Volkite Weapons for Adeptus Titanicus

Assortment of new "Volkite" weapons for Adeptus Titanicus.

More new guns for the God Engines of Adeptus Titanicus! Here we have the range of new "Volkite" weapons for the Titans. Fans of 30k will be familiar with the "Volkite" weapon class - it is essentially a Martian heat ray/death ray kind of thing. They are great fun to use in 30k games, and the sculptors who designed them made them look pretty cool (in my view, at least - YMMV). Tactical support squads equipped with "Volkite Calivers" are a must for any 30k force for me - for the "looks cool factor" if no other reason.

Like the las guns, bolt guns, and other scary weapons of the grim and dark future, the rules writers and designers for the Horus Heresy setting ultimately came up with a Volkite-type weapon of every size, from a pistol all the way to a "volkite demi-culverin" for tanks and the "volkite carronade" for super-heavy tanks (such as the lovely Glaive painted by MikeF for his Alpha Legion collection).

So would the Titans miss out on this fun? Heck no! Earlier this summer GW released Volkite weapons for the Titans, and being a nerd, I picked some up - here they are. These are all multi-part resin kits from Forge World.

"Volkite Eradicator" on the carapace mount of a loyalist Reaver Titan from Legio Gryphonicus.

Volkite Weapons in Adeptus Titanicus

Reaver Titan of Legio Mortis modelling a new "Volkite Eradicator".

As you smash your foes in Adeptus Titanicus, you are trying to find the right mix of weapons that will knock out the enemy's formidable void shields - often, though not always, accomplished through volume of fire - and also have the power to deliver a killer blow - often, though not always, accomplished through a high strength rating.

Loyalist Warlord from Legio Gryphonicus sporting a new "Volkite Destructor".

Closer look at the new Volkite weapon for the Warlord Titans.

The volkite weapons would purport to give you a bit of both - the rate of fire is not high, but they have special rules that nonetheless make them rather taxing for the void shields of your enemies. The weapons come in two flavours - "Volkite Eradicators" for the arms of your Warhound Titans, or the carapace mount of your Reaver Titan - and "Volkite Destructors" for the arms of your Warlord Titans. 

The Death Heads won't miss out...Legio Mortis trying out its new toy...

As you might expect, the "Destructor" hits a little harder than the smaller "Eradicators" on the Warhounds and Reavers. I obviously have not had a chance to use these in a game yet, but my initial assessment is that, while these things look cool, they would suffer from opportunity cost - they could be useful, but you only have so many weapon mounts to go around, and the other weapons are probably more useful.

All sorts of arcane-looking power bits on this weapon design. Good times await!

In terms of their headline use, knocking over void shields, I can see how they might be a better option the vulcan mega bolters...but using up an arm mount on a Warlord Titan for this purpose is, to me, possibly a waste. The "Destructor" does benefit from a "Beam" special rule, but I don't think that compensates for the loss of one of the other, much more destructive weapon options you might employ on the arms of your Warlord.

The Reaver is probably the worst option for this weapon...with just a single mount, and therefor single shot available, you are unlikely to have the truly devastating impact you hoping for when it comes to knocking over the void shields of your enemy - the missile launcher will do a better job, from a longer range - but again, it looks neat, and does have a higher strength, offering some flexibility of use.

Ready for Volkite mayhem! Warhounds sporting their new "Volkite Eradicators"

If you are going to use these weapons, the Warhound is probably the chassis to use them on - and they would be best used in pairs. To me, they would functionally replace the twin vulcan bolters, and generally fulfill the same battlefield role you would have had for a Warhound with twin bolters - knocking the void shields from enemy engines in one pass of firing, leaving them vulnerable to killer hits from other, larger titans on your side. And while the strength isn't all that high, it is still usefully higher than that of the bolters, so you can spray destruction at wounded Titans, or enemy Knights.

So here we are, even more weapons for Adeptus Titancus. During the early stages of the release of this game, the lack of weapon options was a great frustration. A couple of years later, there is now quite a wide variety to choose from - although a number of them have disappeared from Forge World's web store, so...I hope you got them while you had the chance...

Anyway, thanks for reading!

The Adeptus Titanicus Gun Shop - The Loyalists Go Shopping

Loyalist Warlord titan posing with new carapace weapon options.

