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Wow. Fantastic as always. Been following the blog a long time youre one of the guys whose work got me back into building models. Keep up the awesomeness.

Love the hand prints, mate. They really add some character to the model. Could we get a picture of the knight standing with some PA marines? It would be nice to get a sense of scale for the model.

I've said it before and I'll say it again. I love, love, LOVE this knight! Perfectly fits the World Eaters theme to me, and fits with the hunters in the rest of the army. The bloody handprints look absolutely perfect, and bring the knight and the Eaters together in a way that only that can, if you get what I mean.

The pilot is outstanding. Gona have to look back to see how you went about building the chair in. Want to do a similar thing myself. Good idea with the hand prints, maybe if you had more time you could have made a curved stamp. Are you gona hand print all vehicles?

Cheers for the positive feedback, guys!

@ Freytag93: I'll be doing some detail shots of the Knight soon, among them some scale comparison pictures, I expect. Just watch this space

@ tipios: While the bloody handprints would certainly be a nice fit for any World Eaters vehicle, I think I'll keep it limited to the Knight. Because, in this case, it's really a part of his backstory, and extending the effect to other models in the army would lessen that narrative touch, if you know what I mean.

Love all the little details. They add a lot of character to an already unique model. And I’m not tired of seeing pics of it (although I do also enjoy your other work). If I ever get tired of looking at work like this, someone take me out back and shoot me; I’m already dead inside.

Keep it up, amazing work here.

Interesting idea with the hand stamp, bummer it didn't work as well as intended. I think the hand done final effect looks solid though.

Cheers, guys!


So, the last round of pictures basically showed the finished model, as there was only some minor cleanup work to do after that. So today, let me provide you with another round of pictures that will mainly show you some detail views of the Knight.

Before that, here's a look at the whole model again. I give you Gilgamesh, the Warrior King, the Twice-Consecrated, Son of the Ember Queen, the 4th assault company’s very own Knight Titan:





It probably won’t surprise you that I am just immensely happy with this model right now: It has been quite a journey, but in the end I ended up accomplishing pretty much all that I had set out to do with this model, and all without cutting any corners, which is no small feat for me Oh, and the fact that the start to painting the model was rather bumpy and almost made me abandon the piece in frustration makes this success all the sweeter now!

So let’s take a closer look at some of the detail, because that’s really the fun part with a model of this size: To add stuff that may not be immediately noticeable but that hints at the machine’s backstory and long years of service. Again, most of you will already be familiar with most of these details, but please bear with me here — I am just really proud of the model right now:

The Knight proudly displays the heraldry of the XII Legion Astartes, be it on the heraldic plate…



(I did clean up the legion badge a bit. It's subtle, but I think the design works better for it)

...…or on its right shoulder pad:



In the latter case, the legion badge is supplemented by the Legion and company number, respectively. The other shoulder pad, meanwhile, shows a massive brazen icon of the Blood God, chained into place in the gladiatorial style of the legion and decorated in many smaller totems and icons:



On to the next area I would like to showcase: While you have already seen the look at the pilot through the top hatch, it bears mentioning that I have left the entire top carapace detachable, so let us take a closer look, shall we?



The carapace can be taken of with a bit of fiddling and will also reliably snap back into place, so it seemed like a no brainer not to glue it in. So we can get a better look at the cockpit. Like so:



And here’s a view from the top, showing both the cockpit and engine compartment:



And a side view, showing the construction below it all:



In this picture you can also make out the piece of sprue I have used to keep the joint at the waist flexible. And here’s a look at the monitor banks showing vital battlefield information to the Baron:



All of this has been kitbashed from different vehicle bitz and some plasticard, but I think I’ve managed to combine it into a rather cohesive whole. What’s more, the design even resembles Forgeworld’s “official” Knight interiors released for the Cerastus Knight variants — no small feat when you consider that those versions weren’t even available yet when I started converting my own Knight.

