WIP - Lotus Fighter

Let it rain

While all my photographs are technically Work In Progress, everything I've posted so far has been tabletop ready. I'm working up to trying paint techniques I consider 'big boy' stuff (and everyone else probably thinks of as easy).  However, I've been working on this thing all week and, as it's now approaching assembly, thought I'd document an earlier stage than I have typically been showing.

In A Thousand Sons, Graham McNeil briefly (like, in one line) mentions "Lotus fighters" and "Apis bombers" are supporting a Thousand Sons campaign on a world where airpower is required.  While they aren't explicitly said to be Legion craft, the names imply - at least to me - that they were Prosperine in nature.  I noted them down as Legion craft in the back of my head at the time and moved on.

Later, the Thousand Sons are mentioned as having two patterns of Stormbird unique to their legion, the Khonsu and the Apophis (the latter being so big it was nicknamed 'Sunkiller' because it blotted out the sun), and so I took this unusual emphasis on unique craft as an indicator that the Legion had an airwing of either some size, or one of specialised nature.

Eventually, in Inferno, it is indeed stated that the Thousand Sons have a cadre of skilled pilots, who take to the skies to defend Tizca...in Xiphons.  Well, gotta mention the Forgeworld toys, I guess.

I had been toying with the idea of getting a Xiphon or a Lightning, as both models look amazing.  However, as my force is heavy on both custom looks and drawing from Black Library fluff, I settled on the idea of making a Lotus, and eventually an Apis as well.  This is my attempt at the fighter, and as you can see, it's basically a Stormtalon with Necron Scythe wings on backwards.  People I've showed it too aren't super-keen, but I'm digging it and I guess that's what matters.

It's sporting lascannons in the nose, and I'm going to say the ports in the wings contain missiles, so I guess I can use it as a 'counts-as' Xiphon or Lightning if opponents let me?  We'll see how that goes, I guess.

I have the larger engine variants from the Stormtalon built, painted and ready to stick onto the sides, and I tentatively hit it with an attempt at edge highlights and scuffing similar to the Rhino.  I'm going to work on it while alternating with an Ammitara squad, so it might be a few entries before it turns up again.