Deimos the Steel Forge: #NewYearNewArmy

Hi all it's Neil here and today I'll share the first unit I've painted up for my #NewYearNewArmy project which will be Adeptus Mechanicus. The idea is to paint one box before getting the next one so that I don't create a new backlog in addition to those I already have. My project will be to using a slightly different forge world that I haven't seen around, Forge World Deimos.

The kick off unit, I was given as a Secret Santa present from fellow warlord James, which is a unit of 5 Skitarii Vanguard. The Deimos colours are a sky blue for their cloaks and robes with red under garments to reflect their heritage of being a moon of Mars. I really like this colour scheme as it gives a very bright colour on the Adeptus Mechanicus to go with the dark metal of all their bionics. I decided not to go with the red metal that the one picture of a Deimos Skitarii as I preferred the idea of

My first unit of Skitarii Vanguard are armed with the standard radium carbines except for the Alpha whom I've given a Radium Pistol and Power Sword, mostly because I though it looked pretty cool when I was building the unit. I skipped the Enhanced Data Tether and the Omnispex as I thought that for a small unit like this it wouldn't be worth the points.

For the paint scheme I did the following;

For the cloak:

Undercoated the outside of the cloak in Grey Seer
Used Aethermatic Blue in two glazes over the Grey Seer to give the sky blue and to get a flatter colour on the cloaks
Then base coloured the inside of the cloak in Celestra Grey
Washed the Celestra Grey in Agrax Earthshade
Layered the inside of the cloak with Ulthuan Grey
Highlighted the Aethermatic Blue with Baharroth Blue
Highlighted the Ulthuan Grey with White Scar

For the trousers & undershirt kind of materials

Base coloured with Mephiston Red
Washed Carroburg Crimson
Highlighted Evil Sunz Scarlet
Highlighted Wild Rider Red

For the Armour & Bionics

Base coloured Leadbelcher
Washed Nuln Oil
Washed Agrax Earthshade
Highlight Ironbreaker

For Leather

Base in Rhinox Hide
Wash Nuln Oil
Highlight Gorthor Brown
Highlight Baneblade Brown

For Pipes

Base Abaddon Black
Highlight Eshin Grey
Highlight Dawnstone

For Radium Carbines

Base Mournfang Brown on wood areas
Wash Agrax Earthshade
Highlight Skrag Brown
Highlight Deathclaw Brown
Base Leadbelcher on gunmetal parts
Wash Leadbelcher with Nuln Oil
Highlight metal with Stormhost Silver
Base trim in Retributor Armour
Wash it with Reikland Fleshshade
Layer with Skullcrusher Brass
Highlight in Stormhost Silver

For Lenses

Base Mephiston Red
Wash with Cassandora Yellow
Highlight Troll Slayer Orange
Highlight Fire Dragon Bright

For Purity Seals

Base wax with Mephiston Red
Wash wax with Cassandora Yellow
Highlight wax with Troll Slayer Orange
Highlight wax with Fire Dragon Bright
Base parchment with Rakarth Flesh
Wash parchment with Agrax Earthshade
Layer in Pallid Wych Flesh
Highlight White Scar

When it came to the basing I decided to stay with the same style I've been using on my Ultramarines, Tyranids and Dark Angels as this has now become my standard 40k basing style. This is to use the Astrogranite Debris, washed with Agrax Earthshade then dry-brushed with Tyrant Skull. On top of this I then use patches of Valhallan Blizzard to make it look partially snow covered.

Next up for Deimos are another unit of 5 Skitarii Vanguard, pretty similar to this unit to give me some more troops as well as finish up the box ready for the next addition. In the next post I will also probably go through my thinking on what forge world rules I'd be using to represent them after I find and read every scrap of background about the Deimos forge world I can find. If you want to check out what I'm currently painting I post WIP pictures on my Instagram. Come back soon for more Adeptus Mechanicus posts following my new army building.