Takashi Kurita - BLR-1G Battlemaster

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BLR-1G Battlemaster
The BLR-1G Battlemaster in its original 80’s styling is one of the most iconic ‘Mechs there is.  With its bubble cockpit and array of chest mounted lasers it is what most ‘Mechs strive to be - big, intimidating and damn stylish.  Granted it is a bit underwhelming by 3050 standards but in the early 3020’s or 3010’s it was an excellent mech. And being such an outstanding example of the classic 3025 Battletech era I wanted to do it justice by painting it with one of the great Succession War personalities - Takashi Kurita, Coordinator of the Draconis Combine.

Takashi Kurita ~3025
Takashi Kurita ~3025


It was so well known that two of the greatest rivals of the late succession wars both drove them.  Takashi Kurita of the Draconis Combine and Hanse Davion of the Federated Suns.  This version of the iconic Battlemaster is fashioned after the coordinators own ride, an original build from the 3010’s.  It was on Halstead Station in January 3014 that the two great rivals nearly met in their respective Battlemaster's.  In a raid on the planet, 3 regiments of House Davion led by Hanse himself with elements of the First Davion Guards ransacked a newly discovered Star League era library but were trapped on world for several months in a running fight as House Kurita attempted to deny them orbital extraction.  When word arrived to Takashi that Hanse himself was on the planet, Takashi dropped with his favored 2nd Sword of Light regiment to join the fray.  Hanse would eventually escape, Takashi would give him a begrudging respect as an adversary and the Inner Sphere was denied a truly spectacular Mech duel.

Takashi Kurita’s Battlemaster serving alongside the 2nd Sword of Light, Circa 3014 on the planet of Halstead Station during what House Kurita would come to call the Halstead Station Affair.







This 'Mech was my first time painting in twenty years, and its rough shape shows a bit.  I am still pretty happy with it all things considered.  The Mech is a 3D print of the classic unseen variation (still the best, though the MWO sculpt is not bad - I will paint one of those for a 3050 collection).  I used Citadels Evil Sunz Scarlet for the base red with Vallejo gunmetal grey over washed with Agrax Earth Shade for the metal effects.  Citadels Tesseract Glow is my turning into my go-to cockpit color and Baharath Blue is used for laser and PPC glows.  The base is Army Painters Brown Battleground with a woodland tuff by the same company.  All product links below if you want to follow the same paint scheme.

Decals are my own creation.

Citadel - Agrax Earth Shade

Sources:

House Kurita Sourcebook; Halstead Station Affair, Pg. 88

House Kurita Sourcebook; Internal Squabbles, Pg. 90


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