+ inload: Recruitment Drive – colour text/short story +

+ Recruitment Drive +

The Outspeaker stopped a few steps from the diplomat’s delegation, planting his feet theatrically in the dust. Grabbing his ragged belt-buckle in one hand, he cocked his head and pinched his calloused thumb to his middle finger, forming a ring. Touching it to his chin, he chucked his jaw forward and spoke, his eyes insolent.

“You want get us fight f’you, Throne?”

The tribe spread into a loose – and intimidating, Jean thought – semicircle around the Outspeaker
as Jean dismounted. The women and men of the tribe were sullen; their postures alternately listless and hostile. Denims and leathers, gathered and much-patched, clothed the group. A magpie selection of glass shishas, fluorescents, and beaten plate-metals draped from bangles; and thick patches of scar-material decorated exposed flesh in chequerboard patterns. The crescent was gathering in, such that Jean could not look at all of them at once. His equine whinnied, trying to shuffle backwards, and he tightened his grip on the bridle, welcoming the distraction. Determinedly, he addressed the group’s leader.

“Being a Paxtitect has become considerably more exciting recently, Outspeaker.” Jean began, his voice pitched with a wavering bonhomie. The Outspeaker’s leathery face split into a leering grin, revealing a row of teeth black with ritual patterning and sharpened to points. “You’re not the first wary recruits.” The smile vanished as quickly as it came, and a few hisses came from the tribe as the younger members shifted warily. Jean was well aware the tension he felt was far from hidden; but it was not the tribe’s theatrics that had spoiled his sleep for the past days.

Such posturing displays as the tribe were showing were becoming well-known to Jean. The cultures of the core worlds were old. Nearly two centuries of Imperial rule had passed here, fealty to the Throne was strident in the population centres, but the plains of planets like Lamb’s World were dotted with men and women to whom Compliance had simply meant a change in the goods from the trade-caravans. Most of the ratty tribes the Imperials were trying to arm were suspicious; cold. Jean had been relieved finally to be dispatched to a gathering outpost that had requested arming – too few of the populace were fortifying the cities.

The Outspeaker gestured with his pinched hand again; and Jean hoped it was more wary than openly disrespectful. He longed to remove his dust goggles and rub his tired, tired eyes.

“No ‘cruits here, Throne,” his sharp teeth pinched the title contemptuously, “an’ if you wise, you watch your mouth, blood-of-mine.” Jean’s disquiet gave way to his impatience a little as he replied.

“I mean no disrespect, Outspeaker: you requested the summons. You’ve volunteered these troops.” The line of Imperial Army Rough Riders shuffled imperceptibly closer behind him as the semi-circle tightened.

“Right truly; Throne,” the Outspeaker said, eyeing the Imperial troops behind the Paxtitect, “I sent requests to speak wit’ you. But... I ’n’ us, well... we ain’t too sure why for even you want us fight f’you, Throne. You got big armies, isn’t it?” The Outspeaker leered, grabbed a nearby girl and pulled her forward while he spoke, forcing her to brandish her wiry, pale arms. “Why the Emp’rah suddenly need some Spider muscle?” A few of the tribe broke into a sneering laugh as the girl licked her palm insolently, slapped it between her legs and thrust her pelvis at Jean, whose face remained impassive.

“Or sumfin’ else off the Spiders!” she hooted as the Outspeaker pulled her back.

“See, we-and-all don’t really see much future in fightin’ for you ‘gainst the Sarfers, Throne,” continued the Outspeaker over the tribe’s laughter. “Way’s I see it is that’ll be goin’ on whether we fights or not. Way’s I see it; is we wants some ‘quipment; seems you and your boys can 'sell' us some.” His sunken, eyes glittered as he met Jean’s gaze.

Jean’s patience snapped. “This isn’t about the Southside war, you piece of shit! A Ceasefire was declared two cycles back!” he barked at the startled Outspeaker. The tribe’s expressions darkened, and a couple of Rough Riders raised their lasrifles, only to find the tribe drawing weapons of their own. A nervous corporal touched Jean’s shoulder, tentatively. “Get your hands off me!” Jean yelled, feeling his fears slide away. So what if the tribe killed him and his men? It would all be relative if the world couldn’t be rallied in time.

He turned back, addressing the semicircle in a cracking voice. “This isn’t a request any more – it’s a draft. The whole hemisphere is being drafted.”

