if you want to kit out a full squad. I’m not sure that’s such a bad thing though. The extra components in this set are going to come in very handy. As well as Ultrafiltration of Captains and Sargent models. Combined with Mk4 or Mk6 legs they will serve as excellent plastic honour guard. Finally providing a way to add more Honour Guard without buying a £50 set for the sake of 3 models. I just hope the rumoured removal of honour guard form the new codex turns out to be the lump of stinking scat it sounds like. On price I would say this set makes huge sense. Could it be better? Well yes I think another 5 or 10 shoulder pads, a proper ultramarine honour guard helmet and a coupe more standard Ultramarine helmets with a £10-15 price tag would have been better. Once you have a few of these kits buying more is going to feel like a bit of a waste of all the other components you have to throw in the bits box.

Overall 10/10 and long overdue

Space Wolves Upgrades

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Next is the elephant in the room. What we have here is a drastic downsize of the previous upgrade sprue for Space Wolves. Gone it the still much needed Melta Gun, never mind a Flamer for you Grey Hunters. Gone are the torsos and host of wolf pelts and knives. The total bit count is down by over 50%. 

  
The old Space Wolves Upgrade Kit

 
New Space Wolves upgrad kit (image from Dakka Dakka )

In place of all these goodies there are the Ragnar Shoulder pads. Again the new shoulder pads are a big improvement. Although once you have a couple of these sets the appeal of addition sets is reduced, unlike the old kit. It’s a real shame GW didn’t make a set of 20 shoulder pads and separate upgrade frame. However Space Wolf players already have so many options from other kits. This frame is really just about the shoulder pads. I feel this perhaps wasn’t the best time for GW to put out this kit, but I’m sure there are plenty of collectors who will snap up a few anyway. Price wise I think it’s very reasonable for GW, but not as good value as the Ultramarine set.

Overall 7/10 Good, but not a great replacement.

Blood Angel Upgrades

  

This kit has a better bit count than the Space Wolves set. But just like Space Wolves kit it wasn’t desperately needed. There is plenty of other similar parts in other Blood Angel sets. If anything it’s adding less value than the Space Wolf set as there are already a lot of Blood Angel icon shoulder pads in the other Blood Angel set, unlike Ragnar’s Great Company. This set has very few bits that are really “new”. We have to assume this has just been released to go with the other new Space Marine kits.

Overall 8/10 great, but too close to other kits.

Dark Angel Upgrade Kit

  
This kit is as much of a down size as the Space Wolves kit. The shoulder pads are needed, the other bits are great and I’m looking forward to seeing every other Dark Angel Sergeant sporting a feather head piece. But other armies needed one of these set far more.

Overall 8/10 Good, but not a great replacement.

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I think this looks to be a very exciting Space Marine release. This change in direction for Games Workshop, from just rehashing old kits is both refreshing and welcome, but replacing more extensive kits with smaller ones is not. I just hope some of the other chapters, Chaos Marines included, get the same amount of attention in the future. If GW want to sell more armies they need to support them.

Space Marine Devastators

Leaked Space Marine Devastator Pictures hit the Web

Devastator Squad

Hot on the heals of the Assault Squad, Pictures of the new Devastator Squads have been leaked on Bolter and Chainsword The new kits looks like a modem take on the old second edition devastators. It also appears to come with 2 extra Grav Canons. The pictures can be found here Devastators.
Assault Squad

Vanguard Veteran

It looks like we are in for a new bunch of Space Marines in next week’s White Dwarf. Leaked images of both Chapter upgrade sets for Ultramarines and Dark Angles have been posted along with a very dark photo of the new Assault Squad. To me the Assault Squad looks very reminiscent of the old Finecast Vanguard squad.

You can view the pictures here Space Marrine Chapter Upgrade kits

It’s interesting to see new Space Marine models so soon after there last release, two years ago. Picture of new kits don’t prove there will be a new codex. Given Games Workshop’s recent codex release rate I’ll be surprised if there isn’t one. This increase is codex frequency is both a blessing and a curse. While it’s good not to see the likes of Grey Knights neglected due to a lack of new models, it makes me reluctant to buy a codex unless it’s recently been published. I bought a Space Marine codex for a friend earlier this year, as he thought the last one was unjustified. I can only imagine how he will react if and when the next one hits. My own personal collection of up to date codex’s is getting smaller and smaller with each publication. I’m now out of date with Grey Knights, Blood Angels, Eldar, Space Wolves and Orks, yet I have purchased 2 codex in recent months. The good thing about this change in GW’s release policy is the rules in White Dwarf have meant that players can still use some of the new units even if they don’t think a codex purchase is justified. A much better alternative than codex piracy.

As for these new kits. I really like what GW have done with these frames. The fincast Chapter Shoulder pads were simply awfully small compared to the plastic ones of most of GW’s Space Marine kits. The new assault squad also looks to be a marked improvement and long overdue. Of course until we see the prices we won’t know if it will sell like hot cakes like, the new Tactical Squad did, or if will just continues to plug the gaps in players collections.

New Space Marine Assault Squad

Now available from Games Workshop, the New Space Marine Assault Squad