+ inloads: Iron Warriors 'Officio Monstrosa ' army shot +

+ Iron Warriors 242nd 'Footsore' Great Company and the Officio Monstrosa +

+ Is there any greater satisfaction – hobbywise, at least – than seeing an army you've painted laid out, and completed to the best of your ability? +

+ MIssing the tanks, but otherwise complete +

+ I found myself in the (unusual, for me!) position of having finished everything I need for an event with some time to spare, so I decided to double-check everything was complete. I ended up surprising myself with how much I'd done for the force. Because they've developed rather more organically – i.e. with less pre-planning than other armies I've done – I'd quite forgotten some of the models. It was nice to dig 'em out and get some details – I hope you enjoy the show. +

+ Tactical legionaries are at the heart of every space marine force I've ever done. I've ended up with nearly forty, all told. +

+ Perturabo hasn't seen table-time yet. Now the army's 'done' (though is any army ever really finished?), I'll have to twist the arm of Stuntwedge to face me with his Imperial Fists in a suitably large game. Perhaps that cowardly wretch Rogal Dorn will make an appearance? +

+ Zaricus Cjarn has led the force so far. A relatively lowly Centurion, I think he'll end up being superceded by a higher-level officer soon. I won't forget this axe-wielding loon, though. One of my favourite models full-stop.+

+ You see the benefit of 'boring' poses when you set out your models like this. Having more restrained marines helps the more dynamic poses stand out, and makes for a better overall look. +

+ Talking of dynamic poses, I think this chap is my favourite in the force overall. +

+ The stripped-back aesthetic of the Iron Warriors still leaves a little space for details that add a bit of narrative. Here a little wolf token – a gift from the XVIth Legion? A trophy from the VIth? – is there for viewers to pick out. Note also the hazard striping. I've deliberately kept that minimal. It's such an eye-catching device that it can really draw attention away from the metallics. +

+ Freehand banners. A lot of fun, and a good opportunity to practise your brushwork. +

+ New Destroyers. The damaged pauldrons come from Master-Crafted miniatures. The metallics here are ever-so-slightly darker than the rest of the army; to reflect the rad-soaked background. +

+ Multi-meltas – a perfect example of a unit made just for looks. They attract a lot of positive comments, which goes to show a change is as good as a rest, sometimes. One of my favourite bits of the army, they make heavy use of the Blood Angel helmet that I adopted for its sinister eye slits.  +

+ The new apothecary – see yesterday's inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] – was designed to fit alongside the vignette of two injured Marines [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] I made. +

+ Again, a bit of freehand detail really sings out against what is, at root, a super-easy metallic scheme. The little targetting panels were painted with the same blue accent I've used sparingly across the army. +

+ Rapiers are fun – small enough that I enjoyed painting them (unlike most vehicles), large enough to stand out. +

+ GIANT ROBOTS +

+ MORE GIANT ROBOTS +

+ ...and back to regular ol' troops to close. Converting every model is time-consuming and sometimes frustrating, but it really helps to make the army feel like yours; adding a very personal artistic touch. It also helps to remind you that even the 'basic' Space Marine is a distinctive hero (or villain), with the potential for own narrative development. This all adds to the enjoyment of every aspect of the hobby; from generating ideas for painting honorifics to suggesting storylines and plots for gaming. +

+ inload: Heralds of Taurson +

+ Battle Automata +

+ Excuse the rather glarey pictures, please; it being the cold depths of Winter means that I rarely get time to shoot during daylight hours. Anyway, the Iron Circle are ready for battle; and none too soon, as Lucifer216's Knight Household – watch out for them in a future inload – are spoiling for a rematch following our last battle; the Confrontation at Coripaest [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] +

+ Iron Circle +

+ The paint scheme's been described to death in previous inloads [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], so I won't go over it much except to point out the little dangling skulls have red markings that match each Automaton's Muster markings (the yellow shape on the black pauldron). +

