Make a Man(iple) out of You.

[Chaeron]

 

Love a family shot! Taking excellent shape - looking forward to that progress pre-2019 ;)

I shall try not to disappoint. ;) I'll have to see about getting a proper photo set up before then. The kitchen counter is fine for progress shots, but I'd like to have something slightly more professional for finished shots.

Thanks for the comment.

I'm looking forward to the release of the Reaver v2 as that will give me the choice of two full Maniples. I'll probably stretch for another box of Hounds to give me all three full Maniples, but that's a problem for 2019.

Dallo

I’m always a fan of those sorts of problems for future me when it comes to army expansion :lol:

 

That mirrors my plans, so sounds good!

 

I’ve got a lightbox for those sorts of shots, but I tend to prefer outside natural light conditions for group photos as the models don’t always fit in the lightbox size wise!

[Brother Dallo]

Looks great, Dallo! I am really envious of your progress on your maniple! It looks like it will do you proud on the field of honour!

 

Have you tried any games yet?

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

 

I don't know if there's much to be envious about as I haven't finished building or painting a single Engine, but I appreciate the kind words nonetheless.

 

I haven't got any games in yet, but a friend of mine is over for Christmas, so I'm hoping to get a game or two in then. The plan is to have a Warlord and Warhound per side, with one team getting the Reaver and the other getting some Knights. I'm hoping to get at least the two Hounds fully painted by then and ideally the Reaver, but we'll see how it goes. We also need to fit in our annual LotR marathon at some point.

 

 

This Maniple is growing more impressive by the minute!

 

The gun looks awesome on the Warlord and the entire bunch looks ready for some serious painting!

 

Thank you sir. Now I've had some time to look at the Quake cannon, I'm not quite as fond of it as I once was. It could be the barrel (I've tried to bend it into shape, but it's determined to thwart my efforts) or maybe that the ammo hopper looks tacked on. I may play around with the design a little, but for now it's serviceable and adds some versatility to my loadouts, which is good.

 

Yesterday, I did a little painting on the assembled Warlord. Nothing too crazy, just some brass trim on the pistons and a few other bits, blocked in some colour on the head and did a first coat of grey on a few "white" panels,but it was enjoyable and this project has always been about baby steps. How's your Reaver progressing?

 

 

Looking nice, love the family picture. Your knight leader's conversion is very nice. Simple and efficient idea.

 

Thanks Mendi, I'm pretty happy with Mr Whippy. I'm sure down the line he'll get a pseudo-Latin name, but chances are he'll be referred to as Mr Whippy more often.

 

I did a few fiddly bits tonight mainly painting the base trim on the Reaver and Warhound base and putting a wash down on the second Warlord's base. As an aside, that Warlord really needs a name and I'm open to suggestions. I've got Tertio Aestus and am planning to build the third Warlord with the brutal looking head and painting a skull terror marking over the top. His (WIP) name is Golgotha or possibly Gulgoleth. 

 

I also made a start on the other Warhound's base. The filler should be dry by tomorrow evening, so I'll probably get the baking soda added tomorrow night and the "walls" will get a bit of battle damage in a similar vein to Tertio Aestus' base.

 

 

C&C Welcome

 

Oh and Chaeron, natural light isn't really an option for this season. By the time I get home on weekdays, there's little light to speak of, so a lightbox of some description is probably the way to go for now..

 

Cheers.

 

Dallo

[Mendi Warrior]

 

 

Thanks Mendi, I'm pretty happy with Mr Whippy. I'm sure down the line he'll get a pseudo-Latin name, but chances are he'll be referred to as Mr Whippy more often.

 

Flagellum Magister would be a rather literal translation (litterally "whip mister"). I have forgotten all my Latin (except for a few expressions)

 

If you want to read about the true story of Mr Whippy I found this link http://www.misterwhippy.com/history.html 

 

Your new base looks good. Eager to see your next steps.

[Chaeron]

Still really like the style of basing Dallo - that really helps tie them together as much as the paint scheme in my eyes!

 

 

Oh and Chaeron, natural light isn't really an option for this season. By the time I get home on weekdays, there's little light to speak of, so a lightbox of some description is probably the way to go for now..

 

Cheers.

