Knights of House Cydonia, Taghmata Omnissiah and Skitarii

[Battybattybats]

House Cydonia, of the planet New Ares, are a house of my own invention. Seeing the hatch was separate on the knight I knew I just had to add a pilot. I decided House Cydonia decreed that all Knights should learn at least some basic training with the machines they control, so every Noble is given basic Techpriest training and the house has quite skilled Sacristans and a strong Holy calling as fervent servants of the Omnissiah.

I decided that these knights trust wholly in the sensors of their Knight, so the small glass porthole was replaced with an oscilloscope that would relay the noble's bio-signs. Please excuse the bad pics, i'm not much of a photographer.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0050.jpg

I ran a piece of paperclip between the tiny loops of the hinge, attaching a rare-earth magnet to the underside so that the hatch could be opened or closed. I'll get some more WIP pics of that once i start on my second knight in a few weeks.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0051.jpg

The pilot is a Valkyrie pilot with the pointing arm from a Cadian and the hooded head is a Dark Angel Deathwing bit. The MIU cable is some GW razorwire. The console is attached at the front to the back of the head-alcove using glue, and helped be sturdy with some sprue glued to the back of the throne and resting at the bottom of the inside of the torso. I didn't make walls for the cabin, it's all so dark with everything matt black that it didn't seem absolutely necessary, shadow does the job by itself at most angles. Again, i'll get better pics of the set-up inside on my 2nd knight in the future.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0052.jpg

The noble priest's finger points just over the edge, declaring his intended target before the hatch drops into place and the knight strides forward.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0054.jpg

I'm quite happy with the dramatic shading i achieved on the noble. I also did a great job on the Knight's metal face, which is a shame as i had to put the skull faceplate over it, hopefully i'll do as good a job on one of my planned future knights who will have no faceplate.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0058.jpg

Using some magnets i've added a removable brazier inspired by the artwork in the Knight Codex, this will designate the Knight as my Seneschal in some games, it's only base-coated for now. The brazier is a staff top from the Empire Battle Wizard sprue.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0057.jpg

I used the White Dwarf technique of marking out the stripes in pencil, then painting the stripes by brush. It worked well for me. The shoulders will have decals eventually, but i'll get some practice with decals on my Thallax and Castellax before attempting the large decals for the Knight.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0046.jpg

Still a lot of work to go, on pause while i work on the Taghmata Omnissiah a little.

[Captain Juan Juarez]

I see what you did there 

 

Looking good; really like what you've achieved with the deep red and those metallics are rather good.

 

Bravo, sirrah.

[JeffTibbetts]

I'm really glad I asked you to post pics! This is one of the best I've seen, so far. Just good, honest attention to detail. Using a torch to mark out the seneschal is pure brilliance.

 

*giggles* Knights of Cydonia. Do they open for Legio Metallica?

[Battybattybats]

As i've been working on the Knight i also ordered and started on the Taghmata Omnissiah to go with them.
Till I have enough Knights for them to be the primary force the Taghmata will be the primary, but once i have enough Knights it will reverse with the Taghmata there to support the Knights.
So here is some unfinished pics of my first unit of Thallax.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0011.jpg

They are of course kept less pristine than the Knight so got heavier weathering. The faceplates will end up with several layers of gloss. I had been thinking about having one shoulder guard black on each, with the unit number on the black shoulder and individual number on the red, but absentmindedly did the Photon Thruster in red on both. Currently I now have the special-weapons of both squads with both shoulders red but i'm thinking of dropping the black and doing them all with both red. Opinions on this are most welcome.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0007.jpg

The jet thruster was last to be attached so needs a little darkening still. I'm especially happy with the weathering on the chainblade, but of course it's always the way, the better work is on the side less often seen.

[Battybattybats]

As I can get very forgetful I like to have markers for things.
So as each turn the Ion Shield can be given to a particular facing on the knight it will be useful to have a marker I can sit at the side being protected.
Here's what I made:
http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/ionshieldmarker.jpg
Servo skull is from space marine devastators, skull on base is from the vampire counts corpse cart, shield is a really old GW shield which I think came with an old Dark Elf lord on Cold One.

