From GregB: Imperial Titans for "Adeptus Titanicus" (45 Points)

Imperial Titans, ready to move out in support of some doomed cause in the name of the so-called "Emperor"...

Another 180-degree turn in painting focus for this week.  We leave horses and muskets behind and rip 30,000 years into the grim darkness of the far future with two titans from GW's rebooted game "Adeptus Titanicus."  Titans are the "god-engines" of the wars in the far future, massive bi-pedal war machines packing mountain-levelling firepower and protected by spooky void-shields.

"Let's go for a walk!"

Organised into semi-monastic, clan-like legions, the Titans are massive, macro-firepower ground assault force used to back the Space Marines and Imperial Army forces across the Imperium.  The arrival of a Space Marine Legion would be bad news already, but if the Marines are accompanied/supported by a Titan Legion then...well, in all likelihood, your lovely world will soon be reduced to rubble - if you're lucky!

Reaver class titan.

In the Horus Heresy - the great, galaxy-spanning civil war launched when the Warmaster Horus tried to liberate humanity from the clutches of the so-called "Emperor" - the different Titan Legions picked sides, and Titan would fight Titan in city-smashing encounters...these are the battles you are creating/re-creating when you play "Adeptus Titanicus".

"Adeptus Titanicus" was re-launched by GW last fall - if you want to know more about that, and see how GW handled the whole thing like the pack of s***-eating gnarled c***s that they are, see here.  I painted a few of the new Titans right after the game came out, but haven't really touched any of the kits since last year. That needed to change, as I will be helping to run an "Adeptus Titanicus" demonstration game at an event here in Winnipeg this weekend, and reinforcements were needed, starting with the Imperial side of my collection!

There are two classes of Titan represented here, both in the colours of Legio Gryphonicus, the "War Griffons", a Titan Legio who fought on the side of the loyalists in the Horus Heresy.

Rear detail on the Reaver model...really nice model.

The larger model is a "Reaver" class - a "medium" (LOL) battle titan.  This model has some of the newer weapon sprues GW released for the game in February of this year.  It is sporting a "volcano cannon" on one arm, a "laser blaster" on the other, and another "laser blaster" up on the carapace mounting - overall, this engine is configured to deliver knock-out kills on enemy engines which have already lost, or nearly lost, their void shields.  Other Titans in the maniple will have to focus on knocking out the void shields of the enemy machines so this one can make some engine-kills.

Detail on the carapace plate.

The "volcano cannon" in particular is very powerful, but tricky to manage, as it puts a lot of pressure on the Titan's plasma reactor.  I also used an alternate head that came with the kit...I liked how this version had so many optical lenses in the "eyes" - seems to me this crew will want all the targeting assistance it can get...

The Warhound up close.

View of the engine detail.

View from the turbo-laser side...

The smaller Titan is a "Warhound" class - a "scout" (ROFL) titan. I mean, this thing is still much larger than even the largest Space Marine super-heavy tank, but it's all relative, right? As the smallest Titan, the Warhound does move ahead of its larger companions, and is much more manoeuvrable, with lighter weapons, and so in this sense it is a "scout".  This particular Warhound is equipped with a "vulcan mega-bolter" and a "turbo-laser" - these weapons on their own don't do much damage to other titans, but the "mega-bolter" is very useful for knocking out void shields.  So if this Warhound can take out some shields, his bigger cousin can deliver a kill shot...

Scale creep anyone? You can see how the old Reaver and Warhound castings stack up to the new model kits - a Space Marine Fellblade super heavy tank is also in the photo to give you an idea of the size of the things.

The newer plastic kits from GW are very nice, and as you can see in the photo, they have re-scaled them to a fairly radical extent compared to the old models once used for this game. Decisions like that, together with the eye-watering prices and complete sh**head approaches to the packaging of the weapon options in the different kits have ensured "Adeptus Titanicus" will remain a niche game - but the rules are excellent, the game itself is a lot of fun.  If you enjoy the 30k/Horus Heresy setting, you will certainly enjoy the game - I'm looking forward to running it this weekend.

"Family photo" - the War Griffon maniple, and allied Knights, together on the display shelf.

I'm excited to have these two engines finished, as I will now have a complete maniple for the Imperial side of my collection!  In terms of points...I have no idea what points these will be worth. Strictly speaking, these would be "10mm vehicles", I think, but I am happy to accept whatever my minion believes is appropriate.  Power to the reactors! Full stride! As newly-painted models, I'm confident things will go flawlessly for these two engines this weekend...

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Naturally, we're going to have something different from GregB. Why oh why couldn't he stick to something French, Franco-Prussian, or otherwise Frenchified. But no, he had to succumb to the heresy and take up painting Titans for Horus. DavidB already demolished my planet for a hyperspace bypass, thank you!

Consulting the annals of the Painting Challenge, it looks like warhounds go for 10 points, and reavers go for 20 or so. Though, given the size of the things, that seems a bit low. If the really huge ones are 40 points, I'm gonna say they're the equivalent of a 28mm vehicle and a 40mm vehicle, respectively. So, they're 20 and 25, so call it 45 points. 

Cracking job, though.

From GregB - More Epic 30k (85 points)

In the grim darkness of the far future, we've got any size of equipment you might need for your war...

Well the end of this edition of the Challenge is in sight.  The countdown clock has been posted. Time to look at the huge pile of stuff I hoped to paint and realize that only some of it will be finished before the zero-hour arrives next week.  That means I have to focus, something I'm terrible at, but there are some external drivers helping me along.  One is that our group is hosting an Epic 30k demonstration game at a local hobby event here on the weekend, so it is a good time to get some stuff done for use on the table.  A further motivator along that line of thinking is that JamieM is once again tossing last minute sandbags in our 30k painting duel!

