Mandragola’s Legio Astorum (and Mortis and stuff)

[Mandragola]

“Ponderous” is exactly the right word, yes. I wanted to show a slow, methodical advance. Simple enough to do really. I removed the placement pins and used the longer of the two sets of cables to connect the legs and groin. Those required a bit of bending to fit into place, because this guy’s legs are closer together than the standard kit.

 

I’ve now put some actual yellow paint on his head, at the same time as painting in the metal parts of it ready for a wash. So I’ve pretty much decided that this will be an Astorum engine. Hopefully there’ll be a maniple soon featuring Warbringers and Warlords, which I will then have run all over the place as if they were Reavers and Warhounds.

[Fajita Fan]

Totally appropriate, not every titan needs a dynamic pose like your charging Warlord (still the scariest AT model I’ve seen).

[Mandragola]

I’ve made a Bellicosa for my Warbringer. I’m pretty happy with how it has turned out.

 

I’d already magnetised the main gun. The mounting for the Bellicosa is pretty straightforward. I cut away the bit of gubbinz on the bottom of the gun and the hinge bit on the top. The gubbinz thing looked important so I stuck it on the top (which will need some GS filling). I then added some plastic tube under the gun with a magnet on each end. There’s still some work to do adding some discs the same size as the ones on the quake cannon and probably some more gubbins there. I’m also thinking of adding a gun shield, possibly.

 

 

I like how it looks on the Warbringer. In particular I think that having the gun level like this instead of elevated really changes the character of the model. It’s like it changed from being a SPG sat somewhere behind the lines into a tank destroyer hunting for targets.

 

 

Next job is figuring out how to make some generators, capacitors or something, to go in the gaps left by the magazines. I think something like the back end of a reaver laser blaster (which I seem to have loads of for some reason) could form the basis of something good.

 

[Reyner]

That looks awesome I wish I had a spare Volcano Cannon to make my own :D I look forward to seeing it with the armour panels on.

[Cyrox]

That looks really good!

Edited February 26, 2020 by Cyrox

[Mendi Warrior]

Excellent! I love it.

Don't forget the extra cables for the legs and the ones coming with the other models, they can be useful to add details. Electrical wires could also prove useful if you want a connection with the "power packs" that would replace the ammo hoppers.

[Sherrypie]

Looking good. Given that the Volcanoes mainly draw from the reactor, you could also just add some heat sinks at the back and run large cables through to the back of the gun?`Or just use properly large magnetized cables straight on, leaving more of the pretty connection area at the back visible?

[Mandragola]

I think you guys are right about having a connection between whatever goes on the back and the gun. Heat sinks are what I’m mostly considered, based on the laser blaster ones. Cables from these to the gun would be good to have but difficult to magnetise, especially if I want movement possible - which is actually not essential. I could stick the turret base in place and have the gun and it’s attached heat sinks as a single bit.

 

There’s also the option of gluing the whole thing. I will try not to but I could always just have one bellicosa warbringer and another with a quake cannon. Then maybe the spare quake cannon could be used for my Psi-Titan’s arm to something.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Mandragola

[Fajita Fan]

Very clean. 

 

What about using real small gauge electrical wires?  I've done that with Orks (and I'll be doing it with my psi-titan gun) and since they're flexible it would let you feed them where you want while remaining modular.  I just punch some holes for the wires to feed into and it looks pretty natural.  

Edited February 26, 2020 by Fajita Fan

[Mandragola]

Something like flexible wire is what I was thinking too. I used a USB cable from a dead keyboard on my 40k knight Castellan and that worked pretty well. I'll have a look at the hardware store near my office tomorrow and see what they have.

 

Right now I'm building something completely different, because why work on just one project at once? 

[Mandragola]

Tonight's progress is this guy.

 

 

 

So far I've just built him and cleaned a load of flash off bits of resin. I've begun the process of converting his armour to look more like a member of the Emperor's personal forces by sticking a couple of Custodian Guard shoulder pads on his knees (after hacking out a lot of plastic from behind them, to make them fit). 

 

The idea is to stick a load of GS on the front greaves to make them look more like what you find on Custodians. It'll have a single-piece greave and knee pad like they do. I'm going to have a go at sculpting a lion's face on the right knee (or should it be the left? Oh well). I'll be doing some work on the carapace armour too, to have lightning bolts instead of eagles and the Ordo Sinister badge from S+I in the middle of the shoulder. At least, that's the theory!

 

I've had to glue the leg armour on so I can sculpt the knee to the greave bit. Actually I don't think that will cause too many problems as the armour is going to be black anyway, and probably a fair bit easier to paint than my Astorum guys. It's not ideal but I ought to manage.

 

Edit: Not sure what he'll be standing on. Maybe an Acastus or something like that. Something very dead though. I might do some GS work on his toes too, or maybe leave them as they are. I do want some titan-style designs to remain.

