Project: Reaver Titan (4)

Part 4: Leg construction.
There are a million points of articulation on the Reaver's legs - making it quite tricky to hold all the bits in position long enough to get some glue on!

Dry build, laying the major leg bits out on the bench so I can get an idea of how big it is - and how it will fit onto the base.

Left leg as seen from rear. I decided to keep this leg fairly straight with only a little bend at the knee.

Leg construction almost complete, view from the front. There are FIFTY bits all glued together in this shot (with still more leg bits to come before this stage is complete) ...and of course my fingers are covered in glue!

I placed a blob of spak-filler within the pelvis to help keep the legs in place, although there are pistons which reinforce the joint I wanted a little extra support while adjusting position. Spak-filler was also applied under the left foot so that it had a solid point of contact with the knobbly base (rather than being perched up on the tips of rocks it now rests flatly on a little plateau which cannot be seen - adding a LOT of stability). The right foot sits flatly on the roof of the wrecked Chaos Rhino so only a little glue is needed - although I may drill and pin this in the future if it comes loose.

Spak-filler was also used to plug up gaps in the craters so they will hold a little more Water Effect when added much later in the project. I found the gaps simply by filling the craters up with water and watching where it ran out... :)

Project: Reaver Titan (3)

Project Reaver III: The Washening
How did you spend your Saturday night? I stayed in and scrubbed all the resin parts of my Reaver Titan... there are many many more bits than expected, even after going through them when the big box first arrived. Scrubbing every one of the components with a toothbrush has given me an intimate understanding of the kit!

The largest piece of flash is found on the rear of the Turbo-laser (resting on my pinky finger in this shot). This badboy is going to need to be cut off with the unfortunately named Bone Saw hobby tool.

Upon initial inspection I was concerned by the confusing block of flash attached to the Laser Destructor's capacitor. Consulting the construction guide the distinction between flash and pipe can be determined.

In the sink; all the many leg bits

The upper leg bits suggest Victorian/Steampunk gun turrets when resting out of context

The Moderatus Princeps does not seemed pleased with his soaking. He is accompanied by the superbly detailed Tech Priest and various optional decorative bits.

Shoulders, Armour plates and Internals; including the rather disturbing installed servitors
(there's another one in the roof under the carapace weapon mount)

Scrubbing the carapace. The murkiness of the water convinces me all this scrubbing is doing something good.


As promised in an earlier post; the size comparison of Reaver head to Rhino tank - almost the same!

My reward for an hour or so slaving over the kitchen sink; a restorative dram of Highland Park *grin*. Sadly this finished the bottle - although gave the perfect excuse for opening my waiting bottle of Glenmorangie.

(40k) Battle of the Receeding Inundation

On the last Friday of January we journeyed to Matthew's house for a 2000 point 40k game. Justin and I shared command of a Chaos Space Marines Force while Matthew and Allan unleashed a motorised Ork waaagh. Matthew set up a rather nice urban board using a laminated Cities of Death map to which we added a few buildings.

For our first match of the evening we consulted the Battle Missions book and rolled dice; the result came up as an Ork Blitzkrieg. In this mission three objective markers are placed on a diagonal axis across the table and only Fast Attack can deploy - everything else is in reserve.

The first few turns clicked over quickly as not much was coming from reserve - and when it did arrive the only option was to march onto the table and twiddle thumbs (or claws... or tentacles...) as the enemy were distant. We did manage to get into some carnage in the last few turns as the looming Ork tide reached the center of the table and engaged the scattering of Chaos stuff.

Matthew, Troy and Allan discuss Battle Missions, Terrain and Painting while Justin is on cameraman duty.


Justin's World Eaters Chaos Dreadnought plows into some Ork Boyz while their Looted Land Raider Battlewagon manoeuvres into a position to scoop them back up if they survive.


Nurgley Defiler (proxied with a Soulgrinder) and Khorne Bezerkers charge into Ghazghkull Thraka and his bodyguard of squishy Ork Boyz... meanwhile an unpainted Typhus lurks on the edge of screen.


Endgame: Orks hold two objectives, Chaos holds zero - Ork Victory!

...

For our second game of the night we decided to leave the terrain as it was so that we could get another battle started quickly. Having played with objective markers in our first battle we decided that this game should use kill points... with a shot of Vodka for every point earned!!!


Chaos deploys in a clump around a solid building to break line of sight with our crazy Dreadnought and maintain concentration of force while Orks choose a more balanced deployment allowing more options. I seem to be simultaneously stroking my beard and measuring march distance for Typhus.

Justin's Dreadnought charges maniacally into Ghazghkull Thraka and his entourage while my Nurgley elements cough and wheeze trying to keep up. Vodka shots all round!

Khornate Chaos Terminators step through the warp to arrive directly in the midst of the Ork lines. From here they threaten Allan's Looted Basilisk Wagon (even with an unfinished paint job it looks great).

From beyond a Vodka-fuelled haze I am reliably informed that Chaos won with 7 kill points vs Orks with 4 kill points. Chaos Victory!

...

Next month we are making the long trek to Justin's to play in his shed, now with power. I have challenged Marc to a 1000 point battle on the baby table while Matthew, Allan and Justin will play on the big boys table with 2000 points. Well, that's the plan assuming everyone can make it!