Legion Rising

[GhostMalone]

Moar I say!

[Forté]

I cannot post what just happened. I'm just hoping it comes out in the wash.

[The_Chaplain]

 

 

On a side note, can someone please confirm if Loyalist Space Marines are still unable to add the ‘Dozer Blade to their Land Raider? I’ll be happy to make a Loyalist version, but it only makes sense if they are an actual option for them.

 

The LR Proteus, Achilles, Helios and Prometheus patterns can take dozer blades according to Imperial Armour 2: Second edition.  The standard LR, Crusader, Redeemer  and Excelsior patterns cannot.  

 

That said, as a person who owns a couple Prometheus and wants to get their hands on an Achilles at some point; I'd be very interested in a dozer kit for those landraiders that can actually take them. 

[ninjasuperspy]

Whoa. Whoa. All of that. I'm beside myself. Points are no object, literally everything I'm going to build is going to have one of those Heresy Havoc launchers and/or those combi weapon kits (I love adding extra parts to tanks but it has always bugged me that there's no way a Marine could fit through the standard hatch).

[Dragonlover]

Don't suppose you have a rough guesstimate on how much you'll be selling the Rapiers for do you? Birthdays coming up, I've got purchases to plan...

 

Dragonlover

[Olis]

Subtle Discord has been busy? Hold on. I have a GIF somewhere for this...

 

http://media.tumblr.com/3ad7ca7525c7503c400688f1f32d6f45/tumblr_inline_nahkapLrdj1sm7eek.gif

 

 

Sorry to hear about your trouble, brother - that couldn't have been a pleasant surprise. On the other hand, you've been getting some killer designs done so I'd say you're on a net gain, there. Regardless, I'm glad you've fixed the problem (for now). :)

 

Now, I gotta say, that's a nifty idea doing bayonet/barrel accessories - I don't think any other third party supplier is doing the same. So, I suppose you could say you're leading the field?

 

And, man, that ram. That ram. An Imperial version sounds good but whether it is for either faction, it'll still look nice and meaty. I totally approve. It has a certain 'look' about it like all the other stuff you've been doing that let's us know it's one of yours. It's subtle (ba dum tish) but it's there. 

 

All of the parts are symmetrical, and modular so the weapons can be mounted how the builder wants. Just flip the weapon direction and rotate the assembly around to change up the look a little. Oh, and knowing now that Heresy-era vehicles can add pintol mounted Heavy weapons, I’ll say it’s safe to assume that adding some Heavy weapons in the future would be a welcome addition? 

 

Couldn't hurt to do some mock-ups, right? ;)

[Midnightmare]

Fair do's you never fail to deliver! Another customer here (Dozer/rapier/pintles/AMMO DRUMS!!) Just glorious B)

[Augustus b'Raass]

Hosanna! Rapiers within two weeks of ordering! Yay!

[Teetengee]

Man, I just want a rack of those conversion beamers....

[JeffTibbetts]

Wow, man. Echoing what everyone else is already saying, I'm excited to see you're back in the saddle and producing what look like some of the best 3D sculpts we've seen out of any 3rd party. That's what I love about you... You're not content to make knock-offs and quick and dirty jobs. You're actively designing clever, quality products. The pintle weapons are fantastic. Nobody that I heard was hollering that we needed them, but now that I've seen them I want to put them on everything. 

 

Side note 1: I've heard about the cardboard gasket idea before and as far as I know it's a totally legit fix. May it serve you well for a long time (knock on wood). 

 

Side note 2: Storm Raven? YES! I'm putting one together right now. Should I wait to glue anything down in anticipation? I've already got the main hull and front and rear hatches glued, but I'm more than happy to table this if there's even a glimmer of hope there will be a kit half as good as the Loricatus coming for it. Seriously... 

 

Side note 3: I'll PM you in a sec. 

[Montuhotep]

Sweet mother of Hades........

[DuskRaider]

Amazing work... I need that Siege Ram ASAP.. hopefully it'll fit on a Spartan.

[Soldier of Dorn]

Sweet unholy mother of a Chaos Spawn, that heavy conversion beamer is amazing.

