So, it's like feast or famine sometimes. Actually, it's more like "I wanna do that one.. an that one.. an that one.. an OOH! this'd be a great idea! and I-wanna-build-a-Battle-of-Stalingrad-gaming-table! and...SQUIRREL!"
My build table currently has a bolt action Soviet army, Project R, Project L and now Project A-DDC all on the high-priority list. Added to that, I have Project "D" main parts actually on the way as well. I need to keep chipping away at the BA army, I just am not the biggest fan of painting people. Well, the occasional mini here or there isn't bad, but the Soviets kinda used massive amounts of men as a strategy. I really enjoy doing the armor and machinery, but the people are slowing me down a bit.
Project R:
This one has to be priority #1. I'm so close to getting the build to the final phases, I just need to get stuck in on it. The arms are next to master-up and then cast. I have the basic joints sketched for the engineering, and it's just a matter of starting to make the parts to build. I mentioned that I prefer the look of the MWO aesthetic and the arms are especially subject to that opinion. The TRO look is kinda "meh," especially with the hands, and the armored club-like forearms and fist of the MWO version are much more to my preference.
That leaves the main torso and cockpit. That's just a matter of completing the detailing and finishing it up. I'm actually closer than I thought I was. There's just a bunch of fiddly "paint, then glue, then paint, then glue" phases to go through. I know that I tend to put off getting into those steps, and that's what's happening here. It doesn't help that I just recently got the Atlas and Loki dropped on me.
What I find however, when I work on this, especially when I compare to the 2 new kits that recently arrived, is detailing. I have some large plate detail, as evident on the thighs and shins, but what I wonder about is the more fine details. When I look at things like the 1/35 scale armor (tanks, self-propelled guns, etc) the greebies and details all make sense and give a sense of interest and realism to the feel of the build. One thing about Battlemechs is rivets: they don't belong. The ferro-fibrous armor isn't a riveted thing. The Atlas has some fairly nice detail parts and it's hard to describe what I see as differences. The parts I've used feel "clunkier".. just a bit "not right."
I'm giving thought to actually doing just what I mention above: picking up some ww2 armor pieces and scavenging bits and pieces. I've already gotten some Gundam parts and they've been neat. Specifically, if I look at the arms used in the MWO images, I see some fairly detailed arm main struts with added over-armor on it, and that's the kind of look I would like to try for. I would have liked to do something similar for the knee linkage, but it didn't quite work out that way.
I also am kinda comparing this to the GW Imperial Knights. There's a gritty realism to the Knight that I would like to feel a bit more in the Battlemechs. The Timberwolf MkII has a good feel that way as well.
I don't know if I'm going to re-master this up or not. We'll see if I'm happy with the overall build when I'm done.
Project L:
It's an awesome Kit. It's a clanner kit, so it's a bit lower on the priority list. It'll definitely be either Wolf's Dragoons or Wolves-in-Exile.
Project A-DDC:
Oh. My. Gawd. This thing is amazingly wonderful!! This one is definitely hot on the tail of the Archer. I have no idea how I can actually build a cockpit in this one, so I may end up just making a back-lit slide for one of the windows.
I also will definitely be reworking the torso autocannon and making it into a Gauss Rifle. I'm not sure what other adjustments I will make, but I suspect the Torso LRM will get swapped for the SRM loadout I take on my MWO brawler.
I'm also really not sure about the painting scheme here. I'm leaning toward my personal merc unit's Grey and Maroon, but I might want to either match a historical (cough) unit or the one I take into MWO.
Project D.
This one was something I hadn't anticipated showing up before August or September, but the stars aligned and there was an opportunity for a Tech swap that brought "AngryHippy"'s build closer to reality. That puts this one third on the list, right behind DDC.
All of these are running concurrently with living life and doing the needful. I'm also looking to cast up a few Mandalorian Helmets based on my custom build, and some vibroblades to possibly sell at Origins. Maybe.
So, that's the current status.. stay tuned.
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