+ Collecting Titan crew +

+ On Long-Range Sensors + 

+ White whales, holy grails... We've all got that one figure that we've been after seemingly forever. Perhaps it's nostalgia for a particular model that got you into the hobby, finishing off a particular set, or perhaps it's as simple as the model going out-of-print before you could find a copy. +

+  In my case, I've been collecting Titan crew from Forgeworld for fifteen years. Aside from these models, I'm not really much of a collector per se – I'm usually far too ready to chop things up! This range, however, is small enough that it's been quite fun hunting them down, and I've kept them largely unconverted. You can read a bit more about the others in the range here: [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] +

+ As you've probably guessed, I've managed to lay my hands on two of the outstanding figures – quite literally 'outstanding', as they're the two crewmen that stand on the upper deck of the Warbringer Titan. They're both rather lovely figures, packed with character. They came ready-assembled and primed (beggars can't be choosers), but certainly appear to be genuine, rather than recasts. +

+ As you'll spot above, they'll need a little cleaning up and prep-work – the casting gate is still present on the right-hand figure's shoulder, for example – but given how rarely they come onto the market (not surprising, given the fact you normally need to buy a £950(!) Titan to get them), I'm happy to do a little additional prep. +

+ Listed simply as 'Officer' and 'Servitor' in the instructions for the big model, it's a little unclear which crew members they're meant to represent (or perhaps they're simply being transported?) Personally, I'm choosing to interpret the right-hand figure as one of the Moderati of the Titan. Adeptus Titanicus has lovely schematics of the various Titans that list the crews (an example through this link: [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]. These mention specific roles that the Moderati have like Sensorius, Tacticarus etc. +

+ Since these two seem to have lots of range-measuring devices, we assume they're something to do with directing the targetting of the Warlord-weight weapon on the top of the Warbringer-Nemesis. Not being designed for this sort of weapon, perhaps the Titan's head doesn't have physical space or the right equipment, necessitating a Moderatus to stand to? Who can say? +

+ Painting-wise, these will join the Legio Sumer-Nikator (Sons of the Temple). Having gone to the bother of collecting them all, it seems silly to split them up! +

+ These were the models I was most keen on getting. The others in the collection are mainly the seated models, which I'm not quite so interested in. Having said that, if you know of a Titan crew model that you can't see either here or in the earlier inload, do let me know – these figures are quite hard to find pictures of online. +

+++

+ inload: Warmaster Battle Titan +

 + Legio Validus: Warmaster +

+ A recent game of Adeptus Titanicus, and the promise of another in a few weeks, has got the old Titan interest flowing once more. While I'll likely be taking Legio Sumer-Nikator [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+] out to play, I was more in the mood for modelling than painting, so dug out a problem: my hobbled Warmaster Titan. +

+ The Warmaster Titan is a huge and complex kit – and a perfect example of how even experienced modellers can get tripped up by over-confidence. As noted in my earlier inload on building this kit [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+], I'd ended up with the pistons of the foot canted in such a way that I couldn't get the armour plates on. +

+ Cue some 'minor adjustments' – which involved a bit of brute force and ignorance. After a little pulling, twisting and trimming, I've managed to get the foot back into a place where the small – uh – toe armour(?) plates will fit. +

+ The revised version. It's funny how something so minor can really niggle, but I'm very glad I finally decided to quite prevaricating and fix things. In all, it took about half an hour, and now I've got a Titan that I'm really pleased with. +

+++

+ Variance +

+ Unusually, this Titan isn't magnetised. I think it fairly unlikely it'll see much table-time, so decided I'd make my life easier and fix it in position. Since I've used some Battle Bling [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] bits – most obviously the head, but also the Devotional Bell, groin armour plate and their giant Super-Gatling Blaster. +

+ In all likelihood, this'll just count as the same as the plasma weapon (Suzerain-class Plasma Destructors). Perhaps I'll see if there are any fan-made rules to playtest anywhere, but I'm not too fussed. +

+ It's a big imposing model, and while I'm quietly glad I decided to experiment with spraying for the armour plates, it's still an intimidating project to begin. Still, every journey, and all that, so perhaps I'll make a start and get the quick and messy metals in. +

+ Pictured here alongside its stablemate, the Reaver Martialis, the Warmaster is strikingly bright and glossy. That's intentional, as I'm planning on using oils to knock that back, as described here [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. I need to start very bright, so it doesn't end up too muted. +

