Found my camera, so here are the actual state of the minis I played with.

The Overview

The Headless Speeders and Dreadnoughts close up.  I have to redo a few magnets on the Speeders and I'm not happy with the detail on the DN I did detail, the other DN is just primed.

The Neophytes, Blue squad (PF), Red squad(PF) and Green/Gold squad.  It was going to be Gold, but I was reliably informed by my 6 year old that the "green guys" were cool and I needed some guys with green.  Also, my stand in EC.

Hello?  Is this thing on?

Greetings, by order of the Inquisition, the STC for the Land Speeder is being reviewed for the taint of Chaos, especially the ones equipped for multiple weapon layouts...

I can say that I'll think long and hard about my four and six Speeder lists before I assemble any more.  In truth, if I hadn't decided to magnetize them to carry all possible weapons, they really would have been fairly easy to simply glue together in a fixed configuration (especially as I somehow reversed one magnet on each Speeder for the Typhoons).  The crew compartment is way too crowded and without the nice torso and arm notches you find for the Marines in the AoBR set, the easy way to do them (assemble the torso, head and arms, then glue them intact into the Speeder), they have to be assembled bit by bit inside the tight confines of the cockpit to make sure the arms all go where you want.

As it is, all of my Marines are finished for tomorrow, although I'll be using my proxy EC since the Speeders have eaten up far too much of my time and still need a bit more work.  The last DN is going together now.  I'm not going to be 100% happy with the paint jobs the vehicles, but since my clear coat is a thin matte acrylic layer instead of a gloss hard coat, I can go back and finish up some of the fine details later.  The only "real" Drop Pod will probably end up unpainted.  It has been wet and cold all week long, so my target of spray priming the exterior and interior with a bit of detail work on the exterior isn't going to happen.  It wouldn't take long to do, but I don't have an inside place to spray it.  A little clear coat in my shower I can get away with...

On the Speeder subject, I've got a few ideas I want to try on the magnet front for the last one I put together.  The main trick being to do all the magnetizing before you glue the first piece on.  Well, actually, gluing some scrap in a few places to allow for better magnetizing.

Pretty models, but these things are really a pain to put together.  At least if you want them painted properly.  Stopped putting them together and did a little more detail painting that it going to be covered as I assemble the models.  I've figured out how to do some of the magnetizing, have the torsos, arms, shoulder pads and heads ready to go on sticks to be painted for assembly inside the Speeders.  As soon as that is done, I should hopefully be ready to finish the rest of the speeder.

And I really need to find my camera.  I know I packed it when I went to my Dad's funeral and I cannot find it now.

Anyway, there is a big issue with having done models in the past and trying to relearn the tricks you used to know.  This isn't a bicycle here, well, maybe it is in a way.  Marines all now have their stickers, although some are a bit off center (relearning curve).  I played with some extra highlighting and washing, but the way I've been semi-washing/drybrushing a lot of stuff as I'm painting means I've already got some of those effects and the trouble to do that, on the Marines at least, isn't worth the time.  I'm setting up for LGS, not Nova Open where I have to fight for points in painting and conversion in the GW mandated meta-hobby silliness.

Down to parchment markings (I'm waiting on my paint pen delivery) and clear coat finish.  The following is planned for today:
1) Mix up some more parchment color to get the four bits I missed, touch up oopsies with black as required.
2) As paint is drying, start slapping the various shoulder bits and backpacks onto the Initiates.
3) Finish doing the glued down bits on the two Speeders, start magnetizing and prime them.

Not sure if all of #3 will get done, but they should be assembled anyway.

Also, updating front page to reflect the change in list composition as well as current progress.

Early PM Status update: 1) and 2) above are done!  Huzzah!  Now just to wait on the superfine pen to arrive, although it might not make it.  In which case, a thin clear coat will go on Friday and I'll fix it later.  I also just remembered I need to put a few white crosses on the finished DN to put it in the same status as the Initiates and Neophytes.