Time for some fun at the Titan gun store on Mars! Titan commanders need retail therapy too, right? Who wouldn't want to go shopping?

Back in April, I added more weapon options to my Adeptus Titanicus collection (new weapons and models in my 30k work generally always seem to arrive first with the Warmaster's side, for some reason). Inspired by the release of the fifth book in the "Seige of Terra" series - "Mortis" (a fairly dreadful book) - I thought I would balance things out in my collection once more, and paint up new weapons for the loyalists in my collection, the Titans of Legio Gyphonicus. 

These are all new weapon options for the carapace mounts of the Warlord-class battle titans. All of the weapons profiled below are resin bits from Forge World - with one exception, as you will see.

Paired Vulcan Mega Bolters

Not the scariest looking guns, but these will certainly strip the void shields from enemy engines - they shoot a LOT...

Visually, I find these weapons to be the least appealing. In terms of game impact, these things will definitely rip up your opponents' void shields, but otherwise they are light and don't cause much damage to other engines. Considering the other - IMO much superior - weapon options that a Warlord Princeps would have access to for the carapace mounts, I don't see a whole lot of value in this weapon system - but the option is now there if players want to try it. Certainly these things puke out a hail of shots!

Not an ideal weapon choice IMO, but I'm sure some clever tactics can come together to make use of these!

"Rotary Cannon Weapons" from Battle Bling

Cool weapon option from "Battle Bling" - a third party purveyor of custom components.

Have you heard of Battle Bling? If you love Adeptus Titanicus, you should check them out! Here is a link to their eBay shop - they make all sorts of optional, customized and character components that work with the new models. Many of the components they sell will trigger fond nostalgia for players of the original Adeptus Titanicus game. I hope to have more of their stuff to show later in the year, but it is very, very cool, and this is a good example.

Nice, clean castings that assemble easily - and fit magnets!

These could represent either Vulcan Mega Bolters, or the Paired Gatling Blasters...anything shooting shells at a high rate of fire from a Titan! It is a nice alternate look, another choice for folks seeking a bit of a different look for their Titans. Be sure to check out Battle Bling!

Paired Turbo Laser Destructors

Let's melt some stuff! Powerful energy weapons for the Warlord Titan!

Similar in name, and in performance, to the plastic "paired laser blasters", the Paired Turbo Laser Destructors hit the enemy a little harder, but with a lower rate of fire. A very effective weapon - and I have to hand it to the Forge World sculptors - these look pretty cool too. 

Ready for action against Horus!

Paired Gatling Blasters

Oh yeah! Gatling guns, Titanic scale...only the good "people" of Mars can bring this together!

Now we're talking! This choice provides a nice level of firepower AND a nice rate of fire - beat down the enemy's void shields with the volume of fire, and then you can still damage the enemy once those shields are down. Good times await with the Paired Gatling Blasters.

I recommend painting these in sub-assemblies - the multi-barrel set up makes painting a little tricky.

 

So, once more my Adeptus Titanicus collection is mostly balanced between rebels and loyalists - with both sides able to access a pretty wide selection of weapons to suit their Titanic firepower preferences. There are more Titanicus weapons coming, but that is all for now - thanks for reading, and stay tuned for more!

Belicosa BS at Forge World - Fun With Titanicus Weapons

A foolish and pointless purchase from Forge World...the Belicosa Volcano Cannon for the Nemesis Warbringer Titan in AT18.

Well, I continue with a 30k theme - broadly - in this post, but we switch game systems, returning once more to GW's re-booted Adeptus Titanicus. Now, let's look at some whacky guns for Titans, as well as some frustration, disappointment and fun with the gang at Forge World. 

Earlier this year I finished off some new Titans for the Loyalist side of my collection - including a new "Nemesis Warbringer" engine. That class of Titan chassis can mount Reaver-class-type weapons on its arms, but the main even on the Nemesis-class Titans is the big show up on top - a main weapon battery on a turntable-style mount. Naturally, there are options for the weapon mount. You get one that comes in the kit, and the other(s) available separately from GW and/of Forge World.

The mounting of the "Quake Cannon" on the carapace of the Nemesis Warbringer.

