+ apologist's Titan-Manufactorum +

[apologist]

Time is ticking down – I've got fifteen nights until I need everything packed and ready to go to Beachhead, so it's getting to crunch time. 

 

... and what better to CRUNCH with than an Arioch-pattern Warlord power claw?

 

 

Lots of tiny chequers painted last thing at night – and still the knuckles to go! Here's the inspiration, from the Epic: Space Marine second edition (SM2) boxed set:

 

 

In addition to the power claw, I've polished off highlighting the red and generally getting the Titans ready for spray varnish. I'll apply a coat of varnish, apply the transfers, then apply a second coat of varnish. With those in place, I'll then be free to work up the metallics (varnish can flatten metallics, so I want to work them on top), and then the oil filters.

 

... Oils, of course, need quite a bit of time to dry/oxidise, so even though I'll be using thin glazes with plenty of thinner, I still need to leave enough time for them to be playable in two weekends time. The heat is on!

 

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Relevant to the thread, because it's illustrated with pics of Ferratus Tertius (see above), I wrote a tutorial on posing and repositioning Reaver Titans for the Maximal Fire website/podcast. If you like it, please do post a comment there :)

 

Here's the link to the B&C thread:

[Wormwoods]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: painting chequerboard patterns on models is the finest time you can have with a brush. It's delightful, and looks great here.

[Lord_Borak]

On 1/20/2025 at 11:55 AM, apologist said:

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Damn, the posing on this guy is awesome!

On a side note, how have you done the bases? Very nice texturing and colouring.

[apologist]

On 1/25/2025 at 11:37 AM, Lord_Borak said:

Damn, the posing on this guy is awesome!

On a side note, how have you done the bases? Very nice texturing and colouring.

 

Cheers! The bases are done be gluing on a combination of found/foraged parts (gravel and larger pieces of slate) and odd bits from the bits box, then applying acrylic texture paste with a modelling tool/old paintbrush. I then poke and prod that around until I'm happy, before pouring on some play sand, which sticks firmly to the texture paste.

 

Here's an example pre-paint, from my Legio Validus Warmaster:

 

For this one, I glued down successive layers of cardboard to create a building plinth, and left a big flat gap for a road.

 

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[apologist]

The Maniple marches on:

 

 

Pleased with how they're looking – though I need to pick up the pace if I want to have time to get them as polished as I want.

 

This pace is slightly hampered by the hobby butterfly in my brain demanding that I create a replacement missile launcher for Fors Clavigera:

 

 

I built it with a bits box dive. At the base is a magnetised Apocalypse Missile Launcher connector, so I can still swap it out if necessary. The mounting is from Battle Bling, and the larger parts are from the new Imperial Guard big artillery piece – one of the super-lascannons. This was trimmed down and carved into a shape to evoke the original. 

The upper armour is from a Reaver Power Fist – I cut the central part away and married them together, while the part with a cable near the front is a Reaver close combat weapon upper arm. Finally, the missile piece itself is a Leagues of Votann piece, given to me by a buddy of mine (thanks!).

 

 

 

I sprayed and basecoated it, then popped it in place to see how it looked. You decide – does it look about right?

 

... besides that, I've applied the transfers (these still need work to remove the gloss with Microsol):

 

+ Transfers in place on the shoulder, ready to be softened in and integrated. +

 

... and also painted Praeterita Carnivorus' head and eyes, ready for oils and trim. You'll also note here that I opted to add a yellow transfer rather than paint his groin completely yellow (as in the original). Just like the alterations to the carapace stripes, I thought this was a better, less distracting compromise between the original and the retrohammer remake.

 

[Lord_Borak]

On 1/30/2025 at 12:43 PM, apologist said:

 

Cheers! The bases are done be gluing on a combination of found/foraged parts (gravel and larger pieces of slate) and odd bits from the bits box, then applying acrylic texture paste with a modelling tool/old paintbrush. I then poke and prod that around until I'm happy, before pouring on some play sand, which sticks firmly to the texture paste.

 

Here's an example pre-paint, from my Legio Validus Warmaster:

 

For this one, I glued down successive layers of cardboard to create a building plinth, and left a big flat gap for a road.

 

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Brilliant. Thanks!! 

 

 

The Missile Launcher is a fantastic bit of kit-bashing. It could be anything in game if you wanted it to be but it's certainly a good homage to the original. What's the weapon in the Reavers left arm? It looks like a 3 barrelled Vulcan?