In addition to the top carapace, the shoulder pads and arms have also been left detachable, so the entire Knight can be disassembled fairly thoroughly. Take a look:



Since all of the parts lock into place fairly reliably without glue, there was really no point to attaching them permanently. Plus the weapons can be properly aligned and turned towards the enemy during games. Oh, and I am also free to maybe build an alternate pair of weapon arms for the Knight one of these days…



Before I started working on the Knight, the biggest conversion I had ever tackled was my Wargrinder, a custom Dreadknight conversion. And while I am still very proud of this model, it does look almost puny when placed next to its bigger brother. Take a look:



Quite a difference, eh? Speaking of which, the picture also shows that the red used on my Knight noticeably differs from the red used on the rest of my World Eaters. While I would have loved the colours to be the same, I ultimately had to make this decision because my World Eaters colour scheme relies on the – now OOP – GW Blood Red, and my reserves of this colour would never have sufficed to paint a model of this size to a standard I was happy with. In the end, I chose to make the Knight the best it could possibly be — at the price of a bit of visual coherency. But when all is said and done, I think it’s a difference I can easily live with: The model still looks like it belongs with the rest of the army, and a Knight Titan is really different enough from an Astartes vehicle or daemon engine to warrant a bit of visual divergence.

Oh, and while we are on the subject of scale comparisons, here’s a picture showing a power armoured World Eater, a Terminator, a Dreadnought, the Wargrinder and the Chaos Knight, just to put the scale in perspective:



All in all, this has been an absolutely fantastic project for me, because it has really taught me so much, both about big models, but also about giving a model the time it deserves in order to really make it shine. What’s more, this Chaos Knight really turned into a bit of a community project somewhere along the way, as the feedback I received here and on forums like Dakka, The B&C or The Ammobunker really provided immensely helpful advice and helped me to stay focused whenever there was a danger of slacking off

If I have to name on source of inspirations above all others, it would have to be JeffTibbett’s brilliant Freeblade, the “Queen Bee”, though: Jeff’s work really taught me a new way of looking at a Knight and how to do justice to one of this ancient, hallowed warmachines. So thanks a lot to all those who provided valuable feedback and cheers to you, Jeff!

So, anything else? Well, speaking of the amount of history behind Knights, we cannot possibly wind up this post without taking a look at the history of this particular machine and its pilot, can we? So here’s what I’ve come up with for the two:



Baron Augustus Melchiah Harrowthorne

Knight Baron Harrowthorne was the leader of the honourable Covenant of Paladins, an alliance of knight households formed to defend a forgeworld in the eastern fringe. While several of the other powerful houses were forever planning and plotting to engineer their own rise to power, Harrowthorne’s honour and purity cemented his position as the Covenant’s leader, and his ancestral fortress, the Harrowspyke, remained the seat of government of his knight world.

When the world came under heavy attack from an Ork invasion, an expeditionary fleet made up of elements of the XIIth and XVIIth Legion Astartes arrived in the nick of time, supporting the Covenant of Paladins and routing the xenos attack force. With the world saved, Baron Harrowthorne felt honour-bound to not only pledge allegiance to the Imperium of Man, but also to join the expeditionary fleet himself as a representative of the Covenant, in order to pay back the debt of honour he owed the Legiones Astartes.

Harrowthorne fought alongside the XIIth legion during the latter Great Crusade and was still attached to the World Eaters when the Horus Heresy broke out. The events at Isstvan made him realise that the Warmaster’s forces were now considered heretics and traitors by the rest of the Imperium. To distance himself from them would have been the most prudent course of action, and possibly the only way of preventing his own knight world from being purged by the loyalists. But Harrowthorne still felt indebted to the legion that had saved him.

Harrowthorne came up with the only compromise that would keep both his knight world and his own honour intact: He stepped down from his position as head of his household and leader of the Covenant of Paladins. He would remain with the the Astartes of the XIIth legion, to whom he still felt indebted. He also sent word to his sons to fight him and bring him to justice, should he ever return to his homeworld, for he was to be considered a traitor.

As prudent and honourable as this course of action had been, it did not work out: Word was sent by astropath that Harrowthorne’s whole household had been wiped out by the rivaling nobles. The Harrowspyke had been razed to the ground, and Harrowthorne’s two sons had been shot dead in sight of the smouldering ruins, without even a chance to prove their honour in a knightly duel.

Harrowthorne was beside himself with grief and self-hatred, when Lord Captain Lorimar of the 4th assault company approached him: Lorimar proposed to accompany the Knight Baron to his homeworld, where he would have his revenge. His debt of honour, Lorimar argued, went both ways, and the World Eaters would not forget Harrowthorne’s brave service at their side.