“The hemisphere? A draft?” The Outspeaker’s face wavered between incredulity and outright disbelief. “The Peedee Effers wiped out the hrud, way back.” His voice was a mirthless chuckle as he regained his poise. “You’re tellin’ me the bendies are back? Needs us to wipe your behind, Throne?”.

Before anyone could stop him, Jean took two quick steps forward and grabbed the startled tribesman by his collar.

“I couldn’t give two groxballs about your dreary tribe, you shit!” Jean’s arms trembled, filled with cold determination and fear. “But there is an army coming that will set the galaxy on fire. It’s not going to give a grox’s balls about you, or me, or this whole forsaken continent.” The Outspeaker’s eyes were wide. “Horus is coming. Here. He’s bringing tanks, artillery, Titans; more regiments of traitors, oathbreakers and recidivists than your dim lobes can count. He’s bringing Astartes, and he’s going to attack us.”

“Right now, I need you to grab a gun, follow me, and man a trench. In about two weeks, this planet – this sector – is going to burn. Our world dies, squealing, here; or you can fight next to me – and every man, woman and child that wants to see another harvest.” Shaking with fury, he dropped the pallid Outspeaker in front of the speechless crowd.

The atmosphere quivered. Jean's eyes narrowed.

“So. What’s it going to be?”

+ inload: Painting Astral Claws +

+ inload: Painting Astral Claws +

+ Painting small groups of figures – whether for skirmish games like Shadespire or Kill Team, or for board games like Blackstone Fortress – is a different challenge to painting armies for bigger games. With fewer figures, it's a great change to experiment. Whether you use complex mixes or experiment with new (or old and tested) techniques, you can bring something new to your painting desk. As the old adage has it, a change is as good as a rest. +

+ The spirit of experimentation is particularly important for figures like this. The Astral Claw scheme is harmonious [+noosphericinloadlink {PENDING}+]: silver with blue and gold accents. I've used silver a lot on the Iron Warriors of Officio Monstrosa [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], and both blue and gold in the Ultramarines of the Praetors of Calth [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], so this should be a doddle, right? +

+ Well, the problem I find with following recipes or set procedures is that you get very predictable results. It's easy to get into a rut, and never move on anywhere. Besides, the silver of the Astral Claws' plate is not the battered aeons-old gunmetal of the Iron Warriors. Trying something new extends your repertoire. +

+ Work in progress Sergeant +

+ For the Iron Warriors, I used a lot of brown and sepia in the mix; while here I wanted to have less of a sense of age. I've used Prussian blue and Payne's grey ink to give the Astral Claw's steel an effect that is more neutral. Payne's grey has similar qualities to sepia, granulating and adding depth; but it is cool rather than warm. +

+ I also tried priming grey – though I think that's robbed the effect of some depth, so I'll be turning to black for future figures. +

+ Note that because Payne's grey is blue-tinged, it works nicely with both the metal and the blue shoulder pads. For my Ultramarines, I shaded with purple; a hue that enriches the blue. Here, the Payne's grey deadens it, again giving a neutral effect. +

+ Why do I want the figure to look neutral? As I've mentioned in earlier inloads, warm colours advance and appear inviting, while the opposite is true of cool figures. This can help to give an unconscious effect that the figure is 'good' or 'bad' – or at least the protagonist or antagonist – because the viewer has an instinctive reaction to this. The Badab War is an example of a 40k event where you can see noble aims on both sides, and complexity in the moral issues. I wanted to hint at this in the scheme by keeping things neutral. +

+ Of course, this has the potential side effect of making the figure a bit boring, so I'll need to incorporate some eye-catching 'hot spots' or warm areas into the scheme: a perfect excuse for the warm, opulent gold accents. Note also the eyes are a piercing acid green, intended to catch the eye. +

+ Clawthorn refinements +

+ Refining miniatures +

+ As with most decisions, sometimes your gut feeling or snap judgement is correct; and other times it's best to sleep on it. Coming back to the group yesterday, I made a few tweaks. +

+ Warning! Rivet-counting Space Marine nerdery ahead! +

+ While I liked the head this chap had before [VisREF: above right], the pose was very similar to another marine in the squad. Not a problem in an army, where you want things to look cohesive, as though following orders in synchronicity; but for a desperate kill team living on their wits, I wanted these to look a bit more individual. I swapped the head for a more standard Mark IV, altering the angle, too. The slit-eyed helm he had previously will likely appear on some future Iron Warrior. +