So with that motivation, I decided to continue on the painting path from last week - more Epic 30k stuff!  This week my submission covers almost every size available to that "scale" of game, running the gamut from foot sloggers to another pair of towering Titans!

Alpha Legion tactical marines - while my 6mm freehand is not quite as sharp as Byron's, I managed to get some markings on to most of the shoulders and vehicles!

We'll start with the smallest ones first - this is a Space Marine tactical detachment from the Alpha Legion.  During this edition of the Challenge I started painting a new force of Alpha Legion troops for my 28mm-sized forces, and I have enjoyed the colours and the backstory of that particular Legion so much I thought it would be great to have them for Epic as well. 

Command troopers in the (blurry) front

Alpha Legion motor pool - a pair of Rhino APCs, each capable of carrying two stands of infantry

 

Two more APCs, along with a command variant in the left of the photo

 The tactical detachment is the basic building block for any Epic Space Marine force, so I thought it would be a good element to paint first.  There are 40 little marines here, as well as transport for them - four Rhino APCs.  There is also a command-variant Rhino to provide some command & control assistance and serve as a ride for the command figures which I hope to paint further down the road.

Moving up in the size department we have a group of four Knights.  The 30k/40k setting does not lack for large walking things with guns, and the Knights have their place on the spectrum of those vehicles.  As you can see, they loom over the infantry, but pale in size compared to the Titans, so they are on the smaller-end of the walking-terror-scale of the dark future.

Four Knights - walkers with a nice assortment of weapons to choose from

Knights are organized into semi-feudal households, with a backstory that is too lame to even try to explain.  The bottom line is that, as with the rest of the Imperium, the Knight households divided during the Horus Heresy, with some embracing hope and change with the Warmaster, and others sticking with the so-called "Emperor".

"Paladin" variant on the left, "Errant" variant on the right

I had no specific Knight household in mind, just wanted some different colours from my first bunch, so they could be opponents on the table

Even though they are "small" (you know, relatively), Knights still provide a big punch on the table, forming an extremely mobile and versatile force that hits pretty hard.  While GW has made these available as models in 28mm scale (and it is one of the nicest new kits GW has ever issued, just beautiful) the Epic setting provides the room, scope and proper context required for these things to really be fun on the table.  There is an astonishing variety of weapons assortments, and whatever you choose, these things will have a good time stalking around, terrorizing enemy tanks and infantry.  But they will have to watch out, because in the grim darkness of the far future, there is always something bigger...

And that would include the Titans!  I painted two more to add to the group from last week (see that post for explanations on the colours and Legions involved).  To maintain rough strategic parity in my Epic 30k collection, there is one for the rebel side and one for the loyalist side.

Reaver class Titan from Legio Mortis

Reaver class Titan from Legio Gryphonicus

These are Reaver class "medium" battle titans.  In addition to a slightly more artful carapace than the ones from last week, these ones are also sporting close combat weapons! Because in the grim darkness of the far future, it doesn't matter if you are 10 stories tall and armed with weapons which can level entire city blocks in one shot - you STILL might have to PUNCH something...the engineers of Mars have got you covered! Behold, the titan-sized power fist - it's silly, and I love it!

Large close combat fist for extra-smashing duties

Still sporting a big laser cannon and "apocalypse" launcher for more conventional fun

Equipping your titans with close combat weapon systems is something of a gamble in the Epic game.  The power fist comes at the expense of mounting one of the other, very useful and terrifying weapon systems.  This sucks early in the game when you wish you had one more volcano cannon shot to bombard the enemy.  A further consideration is that the fist is only useful if you are close enough to punch the other titan, so you have to basically charge forward and get to grips for it to be worthwhile...

A view of another close combat attachment

This Titan is also sporting a scary-as-hell plasma cannon...it can only fire every other turn, so the crew can spend that time moving the Titan closer to whatever needs to be punched while it powers up between shots

On the plus side, if you bring your titan into close combat with another one and succeed, the results tend to be immediate and rewarding, as a Titan that is unsuccessful in a "close combat" tends disappear in some manner of spectacular explosion - indeed, so spectacular the Titan which defeated it risks serious damage itself! Did I mention I love how warped all of this is...?

Titan maniple from Legio Mortisi now ready for action! The big guns for a better universe! Horus for hope!

I felt both sides should have one Titan sporting a close combat power fist.  There are several gamers in our group who display the proper level of aggression to make the most of them on the table!

Titan maniple from Legion Gryphonicus, ready to defend the so-called "Emperor" to the bitter end...deluded fools...

So, in total this includes two Titans, four Knights, five 6mm sized vehicles and 40 6mm sized infantry.  I will leave it to the minions to score the thing properly, and I bow to their infinite wisdom as to the worth of this in terms of points...hope to have more to share as the finish line arrives!

Alan and Paul: Unlike Paul, Alan has never played anything 'K', and has never really seen the appeal. However, even he, grizzled old Grognard that he is, has been enjoying seeing your Epic force coming together, and particularly the affection and good humour with which you describe the silliness which is one of the hallmarks of the Far Future. These guys just look great - beautifully colourful, but also a bit grimy from all that trudging around through lots of Orkz or Skullz or Bogz or whatever. I've scored the Knights as 28mm figures and the Titans as 28mm vehicles, and thrown in a few extra points for the loely detail.

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!