Pan Oceania Cutter and a Short Battle Report

Greetings all. This weekend I have begun a new commission, a Pan Oceania Cutter TAG. This TAG (Tactical Armored Gear) is a remote controlled war machine of the finest technology. Not only does the model have an impressive stat line; BS 15, 8 armor points, 3 structure points, but the model also comes equipped with Thermal Optical Camouflage, allowing it to go near-invisible at will (think the Predator's cloaking device on a 40k venerable dreadnought).

Here is the model primed with both black and white primer. I learned this technique of priming from Massive Voodoo and this is my first try at it. So far it is a success, allowing for bright colors and built-in shading. What you do is get a good coating of black primed to start with, then spray the white at an angle, as if from a light source. This also helps you visualize how you should highlight the model. You'll notice the dust-mask. I wish I had a better one. Respiratory illness is not my bag, baby. (yes, but out-of-date jokes from bad movies is).

Here I've blocked off my main colors. With new color-schemes that I am unfamiliar with, I like to block out my colors before going full force into shading, highlighting and detailing. This helps me visualize how the colors are going to interact across the model and where my spot color will be located. I've pretty much taken GW's Space Wolf color scheme and used it on this Pan Oceania Cutter. 

My next step is to work on the blue. It now needs to be shaded. I'll be mixing up Blue Wash with Badab Black or some other color for that. More to come. 

This week in gaming, I got to run my Yu Jing battlegroup against Lo Pan's Imperial Service Sectorial Army. You can see I've managed to get a lot painted, but there are a few models needing work. Of note is that cool unpainted, unprimed remote. That's a Su Jian Immediate Action Unit. A model capable of shape-shifting during the game between two forms; a spider-like crawler and an upright battlesuit-type model, each with its own strengths and weaknesses. 

Apparently my battlegroup's Lieutenant had been carrying some sensitive information that the emperor deemed too dangerous to go public and sent out his blood hounds; the Celestial Guard and Kuang Shi.  Of course the Celestial Guard aren't going to do any dirty work, the Kuang Shi are "recruited" for those such tasks. Here they are advancing on my position.  

There are a couple interesting things to see here. First off all is Lo Pan's great terrain pieces. Beautiful work! Second off look at all the mistakes I've made in deployment. Can you spot them? 

The Kuang Shi are approaching in a linked team. This provides them with the mobility needed to get right up to my models in one turn. Linked Teams are somewhat equivalent to giving your unit a transport in 40k, regarding the mobility it provides the unit. Unfortunately I've done two things wrong here. I've have deployed all my models bunched up in a nice and neat package for all those Kuang Shi chain rifles. Second, I have deployed zero models with any line of sight to get any AROs as the Kuang Shi approach. This gave Lo Pan the opportunity to advance his Kuang Shi unmolested in a linked team, then set them loose using their impetuous orders. Essentially I handed the game to Lo Pan on a silver platter. 

The only model in my Battle Group that had even marginal success was my Domaru Butai, as she managed to take out 2 Kuang shi before getting sniped on her attempt to take down a third. You can't see it here, rather appropriately, but there is a sniper in the ruins in the distance (upper center portion of the pic) that took her out with a single shot to the head. 

I capitulated when I only had 3 models left and shook Lo Pan's hand for a job well done.  Lo Pan did everything right, I did everything wrong. Lessons learned. Revenge will be had. That much I swear. The swords of the Domaru will not be sheathed for long.