+ I'll also need to be careful about incorporating enough blue. Martialis is almost completely yellow – not a problem per se, but I don't want the Amber Kings get muddled up with Tiger Eyes. +

+++

+ inload: Fighting, Titans and War of the False Primarch +

+ inload: Miscellany +

+Pride of place in the blog entry goes to Bob Hunk's [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] Flesh Eater Kill Team for War of the False Primarch. Sporting his signature LED look, it's easy to overlook the conversion work he's done to make the models look more like the Imperial Space Marines of very early Rogue Trader. Unflared legs (taken from the new Phobos armour type) along with helms cast from the limited edition Imperial Space Marine. All fit very nicely in the War of the False Primarch setting – and the autocockles are always warmed when one of my gaming group makes something for the project. +

+ I particularly like the flag borne by the squad – banners and flags rarely get the 'airtime' they deserve in this Gothic space fantasy setting. +

+ Opposing the Flesh Eaters for a very fun Kill Team game – which you can read about on Some Things Are Best Left Forgotten [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] – was a squad of my Silver Stars. Since they've largely been built in lockdown, it was nice to get some gaming in. +

+++

+ Work-in-progress +

+ A couple of work-in-progress pieces. I'll be sorting out another six-week challenge/event for the War of the False Primarch, which will revolve around characters. To that end, I thought I'd put together an officer for the Silver Stars. This chap is not quite there yet, but he's based on the new Black Templar models. Took quite a lot of trimming to remove or adapt all the sculpted on detail. +

+ Captain Riverhead +

+ I've also been retained on commission for a trio of Iron Warriors following my process for my Officio Monstrosa project [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. Still working out the shapes and structure, but I've got the torso and legs on the blocks – as you can see in the example below. The head and shoulder pads are just tacked in place to check proportions. +

+ Pleased with how they're coming on; it's nice to return to older processes and refine them further. I'm using one of the Space Marine Heroes models here, which allows for slightly more dynamic poses out of the box than the Terminators I usually use. +

+++

+ And finally +

+ I popped up to Warhammer World on a secret mission recently, and while there had the pleasure of meeting two of the Baraqu gang for a game, along with some War of the False Primarch chaps – all lovely! Alas, it was a bit of a flying visit, though I did get the chance to take some pictures of the Warbringer Titan crew; the last figures I need to lay my greedy autoclaws on for my 40k-scale Titan Crew collection. They were an absolute [SCRAPSHUNTERRORABORT+] to photograph! +

 

+ inload: Adeptus Titanicus battle report – Great Ash Forge +

+ The Battle of Great Ash Forge +

+ An Adeptus Titanicus battle report +

'Aye, I remember Auberon,' muttered the old priest, his augmitter continuing to emit an errant tic-tic-tic as he paused to draw on the pipe. 'We spent fourteen weeks picking spalling out of the Cathedral after Father Victory fell.' He paused to tamp the smouldering fauxbacco down with one of his right thumbs. The neophytes waited, shifting uneasily, their new implants pink and raw. At length, the techpriest looked up, and the glittering iris-lenses of his eyes slowly cycled open. Perfect sapphire crystal, they seemed to see far past the courtyard; reliving, perhaps, the devastation of the war.

+ Game: Adeptus Titanicus, 2,500pt

+ Combatants: Legio Kerberos, Legio Nikator (Sons of the Temple)

+ Theatre: Ashdown Forge, Forgeworld Minoris: Auberon, Spinther Subsector [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+], Antona Australis

+ Mission: Seize and Hold, on a staggered front.

+++

+ Background: It is a peculiarity of the Adeptus Mechanicus that concepts of honour and loyalty are critical – any Magos uncovered in falsifying a dataset or reducing the truthvaluesum of a material quality would be humiliated; possibly excommunicated by forcible disbarring from the greater noospheric net, for example – while simultaneously the group tolerates extremes of physical and doctrinal drift. Forces that would be immediately declared heretical for their beliefs, practises or even appearance in the wider Imperium are allowed, by and large, to exist unmolested. +

+ It is thus that the arks of The Sons of the Temple – late of the proscribed Forge World Sumer-Nikator – roam from place to place, pursuing their visionary-led goals with no official santion against them from Mars. They move as they please, descending onto worlds and demanding succour from the faithful. One such unfortunate host region was the Smelts, a group of minor Forges in Antona Australis. A damp and drizzly world, the constant heat of the sweltering manufactora swathes great regions of the planet in a constant mist; laden with sensor-baffling aluminium and more esoteric trace elements. +

