So I have been working witha FW kit for the last few days. Originally the Caestus Assault Ram was going to be done up for my Ultras but a friend convinced me to try to maintain momentum on the Space Wolves. So it has had some SW icons cast and affixed in order to give the vehicle the proper feel. Next to the Storm Eagle I converted, this thing looks like a brick but it has a design aesthetic that suits its rather blunt purpose.
Another FW kit has also been crying for attention (along with my Thunderbolt, Hellblade, several Eldar tanks and an Armorcast Revenant Scout Titan, and several other Nid models) has been this Hierophant biotitan. I purchased it through Kijiji and it was already painted and had seen the table top numerous times. The previous owner had not based the model, and I could not blame him. the footprint of this monster is huge and basing it as it appears in the FW website makes it useless for the table top. Due to being deployed like this however the legs were well bent from having to support such weight with such thin limbs. This was not an issue for me as I fully intend to redo the front and back feet (and they will be feet as something that big on points that tiny would sink with each step) as well as reposition the limbs. If all goes to plan then the biotitan's footprint will be much thinner and only three limbs will be in contact with the ground. I am hoping this will translate in to a more menacing appearance while maintaining the model's useability. After all I already have the two Hierodules painted, this puppy would just make the whole army look more imposing.
So I began disassembling the model meaning that I ripped it apart while damaging some of the more delicate components. I tried using a substance that is supposed to dissolved cyanocrylate but I lack patience and managed to get all of its limbs off using mindless physical force instead. The flesh hooks have all been removed and they will be re-done from scratch. There is a a small pair of claws on the underside of the biotitan's body. One has snapped off and I am planning to remove the other one. If I have the bits I will be adding a row of scything talons going from the Hive Tyrant size through to the size of a hormagaunt. It should make for an interesting row of bladed limbs on the beast's underside. Several of the smaller horns/claws (?) are also missing so I will need to sculpt replacements. A lot of work on this model but it will look great on the table top.
I have also started some planning on a games tables worth of terrain that will represent an Adeptus Mechanicus forgeworld. The idea is to construct all of the terrain using only card and foam core. Woods and water features will be represented by other terrain features (e.g. steam vents as obscuring cover). I have constructed most of a teleporter pad and a tower-like structure. As work progresses on any (all?) of these projects I will endeavour to make regular updates.
