So, we’ve got about 4/5 of a solid Baneblade here. More than enough that any loyalists in the audience could continue on their own if they liked. There’s a great Fortress of Arrogance here with just a few more details. Ork players could probably make a decent Skullhamma from this point, too. And if you’re of a similar Chaos mindset, you could even just make a traitor-legion Baneblade.
I, however, am bowing to Papa Nurgle.
And for you purists out there (you know who you are) I so desperately wanted this to be Part VII, but there was just too much work to do.
So, one of the first bits I worked on was the armor plates and side hatches. These were one of the first things I cut out and could’ve been attached months ago. Alas, I’ve been planning this little bait-and-switch (bait-and-infect?) all along, so I held off as long as possible.
You’ll notice that a lot of them have a corroded look to them. I did this the same way I did on the Nurgle Defiler, by using two different sizes of hole punch (1/8” and 1/16”). On two of the key ones, I even used the 1/4” punch to work a Nurgle icon into the rust and decay.
I did these holes on both the side hatch and the plate beneath it. This gave the corrosion some real depth and made it look like it was sinking in. If I’d done this from the very start, I might’ve put a hole or two into the tread guards to make it really deep. I’m happy with how it turned out, thought.
I also did a little decay on the armor plates around the turret base. I didn’t do anything too elaborate, though, because I knew the pus cannon would dominate this area of the model. I wanted it to look good, but I also knew it wasn’t what people would be looking at. There is one more Nurgle icon worked in there, though.
One of the big features on the Plaguereaper are the two vats behind the sponsons. I got the idea for these back when I was building the shaft for the main turret. It struck me that if the scores were all done on the same side, I’d get a closed tip. Not only will this make nice vats, it’s got me thinking of another big project you’ll probably see a few weeks from now...
But, sticking with the Plaguereaper for now...
I cut a piece of card 5 5/8” wide by 4 1/2” high. Then I made a series of scores on it 5/8” apart, parallel to the short side, so when it’s done I had a piece of card with nine sections measuring 5/8” wide by 4 1/2” long. Then I cut the whole thing in half down the center, giving me two pieces 5 5/8” wide and 2 1/4” tall.
I drew a line across each card 1” from the top and then marked and measured the center of each section (5/16”). Then I used my straight edge to cut that top inch of each section into a “spike”.
Helpful Hint—Don’t bother with that last 5/8 section. That’s going to be the tab, so the top 1” is getting cut off altogether and the bottom will get the edges cut.
Another Helpful Hint—As you cut, you’ll end up with a bunch of triangles that are scored down the middle. Hang onto those.
Once this was all set I scored the horizontal line that was the base of the triangles and folded everything. The cylinder section came together as normal. I glued the spikes together two at a time, and used the scored triangles on the inside to help connect them. The score goes on the seam between the two spikes, and I could just reach in with a finger and press them together.
Now, when the spikes were together in four set of two, I took the remaining scored triangles and cut off their corners. I used these on the outside of the vat to hold the sections together. Their irregular shapes made them look like great scrap-metal patches on the tank, and a few paper rivets helped, too. At this point I also added a few bands around the cylinder section and put rivets on those as well.
This is Important—I’d already picked one face to be the “back’ of the vat—the side that would attach to the track guard behind the sponson. I didn’t put any detail on this face. It wouldn’t get seen and it would just make it difficult to attach the vat.
I also traced the top of each vat onto a piece of card and cut out an octagon to drop down inside. This gave me a surface to build body parts, goop, and so on with. I was really generous with the white glue on these, especially around the edge, so I know I got a sealed surface. Finishing this will be one of the last things I work on.
A few well-placed triangles gave a Chaos slant to a lot of the armor trim. Again, this is what I did on the Defiler to give it a bit more detail. And, yes, there are about a hundred more rivets on the model at this point. I also put another Nurgle icon on the engine block, in that conspicuously blank space where the Mechanicus shrine would normally go.
Now, I’m afraid I have to deviate slightly from the all-cardboard nature of this project to build the Pus Cannon. It’s going to need a bit of green stuff, which also means I need to get some green stuff. And an extension cord. Possibly a Nurgling or three. So, please stop by in a few days to see the last of the Plaguereaper.
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