Author Topic: Miniature of the Week, #3: The Zeus! (Read 15158 times)

worktroll · « **on:** 09 October 2016, 21:29:06 »

So, you know the drill by know. Dredge your collections for examples of this fine Lyran heavy cavalry 'Mech, and post'em here so we can share the glory!

The Zeus. Yes, it's an Assault, but it plays like a heavy. It's pretty much the counterpoint to the Leaguer's Orion. But it's a lovely looker, and those hulking shoulders add a gravitas the Orion sometimes lacks.

(And let's not mention the Perseus ;) )

Zeuses (although Zeii ??? ) are quintissentially Lyran, but can be found as trade in the FedSuns, as salvage in the Combine & League, and as gifts in the FRR. (And in the Death Commandos, should they feel the need). AFAIK there are the following sculpts:

- Ral Partha lead/ralladium, one piece
- IWM resculpt, three piece? (don't have one)
- Museum-scale
- 1st intro plastic
- 2nd intro plastic

Waiting for an update from our archeoboschologist ;)

So here's mine:

I've got three generations of Zeuses to share. First, a pair of lead original sculpts.

#1 is a 30-year-old mini, plus or minus a year or two. Painted in the two-tone "ground & sky" scheme from one of the early books with colour plates - Mercs Handbook? Housebook Steiner?

#2 is modded to "MechWarrior 4" style. In short:
- upper arms replaced with more angular pieces that tuck the weapons back under the shoulders
- some additional bulk added to the lower legs
- enhanced 'crown'. I think the repose models the MW4 style - one I'm very fond of. And for the cogniscenti, it's the BattleCorps colours, for the ride of MechWarrior Marc 'Ghost' O'Donoghue, part of Colonel Nichole's command lance.

The 1st Intro Zeus is a weedy, and often someone messy, plastic mini, but a little love repays the effort. Generic woodlands camo, FRR 3rd Drakons, and a Light of Mankind hotbox, aka the Zeus ZEU-10WB. Two heavy PPCs, an ERLL, four ERML, and nowhere near the heatsinks to cope. But it cuts an imposing figure ...

And lastly, the new intro box/lance pack minis. Not only are they sharp-detailed & better sized than the 1st intro box, they're plastic too, and so easy to repose! I like my Zeuses in motion, and a move of the lower leg is all you need.

The one on the left is the ZEU-9S2, with twin LRMs and a gauss rifle, as well as an ERPPC & 2 MPL. Listed in the Master Unit List as Clan Invasion era - something I wish I'd noticed earlier. The second LRM is from the intro box LoM Zeus, hence it being smaller. The second is a ZEU-6T with shoulder tucks & leg repose, in classic Lyran Guard colours.

So open the floodgates, and share your Zeuses!

Cheers,

W.

Scotty · « **Reply #1 on:** 09 October 2016, 21:40:30 »

No Zeus Xs in this one?

worktroll · « **Reply #2 on:** 09 October 2016, 21:42:30 »

Agh! I do, in fact, have a Zeus X, and neglected to remember it!

Will have to do a rescan, and an update. It's RotS, which I do have memory issues with :worktroll:

Starbuck · « **Reply #3 on:** 10 October 2016, 10:12:12 »

A Zeus of the Royal Guards, painted more than two years ago for a friend.
It is the only one i have painted so far. I have one more of the old RP sculpt with scales waiting to be painted - of course in lyran colours again. ;)

Nips · « **Reply #4 on:** 10 October 2016, 10:33:15 »

And here I thought I didn't have anything to contribute (working on a couple of things for down the road).

But then I remembered! Yay, Zeus! FRR, 2nd Freemen, reporting for duty.

Nothing special with the pose, as when I painted this I was just getting my painting muscles up to snuff. Pretty happy with the glass-blend on the cockpit, even. The photo's a little washed out, so you can't see the snow effects on the base. Because of course :P

Kiff_Stevenson · « **Reply #5 on:** 10 October 2016, 12:35:14 »

Quote from: Starbuck on 10 October 2016, 10:12:12

A Zeus of the Royal Guards, painted more than two years ago for a friend.
It is the only one i have painted so far. I have one more of the old RP sculpt with scales waiting to be painted - of course in lyran colours again. ;)

I really like this one! Nice job - especially on the cockpit! O0

Luciora · « **Reply #6 on:** 10 October 2016, 13:15:26 »

Front: Original release and Church release

Second: Gen 2. Blazer variant, standard version and Zeus Leonidas

3rd Row: Zeus-Xs and Blazer type using Zeus-X body

Charlie 6 · « **Reply #7 on:** 10 October 2016, 15:13:29 »

It's Zeus-mas, a Merry Zeus-mas to you all.

I've but one to offer. Grey Death Legion paint job, logo done by hand (so it is really terrible), painted during my first deployment on the USS OAK HILL back in '97.

Bartholomew bartholomew · « **Reply #8 on:** 11 October 2016, 18:31:47 »

A Marik zeus. And I will have you know. It was not stolen from steiner. It was a fair trade with my local steiner commander for a charger. He wanted a proper scout mech.

latest starter box plastic.

Dragoon1 · « **Reply #9 on:** 11 October 2016, 20:09:54 »

My contribution to the cause. This is a Zeus that I painted in 2009. This is one of the pewter that I picked up back in 2000 or 2001.

Loved painting it back then and would like to take second crack at it now.

