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Erm….

Two more Mastodons, 8 Araknae, 2 Fire Raptors, 1 Thunderhawk, 8 Saturnine Dreadnoughts, 12 Saturnine Terminators and 4 Saturnine Command.

Then it’s back to the beginning of the pile for The Dreaded Reddening.

That will then be all of this lot done. At which point? I start on the four sets of Astartes Infantry.

Probably only relevant for some of this wave, Doc, but how are you basing your LI forces?

That’s a good question!

I’ll need to revisit my 2024 blog, as that’s where I wrote it down. Thank you for reminding me!

Gimme a sec.



Mechanicus Standard Greg base, Army Painter Castle Grey stippled. Celestra Gret stippled. Thin Agrax wash.

Day 28, 28th January

Second pair of Mastodons done. Well. Done to that stage.

Nice progress!

Get that third cabinet all ready!

It’s ordered! Arriving on 3rd February. Which means by then? I need to have extracted digit and shifted the remaining gubbins to the tip.

Which I’ll probably do Friday on my lunch break. Saturday is busy, as day time I’m going to GW to spend enough to get that free model, then get my hair and beard dyed again. Evening time I’ve got Nephloof. So…it’s gonna be a day time hobby session Saturday. Nephloof is a lovely lad, but not sure the hobby grotto is quite the right place for him on his eternal hunt for that second braincell.

Day 29, 29th January 2026

No painting or building today, instead I’m having an early night, and will be reading the lore included in 500 Worlds, Titus

Day 30, 30th January 2026

In the home stretch. Metallics on the Saturnine Dreads, and Araknae platforms.

Do wish I’d done the Missiles grey, but too late now.

Was reading the "500 Worlds: Titus" lore worth it, Doc?

Yeah. Haven’t finished it yet, up to pp44. It fleshes out some nice Necron lore, and I think it’s setting up a theatre of war, rather than being a beginning to end affair. Like, this is going to take in-universe decades to achieve,

Has there been any great revelations or amazing insights?
(I’ve not bought the 500 and don’t plan to so don’t worry about spoiling anything on my behalf!)

Not so far, but I’ve enjoyed reading about the Nekresor. It’s actually kinda horrifying that its legions will forcibly convert other Necrons into Destroyers.

Day 31, 31st January 2026

It begins! The Dreaded Reddening!

At once the most satisfying and irritating phase. Because whilst it really makes the models pop? The first cost always, always looks crap. And you have to be super neat with placement.

Ah yes, the dreaded trim/detail precision challenge...

looking good and cranking them out!

Day 32, 1st February 2026

MOAR REDDENING!!

Will need a touch up here and there, but happier with my progress this week.




Automatically Appended Next Post:

Vejut wrote:
Ah yes, the dreaded trim/detail precision challenge...

looking good and cranking them out!

Thank you

This is a pretty quick process, but sometimes that red just will not behave itself.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 Dysartes wrote:
Was reading the "500 Worlds: Titus" lore worth it, Doc?

Sorry for late response. But..yes. Absolutely.

Various seeds sown, including a possible return to something approaching the original Necron lore. Kinda. Ish.

Day 33, 2 February 2026



R.E.D….and that’s the champion door knockers done in the base red.

Day 34, 3rd February 2026

Reddening some Landraiders, and the first Typhon.

Happy with the spot colour placements here.

Great work MDG, nice pop of colour on the LRs.

Thank you. Whilst easy enough to paint with a brush in good condition, the placement is tricky.

I try to pick out areas which help show off the shape of the thing, without overwhelming the Legion’s primary colour.

Sometimes it’s easy. What works on a Rhino APC will work on any Rhino chassis variant. Likewise, all missile racks get some red on their housing,

Landraiders and Spartan Chassis variants are, typically, close enough to one another for the same placement, but the larger the chassis, the more noodly details I want to bring out on the hull and sides.

Day 35, 4th February 2026

Good bit of progress today. Basecoat Reddening on the Typhons, Cerberus, Ascalon and Falcions.




