40k 2nd Edition Army Challenge First Month Completed

 Combat Squad Zanthor 

Pictures like these make me think the whole Goblin Green bases we nostalgically love so much were just a photographic expediency because every table at the White Dwarf studio in 1990 was covered in bright green flock.

The first month pf the 2nd Edition Army challenge is in the bag and it was a lot of fun.  My army has always been in a color scheme that predates even 2nd edition, and my Space Marine weapons have been painted in a style that slightly exaggerates the already bright weapons of the "Red Period" of GW studio army painters so this challenge was the perfect fit for my style.  The community of painters in the challenge has been very fun to interact with since everyone shares a love of the old models and painting schemes.  

Participating in the challenge has also pushed me to get the most out of these old single pose plastics and also use as many period paints as I can.  At this point the only paints I have that have survived since those days are the original series Citadel Inks and a few primary colors from the old Citadel Paint sets.  I used the old Green Ink on the armor and it certainly provides a much darker and more shiny shading layer over the base coat.  Additionally I shaded all the brown pouches, holsters and scabbards with Chestnut Ink.  Since this squad will be part of my Dark Angels Battle Company (still under construction) they will get the full squad write up treatment with far more pictures after I finish the other five marines in the squad next month.

Another area where the challenge helped me stretch some skills was trying more blending on the greens that highlight the armor to give it more of a 2nd edition brightness.  I am aware they don't match the standard 2nd edition Dark Angels colors exactly but for me the idea of this project  is more about painting in the style of memory amplified by nostalgia rather than trying to copy the old colors straight out of a early nineties White Dwarf.  There are plenty of other people in the challenge who are doing just that and are way better at it than me, so I will leave the pure recreations of the old days to those talented painters and carve out my niche in the area of exaggerated remembrance which occasionally borders on the realm of what if the Dark Angels had somehow been teleported into the Beatles Yellow Submarine movie ;-)

I still need to add a banner and desperately want to paint some hazard stripes on that chainsword.  Since all 2nd edition SM squads were ten man units, I'll be finishing the other half of the squad next month so it won't technically be cheating when I finish off those few details while putting the bow on the whole squad.

Be sure to check out the monthly summary post over at Dr The Vikings Cowabunga.  There are so many great painters in this challenge and there are going to be some beautiful miniatures to view.