Actually, I'm not so sure what kind of pod list I'm going to run right this second.  I'm trying to decide between three.  What I do know is all of them need me to get my actual Pod assembled and at least two of the Speeders (for Typhoon

So, I've done the parchments on all of the models assembled so far, except on the shoulders of the three melta guys (grrr).  Not that big a deal as I'm sure I'll have some more to do before I'm through, it was just annoying because I had to mix that color. 

Well, since the good Marshal didn't complain about my second version of the new FAQ related 1k list, I'm going to run with it.  Posted on the front page.  I'm actually not real happy with it, but should be okay to run with for a few games.  I actually do like its flexibility to have from 4-7 deep strike units since I do retain the option to deploy the LS-Typhoons onto the board to provide sniping/distraction until the pods start landing.

Not much, finished with blue now.
I detailed the two PF squads as "red" squad and "blue" squad, which was fun.  Although I wish I had done the eyes blue!  The blue went on like a dream, unlike the red which seemed to dry way too fast and needed 3-5 coats to show well.

Added in the PM:
On the advice of my kindergarten age son, who has fallen in love with the "green marines" (Salamanders), I have a few Marines with some green details and if a skull wasn't already hit with something else, it all got some gold. 

Trying to stave off the suggestions of the boy and the wife to "add more color".  The son today was asking me why I hadn't painted any Marines like the Imperial Fists, "da blue guys" and the "apokterry".  Never should have let him watch Ultramarines with me.  I found out the wife was expecting something like Marneus Calgar from looking at the pictures.  I keep threatening to buy her some Eldar Harlequins to paint and am promising her that she will get to have total control over my WYSIWYG EC, so start painting and I want lots of detail work. ;)

Finished all three of the "counts as" poster board drop pods.  Just bases and uprights with the bottom part of the door and lots of hot glue.  Workable with the right height and base.  The uprights (and base for that matter) are a bit "off", but if I built a circle with five notches I could straighten the top out.  Then adding in the top part of the doors, cover any misc holes with putty or paper and I think I could turn them in to decent homegrown models with a bit of paint.

Pulled out the GW pod, used it to check dimensions and then put it back up.  Didn't feel like doing magnet work yet, I want to paint some.

On to painting.  Did a quick diversion, painted the faces of the Neophytes since I was short on time today.  Also did my "counts as" EC's face (the SGT from AoBR) since he is going to double as my test dummy for washes and I'm hoping to have the "real" EC ready to go, although he is going to be last (since I want to try some magnet work on the GW pod and last DN.

Pulled the red out for lots of red painting goodness.  Another meeting tonight, maybe I can start on the red, but I'm hoping for a clear day tomorrow for a few straight hours of painting.

Pictures I'll try to have by the end of the week.

Oh, the glasses make it much better.

I'm going to be working on building for a few days.  Long story, but from a combination of getting older, some old damage in one eye and not being able to get to the eye doctor, close detail work is killing me.  I'm having to use a magnifier anyway, but until I get my new glasses on Friday (and then adjust to them for a couple of days), fine detail work is out.  I end up focusing between a 20/20 eye and a 20/400 eye resulting in the "dagger in the eye" headache that some of you may know.

I just finished off those two power fists okay, but the twitch started so that is it for today.  Unfortunately it means I don't get to update the front page on painting for a bit, although I might cheat and do a few backpacks at a time.  I only need a bit of gunmetal on them and the painting level will be all the same on the assembled models (especially the Marines).

No big deal, I still have drop pods and a dreadnought to assemble and if I have more time I can start on fiddling with one of my "expansion" models I've bought.  I do know that I'll be playing the 1k list several times before I think about upgrading in points.  Faster games, less variables (3 Crusader squads, 2 DN in 5 pods) and simpler tactical situations which should give me some quick lessons.  Yeah, I'm not so hot at that level, but then most armies aren't either.