Blood Angels Storm Speeder

I have just added a Blood Angels Storm Speeder to my 40K forces, which was not something I was planning to do.

What a strange weekend it has been. I had planned to immerse myself in the world of Titanicus and explore the newly released loyalist Legio book and ‘Warmaster’ kit. However, an unfortunate series of events, which would have bemused even Lemony Snicket, resulted in none of this week’s Games Workshop pre-orders being shipped to my local store. It was disappointing, but in the grand scheme of things, another week is nothing in the realm of the Warmaster.

Fortunately, the trip to the store was not entirely wasted as I still had a copy of Warhammer Quest: Cursed City to collect from the previous week. However, Cursed City has lived up to its name, quickly transforming from the next iteration of the Warhammer Quest line to a cancelled or one-off product release. This has led to frustration and numerous conspiracy theories online, but I personally don’t subscribe to them.

My instinct tells me that Cursed City may return in the future. Games Workshop, like many others, is likely facing multiple disruptions throughout the global supply chain, potential labor issues due to COVID restrictions, and the challenges of new ways of working both at home and with international suppliers. They are doing their best to navigate these difficulties, and in my humble opinion, they don’t deserve the vitriol being thrown their way.

While it may feel like a last-minute decision, I believe they are engaged in frantic re-planning and product juggling. Their latest communication indicates this, as they have announced another pre-release firebreak to give themselves some breathing space for organization. It’s a sensible move, and I’m looking forward to seeing what the future holds for the remainder of 2021. Frankly, what they have shown us so far is tremendously exciting!

So what to work on during my unexpected extra week?

Warhammer 40,000: Blood Angels

In my last post, I mentioned a couple of part-done projects that I should complete before diving back into painting tiny titans. The first project is a Primaris Speeder for my growing 40K Blood Angels army. They have come a long way and now boast a significant number of units. I can easily see them expanding in size to rival some of my larger Heresy Legion forces.

I opted for the Thunderstrike variant when building the Speeder, but I left the hull-mounted las-cannon interchangeable with the melta because I thought it looked cool and it allowed me to proxy either variant. I’m aware that the turret and sponson missile pods differ on the ‘Hammerstrike,’ but I don’t let minor details like that hinder the rule of cool.

Although I still have some final detailing to paint and a pass of atmospheric weathering to blend it with the rest of the force, I’m generally satisfied with its current appearance. However, it has made me realize how rusty my painting skills have become over the past year. I truly need to spend more time behind the brush again. It’s alarming how quickly skills can atrophy from lack of use.

I’m not completely satisfied with the red and might increase the saturation a few more notches for the ‘Gladiator’ which is primed and ready for the spray shop.

The stand I’m using is not the one that came with the model. I didn’t particularly like the ball and socket arrangement it had, and I wanted to match what I already had for the older Land Speeder. So, I opted for a modified ‘Flames of War/Team Yankee’ flying stand. I added a magnet to allow for easy removal of both speeders during transport. Additionally, the base of the stand has a convenient dice recess at the back, which comes in handy for tracking remaining hull points. Neat!

Oh, and yes, it’s wonderful to be painting again. I can literally feel the stress melting away. Until next time, have a great week!