Acastus Knight Porphyrion 'Siegebreaker'

Siegebreaker Walks!

House Raven Knight designation: Siegebreaker.  Engage locomotors..

I completed my House Raven Acastus Knight Porphyrion 'Siegebreaker' at the weekend and I'm really happy with how he turned out.  It was a nice kit to work on although I did have to replace some of the elements which I wasn't too keen on (see my previous post for more detail).

I tried to keep Siegebreaker close to the original House Raven Questoris colour scheme as I have a real soft spot for the yellow chevrons and red armour plating.  As House Raven famously work closely with my Titan Legion Metalica, I've tried to make sure that they complement each other.  The large metal skull on the rim of the carapace is a nod towards Metalica's Iron skull symbol.

From the side, you can see the kill markings on the black / red armour plating typical of House Raven Knights

Another common feature of House Raven and the Mechanicum in general is the black and white helmet, which also helps tie in with the Legio Metalica colour scheme as well

You can see in the re-levelled gun barrels from the side.  I much prefer this to the staggered layout.  I went all in on the heat staining as well - I normally keep it more subtle, but the length of the barrels just demanded more!

The reactor housing on the Knight is just visible through the additional rear plating.  There's a reason these machines are incredibly hard to bring down...

In this image, you can better see the protruding head and reworked carapace railings.  I like that the head is smaller and less integrated than the original version.  It makes him look even stockier

Proudly displaying the House Raven colours!

The maker's stamp is just visible between the hatch hinges

A top view of the carapace which took longer than any other surface to paint because of the chevron pattern.  I started seeing black and yellow stripes in my sleep...

A nice view of the rocket hatch open.

You get a better idea of how much larger and bulkier an Acastus chassis is when stood next to a Questoris Knight!

And finally, a picture of Siegebreaker and Quake Hydra together as I don't think I've ever seen the two kits compared before.  The two Acastus variants look very different - the Asterius is wider with a more rounded silhouette whereas the Porphyrion is blockier and more static like a siege engine

I'm glad to have finished another kit on my list - next on the table is Excidium Rex, my second Warhound Titan who just needs finishing touches.  After that... more House Raven Knights!

What's that coming over the hill? A Porphyrion.

Stupid Virus...

I decided that I would take a break from working on The Court of the Fisher King.   With the current lockdown in the UK due to the Corona Virus outbreak, my planned Warhammer World exhibition has been postponed reducing the the urgency to complete the Court.

The other big driving force for me was the Titan Owner's Club Walk 2020 in June which has also sadly been postponed for the same reason.  I have decided that this is an opportunity rather than a curse in a bid to stay positive in these trying times!  As the Walk has been pushed back, I now have more time to add to my force before it's rescheduled - yay!

House Raven Bolstered

Even naked, he looks like a bruiser...

First up on the table is a Porphyrion.  I had reservations about this guy for some time as I wasn't a fan of the original gorget nor the staggered gun barrels on the arms.  I know other people love this model as it is, but I felt I had to alter them to fit my particular sensibilities!

Having worked on and fallen in love with the Asterius kit (which as an Acastus knight, shares many of the components with its forerunner the Porphyrion), I decided that simply ignoring a great model because of a few niggles was silly.

When I start a project like this one, I first sit down with the components and decide whether there's anything I have to replace or alter prior to starting the build.  In this case, I was lucky that the head and gorget could be left off as they aren't integrated into the chest.

I quite liked the look of the huge body with a regular Questoris knight head as it makes him look extremely bulky - a bit like the incredible hulk of knights!  In order to fill the larger neck cavity, I also used the Questoris knight armour cowl - this also gave the head a legitimate pivot point. 

Adding the new head did leave a large gap where the gorget used to be, but that was easily filled with putty to create a new armour section under the chin.

I assembled the rest of the hull and legs normally with the exception of the railings on the carapace.  I found that they were very thin and prone to both warping and snapping.  In order to avoid this, I simply built new rails from styrene dowel and tubing which allowed me to make the bars a little chunkier and less likely to snap off.

I left the missile launcher compartment separate as I wanted to be able to open and close it on the final miniature.  I assembled the launcher with the pneumatic struts in a position where they could hold it open while still popping back inside when I wanted the carapace closed.

I sprayed all of the components silver and started painting the armour plating for the legs.  I went for a really nice clean look as it was a nice contrast to my filthy Asterius!

I decided to paint most of his armour plating separately prior to the final assembly

I am keeping the scheme as close to the traditional House Raven colours as possible

I'm currently working on a block to even the magna lascannon barrel length.  In my opinion, this will look much more satisfying than the original staggered layout.  I guess we'll have to see once it's finished!

