++ AUGUSTUS b'RAASS ++ pre-heresy BRASS SCORPION p.247

[Augustus b'Raass]

Thanks everyone fort the replies! And especially Dragonlover for the idea of the PVC pipe, and The_Chaplain for the idea of actually trying to replicate the scorpion. Those chainblades should be easy with some chainsword bits. Strangely enough I've used the pic from BoLS as a guide and left the scorpion completely. Your comments made me get back to it for reference. perhaps I'll be able to use the final model as both a large defiler/soulgrinder, a LoS, and as a Scorpion. :D

 

I've been a naughty boy and actually cut the extended body in half to wided in too. 

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zpsed0eea60.jpg

Dunno how I'm going to fill it yet to hide the gap, but this will allow me to add two of the containers the actual LoS has. Furthermore, I'll be adding four magna cutters of the maulerfiend kit to act as feeder appendiges like crustaceans have. 

[Dragonlover]

Any time! Also, I must apologise. I have a need to give basic, obvious advice at times, in case the modeller has gotten so wrapped up in what they're doing they've missed the obvious. This is one of those times:

 

Double pin the legs. They fall off under the weight of a Defiler torso if given half a chance, they'll hate the Lord of Skulls. Not to mention the sockets aren't the greatest.

 

As for how to fill the gap, just whack some plasticard over it, maybe pretty it up with a bit of trim. If you're putting blood tanks on the back, they'll pull all the attention.

 

Dragonlover

[Augustus b'Raass]

Well, your tendency to give obvious advice has really helped me this time (same with the pinning of the legs), so please keep it up. And I agree on the blood tanks and the distraction they provide. thanks mate

 

Edit: Oh and @Forte: yes it is. I'll be on my way to the Emperor's final resting place in three weeks time and won't be back until mid-September, after which I start a new project at work, so paint-wise I'll have tons to catch up on in October.

 

Edit: three days later, I see that I wrote "give it up" instead of "keep it up". I hope you still read this, Dragonlover, because I appreicate your advice - however obvious you might find it to be

Edited August 7, 2014 by Augustus b'Raass

[helterskelter]

This is gonna be nuts! Looking forward to this mean machine

[Voxxel]

Having seen this monster irl, makes me look even more forward to the result! 

[Augustus b'Raass]

Haha thanks voxxel - yesterday was indeed an epic hobby get-together.

 

I did some work on the body-cannon fit today, and made these two pictures of the monstrosity blutacked together.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zps34410200.jpg

 

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zpsf7a9637d.jpg

 

Not sure about the fit of the upper body to the, for lack of a better word, eight-legged pelvis. I think it's a little too low for the body to realistically (if I may apply that particular word to this daemon engine) be able to swing the axe around and the left arm to get proper shots off. So I'm going to change it around and raise it by about an inch. This does raise issues concerning the inner detail, as these will then not be so easy to cover up. Hmmm. Back to work.

[Voxxel]

I don't think it looks wrong or unrealistic. It reminds me of Azmodan from Diablo III

 

http://img1.wikia.nocookie.net/__cb20111029172532/diablo/images/4/4b/Azmodan_by_norsechowder-blizzcon2011.jpg

[Teetengee]

Such an easy bossfight...

On topic. I think the height is probably fine, although I hope you are going to armour up those legs some more, as they just don't seem substantial enough to support the LoS torso right now.

[Flint13]

Hmm... I have to second that. His back legs seem an itty bit dainty at the moment. Everything else though looks absolute aces!

 

*Ugh* I want one of those evil giant chainaxes so bad but I don't want to spend $140USD on the rest of that goofy kit 

[Augustus b'Raass]

Of course I'm armouring up all the legs guys!! The soul grinder kit comes with plates and they are made for it. I *am* heightening the torso though, already working on it. Had to break apart the whole initial build to do it, but hey - once you're in, you have to go through with it.

 

Flint: try this and be patient. The LoS is updated at least once every six weeks.

[Midnightmare]

I like where you are going witht this Augustus, nice work so far indeed.

[Augustus b'Raass]

Thanks Midnight Runner! 

