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Incarnating the God-Machine - ETL IV Vow Complete!


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I generally don't do WIP posts, but my ETL 2015 vow is complicated enough to warrant some regular updates.
 

EDIT: Here is the general checklist for completion:

Carapace-mounted turbolasers - complete!

Right arm (macro-gatling blaster) - complete!

Right arm shield - complete!

Left arm (Belicosa-pattern volcano cannon) - complete!

Left arm shield - complete!

Right leg and groin - complete!

Left leg - complete!

Torso and head - complete!

Honor banner - complete!

Right kill pennant - complete!

Left kill pennant - complete!

Side cannons - complete!

 

Final assembly
 

http://i.imgur.com/ABX43Ull.jpg


The model itself is a Warlord Titan originally commissioned from EnGen Studios. I picked it up off the original owner, but EnGen continues to provide excellent customer service. Here is the initial WIP shot, with Fraterrus Quartus for scale. Not long after this, structural damage in the left leg (from shipping) made itself apparent. While that's out being repaired, I've begun work on the rest of the model.
 

http://i.imgur.com/mQtbgFYl.jpg


The first thing I did was add rivets... well, just about everywhere. This serves three purposes: 1) It breaks up the large, flat surfaces and adds a little more detail. 2) It invokes mental images of airplanes and skyscrapers. 3) It serves as ablative armor, of a sort, against bumps and scrapes. If the model rubs against something, hopefully it will hit the easy to replace/repaint rivets rather than the resin beneath. Here is an in-progress shot to show the difference between the original and riveted surfaces. I used iron-on "nailheads" that I found on Etsy, mounted with superglue.
 

http://i.imgur.com/OlCtVTZl.jpg


And here is the right leg all riveted up.
 

http://i.imgur.com/fSe2a7Kl.jpg


At this point, I've laid down close to 1,000 rivets. It's very relaxing work. I've also added a bit of etched brass detail left over from a model ICBM launch vehicle kit that I'd previously cannibalized for parts. I've added void shield generators on the shoulders, just above the turbolaser bays. These were built from Imperial Bastion escape hatches and bits from a Gundam kit that a friend let me pick through.
 

http://i.imgur.com/W12J1cql.jpg


I'm also adding little details all around the model. On the torso, I've added spotlights around the armored cowl. I envision the Titan striding across the battlefield with a self-generated halo of light shining down and around the cockpit. I'm also adding cameras/sensors to the chest, taken from the Spearhead Command Vehicle sprue.
 

http://i.imgur.com/PFdkFg1l.jpg


I've begun adding in details around the pistons and joints, using leftover bits from my spares bin and a 1:35 tank kit. Bass guitar wire is used as cabling between the legs and on the weapon arms.
 

http://i.imgur.com/aRhfHtvl.jpg


You always hear about Titans sounding their warhorns and blaring Imperial hymns as they march into battle. However, I've never seen a Titan model with speakers to do so! It was very difficult to actually find speakers the right size - I stumbled upon a set of dirge casters by The Dark Works completely by accident. They're mated to the bodies of Chimera searchlights, the faces of which I'd already used above.
 

http://i.imgur.com/DGrh5y4l.jpg?1


Work has begun on the honor banner and kill pennants. The banner poles are 6" 6-32 threaded rods with decorative nuts. I'll be using jewelry chain and magnets to connect the banner to the Titan's groin and arms, to ease assembly and disassembly.
 

http://i.imgur.com/vlntmiKl.jpg?1


And here is the honor banner mid-detailing. I'm using the same scheme as I did for my Knights, though the increased scale allows for increased detail. I tend to freehand everything, but for the banners I'll be using a few transfers here and there as well. My freehand obviously isn't perfect, but it's mine.

So that's what the first weekend brought. What next? I'm continually waiting for bits, so I'll do what I can while I wait. The turbolasers are in the process of being painted, after which I'll start on the arms. At some point I'll also get started on the kill pennants. I try to space out the really fun parts so that I always have something to look forward to.

I'll post another update next weekend, if I have time and enough progress to show.

 

Also, you have to make a base for it...with like 101 pots of Martian ironearth...

Already done - I have an 8' x 4' table in my basement.

Hahahahahahah!

 

Or should that be MUAHAHAHAHAHAA!!! [/diabolicallaughter]

You can contact EnGen Studios on Facebook. They have a rather informative video on YouTube that shows a little more of their Titan design and how it assembles. I'll ask about their body parts payment plan next time I talk to them.

Due to Mothers Day being tomorrow, and having both sides of the family poised to descend upon my house, you're getting your weekly update a day early.

http://i.imgur.com/04228gml.jpg

I've been enamored with Warlord-pattern Titans since I first found WH40K. One of the first books I read was the 3rd Edition of Codex: Space Marines, which included this picture of a diorama of the defense of the Imperial Palace during the Horus Heresy. As far as I know, this is the first 40K-scale Lucius-pattern Warlord Titan to be built.

