Legion Rising

[Subtle Discord]

Yup, I probably should have waited a little while before starting work on any Knight concepts but this is a good example of how my gift for creation is both a blessing and curse; sure it provides an endless stream of ideas, but sometimes it also all-but compels me to become obsessed with exploring a particular inspiration and I struggle to ignore the idea and leave it for the later. Ultimately it’s not the worst thing, since it means I have a body of work waiting ‘in stasis’ for the time when I can start to really increase my output and I will be able to pull them out one after another. In the meantime, I feel some frustration with myself for not being as disciplined with my schedule as I would like to be. With that said, I’m settling into a plan for this spring and summer and in this case, the Knights will find their place in that, sometime near the end.


∙ In case anyone is wondering, the Taser arm is a ‘sleeve’ so the rail can be adjusted to any position during the build.



∙ In the spirit of Knights in service to a proper forge world this is what I had in mind to pair up with the Taser combat weapon.

Naturally, these could also be doubled up and used as a Counts-as option to represent some other variant of the Knight chassis. Even now I’ve still got a few more ideas bouncing around in my brain that I’m really forcing myself to not get distracted with and I’m going to be happy with these concepts to show my thinking so far. As with so many things up to this point, this is more of a proof-of-concept that’s something of a baseline that already has lots more work involved before I could make it a physical reality for production, and then there are the other additional ideas that could build on top of the baseline but I simply can’t invest the time into them, yet.

So, while these are reasonably complete looking they're actually far from finished but in addition, they're also just a teaser for many more future ideas.

[Majkhel]

I love what you did with the Ornithopter!!
Great work, bud!

[Subtle Discord]

+++ Comm-Link ∙ Active +++ Carcinogenic Hazard Detected! ∙ Respiratory Filtration Required +++ Air Exchange Unit ∙ Initiating +++ Compiling ∙ Cant of the Sacred Prime Layer +++ Reciting ∙ I see a door of Red and I must paint it Black … +++

[BadgersinHills]

Incredible stuff. :) 

[Subtle Discord]

Once I start considering a batch for priming it can have something of a snowball effect if there are enough things laying around.  So, I added in the four Servitors and one of the kit-bashed Priests I’d created a while ago, and combined with the bloody crew I’ve got a dozen infantry to do as well as the vehicles. This all started with me considering priming just the Dunerider transports. I literally ran out of mounting sticks and had to improvise with the last few objects. Oh well, I can’t see how I can complain about extra progress; all progress is good progress. It’s all gotta’ get painted sooner-or-later and it looks like sooner it is!

 

∙ Well, that took longer than expected. An emptied bottle of Mr.Hobby Surfacer 1500 Black and several hours later…

 

*Subtle hums a few more bars of Paint It Black*

 

I see the bits primed Black and now I must paint them mostly Bluuuuue

 

*Groan* Sorry, dad joke. But if the shoe fits I guess I've gotta' wear it.

[Subtle Discord]

+++ Comm-Link ∙ Active +++ Data Exchange ∙ Compiling Data Stack 8∙M∙21 +++ Innovation Protocols ∙ Initializing +++

+++ Message ∙ Directing Motivational Encouragement Servitors to provide assistance with protocol implementation. +++

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

[Subtle Discord]

 
One should take care in what they ask for, or they might just get it.
 
Wait a second... that's not really a bad thing is it?
 
Well then, that ended much less intimidating than the starting intent. Might just need to rethink how I approach an attempt like this in the future.

[Majkhel]

+++ Comm-Link ∙ Active +++ Data Exchange ∙ Compiling Data Stack 8∙M∙21 +++ Innovation Protocols ∙ Initializing +++

+++ Message ∙ Directing Motivational Encouragement Servitors to provide assistance with protocol implementation. +++

Very nice conversions!

I especially like what you did with those big backpacks

Edited May 11, 2021 by Majkhel

[Augustus b'Raass]

Hey SD, might I ask what kind of 3d Printer you're using, and what is that orange resin?