[maverike_prime]

*Subtle tosses an insomnia fueled image out from under the rock currently residing over him*

 

While I've been quiet, I've also been active. More musings, ramblings, and updates to come soon...

 

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j332/SubtleDiscord/2015%20WIP%20Photos/Chaos_Weapon_Platform_05.jpg

After some creative struggles, my take on the Chaos Conversion Beamer has finally taken form.

 

BROCK: Aww no :cussin' way! Late 60's ultra death ray! She's amazing! Saddle operated with Doom-code gearing. Freakin' gorgeous.

 

MR. CARDHOLDER: If it were a woman I'd marry it.

 

MR. DOE: And I'd jeopardize our friendship by nailing your hot wife.

 

BROCK: Gyroscopic positioning?

 

JONAS JR.: At six points!

 

BROCK: Sick, tight.

 

JONAS JR.: And get this: it comes up out of the top of the skull!

 

BROCK: That's how it's done!

 

~ The Venture Brothers, e.36

 

God damn it SD.... when can I order it?

[KRG-23]

http://www.thebuzzmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/45981-Sweet-Jesus-mother-of-god-Jura-ytNE.gif

Edited August 11, 2015 by KRG-23

[Sception]

price depending, I could easily see myself picking up three of the weapons platforms and two of the pintle gun systems.  Maybe the bolter accessories as well, though I'm not sure I want to go back to mess with painted models to add them when I have so few as it is....

 

And I really hope the curves thing works out.  I can't tell you how excited I am at the prospect of some properly warped and mutated CHAOS type chaos marine accessories from your shop.  I'm already pinching pennies!

[Aqui]

I'd love to see a Sororitas kit (or more) by SD (specifically a Rhino type Dozer blade, as the FW generic one is...generic), but still. The Con Beamer looks the 'knees!

 

It's very good to see you're still going!

[sheep]

Feth me sideways! That's one hell of an update!

[SickSix]

I just came here to say 'wow'.

 

I am super thrilled with the pintle weapons and that they come in a non-pointy version.

 

The Rapier is looking amazing and once again, can't wait for a less pointy version of that.

 

Incredible work.

[disease]

The heresy stuff - like the havoc launcher without all the spikes is simply delicious. Super excited to see what else you do for the 30k crowd, even if it is just existing designs without the arrows and spikes!

 

Question, the land raider dozen blade, would that be Spartan compatible?

[Subtle Discord]

∙ 'Bah Bah black sheep have you any wool? Yes sir, yes sir, three bags full!'

 

I'm up to my eyeballs in plastic, plasticine, lego blocks, and rubber. I've started the moulds but need to keep working to get them done as quickly as I can manage. I'll do some larger updates when I have more time to spare. But, I wanted to do a quick teaser to show that I do in fact have the parts in my hands. In short, the results are mostly very positive, but there are some surface quality issues that are not totally unexpected. As I've worked with the parts I have a better understanding of the process, the material, and how to get improved results in the future. For now, there's always going to be some cleanup work required to make parts production-ready, but there are ways to minimize it and deal with what can't be avoided. I'll be sure to give some examples and explain much more deeply in future articles; I'm guessing I'm not the only one who is very curious about rapid prototyping and the results that can be achieved.

 

∙ Other parts required much more cleanup and preparation, so while that was being done, the Land Raider Siege Ram went under the rubber first.

 

To save printing costs larger objects were made hollow; those parts need to be filled (with carefully injected resin) and the vents need to be filled and cleaned before mould making. So, while I was doing that I got the Siege Ram started first since it didn't require any of that preparation. While it cures (and it will be ready to start casting in just a few hours *giddy*) I've been working on other parts; the chambers are currently curing 7 moulds with many more to go. I've quickly discovered that the translucent quality of the resin makes it very difficult to photograph well. It tends to wash out details that are actually quite pronounced, and getting pictures of actual surface quality can be quite tricky. From what I've seen of surface quality, most should look fine with the normal few coats of paint they can expect to receive (Read: yes there is some surface 'grain', but it is so minor that paint will make it vanish) but there are some places where it becomes more noticeable. Without manual cleanup, these few places will show through the paint.

