thewarriorhunter's Adeptus Titanicus Legio and Knight PLOG

[thewarriorhunter]

Greetings Princeps. I'm probably one of the newest members to this corner of the B&C and I'm very excited. I'm going to be doing my own custom legio because I have to check my snowflake box. I bought a battlegroup box to get started in the hobby after playing a demo game, listening to a fantastic podcast and watching a bat-rep.

 

I don't know a lot of the lore yet about titans so I'm planning on reading the couple black library books to help me get in the mindset. I'm planning on doing snow themed bases (never done before) and having green as a primary color. I'm thinking of trying out the 'wet wipe' marble technique to get a green and black marble. I'm not sure what to use for my secondary color just yet.

 

I will be magnetizing everything. If you look through my other two plogs you'll see I am familiar with using them and magnetizing everything (my plog in the Ravenspire is the most comprehensive).

 

Here's a test 32mm base. This was baking soda on PVA, after reading a little more I'm going to switch to crushed glass so I can manage the consistency and look of my snow to a much higher degree than PVA/Baking Soda.

 

 

My two Warhounds are all off sprue and cleaned up. I still need to drill barrels and magnetize the weapons but I wanted to make sure all of the glue was done curing so I didn't split any of the plasma weapons apart when drilling.

 

[Master Ciaphas]

Hail!

 

Welcome aboard, Frater!

 

Looks like a good start to your Legio. As for inspiration, you cannot go wrong with reading Dan Abnett's seminal "Titanicus" novel. It is sterling stuff. Guy Haley's "Titandeath" is probably also a "must read" book. I have not yet read it myself, as I am waiting to Black Library to release it in mass market paperback...

 

Colourwise, I think you are onto something with a dark green to contrast with the white snow. Secondary colour could be red or perhaps black (highlighted with Dark Reaper and Thunderhawk Blue, for a cold look)?

 

I will look forward to seeing this thread progress!

 

Faithfully,

Master Ciaphas

[Fajita Fan]

“Mechanicum” is also a great read, it can stand alone in the HH series and is great fun with titans, knights, and Dark Mechanicus creations.

 

https://www.amazon.com/Mechanicum-Horus-Heresy-Graham-McNeill/dp/1849708088/ref=mp_s_a_1_4?keywords=mechanicum+horus+heresy&qid=1562001413&s=gateway&sprefix=mechanicum&sr=8-4

[thewarriorhunter]

Hail!

 

Welcome aboard, Frater!

 

Looks like a good start to your Legio. As for inspiration, you cannot go wrong with reading Dan Abnett's seminal "Titanicus" novel. It is sterling stuff. Guy Haley's "Titandeath" is probably also a "must read" book. I have not yet read it myself, as I am waiting to Black Library to release it in mass market paperback...

 

Colourwise, I think you are onto something with a dark green to contrast with the white snow. Secondary colour could be red or perhaps black (highlighted with Dark Reaper and Thunderhawk Blue, for a cold look)?

 

Thanks for the book suggestions, I've got several on my Amazon list but am hoping my library might have them. I thought about both red and black. I'm hesitant to go red because of the Christmas holiday and it's association with those colors. Black is a possibility but I've painted a lot of Raven Guard and wouldn't mind not painting more black, lol.

 

 

“Mechanicum” is also a great read, it can stand alone in the HH series and is great fun with titans, knights, and Dark Mechanicus creations.

 

 

I've got Mechanicum from one of the the HH humble bundles, I think it's next in my list to read.

[thewarriorhunter]

Spent way too much time posing my warhound tonight. I want him to look like he's pivoting into a turn while getting into position. I leaned him forward slightly to make it look more aggressive and was trying to imagine football/soccer players when they are running. Is he leaning too far forward to be believable?

 

 

 

(He started to tip in this one, so he'd be a little more upright normally)

 

 

I also think I've settled on a black metallic for the legs and what would normally be the steel parts you see on other titans. I think that might look really nice with the green marble on the armor.

 

I'm still working through what to do on my bases. Snow for sure, but I'll probably put some cork and rocks underneath for texture and snow drifts. I'm also trying to figure out what color to paint the base when it's visible under the snow as I plan on trying to 'weather' it. For example if I stick with this warhound pose I'd like to try and have the snow around the feet disturbed since in reality the titan probably would have moved it around, compacted it, or torn up the ground to a degree.

[Fajita Fan]

Just remember your scale - jagged rocks and broken ground on a titan base are small mountains and ravines so the smaller you make those details the better you sell the scale. Snow has no texture at this scale so you’re better off painting snow than using snow effects with visible grains.

 

Also yes, the Warhound looks like it’s tipping forward but then again I prefer having their legs in a moving stance personally. If Warhounds didn’t die so fast I’d have spent more time posing mine running.

[thewarriorhunter]

I did buy a handful of Epic landraiders and infantry and will be using those on my bases to help give a sense of scale. I'm was able to get plastic landraiders and those will be destroyed with infantry scattered around. I'm hoping to get a war-torn feel to the bases with that and possibly adding some impact craters here and there.

 

Your point about texture is valid. I bought some crushed glass to give a go with so I'll have to try it and see how it looks. My baking soda base has almost no texture and I think would work for scale if the glass is too large. I wanted to try the crushed glass because I can have more control over it to put it exactly where I want it.

[Mandragola]

That's a good start. I'd echo Fajita fan's point on scale - a rock on a titan's base is seriously big.