The Nemesis Titan model kit comes with one weapon option for the top mount - a "Quake Cannon". There are a number of components that come together to make not only the cannon itself, but the equipment to mount it - a turntable base, brackets etc. The rules allow for a second choice, however - a "Belicosa Volcano Cannon". It doesn't come in the model kit, but it was expected the GW or Forge World would make it available at a later time. That time came this past spring...as a keen collector of AT18 kit, I ordered a couple of them right away, so as to have these options for the Nemesis Titans in my collection. I'm such a dweeb.

The Belicosa Volcano Cannon from Forge World

I should have waited...

The Forge World bits. Note - I have assembled the cannon already (vain attempt to use). But this photo is more critical for what is not there - namely, the components you would need to actually mount the gun on the carapace of the Nemesis Warbringer Titan. And, of course, note how the resin cables snap in the package during shipping. F*ck resin.

Look, I generally love Forge World stuff. Yes, the prices are high. Yes, the resin can suck. But they make some pretty neat stuff, are generally very nice to deal with, and have perservered through difficult pandemic restrictions to try their best to keep serving customers - even releasing new stuff despite delays and challenges. I'm fortunate to have a fair selection of Forge World kit in my collection - especially my Horus Heresy 30k collection. I rant and rave, of course, as all passionate fans can, but I really do try and keep things in perspective. These are toys, after all, and they make toys I like. Every so often, there is a problem - does that really matter in the grand scheme of things?

With that said, on this specific item, they f**d this up. And I don't see how they would not have realized this, and they just did it anyway, and it is a piss off.

Some melodramatic fan rage...still, this was disappointing...

You see, Forge World made the Belicosa Volcano Cannon option for the Nemesis Titan...and did not provide enough of the parts to do the job! There is no weapon mount or turntable! In other words, this only works if you have not already built your model. I suppose it is possible, in theory, to magnetize the mounting...but still...just f*ck this. What a tw*t move. GW/Forge World has some form here - so this shouldn't be a huge shock. The joke is on me. Still, f*ck. 

What really winds me up is that they took the time to provide alternate components for every aspect of the weapon - including the "ammunition" (see "Fiddly Bits" below) - but still but NOT the turntable! FFS, come on! 

Anyway, I could not dis-assemble the Titan components I had already built...fortunately, there was an alternative...

The Vanguard Heavy Ordnance Energy Cannon

From Vanguard. Hey LOOK - a turntable!!! Just HAPPENS to fit on the Nemesis Warbringer Titan!!

There was a bit of a reaction to this on Forge World's Facebook page, as you might expect. The Commissars came along and purged most of it, but one poster shared a link to a solution - the "Heavy Ordnance Energy Cannon" from Vanguard Miniatures, and I was lucky to see this comment before it was deleted. Vanguard is a purveyor of cool sci-fi products in 3mm, 6mm and 15mm. It just happens that this specific item fits the weapon mount on the top of the Nemesis Warbringer Titan - a pure coincidence, no doubt!

Looks great painted up! You can see the Vanguard weapon on the left, and the Quake Cannon (from GW - comes with the Nemesis Kit) on the right.

You can compare - the Vanguard sculpt is a little leaner on details than the Forge World one - but it has a huge advantage in that you can actually use it. And I have to say, having assembled and painting it up, it looks pretty sharp on the Nemesis Titan IMO. The weapon you see in these photos is the one painted in the loyalist colours of Legio Gryphonicus, and I am painting another one up for the rebels of Legio Mortis.

Fits like a charm!

Looks great painted up, and fits in very nicely with the look of the Titan.

A view from the front...the big gun on top from Vanguard fits great.

Well done Vanguard!

The Fiddly Bits

 

WTF are those parts for?

Forge World...they don't provide the turntable, but they have battery-looking bits too...what are they?

OK, so I am ranting at Forge World and praising Vanguard here. But there is a lapse on my part as well - the fact is there is a lot more going on with the weapons on the carapace for the Nemesis Titans then I had really considered. I liked to think I knew all about the Titans, but clearly there are aspects of the Nemisis I did not understand.

Little did I realize that, in the big pile of boxy stuff on the back of the Nemesis Titan's carapace, there is a spot for "ammunition" for the Quake Cannon (or, I assume it is ammunition...it is a big boxy thing). If you opt to mount the Volcano Cannon, then one would swap out these "boxes" too - for a battery-type set up that suit the Belicosa. 