EDIT: I cracked open my old Codex and couldn't find this diorama, so now I'm questioning my memory... Where the hell did I see this so long ago? wacko.png

http://i.imgur.com/2oqz9ZMl.jpg

This artwork also inspired me, from the cover of the graphic novel Titan by Dan Abnett. He would later go on to write Titanicus, the definitive Titan-centric text. In between these two works, he wrote a short story by the title of Cometh the Hour... and published it in White Dwarf 248. It focused on a major battle during the Third War for Armageddon, and featured Warlord Titans of Legio Metalica. This was my second exposure to Titans in 40K, and I still have a copy of this issue on my shelf.

http://i.imgur.com/ZYUQrO2l.jpghttp://i.imgur.com/cZOyhBql.jpg

The paint scheme for my Titan will be based on the classic GW color palette. This is the same inspiration I drew from for my Imperial Knights. I will be combining the classic green armor with yellow/black hazard stripes and dark grey, very similar to the Epic 40,000 model on the right.

The hazard stripes in particular are a unifying design cue between my AdMech, Skitarii and Imperial Knight models. I've based that decision on the theme of misplaced reverence or 'cargo cult' religion, often found in AdMech fluff. The hazard stripe was once a visual warning of pinch points, vents or other physical hazards on a piece of equipment. Over the millenia, this has been twisted into a general symbol for danger or destruction - the more prominent the stripe, the more destructive the machine.

http://i.imgur.com/aZtb6Nel.jpg

I used the carapace-mounted turbolasers as the prototypes for my scaled-up painting technique. I color-matched Army Painter's Goblin Green primer and acrylic paint combination to the Warboss Green of my Knights. I used Vallejo Liquid Silver and Liquid Gold for the metallics due to their incredible coverage and quick drying time. A few touch-ups and some black paint for the muzzles and they're ready for washing!

http://i.imgur.com/JH9s5Utl.jpg

Here are the finished parts. I gave everything a heavy wash of Vallejo Dark Wash (which I can buy in larger quantities than my beloved Nuln Oil) for the oily, grimy look that I've adopted for my Knights. The Titan may be a walking monument to the Machine God, but the battlefield is a dark and dirty environment. The final step was to paint the gunsight lenses on the underside of the weapon batteries. I'm going to add felt or rubber pads on the attachment surface to prevent rubbing on the Warlord's shoulders during assembly and disassembly.

http://i.imgur.com/ycsbHjhl.jpg

Here is a WIP shot of the barrel of the gatling cannon. I've yet to add the muzzle soot, and of course the entire thing needs a heavy wash. While touching it up, I became convinced that it requires more detail. Back to the bits store...

http://i.imgur.com/Zwe6yaDl.jpg?1

I forgot to take a picture of the arm armor before I began painting, so here's an in-progress shot. Since the earlier picture I've added etched brass aquilae from Forge World. The "large" versions weren't as large as I was expecting, but will still work to add a bit more detail.

Work continues on adding detail to the torso and volcano cannon arm. My goal is to have both arms completed by the end of May, the legs and groin by the end of June and then the torso and head in July. We'll see how well that goes!

Due to Mothers Day being tomorrow, and having both sides of the family poised to descend upon my house, you're getting your weekly update a day early.

 

http://i.imgur.com/04228gml.jpg

 

I've been enamored with Warlord-pattern Titans since I first found WH40K. One of the first books I read was the 3rd Edition of Codex: Space Marines, which included this picture of a diorama of the defense of the Imperial Palace during the Horus Heresy. As far as I know, this is the first 40K-scale Lucius-pattern Warlord Titan to be built.

 

Trivia Time: I painted some of the bloodletters for that diorama.

 

This is an epic undertaking Commodus, I can't wait to see it take shape.

No pun intended? Thanks for the encouragement!

 

You wouldn't happen to have any additional pictures of this diorama, would you? This is the only one of that Titan that I've managed to find, though I have a couple of the rival Banelord off-camera to the right. I'd love to see a closer look!

 

It's great that you worked on it. All these years later it's still inspiring! A glimpse of things to come - no one could dream that the Heresy would be examined this in-depth!

Well cactus we are among'st esteemed company then aren't we cool.png (very cool)

Yes that pic is from the good o'l days when 40k had a little bit more shall we say romance and a carefree youthfulness to it, not so much the global money eating giant it is nowadays...

... wub.png *sigh*

Alright, back from memory lane, that puts cactus into his late 30's early 40's...unless he was a 40k painting child prodigy tongue.png .

@commodus - i think we all had far reaching dreams & ideas back then for 40k that are only being put into fruition now, i remember my friends and i years ago saying "Gee, 40k novels would sell like hot cakes!" this was when there was probably only a handful of books out...how thats changed!!.

Mithril

p.s we need more pics commodus !!!!

I was at least a hundred miles away from the real work! Those big Games Day displays were done by farming out the miniature painting to the UK stores. I was part-time staff and my manager got me to paint our quota of ten bloodletters. I missed Games Day because I started at university that weekend and only saw the display once at Warhammer World a few years later. I'll check my White Dwarf archive in case there were more pictures.

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