Fun with magnets - Leman Russ

With the Hydras off the table I'm back on the Leman Russ, and questioning whether I went a bit overboard on the magnetizing. The kit is a Demolisher so has options for a siege cannon or gatling cannon with an ammo compartment, or a plasma cannon with a energy coil. Magnetizing these and the hull weapon options is straightforward and allows for easy load out.

The Leman Russ has an option for side sponsons, and I used magnets inside the track space and in the sponsons so these could also be swapped out. 

The only problem is going to be matching the camouflage. I've tried to mark on the sponson the points that the wavy camouflage line starts and ends, and then add masking of about the same shape as the pattern on the hull.

After spraying a few coats of buff on the top part of the sponson, and removing the masking tape and putty it looks as though this will work. Next steps adding the silver grey line and then on to weathering.

Completing the Hydras

Following on from the previous work in progress the Hydras got washed with a filter coat of Soft Tone diluted with Army Painter wash medium. This was the first time I'd tried the medium and while the wash was less runny and much more controllable than with water, I was adding less medium than I was previously adding water so the colour was stronger - it could perhaps have used more dilution.  The tracks and guns got a similar wash but with Strong Tone.

After the wash was dry I applied a mix of Vallejo ochre pigment and fixer. This slurry was adding to the crevices of the tracks and anywhere that looked like to might pick up dirt and sand.I may have gone a bit overboard with this, and subsequently removed excess. As an aside the camera (which is on my wife's Samsung J5 phone) is merciless. The progress photo shows fibers from the cotton bud / Q-tip I was using to remove pigment (along with every other flaw and blemish).

I worked around the models cleaning up missed bits and errors. Added some soot blackening to the engine deck, and side vents (or whatever they are), and gun barrels. I also realized that I'd neglected the skull and scroll on the sides... which is of course what you want to notice after you've just done the weathering. Some bone paint, amateurish calligraphy, another wash, and varnish later; two Sand Scorpion Hydras ready to smite the Emperor's flying enemies.

Now, back to that Leman Russ...

Work in progress - Hydra Flak Tanks

While the Leman Russ was drying between sprays I decided to pull a couple of other models out of storage and work on them in rotation. (The KV2 turret to the left there is getting basecoated for my wife's Soviet Konflikt '47 force...)

Back when I started building this army GW hadn't released a model for the Hydra Flak Tank, and various conversion suggestions were floating around, the simplest of which involved a Chimera body without the roof and the quad gun from the Aegis Defence Line kit.

Mounting the quad guns is very simple as their base is designed to go into a turret socket the same size as several other GW models, and if you've any Rhinos then there are left over Razorback top plates. These were fixed to the exposed back deck of the Chimera, magnets attached to the guns and inside the mounting rings and some plasticard used to cover joins and build a simple rear to the deck.

The plan is to paint these up in stylised camouflage similar to that seen on mobile artillery serving with the British 8th Army in North Africa; I'd seen a scheme on an M7 Priest that I'd liked.

(Image from Tank Encyclopedia)

The vehicles were already undercoated with Flames of War "British Armour" spray paint (dating before I had an airbrush), so pulling them from storage I basecoated with VMC Buff and then added masking tape which I'd cut down the middle in a wavy line. The top section was sprayed with VMA Khaki Green No.3 (the dark colour in the Taurox's Caunter scheme) and the bottom section with VMA Black Green RLM70 (which seemed about right and was available).

Some touch ups were needed - I hadn't managed to mask the uneven surface detail perfectly, and "Sand Scorpion" unit markings added. (The small red/white number decals are from a Warlord Universal Carrier kit.) Tracks were still on sprue and had been undercoated black. These were basecoated with Vallejo Panzer Aces "Track Primer", roughly washed with some VMA Radome Tan and then drybrushed with VMC Oily Steel.

At this point I've added some chipping using VGC Charred Brown, and am much happier with the result using this colour than with the Black Grey I'd tried on the Taurox.

On to weathering and dirtying up...

Work in progress - Leman Russ

With the Taurox finished I pulled another previously started and abandoned vehicle from a box.

The Leman Russ had been previously base coated in middlestone and as I want to keep to a small primary palette so that the army looks cohesive I had a look around for a camouflage pattern that could use that colour. While looking at Desert Rats I'd come across Lt. Smash's excellent Sherman build article and decided to use the pattern described there as a basis for this tank.

The original historical image shows a Sherman at El Alamein in a two-tone wavy pattern with the colours separated by a thin lighter line.

I wanted a somewhat more regular pattern - my preference is for the Imperial Guard use a rather stylized camouflage, to give the idea of camouflage rather than a faithful recreation.

As the model was already primed, and based coated in the darker colour I masked off the lower section using curves made from Blu-Tack (sticky tack / poster putty) plus masking tape and airbrushed the upper sections Buff.

Once dry and the masking removed a freehand line was painted between the sections in Light Green Blue (which is the same silvery grey colour I'm using as part of the Caunter pattern on the Taurox). It still needs further clean up / touch up, but I think it's getting there.

Painting procrastination

Procrastination. noun. Putting off the things you're supposed to be doing by doing something else entirely.

Oh, I tell myself I'm actually doing research, reviewing image after image of British western desert 8th Army camouflage, or that I'm planning, trying to work out a system for basing 30YW figures that will work equally well for Pike & Shotte and Field of Glory, or that I'm learning, viewing videos on weathering techniques, but what I'm really doing is putting off making up the figures for Bolt Action or basing the Swedish army of Gustavus Adolphus or painting an Imperial Guard army.

Part of it involves unrealistic expectations. While the kit remains in the box it could end up looking as good as the box art, until the figure is painted it might be a masterpiece, so I've tended towards analysis paralysis, and doing nothing, instead of setting reasonable expectations and then being satisfied with reasonable results, and what's more, learning from those results so that the next result is a little better.

So, this is an attempt at self-motivation, keeping expectations under control, getting some projects to the work bench, and actually painting and finishing some figures and models.

Cadian 287th Armoured "Sand Scorpions"

What kicked some of this off is that I finally hauled out some 40K Imperial Guard models that got as far as undercoating and managed to finish one; the idea was for a colour and camouflage scheme inspired by the British 8th Army of WWII, the famous "Desert Rats".

The first vehicle for the 287th Cadian Armoured "Sand Scorpions" is a modified Taurox using the Longhorn 6x6 Wheel Conversion Kit from Blood and Skulls Industry, which I think makes it into a rather nicer looking and less goofy vehicle.

 It's painted in the Caunter camouflage scheme and intended to carry a rather wild and unkempt looking veteran squad (who are partially complete).

Main areas of the vehicle were airbrushed with Vallejo model colour and model air paints, with Army Painter soft and strong tone washes. My initial attempt at "chipping" using a sponge was only semi-successful and some of the worst areas were reworked later.

Tamiya sand and soot also got tried, along with some Vallejo pigment, and a touch of Army Painter rust effects paint on the exhausts.

Decals were kept to a minimum, with a unit badge on one side, and small numbers on the other side and back.  In review I think this was a bit light and I'll look at adding more lettering on future vehicles. The left side shows the Sand Scorpions badge, (made by Forge World, for their Red Scorpion marines), that I'm using as intentionally echoing the red and white jerboa of the 7th Armoured.

This is the very first vehicle that I've tried weathering, and it's been a good learning experience. I can see all the places it hasn't gone quite to plan (particularly some pooling of wash that's left unintended stains) but I'm pretty happy with it as a first attempt.

It's also given me a reference point for the next models, and something to aspire to improve upon. One vehicle down, about a dozen to go... for this army.