Painting the Big Zzappa

I have been digging through my workbench models and realised I had a fair few Forge World Ork Weapons.

I have the Big Zzappa.

Zzap weapons are a special type of weapon exclusive to the technical knowledge of the Orks. They are roughly analogous to Ork laser weapons, however describing them as lasers is a bit of a stretch. In a weird way, they share more in common to the Imperium’s lightning gun (a special type of las weaponry that causes electrical aftershocks) than tried and true laser. However, it could be deemed that the Zzap weapons uses some kind electromagnetic beams to mimic a laser.

The Big Zzappa is a heavier and more potent version of the Zzap Gun that shares its advantages, has longer range and is even more unpredictable when fired. It is mounted on heavier Ork vehicles such as Gunwagons, Big Trakks or Battle Fortresses.

I would usually paint this black and then drybrush, but I am now thinking I might more go along the same technique I used on my Ork Fight Bommer jet engine.

I have both volumes of the Forge World Masterclass books and they are a real inspiration and full of ideas and techniques for painting and weathering models. I wanted to try and emulate some of those techniques on the engine of the Ork Bommer.

I decided that I would paint the Big Zzappa with Leadbelcher, now that Boltgun Metal is no longer available. Continue reading “Painting the Big Zzappa”

KillKannon Grot Krew

I have been digging through my workbench models and realised I had a fair few Forge World Ork Weapons.

One model I have purchased was an Ork KilKannon. I am intending to use it with my Ork vehicles.  I decided that I would paint the main KillKannon with Leadbelcher, now that Boltgun Metal is no longer available.

Having sent off for some of this Leadbelcher paint, I also included the Ork Flesh Contrast Paint in my order, as I was interested to see how these would work for my Orks. In a test I decided to paint the Krew of my Forge World Ork heavy weapons with the contrast paint.

I have to say I was quite impressed with the results on only a single coat.

Continue reading “KillKannon Grot Krew”

Revisiting the Grot Tanks

I picked up a set of Grot Tanks on a visit to Warhammer World. Having not really looked at them for a while, having been stuck at the undercoated stage, I thought I might try and finish them.

The lunatic product of the deranged imaginations of grot riggers and scavs that have spent far too long basking in the insane genius of the Big Meks, Grots Tanks are diminutive armoured vehicles made to imitate the far larger Ork Wagons and Tanks.

The set contains four different variant chassis, tracks, exhausts and turrets as well as four fantastic Grot Tank Kommandaz and 5 different, incredibly shooty, weapon options.

See the workbench features on the Grot Tanks.

Starting with my least favourite I gave it a base coat of Karak Stone.

I did realise that I hadn’t undercoated the bottom of the tanks, as the paint didn’t stick to the resin on the bottom. So I took the others out to the garage and gave them a white undercoat on the underneath of their hulls.

I then started painting the tracks with Gorthor Brown. Continue reading “Revisiting the Grot Tanks”

Forge World Ork Kannon

I have been digging through my workbench models and realised I had a fair few Forge World Ork Weapons. I decided to go ahead and finish them off.

When I made the Kannon which came with the Gunwagon I gave that a dry brush of Boltgun Metal.

Ork Gunwagon with Kannon from Felix's collection
Ork Gunwagon with Kannon from Felix’s collection

I decided that I would paint the Kannon with Leadbelcher, now that Boltgun Metal is no longer available.

I did consider to give the model a white undercoat, but in the end painted the Kannon with Leadbelcher.

This new paint covered quite well and did remind me of Boltgun Metal, so a good replacement.

I then gave the model a wash of Nuln Oil Shade.

This toned down the brightness of the Leadbelcher paint and made the weapon more matte.

I was a little annoyed that the shade wash had gathered on the main barrel.

I think I can sort that out by some remedial work with some more Leadbelcher. I am intending to use other washes and drybrushed to finish the weapon off. I am trying to get an effect that I did with the Ork Bommer engine. Making it look oily and rusty.

See the workbench feature on the Ork Kannon.

Painting the the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Fighta Bommerz

I decided to build the Ork Fighta Bommerz from the Aeronautica Imperialis boxed set.

There are two different versions on the single sprue and though there looks like lots of parts, they are quite simple to put together. The number of parts is about the number of weapon choices you can have. There are two versions of noses, fuselage, wings and tails,  included in the model. So in theory you can mix and match if you get more kits later.

I gave the models a white undercoat, using a spray on both sides. These are really nice models, lots of detail.

The next stage was the base coat. I decided that I wanted an orange scheme for the planes so I went with Averland Sunset.

This shows I painted the models, I held one wing painted the rest of the model. The let it dry and then finished off the basecoat. I was pleased with the coverage of this base paint. Continue reading “Painting the the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Fighta Bommerz”

Building the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Dakkajets

Having recently purchased the Wings of Vengeance boxed set I was expecting that it might take a little time for the models to be built and painted. I am a bit slow when it comes to modelling, mainly in finding the time. So finding some room and time I decided to build the Ork Fighta Bommerz from the Aeronautica Imperialis boxed set. Having made good progress with those I started on the Dakkajets.

Among the smallest and most numerous of Ork aircraft, the Dakkajet is built for speed and firepower, capable of unleashing devastating hails of buffets from its arsenal of quad big shootas.

There are three of these in the Wings of Vengeance boxed set. This is the painted version on the GW website.

