'nids part 387 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - TO DONE! 🔴⚪

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. As the project came to an end I was lax again in keeping track of timing. I did record the red fleshy highlights though.

Red highlights 1, was 68 minutes. Red highlights 2. was 50 minutes. I didn't keep track of anything else.

Further highlights, shading, matt varnish, gloss varnish and Tamiya Clear Red X-27 followed. Really happy with the final result, but I ummed and ahhed for quite along time over the 'value' in hobby points. 

The biggest spires are as big as an Imperial Knight but are they worth 20 points each? I figured the two of them were worth 20 points The medium ones are they 10 points each? If so they're effectively the same value as the big ones. I did think not to worry about it and it balances out only giving the big ones 20 points. But in the end I valued them at 5 points each and the small ones at 2 points each.

Add the 5 point Terrain bonus and the entire suite of towers was valued at 39 points. The MESBG terrain was 80 points [plus 5]. This does feel like half the amount of effort, maybe a little more... 🤷What do you think?

A Great Big Chrome Stamp of Approval adding to my spreadsheet this is worth 39 points [plus 5 bonus terrain points]. Therefore, this brings me up to 289 points for the season so far.

And against the white background. Probably could have done to add a Termagant in for scale but forgot.

'nids part 386 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - Chitin highlights 2

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. Honestly, I've been busy, although it has been somewhat tedious. There's not a huge amount to show because the highlights and dots are all done. I've been doing some other projects inbetween to avoid burnout, but I can't really share those yet. The Cerastus Knights do have hinged hatches though! I continued to keep track of how long it took me to paint the striations. 

• Big tower 1: striations 105 minutes + dots 55 minutes = 160 minutes
• Big tower 2: striations 113 minutes + dots 66 minutes = 179 minutes
• Medium tower 1: striations 64 minutes + dots 32 minutes = 96 minutes
• Medium tower 2: striations 48 minutes + dots 28 minutes = 76 minutes
• Medium tower 3: striations 59 minutes + dots 25 minutes = 84 minutes
• Small tower 1: striations 28 minutes + dots 20 minutes = 48 minutes
• Small tower 2:  striations 36 minutes + dots 22 minutes = 58 minutes

That's a grand total of 701 minutes, or 11 hours and 41 minutes on these 2nd highlights alone!  I then did the 2nd bone highlights with the big ones taking about 34 minutes, the medium 22 and the small 15. Another 179 minutes [3 hours]. 😳

But, there is only the red fleshy bits left to do now [plus matt and gloss varnishes]. You can already see I've put some thinned red between the chitin plates to look like it's raw between them. It also helps define each plate. I've also highlighted the red with both Vallejo Game Extra Opaque Heavy Red and then Mephiston Red. The stretched bit will be highlighted again up to white specular highlights similar to my Tyranid Void Shield Generator fleshy bits. Then the textured bit will have more shading added, which will be enhanced by the Tamiya Clear Red X-27. Nearly done, but you can see just how much effort it has taken.

'nids part 385 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - Chitin highlights 1

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. I kept track of how long it took me to paint the striations. 

The big towers were 123 and 132 minutes.

 A medium tower was 105 and a small one 42. 

Roughly 654 just short of 11 hours to do the lines! I also did the first highlight on all the spikes and the bonewhite Wraithbone chips on the base.

Then when I came to do the spots I decided not to bother keeping track and now I'm really annoyed with myself because that took far more time than I expected. It definitely would have been handy to know for the 2nd set of highlights. 

2nd highlights feel quicker as you can see where you going to put a spot or line. But, it actually requires you to be much neater and controlled. That way you don't completely cover the first stage work. Or else what's the point?

I've had 2nd stage sessions that have been much faster, the same or even taken longer, but a rough estimate is always handy. Second stage next and then maybe some very minor 3rd stage highlights, the red fleshy bits and 2nd stage bone. Lots to do on the Chitin, but then it feels like it's downhill from there.

'nids part 384 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - shade and BASE - TO DONE!

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on the 3D printed capillary towers. First up sepia washes, and you can see it has not gone well. My Vallejo dipping wash is behaving just like Seraphim Sepia. It's starting to do this more often now. But I was sure it wouldn't be a problem as the AP Strong Tone wash [Agrax colour] would cover the dried out powdery bits. Except I ran out of Strong Tone.

So my solution was to mix Dark Tone [black] with my sepia to give it the higher quality glossy finish. 

For the most part that worked. I was able to cover up most of the patchy bits.

But I definitely need to start making a list of paints I need as I keep forgetting. The I order something, throw in a few paints and then when it arrives I suddenly realise there were a couple more I needed. 

Oh, and I did the Red Planet BASE! 🔴 too.

Which secures me a Great Big Chrome 'BASE' Stamps of Approval.

'nids part 383 - Terrain is everything - 3D printed capillary towers - prime and basecolours

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer. I got these 3D printed capillary towers on the 6th September 2025, just 8 days after I published my TO LIST, at the time I talked about terrain and said:

I have some other 40k terrain to do which I would mention but as we don't play it seems misguided to allocate time and resource to it with so many other things [that equally we don't play with but y'know...?] to do.

And I think this was the terrain I wasn't planning to do, but here we are. As I look back at that list I realise how I have managed to ignore the vast majority of it and just do whatever the hell I want. But that is OK. It's only a guide afterall, but maybe I need to get back on track after these...

 I started with one of the medium sized towers. Primed it with Red Oxide and then used a yellow 'filler/primer' to try to smooth some of the print lines. But how drop dead gorgeous does that look? I think I need to invest in a yellow primer for when I do my Mechanicum.

Anyway, the print lines are still visible, apparently multiple coats of the filler/primer are more effective. But, I suspect this will be less noticeable when I do the actual aquamarine and turquoise striations as they will run in a different direction, causing a baffle effect 🤞

This is the first one. I know we just did Old Stuff Day but I can't help being reminded of Warhammer 39,999's own pre-dipping basecoats.

Anyway, they've all had Vallejo Game Extra Opaque Heavy Red on the fleshy bits. Bone colour on the bone bits and Bahama Blue craft acrylic on the chitin plates. Rest assured, this will be the 383rd time we have basecoated a project, and we have become exceedingly efficient at it

So  much so I got the rest [mostly] basecoated.

However, it was at this stage I started to lose my mojo. Having just got it back with pushing the Osgiliath Terrain over the line I couldn't face the Red Planet BASE! 🔴 Which is why I painted the Goblin Town goblin I shared yesterday. But that wasn't the only avoidance miniature. I had a few other things too that I used to distract me from getting these done.