+ Void translation – the Metalica Home Stretch +
+ Crunch time. The event, Beachhead 2025 [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+], is in five days' time, so it's time for finishing touches. I'm confident that I'll have a playable force – the pict-capture above is not quite up to date, so there's been more progress since it was taken. Nevertheless, there's still quite a lot that I'd like to have done before they march once more in anger. +
+++
+ Holding your nerve +
Still to do:
- Trim and metals on Steel Hammer, Fors Clavigera, Praeterita Carnivorus and Old Three Skulls
- This is the big one. I'd hoped to have all this done over the weekend. I need to get this done tonight, really, if I hope to get the oils on with half a chance of drying before the event.
- Oils on all.
- While this seems much larger, I think (hope?) this should be surprisingly quick.
- Eyes on Steel Hammer, Fors Clavigera and Old Three Skulls
- Moderati banners on all five, plus the big Legion banner on Old Three Skulls
- Nameplates on Steel Hammer, Fors Clavigera, Ferratus Tertius and Old Three Skulls
- Paint three objective markers for primary missions: Secure and Hold and Salt the Earth; three objective markers for primary missions: Asset Protection and Defend and Extract; Titan Honour Banner for primary mission: Honour thy Forebears; Two markers for secondary mission: Deny Them.
- Paint two markers for Titan Hunter infantry stratagem.
Between you and me, I'm not entirely confident that I'll be able to polish off all the bells and whistles that I want to get done in time, but we'll see. The good news is that one of the big stages, varnishing, is complete – and that's critical, because it's very dependent on the right conditions.
Post-varnish (I used Winsor & Netwon matt spray varnish [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]), the transfers now look much more integrated into the painting scheme, with the shiny carrier hidden. Just compare the picture above with the one from this earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], and you can see how the legion symbol now matches the reflectivity (or lack thereof) of the rest of the paint.
+++
+ Steel Legion basing +
The teeny-weeny Steel Legionaries on the bases of Steel Hammer and Fors Clavigera have been painted up, too. This is a simplified version of my Steel Legion 7th Army force scheme, which is detailed in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+].
 |
| + Eeeee! Adorable mini Legion + |
Why focus on this tiny detail when there's still major stuff like trim to do? Well, as the old adage goes, the things that matter most are faces and bases. Painting these was also a handy way to get an idea of how long it'll take me to do my 'stretch goals' of the objective markers and Titan hunter infantry stratagem bases/markers. Happily, they were all done in half an hour or so, and the other bits will start a little further along than these because these needed a new basecoat after getting hammered with the drybrushing on the Titan's bases.
+++
+ Battle Builder nameplates +
A good example of adding a bit of punch and interest to the bases are the nameplates, which come from Battle Builder [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]. This example was painted gold, the panel painted black, and then the name picked up with Citadel Averland Sunset, which was highlighted up at the top and bottom to Vallejo Mummy Robes.
It proved a fairly quick process, which sometimes proves the advantage of some time pressure. I'd been umming and ahhing over how to approach them for ages, as I wanted them both to be easily readable from tabletop distance, but not pull too much impact from the Titan itself. In the end, I really just needed to trust the process and get on with it.
 |
| + Beautiful Obsidian Forge nameplates – but I ordered the wrong name! + |
There was one fly in the ointment, however: realising that the nameplates on one of the Titans, Ferratus Tertius, doesn't match the terminal plate, which reads Castigator Lacrimarus. I'd clearly had a bit of a [SCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT] and ordered the name of the Titan that didn't make it into the final list. I will have to have a think while I'm painting, as it's too late to order another...
+++