SC_Dave · « **Reply #10 on:** 11 October 2016, 21:04:41 »

This is one of my very early miniatures and originally was a good example of how not to do camo. The panel lines were a yellow colour that was lighter than the panels themselves - yuck! Some years later I hit it heavily with some washes. I think it now looks like it has been hanging around in the periphery for a while. Perhaps one day I will revisit the cockpit and base.

Xiwo Xerase · « **Reply #11 on:** 13 October 2016, 20:08:13 »

Here's my Zeus. It's a plastic miniature, either from the recent (Atlas) intro box or from the Battle Lance pack. The paint scheme is supposed to be camouflage with a green base and brown splotches/stripes but the brown doesn't show up very well. (I suspect it's because the green is too dark.)

I finished painting this a couple weeks ago as part of the fourth lance I have ever painted (including basing and sealing).

Daemion · « **Reply #12 on:** 15 October 2016, 13:10:54 »

I really like the look of the original print. Too bad they can't do that again.

Here's my contribution to the Zeus parade. My other, normal sized one is in the shop, still under construction. ^-^

I'll do a group shot sometime.

Ronin Actual · « **Reply #13 on:** 15 October 2016, 15:40:26 »

Intro boxset Zeus. Painted in 4th Syke Rangers RCT colors.

IAMCLANWOLF · « **Reply #14 on:** 16 October 2016, 10:11:26 »

I'm liking the intro box Zues' with it's less pronounced/angled greenhouse. Sharp work, guys!

Vash The Stampede · « **Reply #15 on:** 16 October 2016, 16:44:55 »

Lyran Zeus, for doing Lyran stuff

Pa Weasley · « **Reply #16 on:** 16 October 2016, 19:38:12 »

Quote from: Vash The Stampede on 16 October 2016, 16:44:55

Lyran Zeus, for doing Lyran stuff

Like, you know, chillin' with Mew Two.

My contribution, a Zeus from a merc company I've been mucking with.

I am Belch II · « **Reply #17 on:** 17 October 2016, 10:23:14 »

Nice Job!!!

Wotan · « **Reply #18 on:** 17 October 2016, 11:01:40 »

I only have pictures of two Zeus of mine. For the Crucis version i don't have a single picture, sorry. So you see it with his lance comrades. The other one is from my Donegal Guard force.

worktroll · « **Reply #19 on:** 17 October 2016, 21:43:04 »

That's some very sharp Zeii there, gents! O0

Force of Nature · « **Reply #20 on:** 19 October 2016, 21:21:53 »

Here are my two Zeus mechs. The purple "Have a nice day" Zeus is a member of a lance that I needed for a campaign back in the late 80s. I only had two days to paint the whole lance. I got the lance done in three hours. My campaign players loved the lance due to its theme. With the Zeus, it would punch and if it hit the head, the last thing the enemy pilot would see was this giant smiley face. Hence why the smiley is on the stubby ended arm with the LRM launcher.

The second Zeus was painted for a player to use in yet another campaign in the early 90s.

Ronin Actual · « **Reply #21 on:** 20 October 2016, 17:41:31 »

I love the "have a nice day" Zeus! ;D

I am Belch II · « **Reply #22 on:** 21 October 2016, 06:21:04 »

Nice job.

Force of Nature · « **Reply #23 on:** 22 October 2016, 15:15:51 »

I'm glad you liked the "Have a nice day" Zeus. It was fun to paint and nobody forgets the lance when seeing it. Certainly unique.

worktroll · « **Reply #24 on:** 22 October 2016, 21:09:29 »

Did you do the "have a nice day" Imp as well? O0

Feenix74 · « **Reply #25 on:** 23 October 2016, 05:20:37 »

Unfortunately, I have a very limited number of painted miniatures. A problem I need to find some time to correct. I do have one painted Zeus:

Nothing really special about this MWDA Zeus. It was not painted by me. However, it is special because it belongs to my Daughter No. 2, her very own "robot". A gift from Mr Worktroll to her that she plays with instead of "dad's robots".

worktroll · « **Reply #26 on:** 23 October 2016, 16:24:10 »

Thought I recognised that! Glad it has a fine commander O0

I still have to take pics of my Zeus X; and don't forget, tomorrow the Timber Wolf stalks its iconic way into Mini of the Fortnight history.

W.

Force of Nature · « **Reply #27 on:** 23 October 2016, 21:23:05 »

Quote from: worktroll on 22 October 2016, 21:09:29

Did you do the "have a nice day" Imp as well? O0

Yes. The entire lance is: Imp, Zeus, Longbow and Stalker. I will post them when you select them for MotW.

worktroll · « **Reply #28 on:** 23 October 2016, 22:37:15 »

Might do a special edition "Funny Mini of the Week" sometime :) Things like my Minion Imp, and the Justice League of New Avalon lance ...

worktroll · « **Reply #29 on:** 24 October 2016, 03:16:21 »

And here's two more I prepared a long time ago!

To the left, the Zeus X ZEU-X4, with a Heavy PPC and LB-20X, in Republic Standing Guard colours. To the right, another Zeus in Lyran Guards, this time a ZEU-6T. The Zeus X is a lovely mini - very detailed, easy to assemble despite too many parts, and strong & stable. Just ... it's ver' big, signor. The Intro Box plastic shows how much you can get out of a little simple reposing.

W.