 

I do think the warhound you've mocked up is leaning too far forward. I like the aggressive body angle but I'd suggest keeping that, but changing the angles of the ankles and hips to keep the centre of mass nearer to the feet.

 

To take its next step the titan will have to bring its left leg forward. Right now it doesn't look like it has room to do that. It looks like the left hip is already falling, when it should be rising.

[thewarriorhunter]

So in my mind the titan is doing a hard pivot to the left. The right foot is planted and the left foot is being driven into the ground to launch itself in the direction the head is looking. I was even running around my living room trying to do the turn and picture how my body looked, lol. I'll keep playing around with it. I could probably make it stand a little straighter, especially after some glue. There was so much weight on the front that it was hard to keep it upright... maybe that's a sign that it was too far forward...

 

I appreciate the feedback!

[Fajita Fan]

If it’s pivoting how about lifting the other? Warhounds move like birds, that’d look cool. I was going to have one doing a hard pivot but if I don’t start painting it’ll never get done.

[thewarriorhunter]

I'm in the same boat. If I can't get a good pose in my next hobby session I'm scrapping it and going to 'normal' so I can keep moving forward with the project and start painting. Magnets are going in next session also.

[Fajita Fan]

I wish I had magnetized my waists and I messed up one of my Warlords standing on something. I don’t feel his weight would be properly supported the way I wanted him pivoting. :(

 

If you’re so inclined I would cut the left hip and rotate the leg forward so it’s stepping up. You can put a few bits of wall or something to have him crashing through it to support the weight if needed.

[Mendi Warrior]

Very nice start!

 

Regarding basing, don't forget about the various civitas imperialis bits, or the old Epic ruins if you have some, they can bring a nice sense of scale too (without especially going overboard).

 

Posing the legs of any titan can take time before you get the exact position you are looking for. I like the idea of a hard pivot. I did something a little bit similar, check the second Warhound here: http://www.bolterandchainsword.com/topic/350487-mendi-warriors-adeptus-titanicus-project-log/?p=5294088

 

All the weight is on the left leg, the body orientated to the left to give some balance.

 

The legs of the Warhound come with different angles between the upper and lower parts (basically the legs are more or less extended), also if you take one of them and look closely at the 4 protuberances inside of the top "ring", you'll see they are not oriented the same on the left and on the right of the same leg. Furthermore, if you cut a little bit of the extremities of pieces A1 and A2, you can play more freely with the leg's positioning, otherwise there are a couple of "pre-determined" orientations  (refer to steps 1 and 2 in the instructions).

 

Dry fit a lot, play with various positions until you like it, don't rush anything.

[thewarriorhunter]

Made good progress last night. Got some details done and am ready to start priming the structural pieces.

 

Barrels on the plasma and other gun are drilled. The vulcan megabolters and flamers are too small to drill out so those were left alone.

 

 

I also got the arms and weapons magnetized so I've got options.

 

 

 

 

And I decided that dramatic posing is out. I was getting frustrated with trying to make it work and want to get started with painting/basing. If I kept trying to make a unique pose work I'd be building for too long.

 

[Fajita Fan]

Magnetizing is worth the effort 

[thewarriorhunter]

Yes it is. I've gone so far as to magnetize the wrists of my marines so I can swap out weapons without doing the whole arm... I have a slight problem.

[Fajita Fan]

I would just buy more marines but these guys are too expensive for that. Besides how else can you run lists like all plasma or all melee without magnets :lol:

[Mendi Warrior]

Once you go magnets ...  Excellent progress!

[thewarriorhunter]

Warhound legs and bodies are primed. I want to get these done and based first so I can get closer to playing, even if it is with half painted models. For 40k I have ~1250 points of painted Raven Guard and Spectral Sicarii so I only play with painted models now, but for AT I'll make an exception until I get a maniple painted.

 

Reaver is being built but I'll go a little slower with that one because I want to pose the legs with some elevation difference.

 

Also, my hobby space has gotten a new inhabitant. My cat normally never jumps on my desk but ever since I got AT he's been sleeping up there so... I guess he approves?

 

[Mandragola]

Cool. Just FYI, you have your reaver's feet on the wrong sides in the image above. Check before gluing them. It looks like you do have the thighs the right way round though.

 

Reavers are notoriously easy to mess up. Their feet, thighs and shin armour looks like it fits on either side, but it doesn't. Loads of people have only realised this after they've painted it and stuck it together.

[Fajita Fan]

^ Good catch.

[thewarriorhunter]

It's possible, I was just throwing them on the mat to get a picture. Are you saying they're wrong left to right or front to back?

[Fajita Fan]

Left and right. The slope of the front toes should angle down towards the middle because his legs are splayed at the hip. If you reverse them you’ll have clearance issues with the shin plate. Just look at the GW website.

[splayedpaintbrush]

Also, my hobby space has gotten a new inhabitant. My cat normally never jumps on my desk but ever since I got AT he's been sleeping up there so... I guess he approves?

 

Keeping an eye on the 'hounds? ;)

[thewarriorhunter]

Possibly... he's tolerable of my lab... perhaps this is going too far?

 

I'm considering removing a few missiles from my apocalypse missile launchers to make it look as though some have been fired. Has anyone seen that in person? I'm not sure of the best way to go about it. I was thinking of either drilling out a few completely, I'm not sure if I could flatten and paint to hide since there is a recess that the missiles are in.