Hector Cephas: Building an army in sub-assemblies

Hi all,

I'm wondering how many hobbyists build their models (big and small) in sub-assemblies to make painting their details easier. As you may have seen from my weekly update the week before last, I've been going through the process of building the plastic Skitarii kits for my Tech Thralls and Secutarii in sub-assemblies - the reason being I don't want to miss some of the detailing on the chests and also get the inside of the long coats right.

It's an interesting one as normally I'd only worry about it for characters like when I built and painted Tylos Rubio a last year as a mini hobby challenge - to be fair, that was an extreme example as it would have been more accurate to say I painted and built him as I painted everything individually before assembling - but I feel as these models are so detailed I think they deserve a bit more attention.

As I am planning on building and painting a lot of models in this fashion (100+) for this army alone, do you guys think this is the road to hobby madness or do you have some awesome hints or tips about painting hard to reach areas on a model that would otherwise still be visible on a model? I'll be interested in hearing about your experiences with painting in sub assemblies or whether you think it's overkill to do so and you have a good way around the problem!

Until next time!

Hector Cephas

Mechanicum - first 750 points

Hi all,

Long time, no see! I've been absent from the blog for a lot longer than I anticipated due to a huge slump in my hobby keen - have been in a bit of a hobby rut but when Ahmose pitched his Lords of War idea I figured it would be a great way to resurrect my keen.

I originally was going to do my Legio Custodes as my Lords of War project but with the others picking up new projects I decided that scrap my original plans and start something new too. Without any further a-do, here's my first 750 points:


HQ:

• Archmagos

Troops:

• Tech Thralls - 20
• Secutarii Hoplites - 20
• Secutarii Peltasts - 10

Very different to what my 750 points probably would have looked like for my Legio Custodes that's for sure! I can alternatively take a second squad of 20 tech thralls in the place of the Peltasts but as we only require a single troop for the first 750 points I figured I'd add a bit of variety into the mix.

As you will see as this army evolves, it's going to be fairly focused on bringing skitarii units (more of the above + Myrmidons) to the table rather than big automatons as I thought it would look pretty cool. Also, as you guys will see, I'm planning on converting the Games Workshop skitarii rangers/vanguard into tech thralls as I think it'll look pretty cool and they will match up nicely with the rest of the army.

What do you guys think? Do you guys think I'm a heretek or just plain mad focusing on the infantry and no big bad robots?

Until next time!

Hector Cephas

God Machines of the Titanicus Seminar - and Secutarii

Hallo everyone :)

Day two of the Horus Heresy Weekender 2016 has started - and so has the first seminar today - God Machines of the Titanicus. It's all about the Warlord Titan, from designing to rules and painting! The post will be updated through the seminar, so keep checking back :)

The seminar starts :)

First ever produced Warlord Titan - never for sale.

Metal ones. Not plastic. Also never went for sale.

First plastic ones - the "classic" Warlord.

First scratch built ones. Battle for Terra diorama.

The one that is out today - Mars Alpha pattern Warlord.

Legio Fureans

MECHANICUM SECUTARII!!

Were from Adeptus Titanicus era. Titan Guard pretty much. Designed to work with the Titan Legions. Name is deviation of shield bearers. Grenade launcher systems and can lay down chaff etc.

The Chaos Warlord is not being worked on yet. Expect 2 years.

Secutarii are in 40k and 30k!

They are not reviving epic! They are doing it as a new scale!

The seminar is over - what do you think about the new Titanguard? Are you excited for a new EPIC (although not 6mm)? Write us in the comments below!

regards,

Drake Seta, Lady Atia and all the other Battle Bunnies =)

King Fluff's New Year hobby resolutions

Well sort of...

Hi King Fluff here in a contemplative mood, reflecting on my hobby highlights of the year and looking forward in an attempt to order out some projects for completion.

As you know I joined the Battle Bunnies shortly after last years Horus Heresy Throne of Skulls. The event itself has to be a highlight of last year. I had a fantastic time but I have to admit that I was a little reticent at first as I'm very much not of the tournament ilk. That being said the event really did re-spark my interest and passion for 30K (not that it ever really went away but life can intervene). I took my Questoris Knight army of House Krask to the event (as it was the only 30K army that I had any chance of finishing painting before the event started). It was a great opportunity to motivate me to get stuff painted - and although they weren't 100% finished they were close enough not to embarrass myself with.

I also managed to squeeze in a rather big (9000pts per side) game at a local GW store, which although I lost (Phantom Titans are obscene lol) it was a great opportunity to game with some of the bigger models in my collection (it also prompted me to get my second Reaver Titan standing.

Obviously joining the Bunnies crew has been fantastic for me in motivating me on a weekly basis in order to show you guys what hobby has been floating my Heresy boat.

