The lost art of metal slotta models

I bought a few Tallarn models direct from GW back in the day but I bought most from ebay (when they were about £3 a model). I rather suspect that one factor motivating GW to change from using metal to plastic for their models is the fact that the longevity of metal and the ease of stripping paint off metal models allows the second hand sales of models to continue decades after their manufacture. 

It is always interesting to see the state of second hand models. The paintwork can be very good, but it is just as often laid on thick without the benefit of primer.  

I presume the the slotta base was a GW innovation from the 1980s.

I prepare the models by stripping the paint off using a solvent; then cleaning with a brush which usually removes any stray metal.  The metal tag is usually a poor fit for the slotta base and I usually bend the tag so that is a tight fit.  After adding superglue to the slot and allowing to set I fill the slot with some sort of filler to stabilize the model.

If I do come across a broken tag it is not too difficult to drill a hole up into at least one of the legs so a wire can be glued to the model to enable it to be fixed to a base. I see that some modellers do this for most of their models as this facilitates the holding of the models during painting and allows the use of scenic bases.

I don't push the model all the way in to the slot but have the boots of the model raised about 1mm above the base; or rest the feet of the model onto a piece of plastic about 1mm thick.  This is to allow the addition of texture onto the base without the model having the appearance of sinking into the base.  I do this by brushing polystyrene glue onto the base and then sprinkling on a mixture of different sizes of railway modelling ballast.  The weak glue allows the brushing off of any grit in the wrong place.  The ballast is fixed in place by dropping a 50:50 mixture of PVA glue and water from a syringe onto the base; the watered down glue will spread over the base.  I allow the glue to dry over night before spraying the model and base first with Halford's Grey Primer and then GW's Chaos Black and then Zandri Dust.

Army Lists

 The recent rule changes have changed my target list to the following:

om   Recon Detachment:

        Cadian Castellan (armed with bolt gun) 55pts

2 Cadian Command Squad (officer with plasma pistol; 1 plasma gunner)  2 x 65pts

4 Cadian Shock Troops (2 x Sargent with chain swords; 14 lasgun troopers; 2 plasma gunner; 2 melta gunners)  4 x 120pts

2  Cadian Heavy Weapon Squads (Mortars) 2 x 65pts

2 Rogan Dorn Tanks  2 x 240pts

6 Scout Sentinels (with autocannons) 3 x 110pts

6 Armoured Sentinels (with lascannons) 3 x 130pts

Total = 1995 points

Adding the following would make a 3000 point force:

Lord Solar Leontus 120pts

1 Cadian Shock Troops (2 x Sargent with chain swords; 14 lasgun troopers; 2 plasma gunner; 2 melta gunners)  120pts

3 Catachan Heavy Weapon Squads (Missile Launchers) 3 x 65pts

2 x 10 Attilan Rough Riders  2 x 120pts

Total = 3000 points

A document named "Chapter Approved Tournament Companion" recently appeared on the 40K download page and this document includes a Base Size Guide which indicates that Commissars, Cadian Castellans, and Cadian Command Squads are expected to be on 28.5mm diameter bases.  Sentinels are now on 80mm bases (they used to be supplied with 60mm bases).  Cadian Heavy Weapon teams are on 50mm bases (surely some mistake) while Catachan Heavy Weapon teams are on 60mm bases.  Rough Riders are now on 60x35.5mm oval bases.  I intend to follow this guide as best as I can, although I will be putting all heavy weapon teams on 60mm bases.