The Covenant of Paladins may have been a formidable force, but it was all but powerless against the wrath of an entire assault company of World Eaters: The 4th fell onto the world like a pack of wolves falls upon its prey. With Harrowthorne leading the assault, all the noble houses that had engineered his downfall were wiped out. The leader of the conspiracy was shot in the head with a mere service pistol on the plains surrounding his smouldering keep, denied the courtly respect that he himself had denied Harrowthorne’s sons.

Afterwards, Harrowthorne felt nothing but a great emptiness. But Lorimar approached the Knight Baron and offered him a chance at revenge even beyond his own homeworld: Once again, the Baron and the World Eaters would be united by a common goal: Terra must burn!



Gilgamesh, the Warrior King, the Twice-Consecrated, Son of the Ember Queen

Harrowthorne’s ancient Knight Titan has become a sight to be feared on battlefields across the galaxy. Its baroque form towers over the ranks of World Eaters marching to war alongside it, and seems like an avatar of the Blood God given form, clad in monstrous, barbed plate of arterial red and darkened brass. No traces of House Harrowthorne’s original heraldry remain on Gilgamesh’s body, as the Knight has been repainted and re-consecrated to mirror the post-heresy heraldry of the XII Legion Astartes – proof of the Baron’s honorary membership in the legion.

Trophies and totems cover the machine’s form, and battle honours from its ten millennia of service alongside the World Eaters are still displayed proudly on banners and armour plates: the details of bloody campaigns on Jubal, Badlanding, Armatura and countless other worlds. The badge of the Legio Audax, commemorating the day when Gilgamesh was named “Son of the Ember Queen” by the Legio’s Princeps Ultima. And, of course, the bloody handprints adorning the Knight’s shin armour, placed there before every battle by the legionaries of the 4th, both as an oath of moment and a good luck charm.

Gilgamesh’s metallic form houses a particularly vicious and spiteful machine spirit, driven to anguish over the fall of House Harrowthorne just like its master. In communion, man and machine now turn their cold fury towards the enemies of the 4th assault company, and few can stand before the wrath of the Warrior King and live to tell the tale…


So, when all is said and done, I hope you like this detailed view at my Chaos Knight. I’ll be honest: I cannot take my eyes off the model right now, as I really consider it one of my biggest hobby achievements so far. Getting to the point where I actually have the skillset necessary to tackle a model like this and end up with a result I am happy with has been quite a journey indeed!

So anyway, I’d love to hear any feedback you might have on Gilgamesh and the Baron — and, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

I must say krautscientist, beautiful work. The background for both man and machine is perfect for the model. Can't wait for what you do next.

All 5 models are fantastic. Can't wait to get my hand on an Imperial Knight. Great back story too. Love the side cut out view of the Knight. Have you magnetized the sides? And final picture of the knight is epic!!

 KrautScientist wrote:
Oh, and while we are on the subject of scale comparisons, here’s a picture showing a power armoured World Eater, a Terminator, a Dreadnought, the Wargrinder and the Chaos Knight, just to put the scale in perspective:

*a single black tear wells up then runs down his helm's faceplate, tracing its way through millennia of gore and grime*

Beautiful work KS, you never cease to impress

- Salvage

Absolutely ridiculous. Taking a really boring model and making it into that monstrosity of awesomeness is truly inspiring. Keep them coming please! Really impressive.

After such a fuzzy start, seeing him in all his glory is truly breath taking

It's always nice to see a long term project get finished to such a high standard, Awesome work .

Pardon me while I go pick my jaw up off the floor

Holy moly. That Knight is a wonderful piece of the work. The pilot is so characterful.

D

Absolute inspiration there KS. Wonderful work as ever.

Thanks so much for the kind words, everyone! As you might have guessed, this has been a rather massive undertaking, and it's great to see that people like the finished model and the background I have come up with to accompany it!

@ tipios: The torso was glued together as usual, but I've left one of the side panels unglued, so I can still access the interior of the torso whenever I need to. There's no need for magnetising, either: The panel will reliably snap into place (although it does take a bit of fiddling to pry it loose and get it back into position again), and the top carapace plate locks everything in place.

Glad to see the big guy done at last! Looks fantastic - my favorite part is still the chest armor. Awesome bits-work.

Brilliant stuff. Inspires me to break out the Titans again.