+ The overall pose for this marine just didn't feel right to me before [VisREF: above right]. With his arms down by his side, his legs needed to be more planted, his weight more centred. I built another body, and transplanted the arms and head. I ended up altering the suit with a lot of Mark VI elements, just for a bit of variety. This involved reshaping the lower legs – ankles and knees, and removing and replacing detail on the torso. He also has a RTB01 backpack. +

+ Note that he's not pure Mark VI – none of the marines are a pure mark. I like the slightly patchwork, peronalised feel of M41 marines. It highlights their ritualistic, knightly nature as well as the sense of constant warfare. It also provides me with some welcome creative relief from my more uniform projects, like the Blood Angels. +

+ With the changes made to the unhelmed marine above, I ended up with a spare body. A quick bit of conversion later and I had this bruiser, toting a drum-fed heavy bolter. The Mark V helm is a bit of a favourite of mine; combining the brutal grille of the Mark VII with some interesting greebles. I married this up with rimmed shoulder pads from the Mark III plastic kit, to echo the reinforcing studs on the helm. +

+ This chap remained unchanged, save for some addtional pouches and holsters and things. These help bulk out the waist and add visual interest – something that'll be important for the silver and blue scheme. Please excuse the {SCRAPSHUNTERRORABOVE] mouldlines! +

+ As above, this guy just seemed to work. A nice standard firing pose, a model like this in any squad helps to set the mood for more unusual models to 'sing out' against. +

+ ...and the sergeant; again unchanged. +

+ inload: Astral Claws kill team +

+ Kill Team Clawthorn +

'Though my guards may sleep and my ships may lay at anchor, our foes know full well that big guns never tire.'

+ — Lufgt Huron, the Tyrant of Badab +

+++

+ The idea of a 'mirror match' – whether guard versus guard, ork infighting or Eldar civil war – never fails to capture my imagination and suggest stories, but Space Marine civil wars are particularly  tricky to justify. +


+ Fortunately, Rick Priestley wrote a great example of just such a campaign in White Dwarf 101: the Badab Uprising. With great characters, great Chapter ideas and a relatively mature, complex storyline – more than just 'baddies and goodies – it quickly became the de facto setting for gamers looking to fight marines against marines. It's been revisited and updated and revised and become quite a well-worn path for many hobbyists. Nevertheless, not one we've tackled for many years. +

+ So; the PCRC started up a little project to scratch a couple of collective itches; to try out Kill Team and to paint some small groups of Space Marines in unusual Chapters. +

+ I would have loved to have tackled a similar prospect in our own region, Antona Australis [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], using it to explore and carve out some long-neglected or hinted-at Chapters like the Stellar Steeds, Kings Martial, Sons of Spectra, Ishilites, Emperor's Hawks, Hammers of the Emperor, Scarlet Blades, Adamants, Chapter Castellan or Lions of Sol, but Badab offered the reassuring hand of 'officialdom/canonicity' which makes the setting more accessible, so we plumped for that. +

+ Clawthorn +

+ The main thrust of the project was to build cool space marine models, but as a nod to the period Badab is set in, we've largely decided to convert them back to 'Firstborn' – that is, the classic style of Marines – from the new Primaris figures. There is, of course, no requirement to do so – after all, everything you have been told is a lie – but doing such small groups makes converting every model a possibility for everyone. +

+ Last time we had a bash at the setting, we ended up with loads of loyalists and very few traitors (something I suspect happens a lot, with many gaming groups), so I plumped for Astral Claws. After all, what's the Badab War without the Badabaddies? [+inload audi-vox file: *rimshot*+] +

+ Below you can see the fruit of an evening's work chopping and kitbashing, using the same techniques and consideration that I outlined in an earlier inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] for my Alien Wars Blood Angels. +

+ At core, Badab is set in M41, and the Astral Claws are not meant to be that old (in relative Chapter terms); so I've mainly stuck with Mark VII. +

+ With that said, individuality looks key in Kill Team. Each model needs to be identified by both sides, and that's got to be taken into account. For that reason – and because I think Space Marines are most interesting when they have a certain personalisation and variety in their armour, I've not gone super-uniform. The chap above has a vintage helm, pauldron and shoulder pad. +

+ While I just did this for aesthetics, it occurs to me now that these would be a perfect excuse to give him the veteran skill from Kill Team – which just goes to show that sometimes you can plan your ideas then build, and sometimes the models you build will suggest their own ideas. +

+ Kill Team offers some space for fun 'hero' poses or one-off details – subtle things like the use of this African-featured head that would get lost in a broader army. With Space Marines being so uniform, little bits like this help suggest stories and characters. +

+ The sergeant's a good example of the PCRC's attitude to this campaign: after building him, we realised axes weren't allowed to Primaris sergeants, but 'rule of cool' overrode that. After a bit of discussion, we've ended up with some laissez-faire house rules on equipping figures that basically boil down to 'models first, rules second.' 