+ Having spent ages getting the 'IV' looking absolutely straight, I then immediately [SCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT]ed it up with some awkward muck/weathering. This pictcapture also shows the red eyes; an update on the previous iteration. I'm still in two minds about this, as I quite liked the black, hollow-eyed look, but it's definitely more eye-catching this way. My main concern is that I've ended up with purple, yellow and red accents. I'm half-tempted to repaint the eyes purple... but that's for another day, as I've got more to paint before then! +

+ Domitar +

+ In addition to the Iron Circle, I also took the opportunity to paint up a Domitar:

+ As is typical of such painting, being a relative afterthought meant that the scheme just seems to work better; no fussy accents, no over-thought additions... just a solid frame. In this instance, I think the red eyes work much better; as they haven't got anything to compete with (in contrast with the scattered details on the Iron Circle). +

+ When painting big models like his, it's easy for them to become focal points. As ever, I want my infantry to be the main attraction for the army, not the support; so I've tried to keep the models drab and serviceable – just right for Perturabo's Legion. +

+ MMXVIII Painting + 

+ With the Iron Circle sorted and the Blood Bowl team well on the way, that's my short-term 2018 painting off to a good start; and to keep it rolling on, I've decided to take up the ever-excellent Rob Hawkins' Wargame Hobby Bingo card challenge [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] to keep things ticking over. Cheers for the idea, Rob – great concept! +

+ Given that the Iron Circle were almost complete, I don't think it's fair to use them for the card, but I think the Domitar will counts nicely for my 'Finish painting a model that's been in your to-do pile [...]' square. +

+ inload: Painting the Iron Circle WIP +

+ By Your Command +

+ The Iron Circle +

+ I reviewed the Domitar-Ferrum battle automata – better known as the Iron Circle – in an earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], in which I sang the praises of these characterful beasties. I find large models both technically more difficult to paint (my style doesn't lend itself to large flat areas), and more time-consuming. On top of that, as they were a gift, I wanted to do them justice – in truth, I found 'em, a bit intimidating! +

+ In the absence of am alternative strong idea for painting, I decided that consistency with the rest of the army was the best route, so used the same approach as I take for my Iron Warriors Infantry [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. Background-wise, I thought this fit well; as it nicely ties in with the Legion's primarch, Perturabo's, unsentimental view that both Astartes and Automata were equally tools to be used. Aesthetically, the stylistic differences between the Automata and my Astartes are smoothed by the use of a common scheme. +

+ These WIP pictures show one of the Circle at the end of a single painting session – roughly three hours. I was going to call them done, but as so often happens, stepping away suddenly reignites my interest, and there's a few tweaks I want to make; some of which were suggested by the PCRC (thanks chaps!) +

+ Primarily, I think the model lacks a strong focal point. Despite working up the tone on the faceplate further than the rest of the metal, the black eyes – a detail I included to give a soulless, dead feel – just don't quite work, so I’m try blue. +

+ Similarly, Lucifer216 though the hammer could do with a bit more emphasis. I usually err from going over-the-top on glowing details as I prefer a grounded, realistic approach (well, insofar as giant robots are realistic), but in this case he's absolutely right. In truth, the hammer was a rush-job, and a few more minutes on it will go a long way to balancing the eye-catching impact of the yellow stripe on the shoulder pad. +

+ Theorectical +

+ Grimy, murky, threatening metal. I'm happy with the underlying steel/iron, but the gold need considerable work to add depth. +

+ The big flat plates of the shield scream out for freehand and detail, but I'm always wary about adding such detail to places like this. Not only is it a functional piece of equipment, rather than a decorative banner, but any strong detail here could easily draw attention away from the robot itself. This wouldn't be a big problem on this example, but if I add another member to the Circle with his shield to the fore, it could easily become distracting. +

+ With that said, leaving the area completely undecorated would be very boring. I've compromised by adding a relatively small Legion symbol in the centre (a flat transfer), and freehanding some hazard stripes on the bottom. This flash of colour is enough to add interest without going over-the-top. It was also an enjoyable break from all the metal! +

+ Being a special case, I spent more time on the metal than on a typical model in the army, and I am pleased with the discoloured, varied and naturalistic feel of it. However, spending so much time on the familiar steel was essentially procrastinating, and other areas of the model suffered for it. +

+ Practical +

+ The following areas need addressing:

• Develop the eyes; perhaps paint them blue (to match), red (to contrast), or green (to complement) the rest of the army.
• Work up the energy effect on the grav-hammer, and generally spend more time and thought on the weapon.
• Build up the tonal contrast in the gold.

