Standard Template Constructs

I mentioned recently that I'd slipped, fallen and accidentally bought a couple of back issues of Imperium magazine. Well, as I'm still in a 40k mood, I've assembled and painted the models that came with them, but I've done a couple of things that are perhaps surprisingly new to me.

I followed instructions.

These are (made-up words alert) a Tech-Priest Enginseer and a Haemotrope Reactor of the Adeptus Mechanicus. Basically, a cyporg chap who fixes things (presumably by hitting them with a massive axe) and a piece of machinery that does future stuff.

These came with Imperium issues 35 and 75 that I picked up whilst at the massive Forbidden Planet in London during half-term. I got the Reactor because we used Matt's one in our 2nd Edition 40k game and I liked the thing, and I picked up the Tech-Priest because he was available and it made some sense to have somebody from the Mechanicum to tend the machinery (a thin excuse, but I didn't need much convincing).

One of the features of Imperium magazine is that when it comes with miniatures, it usually contains a painting guide for them, and as I have never painted anything from the Adeptus Mechanicus before, I decided to follow it to save having to think.

I only made a couple of changes along the way, for example using contrast black on the cables, doing green eyes instead of blue and a tiny bit of picking details out with silver at the end, but generally the guide was really simple to follow and really delivered a great result.

For somebody new to the hobby using only the paints that will have come with the magazine this would have delivered an excellent introduction to painting. Assuming that they are all of this standard I can see the magazine being a great route into the hobby, which I suppose is the whole point of it.

I mention this simply because I was put off GW painting guides back in the nineties because they always seemed to be telling you that you needed twelve shades of any specific colour in order to paint it. As a teenager, I didn't have the money to buy that many paints, and so I ignored them. They would also encourage mixing paints, which is frankly abhorrent to somebody as lazy as myself.

Therefore, the Tech-Priest is the first model I've ever painted actually following a GW painting guide step-by-step. I'm willing to admit that I may have been missing a trick.

I also followed one of the two painting guides for the Haemotrope Reactor to an extent. I broadly followed the colours for 'rust and grime' version, but as I don't own any Astrogranite texture to use as the base for the corroded parts, I skipped this element.

However, what I did have was a pot of Typhus Corrosion technical paint which I've shied away from sing before now, and so I took the opportunity to slap some on this, particularly around the base. 

I'm not sure it comes out on the pictures, but I really like the effect and so I might be breaking out some of my Bolt Action vehicles and use this to grime them up a bit.

All in all, I'm really pleased with the outcome here. Am I going to start an Adeptus Mechanicus army, probably not. However, not only could the Tech-Priest stand in for a Tech-Marine in games of 2nd edition 40, I've recently learned that you can actually add Tech-Priests to an Imperial army as they are 'Agents of the Imperium'. I'll need to see if that's worthwhile.

Finally, I've also recently bought Wrath & Glory, the 40k RPG, and so maybe the Tech-Priest will be useful in that, or in our much discussed but never actioned idea of 7TV: Inquisitor. Who knows?

The reactor will turn up in pretty much every game of 40k or Horus Heresy I play. Much like the Imperial shipping container I also got from Imperium. I really like painting GW terrain, it's just a shame it's so expensive and I'm so cheap.

Acquired: -7

Painted: 65

Lead Mountain: 509