Mephiston Reborn: WIP #1

Definitely a little late to the party, but getting around to putting paint on my Mephiston model. Really like the pose and style - modern version based on a very classic bit of artwork. 

I've had the little Mephiston box pretty much since it came out - working on the terminator librarian though has been a good nudge to do a couple more character models rather than plug on with more troops. 

The pieces are really very well designed, and there is a very fluid look to the model that was never quite captured by the 1995 version of Mephiston. Such a closely matched pose to the 2nd edition image - 

I am a little mixed about the modern trend towards scenic bases for character models though. I'd be perfectly fine to have parts included that let you do so, however having things like feet permanently attached to the scenic pieces kind of forces that choice - so getting the base to match the rest of your army might take some finesse.

In this particular case I'm mostly ok with it - the Baal detail is quite nice and the ruin pieces generally fit pretty well with the urban rubble that makes up the vast majority of my Blood Angels. 

The slice out of the skirt is a nice example of modern CAD designed models - getting those three dimensional curved edges perfectly aligned, so that the finished parts give an effect that could never be molded in 1 piece. 

I was tempted to paint most of the parts individually and assemble later, but it quickly became clear that there are certain joins (mainly in the cloth) that do really need some fillers/putty just to smooth out the joins. Liquid green stuff I still have limited success with - some Tamiya white putty is messy but more familiar.  

Also originally I was very keen to try and magnetise the right arm so that I could swap out the plasma pistol vs empty hand. The arm without the pistol though is notoriously difficult to clip into place, so I ended up just going with the permanent fix of the 'sniffing' finger. Feels like the better option given that pose is what was used for the black and white artwork of Mephiston done in the mid 90s. 

Similarly - the left arm with the sword would be easier to paint separate, but locking it into place before painting makes the join and putty much cleaner. 

Net result is 4 parts for painting - main model, base, head, backpack. Should still make a couple of those easier to access. 

On to priming - ignore the other Eldar parts getting done at the same time. All the model parts were done with vallejo black, while the base has a vallejo grey undercoat. This is followed by vallejo hull red primer on all but the most downward facing surfaces. Then a light dusting of vallejo grey to give a 'white' base for the red highlights. 

A couple of thin layers of Mephiston red air (obviously, this paint has to be used for the model...), and the base coats are basically done. While subtle, the grey undercoat helps lift the red highlights. 

Quite excited about starting to work through the rest - the details and unique decorations are different enough from the rest of the blood angels for it to feel fresh and interesting. 

More progress to come shortly.