Automatically Appended Next Post:
Edit - I’m aware the Falchions, and to a lesser degree Cerberus look imbalanced right now, what with the Massive Shiny Barrels.

However, I’ll be apply a coppery/bronze tone to some of the barrel details. That should knock it back and balance things out.

The armour is progressing nicely, Doc - how many more days before they're done, do you think?

Possibly by the end of the week?

With the basecoat done, the topcoat should be fairly swift. Mostly because I’m tied into the placement, and won’t be poking right into the sides of the detail.

And before then, I’ve just..erm….two each of the other Super Heavies, then the fliers. Oh, and the four Mastodons.

After that? It’s just the bases of Saturnine Terminators. And indeed, the bases they stand upon. I probably should’ve referred to them as stands.

Day 36, 5th February 2026

Had a friend over for tea in the library earlier, so less painting time tonight.

But really happy with how the coppery/brass has balanced out these lads.

Day 37, 6th February 2026

It’s Friday! It’s just before 12pm! I’ve a friend’s birthday bash later today! It’s a half day from work! You know what that means…..

Yes! But let’s be rational, there’s just no way you could train the mice to read the map and operate heavy artillery in a satisfactory manner.

So instead?

Everyone upstairs to the Hobby Grotto Very Quickly Now!

It’s some “would be naughty if I was proper bunking off work, but I’m a good employee so haven’t gone the naughty route” afternoon hobby!

Pics to follow later.


Automatically Appended Next Post:
Getting close to this project being done. All that remains is Top Coat Red on all the tanks and Saturnine Dreads.

Then I need to do the Fliers and Saturnine Terminators.

I may leave the bases that need painting until I’ve started on the main infantry. That way, I can blitz them all in a oner, hopefully ensuring better consistency.

Getting close, Doc, getting very close!

Certainly smashing through it mate, nice work. Wish I could find the motivation to paint everyday.

Day 38, 7 February 2026

Pub night tonight (Dracula Parrot, first opening night. Got to support your local alternative spot), so only a little bit done.

Every model at this stage is essentially done. I may revisit here and there to pick out some details, but that’s a “wait and see how I feel about the whole of the thing” issue.


Automatically Appended Next Post:

 ingtaer wrote:
Certainly smashing through it mate, nice work. Wish I could find the motivation to paint everyday.

It helps my lifestyle is entirely open to it. No kids, no pets, no partner. I also work from home, so I don’t have the drag of a commute to eat away at post-work energy.

Beyond that? It’s just having stuff on the boil and a wee bit of planning ahead. This year, I’ve rarely set a specific goal for a given day. I just get sat down at the desk, gloves and specs one, paints out and crack on. If I’m not feeling it? I’ll just finish the stage I’m doing on that model, then go do something else. I’m still a step ahead of where I was.

Moving forward, I’ve a wide selection of 32mm Heresy to do. Current plan as I envisage it is to aim for a unit a week. Sprue, cleaned, built, undercoated, painted, based. The rinse and repeat until I’m out of proverbial ammo. I think I want to do my infantry first. They’re more time consuming than a Tank or a Dread. But ultimately more satisfying for display purposes.

My advice is to just…try it. Whatever your lifestyle allows, be it a daily, weekly, monthly or more ad hoc session? Just do it. Set the time aside and get something, anything done.

As folks familiar with my wildly successful until Dad went and died 2024 Hobby Odyssey will know? I used to be a super reluctant painter. Now? I genuinely look forward to a half hour or so in the Hobby Grotto. It’s nicely relaxing.

Day 39, 8th February 2026

Not much done today. Overcooked it yesterday, hangovers suck.

Day 40, 9th February 2026

Much better progression. Well on course to have this project wrapped up by the end of the week.

Has taken me well longer than expected, but at least it’s getting done, no?

Day 41, 10th February 2025

GERTCHA! Much better progression today.

Definitely want to add Noodly Detail to the Saturnine Dreads, but that’s not an immediate job.