A Call to War: 3rd Sian Dragoons

[Savage Coyote]

Nice Joel, nice!  I need to catch up; rough month for me.  Sigh

[LynxHowell]

These are exceptionally well painted, great stuff!

[Psycho]

Scraping and clawing for time to work on this project. I'm glad I chose to do the vehicles this month!









Neither vehicle type is really spot-on for what I'd want from the unit. Compromises sometimes need to be made. The Harassers are a good stand-in for my preferred JI2A1 Attack APCs. Both are fast hovercraft (20") to generate a high TMM and get my opponent thinking that they could get into his rear arc, with a modest damage potential. The 2A1 has the added benefit of being able to pack a squad of BA as well, which is something I enjoy quite a bit. They would serve as added firepower and area-denial, depending on what type of BA was used and the situation that game. File that under "things to consider for future expansion". You know, when I get to adding to the unit and JI2A1 minis are made.

The LRM Carriers are a lot farther from the mark than the Harassers. Too slow, and weakly armored as well, they're an easy target. I would have liked to use the LRM variant of the Partisan here instead, but only had one Partisan mini. Oh well. Sometimes game play issues force you to bend on a grand concept. The sheer threat of the IF damage coupled with the recon force bonus makes them worthwhile. They'll be far back on the table, making sure that my opponents need to run the gauntlet of the rest of my force to get to them. As a side note, I left the turrets unglued so that they could still swivel.

And now the question that I neglected...  :(

I love the muzzle extention you added to the Thunder's AC/20!  Is that scratch built or a part from some other mech?   8)

Scratch-built with a piece of brass tubing (plastic would work too) and greenstuff for detail. 3055U illustration was used for inspiration, with the reality of the existing mini keeping it more bulky.

[cavingjan]

That scheme works really well on the LRM carriers. It however makes the harassers look very tall. Definitely love the scheme and you do it very well.

[Sharpnel]

I love what you've done with this simple scheme

[worktroll]

The 2A1 has the added benefit of being able to pack a squad of BA as well, which is something I enjoy quite a bit. They would serve as added firepower and area-denial, depending on what type of BA was used and the situation that game. File that under "things to consider for future expansion". You know, when I get to adding to the unit and JI2A1 minis are made.

It's a Capellan unit, you just need to (literally) stick a squad of Fa Shih to each of the Harassers. The JI2A1s then can carry tqo squads each  - one inside, and one doing a Keystone Kops act on the outside ;) Makes for nice Aug platoons that way.

[mdauben]

Scratch-built with a piece of brass tubing (plastic would work too) and greenstuff for detail. 3055U illustration was used for inspiration, with the reality of the existing mini keeping it more bulky.

Thanks!  I've got a couple Thunders in my lead pile that are waiting for paint.  I think the extention really improves the look so I'm going to try the same thing.   ;)

[Psycho]

I love what you've done with this simple scheme

Thanks! If there's something you can take away from this example, it's that simple doesn't need to equal boring. I've said it of a few schemes myself, or wondered how it could possibly look good. Like with the 2nd Crucis Lancers, I was scratching my head on how to do green-on-green. All it really took was a small tweak to lighten the highlight green, and it became far more popular than I thought possible.

That scheme works really well on the LRM carriers. It however makes the harassers look very tall. Definitely love the scheme and you do it very well.

I was surprised at how tall the Harassers were myself. Much more bulky than say, a Regulator or Gladius. Oh well, nothing works perfectly all the time.

It's a Capellan unit, you just need to (literally) stick a squad of Fa Shih to each of the Harassers. The JI2A1s then can carry tqo squads each  - one inside, and one doing a Keystone Kops act on the outside ;) Makes for nice Aug platoons that way.

I've thought about that exact tactic using Clan machines and suits. Eponas, Hephaestuses, etc. that can bring a good punch and carry some sort of BA. Fa Shihs suffer in comparison to Clan-tech BA points, and I'd prefer something with more firepower. That means Shen Longs if I stick with IS tech suits, hence the need for carrying capacity.  Back to things to consider for future expansion.  :)

[Psycho]

A week late for the last update. I guess everybody is thrown off from the holidays. With CSO transitioning servers and site builds, how about kicking that holiday hang-over with some new work?  ;)

First up, a Longbow that made its way over from the 5th Dragoons to get in some pictures.





Finally, a Yu Huang tricked out to the -11G variant with dual Plasma Rifles and MMLs. Not the same scare factor as a GR or AC/20 under TW, but the bonus of adding a point of heat to your opponent - slowing them down and making it harder for them to hit - gives opponents something else to think about. Or to be caught unaware by. That works too. The hardest part of the mod was dealing with the flanges on the upper legs. I went with lopping it off completely on the left. Just too flimsy once freed of the arm to stay in shape. We've also got a demonstration on how lighting affects how your colours look. The torso is painted the same way as all the other reds in the group, but the top highlight just is not popping the same, due to being out of the direct light of my lamps. If I get around to it, re-shooting with a light down lower should eliminate the issue.

[Saint]

Beautiful work!

[nckestrel]

A week late for the last update.

Worth waiting for.  Awesome work.

Looking for something to critique, the missile tubes look a bit rough.  Like they've warped under too many firings. 

[Vash The Stampede]

Man those are beautiful! The Men-Shen is pretty wicked looking. Love how you got that shading on the red, I want to learn that style sometime.

[JadedFalcon]

Even with the lighting issues, that Yu Huang is looking impressive. I really like the shading combined with the assorted panels, and the reposing is great.

[Psycho]

Thanks guys, it's nice to get a good sized project of my own completed.

@nckestrel - the left side didn't come out as well as the right. Trying to keep things thin with the new surface, and I left it a little too thin to get the holes sharp. At least with the right you can pick up on the "keyhole" signature of the MMLs.

[abou]

Excellent stuff as always, Psycho. Did you do these with pigments?

[Psycho]

Only for some exhaust around ballistic/missile weapons and jump jets. A quick hit of black, and that's it. Happens when you're behind and want to gets things finished off.  ;)

[Savage Coyote]

Nice as always Joel! 

I WILL finish mine.  At some point.  When I have a commission or two done.  And work and home stuff lets up.  So yeah, soon.  Ish.