Varangian neck chain

Time is flying but sadly my progress with Varangian is not. It is a quest of patience as I need to let my ideas mature. This week I wanted to add a neck chain, hanging between the side armor plates below the head. I have always had the idea to add something like this, either as sculpted emblems on the armor or as a physical chain. But I was not sure exactly how to do this. So it has been bouncing around in my head for a while. Then I came up with the idea that I wanted to try to print something more complex with the 3D printer and also challenge my self a bit with what I can do in CAD. So I decided to make a chain, much like order's chains, with some massive plates held together with links, and to make it as one piece. So after a few hours in front of the PC and a few more hours in the printer I have a fully functioning chain, made all in one piece. I have also added a stand in for another idea that I have, to add a throne crown to the head. None of the pieces shown will be used but it gives a hint of what to expect. I am also thinking about skipping the neck armor and mount something else in the void. This way the head will be the center piece of a circular opening instead of being hidden beneath layers of armor. This gives it a more aggressive look in my opinion.

Once again I have tried my hand at painting Space Wolves. And it seams that what ever I do they turn blue. I have been painting Space Wolves since before there were any chapter specific models. My first versions were really dark blue, dry brushed up  to something reminiscent of a blue gray using the "The Fang" and "Fernrisian Grey" or what ever they were named in the 90ths. Not surprisingly they turned up blue. Then later on I tried to paint a darker scheme, using black ink instead of the blue and adding in some "Dawn Stone" and "Administratum Grey", but still ended up with a blue grey color. So when I bought the prospero box I decided that I would paint the charters up as what they are instead of doing some home brewed paint scheme. The models are far to nice to do that. So this time I decided to skip out on the blue gray "Space Wolves" colors and just stick to, Dawn stone, Administratum, white scar and nuln oil. These are pure grays, in a black and white grey scale, so they should yield a slate grey pre heresy color. And it still looks blue grey. Butting the different models next to each other reveal almost no difference...  so what ever I try I end up with blue grey Space Wolves.

Varangian WIP

I finally got some time with my Titan over the weekend. Managed to glue on the arm studs (still needs pinning) even though it almost ended in disaster as one of them came off before the glue cured. Luckily it came almost completely off so I could remove it, without damaging the model, and re-glue it. I am also playing around with magnetization of the major shields. I am not happy with how they are sitting as I can not quite manage to get the magnets to connect correctly to the iron washers on the shields. Then I also got to address one of the more stupid things with the model, the toe plates. I can not understand their function. In any real application they would be broken of the moment the titan stepped into some rubble as they are just hanging from the foot ring and would get caught as the titan set its foot down . I am not relay sure what they are protecting either as the steel in the foot ring would be much thicker than these any way, and there is noting beneath them that seams worth protecting otherwise. As it is they will just act as ramps for any infantry, leading up into the vulnerable pistons of the foot. Well as a nod to the old turtle backs I decided that they might actually look good as some pendants hanging form the underside of the main shoulder carapace. Sadly one of the few things I did not get doublets of with this kit was the toe plates, so there are only 8 and one would need 10 to make it with the same distances both back and front. Instead I decided to try to put a pair of main shields on the edges at the back as I have two set (one form each head). To hold everything in place I whipped up some holders in CAD and printed them, taking advantage of the 3D printer I have on lone. Talking about 3D printing, the air intakes I made earlier really fits the titan and helps bring the back up over the head, giving it a more aggressive look. I am also thinking about adding some armor around the lower back area were the entrance platform is. I got some extra biceps guards that I might use, but I need to add the rib armor first and see how they would connect and if it would look any good. Well all in all it is shaping up and I might actually get the torso built to Christmas. Then I can spend the holidays assembling the legs and making the base.