Ultramarines Deimos pattern Scorpius

As generic as the ‘Deimos’ class Rhino chassis is, it’s also the style I prefer to the Mars pattern.Not having an Ultramarines Deimos pattern Scorpius was simply not an option. It’s not just the armour style but the exhaust stacks that makes it such a great kit to paint. Similar to the later Mars pattern, the Deimos chassis is also the basis for multiple offensive variants, one being the Scorpius whirlwind missile system.

The design aesthetics of the launcher in the Deimos Scorpius can be traced back to the original shoulder-mounted man-portable missile launcher from the Rogue Trader era. This connection is what makes the Deimos Scorpius kit such a belter.

Building the interior

Anyone familiar with my hobby tendencies probably knows that I can’t resist painting the interior of a kit. It’s just something I can’t overlook. The Scorpius, being based on the basic Rhino chassis, presented a challenge for me as I wanted its interior to reflect its role as an artillery platform. To tackle this, I delved into my bits box and created consoles, interior panels, and even a gunner position. These additions helped fill the space and at least give the illusion of a fire control system.

Of course, I know that down the line, I may find myself wondering why my landspeeder is missing certain components or why I don’t have a complete set of panels for one of the Land Raiders. However, these are small sacrifices to make in order to maintain my record of painted interiors.

For the launcher itself, I aimed for a suitably archaic appearance. Not in a primitive sense, but rather something valuable, well-maintained, and highly prized—a relic from the lost age of technology. Creating the different tones and textures in the metal parts is a completely organic process. I don’t have a specific recipe to share; instead, I build up the effects by eye. However, there are certain steps I usually follow.

To begin, I use a flat, dull base like burnt iron mixed with decayed metal, something with a hint of red or brown. Then, I stipple on brighter but still muted irons to create a textured appearance. Selective stippling of steels adds weathered edges, scratches, and highlights. Instead of introducing additional metallic tones, I achieve variance by using thin transparent glazes like sepia for an oily metal look or purples and reds for heat burnishing.

In the final stages, I enhance the launch tubes by dry brushing them with light steel and chrome. By keeping the brush strokes perpendicular to the curve of the launchers, fine lines are naturally developed, creating an effect reminiscent of brushed steel. A final airbrush blast of sepia and flat black over the tube ends completes the overall effect.

At the end of the day, I find painting with true metallics to be a joy—not because they are challenging to control, but because they breathe life into miniatures on the tabletop. As an army painter, one of the true delights of this hobby, in my opinion, is how true metallics respond to the light as you maneuver those tiny armies around.