40K Lamenters: Phobos Librarian

Whilst I was doing camo capes last week, I used the opportunity to polish off this character. He's a stealthy space wizard, using his abilities to mask his brothers' efforts. The force sword came out much better than I expected, and I like the chequered bookmark.

40K Lamenters: Eliminators

These Lamenters are snipers, hiding their canary yellow power armour with camo capes. I'm quite happy with the sergeant's magnoculars.

Skull-o-meter™:     10

I've painted those three and touched up my earlier standing Eliminator- I've changed the markings to reflect the 10th Company. I like how his pauldron is proudly on display.

40K Lamenters: Reivers

I painted five Reivers. These are behind-the-lines terror troops with their signature skull helms, massive combat knives, and grav-chute wings on their power packs. I used 3D printed pauldrons- and I prefer my hand-painted ones. I may even try to pry them off and redo them.

Reivers

Reiver Sergeant

I also finished off a few more of the specialist Infiltrators:

Infiltrator Helix Adept (medic)

Infiltrator Commsman

Infiltrator Sergeant

Skull-o-meter™: 20

My Lamenters two-step-yellow recipe

For the last 18 months I've found myself painting Lamenters. I often get asked about my yellow technique, so I made a little tutorial.

Phobos Infiltrators

Preparation

i. Remove moldlines and assemble. I glue sand etc. to the base now. I prepare and paint the backpack and head separately. 

ii. Undercoat Vallejo Bonewhite rattlecan.

iii. Paint the base.

iv. Drybrush white. I've found this subtle slapchop works well for me.

Okay, here's the real meat.

1. Contrast Ironjawz Yellow

2. SMS Umber Wash. This is an oil-based product by an Australian model paint company. I work it into all the creases...

3. ... then I clean it up with Artists White Spirit and a makeup sponge. I get rid of the worst excesses (e.g. back of the hand, shoulder pad) but it doesn't have to be pristine. That's it! Your yellow is done. No highlighting required.

4. Paint the rest of the Lamenter. The left pauldron (chequered) is hand-painted (previous tutorial); the tactical symbol on the right is a decal.

I appreciate an Australian oil wash paint is a bit niche, but I'm sure a similar product exists elsewhere. The point is that I've found a reproducible way for me to get masses of yellow done without losing my mind with edge-highlighting. I've seen nice things done with pink pre-shading, but I'm committed to this technique now. It doesn't have to be too neat; the rest of the details hide major flaws in the yellow. These figures won't win individual prizes but they're done.

40K Lamenters: Lieutenant and Apothecary Biologis

I've been enjoying painting my Lamenters recently, and have a pair of characters.

First is the 'Lone Operative Lieutenant' with a combi-flamer. This chap was one of the unique figures released for the 2023 10th 'Leviathan' edition of 40K. I did a light kitbash, changing the base, head, and adding a pointing hand to replace the second knife he was waving around (I wanted to add a pistol but didn't have a left handed one available). He's wearing the lighter Phobos armour. He is supposed to be a behind-the-lines lone operative, surviving with a scavenged Tyranid carapace strapped to his arm and a souvenir claw on his belt.

Lone operative lieutenant

Combi-flamer

Improvised armour. I think I could improve on the gore.

Second is a Apothecary Biologis. He's not a healer- he uses his anatomical and scientific know-how to inflict more efficient injuries on the enemy. Some call him a 'harmacist', or a PhD rather than an MD. He wears the heavy Gravis armour to wade into combat and collect samples. I was going to do a silver chest emblem, but the pale grey looked great so I left it. I tried to get a sloshy liquid effect in his sample canister.

Apothecary Biologis

Of course, the Lamenters don't have apothecaries. Being descended from Blood Angels with their Sanguinary Priests, the Lamenters have Calix Priests. I'm not entirely sure how the Biologis fits into this organisation, but I will find a way.

Skull-o-meter™: 11

Lamenters Kill Team Justian

++Our forces have been scattered. I will gather survivors and complete the mission.++

Captain Justian, 3rd Company

Strike Force Justian

Strike Force Justian was a 2023 limited release* of Space Marine sculpts which could add variety to your force, and also came with rules for a Kill Team. All the figures have detailed sculpted bases (which I quite like) and a choice of bare or helmeted heads. I agonised during assembly about the helmets vs. bare-headed debate. Ultimately, I landed on the bare-headed side due to the rule of cool. I painted them as Lamenters. The chapter markings are handpainted; the tactical markings are decals.

The figures come with names, but I've created my own characterisations. This Strike Force is an ad hoc creation following a (typically) unlucky planetary insertion.

Captain Justian is unimaginative, but leads from the front and cares for his men. I used some spare decals for his cape, which I'm pretty happy with.

Captain Justian

Sergeant Marius is an experienced leader. Justian listens to his advice and lets him steer the squad tactically.

Sergeant Marius

Brother Flavian is taciturn and efficient.  He is an Eliminator with a bolt sniper rifle. He wears the lighter Phobos armour, and cunningly covers the bright yellow with a cameleoline cloak. Something went awry in the painting and the wash came out very muddy and took off a bit of the underlying paint, but it looks OK in the end.

Brother Flavian

Cameleoline cloak

Brother Acules is a Heavy Intercessor and relishes weathering a storm of fire to protect his battle-brothers. He wears Gravis model armour, which is a bit beefier all over. He has a Heavy Bolter.

Brother Acules

When off duty, Brother Decian prays and hones his chainsword skills for melee.

Brother Decian

Brother Thysor was impetuous as a younger marine, but losing his arm made him more cautious. This is a superb sculpt with a real sense of motion. The smoke grenade hangs mid-air off the end of his bionic arm while his whole body goes into the throw. The pin lies by his feet as the lever flicks off. The pouch on his belt lies empty.

Brother Thysor

Brother Vignius is an experienced and level-headed marine who could be expected to lead his own squad some day- if he survives.

Brother Vignius

Skull-o-meter™: 31

Whilst painting Lamenters, I took the opportunity to complete my Infernus Marines. I finished another five, to make ten. I repainted the originals' shoulder borders to all yellow, and tidied up some squad marking decals for consistency.

Infernus Marines

*Whatever that means