Dreamforge-Games Leviathan Crusade counts as Imperial Knight part 1

Merry Cornucopia Day, fellow modelers and painters!

Several months ago I was playing some X-Wing with Suijin.  Asked if he had a couple of models for me to paint up for my website.  He handed me a few.

JJ assembling, wanted to have models on the main page of my commission site other than just Games Workshop.  This was actually my Loves idea.  Sort of a subtle way of advertising that I paint more than just 40k.  Something Zab mentioned some time ago: paint everything.  Here's one of Suijin's models.

Pretty unopened box containing a model I've never worked on before.  This'll be exciting.  When I mean exciting I mean WTF!

Unboxing

Beautiful sprues all ready to be cut up.

Love Dreamforge sprues.  Look how they connect with each other.  Actually cut up several of Suijin's Dreamforge sprue corners last year for the Grey Knights display board/diorama.

What? A screw driver and screws for a model.  Shit just got real.

Man, if you can help me figure out the pieces for step 1 I'd appreciate it.  Apparently I've been spoiled for using GW's assembly instructions for too long.  Beginning to see why they charge so much for their models.  Easy to read and follow instructions.

Ball socket joint, yeah!  Loving every minute of it /lyrics.

Ok, when I found this I realized why the instructions and bits weren't making sense.  Was using my GW modelling brain.  Literally spent about 20 mins looking for part E1.  It wasn't amongst the sprues that were together.

It was in this pile.  On the other side directly across from me.  Then I remembered all the little parts for plastic car and other hobby models that I did in my yewt.  Almost immediately assembling this model started to go faster.  Using a different part of my brain.  Which frankly hasn't been used for some time.  Damn you, GW, taking away the inventive/creative side of my brain when assembling models.

Now I found the two tiny parts I've been looking for since starting this model.  At one point when I couldn't find the E parts almost considered saying F it! and returning it to Suijin and have him do it.

Finally superglue.

And screws!

Here's a size comparison.

Nice range of motion.  There's a lot of this in the legs.  More below.

Actually assembled the hip socket first because I couldn't find part E1.

Top of the pistons.

Here are the leg parts.

Guide rails for the pistons.

One range of motion.

Other range of motion.

Comes together tight without superglue.

Then decided to read the instructions.  Each joint gets a screw.  Tighted the leg stays in place.  Left them a little loose so they can be poseable.  Once the frame of the model is done they'll be tighted.

Lower piston part and supports.  There's a part here that shouldn't be glued on.

Yep the cap over the screws.  Thank goodness I wasn't using plastic glue.

Really cool to see the motion of the legs and how the piston works with it.

slainte mhath