+ Nominally the world lies under the protection of Legio Validus, but with the Kings in Yellow deployed resisting the ongoing expansion of the Brightsword Protectorate in the rimwards region of the sector, ancient compacts compelled Legio Kerberos to respond to the invasion. Auberon might be a minor Forge in the great scheme of things, but allowing a rival Mechanicus agency – particularly one around which swirled rumours of flirtation with forbidden datascreeds – a foothold in the profitable region was doubleplusundesirable... +

+++

+ It was with great pleasure that I was able to host my friends for a day of gaming, synthohol and fish and chips. We caught up, talked rubbish, and played Adeptus Titanicus... And we started gaming again with a bang! While Bob Hunk and Warmtamale explored what was going on in the Farpeak's End system as Tau and Crimson Fist patrols run into one another on the rolling hills of Csain Bastian, Lucifer 216 and I played an ambitious 3,000pt Titan battle. The size of the game took it above the 'Epic Clash' game size; the largest recommended in the book – never let it be said that the PCRC do things by halves! +

+++

+ In the red corner: Legio Kerberos +

+ My pictures don't do the beautiful glossy red and gold of Kerberos justice, let alone pick out the intricate and beautiful freehand webs and skulls – but trust me when when I say that this was a stunning force to face, and a treat to play against. +

+ Lucifer216 brought a Maniple of two Warlords, two Reavers, three Knight Lancers and Zeus, a Warmaster. A significant force that were deployed to drive off the encroaching Legio Nikator presence from the planet. Such a show of force was sure to dissuade any renegades chancing their hand... wasn't it? +

• Myrmidon Maniple
• 'The End of All Things', Finis Omnium – Warlord Titan with Sunfury plasma annihilator, Belicosa volcano cannon, apocalypse missile  launchers. Equipped with ranging auspexes.
• 'Father Victory' – Warlord Titan - with Sunfury plasma annihilator, Belicosa volcano cannon, paired laser blasters. Equipped with ranging auspexes.
• Gloriae Ultio – Reaver Titan with laser blaster, gatling blaster, apocalypse missile launcher
• Megaera – Reaver Titan with melta cannon, chainfist, turbo-laser  destructor
• Zeus Alastor – Warmaster Titan with two Suzerain class plasma destructors, two apocalypse missile arrays, revelator missile launcher. Equipped with infusive supercoolant, and ranging auspexes.
• House Temporis – 3 Cerastus Knight-Lancers

The Kerberos forces were well-prepared, having deployed ensuring one of the planet's many Void Shield Relays were nearby (this was effectively free, owing to the Forge World rules from the mission cards); and having ample Plasma Reserves (two of them, in fact). Forward-ranging Skitarii support forces had also seeded the area around the Cathedral of the Omnissiah Incoherent with Thermal Mines.

+++

+ In the, uh... slightly less red corner: Legio Nikator +

+ Woe to the city of Great Ash Forge, for The Sons of the Temple had deployed in force themselves. A long column of Titans walked in from the plains: two Maniples of their Titans – an Extergimus band of three Warlords and a Warbringer was supported by a Corsair group of three Reavers. +

+ With neither force prepared to withdraw, the rivals began warily to advance into the outskirts of the mist-shrouded city, closing the gap. Great swirling bubbles of force coaslesced around each Titan as void shields were lit, and the air became pregnant with the deep prickly hum of charging macro-las weaponry. +

• Corsair Maniple
• 'Old Spiteful' Senex Codomannus – Reaver Titan with two laser blasters, and apocalypse missile launcher. Princeps Senioris – Dominant Strategist.
• Dura-Yurobus – Reaver Titan with melta cannon, apocalypse missile launcher and laser blaster.
• Megasthenes Dura – Reaver Titan with two gatling blasters, and vulcan megabolter.
• Extergimus Maniple
• Coropedion – Warlord Titan with macro gatling blaster, paired laser blasters, and belicosa volcano cannon. Princeps Senioris; upgraded with Tracking gyroscopes.
• 'The Manifest Law' Ipsus Granicus – Warlord Titan with Arioch titan power claw, paired laser blasters, sunfury plasma annihilator. Upgraded with Tracking gyroscopes and ablative armour. Veteran Princeps.
• Dread Hellespontion – Nemesis Warbringer with two volcano cannons and Mori quake cannon. Upgraded with Tracking gyroscopes and Seismic Auspex.
• Gaugamela – Warlord Titan with mori quake canon, apocalypse missile launchers and sunfury plasma annihilator.