These components sit pretty awkwardly on the model. They are connected using a dry fit to the back of the Titan model. Personally, I think that dry fit would work more on faith than any actual belief that it would survive on the table as players move the Titans around. YMMV, but a dry fit here is not going to work.

Turns out those things go on this place on the Titan...something to watch for...I had glued these into place, but in theory, they can "dry fit". I hate dry fitting gaming models...all disclaimers apply.

All this to say to watch out when you are assembling your Nemesis Titan! If you want to be able to fully switch the carapace weapons, you need to make allowance not only for the gun itself, but for its ammunition supply/power source components.

Conclusion

The Forge World version of the Belicosa Volcano Cannon certainly looks nice - but if you have already built your Titans, it will be of no use to you (unless you heroically somehow knew what they would do, and managed to magnetize the relevant parts in precisely the right way). Perhaps you still have an un-opened kit on your shelf? If yes, this will validate your decision to hold off building it! But if you are like me, and you have already built one or more of these models, go get the Vanguard alternative to serve as your Belicosa Volcano Cannon.

If you have yet to build your own Nemesis Titan, you can consider the Forge World version of the Volcano Cannon - it would sure look nice! Maybe you could even manage the magnets so the turntable would work for either weapon. Dallas or Byron are smart enough that they could figure that out I suspect, and some other hobbyists out there have suggestions. It's not like it is impossible - but it is more complex than your average weapon-magnetizing work. And even if you do, remember you will need to consider the dry mount for the "ammunition" bits on the back of the Titan.

Anyway thanks for reading, and happy painting!

Yet More AT18 - Acastus Knights

Acastus Knights for Adeptus Titanicus - kits from GW.

My late spring painting run Adeptus Titanicus continues! Once more, these are reinforcements for the Loyalist side of my collection, a pair "Acastus" Knights. They are multi-part plastic kits from GW, part of the model range for the game Adeptus Titanicus.

Rear view showing the armour plates on the back of the torso and legs.

The Acastus-type Knight is about as big as a Knight can be without being a small Titan. I painted two of these types of Knights for the Rebel forces in my collection last year, so these two will balance things out for the Loyalist side.

Energy weapons ready to blast enemies to particles.

I have yet to use this type of Knight in a game of Adeptus Titanicus, but it certainly seems like they will be hard-hitting elements. Their weapons can cause heavy damage to enemy Knights, and are a threat to Titans as well. 

There are some rocket launchers mounted on the top of the hull...you can model them closed up, but where is the fun in that? :)

Acastus Knights also seem like they can even take a bit of a beating, but are not as mobile (even if they are much more mobile than the huge Titans). Acastus commanders, like the pilots of the other Knights, will need to take care on the battlefields of Adeptus Titanicus.

These two Knights are painted in the red-and-black-gold colours I use for the loyalist Knights in my Adeptus Titanicus collection.

Ready to fight in the name of The Emperor. I'm sure Horus is laughing somewhere...

These kits are very, very nicely done by GW. Real beauties to work on, with tons of tiny details. As far as backstories go in GW's 30k/40k setting, I am indifferent to the stories of the Knights (the Titan Legions are SO much cooler), but there are also many hobbyists out there who enjoy all of the details of the Knights. If you are one of those folks, you will be blown away by these kits. The detail is insane - you even get a choice of different auxiliary weapons (either lascannons or autocannons). Wow. 

"Family photo" of my upgraded loyalists for Adeptus Titanicus.

With these two Knights now stepping into the line, the rebel and loyalist sides to my collection are balanced out, with the same amount of God Engines and Knights available to each side. I'm not sure why that should matter - we can't even get together to game anyway - but is it the sort of thing that lingers in my hobby brain. Anyway, I hope you have enjoyed this recent run of Adeptus Titanicus kit. I think some other GW subjects will soon. Thanks for reading - stay sane everyone.

More AT18 Reinforcements - Nemesis Warbringer Titan

More reinforcements for Legio Gyphonicus - a Nemesis Warbringer Titan.

