Officio Assassinorum: Vindicare Assassin (40k2e, 1995-6)

Officio Assassinorum: Vindicare Assassin 1995-6, Jes Goodwin

Before Imperial Vindicare Assassins spent their time cowering behind rubble, or even spent time in aiming poses, they liked to hang out, guns akimbo and posing heroically because Warhammer. This model is the original Vindicare, released way back in 1995/6. It was the first of the second wave of 40k Assassin models, quickly followed by the Callidus and then the Eversor – all sculpted by Jes Goodwin. The colour scheme is a nod to the original “official” White Dwarf scheme as well as well as my original work on this model, which I’ve preserved. Which is why a sniper “assassin” is covered in red-brown straps, brown pouches, armed with shiny silver weapons and decorated with an assortment of white skulls.

Officio Assassinorum: Vindicare Assassin 1995-6, Jes Goodwin

This is the model I actually started painting but never fully completed back in ’95-96. I’ve been “making” Neglected Models for quite some time! The tab had broken off and the model sat in what was basically a junk box. I fished it out, pinned him to a new mechanicum base (complete with blown-out Iron Warrior helmet!) and set about not only restoring but completing it. The original paint has been basically used as a base coat for most of it, so in a sense the original paint is still visible for 90% of the model – the main difference is that it’s fully now complete.

I do have another of this sculpt, and so when I get arond to painting it I may well do something a bit more camouflage. Or Low-vis in some other way that won’t necessarily include red straps…

Dark Angels Techmarine (2nd Edition) (Jes Goodwin)

Dark Angels Techmarine, 2nd Edition, Jes Goodwin

I finished another Space Marine as part of my first Tray. This one is another model that I got stuck on for years – a Techmarine of the Dark Angels that I started on ….well, it was a long time ago. Now I’m not entirely one for the colour-coding of Marine Specialist Officers. Well, I’m good with Chaplains having black armour, and Apothecaries being (mostly) white, but after that it gets hazy. I’m ok with some of my Techmarines being Red, because Adeptus Mechanicus, but sometimes a metallic on the red spectrum just feels better to me. In this case a deep slightly-coppery brown for the Dark Angels just feels good against the green armour of the Chapter. (And just forget about blue armour for Librarians!)

Dark Angels Techmarine, 2nd Edition, Jes Goodwin

The main thing that made this model take so long to complete was simply the sheer number of tiny little fiddly details. They weren’t even hard to paint, but they were mentally difficult to do. This is why the Tray concept is working for me right now. After smashing through all of the easy winds, I’m stuck with these harder models to go, and just have to suck it up amd make myself do them. I’m struggling on a pair of Dark Elves right now that I’m really not enjoying much, but I am getting through the work on them – which isn’t something I could have said before, as they just sat on the desk, ignored for years.

Dark Angels Techmarine, 2nd Edition, Jes Goodwin

He’s armed with a combi-plasma, that seemed a good choice for him when I began working on him again early in 8th edition. Dunno how well it’ll fare in 9th, but bad luck. The final detail to complete him was a resin Dark Angels Legion shoulder pad from Forge World. The extra blinginess really works on models like this who are a step or five above the standard marines.

Dark Angels Techmarine, 2nd Edition, Jes Goodwin, Librarian, Sergeant, Asmodai

Group shots are always a nice way to finish these posts. They look good, and they also provide some visual reference and context for the readers who aren’t especially familiar with the faction or lore. And yeah, they look good!