Super weekend of hobby goodness if I say so myself. Managed to make another good chunk of progress on the Blood Angels Gladiator. With the red done and varnished I was able to mask off and get the black sections blocked out, mainly turret and rear hatch. This meant I could get the decals laid down and flattened ready for the application of weathering later.

Blood Angels tank for Warhammer 40,000

I had planned to progress with this throughout the weekend but the weather outside was so gorgeous and I’ve been stuck in the workshop/office/home so much past year any opportunity to break out and hobby outside is grabbed with both mechadendrites. No painting then. Building.

I’d just like to point out that although my Warmaster kit and by a quirk of fate a banner of baby Atrapos-es (?) arrived finally at exactly the same time I kid you not, I exercised almost unheard of restraint to put them to one side and work on clearing the Aeronautica assembly backlog first. I don’t know if it was because the sun was shining or the cold beers* (or both), but I managed over the course of the weekend to clean and assemble:

  • 4 Avenger Strike Fighters
  • 2 Marauder Bombers
  • 3 Lightning Strike Fighters
  • 6 Valkyrie Transports
  • 3 Barracuda Fighters
  • 2 Tiger Shark Fighter Bombers
  • 2 Ork Grot Bommers
  • 2 Ork Eavy Bommers

I slept well that night I can tell you. I’m not going to pretend these are all going to find their way into games of Aeronatica because let’s be honest, I primarily collected them for future outings in Epic. Think of it as planning ahead.

I will however reiterate just what awesome kits they are though and how much love and thought have clearly been lavished on their design. They not only go together magnificently, but just like the war engines in Adeptus Titanicus there are so many lovely little touches that are not lost on me. Such as the fully detailed grot gunners even though they are nigh on fully obscured once the rest of the mount is assembled around them, or the interior detailing for doors even though they will likely be sealed shut. They never cease to amaze and really motivate me to build and paint more.

As the sun dips out of sight over the neighbours shed I’ve sounded the klaxon on the assembly forges and shall retreat inside to continue bringing the Gladiator to the battlefield. Until next time!

*ignore the plastic lobster, that’s a story for another day.