In other news, I am also looking to finish 5 other Questoris class House Raven knights in advance of the walk.  If I get time, I may also add in a couple more Cerastus knights to bolster my forces, but I need to finish the paint work on Excidium Rex (my second Warhound) as I can't take him to the walk only partially finished again - I'd be disgraced!!

So, my 2020 Walk progress looks like this so far:

Venator Light Titan Maniple:

Reaver Titan - 100% complete

Warhound Titan - 100% complete

Warhound Titan - 90% complete

Acastus Knight banner:

Asterius - 100% complete

Porphyrion - 50% complete

Cerastus Knight Banner:

Lancer - 100% complete

Lancer - 100% complete

Lancer - 0% complete (Optional)

Acheron - 0% complete (Optional)

Questoris Knight Banner:

Knight Errant - 100% complete

Knight Paladin - 50% complete

Knight Gallant - 50% complete

Knight Crusader - 50% complete

Knight Warden - 50% complete

Knight Preceptor - 50% complete

I'll post my progress in the coming days - fingers crossed, I'll have two completed Knight houses by the end of the lockdown!

I hope you all stay safe, positive and hobby productive!  See you on the flip-side!

Quake Hydra Rising

Quake Hydra - Fist of the King

I've finally completed my Acastus Knight Asterius and I'm very pleased with how he turned out.  It was an absolute monster of a kit to build with the additional headache of water effects on the base!

He's Big, he's mean and he likes long patrols along the shoreline.

Early on I decided to show evidence of underwater beasts which the Fisher King's Knights keep in check.  The tentacles were a great way of suggesting a threat while not encroaching too much into the overall scene.  I was very pleased with the overall composition as Quake Hydra is still very much the focal point! 

The 'lasered' tentacle and guard rail make me smile every time I look at them!

The Karacnos Mortar battery compartment still opens and closes exposing its deadly payload!

Just like his 'smaller' brethren, Quake Hydra is studded with extra details like the shoulder tow cable and numerous carapace lamps for his inevitable underwater forays.

Tools and other equipment are stowed away on the back of the Knight.

I like the separation between sandy beach and industrial elements - it's a theme I have incorporated into all of the Knights in the Court of the Fisher King

From the top down, you can see the heavily weathered carapace with little details such as the directional arrows on the Karacnos compartment and additional air vent

Another common theme for my Knights along with lamps are the additional bar grips and flywheels which you tend to find on submarines and boats

Even the Karacnos compartment is heavily weathered 

I painted the mortar battery with metallic red to make them stand out from the contrasting blue/green of the hull

I have added lugs and handles which allow the Knight's pilot to climb up the right leg to enter or maintain the Knight armour.  It may seem like a trivial additional, but it's practical and adds an extra element of realism

I decided to replace the standard secondary weapons of this Knight with Armiger conversion beam cannons.  I did this because it looks awesome!

I like to add different types of grass to the shoreline to simulate an exposed and dry shoreline where only hardy plants survive

Adding a ladder which from the platform into the water is another little nod to the fact that human beings have to live on this planet and they don't all have access to Knight suits!

The transparent resin was a very nerve wracking part of the build; thankfully it all worked out perfectly!  It does however weigh a ton...

I left the cowling off the conversion beam cannons as I liked the archaic brass mechanisms too much to cover them up! 

You can just see the damp seaweed hanging from parts of the Knight.  This was made with a very fine green cotton wool which was set with transparent medium.

Prepare to be converted.  Into your constituent atoms.  Heretic.

The familiar green, blue and white striped armour design common across the court was used on Quake Hydra

Oh hello there; could you please direct me to the library?

The severed tentacle has bubbled flesh where it was 'lasered to death'

The melted guard rail shows just why you shouldn't play with conversion beams.  Fluorescent paints were used to make the rail look like it's been super-heated

Soggy and disgusting.  Must be xenos scum!

The Court grows!  Another 4 knights are coming soon...

The Knight Scion Project

I love to add depth to my projects and I decided that a good way of doing this was to actually create the pilots (Knight Scions) for each of my Knights.

So far I have only finished two, but I'm really happy with the character of each one - my aim is to make each one a unique and interesting miniature in their own right.

Marcus Harnen; pilot of Quake Hydra

Notice how his posture mimics that of his striding Knight?

He's a stocky looking fellow; the perfect look for the Scion of such a mighty relic suit 

Next to his ride, he looks weeny!

Count Octillus Hiralden; pilot of The Fisher King

Come with me to the rolling sea where the weather's calm and still...

A Knight Scion of the highest calibre

The mechadendrites mimic The Fisher King's signature tentacled cockpit - it's also no coincidence that there are 8 of them!

His white hair and beard really draw attention to his face

Based on the now retired Reaver Titan Princeps miniature from Forgeworld, he's heavily converted but still has the regal bearing which the original miniature captured so well.