What do i do with this grey Battletech stuff?

So this is with a bit more weathering.

Over the top of the metals and along some of the edges i have used Humbrol light rust. This gives a bit more colour against what is a very flat single colour scheme.

Next up around the rear vents and joints ive added black oil paint. Put on neat and then rubbed away. I’ve also rubbed some into the lower areas and some of the panel lines.

Finally on the base and lower legs i’ve added a mummy robes dry brush to give the base a bit more pop and to give the legs a worn sand covered look.

Group shot.

So thats all the weathering on them.

Whats next?

Well need to get all the canopies done along with painting the energy weapons.

After that…..well the Eridani are a combined arms force so I’ve dug through boxes and found battle armour, both IS standard and Fa Shih.

For armour i have some spare pegasus hover tanks and some MKii Scimitars. I think the Scimitars work well because it gives a late era feel along with the omnis among the mechs.

In fact the book No Greater Honour makes a point to talk about both the combined arms and the use of omni mechs. One of the things im considering is taking the spring clean once its finished and expanding it with another lance to bring it up to a company, specifically with either a strike, scout or pursuit lance to keep it on theme with the Eridani.

So here we are. This one i think is finished? But for a bit, but i’ll get to that…

The canopy is a simple blue, with brown along the bottom to give the impression of a reflected landscape.

The bush is just hedge foliage from Javis countryside scenics.

What i want to add to each of them is some personalisation. So for example adding a skull to the Lament to indicate the pilot is ex republic from stones brigades or kanji on the shield of the Black Knight to show the pilot was from the DCMS originally.
Obviously i wont do this for all of them as otherwise it will look less special.

Last part, going through some of my other stuff i have found a Wolfhound that needs a repaint and a unassembled Jackalope. That’s the beginnings of another lance right there.
Now one of the repainting issues is for this project i don’t want to use any 3d printing so i need to go through some of my older paint jobs and decide which fast mechs im happy to repaint and break up existing units.

A slight digression if you will indulge. the Eridani Light Horse are fast. the slowest unit i currently have is the Archer. Not super slow, in fact the same speed as an average heavy mech. Speed often comes at a PV price in battletech, and most of the spares i have of above average speeds either are not available to mercenaries or have a PV that sits around the cost of a clan assault mech, yes im looking at you Flashman.

So the next lance is currently:
Jackalope
Wolfhound
And two others.

Building that lance out i need to use lights and mediums, so to my army boxes! Oh and group shot later.

So based, bases rimmed, bushes added and cockpits and lasers painted. Pleased with the group.

Now i just have to do the vehicles battle armour and next lance.

Irritatingly going through my collection of stuff im willing to repaint that is in the merc availability during the ilclan are not very scouty. I may have to rethink the idea of a complete lance……

One thing that has peaked my interest is Wolfnet are developing what they are calling the Epic tourney format. 600pv lists, now i can get this to around 600 but i need to find 2 more mechs from somewhere to build it out.
That however is an issue, sticking to spring cleaning of owned stuff means i cant buy more for this force. So time to dig through the back of the shelves.
I do have a pile of 3d prints, but i’m loathed to use them still, desperation may change that however.

So the list is in, really digging in my stuff i found some spares. Obviously its not optimised as its leftovers, but i think it has the speed and feel of an Eridani company. AND OMG THIS WAS SUPOSSED TO BE PAINT 8 MINI’S NOT A HOLE PROJECT……

Battle lance – painted
Archer ARC-5R
Mad Cat (Timber Wolf) C

Black Knight BLK-NT-3B

Lament LMT-2R

Pursuit/Striker Lance – painted
Sentinel STN-3L

Valkyrie C

Grand Dragon DRG-5K

Hellion E

Scout lance
Wolfhound WLF-4WA

Jackalope JLP-BD

Phoenix Hawk PXH-1c “Special”

Wasp WSP-3W

Armoured recon lance
2x Pegasus Scout Hover Tank (3058 Upgrade)
2x Scimitar Mk II HCV

Battle armour platoon
2x IS Standard Battle Armor [Flamer] (Sqd4)
2x Fa Shih Battle Armor (Support) [Plasma] (Sqd4)

So i’m away in Norwich with my partner this week, so i may not get a huge amount done. BUT here is the last mini’s that i have from my back of the draw to finish the company.

I only have three Fa Shah so i think an IS Standard BA will fill in for one if i use 2 to a base for BA bases.

The combat vehicle lance actually looks great as well as being functional.

I’m falling more and more in lover with the Eridani Light Horse, to the point that my officer swag may end up horse related from the Battletech kickstarter. The lore is great, the colours are military.

Weird aside. I have one lance left of my Capellan Cav Battalion to do and then pick up some aerospace for it to just finish the force org, however i do want another project. Something non BattleTech and i’m not sure what.

I keep looking at the new edition of 40k and thinking 1k kitbashed proper messed up bio cybernetic theme, but also keep thinking that the factions it works with are all annoying and irritating. This maybe a project in the future, i’m almost tempted with a Primaris army, but based on the illustrations in the the old rogue trader book……but my understanding is that every time a box of space marines is sold an orphan cries so ethically i really can’t.

Suggestions folks? Something small, kitbashable and actually fun. (Dont say custodes, i have an oil painted custodies army and i hate how overly complex the rules for them have got, its why i quit 9th….)

Happy easter folks!

So the hover tank recon lance. Ive done the greens of the main bodies. Now i need to add decals and weathering followed by windows, black oil wash, base edge and thats it.

Aside, i love battletech tanks, they really are fun to paint, look great (and sometimes very silly) and they always have a ‘weight’ to them that things like epic scale and other games of a similar scale don’t.

One day 15mm tanks to go with my 15mm scale mechs that i have.

So thats the armoured recon lance done.

One of the things you will find with Battletech vehicles is they paint very easily. In fact you could get away with just dry brushing them rather than the long winded way i go about it with oils etc.

So whats outstanding:

Battle armour platoon of 4 units
Battlemech recon lance, again 4 units.

Once this is done the project is done, which will be a shame. I think once its done i may make a display base? possibly expand it with a wing of aerofighters (but thats outside the spring cleaning, so needs to be a separate project.)