Filed under D

 Even I am not immune to meta OP choices. 

Maybe not for entirely the same reasons, I'm not what you might immediately call That Tourney Guy! The all-new Defiler definitely got me by the heartstrings, though. As part of the Thousand Sons commish, one of these massive bastards made its way across to me. 

The old King Crab

I had one of the old ones, once upon a time, after its release had a similar effect on my wallet and brain. That one was a great model twenty years ago, but time wasn't kind. It definitely wound up looking kind of clunky and old fashioned, and the refresh was fantastic. I don't have any pictures of my one, sadly. I spent a long time making it look like an aged bronze statue in a time before fancy contrast effect paints, but I sold it before I went to Sweden along with the rest of my OG Black Legion. 

This one needed some special care and attention to make up for the ill fate of its predecessor. Custom base for one, which was a graveyard scene made from sticks, Renedra tombstones, a chunk of polystyrene and the actual basing elements from the kit. 

My home Chaos army is Alpha Legion, and this needed to match the rest. That meant chameleon paints from GSW, specifically Emeral Getaway, and that stuff is a bit of a bugger to use. Multiple smooth thin coats (it's better from an airbrush, which I don't have), prone to reacting with varnish and being generally a bit thin to actually paint neatly with. 

Half done here - Kas got a sneak preview and wondered what chapter I was going for, which is exactly the right response for Alpha Legion.

I didn't let it put me off. As per the rest of the army, it got a black undercoat, then a Macragge Blue/Nuln Oil wash for the armour panels, then Leadbelcher trim. And then on went the chameleon stuff. 

Some time later. Emeral Getaway is supposed shift between green and violet, but in practice it mostly looks shiny teal in pictures. Suits me!

It took about a week overall, but the real pig to paint was the armour trim. Highlighting all that silver killed a chunk of my soul, or absorbed it into the model, or something. I was definitely less human by the end. Conversely the Emeral Getaway behaved itself and came out well. 

No magnets, just slotty holes for weapon options. My favourite is the massive flail arm; I also liked the missile launchers but was disappointed to find they don't work with slots. The housing carapace overhangs in a way that prevents you pulling the missile panel in and out, so I've put them away for another day. The rest of the stuff is all fine with push fit except of course the nipple turrets, but I reckon I can probably rest easy there. 

Flesh and purple glow came last, along with transfers, and then I finished off the base with various flocks, pig bristles and home-made snow paste. It's a little crude, but not enough to draw the eye to, I think. And that's the big fella done!

Looking forward to trying it on a table. We often play 1000 points, which will make it a ludicrous points sink and a boss battle for my opponent all at once; good to see GW hiked the points and made the lists running three of them short-lived. They're still pretty prevalent, though, so I ought to get this one its stripes before the nerf gun fires again.