Typical of its straightforward and bellicose nature, 'The Manifest Law' bore an Overcharged Cannon (I used Battlebling's Plasma Burner model for this upgrade). The Manifest Law was commanded by a Veteran Princeps; and fifth-columnists within the Forge had not only arranged for a Communications Relay to supply information to the invaders, but had also exloaded False Intel to Kerberos.

+++

+ 'Visual contact, Princeps!' +

+ Kerberos won the coin flip for setting up, and we deployed the objectives roughly clustered around the courtyard of the Cathedral. Once we'd done that, Teutates Polassar, Princeps Senioris of the venerable Reaver Senex Codommanus – known to its allies and enemies alike as 'Old Spiteful' – deployed his expertise as Dominant Strategist, claiming the first turn. +

+ Kerberos had deployed in a serried line, largely in the open. Canny planning meant that they had been able to set up a killing floor as Nikator Engines emerged from behind the cathedral. Brooding and massive, the Warmaster clanked into place last, looming from the mist over the main Administratum bloc. Nikator, meanwhile, had pushed two Reavers to the right flank, with the Warbringer and Old Spiteful on the left; and the three Warlords as a tough hinge in the centre. +

+ New intel trickled in through the local noosphere, revealing that one of hte objectives was further from Kerberos than they had thought... As warhorns blared on both sides, the Reavers strode into action. Moving at full stride, first Megasthenes Dura and then Dura-Yurobus made for the worker habs at the upper right of the battlespace; trusting in speed, distance and obscuring mist to keep them safe. +

+  One of Kerberos' Warlords, Father Victory, advanced cautiously. The Dread Hellespontion had no such compunction, launching a quake cannon shell that detonated amidst the densely packed Engines on the left. As the Reaver braced for impact, the remaining Kerberos Warlord lumbered away, a shield stripped. A broken Lancer was revealed, and the survivors stumbled dizzily away, towards the cover of the tall communications tower. The effects of the shell slowed them considerably – and the typically vindictive shots of Old Spiteful finished them off. +

+ Missiles streaked out at long range as Gaugamela opened early fire on the looming Warmaster, stripping shields. +

+  Roaring aggressively, Ipsus Grancius threw caution to the wind and began advancing at full stride, the experimental plasma blaster on its right arm leaving a retinal trail on all witnesses. Distant shots licked out between combatants, but besides shimmering contrails and the rainbow shudder of void shield banks straining, no substantital damage was caused, save to the central Kerberos Reaver, Gloriae Ultio, whose shields collapsed entirely. +

+ Eager to take the fight to the enemy, the Princeps of Zeus Alastor emerged protectively from behind the Administratum Bloc. Stepping in front of the Bloc, missiles  began to streak out and impact on the advancing Warlord's shields; followed by licks of plasma from the colossal arm batteries. Swathed by clouds of smoke and superheated steam, the Princeps tapped its infusive supercoolant, allowing a satisfied smile as red reactor dials cooled to green ready lights. +

+ As the Warmaster concentrated on Ipsus Granicus, the Reavers  continued their advance, Dura-Yurobus firing bursts at Zeus Alastor to continue battering at its shields. Gaugamela planted its feet firmly and rocketed barrage after barrage of missiles at Zeus Alastor, following up. Under this covering fire, Coropedion's veteran Princeps, Hamilcar Syphax, coolly ignored the Warmaster in favour of picking on the vulnerable Reaver. +

+ Directing its fire at Gloriae Ultio, the Warlord's weapons caused a broad spread of damage – thanks in no small part to the Maniple's scorched earth approach – but was unable to land a killing blow. The Ultio was staggered but still in the fight. +

+ Even as Dread Hellespontion's quake shells arced over the cathedral towards them, Finis Omnium and Father Victory turned their fire on Ipsus Granicus, whose shields blew out spectacularly, shattering the windows on the northern hab-blocks. Gloriae Ultio began to pull back, but it would prove too late... +

