Blog Ryan's Flaming Lizard Shelf

So one of my favourite things about the hobby is outright building and painting the plastic crack. I'll get to playing at some point but first things first i need a legion of flaming lizards.

After mulling around with the order lore and the realms. Aqshy immedately jumped out to me along side the idea of what if a temple ship lost its slann as such the flaming legion was born.
I should probably start at my first seraphon model, de facto leader of the flaming legion, and my favourite model the Skink Star Priest:


This was my first attempt at something so small and it turned out well and suited my concept, but could have been much better. The idea behind him was that he is one of the first to be spawned in Aqshy and took on the red colouring. The scale also were my attempt to be magma like, but i didnt have a fine enough detail brush to be super happy with the result. My next attempt at this model came with my start collect skink box:


This one stuck to a more classic Skink scheme of light blue, and darker scales and is about 35 models later in terms of experince. This guy might become a starseer if i can kitbash a nice enough palaquin for him. I have 2 ideas, one requires more skinks and foam, the orther more foam but less skinks. I'll continue this blog in some chronological order going through my saurus start collecting and them my skink one and beyond maybe into what ever else i'm painting.

 

I really dig your fluff idea, and the models look great! Well done looking firears to seeing more and I really hope you expand more on your factions lore!

 

Thanks, i really like skink starpriest model but the feathers behind the head and the extended arm really require super glue to stay put. I do have a little more for the faction regard how they burst into flame in the heat of combat.

 

Really liking those skink priest feathers, especially the second one and how the warmer colour contrast so nicely with those of the skink. Keep it up

 

Thanks as i painted more models and got more input from my fiancee the colours became much better. the first few are a bit red then they start to become more colourful.

 

I've got a lot of models to get through so i better start posting more. Next up was my start colleting saurus box i got in decemeber and the first model i made was the Scar Veteran on Carnosaur. I regret not making this an old blood but i think the next one will be a good tribute to kroq-gar. This was also my first model with a bit more of a story all because that seat is honestly not very good to stick him into.

In fact i ended up snapping the back nearlly off by accident. I eneded up gluing it together again and saying screw it, so i glued the scar veteran to the base in a back to back position with his mount since it require much less pressure. Super glue would have avoid this, but hindsight is 20/20.

This did however, get some creative juices flowing and i got the idea into my head that the story behind this model was that: The rider and mount were hunting scaven in the forests only to be ambushed and the rider flung from his mount. Surrounded he composed himself for the vermintide he would have to endure, eventually for his mount to realise, come back and face the furry fury together, master and beast. I even threw some stirling mud on the rider to make him look like he ate the dirt as he landed.


I really enjoyed painting the carnosaur, and this is a model i'd love to go back to rebuild and redo again, however plastic glue is just a little too permament. I will probably get a second start collecting Seraphon box at somepoint, and build an old blood on carnosaur and really put some effort into it, as well as getting a solid 1000-1500pts for play.

This was also the first model I based properly and I liked the mud theme, It screamed jungles and "strange armies in even stranger lands" and decided to keep it as my armies basing theme.
Also since its semi relevant to basing here is my 40k theme for anytime i like a model in that range:

I think the Lord of Contagion is by far my favourite 40k model and if more deathguard were like him, i would be saving for Mortarian.

 

So next up is my entirety of seraphon leader section that i haven't posted.

First up is the two other leaders of my force, my oldblood on foot with great sword, master of offence he leads the raids that the flaming legion embark on, under the orders of the flaming skink. Fluff wise he choice not take a carnosaur and a hand of the gods as he likes fighting, and also i wanted as many foot lord as i could squeeze from the start collecting box. I'll bring this up again no doubt but the start collecting guide is the best.

He was the first to model my final colour scheme. A black body to represent coal, an orange line to represent where the flame meets the body, then the rad back to represent the fire itself that engulf the enrage saurus in battle. Since this is just a regular saurus body that i stuck the shoulder armour and head onto i felt he looked rather skinny but the back armour and shield hopefully disgunishes him alot.

Next up is the master of defence, immovable white lizard. My saurus sunblood. Same issues here i wanted to squeeze as much points per pound i could get out of the SC box.


This is and the above model was my first real attempt at kit bashing and what a way to get hooked. Simple, easy, you basically loose 9pts of models to gain 100+ and you can really add your own spin. This guy was was primarilly dry brushed and maybe i went too heavy but it meant i got a decent colour on him. His shield is a combination and spare carnosaur head scale and a regular shield to glue it onto his arm easier. I have saw other models with just head piece but i never liked how little girth and weight it had. I wanted my immovable wall to be immovable.

