However, I have been trying to get my Mechanicus REALLY off the ground. It's kind of weird trying to build an army from 2 codexes like this. I hope they do unite the books- but who knows? Anyway, I have a tournament coming up and I'm trying to finish some stuff so that I'll be able to build a strong, versatile list. Plus, I'm loving this army, so...
So first up- yes, as the title says, I have just finished my second knight. You may have seen my first Imperial Knight completed in March 2014 (was it really that long ago? Time flies here in the Warp I suppose). That Knight was named Veritas (Latin for "Truth"). I even made a history for him which you can read HERE. The thing is I never thought I'd get another Knight. I imagined Veritas to be a "Freeblade", and my whole story was that he was the last Knight of his House. So- what the heck happened?!
Well, a few things. First, the new Knight Codex makes it possible to take several Knight formations and detachments. Ideally, one would like to do the Oathsworn Detachment- where you could take up to 3 (The Household Detachment is also possible in that case, though I can't imagine going to the full 5 Knights). Second, since I have introduced my friend Brian to the game, he has played with the my Knight Veritas more than I have. He was talking about fielding 2 (for Oathsworn) possibly. That of course got me thinking. Third, my Mechanicus force is growing nicely. Having a Knight or two to compliment my new army makes sense both play-wise and fluff-wise. And lastly- I'm freaking weak. There. I said it. I love the new Knight options, particularly the Thunderstrike Gauntlet.
So, I caved in and bought a new one (again, so weak). I assembled my second Knight on the morning of December 31, and I made him a Knight Warden with the Avenger Gatling Gun, the Gauntlet, and the missile pod. This time, I actually tried to have the arms move- they both move fairly well actually, and I'm not afraid of them breaking. Whew.
At any rate, I have spent the better part of January painting him, alongside my Kastellan Robots and something else (which I'll show in a bit). I finished him on January 30th. It was a lot of fun to paint, like the last one. I really love the model- it just seems to tower over things and has a great look to it. On this one, the Gauntlet just makes the thing look bad-ass. I like how the Warden looks like an jazzed up terminator.
The armor plates are my now standard Stegadon Scale Green, with Thunderhawk Blue in spots, all with Russ Grey edge highlights. The metal trim I did Balthazar Gold basecoat with Copper layered over it generously. It gives it a metallic luster in the light, but it doesn't overwhelm the model. The metal joints, back, etc. I did very simply- Leadblecher with Nuln Oil all over, with certain areas highlighted in Leadbelcher or Ironbreaker. I also dabbed on some Earthshade, just to make it look a little dirty.
Three things make this Knight stand out from Veritas, my previous Knight. First, the missile pod. I decided to paint the missiles red (Khorne and Evil Sunz over it). This makes the missiles stand out, and the red really pops on the otherwise dark model.
Second, the faceplate. I decided to do the mechanicus skull faceplate. Now, I couldn't do it Mechanicus style red (as my Mechanicus are Stegadon Green). Nor did I want to do it Stegadon, as I felt that wouldn't stand out. So, instead, I decided on a bright white, with a little Nuln Oil in the recesses. The face really draws your attention to the model (though I made sure I used white transfer decals, so the face isn't the ONLY white thing on the model).
Finally, I decided to do the banner Sunset Yellow. I wanted something that would stand out, but not too much. The yellow is "close" to the cream color of one of the skull decals. Also, I used yellow for some of the wires. Again, the eyes are drawn to the white skull, but as your eyes move over the model, the red missiles and yellow banner give the piece some variety. After all, Knights are supposed to be somewhat individualistic and they are well-cared for- so they would look cleaner and brighter perhaps than your standard Imperial tanks or the like.
For the transfers, I used Mechanicus symbols to tie this Knight in MORE with my Mechanicus. On Veritas, I deliberately DIDN'T use the cog symbols, as I made him a Freeblade (and I had no idea that a Mechanicus army was coming, let alone that I'd get such an army). THIS Knight would be clearly Mechanicus. However, I kept the skull and reaper motif going (the reaper decals are from Imperial Guard tanks), as this would tie the 2 Knights together if I ever fielded both.
So- what about this Knight's background? Well, that is another story for another time. Perhaps. However, I can tell you that his name is Vindicta (again, from the Latin "Vindictae", which means "Revenge"). This name enabled me to keep the "V" and Latin-esque motifs going, again tying both my Knights together.
So, that's my Knight. I do have another something to show you, my fellow denizens of the 40K universe. One of the things that I envisioned as I worked on my Mechanicus is how they would work with my Knight (Veritas at first, but now I've got 2 Knights to consider). One of the ideas that took root in my mind was this: I could just see a bunch of Sydonian Dragoons with their lances, standing at the side of the Imperial Knight. They are his allies on the battlefield (Knights, lances- all so medieval). If danger approaches the Knight, the Dragoons would charge in. The Knight would fire to weaken the foe, while the Dragoons race in to finish the job up close.
As it turns out, I have discovered that the Dragoons actually pack quite a punch. They are cheap, fast (can move and charge 3 extra inches because of their Dunestrider rule), have extra protection (Incense gives 5+ cover), and finally, they have a great weapon. The Taser Lance can be brutal against the right opponents. On the charge, their initiative doubles AND they gain 3 to their strength. They can hit REALLY hard under the right circumstances.
Supported by the Knight (and perhaps, the Kastellan Robots or the Kataphron Destroyers), the Dragoons would make a very fast and hard-hitting force on the battlefield. Against a squad of Terminators or Land Raiders they aren't much. But against regular troops (even Space Marines) and lighter vehicles, they are formidable. Against single characters the Dragoons are also effective- with their higher initiative and strength on the charge, they *could kill a character (as long as he has no or a strong retinue to hide behind).
So, I have completed 3 Dragoons to escort my Knight onto the battlefield. My first one (completed over the summer of 2015) has his lance up, as if contemplating or about to issue the command for the charge. The other 2 (completed along with the Knight this month) I have with their lances down, as if preparing to follow the order to charge the foe.
The model is quite nice, though it can be a bit of a challenge to put together correctly (the darn legs have to be "just so" in order to stand properly). I actually have one more to put together (which would make 4 for me). Theoretically, a squad could have up to six. I may stop at 4. However, I would like some Ironstriders to compliment them- so I may have to buy a few more... Oh. Ignore that sound. That's just my wife saying "You NEED what?! Don't you have enough to paint...?". LOL
Anyways, I must get back to the manufactorum. I've got a few more Mechanicus pieces to finish up. I also want to do Skarbrand. I also have some Ultramarine pieces that I need to paint for Brian (though it's technically for me). Whew- perhaps my wife is right? Do I really have too much? Nah...
Until Next Time...
Fantastic work on the whole lot. And as for having too much ... NEVER :)
ReplyDeleteYeah- my wife is tough to convince though.
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