Again, thanks a lot, guys!

Kraut, as good as your models are (which are really really good), I have to say what blows me away the most is your ability to write compelling backgrounds for all your models. You add so much to each model by giving it a reason to be in your army: its not just a model but a member of the company. The knight is just a great example of this. Keep working and keep writing, mate

EDIT: Also, I like the statue on the base. To me, the face echos the face of the baron (probably cause of the shared scar), giving a contrast to his fallen honor.

Thanks, mate! I suppose this is very much a result of my dabbling in INQ28: I tend to see models as characters first, playing pieces second. Maybe the fact that I do so little actual playing also has something to do with it

But seriously, I think that imagining models as characters and trying to tie them into the backstory of your army is one of the best parts of the hobby, and I am doing it for all of my projects these days -- there just seems to be a bigger way of narrative (and visual) coherence that way.

As for your observation regarding the base: That's brilliant! The effect was completely coincidental, but you are absolutely right, of course: You've got to love it when people notice stuff about your models that you didn't even (consciously) put there in the first place!


In other news, I felt I still have to tie up some loose ends regarding my Chaos Knight.

The first of those loose ends was to paint the alternate weapon option: I've left the gun barrels exchangeable, so all I needed to do was to get some paint on the Thermal Cannon muzzle in order to make my Knight useable as either a Paladin or Errant:







To be fair, though, it's a fairly lazy version of this particular conversion, because it doesn't extend to the tanks on the side of the weapons and is limited to the actual barrel of the gun:



While I did want to have the extra option, I far prefer the long-barrelled gun from a visual standpoint, and it's also very much a visual part of my Chaos Knight, so I went the easy route for once. I did some minor conversion work, however, in order to bring the look of the thermal cannon in line with the warlike, spiky look of the rest of the model:



As always, let me know what you think!

Looks great. The one (minor) thing that I noticed was the amount of weathering. The hook hanging under the barrel seems a bit to shiny. The top plate on the end is also in a spot that should see a lot of heat stress, and it looks to be in pretty good shape.

It is just great to see your Knight finished KS, and to such a high standard that is. Now since I'm a little late to the party, let me just say that (appart from being totally awesome) I like two qualities of the model very much:
first, the new red (wich imho seems a bit better than the old one at least as seen on your pictures) and
second the fact that so many parts are detachable both making the knight more versatile to further options and givng us (those who don't already own one) such a good insight into the possibilities of the kit.
Great job mate

Must say that looks totally amazing, I think you have just the right amount of spikes so its not over the top.

Looking forward to the Ember Queen now

 GiraffeX wrote:
Must say that looks totally amazing, I think you have just the right amount of spikes so its not over the top.

Looking forward to the Ember Queen now

Did someone say ember?

Thanks a lot for the kind words, guys!

@ Nevelon: You raise an excellent point, and I'll admit the area was a bit of a compromise: I did want that armour plate to resemble the other amour plates fairly closesly, which is why I've kept it cleaner than it should be. Your observation has made me add some weathering to the front half of the plate, though, in order to show some wear and tear and make it look more blackened. The hook dangling from the weapon will probably stay that way, though: The point where it's attached was weathered along with the rest of the weapon muzzle, but I thought the hook itself was probably far enough away from the nuzzle to remain unaffected by at least some of the heat...?

@ Legio Ultra: Cheers, I really appreciate it! I wouldn't want the rest of my World Eaters in the same red, though: It works wonderfully for the Knight, but I prefer the slightly rustier, more sinister tone for the infantry models -- it just suits their character better, if you ask me. As for the detachable parts, I think it's really a big advantage of the kit that the arms, shoulder pads and top carapace can be locked into place fairly reliably without a drop of glue!

@ GiraffeX & Kepora: Just to clarify, the Ember Queen wasn't invented by me but is rather a named "character" from the HH novel Betrayer: She's the lead titan of the Legio Audax, a Titan Legio coposed entirely of Warhound Titans that fought alongside the World Eaters during the Heresy. Now, the bad news is that I have zero ambition to tackle a Warhound Titan at any point in the foreseeable future -- sorry The good news, on the other hand, is that fellow World Eater extraordinaire poom has got you covered.

Thanks for the link I ended up reading all of the blog, very cool stuff there.

It all looks so beautiful. Your dramatic backgrounds are great too.