+ With the mechanical snarl of a denied brawler, Ipsus Granicus slowed to a walk. There was no way to reach the unsure safety of combat with Zeus Alastor, so the Princeps made a calculated decision to place itself between the undamaged Coropedion and the Warmaster. Trusting to fate, the Ipsus Granicus turning its overcharged cannon onto the Ultio. Swaying and smouldering, the damaged Reaver was torn apart by hammering super-maximal plasma fire. A roar went up from the Nikator ranks: Engine Kill! +

+ Worse was to come for Kerberos, as Gloriae Ultio's wounded machine sprit lashed out, its weapons flaring even as it fell. Close-range laser fire washed over Father Victory's shields, which collapsed. A massive dust cloud erupted as the Reaver fell, plastering Father Victory in funereal ash. + 

+ Such injury would not go unavenged. Both Warlords opened up on Ipsus Granicus, the ablative armour absorbing some of the fury before breaking away. Great gouges were torn out of the Nikator Engine's legs, body and head, but seemingly miraculously the Titan stood, swaying as its stabilisers wavered crazily. +

+ With Ipsus Granicus wavering but standing, Coropedion was hidden from Zeus Alastor – and the two flanking Reavers pounced on the unshielded Warmaster. Together with carefully directed fire from Gaugamela, the three Nikator Engines conspired to damage both shoulder missile banks and one of the plasma destructors. A quake cannon shell slammed the Warmaster backwards into the Administraum Bloc – but none of this would move Zeus Alastor's from its intended path. +

+ Straightening, it raised its remaining arm weapon to finish off the wavering Warlord in front of it. Washed over with powerful bolts of maximal fire energy, Ipsus Grancius collapsed to the floor, with a groan of slumping metal. Its unstable and overcharged plasma annihilator detonated, washing Coropedion, Zeus Alastor and Dura-Yurobus alike; though besides a couple of collapsed shields, no damage was done. +  

+ Megaeros, the surviving Kerberos Reaver, abandoned its steady advance towards Senex Codomannus and Dread Hellespontion, instead moving to claim the objective shifted at the start of the conflict. +

+ 'An eye for an eye,' muttered the Belicosa Moderatus on Coropedion, as Princeps Syphax ordered the execution of Father Victory in vengeance. To the surprise of all, it proved a killing blow, the overcharged bolt of energy striking the unshielded Kerberos Engine and setting off a colossal chain reaction that broke open Father Victory's plasma reactor. With a colossal explosion that rocked the city, a roiling white-hot cloud expanded, engulfing the nearby Finis Omnium. Bypassing the undamaged Warlord's shields, the plasma destroyed the second Warlord too! +

+ With two of the strategic points firmly in Nikator hands, and Kerberos' forces gutted, the red-armoured survivors retreated into the mist, leaving the crowing Sons of the Temple bellowing their victory. +

+++

+ A startling and enjoyable game with plenty of cinematic moments, I had a ball – I think Coropedion deserves some sort of marking to record killing two Warlords with one shot! To me, that certainly marked the turning point. Prior to that, I felt that I had the advantage, but one that was swiftly ebbing away as the Warmaster and close combat Reaver got into position. Had the game gone on with Finis Omnium intact, I think Kerberos could have claimed the fourth objective; and from there, it would have been an uphill battle for me to drive them off as a swiftly-repairing Warmaster menacingly advanced. +

+ Thanks to Lucifer216 for a very enjoyable game. I'm looking forward to further games against Kerberos, where perhaps the famed elite Warhounds might prove the bane of Nikator's ponderous Engines... I think the mission generation created by the cards was really good, and would thoroughly recommend their use. +

+ inload: Battle Bling review +

+ Let the forges burn hot! 
Battle Bling Titan accessories review +

+ *Warhorn noises* +

+ Mentioned a few times in my inloads on Adeptus Titanicus have been my desire for two things: more Titans, and more options. With mechadendrites crossed for the much-hinted at Rapier or something similarly exciting being revealed soon, it's largely fallen to third parties to produce upgrades beyond the basic weapons available from GW and FW. +

+ These have largely started popping up on 3D-printing sites and so forth; but those lacking a 3D printer have largely been left feeling a little like Tantalus. I was therefore pleased to see some entrepreneurial and intrepid hobbyists like Battle Bling and Winterdyne [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] begin to sell physical prints and casts. +