 

Dallo

 

 

Ah that's true - you'll hopefully have more of that benefit in the Spring/Summer though, conveniently when things like the ETL roll around... ;) 

 

I think for something like this, given the intricacies of scale, I'll look to use my lightbox more to help show off details and those subtle bits and bobs. It helps in many ways just to get a more neutral background, which can make such a difference for showing up the painting (and all the many flaws :lol:).

[Captain Semper]

The base looks really good and the scale quite appropriate! :tu: They will also unify the theme of the Maniple nicely. 

 

C'mon, show us the progress on the Warlord! :yes: 

[Brother Dallo]

 

Your new base looks good. Eager to see your next steps.

 

 

Still really like the style of basing Dallo - that really helps tie them together as much as the paint scheme in my eyes!

 

 

The base looks really good and the scale quite appropriate! They will also unify the theme of the Maniple nicely. 

 

Thank you all for the kind words.I'm really glad that the reaction to the basing scheme has been so overwhelmingly positive. One of the aims for this project was to up my basing game (which wasn't hard from "un-based") and I think I've done that. I like that they are actually pretty quick to put together and I think they've turned out pretty well.

 

 

C'mon, show us the progress on the Warlord!

 

Well, I've got some good news and some bad news.

 

The good news is that I've spent some time over the past few days putting some paint on to five previously unpainted Reavers...

 

... the bad news is that they're Garrek's Reavers for Shadespire and I can't show them off here.  

 

In all seriousness, I do appreciate the interest in my Hobby Progress. Keep pestering me and I might even get a painted Titan this year.

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and I'll try to get some more Titan progress made this week.

 

Dallo

[Captain Semper]

In all seriousness, I do appreciate the interest in my Hobby Progress. Keep pestering me and I might even get a painted Titan this year.

 

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas, and I'll try to get some more Titan progress made this week.

 

Dallo

This year brother? That's a big statement... Look forward!

 

[Brother Dallo]

This year brother? That's a big statement... Look forward!

 

Turns out it was a big statement. :p

 

Over the holidays, I've done next to no work on Titanicus. I've been doing some other hobby stuff (Shadespire) but haven't been feeling like working on Titans recently. In the end, my mate and I didn't get time to play Titanicus.

 

Having said that, with Titandeath on the horizon, I may find my motivation to work on Titans again.

 

I'll try to get my finger out and get some hobby stuff done in the next week or two.

 

Dallo

[Brother Dallo]

Hi all,

 

Sorry I've let this thread get a little dusty. I've signed up for the Titanicus painting event and am hoping to get at least one Warlord painted up by the end of the event.

 

Here's my before shot:

 

 

I think I'll probably get the new Reaver when it comes out, so that may feature in the event too, but let's not put the cart before the horse.

 

I'm hoping the painting event helps to keep me motivated, but is far enough away so it doesn't become stressful.

 

C&C Welcome.

Dallo

 

[Chaeron]

I'm hoping the painting event helps to keep me motivated, but is far enough away so it doesn't become stressful.

 

I've done quite a number of these over the years, and I don't think there's anything better. It's a great way to get things done within a certain period of time, and all the while cheered on by fellow fraters who are similarly pushing themselves to produce something. My general advice is pace yourself, and just break it all up into manageable chunks. Three months is a long time, and I'm confident you'll keep up that motivation throughout! It's not about painting to the highest standard either, which makes it a lot more comfortable - and a personal challenge, rather than a competition per se.

Take part and enjoy! :) We'll cheer you on!

[Brother Dallo]

I leave this thread for less than a week and it nearly drops off the first page. I guess that just goes to show how much interest Titandeath has generated for the hobby.

 

Speaking of Titandeath, from the reviews I've seen, the rules for Krytos seem to leave a lot to be desired. It seems that much of their flavour is geared towards destroying buildings and in a game with optional destruction rules and victory generally being decided by Engine Kills, it seemed like they'll not make much of an impact in most games. Their Quake missiles are interesting though, so that's something.

 

I'll wait until I have the rulebook in my hand to see if I've prematurely judged their rules.

 

I've ordered Reaver 2 and Titandeath rules, so they should be with me in a week or two.

 

In the meantime, I've made a little progress since the last time I posted.

 

I've put a little more paint on my second Warlord (working name Vestiges of Mercy).

 

 

It doesn't look like a huge amount, but it was enjoyable to do, so I'm calling that a win.

 

I've also started work on my event entry Gulgoleth.

