Ares Hephaestus, Republic of the Sphere, Stone's Liberators

Okay. Those of you who read these posts probably have figured out that I like lighter, faster 'mechs. In terms of game play, big 'n slow isn't the way to go. But, you've likely also guessed that stats are not the sole criterion for what I decide to paint. More often than not, it's appearance and cool paint schemes for the factions that field the 'mech. Therefore, it should be of no surprise that I might end up with a tripod, super heavy Ares, which I find the most interesting miniature of recent note. Add to that the weird, "ghostly" paint scheme for Stone's Liberators, this was a done deal. Heck, I'd even play one during a Battletech game, despite my disdain for the super heavies. I like the Hephaestus and the Hera, but the missile boats are not a favorite.

This miniature fits together great, with my only complaint being the shoulder joints of the Hera variant. The Hephaestus had no need for pinning the shoulders. Add to that a clean miniature with minimal mold lines, it provides a great canvas on which to paint. With all that surface area, I keep looking at the miniature and finding myself wanting to paint more and add more details. I give it a better than 50/50 chance that I end up painting some more details or another... just need to figure out what first. The odd base I left plain in flat black. Just didn't like the idea of the odd turf I'd have to apply. And I didn't have a large, sculpted base on hand in the right scale.