Another God Machine has stepped off the painting tables here in Northern Ontario, ready to do battle in the world of GW's Adeptus Titanicus. This is a "Nemesis Warbringer" class Titan, a multi-part plastic kit from GW. This is another Titan for Legio Gyphonicus, the "War Griffons", a loyalist Titan Legio that fought on the side of The Emperor during the wars of the Horus Heresy. I am continuing my efforts to even out the Rebel and Loyalist sides of my Adeptus Titanicus collection - this new Titan will balance off the Warbringer I painted for Legio Mortis last year.

The new Warbringer, together with the Reaver Titan from my previous submission.

This Titan class is slightly larger than the Reaver Titans, but still smaller than the Warlord Titans. It is  covered in heavy weaponry, of course! You can see all sorts of big guns all over this thing. The arm weapons are the same as those available to the Reaver Titans - with the important exception that it cannot mount the "close combat" chain/fist weapons. The carapace, on the other hand, mounts a weapon that is on par with the heavy weaponry of the Warlord Titans.

Now THAT is a big gun!

A lot going on up there on top of this Titan...

There are even some anti-aircraft batteries up there...just in case!

It is clearly weapon mount on the top of the Titan that "makes" the model. This is a "quake cannon" - no need to get into the specifics here, but you can tell that it is a really big gun, and be assured it has really satisfying big-gun-type effects in the game. There is an option to mount a volcano cannon as well - which is another scary sort of big gun - but this option does not come with the kit (this option is, in fact, shortly to be available from Forge World...will be interesting to see if they actually provide you with all of the parts you would truly need to make the weapon interchangeable, but anyway...).

You can just make out the crew access hatch in this view...

This is a beautiful model kit from GW, but the assembly for this requires, IMO, more caution in terms of hobby pace than the other large Titan models I have built to date. Many of the components/armour plates overlap, but do not cover completely, the various sections where they are mounted. I get obsessive about these situations, and end up wanting to be sure everything is painted, even if there is only a 0.000005% anyone will see one of these mostly-covered areas. So there is a lot of painting sub-assemblies with this beast.

So much great detail on the armour plates...really great job by GW on these kits.

Lots of overlapping plate armour on the legs and torso.

So putting one of these together and painting it is a bit of a slow process, at least for me - I paint a lot of the components (like the armour plates) separately from the base structure, and then assemble afterwards. That takes more time, and is more fiddly for sure. But it is worth it in the end - I really like the model, and I'm glad to have one of these available for my loyalist forces. I have nearly balanced/evened up my Legio Gryphonicus forces, and the paint brushes are continuing on AT18 topics, so I look forward to sharing more soon.

Thanks for reading! Hope you are all well out there.  

New Reaver Titan for the War Griffons

Reaver Titan from Games Workshop - standing with some alternative weapon options. This is a plastic GW kit.

Hello again everyone. More Adeptus Titanicus production to share with you in this post. With that last batch of WW1 figures completed, my paint brushes have now been turned over fully toward Adeptus Titanicus and the towering war engines of the Mechanicum. It has been about a year since I last completed a round of reinforcements/expansion for my AT18 collection, and I felt it was about time for more. Since my last efforts were (mostly) focused on the rebels of Legio Mortis, I thought it would be best to balance things out, so we start with this new Reaver Titan for the loyalists of Legio Gryphonicus.

A closer view, showing the various energy weapons mounted on the Titan.

Progress was a little rusty at first on this machine, but I got back into the groove eventually, and I'm pleased with how it turned out.

A closer view showing the "Volcano Cannon" on the left arm...a scary weapon, but one that tends to put pressure on the Titan's reactor.

This is the third Reaver I have painted for the loyalist side of my collection. The best part is that its weapon points are fully magnetized, so players can now choose from the steadily growing assortment of weapons that are available.

Another view, showing some alternate weapons - including a giant chainsword hand! Good times!

The Reaver is a great model and these kits really are excellent. As always, I find the feet of the Reaver Titans to be particularly tricky, but lucky for me I managed to get it right this time around.

Another weapon option - a large calibre, multi-barrel cannon - good times!

You can see some of the different weapon options available for this machine - picking a favourite weapon configuration is a great part of the game, and now players using this loyalist machine will have a choice of the weapons seen here, as well as some others painted previously. 

A "family photo" of my Loyalist Titan collection...Knights in the front, Warhounds behind them, then the Reaver Titans, including the newest one on the left, and finally the Warlord Titans at the back.