Next up is my (kitbashed) Saurus scar-veteran on cold one. I have many issue with the saurus cold one kit, but this model went together and looks really good. I definetly want a second SC saurus box, mostly so i can get a firelance templehost going. if anyone likes the style his bit were entirely from the start collecting box and 90% the cold one bits. So you can absolutely get a free hero out that box, with a minor amount of work.

Next up is my astrolith bearer. Fun fact, my reading comprehesion is poor. This guy was built following the guide in the "how to get the most out of your start collecting box" and i made a little error. Only an 8mm one but definetly error. I used the 40mm base for his base as the banner and the 32mm banner base as his base base. This left him very unstable and top heavy. This was rememedy with a knife to pry him off the small base, then a new based and some milliput and a coin under him to weight the model down. The banner isn't as well detailed as other kitbashes or the original but i think it work.


Last Leader and another one with some fluff. Around the time the new book came out oracles got a bump in the power and their place in the seraphon armies, out-ranking and out-powering the star priest by alot so i shifted the lore around to make this guy the distant mage architype. Essentially he fufill the role of the slan while the sunblood, red starpriest and old blood do the real leading. He spents his time divining the great plan, as much as a skink can, only to pop in to some battle and rain down the heavens on the warm bloods.
I Really really loved this kit bash. Its my first ever attempt at, albeit basic, modeling and while the scales didnt come out well i really liked this and it makes me want to kitbash more. Not ever unit, but definitely the imporant ones.
The goal here is that he is wading through the deep mud pools of Aqshy in one of the few time he has entered the frey himself for his awful beast to devour the enemy while he brings down the heavens.

 

Next up is my battleline. Unfortunately i dont have them around me at this moment so i can't take much better photos.
First up is the saurus warriors. These guys continue the scheme of the black body, fire dragon bright line that meets the red body and light red tips to show the flaming agression of these Aqshy touched saurus. I decided to spruce up the squad leader stealing the outstretched arm from the saurus knights kit. It was a little long but it suited him as these guys will probably be my pushy hammer when i finally start playing.

Heres the gang.


So that mess on the banner is my attempt at green stuff modeling and fire painting. It didnt go well i think i used too much green stuff and black but i think next time ill get it better.

Next was the saurus warrior. This kit needs revamped as much as the metal eldars. The models are derpy and riders have alot of gaps. But i liked the result. I used macrage blue as my primer cause my black & white was running out then put a death guard green over the top with a rakar flesh for its underhide and claws, dry brushed with a little white to add the details. This was the second time i dry brushed and it worked well. In my opinion atleast, feel free to say other wise. The eyes didnt work out either
Here they are lead by the veteran on cold one.


Finally the skinks. These guys were more of a pain to put the shields on but were pretty good for an old old kit. I definetly wouldn't mind grabbing a box and going at them again. So i decided my blue and yellow colour scheme were for beast riders so i decied to steal the red creasted skink theme from warhammer total war 2 (https://cdnb.artstation.com/p/asset...lzd-skink-redcrest-portfolio-1.jpg?1563908945 ) and i think it worked out well. The little bit of black back scales can be done with a light dry brush and the base colours i think can be done easier following the GW guide rather than my white+macragge blue. I know lore wise they are meant to be special but spawning pools im assume will act up without a slann.

I think i forgot to to the eyes in this picture and to use get the white bits between the shield. Also another phot with my secondary star priest/soon-to-be starseer.

In terms of inspiration ill attach some pitctures below as some others maybe inspired by them.

 

Great work!

Oops!

The standard bearer turned out great, well done!

I am always a big fan of the swimming troglodon, well done with this guy too!

 

Thanks! These were really fun ways to ways to finish up the start collecting box. If i do them again ill probably do them properly with the right base sizes and try out some water epoxy stuff.

 

Time to wrap up the two start collecting boxes i have and all my models painted so far. This time its the "other" category, which is definetly a name GW.

First up is the Bastilidon.


I had the idea for a lava-stilidon and followed the tutorial for lava armies on warhammer tv, and while this would probably work better on models with more variation in body height, like muscles and stuff i still really liked the effect, even if it isn't the usual lava bastilidon most people do. I guess fluff wise rather than erupt in flame his scale magmafy so that any incoming shots are melted before they begin to do damage. My bronze wasn't working great here, then i realised later on you need to give it a real virgous shake.

Next up terradon riders. I like these models, but i broke my rule, riders, weapons and body coverings last. Still fun models, and first time using new brushes and it went well. Love painting fire when it goes right. Oh and obligatory flight stands suck.


