I recently felt like painting some space marines, like the ones I had as a kid. I don't mind the new style ones, but there is something about the old 'beaky' marines that just takes me back. Thankfully, Games Workshop now produces just such a kit as part of the Horus Heresy range (and I am a fan of the book series).
I got a box and split it with my 8 year old son, as a project we can work on together.
I decided to paint mine as Salamanders, for a few reasons. First, because they could be used for both the Horus Heresy and Warhammer 40K if I so desire, as the chapter was around for both. More though, the Salamanders are, in my opinion, the closest thing to a 'good guy' chapter, as they are known to go out of their way to protect others, even at the expense of personal safety or strategic efficiency.
I enjoyed the painting process, which is pretty easy compared to most other miniatures of any kind on the market - probably part of the secret of their success. So easy, I had to give them a little extra challenge, painting the flames on one leg and the stripe down the helmet. I was going to use decals for their chapter symbol, but found applying decals to the curved shoulder guards a real pain. So, in the end, I painted the chapter symbol myself - but with my own spin. My Salamanders have an 'S' stylized as a dragon spitting fire. I like how this makes them Salamanders and yet my own unique version at the same time. I'm sure some 40K (or 30K) purists are gasping, but hey - my toys, my rules!
I gave them a very neutral base so that I can happily use them on a spaceship, in a dungeon, or in rocky terrain!
Now that we've each got two done, I think we might use them for a game of Deathship One.
I'm looking forward to painting a few more.
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