Mechwarrior Online Davion Guards Centurion and Dragon

It's great to see these finished after such a long time span. They are going to look great as a lance next to my ELH lance.

First is the 1/60 scale Centurion he's the most advanced of my builds numerous small parts and joints as well as different variant options go into making this model look as close to the MWO original as possible. It was a pleasure to paint I think he really suits the Guards scheme. The pose was at ease stance i felt this looked the best. He has the same magnetics in the barrels as the PGI model to allow quick changes.

Mechwarrior Online - Centurion
mwomercs.com
Scale: 1/60
Size: 17cm tall (to main mass)
Articulation free: Elbows, shoulders, waist
Articulation glued: Ankles, Knees, Hips

Following on is the MWO 1/60 scale Dragon. Here he is shown with a UAC5 barrel this can be swapped for the AC barrel. This model needed more prep than the centurion as the printing process wasn't as good. I did this and based coated it before putting it aside so I could paint the centurion and him as the same time. I'm most please with the dragons mouth. I painted something similar on the PGI version but for there's I stuck to their artwork. On mine I had more free rain and added more shading and an outline. I chose a striding stance to show off how much articulation you can get with my models and how stable they are.

Mechwarrior Online - Dragon
mwomercs.com
Scale: 1/60
Size: 19.5cm tall (to main mass)
Articulation free: Elbows, shoulders waist
Articulation glued: Ankles, Knees, Hips

And here we have the full guards lance ready to deploy;

Thoughts;
- I'm still searching for that perfect 3D printing process I still want to move to plastic injection.
- I wish I hadn't made a custom mix blue for these guys its a grey blue and boy was it a pita mixing it to match. But there isnt many off the self grey shades.
- I'm really pleased with the guards scheme it pops nicely without over whelming the details and to me screams Battletech!!
- Whats next, not sure I have some old armorcast models in boxes maybe paint them in the style of the B'tech cartoon.

Quick update

It looks like I've finished painting the dragon and the cent I'm just waiting on the kristal klear to dry its like a thick gloss varnish PVA glue mix that dries clear giving more depth to the lenses (google its many modelling uses).

I've ordered a some 1mx1.5m canvas background because up until now I've been using my over size mouse mat as a photographic back ground and its just two small to work comfortably with. The new one will be plenty big enough to take a lance photo of my guards all together. Once it arrives I'll get some nice photos done.

More guards

So both mechs have been shaded and highlighted. The legs have been glued (2 part epoxy) I'll leave the glue 24hrs to cure to full hardest. I found it feels strong after about an hour but still comes apart/weaken if knocked, while after a week the resin will break before the glue. 

Tomorrow I'll add weathering this amounts to shades of sepia one all over coat (to tone all the colours together) and then small drips and runs will be added.

After that I need to make the aerials and rails. I'll paint the aerials black and the rails I'll give a rusted out look.

Then black is added to lenses, inside barrels, vents and the cockpit. Jewel all the lasers and cockpits and that's the painting done ready for a final clear coat and gloss for the glassy bits.

Excited to see my 2nd lances worth of mechs coming together.

Some more guards progress

All grimed up and shaded. Highlights next and then weathering. I still have to make the rails and aerials but I left that to last as they tend to get lost and or broken same goes for the missile flaps. Dragon is still being grimed up atm.

And a boring photo of the stencils I made;

cut to size the smaller one is for the shoulder of the dragon (bigger one goes on the thigh). I use a mix of scalpel and small curved scissors. For very curvy shapes I cut into the letter with the scissors then heal the cut with masking tape. The cut also allows you to work the paper without fear of ripping it.

Stencil work done

I've finished up the stencil work which takes me on to weathering.

All my stencils are hand cut, I don't use decals because at this scale decals look obvious, they don't like to  conform to the model closely enough. With the stencils you get a little over spray (which looks nice imo), you can weather them back, and run them around corners which I think adds to the realism of the model.

Dragons - "Their GGGGggrreat!"

I think I'll thicken up the black out line some, just deciding if I'll use a wash or paint to do it. I'll sleep on it and decide tomorrow.

Weathering 2 models at a time is going to take a while I'm not in a rush so I'll try to do a few sections per day hopefully will be done in a week or two. Then that's all the big jobs done and its on to painting in details.