[Battybattybats]

I get so tired of seeing so many Castellax Battle Automata in simple walking poses with their arms just looking gangly and awkward hanging down or out to the side despite having guns on them. Sore it looks like it's a big imposing robot lumbering towards you pose but all the time? Wouldn't you rather see some of them pointing forward sometimes as if firing? I know i would, so i did.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00102.jpg

When i saw so many awkward poses i thought that it couldn't be people just wanting all their castellax in lumbering poses must be a flaw in the design. I figured i might need to convert it to be able to have the arms facing forwards. But no, it just took a little care that's all. And maybe i noticed something others missed in their assembly.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00132.jpg

Look carefully at the inner, silver shoulder guard. This is a separate piece. It glues on a circular joint, as if it can rotate at that point (and if you magnetised it it could) I always see it glued in without any rotation, and i think that if people do this it's a big contributor to the static limited pose of the piece. If i had done so i would not have been able to aim those arms quite forward like that. But i glued it rotated back a small amount after dry-fitting the pieces to be sure of the pose.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00142.jpg

It's a simple small difference at the joint but it makes a big difference at the arm and to the dynamics of the miniature. And it was just about positioning of a piece designed to be positionable, no converting at all.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0016.jpg

Getting the ammo feed to meet up with the gun was VERY frustrating, (enough to have me put the Thanatar with it's pair of side-by-side ammo feeds low on my to-buy list, though i'll get it eventually) and involved a lot of hair-dryer work, burnt fingertips and bouts of swearing. But i'm pleased with the result and the paintjob. I figured it gets a lot more fire than the Thallax and a lot less time being repainted between battles than the Knight (though i'm planning the Errant I'm getting soon to have some more battle-weathering with it's shorter-range combat function) so I decided the Castellax should get a lot more weathering.

I'm thinking of naming the forge-world the Taghmata Omnissiah allies of the Knights are from either Hoagland or St Hoagland (opinions welcome)
The backstory i'm working on is that when the colonists from Mars that founded the Knight World arrived they found it's colouration and geography so like home they named it New Ares, electing minimal terraforming choosing to keep it mainly dessert, reconstructing a replica of the holy Cydonia region of Mars with the Knight's keeps built as great Pyramids. The world kept a strong Omnissianic religious tradition through Old Night that is only strengthened by the influence of the Throne Mechanicum.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0018.jpg

[depthcharge12]

Nice mechanicum! Do you have an army list too?

[Battybattybats]

Nice mechanicum! Do you have an army list too?

It's in development as i'm trying things out.

I have so far tried the Taghmata Omnissiah at only 550 points with just a Magos, 2 units of Thallax (the other unit has a Multi-Melta) and the Castellax, using 6th ed rules against Dark Angels. We decided to not reveal what VPs the objectives were until the end of the game rather than at the start, and a last turn contesting by a single marine took it from a draw to a win for them when we added things up. Combat wise we'd both taken a roughly equal number of wounds but repairs from my Magos to the Castellax and the spreading out of those wounds meant i'd only lost 1 Thallax while the Angels lost quite a number of brothers that day, the cost of their victory was a high one.

 

I am building the force based on aesthetics and narrative as much as effectiveness though, so based on what i'm working on or planning to purchase there will be a Techpriest Auxilia (using miniatures i started getting/converting for use as Necromunda Explorators), A Knight Errant and my third i expect will be a 2nd Paladin but that will depend on how i find them when i try them both on the table. The WIP sculpt pics of the Magos on Abeyant already has me sold on that once it's released, I'll be ordering that ASAP.

 

I'm considering the two lovely Mechnicum Krios tanks and the WIP Triaros looks lovely. Some more Castellax will be got but i'm not sure the numbers or which weapons just yet (i will get at least one with the sawblades and melta for looks alone). I want soon get a unit of Myrmidon Secutors based again on what i like the look of more, though the other type may end up in my forces too.

 

I'm also contemplating some of the cool fortifications as well, but haven't set my heart on anything for certain yet.

