Kelly Kim

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Salamanders Dreadnought (Anvill)

Not much to say about this mini. Somehow it managed to finish in the top 6 at the Canadian Golden Demons (needless to say, I was pleasantly suprised).

Posted: 4 Sep 2002

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7.7 /10 (281 Votes) 8.9k Views

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9 comments

T

TankJutsu

My abolute favorite part of this piece is the lenses on all of the sensors, rangefinders, etc. I feel like that was very well executed! That said, I am surprised this had success at a GD event. While the technical PAINTING level seems advanced enough, the composition and construction here seems amateurish. This is a totally acceptable piece from a clearly talented artist that I think could have done more given the level of skill and commitment obvious from the execution of the piece. Base - 3/10 The base is essentially standard (with a bit of embellishment in the form of grass) and doesn't chromatically add much emphasis or focus to the piece. I'd love to see this on a custom-made base, especially given the effort put into the hexagonal scale detail - I don't have any trouble believing a base that was invested with the same creative energy would be AWESOME. The strongest point is the colored rim which adds a bit of pop by repeating the main color. Model - 6.5/10 I know some people above mentioned the armaments not being Salamanders-specific, but while fluff is good I don't think it's something to take points away for in a situation where it isn't egregious or in violation of a rule in (or of the spirit of) an event. I'm willing to believe the Salamanders have all sorts of Dreadnought weapons - they make a lot of guns on Nocturne. My concern with this model is the posing - it's both centered and standard out of the box. With a few small modifications, the pose could have been more dynamic and conveyed a sense of movement to the unit. The arms could be given dynamism if they were canted to the side or turned inward/outward with a bit of greenstuff and some part trimming - this can show the Dread aiming at an enemy, walking, etc. There are, as others have stated, the gaps and mold lines that could have been given a little more love. Some traces of these slip past almost ANY modeller, but it's a good idea to address these in the most obvious areas where light will fall or where the viewer's eye is drawn. In tournament events these can frequently draw criticism from judges, although this piece seems to have stood the test during the GD. I often just omit the smoke launchers from Dreads because they suffer from some of the worst mold lines 40K has to offer. Painting 8/10 I feel like a lot of this might have been painted by hand, which is impressive. There are some good transitions and the washes have worked well. The hand-painted scales are clearly well-executed and a lot of work must have gone into placing and planning them. Avoiding symmetry in their placement makes these seem so natural and "organic" - much like real scales. Painting skill is great here. I would have liked to see a little more work on the metallics - they look like GW standard paints without much embellishment. They could use some grime to make them seem like they're really part of the hardworking machinery on a piece of front line military hardware. An airbrushed varnish coat would have unified the finish of the armor, but of course this would have to go on before applying metallics so as not to dull them. I think some more attention to chips, damage, scratches, etc. would have given the Dread more character. A bit of primer showing through here and a bit of lighter paint exposed by chipping there can add a lot of distinction to a piece. Transfers & Other Added Details 2/10 The decals are sort of "out of the box." I think others have noticed this, too. I would recommend applying decals to a varnished model and then using the two-part Micro Sol and Micro Set solution from Microscale Industries, this both makes the decal HUG the armor but also greatly reduces the appearance of that pesky film around the insignia. There are a few other companies that sell something similar, and I have even heard of a vinegar method to achieve a comparable result. There really aren't any other major added details on this piece, base or model. I would have liked to see something added to the kit to give it a unique appearance that makes it distinct from any other dreadnought out of the box.

22 Apr 2019 • Vote: 5

C

Coyote

I don't think noxious' comments are overly harsh. Cleaning mold lines and filling gaps requires no skill. Should have been done, no excuses (especially for a Golden Demon Entry) Also, prior to applying decals give the model a gloss coat (glossiest paint you can find) apply decals, then matt coat. It will stop the silvering of the decals (but then, even GW doesn't do that on their miniatures) I bet those two points would have put you in the top 3 for GD. 7 for the mold lines, otherwise 8.

8 Feb 2003 • Vote: 7

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