[ChazSexington]

Hey SD! Any updates on when the vehicle upgrade kits will be updated and up for sale? :) 

[Subtle Discord]

*Subtle stumbles out of a small unexpected warp phenomenon with a bewildered expression on his face which he quickly shakes off, regaining some semblance of focus*

 

Replies, news, and ongoing updates coming very soon... and this time I mean it! But first, quiz time!

 

∙ One of these components is created with a $4,000 3D printer and one is created with a $300 3D printer; which one is which?

 

I may have made it a bit too easy because I went out of my way to zoom in very tight and hit these with really strong light at very low angles to get the minor, almost invisible, surface variations to actually show on camera. Otherwise, without magnification, it becomes all-but-impossible to tell the difference when holding them in hand. The newer resin 3D printers that have started to arrive in the last few years are starting to reach a price-to-performance ratio that’s almost hard to believe. But, more on that in the near future.

 

I promise to be following up very soon. My brain is as cluttered as my desk right now (It seems I prescribe to the, disordered desk = active creative mind, concept) but I’m going to lose my mind if I don’t get out of this Covid induced rut. Big things are coming into focus, figuratively and literally, very soon.

 

*Subtle ties a rope around his waist and tentatively steps back into the warp phenomenon*

[Montuhotep]

I'm guessing the one with the vertical lines is from the $300 printer, but actually I like it - the effect is very much like the 'flame cut' lines you see on most modern AFV armour plates.

[BadgersinHills]

Lovely. 

[TheOneTrueZon]

Curious for the model / maker of the 4000 and 300.

 

My guess is 300 on the right, 4000 on the left. Although the sprue points on the left print on the hard edges of the cog pattern is throwing me off. 

[Subtle Discord]

So I have a Word document file that I use to write out and prepare posts, especially if they’re long, which is rather common. I’ve been looking through it as I write this and noticing all of the unfinished compositions that got lost in the fog that has been the last 18+ months and there’s trains of thought I want to salvage and other stuff that’s out-of-date and not worth mentioning anymore. This is to say, some posts may seem a bit disjointed as I mash a few things together while catching up.

 

I’ve been trying to find time and focus to get some paint on the models I recently primed. On a related side note, I wanted to bring up a product that I’ve been trying to find for several years. After purchasing several different ‘acrylic mediums’ and never finding the right blend of consistency and transparency, I finally found this stuff.

 

∙ It’s all about finding a product that has ingredients that don’t create too much translucency and has the correct viscosity.

 

I’ve never used GW’s Lahmian Medium but I suspect this is very close if it’s not identical. Almost transparent and about as thick as a medium-light syrup this stuff has become my new go-to thinner when I want to keep the paint’s consistency while thinning out the pigment. The bottle warns of weakening the paint film strength if you use too much but I haven’t had issues when I’ve used it to create quick glazes/washes of unique colours and with the all-but mandatory coat of varnish that table ready miniatures receive it shouldn’t be an issue. At about $5-6 CAD for a 118 ml (4 oz.) bottle, it’s about 25% the price of GW’s product for what I suspect is the same results and 118ml should last for years for a typical painter.

 

∙ Do these augmentations and cybernetic replacements make my butt look fat? As requested several months ago, an image of the Servitors from the back.

 

As I mentioned earlier, the large packs are mostly leftover bits from the Kataphron kit chopped up with a bit of styrene and a few gubbins from other leftover AdMech bits to complete them. Nothing too elaborate but I think they are a good quick solution and they have the kind of bulk that helps sell the hunched pose of the Servitors I attached them to, as intended.

 

∙ I haven’t had a chance to take any other pictures of this group but here’s the earlier photo without altered lighting mucking up the colour.

 

I focused on the kit-bash Daedalosus, Servitors, and the crew of the Artillery Truck to get the smaller stuff out of the way. At some point, I’ll take some pictures of the Servitors alone with less dramatic lighting so I can show them from the front and back in full colour. I need to get around to taking some good photos the two Dominus Tech Priests too, now that they’re painted, but I’m kinda’ waiting for them to be varnished for the nice unifying effect it has on the paint and decals; they’re still a bit too shiny in places to photograph well.

