The tanks just seem to keep rolling off the production line at the moment. This Basilisk is another model that has been waiting to have minor touches added before it can be called finished - and now those are done, here are some pics:


This is Basilisk is "Tonitrus", meaning "Thunder", and has the designation B23 (B for Basilisk, and 23 is the vehicle number). Like I said above, "Tonitrus" has been waiting to be finished, and at the moment I actually feel like I want to complete some of these older projects before starting on anything new after Christmas.



I wanted to give the Basilisk a different colour marking to my Leman Russ', so instead of Mechrite Red, I used Iyanden Darksun. The yellow looks really sharp on the model, even after being dulled with two washes with Gryphonne Sepia. On the front of the tank I used gloss varnish for the lenses, the same as on my other vehicles, for the shiny "glass" effect.



The shells on the rear platform have been taken from the Baneblade kit, and just about seem right for the Earthshaker cannon. The crew are just plastic Cadians, with the commander shouting orders at the crewman with the firing button.



I like adding a top down view so that the layout of extras can be seen (which there aren't many in this case). For some reason I took an angled photo as well, which I may decide to do for any future vehicles.



With the crew being visible, I took some close up shots. The crew are painted in the same colour armour and fatigues as the rest of my infantry.



The tank name, "Tonitrus", has been painted on both sides. The scroll was painted using Bleached Bone and the lettering is Adeptus Battlegrey. Any little mistakes were touched up before the Gryphonne Sepia washes were applied.



And to finish off is a clsoe up of the winged skull motif on the gun shield, along with the skull transfers. I didn't realise how of centre the Earthshaker cannon was until I saw this photo, that's Imperial engineering for you :-).

Thanks for reading, and I hope that everyone has a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!!!

Any week (or two), and another tank for the Emperor's Fist tank company.



This week's finished tank is 621 "Veneratio" (Honour). Veneratio is 2nd squadrons command tank.



Being a command tank, I wanted there to be some defining feature. The comms aerial's are straight from the accessory sprue, but the turret device is not meant for the Guard. It has in fact been converted from the Apocalypse upgrade sprue, using the pieces for the Chaos vehicles. Whether the Emperor would approve is another question, but once I'd trimmed off the heretical markings and given it a fitting paint scheme, it fits quite well with the tank (and the melta-bolter combi weapon will come in handy!).



I decided not to try modelling "mud" again, as seen on the previous tank. I think I need some ready mix filler to give some bulk before I try again. Instead I stippled and drybrushed on Graveyard Earth and Calthan Brown, with a very light drybrush of Snakebite Leather to simulate muddy dust. The colour tone is slightly different to another of my tanks, but variety helps to add to realism, or at least that's what I'll say if anyone notices :-).



And to finish up, the arial view of the tank, and also a close up of the turret detail. I need to put another coat of gloss varnish on the lenses just to make them extra shiny. Thanks for reading.