 

Mandragola has a really cool running pose for one of his Warlords, which I hope to emulate.

 

For now, the body is assembled and magnetised, the legs are assembled and everything has been sprayed silver. The actual posing may wait until I get the shin panels painted on the sprue to make sure the pistons sit nicely.

 

 

The original plan for Gulgoleth was for it to be a veteran of wars against Orks, having multiple Xenos Engine kills. I guessed I liked the idea of a God Breaker destroying multiple avatars of Gork/Mork, to the point where the Orks knew Gulgoleth by reputation alone (no doubt having their own primitive name for it in their own tongue). I was planning to paint an Ork skull onto the face plate, but I'm not sure my first attempt looks anything like a skull, Orkoid or otherwise. If anyone has any advice, I'd be happy to hear. I'm planning on using an Ork transfer sheet to add some kill markings to the Titan, but I haven't used transfers in over a decade, so I'll practice on some spare parts first. I've heard that people swear by Microsol/set, but that seems excessively expensive for what will likely be transfers on half a dozen models. If anyone has any advice for using GW transfers, I'd appreciate it.

 

 

Thanks for dropping by.

 

C&C Welcome.

 

Dallo

[Mendi Warrior]

I think the rules for Krytos might be nice for some siege warfare scenarios.

 

Vestiges of Mercy looks nice, cool name as well.

 

Nice start on Gulgoleth too. My first reaction seeing the armoured head was "hmm weird", then I read the underlying idea which is cool. Not sure that without that piece of info I could have tell that this is an ork skull. Maybe you can use an ork icon to delineate the skull mure clearly? Maybe you can hand a few heads from ork engines as trophies (maybe a bit too chaotic, need to scratchbuild one or hijack some from 40K). Kill markings are a great idea and will definitely help build the context.

[Chaeron]

I leave this thread for less than a week and it nearly drops off the first page. I guess that just goes to show how much interest Titandeath has generated for the hobby.

 

Definitely all the rage currently - which is great!

 

If anyone has any advice, I'd be happy to hear. I'm planning on using an Ork transfer sheet to add some kill markings to the Titan, but I haven't used transfers in over a decade, so I'll practice on some spare parts first. I've heard that people swear by Microsol/set, but that seems excessively expensive for what will likely be transfers on half a dozen models. If anyone has any advice for using GW transfers, I'd appreciate it.

In honesty, you'll probably do fine with traditional water - but I am most certainly a proponent of Microset/Sol. There are likely to be some good tutorials online for using standard water - just do them one at a time, have your tweezers and paintbrush ready after you've cut out just the one you need - and it should work without an issue!

 

If there's anyone local (gaming group?) who might be able to lend either of those products, I'd recommend it - only because it takes such a small amount, but definitely appreciate it's an added cost if you can do it with water.

 

Really liking VoM - and echo the sentiments with regard to the cool name!

[Zhiv]

Re: transfers. 
Transfers are shiny and show well against matt paint.  
Solution: Use varnish to smear a bit more shiny round region on the panel - wait that the varnish dries. 
Use water to apply the transfer to the chosen location - let it dry.  It is now bit higher than the surface, but you cannot see the border thanks to the varnish.

Solution: Use decal softener (vallejo makes a decent one).  Let it dry! 

The whole thing is still rather shiny, even if the decal looks like it was painted on.

Solution: Apply matt varninsh. 

[Brother Dallo]

I think the rules for Krytos might be nice for some siege warfare scenarios.

 

Vestiges of Mercy looks nice, cool name as well.

 

Nice start on Gulgoleth too. My first reaction seeing the armoured head was "hmm weird", then I read the underlying idea which is cool. Not sure that without that piece of info I could have tell that this is an ork skull. Maybe you can use an ork icon to delineate the skull mure clearly? Maybe you can hand a few heads from ork engines as trophies (maybe a bit too chaotic, need to scratchbuild one or hijack some from 40K). Kill markings are a great idea and will definitely help build the context.

Thanks for being honest about the skull markings. It's certainly not the clearest at the minute. I d have some Orky gubbins I could add to the base/Titan so that's definitely on the cards. I think one of the problems with the skull markings is that the surface of the face isn't flat, so it's difficult to get sharp edges on teeth etc. In the end, I was aiming more for a "Punisher" style skull, which you can probably see if you squint.