 

∙ Every once-and-awhile it feels like the four heads of the servitors have been tasked with overseeing the painting progress.

 

The artillery trucks are more complex and more interesting so I chose to get started on them first. Most of the shading is done and once the primary weathering is applied it’s just down to the highlighting and fiddley details, followed by the obligatory dirtying up finish them off.

 

∙ I’m always nervous about overdoing the chipping effect when I apply it. A vehicle needs some wear-and-tear but I don’t want it to seem heavy-handed or too uniform and predictable.

 

In my mind as I’m applying it I’m constantly thinking about how the paint damage might happen; this is a spot where ground stones would have been kicked up while driving, these are the openings where crew enter/exit and their gear knocks up the edges, winch loops need some scuffs and scratches around them so they look used, etc., etc., etc. On a certain level, it’s silently giving the model a bit of a backstory in my mind while I work and it helps give me some direction instead of just randomly applying it and hoping for the best.

 

∙ To anyone who guessed or is curious, the 3D printed components on the left were from the lower-cost 3D printer.

 

I recently added an Elegoo Mars 2 Pro resin printer to the equipment in my little maufactorium. While my Solus printer achieves amazing results it has a painfully small build area compared to the average sizes of the newest crop of 3D printers that have been arriving in the last 2 years or so. A respectable build size combined with enough resolution and I think the pictures show that the technology is getting very impressive results at a reasonable price point. It still comes with many other considerations (space, noise, smell, chemical storage and handling, learning curve) that keep it a long way from mass-market penetration but for a market demographic that partakes in a hobby that has a significant ‘some assembly required’ element, I suspect there’s a higher percentage of gaming hobbyists who might rather invest in a setup like this so they can create custom bits and models for their existing armies rather than invest in a new army.

 

∙ Not bad for a quick test print to try out the printer and a first try to check the tolerances of the components I created.

 

These are the lower resolution 50µm layer height and while there are a few stubborn spots it’s easy to see the results are more than passable. In many cases, the layering in stubborn spots can easily be dealt with using a bit of 400-600 grit sandpaper and it really is only an issue in select locations that are usually predictable. If there’s too much detail it can be impossible to remove but if it’s a large flat area it’s very easy to sand away. Naturally, dropping to a 20-30µm layer height makes the issue even less of a problem; in all but the most stubborn spots, the layers are so small that primer and paint fill them in the majority of the time.

 

But, before I get too far off into the weeds on that subject before I’ve got it sorted, I’ll leave it here so I can do some direct replies and keep juggling the other stuff in the studio that I’ll be talking about in the near future.

[Subtle Discord]

Hey SD, might I ask what kind of 3d Printer you're using, and what is that orange resin?

My older 3D Printer is an original Solus DLP printer, but the company is selling a 'pro' version now. As per my previous post, I've also just picked up an Elegoo Mars 2 Pro LCD printer. Despite being a few years old the DLP printer technology really does make a noticeable difference, but for the price difference the quality is very close. Before I got it, I was hoping/expecting the Solus to perform at about the Mars 2's current output but it exceeded my expectations. So I can say first hand that current 2k and 4k LCD 3D printers in the $300-500 range can make amazing bits and miniatures.

 

The Red/Orange resin is called SolusProto and it's intended to be a rapid printing resin. It takes under a second per slice layer during a print where other resins will take 1.5 or more per layer. It's not bad but ti create parts that are very strong but also brittle and prone to chipping and cracking somewhat easily. The grey resin that I'm using in both printers is superior to the red Proto which was the first stuff I tried as a novice. The light grey that looks a tiny bit translucent is Elegoo's ABS-like Grey and it creates strong parts and it's not too brittle. The SolusArt Grey is the stuff that looks almost like clay or porcelain and create parts that are very strong but again just a bit brittle. Just how brittle the prints are really is one of the key material characteristics for all of these printing resins; most will be acceptably strong but just how brittle and prone to chipping or breakage the parts will be will vary.