+ Converting figures for sneaky skirmish games like Kill Team lends itself to subtlety and slightly more cinematic poses than the all-out charges typical of mass battle games. +

+ A simple group shot. I enjoyed building these, and have some spare Primaris marines, so I'll likely build some more – perhaps make a round dozen or so – then pick the best ones to play with. +

+ inload: Painting the Manifest Law +

+ Painting Ipsus Granicus +

+ Following the same approach as for Senex Codommanus [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], I've been gradually working my way over a pair of Warlords for Legio Nikator. +

+ Preparations for the Halicarnas Campaign continue. Three Legios have now pledged to walk, and more are potentially coming. Above is the Ipsus Granicus at the start of the evening, around 8.30pm; and below you can see the result at 10ish. It's sometimes surprising what a difference a couple of hours can make; which only adds support to the idea that fifteen minutes a day can really help cut down on your backlog. +

+ Using a fairly scattergun approach, I've really enjoyed hopping from area to area, swapping between laying down base coats and detailing whenever I felt my enthusiasm dip. + 

+ With the Halicarnas campaign [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] kicking off this weekend, I've been trying to balance speed and effect. These are, after all, expensive models, and I want to enjoy painting them. I've therefore concentrated on getting the base and upper carapace done, as these are the most obvious areas in play. +

+ I've really been going for it with a meaty, painterly approach to the application. I want this to look like a vintage oil painting – broken lines, deep contrasts, and moody atmosphere. The image above shows two white areas – one weathered (carapace), the other (arm plate) with just a basecoat. +

+ Still a bit unsure about the balance of colours used here – I think there's too much of the blue accent – but that's the joy of this exploratory approach: you can simply overpaint and carry on. This balancing and rebalancing builds up depth of tone and really gets you involved in the practical flow of painting, rather than getting analysis paralysis. +

+ Compare the Titan's lower left leg in the image above with the one further up – you'll see I bisected the blue side with an orange area to help reduce the blue impact. +

 + From this angle, the white and orange looks right to me – and it's worth noting that this stage is early days. I think it'll be okay to field, but if I can get some more done it'll be vastly improved. +

+ Not least to add is a macro-Gatling blaster that arrived yesterday (along with a quake cannon and a squat). I was a bit concerned the resin cannon would feel odd or not fit quite correctly, but it's virtually perfect. Nice one Forge World! +

+ inload: Warlord Titans WIP +

+ Painting Warlords for Legio Nikator +

+ *WARHORN NOISES* +

+ Warlord Titans. Iconic, awesome, and colossal. This latter point means they take a lot of painting! To break things up and keep things interesting, I'm hopping around a bit, and developing on the fly. This can end up messy, but as long as you keep your paints thin, you can always work over the top. It's the joy of acrylics. +

+ Battle Titans – that it, Warlords and Reavers – are the iconic units of the game for me. Knights and Scout Titans are all very well, but I want to see clashes between these great land-battleships! +

+ Coropedion +

+ Since we last saw him, Coropedion's received a new head, and the turquoise areas have been replaced with some white sections. Turquoise will be reintroduced, but as an accent colour. +

+ Not a huge amount to say here, other than it's a gradual slog from base coat to the finished effect. It's easy to get disheartened, but keep a vision of the final effect in your mind, and keeping going towards it. + 

+ In particular, I find it helpful to pause occasionally with big projects like this. Focus in on a panel or two (like the head, knee and thigh here) and work those up to completion. It provides an enjoyable break from the monotony of base-coating, and gets you one step closer to completion. +

+ With this approach, there is the risk of accidentally overpainting or mucking up completed areas, but roll with it. Allow it to dry, than work back over – perhaps even incorporate the marks. This is particularly appropriate for the ancient Engines of the Adeptus Mechanicus, and is a sort of back-door way into weathering. +

+ The armament here is purely for the pict-capture – I remove the magnetised bits while I'm working. My plan is to get the main chassis of this pair of Titans game-ready – weapons can follow along afterwards. +

+ Here's an example of a completed area. Working a focal point like the head up to completion really gives character to the piece; and encourages you to finish it. Note the use of stormy blue for the eye – complementary to the terracotta – and also that the surrounding area has been knocked back; painted very simply with deep gunmetal and black. This gives tonal contrast with the bright silver trim and piercing blue eye; building to give a sense of impact. +