As mentioned before the fluff is that the yellow backed and blue skinks are beast riders skinks that are particularly adept at controlling beast, kroxigors, or at a pinch raging saurus.

Finally here is a future project, my chameleon skink. I one day thought that it would be funny, and better than finecast, if they were just skinks wearing hats or painting themselves colours to sneak into enemy camps and doing what they do best. Need a fifth before i paint them but its a fun project i really want to do as it kitbashing is great and these ideas, in my opinon, are hilarous. End goal is to have 1 skink kitbashed for each faction or battletome.


From left to right:

• Skink with Moonblade and javelin: he will get some moss on him and he'll have a Ghillie suit and represent sylthanes
• Skink in rear with two bull horns: he will be painted green and try to blend in with papa nurgle.
• Skink who has fallen over in blue tack. Taken from a spare in the bastilidon he will be painted like a skeleton for the legion of nagash.
• Skink with pointy had and shield: He will be painted black and given a green face and sneak in with the sneak stabbas of the gits.

I have one planned for each faction that ill post at some point if someone wants to copy this or make thier own.

 

Cool stuff and really fast progress! With an output like that you'll have a massive army of fiery lizards in no time. I like your conversion idea for the chameleon skins - looking forward to see them finished!

 

Thanks for the feedback, although the timing is a little deceptive. I started painting the boxes back in december and wrapped up the painting on the terradons at the end of may. I hope the conversion for the skinks work out while its a good idea in principle getting all the bits and bodies maybe a real challenge.

 

The Warhammer Underworlds warband boxes are a (relatively) cheap source for faction specific bitz. Have you checked out the bitz-stores on ebay yet?

 

I've been avoiding buying new for cost sake, but i have looked on ebay and other bits stores. I managed to scope out a stormvermin skink for about £2.10 on bit stores before postage but availablity fluctuates alot which maybe the bigger challenge. Although i may look at some warcry and underworld boxes if i also want to paint some of the models.

I'll defiently document this stuff here so other may get some use out of it.

 

Great! Looking forward to see crazy chameleon skink conversions!

 

I'm home new dog in tow. So ill post a before picture of my "Chameleon" Skinks.

From left to right we have :

• Representing the Legions of Nagash, the last skink off the bastlidon (either part 75 or 78), standing on a skeleboi chest peice, carrying a spare pin and dart, with a shield an fetching hat
• Representing the Gloomspire Gits, this is just a spare skink with blow pipe, shield and funny hat, with a mushroom for flavour
• Representing the Sylvaneth, this is the spare body from the terradons kit with the moonblade thing, javelin and greenstuff Ghillie Suit.
• Representing the Skaven is a regular skink with Blowpipe and shield swap for a storm vermin one. Plus one of thier knives.
• Representing the Maggotkin of Nurgle is just a regular skink with cow horns to get that Nurgle look. Oh and a blightkin helmet cause base clutter helps sell it.

So next up is regluing and greenstuff some bits to strengthen it. Then onto faction appropriate paint.

 

So slow month for painting but, new house, less new dog, so im not entirely sure august was 31 days.
Any way i got some painting done so here it is:

First up the chaos terminator. Had a blast with him, spent the time and got results im more than happy with. Black legion is a nice scheme.

Definetly this guy has seen lots of action, and taken lots of names. For the darker metal on his gun, i experimented and use multiple layers of nuln oil to darken it and it gave me expactly what im looking for. This guy was a test for going all in on detailing my Caledonian mormear and im totally ready to do that.



First 3 Chamleon skinks painted. From left to right:

• The nurgling one was simply painted with deathguard green, little bit of white dry brushing, and some agrax earthshade to top it off.
• The slyvanth one was given a camo clock like space marines. Simple to do, ill add some tuffs to him to really sell it. Made a mistake here, was going to go with my rider skink scheme, blue body, yellow head and back, and red crest but i done it wrong and well it still worked so im not complaining.
• The git one was basically painted black, light drybrysh of light grey to sell that he's wearing a cloak, a light green face paint and a poorly drawn moon on his shield to sell it. This one i think has the most character imo with his attempts to fool the grots.

To Do: Buy some paints, need to resupply on non primer black and rakarth flesh. Finish up the last two and base them all. Then i can move onto other stuff. This wont be the last of this project though. I want a full 2000pt KC army atleast with a solid list of options between, saurus guard in a death company theme, a full MSU of chamleon skinks and atleast 1 more big big beast, but right now itching for something kilted, or bearded.

 

Heresy!

Also nice conversion work on those skinks

 

Thanks. Oh and beards and kilts are a fact of life, especially if your scottish or have that one weird neighbour.