RHULIC RAMPAGE 1

RHULIC RAMPAGE 1 - THE REVEAL

So it is time to share - I am playing DWARVES (or Rhul folk as they are known in WarMachine)

For me this choice was easier than I would have anticipated. Of all the models I have seen from PP, the one I have like the absolute most is a Jack called the "Basher" (pictured above). It is a heavy jack that literally bashes its face into things and then fires off grenades. BOOM! Nice.  I like the aesthetic of these worker & mining mechs being repurposed for battle and quite frankly I am glad to paint something heavily armoured for a change!  Also as an added bonus - No one else around here was playing them, making for more diversity in the local gaming scene. Pure Win!

SO I have started with Gorton as my caster and have built a 15 point list (22 with Gorton's +7) and settled on the following as a starter force. 1 Basher, 1 Driller, Gorton and 3 Gunners (or gunbunnies as they seem to be known). I also built the avalancher I ended up with at the same time just because I really like the model and thought it would be fun to paint in the first batch. 

First up: The Driller and the Avalancher

Anyone who has seen my models/armies knows that I really strive for variety and individualism. Three of my heavy Jacks all have the same core body so it seemed like a good idea to look at the models and ask myself what kinds of little things could I tweak to make these my own without breaking the PP event rules for conversions. Without modifying weapons the poses were the first thing to adjust. I swapped around some legs and with a little bit of cork basing I was able to add various levels of height to the models (no true line of sight means that this has no detrimental effects and only adds to the visuals). The second thing I did was choose from the three chest plates based on what I though suited the model instead of which one came with the kit.

Something I noticed right away was that there was a big empty gap behind the chest plates. This seemed strange to me so I pulled the chests back off and added some "techy" bits from my bitzbox. Not so much that they would be a pain or necessity to meticulously paint but just enough that the oddity of this space wouldnt be noticed. I was quite pleased with how this turned out to be honest.

Another thing I had noticed was that my jacks were slightly smaller than many of the other jacks I have seen so I had a cool idea to really add some personal touches by extending the stacks acoss their backs. I think this turned out AWESOME! I bought a bunch of brass tubing and cut it all to various lengths and then just slid them over the existing stacks. A little gap filing superglue and they were solid. Each of the three big Jacks got a different pattern which not only makes the whole piece look bigger but totally emphasises the differences between them. Between the pipes and the base I now have some big brutal looking machines!

Once I had the Driller and Avalanche built (I will finish the Rockhammer later when I get around to Durgen) and the structural basework done I pulled out a poduct called Mr. Surfacer 500. This is a gap filling viscous paint finish that is often used by historical modellers to fill and sand out seams in plastic and resin kits. It can be thinned with alcohol and dries VERY fast. 

One of the uses beyond filling is that it can also be used to simulate a cast steel texture on kits. A lot of tank kit builders use it on plastic turrets and I really like the look. Many Warmachine Jack models already feature a bit of a rough surface texture and so I was inspired to take it a bit further. So the grey stuff you see on these models is the extra texturing which (I hope) will really add to the effects I have planned when I paint. AND I AM PUMPED TO PAINT THESE!!!!! I Have picked up a few new products and a few new tricks to try. New game, New techniques, New style of painting!!!!

NEXT TIME: Basher, Gorton, GunBunnies and more uses for Mr.Surfacer!