Operation Heinlein: The Mobile Infantry (Okay, they are GW Space Marines)

"We are the boys who go to a particular place, at H-hour, occupy a designated terrain, stand on it, dig the enemy out of their holes, force them then and there to surrender or die. We're the bloody infantry, the doughboy, the duckfoot, the foot soldier who goes where the enemy is and takes him on in person. We've been doing it, with changes in weapons but very little change in our trade, at least since the time five thousand years ago when the foot sloggers of Sargon the Great forced the Sumerians to cry "Uncle!"

Maybe they'll be able to do without us someday. Maybe some mad enius with myopia, a bulging forehead, and a cybernetic mind will devise a weapon that can go down a hole, pick out the opposition, adn force it to surrender or die--without killing that gang of your own people they've got imprisoned down there. I wouldn't know; I'm not a genius, I'm an M.I. In the meantime, until they build a machine to replace us, my mates can handle that job--and I might be some help on it, too.”     

On a whim, since I've been playing with Contrast Paints for my 19th Century Indian Army, I purchased a GW magazine that had some snap fit Space Marines. I love the snap fit! Advantage: No glue, easy to put together and the parts fit. Disadvantage: Limited conversion possibilities but I'm sure I'll figure something out.

“I hate to tell you this, but you are just stupid and eager and sincere enough to make the kind of officer that men love to follow into some silly predicament.”   

Games Workshop, you either love 'em or hate 'em. Personally I think the company has done more to promote the gaming industry than just about anyone. Between the way they package their games to give you everything you wanted to their pioneering work in hard plastic, they have pushed the gaming industry to get better and better. Now their prices . . . the purpose of a business is to make money . . . and that's why there is eBay.

“There are no dangerous weapons; there are only dangerous men.” (Note: I hope the ribbons don't get stuck in the upper receiver and bolt)

I used to play a lot of Warhammer and Warhammer 40K. Price drove me away from Warhammer plus the silliness of "The Age Of Sigmar" - I prefer now Dragon Rampant. I like hard Science Fiction and Warhammer 40K got too weird. Don't get me wrong; I love the Space Orks and the Eldar were pretty cool. But the cult of the God-Emperor, Space Demons and the overall depression of their universe started to wear thin on me. On the other hand, they did come up with the Tau which is my kind of alien race! But the price!

“Social responsibility above the level of family, or at most of tribe, requires imagination-- devotion, loyalty, all the higher virtues -- which a man must develop himself; if he has them forced down him, he will vomit them out.” 

I do like what they are now doing with their new box games (cough, cough, price) and I'm thinking of giving 40K another go - but without the gothic silliness that turned me off. I have always been a big fan of Starship Troopers, by Robert Heinlein (the book, not the abomination of a movie) so my Space Marines will be basically the Terran Federation Mobile Infantry. In fact, Starship Troopers was one of the major influencers in my decision to serve in the Infantry for 26 years. And this quote from the book is true: “Happiness consists in getting enough sleep. Just that, nothing more.”

“Citizenship is an attitude, a state of mind, an emotional conviction that the whole is greater than the part...and that the part should be humbly proud to sacrifice itself that the whole may live.”   

All of the figures, except for the bases, were painted with GW Contrast paints. I primed them with Krylon Flat White spray paint as I like my figures to be a bit lighter to let them stand out at gaming distance. For the record, the GW spray paint is great quality spray paint, and the cost is for great quality primer. For the armor I used Contrast Ultra Marine (duh!) blue being careful to leave the leather, seals and ribbons white. The leather and ribbons were painted with Contrast Snakebite Leather and the seal with Contrast Nazdreg Yellow. The bolter, chains word (who doesn't like a chain sword?) and parts of the armor were painted Contrast Chaos Black (BWAH HAH HAH!). That's it and 5 Mobile Infantry, err Space Marines, were done lickety split.

“The best things in life are beyond money; their price is agony and sweat and devotion . . . and the price demanded for the most precious of all things in life is life itself - ultimate cost for perfect value.” 

"I always get the shakes before a jump."