 

Hey SD! Any updates on when the vehicle upgrade kits will be updated and up for sale?

As I'm sure you can understand, everything about the last many months, combined with some other unexpected life distractions, plus something of a general funk I've been in the last while, and I've been out of it a bit more than I might usually. However, that I'm writing these words right now says that I'm working to get that changed, shake off the gloom and get my butt in gear. As always I'm back to the juggle of tasks, but if you've been following me for any time you'll know that I run silent for periods before returning with a burst of activity. I'm working on stoking the furnace for a good long burn this time.

[Subtle Discord]

+++ Comm-Link ∙ Active +++ Data Exchange ∙ Halt! +++ Priority Encryption Key ∙ Verified +++ Key Designation ∙ Centurio Ordinatus +++

 

*In a Bugs Bunny voice*

“Just look at that Domnius, it doesn’t become you at all! Here, let me fix it up. What a shame, such an iiiinteresting army too. My stars, if an iiiinteresting army can’t have an iiiinteresting commander, then I don’t know what things are coming to.”

 

A gift from Santa that’s been sitting on a shelf several months awaiting its turn, after a bit of careful rebranding, meet the new Archmagos Artisan [Name to be Determined] that will be directing the archaeological expeditions of the 3rd Artisan Legion 1st War Cohort. I’ll be using them as a counts-as Cawl if I ever have the desire to use Mars rules. Otherwise, it makes an excellent centerpiece for the infantry of the army. In turn, it seems the latest expedition has resulted in success…

 

+++ Data Exchange ∙ Compiling +++ Image Capture ∙ Displaying +++ Template Construct Preview ∙ Displaying +++ Priority Exchange! ∙ Construct Requirements +++ Adjust Parameters ∙ Ongoing… +++

 

Printed at full scale on an 8.5”x11” sheet of paper, ok, I’m starting to think I was a bit ambitious when I chose to create ‘something big’ to test the new capabilities of the studio. However, this completely improvised (in the spirit of all Ordinatus constructs) passion project has reached this point, so it’s too late to stop now. In an effort to avoid wasting materials I’ve still got some testing and some learning curve to climb before I start 3D printing the parts for this Minoris Macro Engine but expect to see it translate from digital template to a real construct in the near future.

[oldschoolsavant]

Is that scenery (crane, power plant ?) as an Ordinatus weapon ? I think I was just inspired for a Dark Mech Knight......!

[Subtle Discord]

∙ Is it created from a Thermic Plasma Regulator and two Galvanic Servohauler kits? Why yes, yes it is. As you can see here in this very early mock-up.

They're not seen in this latest image but the Servohaulers attach to the corners of the chassis that I've 3D modeled. Taking inspiration from an official FW Odinatus model and the pictured kit-bash, I devised my own interpretation of the concept. I'm glad I could pass the inspiration on.

[Biohazard]

Some amazing work in here as always. Love the blue on the admech and the Ordinatus conversion looks brilliant as well. The use of the crane bits is inspired. :tu:

[ChazSexington]

 

 

Hey SD! Any updates on when the vehicle upgrade kits will be updated and up for sale?

As I'm sure you can understand, everything about the last many months, combined with some other unexpected life distractions, plus something of a general funk I've been in the last while, and I've been out of it a bit more than I might usually. However, that I'm writing these words right now says that I'm working to get that changed, shake off the gloom and get my butt in gear. As always I'm back to the juggle of tasks, but if you've been following me for any time you'll know that I run silent for periods before returning with a burst of activity. I'm working on stoking the furnace for a good long burn this time.

 

Great to hear! I'll keep my eyes peeled :D 

[Smoke Frog]

You have an amazing production line going, befitting one of the most beautiful of forgeworlds! I really enjoy the amount of character you have managed to bring out in those servitors.