+ Today's review looks at Battle Bling's output. As I understand things (from their appearance on the excellent Maximal Fire, God Engine Cast and Full Stride podcasts [+appendnote: all well worth a listen+], this two-man studio sculpts and prints both their own designs and some from outside the studio, such as Artisans of Vaul's great Lucius-Alpha Warlord head, as mentioned in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink.embedded+], modelled by Gaugamela in the pictcapture at the opening of this inload. + 

+++

+ Shop and communication +

+ Battle Bling sell through an Etsy store [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+] and eBay [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+]. I made two orders – an initial foray for heads through eBay, and a larger order through Etsy; both nice smooth transactions, as you'd expect through these third-party shops. +

+ I had a couple of questions about one of the Warlord weapon arms before placing the second order. These were answered politely and clearly within the working day – all nice and professional. +

+ Postage and packing were free within the UK, which was lovely. I'm sure I'm not the only one to have put together a cart in an online shops, only to balk at the P&P at the last minute. It's a particular problem with eBay bits stores, I find, and relieving to have the P&P baked into the cost of items. +

+ The smaller order came very swiftly – within three days, if I recall – while the second took nearly a fortnight. Perhaps demand has slowed Battle Bling down a little; but nice and swift, either way. The larger order came parcelled in a sturdy box with a handwritten address. +

+ appendnote: I've always found unboxing videos a bit of a weird concept, but hopefully pictures of blurry objects within bubblewrap is of use to someone on the fence about whether to order... +

+ Within, each item was individually bagged in a plastic bag within separate sealed bubblewrap. Arguably the double-layering is a little excessive; but on the other hand, a few small pieces I've received over the years have found their way out of bubble wrap and rattled around. While I would have preferred some biodegradable wrap, I can't fault the thoroughness. Key thing is that everything arrived safely and swiftly. +

+++

+ On to the good stuff: mechanical joins +

+ First out of the bag was the Warlord Titan shoulders; perhaps surprisingly, the most complex single kit in the order. At £9 for two shoulders (i.e. enough for both arms of one Warlord), this was the only kit that I hesitated on buying; nearly deciding that I could work out a way to easily swap out at the elbow rather than shoulder. +

+ Warlord Titan shoulders +

+ Having magnetised my Warlords at the shoulder, in the end I ended up deciding it was worth it. Forgeworld's equivalent, like the Mori Quake Cannon [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+], are slightly more expensive (particularly when you take P&P into account), but include the arm connection. +

+ On reflection, I think it's good to have the option of whether to buy the weapon alone for a slight discount, or together with shoulders, so fair do's to Battle Bling here. 

+ The kit itself comes in five parts. I was pleased to see a muted grey hue that shows the details nicely, rather than the more common white or clear that I've seen from other 3D printing services like Shapeways. +

+ Some 3D prints I've bought have been delivered with a dense, complex lattices of brittle scaffolding that needs to be carefully removed. It was with a sigh of relief that I saw the 3D print supports here were notable by their absence; a few stubs the only evidence that they were there (you can see them on one piece at the upper left of the image). Kudos to the designer here, not only for supplying the finished product largely clean, but placing the supports where they will be hidden once assembled. +

+ One of the great advantages of 3D prints over resin casts is the lack of shrinkage and warping. Having fought with my Forgeworld upgrade arms to get the 5mm magnet in cleanly, it was a relief to test fit the Battle Bling one here and have it fit snugly, as seen above. So snugly, in fact, that I had to use a stack of magnets to get it back out! +

+++

+ Reaver Titan Magnet Arm upgrade kit +

+ Much along the same lines are these Reaver Titan Magnet Arm upgrades, intended to replace the standard arms entirely, and making magnetising both easier and hidden. At the other end of the pricing scale to the Warlord shoulders, you get enough here for three Reavers for £4. +

+ Not a huge amount to say about them other than they look clean, magnets fit well, and will doubtless make hot-swapping things a bit easier all-round. +

+++

+ Weapon upgrades +

+ Much of what I've said about the shoulders above applies equally here – the colour and quality of the supplied accessories is excellent. The telltale striations of 3D-printing are all but absent in the kits, and the parts that fit the plastic kit are perfectly-sized. +

