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This model is a Space Marine Dreadnought of the Ultramarines Chapter. Manufactured by Games Workshop, this highly detailed kit is meant to be used as a playing piece for their Warhammer 40,000 wargaming system. Though I have not yet played a game, I have found the newer 3rd and 4th edition figures to have excellent design and high quality in their own right. The metal pieces are a bit heavy on this figure, but the joints are placed in such a way as to make simple applications of super glue sufficient to hold the bits together (at least, for modeling purposes. Regular use as a game piece might require the builder to use small pins to reinforce the attatchment points).
The kit itself contained about 11 well cast white metal pieces and various banners and chapter marking decals. Since I had already put together a small squad of Ultramarines, I chose to stick with their particular paint scheme. I used Games Workshop's Citadel paints for the dreadnought, first spraying on a primer coat of gray, followed by a coat of Ultramarines Blue. A wash of blue ink added depth to the corners and panel lines. The sarcophagus in the center of the torso was painted red, and anything black or metal was painted black. Using darkened red ink, I gave the sarcophagus a light wash. The metal pieces were then painted Boltgun Metal with highlights of Chainmail Silver. Hoses and cables which had been painted black earlier were now painted red, green, and yellow, while the leg cables were drybrushed with red and Boltgun Metal.
Additional detail was added at this stage to further flesh out the Power Claw and attached Storm Bolter, as well as the Auto-Cannon on the right arm. The ammo feed to the auto-cannon was painted black, then given light gray highlights along the corners of each segment. The Power Claw was painted with Boltgun Metal with Silver highlights, as was the Storm Bolter. The skulls adorning the Dreadnought were painted a white with a touch of Leather brown, then given a diluted brown ink wash. A touch of black ink in the eye sockets added more depth. A mix of yellow and white was used for highlights, with pure white used on the details in highest relief.
The same general technique of 1. Base-coat 2. Ink wash 3. Highlight was used for each of the main colors (black, blue, metal, and red) and assemblies for the remaining steps of construction.
I chose the Ultramarines banner from the three provided in the kit. It is a fold over self adhesive sticker with a pre-printed image on one side. I looped it over the cross-bar of the pole on the Dreadnought's back, and carefully aligned the corners before adhering one side to the other. If you've ever pulled a lenght of tape from a dispenser which has then folded over on itself, sticky side to sticky side...you'll have an idea how tricky this step can be.
The rest of the markings are waterslide decals, and went on the surface of the Dreadnought without a hitch. The game books and manuals have great illustrations which I used as reference for this project. The unit numbering on my dreadnought is probably inaccurate for an active gaming piece, but was good enough for a display piece. This big fella would most likely be found fighting side by side with my Ultramarines Chaplain
