Sunday, January 8, 2017

'Armour' from SimonM: TESS-One (Total Elimination of Super-Soldiers)

"Quarry in range. Eliminate."
This 28mm scale pre-painted plastic model of TESS-One is by “Wizkids” and can be bought as number 027 from their Marvel “Heroclix” Age Of Ultron range. Created and published by both Mark Gruenwald and artist Mike Zeck in September 1986, this giant "special robot" was built by Professor Schumann in case an army of super-soldiers, like Captain America, returned home after World War Two and took over the United States. Eventually abandoned in a bomb shelter underneath its late inventor's residence, the  Adamantium-armoured machine would be activated and attempt to neutralize the Sentinel of Liberty in "Captain America" Annual 8...
"Target detected."
90mm in height, TESS-One was first 'cut' from it's somewhat diminutive 'clicky-base' and super-glued to a "Games Workshop" 50mm circular stand. The model was then primed with two coats of "Citadel" Ironbreaker and subsequently washed with Nuln Oil. I then spent a good thirty minutes patiently dry-brushing Schumann's robot with more Ironbreaker. The sculpt's detail was rather soft in places so I ensured that there was very little paint on my brush each time I drew it across the figure preferring to build-up the 'effect' rather than lazily apply a single heavy application. Once this process was complete, I used the same brush to 'polish' the flatter areas of the model. Finally I 'picked out' the automaton's face plate with Abaddon Black and applied a combination of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to its menacing eye-sensors.
TESS-One - First Appearance "Captain America" Annual 8 (September 1986)

26 comments:

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    1. Cheers Dave. A time-consuming piece but straightforward stuff as you can imagine :-)

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  2. Eff me he's a whopper. great job

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    1. Thanks Martin. He is indeed. My hand actually started aching during the dry-brushing...

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  3. I like the dimly glowing eyes!

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  4. That is a lot of armour to paint. Well done indeed.

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    1. I had to prove that I am not a robot in order to publish the last comment!

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  5. That's one big brute. Nice work.

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  6. That my friend is a big clanky whir-whir. What a giant robot. A few more of these and I could take over the world. (Queue evil genius laugh!)

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  7. Great job Simon, very impressive model!

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  8. Great job Blax! There's a real 50s scifi feel to that fig.

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  9. He has an awesome 1950's Big Robot look about him. Very Pulp!

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