#MonsterMarch3 Week One progress. Assembly!

Welcome to my first update for #MonsterMarch3.  For this challenge, I did not have an assembled model, so I'm following the program and using week 1 for assembly.  The Adeptus Titanicus Warlord kit is a lot of fun to assemble.  Following along with the instructions, I started with the leg assembly.

To add an element of motion to the engine, I'm posing it stepping onto (and cracking) a rocky out cropping as it strides forward. The cork is only loosely placed at this point to provide enough area to get the legs posed well.  I'll clean up and glue down the cork so it resembles a landscape cracked by the weight of the engine as it stomps down.

The assembly is stock otherwise.  It's cool how easy the legs are to pose.  Great set up for the knees combined with the ball joints at the ankles and hips. While the glue dried on the legs, I set to the torso. All armor panels are left off for painting and I won't glue the waist until much later after the painting is well underway.  These models are small enough that I chose not to magnetize their waists.

Speaking of magnets, this model was designed to accommodate them in the shoulders and carapace weapon mounts. Very cool.  I chose to drill the magnet holes a smidgen deeper to accommodate the 2mm thick  magnets I had - I also wanted the slightly larger magnets for better hold. The supplied sockets fit a 1mm thick round magnet.  I don't recall the diameter, but you can find that info easily online with a simple search,

The upper arms will click in with these magnets.

The Carapace weapons will set down on these magnets.

The upper arms have a socket as well as the shoulder mounts for the other side of that magnets.  Make sure to keep good track of your polarities!

Upper arms with magnets installed.  

Right volcano canon assembled with shoulder

Left volcano canon assembled with shoulder

Last up, magnets were glued into the carapace apocalypse missile launchers.  I use 2-part 5-minute  epoxy for this, but super glue could work as well.  I find epoxy a more flexible and "sticky" bond with the magnets.  I've used superglue as well, and it works, but the bonds are brittle and occasionally a magnet will pop free.  So far, I've not have that issue with epoxy.

Magnet glue into an apocalypse missile launcher.

 And now, for the grand reveal, we have the Warlord assembled (mostly) and striding forward with purpose.

The armor and head bits are still on sprue.  I'll start the painting there using an airbrush.  Then I'll assemble those bits later on in the project.  Next up, the base will get finalized and priming will begin.  That should round out week 1.  I'm still considering names for my Tempestus titans.  This beauty will need a name before the challenge is complete!

Best of luck to all the fellow challengers for #MonsterMarch3.  And even if you aren't participating, best of luck with whatever you are working on.

Cheers and Happy Gaming!