+ Ipsus Granicus – the Manifest Law +

+ I like the pose on Coropedion, but (whisper it low), the Manifest Law is my favourite. Stomping forward, kicking buildings out of the way... what's not to love about this grouchy thing? +

+ Painted with the same approach as Coropedion, Ipsus Granicus has considerably more white areas at the moment. The opportunity for variety is a brilliant aspect of the heraldic schemes typical of the Titan Legions. +

+ The large panels are just screaming out for some freehand and super-detailing, just like the Senex Codomannus I finished recently [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. +

+ The expansion sprue GW released – with the fist, laser blasters etc. – is lovely: it's no coincidence that my first two Warlords sport the two expansion heads. Ipsus Granicus in particular has my favourite head, reminiscent of the 80s originals. +

+ As with Coropedion, I've worked up the head. Again, deep dark sockets surround bright blue eyes. I've incorporated some gold into the trim here; as the sheer amount of it meant sticking to silver was visually confusing. +

+ inload: Halicarnas campaign opening+

+ Missive: Legio Petition – Halicarnas +

+ Dataspool: Princeps Senioris grade and above+ 2907019.M41+ Checkdate: N/A / Internal+ Priority: Crimson

My lord,

Amphimachus the Thin, the Planetary governor of Halicarnas [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], has requested our aid:

With entreaties and memoria of our lasting friendship, we request, most regretfully and humbly, the aid of your Titan Legion. The deployment of a Maniple of your most puissant and glorious Legio would surely terrify potential rebels into submission, and firmly restate the glory and influence of the house of Amphimachus in this time of our need. We ask you to look to our previous service and association [in-Legio subset report: trade – net positive; political – net negative] and pray that the Throne guides you well in speedy submission to my appeal.

+++

Our agents have revealed the following:

Over the course of the past three generations, long-established trade pacts have thinned for Halicarnas as allied Imperial worlds and nearby Forgeworlds – including our own sponsors – have found new trading partners. This has led to deepening recession, periodic famine and unrest on the world. In defiance of the Planetary Governor’s edicts, it is believed that elements of the Halicarnan government have been prompted to look beyond their traditional routes for growth. Rumours of smuggling, grey-market trading and even forbidden non-human contracts have grown commonplace in the months since.

+ Go-Xi of Xoa +

Were Amphimachus to be deposed cleanly and quickly, it is possible that a successor would be able to improve things. We have identified House Xoa as the most capable and creative of potential successors. Seemingly upstanding, Xoa are best set to ascend to the Halicarnassan governorship; and indeed served as Planetary Governors for two centuries in the recent past before being dethroned by forces loyal to the Amphimachans. Xoa’s current head, Go-Xi, has forged some promising new trading routes – a rarity for this world. While caution must be advised, as their inward-looking nature in recent years makes them an unknown quantity, the House of Xoa has become exceptionally outward-looking and entrepreneurial.

Many – though not all – of Amphimachus’ subordinates have grown increasingly corrupt, while Amphimachus himself has remained steadfast and honest to the point of stubbornness. Despite the straitened times, the house of Amphimachus has proven stubbornly loyal to the Imperium. He, like his ancestors, has paid the Tithes in full and on time every generation – though at an increasing cost to his authority and the populace. The reactionary, stoic and spartan nature of Amphimachus himself means he still commands personal respect from his people, suffering as he does alongside them.

+ Assessed-optimal landing zone +

Make no mistake, despite its political isolation, Halicarnas is an important planet, providing succour for a number of nearby systems, including critical worlds [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. It also acts as a warning station ahead of corewards aggression into the sector. Its current predicament is regrettable and requires action. It is for you to decide whether it is the fault of the governor, and what the best way is to re-invigorate the fortunes of this world.

+++

The Grand Master of the Legio has granted you authority to Walk; ceding a portion of the Legion’s power to use as you see fit.

• Declare (by reply) whether you will defend the House of Amphimachus, support a coup in favour of the House of Xoa, or sit out this conflict.
• Create a campaign list of no more than 4,000 pts (remember to keep some in reserve!).
• Titans should be named, to help tracking.
• Submit the list to the campaign organiser, along with your Titan Legion’s name, before Friday.