In the retail box you get six of the little planes.

Here is the sprue for the models. As you can see all three are on the one sprue.

I started to put all three of them together.

Undercoating the the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Fighta Bommerz

Having recently purchased the Wings of Vengeance boxed set I was expecting that it might take a little time for the models to be built and painted. I am a bit slow when it comes to modelling, mainly in finding the time. So finding some room and time I decided to build the Ork Fighta Bommerz from the Aeronautica Imperialis boxed set.

There are two different versions on the single sprue and though there looks like lots of parts, they are quite simple to put together. The number of parts is about the number of weapon choices you can have. There are two versions of noses, fuselage, wings and tails,  included in the model. So in theory you can mix and match if you get more kits later.

I gave the models a white undercoat, using a spray on both sides. These are really nice models, lots of detail.

I armed this one with big bombs and some rokkits.

The other Fighta Bommer.

This one is armed with rokkits and big shootaz, as well as a couple of bombs.

Though I supposed I should have armed the planes according to a stats card, I decided early on that I wouldn’t use WYSIWYG on these models, so that you can use them as whichever Fighta Bommer variant you want to play with.

The next stage will  be the base coat.

See the workbench feature on the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Fighta Bommerz.

Building the Aeronautica Imperialis Air Waaagh! Fighta Bommerz

Having recently purchased the Wings of Vengeance boxed set I was expecting that it might take a little time for the models to be built and painted. I am a bit slow when it comes to modelling, mainly in finding the time. So finding some room and time I decided to build a couple of the models from the Aeronautica Imperialis boxed set. I had a choice of four different aircraft, and it was quite difficult to choose which to do, initially torn between the Fighta Bommer and the Thunderbolts, I decided, let’s for the Orks first.

There are two of these Fighta Bommers in the Wings of Vengeance boxed set. This is the painted version on the GW website.

Laden with heavy armour and an even heavier payload of guns, rokkits and bombs, the Fighta Bommer is built with a single principle in mind – might makes right! This flexible aircraft does exactly what its name implies, serving as both an attack fighter and a bomber. It is equipped with quad big shootas, turret big shootas, and an ever-handy tail gun with which to defend itself against enemy fighters.

Here is the sprue for the two models.

There are two different versions on the single sprue. The boxed set has instructions for all four aircraft (as might be expected) and though there looks like lots of parts, they are quite simple to put together. The number of parts is about the number of weapon choices you can have.

The initial stage is the nose and forward weapons. There are two versions included in the model. So in theory you can mix and match if you get more kits later. The nose is then added to the fuselage and the main engine added to the rear.

There are also two tail variants, adding the number of options you can have to create different versions of the same jet (very Orky). In theory I should have added the wings to the model before adding the armament, but in the end I decided to add the bombs, rockets and big shootaz to the wings before sticking them to the fuselage.

Here are the completed models prior to undercoating.

Considering their size, these are really detailed models and are reminiscent of their larger Forge World 40K cousins.

I gave the models a white undercoat, using a spray on both sides.

The next stage will  be the base coat.

I am still decided which colour they should be, thinking orange!

Took the leap with Aeronautica Imperialis

Aeronautica Imperialis Logo

Take to the Skies! Aeronautica Imperialis is a game of aerial combat set in the Warhammer 40,00 universe. While ground troops push forward to secure tactical objectives, winged squadrons push forward in the skies to decimate enemy positions and intercept enemy fighters. 

Though I think I bought the original Forge World Aeronautica Imperialis rules I don’t think I ever got around to playing an actual game. I certainly painted up a few of the planes though.

I had thought about buying the new game for a while now, but kept putting it off and buying other stuff. When the game first came out I did wonder about the size of the planes and how they compared in size to the Epic models I had already. I know that the new Adeptus Titanicus was “larger” in scale than the original Epic, so I was assuming that these new Aeronautica Imperialis planes would similarly be larger. However I found searching the internet that I couldn’t for sure see a comparison between the old and the new.

So I was pleased on a visit to Warhammer World in January to see the models in “the flesh” and they are significantly bigger than the Epic versions I had in my collection.

These were the Ork Air Waaagh!.

These are the Imperial Navy flyers.

I decided that if I was going to get into the game, I would buy the Wings of Vengeance boxed set. Continue reading “Took the leap with Aeronautica Imperialis”

Forge World Ork Weapons

I have been digging through my workbench models and realised I had a fair few Forge World Ork Weapons.

This is the KillKannon, it fires either large bore frag rounds to use against enemy infantry, or a solid shell for destroying tanks.

I would usually paint this black and then drybrush, but I am now thinking I might more go along the same technique I used on my Ork Fight Bommer jet engine.

I have both volumes of the Forge World Masterclass books and they are a real inspiration and full of ideas and techniques for painting and weathering models. I wanted to try and emulate some of those techniques on the engine of the Ork Bommer.

I have been using a combination of inks and shades on a base coat of Bolt Gun Metal.

See the workbench feature on the Forgeworld Ork KilKannon.

I also have the Big Zzappa.

See the workbench feature on the Forgeworld Ork Big Zzappa.

I thought I had painted the Kannon, but then realised I had two, one which came with my Gunwagon.

See the workbench feature on the Forgeworld Ork Kannon.

I also found the Supa Kannon and the Flakk Gun  as well, but they are still in their plastic bags waiting to be constructed.