Hey! I actually managed to finish some stuff.

This is my third try at getting this post done because stuff keeps happening! At least the first bump was only a flat camera battery. Anyway – here’s the stuff you’re here for: Pics!

So as I’ve mentioned a few times before, this model was one I originally picked up alongside a few others more than a decade ago off …some guy from the internets who was selling off a bunch of cool stuff because he was done with his Iron Warriors. The Warsmith I posted up here last time was one of those models, though the others are yet to come. I think he was dumping them because some codex release or another had made CSM not so good anymore. I forget, and it doesn’t matter. What does matter is that after many, many years, my enthusiasm for 40k has returned and it’s helped me to get a whole bunch of stuff done, and that combined with Dreadtober meant that I actually finished this bloody model off, finally!

I kept the basic paint scheme that was painted on the model, though I’ve repainted entirely over the top of it – simply using the original paint as a basecoat – which is fine. The Lascannon arm is the one that came with the model, complete with gargoyle-headed barrels, though I added the Forge World brass etch Iron Warriors skull icon to the shoulder. That stuff is so soft, and I’m still so inexpert at using it that the mouth-grille got a little mangled when trying to make it stick down. Ooops.

The rear view shows the heat discolouration on the “in” and “out” pipes of the Dread’s engine exhaust. As I mentioned the other day with regard to those Plague Marines and their Plasma Guns, that’s the latest thing I’m playing with and trying to get down (so expect to see a bit more of it in the near future!) Obviously, a bit of blued metal to add some variation alongside the brassy bits. I’ve not gone the whole hog on discolouring the entire Dreadnought/Helbrute, as the Iron Warriors livery is, well. Iron. Dull, often dirty and worn silver. Not a multicoloured rainbow of metals (which admittedly look amazing when done well by people like my mate Nerdfest09 over on Dakka – but that effect is for another series of models).

The left arm is something I added myself from my stash of Forge World stuff, that I have been accumulating for years now. Replacing a well-intentioned but …not great converted Thunder Hammer. The mining drill-fist with integrated heavy flamer seemed entirely appropriate for the Iron Warriors, and also eventually provided me (via the elbow guards) with a place for some hazard stripes on that side of the model that weren’t overwhelming or over the top, especially since there’s so much of it happening on his right side. Fingers open, so – depending on the angle of the arm – he’s either reaching out to grab and crush his foes, or spitting out that promethean flame!

As the legion number was added to his right side via the large transfer on the lascannon arm, it also features much more subtly on his left shoulder, facing forward this time in the form of a small disc with the Iron Warrior’s designation of IV. The core model itself is one of Forge World’s older (and sadly now discontinued) Chaos Dreadnoughts – more specifically what became known as a Ferrum Infernus Chaos Dreadnought, though apparently now they’re all called Hellbrutes anyway, and the rules for them are the same regardless.

Oh, and did I mention that I went and magnetised both arms? Because I did! Now this guy is able to represent both the battle damage of “weapon destroyed” results (not actually a thing anymore in 8th edition) and he’s also like a semi-posable action figure toy. Hurrah! I say hurrah because he’s also cheering in this shot. See?

While I didn’t manage to do anything at all on Be’Lakor, I did manage to complete the other Dreadnought for Dreadtober. Another model that had sat half-painted for many years, I’ll have it up in a few days. Sadly, Melbourne has re-entered Wintry weather again for the last two weeks as we slide into the third month of “Spring”, so it’s still a matter of letting that varnish dry before some spot touch-ups with gloss varnish. So, sometime on the weekend, then!