What's On Your Table: To submit your work, please send up to 8 pics to natfka@live.com
I am submitting a What's On Your Table request for my newly completed Imperial Knight.
I have submitted 8 images, but the full album of images for this knight is available here, should you wish to use others. http://imgur.com/a/sbosP
Thunderhead is the second of three Imperial Knight Cerastus Freeblades. The first is Le Fer de Lance, seen here: http://imgur.com/a/BZ4Xp. The third is a work in progress.
Of the three knights I'm working on, Thunderhead represents the all-ranged variant and she is based in honour of the Imperial Guard. Thunderhead was an exercise in conversion, decals and painting. Thunderhead is built on a Cerastus Knight Castigator, but her Tempest Warblade has been swapped out for a Rapid Fire Battle Cannon from the standard Imperial Knight. This cannon was then modified with a belt-feed ammunition system made of discarded .22 LR casings and putty. The idea for the belt feed was shamelessly stolen from [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/29m8r1/grey_knights_imperial_knight_conversion_wip/).
On the painting and detailing side of things, I set a personal challenge to myself when planning Thunderhead. The challenge was, "Cover a ferocious, massive war machine in pink flowers and butterflies and make it work." I think I met that challenge. Thunderhead has a cherry blossom motif. She is painted in Naggaroth Night with a diagonal white accent inspired by the sort found on some Space Marine colour schemes. The white accent hosts the cherry blossom motif. White decals were placed onto purple sections of the armour so the purple sections don't appear too dull. The cherry blossoms and butterflies are all waterslide decals used in nail decoration, an idea shamelessly stolen from [here](https://www.reddit.com/r/Warhammer/comments/2w0z3t/imperial_knight_baroque_parade_armor/)
The base is a scene depicting an Imperial Guard infantry advance. Models were selected or assembled specifically for motion, action or otherwise fitting into the scene. The base was inspired by massed infantry assaults seen in WWI and WWII. The Death Korps of Krieg models lend themselves well to that era. Of particular note are the wounded soldier, bleeding on the ground and almost reaching out to the viewer and the broken soldier, huddled behind Thunderhead's left foot and unable to advance. Reference images for the base are located [here](http://imgur.com/a/djYIB)
The base is pine and was ordered from a carpenter, who made the base according to the size and specifications I prescribed, as well as staining it and finishing it. The plaque is aluminium and was made by a jewellery store that does custom engraving.
She is presently piloted by Lady Odessa de la Torre (Last of Her Name, Honoured Custodian, Mountainbreaker). Lady de la Torre is a roaming freeblade and the sole survivor of a destroyed house. Unlike many freeblades, she has not forsaken her old heraldry completely and retains the Half Tower icon of House de la Torre on her right shin. A single drop of blood has been placed in the heart of the tower representing the blood spilled by her house in service to the Imperium and her eternal duty as House de la Torre's last standing tower to honour the bloodshed of her family and safeguard their legacy.
Overall, I am extremely proud of Thunderhead. The decal work was imperfect, however. Some of the decals silvered slightly or have noticeable edges when looked at extremely closely, but this is unnoticeable at tabletop distance.
My goal with this 3 knight project is to build 3 Imperial Knights that are truly unique in model and base. Le Fer de Lance was the first, featuring a heraldric shield and I modified his Shock Lance with an axe head, effectively creating a Shock Halberd. Thunderhead joins in with her dual-ranged weapons, belt-feed ammunition system and scenic base. Despite the imperfections, I am proud down to the last footprint and bloodstain in the snow of this work.
L. Tao
