A Trade And Another Hound For The Titan Pack

"Lucius Pattern" Warhound Titan for Adeptus Titanicus - a 3D print model. 

Some more painting desk progress for GW's rebooted "Adeptus Titanicus".  This is another Warhound "scout" Titan. Its size and combat role are similar to the Warhound I posted earlier this month, but you will note this model looks a little different - and that's because it is! This is a "Lucius Pattern" Warhound model.  The "Lucius Pattern" is a variant in style only - its function and game stats are identical to the current, more classic "Mars Pattern".  It "scouts" (LOL), and is the quickest and most maneuverable of the God-Engines in the Titan Legions. 

WIP photo - about 3/4 finished. You would never guess I managed to smash one of the legs while putting this together!

This is not a GW model, but rather a 3D print courtesy of my great friend Curt! He dropped the components off during a visit to Winnipeg a couple of weeks ago, and I hurried to get the model assembled and painted.  It is sporting loyalist colours of Legio Gryphonicus. 

Curt gave me the parts for this model in a trade. I painted up a "Mars Pattern" Warhound for Curt in exchange (see below). Since the trade model for Curt was a loyalist, that left a loyalist "hole" in my assembly of Warhound models.  So this "Lucius Pattern" one was designated for the loyalist collection on my shelf. I do try to keep some parity between the opposing forces in my collection... 

The Trade In

Here are some photos of the "Mars Pattern" Warhound I painted for Curt.  He wanted an engine for his Demi-Legio Cerberus, so I tried my best to match his colours.  This was armed with turbo-lasers and a plasma blast gun. 

"Mars Pattern" Warhound Titan - designated for service with Demi-Legio Cerberus, deployment to the Regina sector. 

Curt will no doubt pop this sucker to a higher level, but I  hope he is pleased with his new addition!

I do not come close to the dramatic groundwork Curt likes to use on his Titans, so he is probably going to have to work this model over a bit - but I hope it serves with honour in the ranks of Curt's collection!

The Lucius Pattern Warhound

With the trade done, Curt duly left me the parts, and I got to work!

Vulcan Mega-Bolter and plasma blast gun, a useful combo in the Adeptus Titanicus game.

The "Lucius Pattern" used to feature in earlier Forge World sculpts of Titans. Back when there was still an official "Epic" game, Forge World supported with some products, including "Lucius Pattern" Reaver and Warhound Titans - designs which matched the very last metal Warlord Titan models GW ever made.  The "Lucius Pattern" Reaver was a dreary looking affair, but the Warhound, on the other hand, was quite cool.  In particular, the techno-hound shape to the head is brilliant - it looks industrial, to be sure, but somehow it still evokes the feeling of a loyal, devoted hound, on the scent of a target, in the company of a loyal master, ready to serve. 

The new Titanicus launched months ago, but the Warhounds were nowhere to be seen, and stayed that way until recently. Being clever, innovative and impatient, Curt managed to score 3D print designs required to create some of these models for the new "Adeptus Titanicus".  They look AMAZING, so I'm quite thrilled I was able to snag one for my own collection - particularly in light of the fact that a 3D printer is something I will never own, touch or bother with myself.  It will be cool to have this touch of variety in my own Titan collection. 

Legio Gryphonicus decal visible on the lower leg. 

3D prints are certainly interesting, and I am quite fortunate to have a couple of great friends who are messing around with the things to create some neat stuff. There are still some flaws and challenges that come with 3D printed items which, in my view, still hold them back from being totally "ready for prime time" (or at least, on the 3D printers that regular people can buy).  The main issue would be the little print lines which you can still make out on the surfaces of the model.  There are also some surfaces (ones which seem to touch the 'plate') that come off quite rough, even after some extra preparation.  3D printed stuff requires a fair bit of extra preparation compared to the more conventional plastic models. 

What I cannot fault, however, is how much these 3D prints can bounce back from near-catastrophe with a bit of super glue.  In the preparation of this model, there was a disaster which involved the model falling from its base, hitting the floor, and shattering!  I was furious at myself, of course, but some superglue fixed everything right up. Phew!

Love the animation of the legs in this model. 

Even with the issues of lines and rough edges, the 3D printed stuff out there in the hobby world continues to improve all the time. You do see a lot garbage being put up for sale (to give an example, there has been a rash of WW2 stuff advertised on TMP's front page recently which looks just awful) , but the core of it is really starting to take off. 

Furthermore I find it is the creativity, speed and agility of the people out there with the printer devices and the files to use them to be truly impressive.  They certainly put the indolent, dim-witted buffoons of an entity like GW to shame. While the cartoonishly incompetent GW "marketing" folks shelter in their own mental Maginot Line with their lawyers, the people who truly enjoy and support the 30k/40k setting are out there churning out brilliant, creative stuff at a rapid pace.  I mean, look at this model! It may have some flaws, but it appeared so soon after "Adeptus Titanicus" launched.  Meanwhile GW, a shareholder corporation with large (not infinite, I know, but quite large) resources, has barely managed to get its own Warhound kits to market months after the re-launch of the core game.  Are the GW kits nicer? Sure, definitely. But GW's analogue business pace is laughable and out of touch with the pace and passion of those who truly sustain its products.   

And then there is the story of the pending upgrade/extra weapon kits for the Warlord and Reavers...but that is best left for another post...

Poor thing...doomed to be fighting for the "Emperor"...so sad...

Returning to the subject - as I said, I'm quite pumped to have one of these!  Many thanks to my friend Curt for providing the model.  I hope the fellows at the Fawcett Avenue gaming tables will enjoy having it stalk around the battlefield in some doomed effort on behalf of the so-called "Emperor"...