Showcase: Ultramarines Tactical Squad II

Over seven weeks in the making, here is my completed Ultramarines Tactical Squad, second squad of the Second Company. Apparently, these days there is a tendency for my projects to take longer and longer… but then I also push myself harder and harder. Anyways, this squad comprises six completely new models and four models extensively repainted and refined. Check them out after the jump.

The Space Marine range is a joy to work with, as the modelling possibilities are almost endless. I think it will take a while until the Primaris Space Marine range will offer a similar wealth of choices.

The six new models I added come from the updated Tactical Squad kit and the plastic Heresy Mk3 and Mk4 armour kits. It’s just me, but I don’t like mixing parts from different armour marks, so I tried to stay as true to each design as possible. The Mk6 suits were made from plastic Mk7 parts, but I smoothed the arm greaves to match Forge World’s Mk6 models.

You might notice the squad’s custom insignia. I designed them with a vector graphic software, printed them on decal paper, and painted over them with white paint once sealed. This way I made sure that the proportions are consistent on all models. Of course, you could recreate a similar design by using regular Ultramarines transfers that come with each box and paint over them with blue.

This four existing models have been reworked extensively. I painted over almost all highlights and replaced them with more controlled, finer ones. Some of these models were painted over 8 years ago, and my brush control has improved dramatically since then. I also upgraded them to 32mm bases with adapters from ttadapters.com, which we reviewed here. I’m pleased that it’s almost impossible to tell apart the older models from the new ones.

And there they are, a full strength Tactical Squad. I really enjoyed working on them, as painting power armour allows me to do what I can do best – fine, accurate edge highlighting. There are a couple more squads in my Ultramarines collection that need to be reworked this way. It’s a real labour of love. I know those new Primaris Marines are pretty fancy and their proportions work out better, but I’ll stick to my OldMarines as long as possible.

What do you think? Tell me in the comments.