Thursday, January 29, 2015

The Unforgiven: 2nd thunder hammer storm shield terminator

Storm of Vengeance!
When starting to build the first Deathwing terminator with a modified thunder hammer, I really just wanted to see if I could do it effectively.  It seemed like a good way to start out the year, something rather straightforward that I could easily pick up later, expanding the unit.  The first went so well and was so fun to make, however, that I immediately wanted to make another!  Now, less than a week later, the second Deathwing terminator is complete, ready to crush the skulls of those stand before him!


Much of the conversion mimics the first, with the hammer primarily being created from a corvus hammer, and the shield coming from a Forge World Breacher squad.  While I am still very pleased with how these elements came together, they were not what got me to create this second model so quickly after the first.  The muse came from idly examining another set of Tartaros terminator legs.  When doing this, I came across the obligatory pair of “running” legs and was impressed with how well they were crafted, really capturing the fluid unstoppable momentum of a Terminator in a headlong charge.  Quickly I decided that I needed to make this into a reality, the Astarte raising his shield and dragging his hammer behind him in a furious charge.


Getting the sense of momentum and motion in the model was my primary concern; pinning his arms gave me more control over their final placement. 

A far more sensible, yet still fearsome, version of the thunder hammer.

The most important element in achieving my vision was in the posing of the model, positioning each arm, shifting the body, and tilting the head just right to convey the proper motion.  I pinned each of the arms such that I could more easily experiment with them, not worrying about any gaps, knowing that I could just fill them in with green stuff later.  I attached the shield arm first so that it could frame the model and allow me to angle his head properly.  I was then able to add his other arm and finish his hammer.  Like the other, I added the characteristic Deathwing dagger at his waist, and also added a few parchments to the model.


The second Deathwing THSS terminator stands ready to strike down any Veterans of the Long War.

I am quite amazed that I was able to finish two of these guy within a single week.  I guess there is a lot to be said about getting excited about a project.  Unfortunately, I have run out of the Dragon Forge concrete rubble bases that I have been using for them, and might need to put the rest on hold for a little while.  Perhaps it is for the best, because we at Between the Bolter and Me are gearing up for a really exciting new project that should be announced within the next few days!  Comments and suggestions are always welcome!

-Adam Wier

6 comments:

  1. I really dig these man - great builds! The breacher shield really works well on the Tartaros terminator variant.

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    1. Thanks! I too am pleased with how well the Breacher shields work.

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  2. Agree. Breacher shields match these guys perfectly, and the posing you've done here is awesome.

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    1. Cheers! I am glad you like the 2nd terminator!

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  3. I like the hammer, and the running pose is just great, but could the shield be tucked in a bit more? it seems like the shield rim should be parallel to his eyeline.

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    1. Thanks for the comment. I played around with the position of the shield quite a bit trying to get it to look right. I think you are right that it would look a little better if the shield was tucked in a little more. All of the arms for the Tartaros terminators are extended and positioned far from their bodies (making it difficult to remedy without re-sculpting the entire arm).

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