I initially had a heck of a time building the model with amount of gating on the loose pieces. After a few tense moments with a pair of scissors and an errant hobby knife, I figured out to use the Army Painter hacksaw to get through the thick resin pieces. This gave me an even cut without placing a lot of pressure on the area, which allowed me to get through the delicate pieces on the robe and Rad Cleanser without them breaking off. If you go to use this strategy; be sure to brace your model with something other than your fingers. Remember- the flesh is a weak (think I've been reading the Mechanicus Codex too much).
I had used some FW bits in the past (Land Raider doors for example) but I had never experienced the mold release issue that I have heard about from some other folks. That caught me a bit unaware at first, as I had initially washed the model- then promptly undercoated it. It was an extremely easy fix though as all I did was use an old tooth brush with some warm soap water to clean the area affected- then promptly moved on.
In short, while it was a bit daunting to work on a FW model for the first time- it was a relatively easy build. The biggest thing with at least the Mechanicum models is the very breakable nature of the servo skulls and smaller pieces. I opted to brace mine (as I did with the GW version) with an extra bit. I went with a shield- to try to tie him into an aesthetic I'm thinking of doing throughout my Mechanicum army (thinking of adding little shields from the Fantasy range with little freehand/ decal icons.
For the model itself I was heavily inspired by the Mechanicum units that James Wapple has painted. I really liked the OSL glow from the hood and the front console, and how it made a clear contrast on the front of the model. I also liked his heavy use of brass colors on the model. I figured that this would go along well with Legio Metallica theme- as the Titans are all trimmed with brass.
While the model is Legio Metallica, I did not go for the traditional white robes with the red trim. I decided to use the official scheme on my 40k standard Mechanicus models, but for my 30k units I was going to reverse the scheme, so they are more in keeping with the Mars ideology. Also, if I ever use the army as a counts-as Grey Knights army with my Mechanicum forces- I would want a clear color distinction so my opponent could easily tell the difference. I figure that running the army as an allied force would be a neat way to "start out small" with the 30k army- before moving onto larger things with them.
I also took the opportunity today to take some better pictures of my Dominus from the new Mechanicus release.
What's next?
I'm going to finish building the Kataphron Destroyers that I had purchased a few weeks ago. I want to get those models assembled for the moment, but I'm not going be painting them this month I believe. This coming month I'll be focusing on the 6 Thallax I picked up at Adepticon (Counts-As Grey Knight Terminators). I will be also be working on a few Guardsmen so I can field a fully painted combat patrol army.
Thank you all for your time,
-Skip