[Dr_Ruminahui]

Your super-guy rig using terrain is brilliant.  One question, though... do you intend to keep the mechanicus skulls on the regulator turned sideways?  Don't know how difficult it would be to saw that part off and turn it so that it is oriented correctly... but doing so would go a long way, IMHO, in hiding the origin of its parts, as the sideways skulls are a bit disconcerting.

[Subtle Discord]

Ok, so the Ordinatus had to be placed in stasis for a while so I could focus on something for the studio before I put too many hours towards a personal project. It will return. But, I also came to the conclusion that work completing the project in this post would give me the experience I need to get the best possible results when I start trying to print the more complex forms of the Ordinatus chassis. I’ve almost got the cannon itself complete (and I’ll show that in the near future when it’s done but it still needs the focusing array – just wait, I’m quite pleased!) but just getting that much done informed me that I needed to turn my attention to some studio projects first.

 

Many moons ago I was asked if I would consider doing complete vehicle models. I answered that I was eager to get to that level someday but at the time the effort required to finish a complete model like that with every detail created to my hobby-OCD standards seemed daunting and/or simply out of reach; but then I got good at 3D modeling. Fast-forward a bit, and despite getting my hands on a very good DLP 3D printer that opened the door to a new world of design and manufacturing, size limitations restricted how far (read: how large) I could take my ambitions; but then there was (finally!) a significant price-to-performance jump in 3D printing technology. So today I’m pleased to say that, yes, I think I’ll be making good on my talk many months ago that I need to start doing larger projects as a better foundation for the studio to build on.

 

I’ve also been asked on several occasions if I would consider distributing my designs as STL files for people to 3D print themselves. Beyond the honest hesitancy, I had to let my designs go off into the digital wild of the internet, I was genuinely skeptical of just how many people had access to high-resolution 3D printers that would make the market really worthwhile. Well, despite the effect of the warp storms that have distorted so much over the last few years it seems that 3D printing was at a tipping point that even current disruptions in day-to-day life could not stop. In the last few years in particular the previously mentioned significant price-to-performance jump in resin 3D printing tech that made my own ambitions larger, has also made it much more attractive and attainable to many more enthusiast-level hobbyists who are picking up a 3D printer. So yes, given recent developments I think STL files will be on the menu soon. Note, this will not be replacing plans to get the casting studio up and running at a proper sustained ongoing capacity but this will help that part of the studio get going.

 

∙ Lost in the Nurgle-induced warp storms that consumed our planet in 2020, the delay may have actually been a good thing.

∙ Now, not just 3D modeled as a demonstration, but updated and carefully redesigned for resin 3D printing and proper assembly.

∙ And this time, I’m quite serious… Now entering real-space, [+++ Pattern Designation To Be Determined +++] Medium APC.

 

This has been printed with an Elegoo Mars 2 Pro with a 20-micron layer height and believe it or not, it’s still only a proof-of-concept prototype that still needs some final adjustments to the design to improve the visual quality and fit during assembly. Once those adjustments are complete and the components are properly set up for printing, if I can do it, then anyone with a similar setup can do the same. Because this hobby has a major ‘some assembly required’ component it will attract a larger than average percentage of the community who is willing to add the extra steps required to have the creative control that a good 3D printer can provide. That said, people who are predicting that 3D printing is going to turn tabletop gaming completely upside-down and blindside GW in some dramatic way don’t know very much about injection mould mass production, economies of scale, and the seductive lure of convenience. Regardless of how deep the 3D market will penetrate the hobby the vast majority of consumers will always prefer to simply open a box/bag and remove the desired product. The idea of adding even a fraction of the added time and effort of 3D printing, regardless of payoff, is simply a non-starter. So, it seems simple to see that the studio needs to use the digital assets to create STL files for the 3D printing market and then direct the returns generated towards turning the designs into cast resin kits for everyone who just wants to build the damn things, not give 3D printed birth to them.

 

Interested in what you see? Intrigued by what you’ve read? Want to help the studio out in this endeavour? Stay tuned. Further updates and information coming soon.