+++

+ Copies of this message have gone out to the potential players in this campaign; we now await to see the responses of each force. +

+ I've deliberately avoided the 'loyalist' and 'traitor' labels; I'm hoping we get to explore the grey areas a bit more. +

+ inload: Adeptus Titanicus – Senex Codomannus +

+ Old Spiteful – Senex Codomannus +

+ Brooding, surly and recalcitrant, the Codomannus is the last remnant of Legio Nikator's original Titans; the remainder being lost in battle, laid to rest, or ritually dismembered to provide parts for others during the lean days of the Masscal campaigns. +

+ Dramatis Personae: the crew of the Senex Codomannus +

+ Granted the honorific Senex to mark its age and significance, the Engine is more often known as 'Old Spiteful' to its enemies, owing to its dogged pursuit of exclusionary kills. The Codomannus' machine spirit is wary and suspicious, and highly demanding of its crew. +

+ The current Princeps is Teutates Polassar, a senior Princeps who habitually leads battlegroups of the Legio in their walks. +

+ Gaunt, balding and unprepossessing, Polassar has a keen eye for weakness – both in his prey, and in his crew – and a ruthless streak well-suited to the belligerent Reaver Battle Titan. +

+ Adept Xhao Non, Enginseer Primus, has attended Codommanus for a decade, serving well under Polassar's direction. +

+ Like all of Sumer-Nikator's techpriest caste, Non spends an enormous amount of time on neo-cartomancy, relying on scryservitors and withinlookmen underlings to influence and enhance his practical duties +

+++

+ Painting Senex Codomannus +

+ What a treat! I loved the original Reaver model, and when the 28mm scale Reaver came out, I nearly buckled. I couldn't justify the expense, however, so my plans for colour schemes and decorations have sat for the best part of ten years. When the new version of Adeptus Titanicus was released, I couldn't wait for the Reavers – and was not disappointed. Really beautiful kits, and very enjoyable to paint. +

+ The overall idea was to use a very painterly approach, crashing together some different periods of history to give a sense of continuation. +

+ Mediaeval Byzantium gave me the inspiration for the emblem on top. I'll likely add a scroll beneath with the Titan's name, just to finish it off. My initial plan for the Legio was to use terracotta and turquoise, but here the turquoise is relegated to the devotional scene on the carapace. I've painted this quite softly using a fairly high key as I didn't want the decoration to be the focal point – just another decoration on this ancient beast. +

+ The later Middle Ages gave me another source of inspiration, and this sort of design (based on heraldic 'counter-ermine fur') pops up here and there over the Titan. It's relatively simple freehand; requiring careful placement more than anything. +

+ Some large areas of white were added, as the terracotta/orange was far too dominant. These were weathered with a combination of inks and flow medium; heavily applied, then lifted away selectively with a dry brush to create the patination and drip patterns. +

+ I wanted to keep some bold areas of colour, so I have kept most of the decoration to the lower legs – after all, that's the bit that the enemy will mostly see. However, that'd look a bit dull from above – which the players of the game will see – so I added some detail here, too. +

+ There are a few refinements I'd like to tackle at a later date – the scroll work I mentioned above, weapon banners and general refinement, but I think Old Spiteful is ready for war. +

+ inload: Rise of the God-machines +

+ Sons of the Temple: Legio Nikator +

+ All hail the god of machines! + 

+ Following a weekend of gaming, painting and building enthusiasm, progress continues on the Titans of my Legio. + 

+ I've really been feeling my way around these models; diving in and out and developing areas in isolation. Quite an organic approach, which has advantages and disadvantages. +

+ The panels of off-white were fun. Once a flat surface was achieved and allowed to dry, I drew a brush loaded with sepia ink and flow improver downwards, leaving these attractive streaks of weathering. While wet, I rinsed and dried the brush to lift out pooling areas to avoid backruns. +

+ Bright and colourful and cartoony! The chainfist panelling is unweathered; showing how the armour looks before I go in with the inks and so forth. I used this area to test out the Legio symbol, a hand grasping a crown. I worked freehand, adjusting as I went, so it's not quite right here. I think I'll sketch in onto the carapaces first to make sure it's more symmetrical. +

+ The pauldron and head here show a little highlighting and weathering, while the carapace has received another layer. Building it up gradually like this allows me a bit of control over how weathered the final result appears. +

+ A rear shot shows how some panels are more developed than others. I think I need to incorporate more of the white areas here and there. I'm also in two minds on whether to build up heat glow etc. around the exhausts. +

+ A detail from another work-in-progress Reaver, this kneepad was a fun bit of freehand, based on heraldic 'furs'. Tempted to expand the use of this – perhaps on the carapace of one? +