+++

+ 8th Path Gaming +

+ If you're interested in using the Iron Circle in 8th edition, I've worked up a playtestable datasheet for them as part of my The Eightfold Path conversion [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]:

+ Initital price (for two) is 15 power; I'd welcome any feedback or suggestions on points cost. +

+ Designer's notes +

+ The underlying principle here was to sensitively adapt the Kastelan – the only 8th ed. robot – datasheet to fit the Iron Circle. Effectively, to look at how the 8th ed. Castellax compares with both the 7th edition Castellax and the 7th ed. Kastelan (both coming from the same inspiration); then see how the 7th ed. Castellax compares with the 7th ed. Iron Circle and Domitar. +

Iron Circle 8th
M 8" (equal to Kastelan)
WS 3+ (based on higher WS in 7th)
BS 4+ (equal in 7th)
S 7 (based on higher S in 7th)
T 7 (equal in 7th)
W 6 (equal in 7th)
A 3 (equal in 7th)
LD 10 (higher in 7th; but a bit academic)
Sv 3+ (equal in 7th)

Graviton Maul
Range: melee Type: melee S: x2 AP:-3 D:3 Abilities: Crushing blow: on a to hit roll of a 6, make an additional attack with this weapon. This cannot produce a further additional attack.

Olympia pattern boltcannon 
Range: 36in Type: heavy 5 S:5 AP:-1 D:1 Abilities: none 
(7th: 36in, S5, AP4, heavy 5 pinning)

Karceri Battle Shield
Provides a 4+ invulnerable save to itself or any character within 3in. Note that if the character uses the save, the Iron Circle robot cannot use it.

+ inload: Painting the 'Footsore' 242nd +

+ Batch painting. I find it dull, monotonous and frustrating; so what better legion to apply it to than the Warmaster's pre-eminent siege practitioners, the Iron Warriors? +

+ This shot shows the current painting pile getting ready for our visit to Warhammer World in May. As you can see, there's quite a bit to do! Fortunately, the way I paint Iron Warriors [+inloadlink embedded+] works well with a production line, as it relies on big pools of paint on the palette. +

+ In addition to these chaps, I've been building other stuff. I was the happy recipient of a Domitar automaton from my pals in the PCRC for my birthday. I think Forge World have started using computer-assisted design and 3D modelling for some of their stuff, and – assuming it's been used here – it works very nicely for robots and similar mechanical things, presumably being part of the reason for very tight tolerances in the fiddly pistons etc. +

The bits

+ The sprue layout for this kit is good, hiding vents and supports where they're least likely to be seen (apart from the forearms, where they pretty much stick straight up, so be careful to cut and clean carefully here), and it all goes together well. The design includes some fairly fiddly bits like thumbs and pistons, but they're integrated well with recessed contact points, so I think it'll be a relatively resilient model, good for gaming. +

The partly-built robot.

+  With the exception of the arms, which I really ought to have pinned, this was a nice quick build. I still have to choose between a closed carapace or the missiles peeking out from behind his head, as well as to add the cables running from the generator to his gravity hammer weapons. I've left the mask unglued for the moment, as I'm tempted to try sculpting on an Iron Warrior-style skull, a bit like the upcoming Iron Circle. +

+ The Domitar is an update/homage to the Rogue Trader-era Conqueror robot (see below). Many moons ago I used to have one of the originals; painted with as much enthusiasm as you might expect a teenager might have for an awesome robot. He's long gone, but I'm very glad to have this chap as a replacement! + 

+ The colour scheme here is very, very tempting... What do you reckon? Legion colours, or keeping the heraldry of a part of the Legio Cybernetica? +