[Battybattybats]

A small amount more on the Knight. (please excuse the little bit of dust in a couple of these pics, i had to take them while the light was good.)
Faceplate armour is attached and chest armour is done.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00432.jpg

The freehand writing isn't as good as i'd like but is the best i can achieve with a brush currently, and i had to stop fidgeting with it before i made it worse.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00292.jpg

The shield needs some more tidying up especially on the edges.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00382.jpg

And i did some more work on the brazier and got a clearer shot of the oscilloscope

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00322.jpg

[Rurik the blessed]

Great job!

[JeffTibbetts]

I think you might benefit from increasing the contrast a bit on the fire. It seems a bit muddy right now. Maybe deepen some reds and lighten some yellows? 

[Battybattybats]

Thanks for the advice, i'll give that a try when i return to that and my Explorator miniature with flame on it (an only slightly converted inquisitor retinue figure, basically just the Inquisition symbols removed). Right now i'm trying the first decals i've done in probably about 20 years (last ones were when a white dwarf came with a free decal sheet!) After my first ones on a Thallax i will need practice with positioning them but i'm very much liking Micro-sol that's for sure. I'm going to try dulling the glosscoat down with some lahmian medium tonight and see how it looks tomorrow and whether or not i'll have to gloss and then dull the whole miniature or not.

[Doghouse]

I think you are off to a great start here, nice work :tu:

[JeffTibbetts]

I've used Lahmian Medium for decals and found it kind of so-so. It didn't take all the gloss away, but it helped. Two coats were better than one. I think you might be better off spraying them anyway. Give it a shot, though. I was using my own decals and they tend to be shinier than 'real' ones. 

[Battybattybats]

I don't like using sprays other than undercoat after a suddenly sputtering brand new can of testors aluminium had me having to strip a UFO kit i was more than halfway through many years back. But i'll use some if i have to. I found i needed 2 full coats of Lahmian and a couple of touch-up spots after that to get the shine off the red, but i'm happy with my first test piece. I'll do another two today and hopefully get neater placement on them. Alas my 2nd squad, squad 1, will have to wait till my 2nd knight arrives as i don't have enough 1 decals.

So here is Thallax 2 of Squad 0

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0006.jpg

[JeffTibbetts]

Placement looks fine from here. I like the beetle-shell face as well.

[Battybattybats]

The face was done with 2 or 3 coats of ardcoat over 1 layer of abaddon black over the original black spray undercoat. It comes up a treat.

The 0 is about 1/5th of it's own size too low, but that's my perfectionism being fussy and it works with the pose so it's not very noticeable. I've done a better job of the next two i think, which are drying from placement now before i hit them with some micro sol shortly.

The real challenge will be the knights house logo when i get to it as i want to incorporate pieces of two decals up against each other, cutting the halo cog from house raven's emblems and putting it with a skull from the kill markings as a haloed skull. I'm not sure how well it will work out, nor at what step to layer one decal over the other. I'm using micro set and micro sol, i'm thinking perhaps i should seal one part before placing the other?

[JeffTibbetts]

Yes, you nailed it. Do one fully before and seal it before you do the other. If you don't, your microsol will get the lower decal as well and that's not good. I'm glad you're digging the decals, man. I think people love freehand so much (the skill it takes is really impressive) but when it comes to army markings, nothing beats the realism of decals. 

[Battybattybats]

Here's the results of the decal work.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00162.jpg

Other than needing to touch up the shadows in the grill of the bases of 01 and 03 unit 0 is completed.

Meanwhile one of my other ways of fitting my game experience to the theme has been to ensure i have dice, game accessories and counters that suit. Some are manufactured, i already have the 6th ed Mechanicus themed templates. I just had to get a Bombardmemt Dice Cube too. I also have found dice towers to be useful so to fit with this army i bought one from litko with a steampunk furnace design for the cogs.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00293.jpg

While a bit small if i were to use it with my custom chessex dice themed to my tyranid army  it works
well with the smaller bombardment dice.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00313.jpg

I'm also working on Objectives, and have a few roughly planned. This one is the most certain and underway.

