Interview with Josh G.- Lyntoreum, Syrator, Caedus Ferrox, Cyra'jal, and Leyaka Rakis

A Princeps with a lot of heart and several very interesting engines split among two Titan Legions, we have Josh G. from Switzerland in the interview seat today. We'll pick his brain about his two Legio choices and find out what inspired the unique looks of his engines.

TOC: You run both Legio Fureans and Legio Vulpa, both known to be brutal Traitor Titan Legions but each with a different way of war. What inspired you to pick two Titan Legions?

Josh G.: Well, Shadow, first of all thank you for this opportunity. The reason behind those choices is simple. My strategy for 40k and Horus Heresy games has always been to get up close and personal with the opponent and break his lines. This strategy may seem a little furious but it works for me. That was the main reason behind the start of the Titans of the Legio Fureans since they are known for their ferocity and unpredictability.  The next decision I made was to make them Chaos-corrupted since I‘m playing 40k games most of the time and therefore the warp would have left its mark on them.

After the completion of Cyra‘jal, I always thought about starting a second, uncorrupted Legion for the games of Horus Heresy. That was around the time the Titandeath novel came out and some of the less well-known Titan Legions got new lore. One of them was the Legio Vulpa with their rusty armour panels. In the exact moment I read that I already liked them with their “rat-rod” look. When I later read that they are known for their close-combat style I knew they would be my second, uncorrupted Legion

TOC: The lore definitely seems to have a place in your heart. Do you have a favorite Titan story?

Josh G.: More like a short story, but the history of the Emperor Titan Dies Irae of the Legio Mortis is one of my favorite. Ultimately corrupted, nearly unstoppable, and even in death leaving nothing but molten metal of loyal Titans behind.

TOC: How has the lore inspired your Titans beyond Legio choice?

Josh G.: Before I started building my first Titan, it wasn’t even clear that I would take the side of the Traitors. Although my main faction is a Chaos army, I also have a Loyalist army and I was not averse to supporting them with a Titan. In fact the opposite was prevalent since I was always thinking that a Chaos Titan has to wear the colours of on one of the Chaos gods.

In contrast to that, I wanted to bring in some personality so I built a Loyalist one. But one day when I was painting some Iron Warriors, I thought “Traitorous Astartes still have their original paint scheme if they serve Chaos undivided, so why shouldn‘t a Titan keep his original colours as well and be unbound?!”

That’s how I chose to paint a Chaos-corrupted Titan with his original colors and patterns covered by arrows and other icons of Chaos.

TOC: Which lead you to an unaligned fallen Legion, but with close combat tendencies. Is it safe to say that Fureans' close-assault nature is why your Reaver sports a very deadly left hand instead of the normal Reaver power fist?

Josh G.: Oh yes indeed. I mean, have you ever seen a tiger on the hunt run towards its prey and then give it a left uppercut? Me neither. A tiger slams its claws deep in its victim to get a good grip and won‘t let go.

TOC: What has it been like fielding your Titans in such a way? Close combat is very hard for a Battle Titan to get into, but you certainly seem to revel in the close kill.

Josh G.: I won‘t lie to you. Sometimes it feels pretty tough to get the Titans in range, but once you’ve made it through their defense, the look your opponent gives you when you stomp towards him pays off.

TOC: What has that experience, and Titan ownership in general, meant to you?

Josh G.: To be able to field and, first of all, build them is something wonderful. These models are astonishing in their level of detail. It’s a pleasure to paint every little detail on them. And even if it‘s not visible once the Titan is completed, it’s a satisfaction just to know that it’s there.

TOC: Was it more fun to build them or paint them?

Josh G.: Definitely the painting. That's where I can really put some soul into my projects. Trying new techniques, testing new effects. Or simply said, being creative.

TOC: Speaking of techniques, your Vulpa engines definitely have a unique look. What guided how you painted them and inspired the particular appearance you gave them?

Josh G.: Since the latin word vulpe means fox I tried to use the same colors as can be found on the animal. That‘s also the reason why I chose black instead of purple. The fun part was achieving the rust-red colour.

I had to think hard about how to do this since rust is porous and doesn’t have one particularly unique colour.

Eventually I found a rust effect spray from Duplicolor which is intended to give that look to outdoor plastic flower pots. I gave it a try on an Adeptus Titanicus Warhound to see if it sticks to a model primed with Corax white and it does perfectly. I then used it then on my 28mm scale Titans. The colour of the spray itself is solid brown, so I drybrushed the armor panels with Ryza Rust, sometimes a little stronger and sometimes a little more gently. That generated the random colouring of the rust.

TOC: It's very creative and you are really into each part of being a Titan owner. What is it you hope to get out of it the most?

Josh G.: The experiences of the building and painting processes and then to be able to share them with others, so everyone can learn from one another.

TOC: And what do you hope most to add to it?

Josh G.: To give inspirations and ideas to everyone who is going through the process of Titan ownership.

TOC: What will inspire you next? Something like a new Titan, Adeptus Titanicus, or some Titan Guard?

Josh G.: It‘s always nice to see new Titans. The new Warbringer looks great and I can‘t wait to see the first completed one on TOC.

TOC: Was seeing Titans what got you inspired to own your very own, or something else?

Josh G.: I often looked through the entries on TOC long before I bought my first one.  Seeing all those great engines made me want to own one myself one day.

TOC: Any advice for someone looking at getting their first engine?

Josh G.: Be patient with those models and never give up, especially if the first one is a Reaver. Sometimes they can be really tricky.

TOC: Is there a particular build that you found easy or really enjoyed?

Josh G.: It was a pleasure for me to convert my Warlord. The first step was to sand off the Imperial aquillas without damaging too much of the Titan’s base material.  Then I needed to replace the aquillas with green stuff. It took me a while until I managed to add the Chaos stars to the surface with the look that I wanted them to have.   I‘m satisfied with how they turned out in the end.

TOC: And the traditional final question. Any shoutouts, bellowing challenges, or words of encouragement?

Josh G.: To everyone who has the privilege to start their own journey of Titan building:  have tons of fun while doing so and enjoy every second.

And to all of those Loyal engines who cross the border to Switzerland:  Be prepared. I‘m coming for you. And once I‘m there, your void-shields won‘t protect you!

TOC: Thank you for your time, Josh. It's been a pleasure.

Josh G: Thank you Shadow.  The pleasure was mine.