 

here's some pics of the armoured legs, as well as a close up of the construction that raised the torso up by about an inch. The difference is small, but IMO has a huge effect on the realism of the model.

 

Whole model, with armoured legs. As you see, the claw arms up front have additional plating up top, which will get two blades as the others too.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zps75d29dcb.jpg

 

The crustacean-like magna cutters for that up-close win

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zps068d7eca.jpg

 

and the construction. It's made purely of sprues and three layers thick. MAkes all the difference!

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/temporary_zpsb6b3dc98.jpg

[Augustus b'Raass]

Yay double post!! Sorry guys, I'm just so excited about this project  wanted to share the final conversion SANS Green Stuff, Grey Stuff, Milliput and mixtures. 

 

There's going to be tons of extra fleshy mass below the torso, including gills, pipes and muscles. Basically anything that is not clear plastic right now will have some form of sculpting done, including the joints attaching the legs to the body. Those joints are going to be heavily fortified with green stuff muscles like I did on my Obliterators on page 2. The only bits I still need are the muzzles for the guns: my regular bits site sells these out in minutes of them being restocked. Grmbl grmbl!!!

 

Thanks for looking and feedback extremely welcome. Some of the best ideas I've incorporated in my models lately have come form comments, so please don't hold back. Even if you don't agree with a current choice I've made, your opinion is welcome as long as there's some cogent explanation behind it.

 

So here goes.

 

Front Notice the Knight helmet with Khorne Chariot horns. The head will have GS Tentacle Maker dreadlocks like the predator. Would be suitably evil looking.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zpse817eab6.jpg

 

Left Notice the piston that runs from the lower body into the back of the front-most leg, in order to both structurally reinforce it, and make it look like it carries more strength in the punch/crawl

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zpsa0a1e190-1.jpg

 

Right Notice the angled orientation of the blood tanks. They're assembled using pieces of the handle of a white board marker. The overall shape of the model reminds me of those flying beetles with armoured wing-casings, that open up fly. Coupled with the spidery legs this seemed strangely fitting.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zpsb8359a09.jpg

 

Front Notice the magma cutters form the Maulerfiend set. They act as feeding appendages similar to crustaceans. Don't think you;re safe between these bad boy's claws.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zps8cd8d07b.jpg

 

Back I've used a Maulerfiend's carapace, which fits snuggly into the butt-like shape in between the markers carrying the blood tanks. Notice the pincers on his ass - these have again been inspired by the beetle-like appearance. Bugs called Earwigs have similar pincers on their ass.

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zps64a31d9d.jpg

 

Top The footprint of this thing is larger than a Defiler/Soul Grinder, slightly larger than the Lord of Skulls, and slightly smaller than a Brass Scorpion, allowing me to field it as either one of these (at least my regular opponent's have already allowed this in advance).

http://i35.photobucket.com/albums/d185/mkruijff/Night%20Lords%20WIP/temporary_zps0bb282cb.jpg

 

Replies: 

 

@Koriel: Cheers mate. I'll update my progress here regularly, as I have

 

@helterskelter: thanks mate! I hope you enjoy

 

@Chaeron: haha, I love you too. And I am. Doing it. Now.

 

@MrBear: Thanks for your persistent encouragement MrBear. You are one of the most frequent commenters on my thread and I really appreciate it. Commetns and feedback keep me going! ALSO: the thing with these projects is that you just have to do them. If you keep pushing yourself, you'll get better as you learn new things. And don't be afraid to make mistakes, as they are the best tutor and can also be corrected - often quite easily. Honestly I am deathly afraid every time I put my saw to a €110.- model. But it always works out. Just keep your cuts clean and trust in your human ability to transform ideas into reality. Also, be mad.

 

DO IT !!!!!

Click on your "Do it!!!!". Do it.

 

@Forte: Bon apetit.

 

@Teetengee & Flint13: The legs have been armoured up, mate. Cheers! What do you think?

