My first warhammer 40k painting and modeling experience

This was my first step into an expensive tabletop gaming hobby I've always wanted to try. I remember being 8 or 9 and going to the wizards of the coast store in mission valley to buy magic cards and pay to play on the n64 there, nothing better than playing super smash bros (oddly enough I always wanted to try superman 64 but never got around to it, how lucky am I?), but I always saw the awesome looking super soldier toys (Warhammer of course).

Now, 10 years later (wow I'm old) I have finally tried my hand at it. Below are some of the pictures of how it happened and the final result.

These guys are Imperial Space Marines of the Crimson Fists chapter. They were nearly annihilated during a rocket accident during an ork invasion of their homeworld so now they are trying to recover their former strength. They rely mostly on elite units but also field many scouts, as they are the initiates to become space marines. Anyways, I liked the idea of stoic defenders that place an emphasis on scouts as well as preserving as much of the army as possible while inflicting the most damage.

I recently posted the last image to Dakka Dakka forums for advice and tips on how to improve. A few things I already knew like filing down the lines on the models. But there were many little details I missed, and for these guys I completely ignored highlighting all together.

All in all I'm glad to have gotten into this hobby. Its a great way to keep my mind off school at times and has lowered my stress a little bit I feel. Everybody needs a creative outlet, I guess tihs one is mine!