So what does 2016 hold for King Fluff...?

Of course my Night Lords will be an enduring part of 2016 for me, I want to work on more of the kits I've bought in the vein of an all flying Night Lords army but for now my focus will be on characters and walkers whilst finishing the infantry units I've already started.

I've now settled on my avatar character for the Battle Bunnies campaigns: Jared 'King Fluff' Dane, Praetor of the 5th 'The Painted' Harlots of Nostramo - his fluff will follow in the future but I have started to collect the parts to do him justice.

 I'll also be drip feeding in mechanicum units, looking at completing 250pts worth every month until I have amassed a decent sized force which could go toe to toe with a legion (or support one). I've really enjoyed painting the Graian mechanicum force and I hope to add in the plastic GW kits into that mix over the next year, I'm also hoping to throw in the odd conversion too along the way.

Titans...

They're a big part of my hobby and collection and I want to do more with them over this year, I have Reavers still sitting in boxes and I have an option on a pre-loved Warlord too. To this end I want to expand my force, adding another Reaver and a Warlord to the legios number and also adding in Titan Legion Skitarri and possibly a Triaros.

2016 is also the year of INFERNO!!! and I am so pumped for the return (or release) of the story of Prospero. I am poised to dive into the Thousand Sons again, I'm starting with Betrayal at Calth and making the set up into a 10 man tactical, 10 man heavy support (missile launchers) and 10 man tactical support squad (flamers) - I'm unsure of what my HQ choice will be as yet (and probably won't come from the BaC box). What I am intending is to add a sub-orbital attack wing consisting of Doomwings (or infact a converted version of the Xiphon interceptor). I made a Doomwing some time ago when the Valkyrie kit was released - I feel now is the perfect time to update it and cross my fingers that the Doomwing doesn't get an official model before I finish mine (which I call the King Fluff Curse).

I also have a few background projects (namely Space Wolves and Imperial Fists) which I will be dipping in and out of...

But the biggest of these will undoubtedly be getting my gaming table painted and ready for battles on. It's a custom built table with multiple tiers to game on. It houses my 6x4 Zone Mortalis, my three (undecided) Realm of Battle table tops, my 6x4 Forge World city tiles and a 6x4 custom printed Battlefleet Gothic gaming surface.

And so that's about it....

Well nearly...

As you may have seen in previous posts, 2016 is the year of the Xenos and it most certainly will be but not the kind you can buy from a store.

My lips are sealed.

But keep your eyes on the blog.

All will become clear in the next few months.

For now I bid you all good evening and leave you with this thought;

The song Ironic by Alanis Morissette contains many situations that are unfortunate rather than ironic, thus it is not ironic but in doing so it makes the song ironic.

Your ear worm for this evening....

KF    

Sons of Nostramo #5

Good morning Bunnies.

This week has been a bit like hobby pick and mix for me, working on various projects. You may have seen my titan blog earlier this week but I've also been working on my Legion forces. The Night Lords have come on a little this week with the addition of a bit of paint on the panels of the castellax.

I decided that for the castellax I would use a traditional colour scheme for the Forgeworld of Graia that being said Games Workshop have published a guide for this colour scheme in some of the painting guides for the Skitarri and for the Mechanicum traditionally the colour scheme is a barbaric reference to Graia's past and it's war like nature therefore the colour scheme tends to be black and bone. I thought this colour scheme would be ideal to complement my Night Lords as the dark nature of the armour of the legion would work very well with the dark armour on the castellax also.

The metal of the head unit and the muzzle of the bolt cannon were done using Runelord Brass and then washed in Agrax Earthshade. I will dry brush this again with Runelord Brass and perhaps a silver.

The black, has been relatively easy to do so far simply layering up Abaddon black over the basemetal colour and leaving areas as raw metal for slight hints of weathering.

Next up is the bone colour on the lower torso and legs (I'm still unsure as to whether to go bone on the lower pad attached to the arm as it would fit the colour scheme but other castellax I've seen have this section as bare metal). I'll start with a base of Rakarth flesh, wash with Agrellan Earth, another Rakarth, then build up the highlights with a mix of Rakarth and Pallid Wytch Flesh, and a bit of white at the very end.

Once these are completed it'll be a case of gloss coating and adding the transfers - I've stockpiled a lot of Mechanicum transfers in order to deck these guys out with symbols.

Then it'll be onto basing. I'm going to base these differently to the Night Lords, as a way of making the separate but also as a way of allowing them to fit into a future Mechanicum army.

With only a couple of weeks left until the Xmas Battle Bunnies meet up its time for me to ramp up progress.

This week I intend to get an imperial knight finished with transfers ready to lay waste to the followers of the false emperor.

Stay safe.
KF