 

Oh, and to answer, no I don't think this kit will be compatible with the Spartan; the Spartan has a very large 'nose' that I can tell would conflict with this kit. Maybe one could cut out the middle and it would be used in a split manner, but it's hard to say. Now, I do think the Spartan is what the Land Raider should be, and I plan on it being my next tank purchase from Forge World, so it's not impossible that a made-to-fit Spartan kit could arrive in the future.

 

Again, I'll elaborate further, once I've got some actual casts in my hands to see the final results. I should be able to post some pictures of the Siege Ram tomorrow. Stay tuned...

 

Edited February 6 by Subtle Discord
+++ Image Data-link ∙ Repair +++

[JeffTibbetts]

Very cool to see, man! I'm pretty interesting how the 3D-printed parts turn out. I wonder if there isn't a sort of surfacer that could be used to treat the pieces. I've seen it made for cruder prints, and it looks something like a self-leveling paint, but it's way too thick to work on these little guys. Maybe Squadron putty or Mr. Surfacer would work the same way? Anyway, it's hard to say until they get a little paint on them, since the material messes with the light too much to make it out. 

 

I trust you better than anyone else to do 3D printing right, Subtle. Looking forward to this! 

[Subtle Discord]

Thanks for the suggestions (I have Squadron, but I've never seen Mr. Surfacer, and it looks very useful) and the vote of confidence. The surface issues turned out to be a two headed beast, causing the obvious surface flaws, but also complicating the mould making process. The root of the surfacing issues are caused mostly by a 'frosting' of the material when a support wax is used during printing. Where the wax meets the plastic a frosting of the surface occurs. In many cases it's not that big of a problem; it is so subtle that paint should hide it. (Testing is planned) But also, if it's not properly prepared and lubricated liberally the mould rubber bonds very tightly to the texture. On large flat areas it's not as much of a problem, it sill peals away with a bit of extra force. However, small details, especially those that are undercut, inset, or very tight can bond so well that they tear the mould when being removed. Unfortunately, this is exactly what happened to be with several moulds, ruining them before they could even make a single copy. All but one of my first moulds had to be scrapped for this reason or another.
 
This was a mixed blessing. Loss of time and materials sucks, but I was able to improve my surface preparation process before pouring new rubber and it has both solved the sticking/tearing problem as well as remove the majority of the cosmetic surface issues. It takes much more work to prep the parts then expected, but the quality of the rapid prototyped pieces is worth the effort. Also, seeing now how the parts are printed, future parts will be arranged to avoid the supporting wax whenever possible to minimize prep work.
 
So, lets have a closer look. As seen in the 'Today in the Hobby I...' thread, here's the latest sneak-peak at some workbench progress.
 
http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j332/SubtleDiscord/2015%20WIP%20Photos/Raider_Siege_Ram_03.jpg
The Siege Ram blade mould turned out fine, but the mould for the chassis link components needed a re-pour.

 

http://i1080.photobucket.com/albums/j332/SubtleDiscord/2015%20WIP%20Photos/Chaos_Weapon_Platform_07.jpg

While I had some struggles with the weapon platform chasses, it's finally turned the corner and is almost finished.

 

There are further lessons to be given and other stories of misery a woe related to this kit, but I'll save them for when I have more a little more time. With the production complication worked out, I'm busting my butt to do some catch-up. It's been one of those summers, with unexpected factors (inside and outside the studio) really messing with the plan to get more done. But, that's life, and I'm starting to just accept that it happens some times, and it's better to put energy into finding a solution than getting angry or upset; anger in the moment is to be expected, but it does little in the long run.

[Augustus b'Raass]

That siege ram is glorious! Now that you've attached it and we can see how it works I realize just how brilliant you are.

 

Quick question: will you be doing quad heavy bolters for those rapiers? That, to me, remains the best possible weapon option, and I'd love to field more on your superb platforms.

Edited August 29, 2015 by Augustus b'Raass

[Razerz]

By the Throne! I need that siege ram (and I don't even have a Space Marine army, less a Land Raider...).