+ inload: Legio Sumer-Nikator +

+ Reaver Battlegroup +

+ My Titan Legion, The Sons of the Temple [CROSS-REF: Legio Sumer-Nikator] have received some reinforcements in advance of the upcoming release of the new Warmaster Titan. I'd pop some pictures of that up here, but to be honest you'll get a better view direct from GW's own Warhammer Community website – go have a look, I'll wait. +

[SPOOLING]

[REENAGEMENT DETECTED]

+ Cool, isn't it? Like the Warbringer, my initial reaction is cautiously positive rather than glowingly excited, but I suspect that it's a figure which has a lot of presence. I'm looking forward to seeing one in-hand. +

+ Reaver Battlegroup: Serpens +

+ In the meantime, I'd better get painting. I snapped up a bargain of three partially-built Reavers, and have used them to give myself a second battlegroup. That will allow me to field a full strength Corsair group (that is, five Reavers), alongside an additional reserve Reaver. +

+ I've temporarily glued the weapons in place – with three magnetised, I thought I'd make a few more dedicated options. The first is this as-yet-unnamed close-in Reaver – a Vandal, to use the old terminology. Alongside a melta cannon and chainfist primary weapons, I've given him a Vulcan megabolter on the carapace. This selection keeps him relatively cheap, and allows the Princeps to focus his reactor on getting him safely across the table with shields alight. +

+ The Vulcan Megabolter is from Vanguard Miniatures [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]; sadly out of stock, but a snip at £4 for two. I think Forge World's 'official' one is perfectly serviceable, but at £11 for one, I couldn't really justify it. +

+ The one criticism I have with the Reaver Titan kit – an absolute favourite of mine – is the lack of head options. Sure, there are three different mask, but they're all fairly similar. I'm hoping that Forge World (or an enterprising third part) come out with a head similar to the old second option. In the meantime, I've bashed my own: 

+ The top, rear and 'eyes' are from a Warlord head with the detail trimmed down and replaced. The front is from a 40k scale Knight, again trimmed to alter the proportions slightly. The grille is from one of the spare Reaver masks. +

+ I also tweaked the second Reaver's head; though that was very minor, simply cutting back the 'tusks' of the standard kit. This head sits atop a Goth class Reaver – the old term for a long-range 'heavy' Reaver. I just couldn't resist a dual Volcano Cannon option. +

+ Far from optimal, I suspect he'll spend a lot of time trying to cool down, but the visuals and rule-of-cool override all else! Perched on top is the Forge World Warp missile, making this Titan a long-range threat to enemy models whether they have shields or not. I hope that he and his Vandal brethren will work together well; the long-range Titan herding the prey and slowing them down for the other two to close in. +

+ The third is currently another Vandal, though I might tweak him to a more generalist role. I think I might swap the chainfist for a Power fist, as I think I have one spare; and possible substitute the melta cannon for a gatling blaster. +

+++

+ Warlord +

+ No great progress here, but I have managed to lay my hands on a 3D print of a fan-made Lucius-Alpha head. As soon as it arrived, I got it primed and popped it in place – very pleased, and looking forward to giving it a coat of paint. +

+++