Aftermarket Upgrade

Okay, I probably spent way too much time on this next part, but it's funny and weird.

BEHOLD! The Corvus Assault Head:

Wait for it.....

"Blllleeee----"

"-----eeeeeecccchhhhh!"

".... gah?"

"...."

*thunk* "burp!"

Cry Me a Rivet

I got some helpful feedback from a buddy over on the Warseer* forum, with a recommendation to add riveted plates at each junction of the yellow curved beams. Otherwise it looks like I just glued a bunch of sprues together, which is more or less accurate.

Another thought born from that discussion is the idea of upgrading it to an assault head. Literally, a ramp that shoots out of a titan's face and disgorges chaos troops to assault whatever happens to stand in the titan's path.

So now I want to build one of those for sheer awesomeness. That said, the assault head may have only been an upgrade for chaos warlord titans, and not emperor titans. But I can't say for certain.

I've been spending so much time with this project that I've been having dreams where I'm working on it....

I'm glad my family puts up with me and these projects. It keeps me sane.

Hopeful Fail...ful?

Some more progress today. Green-stuff for the head and armor plates on the chest.  

Tentacles bursting out of the top of the titan's head. There's a tyranid bit hiding in there.

The armor plates will look better once painted. There's weathering that doesn't quite show up here.

Tentacles and boils on the left side of the head.

Should I get rid of this hose?

Journey

More work on the emperor titan's head this week.

This part has been a source of much frustration for a while now. I built it to be modular, for ease of transport and storage. The head/torso chunk is the heaviest and largest module. It is difficult to get into a position where I'm comfortable working on it for extended periods of time.

Sometimes it feels like wrestling a monstrous peanut.
 

The core of that issue wasn't really a question of ergonomics. It was more about project burnout, and the real-life difficulties we all face. In short, I wasn't having fun.

 I'm happy to feel enthusiasm for this work again. That scratch-builder's block is gone. I want to finish this thing. Not just for the end result, but for the journey.

Anyway, I've done some head and torso work. The most important thing I hit on was adding armor like the Forgeworld titans, to cover and replace the ramshackle armor shingles from before.

I'm getting supplies today. Sculpting epoxy coming in the mail, and maybe a stop by the hobby shop to pick up some styrene strips and rods for detail work.

Head Games

Having blocked out the primary colors on the plasma annihilator, I decided to take a look at the titan's head and start work there.

These first pics show the state of the head yesterday, before renovations. It's kind of weird and I was never too happy with it. Some kind of banner that looks like a beard, some rivets, an eye...

Drawing inspiration from Forgeworld's recent knight and titan heads, I started building up a frame around the features for armor plates.

This way the broken plates will reveal some of the corruption behind the helmet in a less heavy-handed way.

I'll have an odd number of "eyes," either staying with the one optic lens (similar to the blight drone), or going up to three.

Fight or Fright: The Musical

These post titles make no sense. For some reason this is the hardest place to talk about what I'm working on. Since the new work (as of 2016) on the titan project, I've made a point to  cross-post here, Warseer, and the Heresy 30K forums.

Warseer is where this project started, and I was surprised when I saw the date of the first post, 7-22-2009. That feels like a lifetime ago.

So yeah, it all started on the Warseer project logs. It was a great community, and I was sad to watch myself fall away. Since the new work, I'm surprised that some of the old guard are still there, quick to offer feedback. Strangers Friends I will likely never meet in person, scattered throughout the world. Such a strange feeling.

I have also included the Heresy 30K forum in my triad of cross-posting sites. These are guys that play a different game, and the community there is a strange beast. It's a closed forum, as in you can't even see the posts without registering an account. I don't really understand that.

The Heresy 30K community is a tight-nit and very supportive crowd, drawn together by their love of a cool story, balanced game, and amazing miniatures. The whole lot of them are so pumped up. I love their energy.

These cross-posts are taking on a life of their own. The pictures I post are the same in all three places, but the language I use is becoming specific to each community.

I post here for myself. I need a place to reflect on all this. It's a neutral locale for what I hope is honesty.

Indescribable Adjectives of Nountown

Painting progress on the plasma annihilator is coming along.

My world has changed so much since the start of this project. I have kids. Responsibilities. Adult things. So much time has passed since then and now, I feel like I'm collaborating with a ghost. An echo of the past.

Who am I building this for? The game, Warhammer 40k, has gone through several iterations. Our gaming clubs have waxed and waned like the tides. People move away, grow up, change. The Internet community feels like it's changed as well. Maybe less cohesive? Still as indignant, indulgent, and insulated though. Like any other interest group, I would think.

I may be building this just for myself. To fulfill my end of a bargain against an implacable adversary. And as a courtesy to those who have provided support and encouragement through the years.

My life has been molded into such a strange state. Through triumphs and (literally) crippling trials, something new emerged. Maybe hope? It pushes forward, one small step at a time. I, drowning, grab that line and hold on for dear sweet life. 

Thank you, for being what you are. I hang on because you hang on. Though I've thrown in the towel many times, you stand your ground. Push or pull me up again. One. Step. Two. Step. Thr---