A Knight Pilot needing rescuing.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00242.jpg

I'm planning to have him with his back against a manufactorum ruin panel on a 40mm base with a servo skull accompanying him, but i am considering making him removable from that base either by doing the base on a base trick or putting magnets in his feet.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00252.jpg

Note the socket in the hood for the MIU created with a relatively shallow pinvice drilling.

And as many pics don't give the scale of the Thallax here's a nice group shot with my wounded Knight Pilot.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00294.jpg

[Battybattybats]

My next knight has turned up in my local independent store, so decals on the 2nd squad of Thallax will be the next priority step, along with choosing which purity seal to use on my Castellax and where.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00572.jpg

I went with the multi-melta for this squad, it was quite effective in the single game i've played with the force so far.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00542.jpg

I'm very happy with the i-beams i added to the bases of this unit.

[LordOrdGermany]

Very nice!!!

[Battybattybats]

Decals done now on my other Thallax Squad.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00173.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00154.jpg

The front edge of 1-1's base didn't end up flush, so i'll have to decide to paint it rusty or add some rubble over it. Hmmm.

Also here's something from a couple years back that fits the theme, i made this for fun and wore it to the last Games Day in Sydney before they stopped, and was wearing it when i got to meet Jes Goodwin Phil Kelly and the Perry twins amongst others and got a lot of stuff signed :)

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00024.jpg

The binary is the same text converted over.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00054.jpg

The wax is greenstuff, the pin on the back is too large but it was all that i could get in time.

[Battybattybats]

I have been working on basing and decals. Here then is my Castellax battle automata based and with decals done.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0004.jpg

I decided to call this one 02 as 01 will be the multi-melta power-blade version when i get one continuing the pattern of making the special-weapon the first number in each unit.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0007-1.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0005.jpg

I wanted to give the Castellax a real feal of weight, and as it has a short enough stride compared to most of my army, and even better came with a spare foot, it provided the perfect opportunity...

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00012.jpg

For some footprints. Notice there's also a print under the heel of the foot lifting up. This was done by making a heel-print in greenstuff on another base then sliding it under and gluing it once it was cured.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF00052.jpg

I also painted the footprints with typhus corrossion under the basecoat to give a hint of a crushed-rock texture. Probably all too subtle for people to notice though. But i didn't want to up the contrast to the point that it looked cartoonish or took away from the sense of scale of the model.

[Battybattybats]

In my first game using my Knight, during which it stomped the Chaos-worshipping enemy into oblivion, the servo skull came off my Ion Shield Marker (which i found invaluable for keeping track of which facing was shielded each turn making me very glad i had made one). So, i used this as an opportunity to test out my plans for the House Cydonia emblem.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/ionshieldmarkerwithdecal.jpg

Using the smaller house raven emblem, cutting the yellow cog free, and placing that as the layer below the smaller skull from the kill markings, cut away from the stripes it is attached to, i was able to make a smaller version of the emblem and get some practice in with layering decals. Now i just need to finish painting the basing.

Speaking of basing, here's a couple of blurry pics of the basing i've done on the knight

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0014.jpg

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0015.jpg

I'll try to get some decent pictures of the base soon. Several coats of Typhus Corrosion and a gentle build-up of Ryza Rust really does make for easy and effective heavy rust.

[Battybattybats]

The knights basing needed to be partly painted before attaching the knight so that i could get the paint under the feet. So i'll do a little more to get the basing material up against the toes at some points, and as the pva dried it pulled some of the material away from the edges a little, so i'll likely do a little more to get the basing up to the bases edge.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0008.jpg

I'm really loving the Typhus Corrosion and Ryza Rust paints.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0009.jpg

The typhus corrosion was also used in patches over the black undercoat on the slate before the greys were drybrushed in to create a nice subtle differentiation to make the terrain look more natural.

http://i48.photobucket.com/albums/f250/supreme_martian_overlord/DSCF0012.jpg

So a little bit more work needed on the base but it's almost done.