Edited February 26, 2020 by Mandragola

[The boater]

Ooo, I see you went with the Gats all round. I really cant make up my mind on how I’m building mine. It’s a toss up between Gats on the roof with a Plasma, this load out, or quake with missiles on the roof.

 

Either way, really nice pose. Really interested to see what the green stuff work will produce

[Mandragola]

Yeah I don’t know what guns to give it really. I’ll certainly make up one of the sunfurys it came with for it, and some missiles too I think. I’m considering making it a quake cannon too, as I’ve sort of got a spare one from my warbringer. Not sure about that to be honest. On the whole sunfury and roof gatlings are probably best, though as ever missiles can’t really fail to be a good option.

[Fajita Fan]

I’m tempted to do all of my exoskeleton and hydraulics shiny because the 25 Warlords were brand new. Thoughts?

[Interrogator Stobz]

That's the damned Predator Titan, so mush Dakka and darkydarkdarkdeath.

Must copy.

[Mandragola]

Thanks. Annoyingly, I think I’ve realised that sunfury is a far better option than a Gatling for the arm. I was thinking of firing the sinistramanus first and then doing targeted shots. But the better idea is obviously to fire first with the sunfury if shields are down. The sinistramanus can then automatically hit the damaged location and that’s pretty likely to result in a kill.

 

I’m starting to think that missiles might be better than gatlings on the roof. The option to stay far away from the enemy is always useful, as are 15 points.

[Master Ciaphas]

It looks great! I look forward to seeing how it ends up, once you have painted it. I am sure it will look suitably awesome!

[Sherrypie]

Firing plasma first indiscriminantly has the chance to hit weapons, so there's that and a bit higher points cost vs. the gatling, but I feel pretty much the same.

 

Shaping up nicely, I like the idea of replacing the eagle with lightning bolts.

[Mandragola]

Yeah hitting a weapon is always a risk. But overall doubling the number of hits you score (by needing 3s instead of 5s) is usually going to be better. The macro gatling doesn't quite have the strength to be the first weapon you fire, in my experience.

 

A quake cannon is still a pretty interesting option. It's appealing because it lets you keep your Psi-titan pretty far from the enemy. If you damage the target a bit somewhere and turn it so the sinistramanus hits the side armour, they're is going to be in a bit of difficulty. And it's nice to have a gun that doesn't draw any heat.

 

The Bellicosa is sort of an option. Personally I think it's too risky for the heat it generates, but you do have the option of the full repair psychic power. I don't think you'd often want to use it with quickening due to the heat, but it could just about be viable otherwise. Hitting something far away with bellicosa followed by Sinistramanus could well bring kills. But I always just seem to shoot guns off things or roll 1s when I use bellicosas, so they're not my favourite weapons. At least when that happens with a quake cannon they're slowed and swivelled around.

[Fajita Fan]

Gatling blasters/Plasma and missiles/quake was going to be my plan but start with the long range option first just to save points given its 300 point premium.

 

How solid/heavy is the psycannon? The resin quake and Gatling cannons are so heavy I’m afraid they’re going to overwhelm the 5x1 magnets I have in there.

[Sherrypie]

I think Quickening will often be better used by firing lots of dakka from the top guns, if you aim to shoot the other arm before Sinistramanus. Belicosa isn't really that appealing, as you want to be using your super repairs on structural damage rather than emergency heat control when necessary.

[Mendi Warrior]

I love the pose of your psi-titan!

[Mandragola]

Gatling blasters/Plasma and missiles/quake was going to be my plan but start with the long range option first just to save points given its 300 point premium.

 

How solid/heavy is the psycannon? The resin quake and Gatling cannons are so heavy I’m afraid they’re going to overwhelm the 5x1 magnets I have in there.

The Sinistramanus is probably a bit lighter than the gatling or quake, though I don't have any issues with magnets holding those.

 

Of course you could always glue it anyway, since it's not optional. I've only magnetised mine for transport.

 

Agree with Sherry that quickening will often be about dakka. You could argue that roof guns have more value on a psi-titan because you get to line them up perfectly just before you fire, removing a lot of the issues with the corridor arc. There's actually a case for laser blasters I think, given that you ought to be able to fire them a lot. But equally there's a good case for missiles fired from far away, to strip shields.

[schoon]

That is some serious Gatling power you've got on that Titan!

 

I'm just not sold on FW's design for the extra bit on the Void Shield Generators. I may have to modify that somehow.

 

I have not ready the B&I bit on the Psi-Titans yet - what is that extra piece supposed to be?

[Mandragola]

I quite like that bit, though I didn't enjoy cleaning the flash off it. It does fit on very well at least.

 

I'm not sure what exactly it's supposed to be. My guess is that it's some sort of psychic emitter or focus. Maybe that's where its psychic powers shoot out from.