 

Glad you like the name. It can be a bit hit or miss sometimes, but I wanted to get across that a Titan is a juxtaposition of salvation and judgement (assuming you're a human loyal to the Imperium). While Krytos declared for the Warmaster, I wanted to carry over a hint (or vestige :p ) of that with some of my names.

 

Chaeron, thanks for the advice, I'll look into some online tutorials and will ask around to see if anyone has any set/sol.

 

Dallo

[Mendi Warrior]

 

I think one of the problems with the skull markings is that the surface of the face isn't flat, so it's difficult to get sharp edges on teeth etc. In the end, I was aiming more for a "Punisher" style skull, which you can probably see if you squint.

 

I agree, the surface not being flat makes it more difficult. This said, a "Punisher" style skull would be excellent, I believe you just need more contrast. Maybe have a darker green or even black for the face mask.

[Marshal Loss]

The skull idea on that titan helmet is superb, and one I might liberate!

[Brother Dallo]

Liberate away. It’d be interesting to see another take on it.

 

I feel like that particular head is a good one to try the skull on, although one of the heads from the Volcano Cannon kit may be a better surface for freehand. I might give both a go and see which looks best.

 

Dallo

[Mandragola]

Cool. I look forward to seeing more running warlords!

 

I think I feel your pain on the Krytos rules. Lots of ways to kill terrain - not so many ways to kill titans! I'm feeling very happy with the Astorum rules, if not slightly guilty at all the nice toys. That said, Krytos quake missiles are a genuine asset on both warlords and reavers. First firing these at a lance of knights will ruin their day. Shame that the warlord/reaver swap is only allowed in a Myrmidon maniple, because an Axiom with two warlords would be great. It does let you bring a warlord-only battelgroup though, and that's pretty cool.

 

As for the skull face, I think it's nearly there. I think you might want to try making it thinner in the middle, taking a couple of rows off each side to create that sort of pinched in look. Currently it is a bit too much of a circle, I think.

[Brother Dallo]

Thanks for the advice. I’m toying with using Greenstuff to flatten out the grooves to make a flatter surface for freehand.

 

True, though if you could sub in a Warlord into a Venator, that could have been fun too.

 

Cheers.

 

Dallo

[Brother Dallo]

Just a quick update tonight.

 

 

I made a bit of headway on the armour trim and added a little bit of red and white detailing. I actually really like how the red, brass and grey/white play off each other. Perhaps a few Atarus engines are a possibility in the future? I realise that the picture doesn't actually show off a great deal, but you're not missing out on anything too interesting.

 

For now, I'll try not to get distracted and keep slogging on with my comp entry.

 

C&C Welcome.

 

Dallo

[Brother Dallo]

Evening all,

 

I was browsing through a Titanicus group on Facebook and I saw someone put an Ork Gob plate onto a Titan's head. I thought this would be a pretty good solution to my issues making my terror markings look good, so I had a rummage through my bitzbox and found Ghazghkull Thraka's Gob. 

 

 

It looks OK size wise and interestingly is exactly the same width as the Titan's head.

 

 

I'm going to have a play around with the two to see if I can make it work. I think it'll take a bit of trimming down, but I think it'll come out looking ok. Wish me luck.

 

 

Dallo

 

 

[Mendi Warrior]

Interesting idea. I am wondering if this could also work with one of the heads from the first warlord instead of the present one.

As an alternative to the Ghazkull Thraka's piece, I think a plasticard replica might work as well.

[Brother Dallo]

Thanks Mendi,

 

Based on your suggestion, I've had a quick try with the "standard head", but it's a few mm too wide and it doesn't really look that great. Worth a try though.

 

Plasticard is indeed another option, but I had the bit spare, so was happy enough to chop it up.

 

Here's the "first draft".

 

 

It'll need a bit of a clean up and I'll probably sleep on it to take a look at it with fresh eyes, but I'm happy with how it looks at the minute.

 

 

In the end, I sliced off about 1mm from either side of the head, so the Gob could slot on and I sawed maybe 2mm off the bottom, as it was throwing the proportions off. I also smoothed off the rivits from the teeth. I'm undecided if this should be a trophy from an enemy Engine or if it should be an Imperial take on an Ork skull, made specifically as a psychological weapon for a campaign against Orks. 

 

C&C welcome.

 

Dallo

[noigrim]

Gargants are a thing now