Time for another addition to the ongoing Tanith commission. This time it's the Narmenian 1st Armoured Regiment, under General Grizmund, who have had some time under the brush.
The Narmenians supported the Imperial defense of Vervunhive in the novel Necropolis, the first novel where we saw the way that Dan Abnett could keep the Ghosts going, even though they'd lose hundreds of men each battle (by folding in other units who had been equally mauled).
Although they play a critical role in the defense, and Grizmund is an important plot point, there is surprisingly little in the way of descriptors for the tanks or their crews. The main description is of the color of the tanks - "mustard drab". To achieve this mustard-drab color I started with an airbrush of GW Zamesi Desert, followed by a highlight airbrush of VMA IDF Sand Grey. The tanks and sentinels were then given a couple of shading washes of AP Soft Tone, and finally all were given a light drybrush across the top edges with VMC Pale Sand.
Tracks, weapons, and other details followed...
You'll notice a big pile of weapons in front of the three tanks I painted up (two Mars-Pattern Leman Russes and a Mars-Pattern Demolisher). They are there because I magnetized and painted up each sponson weapon option for two of the tanks.
The way the "new" weapons slot into the sponsons, it was easier to mount the magnets on the side of the piece that slides into the sponson mount, and on the side of the sponson mount itself (as you can see above, the small circle in the center of the photo).
Here's the Leman Russ with sponsons - No. 28, Purity's Hammer.
And the Demolisher - No. 34, also known as Emperor's Wrath.
Here's General Grizmund in his command Leman Russ, Grace of the Throne. After my initial photos were sent off to the client, he requested I add a mustache to Grizmund and the banner flying back from the turret. Both of these things are a nod to the General Grizmund model that Forgeworld made way back in the day.
You'll notice that most of the lenses on the tanks are saturated purple, rather than my regular red or green. I did this to contrast nicely against the desaturated mustard yellow of the hulls.
On top of the gun mounts on each tank there's a mailed fist, the symbol of the Narmenian 1st Armoured Regiment. These are decals cut down from the FW Iron Hands decal sheet.
The sentinels received the same magnetized weapons treatment. I think that by the end of the project I'd used 41 magnets for just six vehicles (five if you don't count Grizmund, who has no magnets).
On the panel in front of the driver's door I put the vehicle number (1-3) and the Narmenian mailed fist icon.
I know my client is happy, and I hope you like them all too : )
Cheers
Dave