Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

So, as someone who is starting an imperial knight (army) does anyone have any advice on the contruction, posing, painting or anything really involving an imperial knight for someone who has never built one/ painted one. (I'm getting it in about an hour so quick replies are appreciated)

Don't glue the plates on until you have painted them, and as soon as you glue the shoulder guards on, the arms won't come off.

Great kit to build, have fun

Decide if you're going to magnetise before building the arms or weapons.

If you're going to have multiple, consider reposing the legs.

Plan the base ahead, if you're going to do anything complex

And as above, at least basecoat all the structural sections before attaching the armour or its a pain to get to.

PossumCraft wrote:
Decide if you're going to magnetise before building the arms or weapons.

If you're going to have multiple, consider reposing the legs.

Plan the base ahead, if you're going to do anything complex

And as above, at least basecoat all the structural sections before attaching the armour or its a pain to get to.

Already plan on magatising and I'm going to make subassemblies. Also I don't have to worry about choosing weapons because I'm building(and painting) it up as 'The Crimson Reaper' Freeblade.

Do you have an airbrush? I would highly recommend using one for painting. It will save you a world of pain.

Also, if you're using decals, look into decal setting solutions like Micro Sol or Micro Set. Very useful tricks to have in your toolkit, especially when working with large decals.

 Formerly Wu wrote:
Do you have an airbrush? I would highly recommend using one for painting. It will save you a world of pain.

Also, if you're using decals, look into decal setting solutions like Micro Sol or Micro Set. Very useful tricks to have in your toolkit, especially when working with large decals.

No airbrush unfortunately, and all the decals on 'The Crimson Reaper' do not come in the transfer so I have to freehand them

Here's my advice for somebody who is building a Knight.

1 - MAGNETIZE. Seriously, some you can set up with just pins and sockets, but if you want to be able to safely transport it, you're either gonna buy a padded box specific for it, or you're gonna magnetize the arms. There is one that is important for disassembly, and one that is also useful if you plan to do things like incorporate Forgeworld weapons.

The main joint you want to magnetize is the join between shoulder and elbow, where the arm swings on the horizontal axis. Take the plug off the shoulder join, and use some wire to form a brace inside the lower arm socket. Then you're gonna use two 5x2mm magnets - I recommend some bondo for the arm socket join so it all joins nice and solid and smooth. You will DEFINITELY want N52 strength magnets if you consider Forgeworld, trust me the Styrix's Volkite Cannon especially is heavy on its mount.

The OTHER Join if you really want to swap weapons is the Elbow joint itself - the vertical tilt axis on the weapon mount. Don't discard the pistons, you'll want to fill the gap on the weapon arm and set pins in there so that the pistons serve as elevation locks.

Once that is settled, you take the join and make sure you can smoothly insert it into every weapon mounting. This one is a bit tricky, but I used two 5x2mm magnets on the ARM side, and two 3x2mm magnets on the WEAPON side - this is more than enough strength to hold, but the gap is too wide for one 5x2 to do all the work. You don't have the real estate to fit 5mm magnets on the weapon side, that's why we have the 3x2's (which are also my other main magnet size).

When the elbow join is done right, it slides into whatever arm, the magnets grip together and then you fit the pistons to lock the weapon so it doesn't sag on the mount.

Once your arms are magnetized, you can also use the twist-lock on the shoulder join to slip it off the mounting.


There are three other points you might want magnets for - this is the 5x2mm magnet on the top carapace mounting position, and two 3x2mm magnets in the lower carapace joins where the stubber/melta/shield go. Again, you don't have the real estate to use 5mm magnets on those joins, and it's a close fit to have the 3mm magnets on the mountings.


For easier disassembly, some also put a magnet join on the waist joint, so that they can slip the model in half and pack it a bit more securely.


This one might escape some - if you're going to use the armored hood over the head, PUT IT ON BEFORE YOU ADD THE CENTER CARAPACE. You won't be able to get it on that pin join otherwise.

If you want more reading, From The Fang has a good magnetizing tutorial and coverage on the fiddling with weapon mounts.