+ Reaver/Warbringer Plasma Cannon arm +

+ Shown here is the Battle Bling Reaver Plasma Cannon Arm alongside a Laser Blaster from the GW plastic Reaver. As you can see, the size and aesthetics match very nicely, without the details being direct copies of existing designs. The guns included recesses in the barrels, so no drilling necessary. Priced at £8, which seemed about right to me. It's comparable to, but slightly cheaper than what I'd expect from an official equivalent . +

+ The weapon comes in two parts; the gun itself and an ammo chamber, which appears to be able to be added to either side, allowing you to build a left or right arm. +

+ The design seems a nice midway point between the Warhound and Warlord plasma weapons; and fits in very well. Slightly bulkier than the GW weapons, it gives the Titan a solid look. +

+ There is also a Nemesis Warbringer version, which I didn't order. From the pictures on the shop, it looks identical, but is £1 dearer. Not sure if there is any difference, but that could either do with being consolidated, or clarified by Battle Bling. Perhaps £9 is their pricing standard for Warbringer weapons in general? With no other options, it stands out as a bit of an oversight at the moment. +

+++

+ I thought I'd treat both of these Warlord upgrades together, as the comments largely apply to both. +

+ Lascutter Weapon Arm +

+ Plasma Burner Weapon Arm +

+ Unlike the Reaver weapons, these are mono-sided: that is, they only fit on the right arm. This is clearly labelled on the shop; and you can message the team to request a mirrored version – a nice bit of customer service. +

+ Both scale nicely with the GW/FW equivalents, as shown in the Lascutter picture aginst the Forge World Mori Quake Cannon. As noted with the comments on the shoulder kit, these are just the guns – you'll need to build them into your plastic kit, or order the separate shoulders. +

+ Lovely designs; the Lascutter a nice update of a classic weapon that incorporates a modern aesthetic, and the Plasma Burner a cool new riff on the plasma weapon concept. It's nice to see this creativity, and I'm looking forward to other weapons from Battle Bling. Neither has official rules, of course, but you could either sub them in for others (the Lascutter might make a fun counts-as powerfist, while the plasma burner could be a plasma annihilator or perhaps a gatling blaster to represent its short range), or come up with your own rules. I'm hoping that the community will playtest third party weapons like this; it seems entirely within the wheelhouse of the target market. +

+++

+ Conversion kits +

+ The Holy Grail of third party upgrades for me is a variety of alternative Reaver heads, including one modelled after the 'long-faced' original variant. Battle Bling haven't made that yet – though they have already updated some of my favourite old Adeptus Titanicus heads in the form of the jut-jawed Command Head, classic plastic Warlord head (bought as a pair) Gothic splendour of the Custodian Head. The latter has been updated to be an option for the new Warmaster Titan – probably a good idea in light of the additional size that affords them. +

[+APPENDNOTE: If you're interested in more shots of the head inspired by the classic plastic Warlord, you can see my painted efforts below. There's also a painting tutorial in this inload [+noosphericinloadlink embedded+]. +]

+ I'll wait patiently for the Reaver options, but if, like me, you remember the old Titans fondly, you'll be pleased with the 'Oldeus Pattern' Warhound Kit. Coming in eight parts – chassis/body, top armour, and two sets of arm options – this is the same quality typical of the rest of the order:

Side-on traditional weapon mounts

Cowled modern weapon mounts

+ I thought it was a particularly nice touch to include options for a 'proper old-school' style, with side-mounted guns close to the body, as well as a design that split the difference between old and new, with the guns held horizontally and with shoulder pads. +

+ This kit is available for £16 as a pair only; and requires the plastic Warhound kit to complete. +

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+ Coming back to variant heads for a minute I liked the command head so much that it was what encouraged me to make my first order – the smaller one. What I got it visible below; primed in black. 

+ Thus far, the only clear fault in any piece from Battle Bling was in the command head, which had a very small hole in the front of the jaw – you can see it between the two disc details. I say 'fault' – I'm assuming it's a slight printing flaw, though it could conceivably be a weird design choice. Don't imagine so, however. +

+ This image also shows the heads inspired by the original plastic kit, two arm missile mounts for the Reaver, and an adorable little shipping create with 'Battle Bling' written on it. This was a little three-piece freebie in my first order; I was half-expecting something similar in the larger order, but I won't deduct any points for them throwing in a fun addition in my first! +

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+ Fitting +

+ I did a quick dry fit on the plastic titan, and confirmed that the Warlord shoulder kits will nicely accommodate GW plastic, FW resin and Battle Bling 3D-print weapons. I guess that's heavily implied, but for anyone hesitating over an order, wondering whether these kits are 100% compatible, I can reassure you that they all fit together beautifully. +