 

@The_Chaplain & Dragonlover: Thanks guys for the tip on the PVC pipe. I tried working with some 1.5" pipe I had laying around but it's such a difficult material to work with in vertical curves. Especially since I need to do 2x2 symmetrical cuts. In the end, I decided to just use the defiler AND the soulgrinder power claw armour on each frontal arm. What do you think?

Edited August 7, 2014 by Augustus b'Raass

[Dragonlover]

I think the armour on the claws works, in fact the whole thing's come together really nicely.

 

Could you not kitbash the guns you're missing? Saves waiting for bits sites to get them back in stock.

 

Dragonlover

[oldschoolsavant]

After checking Grotsmasha's current challenge thread, I for one am thankful this hasn't been entered. Would've been over before it began !

 

Great work fella, and I'll reinforce the switch from BS style frontal leg armour - it would've obscured too much detail.

[Flint13]

That thing is stupid awesome! I really wish I could like a post more than once.

 

 

The only thing I don't like are the small horns on it's rear end. That makes it look like silverfish or an earwig, and those things creep me out.

[Augustus b'Raass]

I think the armour on the claws works, in fact the whole thing's come together really nicely.

 

Could you not kitbash the guns you're missing? Saves waiting for bits sites to get them back in stock.

 

Dragonlover

Thanks mate. Kitbashing the guns - I tried, and I have borht the guns from a vindicator and a Stormlord. But they're simply too small. Plus not Chaotic enough. I'll just have to wait for the bits site to upload the right bit....

 

After checking Grotsmasha's current challenge thread, I for one am thankful this hasn't been entered. Would've been over before it began !

 

Great work fella, and I'll reinforce the switch from BS style frontal leg armour - it would've obscured too much detail.

Thanks. yeah you're right about the openness - I hadn't even considered that. About the kitbash challenge - I can still enter, right?

 

 

That thing is stupid awesome! I really wish I could like a post more than once.

The only thing I don't like are the small horns on it's rear end. That makes it look like silverfish or an earwig, and those things creep me out.

HAHA That's the intent!!! This guy will come over your house at night and creep you the frag out, Flint! It's cooooooomiiiiiiiiing! *insert twilight zone tune*  

Edited August 7, 2014 by Augustus b'Raass

[Teetengee]

Great frontal armour! Which guns are you planning on giving it?

[Augustus b'Raass]

I'm hoping to get a hold of all six barrels, so I can magnetize them. If I can't, I'll just stick with the basic load-out. :tu:

[Teetengee]

Gamingwise I have found the lord of skulls to be a bit lackluster for its points unfortunately. Although it is still really fun to play. It draws to much fire, (and the shadowsword aimed at it was basically just waiting for a 6.) In all honesty I think running two would be the way to go (which from a money and points standpoint is terrifying). However, I muchly suggest the skullcannon, as the gnaw rule is great and that is a nasty template.

[Skrundle87]

That's a freaking brilliant kit bash, I'd even love to consider doing one of my own, however I doubt it'll fit with my others.

 

Brilliant, keep up the good work

[Brother Ambroz]

Looks awesome so far. The spider legs look infinitely better than the tracks I think. Are you going the traditional red/gold scheme or will it be in midnight clad?

[Teetengee]

My vote is for midnight clad!

[Chandrian]

This is coming along really well Augustus! Giving me inspiration to AT LEAST repaint my old ugly looking Defiler  .

 

Personally, i'd paint it in Khorne colours <Can you tell i'm Canadian lol).  Looks too "Khornie" to paint in Midnight Clad

[KrautScientist]

Wow, that is an extremely awesome conversion right there! This should have been easy to mess up, but you really nailed it and created a rock solid build! Amazing!

 

What really sells the model to me, though, and truly makes it your own are the small touches, like the Knight faceplate (excellent choice!), the magma cutters and the Forgefiend "butt plate". All of this works together to create a warmachine that is, at the same time, brilliantly threatening and disturbingly insectile.

 

As for the colours, I'll be rooting for red and brass here, but that probably won't surprise anyone, right? This guy would be the perfect, living embodiment of the Blood God for your future World Eaters detachment to rally around -- just sayin'

 

Whatever you do, don't stop, mate! :)