From GregB: Epic 30k Titans (80 Points)

Epic 30k Titans from loyalist and rebel factions...the galaxy will burn!

It's been neat diving into new periods (ancient/medieval) and new rules (SAGA and Hail Caesar) during this Challenge, but I still have a 30k side duel on my mind as we enter the closing stretch. During this edition of the Challenge I have been particularly pleased to see a number of others becoming interested in Epic 30k.  Byron, Iannick and John have all done some great stuff, and I've been humbled to be part of their inspiration - although this is often referred to as "corruption", but anyway...I think we might have Jamie hooked too...

I haven't painted much Epic 30k myself this Challenge, and that didn't seem right to me, so I approached the vast pending pile here at home last week and present to you some Titans - the penultimate war machines of the 30th Millenium!

Legio Mortis titans, with a some 6mm Space Marines to give a perspective on the size of the models

These models launched the whole Epic game set in the first place at GW, when they issued the game "Adeptus Titanicus".  While you can absolutely play a very fun and engaging game without any Titans on the table, their presence does add an entirely new dimension to the fun.  I mean, just look at these bonkers things...

Legio Gryphonicus engines with same Space Marines, again for size perspective...

As with the Space Marines, the fighting formations of the Titans in the 30k setting are also organized into Legions. Where the Space Marine Legions are pledged to the Emperor (or, they were initially, at any rate, LOL), the Titan Legions were pledged to the Mechanicum (a sort of parallel empire of technological knowledge based from Mars, an IT department from Hell) and the Forge World planet of their own founding.  As the Space Marine Legions divided during Horus' rebellion, so it was with the Titan Legions, with many opting to follow the glorious Warmaster.

Warhound class from the War Griffons, sporting Vulcan Mega Bolter and Plasma Blastgun

The specifics of the weapons are boring - bottom line, they wreck sh!t

I have painted Titans from opposing loyalist and rebel Legions so we can have Titan scraps here with the group.  The purple Titans are from the Legio Mortis, the so-called "Death Heads", one of the largest Titan Legions in service, they had been attached to Horus' expeditionary fleet for a long time and had no concerns joining him for his plans to Make Terra Great Again. The Death Heads rolled with Horus all the way to the siege of Terra, and smashed through the gates of the Imperial Palace itself during the great assault.

Reaver class titan of the War Griffons

Sporting a gatling cannon, a volcano cannon and apocalypse launcher (on top)

A bit of weathering on the feet...all that dust from the march, no matter how big you are...

The grey and yellow engines are from Legio Gryphonicus, known as the "War Griffons".  As Horus didn't trust this bunch to go along with his vision, he used his authority as Warmaster to ensure the War Griffons were spread out into smaller attachments throughout the Imperium. The opening phases of the Horus Heresy tended to be a series Pearl-Harbour type encounters where these small groups fell in glorious final defence of various doomed outposts and positions.  Ultimately the remnants of the Legio would gather together and even many scores once the assault on Terra had been repelled.

Reaver class titan from the Death Heads

The smaller walkers are "Warhound" class - "scout" (!) titans, an utterly hilarious concept given the size of the things, but they are, relatively speaking, faster and less heavily armed than the larger classes. Of the larger classes, there are several, but the ones you see here are "Reaver" class - "medium" (!!) battle titans.  These are frontline engines of war for the Titan Legions.

The beast is sporting a volcano cannon, turbo lasers and the ubiquitous apocalypse launcher (most common feature of this variant of titan)

There are four Titans shown in this submission, but only three were painted during the Challenge.  The Warhound for Legio Mortis was painted last summer.  I don't know what they will count for points-wise.  I suppose they are 6mm vehicles, but they are really damn big 6mm vehicles.  Paul and Alan will sort it out...

These models will see action during an Epic 30k demonstration game here in Winnipeg in a couple of weeks.  I'm looking forward to taking the Horus Heresy to "epic" levels - and I hope the other fans of Epic 30k continue with their own outstanding projects! Keep it up guys, it's great to see.


By Paul: Oh I do love me an epic scale Titan and have more than a few in a box.   Its quite fun to see a bunch of them duelling on the battlefield, completely ignoring the masses of infantry, tanks and artillery scuttling about them.  I once had half an army wiped out when a critical hit on a Titan triggered a nuclear meltdown, with rather disastrous consequences to all the Imperial Guard infantry arrayed around it! 

Great job Greg.  Noting their size, I've scored these as 40mm figures - I wish them well in their perpetual fight in the service of the dark Gods!