Adeptus Titanicus is a fantastic game, a great set of rules and models from GW. It has been fun to get back to this model range over the past couple of weeks, and I look forward to sharing more towering war machines from the grim and dark far future as they come off the hobby desk! Thanks for reading, and be well.   

New Weapon Options for Adeptus Titanicus

Assortment of new carapace-mounted weapon systems for the Warlord Titans of Legio Mortis

Some more modest bits of Adeptus Titanicus work to share - new weapon options for the Warlord Titans. These bits are all from Forge World, and while they still seem somewhat new to me, I'm sure they have all been out there for at least 15 months, if not longer. These are all options for the carapace mounts on the Warlord Titans models with GW's re-booted Adeptus Titanicus. Naturally, I painted these up in the colours of Legio Mortis - after all, the Warmaster always made sure his chosen ones got the new kit first, why should my collection be any different? 

Choosing from a wide variety of bonkers weapons systems to equip your Titan was a big part of the fun of the original Adeptus Titanicus, and it was slightly infuriating when the new Warlord Titan models only came with a single choice for the arms and the carapace. The variety is here now, however, and while acquiring the different weapon options is expensive (naturally), and requires dealing with Forge World (i.e. even more expensive), the choice is getting nicely varied, and Princeps can again ponder all sorts of different combos of insane far-future weapons with which to smite their foes!

With the caveat that they are resin, these are still nice little bits, and thankfully they magnetize easily on the shoulder mounts of the Warlord Titan model kits. Here are a few close-ups...

Paired Vulcan Mega-Bolters

The Vulcan-Mega Bolter array modeled on one of my Legio Mortis engines.

Of all of the weapon options, this is perhaps the least intimidating, at least in the context of the otherwise imposing chassis of the mighty Warlord Titan. These weapons are essentially giant super-versions of the bolt guns carried by Space Marines - and it is so very 30k to know that the Mechanicum would have designed a version of the bolt gun to match the size of every soldier and vehicle in the known universe of the grim and dark far future. Hilarious.

For a weapon with "mega" in the name, I have to say they don't seem that intimidating. That said, they will rip the void shields from enemy engines, so they definitely have their uses in Adeptus Titanicus.

In the game, these weapons will spit out a hail of shots which stand little chance of damaging other Titans, but are excellent at overwhelming void shields. Knocking the shields off of enemy engines is a very useful thing, so it is not like these things are useless - but for me it is a matter of opportunity cost. If you are equipping your Warlord with these guns, you are missing out on some other really cool guns (see more in this post). Best to leave the shield-stripping work to the Warhounds, IMO, and make sure your Warlord Titans are carrying weapons with knock-out power. That said, preferences vary, so I'm glad to have this option in my collection. 

Paired Turbo Laser Destructors

Paired Turbo-Laser Destructors on a Warlord Titan from Legio Mortis.

Huge, destructive laser weapons - does what the name says. In the grim darkness of the far future, who wouldn't want to blast things with huge lasers? It is easy to get these "laser destructors" confused with the similar-looking-and-sounding "laser blasters". The statistics and performance of the weapons are also very similar. 

Ready to blast the followers of the false Emperor into particles...

So the carapace laser weapon options for Warlords are similar, but they are still different - these weapons hit a little harder with a lesser rate of fire. They will harm an enemy engine's shields, but really are better for delivering killing blows once the enemy's shields are down. Plus, they look nice and menacing up there on top of the Warlord Titan.

Paired Gatling Blasters

Oh YEAH! Paired Gatling Blasters! This will be fun!

Now we're talking! If the Vulcan Mega-Bolters don't look all that scary up on the Titan, these things are the opposite - terrifying! Count on the Mechanicum to come up with what is essentially a 125mm gatling cannon! A pair of them no less! These bonkers things right up the alley of the bonkers 30k setting.

So. Much. GATLING. Good times await!!

 

Not only do these things look cool, they are pretty useful in the game. They get to shoot - a lot - and hit with a decent punch. Plus your Warlord can be covered in gatling-type cannons! That is the best! Can't wait to take these out for a "spin"...

Now that I have these available for my Legio Mortis engines, I suppose I will need to paint some up for the loyalist side as well. I try to keep my collection balanced, but somehow Horus' followers always seem to get the new stuff first...I will see if I can balance things out a touch with my next painting effort. Thanks for reading, everyone!