+ inload: Stormlords (Legio Tempestus) Maniple +

+ A Right Handful +

+ The heart of a Reaver Titan is its plasma reactor. Daubed in Martian mud and consecrated with plasma-fire, its first firing – ignitio initialis – is a moment of great tension. Fierce local animals are sacrificed and given as burnt offerings: the greater the predator, then greater the chance of placating the Machine God and investing the God-Engine with a powerful and suitable anima machina, or 'Machine Spirit'. +

+ Such rituals are few and far between, and often end in failure, the plasma reactor running unsteadily for a time before puttering out, or failing to kindle at all. While disappointing, this is not necessarily a cause of dismay for the techpriesthood. A worthy Machine Spirit, the theory goes, will naturally demand more time and effort to coax into occupying a potential God-Engine – and better a slower, more puissant result than a meek or petty Machine Spirit haunting the Engine. +

+ The Reaver Titan dubbed Faultfinder was notable for requiring seven rituals before its plasma heart kindled. Even prior to the Horus Heresy it was known for its arrogant, uncooperative nature – and only the promise of hunting its equals seemed to bring out its more effective qualities...

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+ Painting Tempestus +

Ticking along, ticking along...

Last night I worked up the blue and white panels on this Reaver. Originally built as a support Titan for the Legio Sumer-Nikator, I glued the guns onto this Reaver rather than magnetising them). My thinking was that he would only ever be used alongside a load of other Reavers, and would encourage me to try some fun, less 'competitive' armaments.

The actual result? He sat on a shelf in the garage, gathering dust while more flexible magnetised hulls skipped the queue. 

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His time, it seems, has come. I'm still in two minds as to whether to free one or both arms to magnetise them, or lean into the pig-headed decision I made and build that into this Reaver's story. The lesson? Theme and background can come from funny places.

The colour is built up from Vallejo Model Color Prussian blue through Macragge blue, Teclis blue and Hoeth blue. It's come out a little chalkier than I would have liked, but hopefully a glaze or two will smooth things out.

I also need to play around with the arrangement of blue and white panels, but figured I'd get everything layered down so I have a clean surface to work on. Chequered and white panels will be added to break up the swathe of blue; I have some transfers on their way to help with this.

The warp missile is a placeholder; the current list has an apocalypse missile launcher in its place – but since I'm painting blue, I thought I may as well use the opportunity to paint some weapons that have languished almost as long as this particular hull.

Always worth paying attention to do your best work on the back – after all, that's what you'll be seeing most of the time you're playing!

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+ The naming of Titans +

I've been working up some names for the maniple. As exloaded previously, I really enjoy naming, so it was fun to muse over things for a few days and let things come to mind. They can percolate and you almost inevitably end up bringing in some quite unrelated ideas.

Warlord: Tabella Defixionis

Warbringer Nemesis: Son of Sarum

Reaver: Scythian

Reaver: Faultfinder

Warhound: Urtica Morifolia 

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+ We interrupt this inload for a commercial break +

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+ Big and bigger +

Work also progresses with the big version of Scythian, too.