Unlike most Space Marine riders, who use their bikes for reconnaissance, the Swiftclaws' main roles are demolitions and close assault operations. Blood Claws are by nature eager for battle, and many are so intoxicated with the power and speed of a Space Marine Bike that they demand permanent assignment to a Swiftclaw Pack. Swiftclaws are sometimes assigned to a dangerous mission that demands speed and daring, such as navigating a treacherous stretch of land in pursuit of a hated enemy, or to rescue a lost chapter relic ahead of a closing enemy force.

Miniature Review

So I'm not sure where I got these guys from, but I've had them for a while. The bikes themselves I think were just a generic Space Marine kit, so I had some fun kit-bashing with all my Space Wolves odds and ends, and they don't look half bad.

I prefer the bulkier look of the new Primaris bikes, but I think with these the marines become the real stars. Similarly to the Thunderwolves I positioned most of them with their weapons held high on the charge. They're well kitted out, and so they should be as I painted them with the yellow of the Wolf Guard.

Painting Techniques

Armour

Fenrisian Grey is applied as an edge highlight and Blue Horror as an extreme edge highlight.

Pelts

Ushabti Bone and Screaming Skull can be swapped out for Tyrant Skull and Terminatus Stone. For fur apply the shade more heavily in the center.

Bone & Fangs

Alternatively use Zandri Dust, Reikland Fleshshade and Screaming Skull for a slightly different look.

Red Armour & Leather

Brighter colours should be applied where the light would reflect the most, or parallel to edges when painting pack markings on their shoulders.

Runic Stone

Runes & Lenses (Blue)

Lenses & Gems (Green)

Skin

Agrax Earthshade is thinned down and only applied to the deepest recesses. Carroburg Crimson is applied in the recesses around the eyes and nose.

Beige Hair

Steel

Power Weapons

The axe and hammer were painted in quarters, with the base of the weapons painted the darkest blue, with white at the end of each weapon. To blend each adjacent quarter I mixed the two paints together and applied it in the middle. I then repeated this over and over, always saving a bit of each mixture, until achieving a smooth transition. A final edge highlight of White Scar was applied.

Weapon Casings, Seals, Tyres and Seats

Mechanicus Standard Grey is applied as an edge highlight and Administratum Grey as an extreme edge highlight.

Gold

Cloth & Parchment

Purity Seals

Screamer Pink, Emperor's Children and Nuln Oil can be used instead to differentiate from other reds.

Leather

Yellow Armour

Basing

I cast some Fantascape Glacial Ruins bases using Instant Mold & Milliput, then glued some sand around the edges, applying a second layer of watered down PVA to help it stuck.

Stone

The Seraphim Sepia was applied in patches to give a dirt stained look.

Ice

Dirt

Base Edge

Finally, I applied some Mordheim Turf tufts and then a couple of layers of Deluxe's Scenic Snow.

Roundup

I don't plan to add many vehicles to the army, so it's nice to add this unit now just so there's a bit of representation there. Having some more Fast Attack options is also nice.

I used some weathering powers and went a bit heavier on the washes to create a dirtier look, as they would be travelling at speed through varied terrain. This helped to hide a few mistakes and tone down the bikes a bit, so the marines stay in focus.

I also tried adding a few basic patterns to the bikes to break up the flat areas. I wasn't the happiest with the results, but it should be easy enough to touch up in the future. I think they either need to be thicker, or I need to add a bit of colour to them.