+ Fitted with magnets and in in place on a work-in-progress Reaver, the Battle Bling Missile Launcher arms demonstrate the fitting nicely. +

+ Not being hugely au fait with the technology of 3D printing, I'm assuming that the material is some from of resin, but will happily be corrected. The key thing is that it doesn't strike me as fragile and brittle as other 3D prints I've bought, but nor is it quite as flexible as typical resin, such as you might buy from Forge World. When assembling, pay particular care and attention with clippers and knife until you get the hang of the particulars of the material. +

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+ In terms of aesthetics, I think the design is spot-on. I'm always pleased to see third party designers – who are often hobbyists and enthusiastic fans themselves, as it is clear the Battle Bling team are – add their own spin to things, rather than make a direct copy. While the kits are compatible with the official kits, there are lots of specific differences, and it's refreshing to see new stuff – alternative heads, unofficial guns etc. – rather than duplicates of the official material. +

+ Even where similarity is necessary, it's nice to see that they've added a twist. This is likely to remain on the good side of GW legal as much as anything else, but the difference between the standard kit shoulder [REF: pictcapture above] and the Battle Bling upgrade is a good example of differentiation done well – and creatively – rather than just paying lip service . +

+ Any improvements possible? +

+ It's never all sunshine and lollipops, but happily the problems are few and far between; very much thoughts for future kits rather than genuine problems.

+ Firstly, no notes are included on assembly. This is a very minor thing for experienced hobbyists, and common for third-party kits. Anyone who's built a plastic Titan won't struggle, and to be honest, I think assembly notes would be a bit coals to Newcastle for the market, but a few videos or step-by-steps for beginners would be a nice way for Battle Bling to add value and make things beginner-friendly. It's a criticism I have of the Forge World kits, too – sometimes things that appear obvious to the designer (which way up an ammo cell is meant to go, for example), aren't to the recipient. +

+ The heads did have a few fitting problems – the prominent cables beneath the chin on the Lucius-Alpha and original-style heads get blocked by the plastic torso armour, restricting the possible poses, or requiring a trim. A slight redesign wouldn't go amiss on these, in my opinion. +

+ Unmodified, the cables on the heads only just fit; restricting posing. +

+ In addition, I found it slightly unclear as to what exactly you get from the shop photographs, as the different products aren't hugely consistent: some are just illustrated with scans; others include pictures of printed parts; others show painted models. It'd be nice to have at least one thing that's consistent – and personally I'd prefer that to be a flat shot of the printed, unpainted pieces as a priority, with painted inspirational models really useful. +

+ From what I've seen, this is largely down to the company being relatively new, not having painted examples of everything, and bringing in bits both from in-house and external designers. Nevertheless, I'd have been miffed to have ordered a weapon on the assumption that it would come with a shoulder (for example), and hope that this is on Battle Bling's plans for the future. +

+ Happily, they're running a painting competition through May on their Facebook page [+noosphericexloadlink embedded+], which I hope gives them a good source of photographs to use for their store. +

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+ Summary and judgement +

+ Three mechadendrites up. All indications are that Battle Bling are a good company that makes excellent products for a decent price point. +

+ If they're taking suggestions, then an option of being able to buy arms as full sets – that is, an arm weapon and a shoulder, akin to the Forgeworld approach – wouldn't go amiss. I'd also suggest some consolidation of whether they want to offer complete modularity in their range, or a smaller range of more complete options. +

+ If modular, then break down things like the original Warlord heads into two separate heads (I had no use for the one with the Imperial Eagle, for example), and allow the purchase of one Oldeus-pattern conversion kit. If the second option, then decide on a price for (for example) Reaver Arms, and chuck in an arm connection along with each weapon. That'd allow a smaller, more easily navigable range that's rip for growth. All that said, I'm no businessman; and if it's working for Battle Bling, then long may it continue. +

+ The designs and prints are excellent in quality, the drawbacks few, minor, and easily dealt with by the sort of hobbyist who's buying upgrades for this wonderful game. I have no hesitation at all in recommending them enthusiastically. +

+ From indications on their Facebook page, the range is set to expand steadily, with releases every Wednesday. I for one will be checking in – just don't take too long with that second Reaver head! +

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