I'm gonna make me a me a Valdor Heavy tank.  I've never played one on the board so I don't know whether they are effective or not.  However , my regular opponent has started to field a Cobra, so I am looking for a cheap heavy tank to counter it.  I've had the kit kicking around for a while, so perhaps its time to build it a s a counter to the Cobra.
As with the post on the Banewolf Squadron, I'm going to look for some context for the model in order to try and give some direction to the build and add some flavour to the model.  I do this by asking three questions: What is a Valdor; Why Does the Regiment have one?; When is this Valdor depicted.

So...

What is a Valdor
What do we know about the Valdor Tank: The Valdor is an Imperial Guard tank weighing in at 96 Ton 11.6 meter long variant of the Malcador tank.  It has a crew of 5, with a Commander; Driver; an Enginseer and 2 gunners.  Its size makes it a Heavy Tank in the Imperial guard.  It is believed to have been developed in the years immediately afHter Horus Heresy, at time known as the Scouring of the Imperium.  There are references in ancient texts to the Valdor being used to counter the Enemies superior numbers of Land Raiders.
Its main gun is a Neutron Laser.  This horrific weapon breaks down the material it touches at the molecular level, releasing a massive Elector Magnetic shock as a consequence.


Very few forge worlds now have the level of sophistication to construct the Valdor in any numbers, or even maintain so they are more often seen in the hands of Adeptus Mechanicus forces.
There are three listed forge worlds still producing these tanks:
- Lathe-Het
- Cyraxus II; and
- Mars.
There is no record of these world producing different patterns but given their vastly separated location it seems entirely feasable these machines designs may have shifted over the millennia of separation.

Only a precious few ever make it into the hands of Imperial Guard regiments, and even then they are usually very Venerable and honoured regiments or they hail from worlds with close ties to the Adeptus Mechanicus.

Why? and When
Why, why would the 291st Panzer Grenadiers have one? While the regiment may have picked up a wreck from its time as a foot regiment on Vraks, however the campaign on that world is nearly 200 years after the period the 291st is depicted in.  'Now' for the regiment is the Praxedes VI Campaign 747.M41, where the regiment participated in the Imperial attempt to resist Tau annexation of the world. The war ground to a bloody stalemate as neither side was willing to commit the strategic assets to bring the campaign to it conclusion.  Two years into the war the Eldar intervened after Necron artefacts were discovered.  Eldar had no qualms about deploying strategic reserves to destroy the the ancient foe and anything that stood in their way. Scorpion superheavy tanks  were soon roaming the shattered trench works of the Tau and Imperial forces.
This Valdor was readied from the divisional stores and deployed on loan to the 291st Death Korps.  The regiment was singled out for the honour after destroying the first of Scorpion with meltas and demolition charges in a sustained close assault, waves of Eldar were thrown at the wreck site in a vain effort to recover ruined hulk. The 291st repulsed all of the attempts and eventually handed over the hulk of the tank to a grateful Adeptus Mechanicus. The Valdor was was re-consecrated to the machine-god in the Desert colours of Praxedes VI in order to combat the Eldar Super heavy tank.
Whilst it has only just been moved out of deep storage, fresh from showers of sacred unguents, the Tank has not been left untouched by the planet.  Praxedes VI has a sulphur rich crust. Dust from this world quickly invades any cracks or scratches in the in the protective coatings of a vehicle and begins insidious corrosion of the metal underneath.
This vehicle is a fine example of the rapid surface corrosion that occurs anywhere that the dust can get at bare metal.
The honour of receiving the tank granted the regiment limited rights to place their own recognition decals on the doctrinally approved sections of it holy hull.

Overall painting plan and method
Undercoat: Halfords Grey Primer
Basecoat: Citadael Chaos Black
Top coat: Vallejo Air:
Mapping: Vallejo Air:
Camo Pattern: Vallejo Air:
Decals
Matt Varnish
Chipping:
Filters: Burnt Umber; Black
Spot Filters:
General Rusting
Fuel and oil staining
Detailing

And now the confession: I really Really should have written this first.  I haven't, Ive gone straight in and jumped from 'Top coat' to 'Filters'  I have just reallised this as I have looked back at the Banewolf Squadron, log and seen what order i did that in.

I'm hoping I can still recover this tank and I haven't just wrecked it like I did the first Desert coloured Vendetta. in that case, i rushed and sprayed the matt varnish before applying the decals.  Decals don't stick to spray on matt varnish.  I hope they stick to Windsor Newton oil washes.