 

 

[apologist]

On 1/31/2025 at 3:35 PM, Lord_Borak said:

The Missile Launcher is a fantastic bit of kit-bashing. It could be anything in game if you wanted it to be but it's certainly a good homage to the original. What's the weapon in the Reavers left arm? It looks like a 3 barrelled Vulcan?

 

Ta! The weapon is a Cyclone Mega-bolter from Battle Bling. The original had a Vulcan, but that's sadly not an option as a Reaver arm in the new game. I've got back-up Gatling Blasters to swap out if anyone objects, but I think this look sufficiently bulky to be a counts-as, and not be confused with a smaller Vulcan.

 

 

As you'll see, things have progressed – after finishing the first stages of the Barrage Missile Launcher, I turned to painting the trim. This has given the Titans a bit more 'pop' for the moment, though the eventual plan is to use oils to integrate the very bright areas (trim, transfers etc.) while enriching things overall.

 

The trim on Old Three Skulls goes a long way to bringing out some much-needed contrast and visual interest. You'll also spot on these Titans that the banners have been added, too. These are made from metal foil taken from the capsule of a wine bottle – simply cut out the shape you want with scissors and wrap it around a length of paperclip. 

 

 

Rounding off the trio from last night is Ferratus Tertius – or Castigator Lacrimarus. You'll spot the Titan banner (between the legs) has had the transfers applied to evoke the original. All looks a bit flat at the moment, but some highlighting and weathering will bring some interest to these bits.

 

I had a bit of a [+CASCADE-MEMFAIL+] moment when I thought that I had ordered the wrong terminal nameplates from Obsidian Forge (read more of my idiocy here).

 

WIP Terminal plates. These sit on the command terminals to replace the generic 'Reaver/Warlord Titan' text with the specific name – making things a bit easier for you and the other player to quickly reference.

 

Champion that he is, Fraser at Obsidian Forge read the post and immediately offered to print up a quick plate in time for me to get painted up for the weekend – what a result!

 

As it happened, when he looked back through things to ensure he was getting the name correct, he found the plate alongside the others in the digital file for my initial order... and after a bit of digging around I discovered that I had ordered it, he had supplied it – and I'd simply started painting the wrong one *facepalm*.

 

So, a happy ever after to that tale, and I thought it the least I could do to share my sheepishness here and encourage you to pick up some plates (or other cool stuff) from Fraser at Obsidian Forge!

[The Yak]

Looking good Brother! How you managed to pull off the mini chequers on Old Three skulls' claw, I'll never know but they look amazing! Not sure if you did the knuckles but I would have said you probably wouldn't need to as it might be to confusing and adds to the yellow factor.

 

Fors Clavigera's Barrage Missile Launcher is spot on. It's that cool I think all your opponents should let you reroll 1's when you take it to Beach Head! 

 

Thanks for the Reaver posing article too!!

 

Its a wonderful looking maniple and invokes the old era, whilst putting a new twist on the contemporary Metalica scheme. This leaves you with a pretty unique looking battleforce and I'm sure anyone who comes up against it will feel privileged face it. 

 

Good luck with getting the finishing touches completed and may the Omnissiah dry your oils with haste.

 

Hope you have a great time at the tournament and I'm looking forward to seeing the Maximal Fire lads pictures as you go up against some other beautiful Engines!!!

 

Cheers

 

 

 

 

[apologist]

Thanks very much for the support and encouragement – really very much appreciated!

 

Slightly sleep-deprived now, but the metals are in place on all five Titans. It was too late to get started on the oils, but I did have a few minutes to tickle in a few additional details, like the eyes on the Titans:

 

+ Steel Hammer, batting his vid-lenses at you. +

 

I hadn't really posted any pictures of the Titans from the back, but since there's lots of metal there, here's an eyeful of Titan backside:

 

 

... and some shots of Steel Hammer and Carnivore:

 

 

 

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As mentioned, tonight is when the oils go on – if I leave it any later, I worry they won't be game-ready. While they dry/oxidise, the outstanding stuff is as follows (a checklist for myself as much as anything else!):

• Four nameplate
• Moderati banners on all five, plus the big Legion banner on Old Three Skulls
• Nameplates on Steel Hammer, Fors Clavigera, Ferratus Tertius and Old Three Skulls
• Objective markers: three for Secure and Hold and Salt the Earth; three for Asset Protection and Defend and Extract
• Titan Honour Banner for Honour thy Forebears;
• Two markers for secondary mission: Deny Them.
• Paint two markers for Titan Hunter infantry stratagem.

[apologist]