WIP: Mutalith Vortexbeast #1

by | Nov 3, 2014

Here we go, the first WIP entry in the Vortexbeast project. The spare time from the weekend and the past holiday proved to be very fruitful indeed: I have completely assembled the model I will put together, cleaned the spares from the sprues and even assembled alternate heads and pieces for the Slaughterbrute in case I opt for magnetizing the beast. Check out the progress on this kit after the jump.

In my last post I mentioned that the first few assemblies indicate the complexity of the design in this kit and I was correct. Putting together each leg takes no less than 3 pieces which beautifully interlock with each other when the sub-assemblies are put together. At many points in the assembly I thought some pieces were off but I am glad to report that there were no hassles whatsoever.

I started out with the hind legs as the manual shows.

Left leg assembled. 3 pieces altogether, easy enough to put together. Large join lines are eliminated with the scraping method. Right leg assembled. Similarly, 3 pieces here. More scraping. Here it got a little tricky. While the surfaces are easy to handle, the area around spikes either requires fine sanding or filling with putty. I'll opt for the putty. The interlock is accurate and feels like a puzzle. MV WIP Hind legs assembled. Perfect fit, I'm amazed at the quality of the cast. Rear view. After handling the join lines the assembly should be complete. Difficult to see but there's a tiny crack in the middle. That means I need extra attention on the outside with putty. Even though the underside is not very visible, it's a good idea to fix these lines with putty as well.

Be advised that if you want this part to be a sub-assembly for priming/painting ease you’ll have to think of a way to hold the model. Attaching it to large cap or similar item will be difficult due to the weight. The thick plastic makes the pieces very sturdy and they feel nice in the hand during handling however without pinning this model (the feet are hollow mind you) I’m not sure about how one can paint this without touching it.

Moving on to the main body, I got a little off track since I want to have the chest and the forearms as a separate sub-assembly. Here’s the step by step of this with my comments:

The torso assembly begins with the underbelly and the neck. Since the pieces come together in odd surfaces, make sure you have aligned them correctly to avoid corrections later. Mostly the figure looks good but some join lines are present. I have assembled this piece on the chest rather than the hind legs. Quite difficult to hold together like this! it forms the first contact with the hind legs and will be supported by the back of the model (where the vortex is). This is how the model normally connects without the said piece. Here's the additional piece. GW intends the modeller to combine the hind legs and the chest and build up from there. If you want sub-assemblies, I recommend my way. Alignment is very important here as the piece is very fickle. A little fast forward. I assembled the left arm and attached to the torso. This is the 3rd anchor that connects the kit to the base. Join lines to be filled with putty. More joins around the spikes... Assembly teaser. MV WIP The inner lines are a good indication as to where you might need putty on the outside. Having a very specific fit like this for the hind legs is pretty good. There's almost no need to putty up. This is one of the weirdest sprue vents I've seen so far. Shoulder plate attached. Notice the supports on the joins? They'll be extremely handy later on. The back piece, where the vortex sits on. It's made of 2 halves that connect in a zig-zag. Thanks to the design the pieces work almost like a push fit model, very tight. Still, use glue for permanent effect. The piece will sit here... This is where the supports get in play. All done! Looking like a proper brute already. Another fast forward. I assembled the extended arm and assembled it to the body, with the shoulder plate. "What up bro!" The chest is very heavy thanks to the extended arm, so tacks can't hold the model together. I had to use my water cup as support.

Of course if you want to put together the legs and the chest be my guest however do note that will make some parts of the model very difficult to reach especially in the loin area.

This is where the assembly requires you to choose the variant. As the title shows, I’ll opt for the Vortexbeast. This means the head, the tail and the vortex will be the remaining sub-assemblies.

I moved on to a part I was looking forward to: the tentacles! There’s a lot of nicely sculpted detail and the ‘eavy Metal paint job is very nice and worth imitating. All the dripping slaver will lend well to application of Nurgle’s Rot and UHU for more ickyness.

Mould lines! They're very soft and easily removed from the pieces. Just be careful not to flatten the sculpted detail. Be sure to completely smooth out these parts, tentacles don't really have ribbed surfaces. Finished assembly. Looks disgusting doesn't it? The dripping stuff is very fragile. Work softly and carefully.

On to the tail. Very straightforward, with just a little catch. There is a specific way the pieces come together and the only way to find out without a mess is a dry fit. Also, the connection to the hind legs creates a huge join line and not all surfaces align for the moment. Will need to rework the pieces it seems.

The added pieces have a specific pose, dry fit to determine shape.

The added pieces have a specific pose, dry fit to determine shape.

And now the most daunting task… the vortex. At first I was convinced that I need to paint all pieces separately. Then after a dry-fit I understood the need for putty. Since this is not a corporeal object, there can be no clipping, join line or mould line flaws, so I cleaned up everything and made the assembly. We’ll see if I’ll regret this during painting!

Get rid of the mould lines but also be careful not to damage the piece. The pieces have plenty of lines running on both sides. It took me about an hour to completely scrape away the four pieces. First dry fit reveals the need for putty. MV WIP Make sure to capture the parts inside the chaos star as well.

The leftover pieces are the optional spikes, Slaughterbrute head and back pieces as well as the underbelly spikes and arms. I made my “conversion” here and picked the Slaughterbrute’s little arms instead of the extra spikes. Here’s a tally of the remaining pieces.

Sub-assemblies done. The vortex is getting prepped in this pic. No Chaos kit is complete without extra spikes! The Slaughterbrute's stuck swords (and... staff?) could work on other kits as well. Optional heads for the Slaughterbrute. I'm very pleased with the piece tally, almost nothing goes to waste. The Maulerfiend on the other hand was a disaster of unused parts.

And finally a few shots with the tacks. Had about 10-20 seconds before everything broke apart so, sorry for some weird angles.

MV WIP MV WIP MV WIP MV WIP

My last-minute commentary:

  • Stick to the manual! I cannot stress this enough. Be careful with the numbered parts and try not to deviate from the plan unless you have a plan.
  • Use adhesives to your advantage. I used the brush model by Revell again, this time covering just the right amount on the pieces to prevent spill. When there was spill, it was to help cover a join line, but again, your mileage may vary.
  • If you’re opting for the regular base, think hard about pinning the model. The front parts are especially heavy with tentacles and the extended arm so you may want to support that left arm with a nice connection.
  • Be very careful around the vortex. It has multiple sides where mould lines run and for good painting effect you must have an even, soft surface.

Overall I’m very pleased with the design of this model. There’s little work to be done to correct join lines, compared with other GW kits I have put together. Also the piece retention is spectacular, almost everything inside can be used with magnets and additional spikes always find a home in Chaos kits. Not sure how this beast works on the battlefield or if it is effective but I recommend all enthusiasts to give it a try. I’m sure you’ll have at least as much fun as I did when putting it together.

Next up will be more WIP updates on a new box, so stay tuned for more Chaos goodies!


Filed under: Chaos Daemons, Vortexbeast, WIP Tagged: assembly, chaos, daemons, miniature hobby, mutalith vortexbeast, new project, solo figure, tips, warhammer, WIP