Alright, guys, I have something pretty much out of the ordinary to show you. And while the model in question was not really built for INQ28, strictly speaking, I still think this thread is the right place to post about it. So what am I talking about?
I’ve stated before that interacting with other hobbyists in general and blogging in particular can offer many exciting hobby opportunities. Today, I would like to show you one particular project that only happened because of the exchange between various bloggers and hobbyists. It’s also one of the most exciting hobby opportunities I have ever had, but all in good time.
If you frequent the same, dark corners of the 40k blogosphere as me, you may have heard of the Arrke and the Yggdrasillium Pilgrimage (unnervingly, never to be spelled quite the same way twice ) — and if you haven’t, let me give you the gist of it: Some time ago, a group of players including, among others, PDH, Neil101, Fulgrim and none other than John Blanche himself, started playing a series of games set on the “Arrke”, a huge, derelict fusion of countless vessels drifting through space. This huge space hulk is home to many demented and strange people and creatures, yet it is also so ancient and so enormous that most of its denizens have forgotten that they are actually living on a spacefaring vessel in the first place: What remains of their original respective cultures and backgrounds has become as warped as their bodies and minds, and the ship itself has become a world unto itself, encompassing both a strange and unforgiving ecosystem as well as a sinister and unique society. The initial idea for this vessel came from John Blanche, and all of the events play out on the breathtaking “Yggdrasilium” table built by Neil101. I’d love to link you to Neil’s blog to give you a chance to learn more about this fantastic adventurescape, but alas, he has decided to delete it. You still can (and definitely should) check out his Dakka thread on the subject, though, along with Fulgrim’s blog and PDH’s thread , describing the gang of chaos misfits he built for the games aboard the Arrke.
Anyway, I learned of these games and the strange world they were set in through the various threads and blogs linked above, and I was fascinated by the whole project: These guys were basically using tweaked Necromunda rules for their games, yet they had come up with something entirely unique on both the narrative and modelling/painting side of things. So I gobbled up all that I could learn about the Arrke and its denizens and kept marveling at the sinister brilliance of it all.
Now, imagine my surprise when PDH contacted my with a very special proposal: He suggested that a couple of hobbyists (PDH himself, Tears of Envy , Migsula , Jakob Rune Nielsen , First Points of Aries , Kari and Mikko from Spiky Rat Pack and me) should each build and paint a character to be used in the next game set aboard the Arrke. We could come up with whatever character we wanted, provided it fit into the setting. And all of the models would be given to John Blanche as a gift after the game.
I think it’s quite obvious by now why an offer like that would have me very ecxited indeed.
Anyway, I was really honoured that PDH would include me in this, and I was quick to accept. The next days were spent pondering what kind of model I wanted to contribute. And I quickly realised that I wanted to do some kind of Adeptus Mechanicus character, or, at least, creature. And, given the background, the character would have to be really creepy and sinister. That was quite a challenge, because members of the Machine Cult can be scary enough on their best days, but I was gunning for something even more disturbing…
So I asked myself: Why would a priest of the Ommissiah board the Arrke in the first place? And what could go wrong if he did? Drawing inspiration from all kinds of sources, ranging from everything ever done by David Lynch to videogames like System Shock 2 and Bioshock and to the decidedly lowbrow, yet horribly visceral horror film Virus , I came up with the concept of a band of Adeptus Mechanicus explorators, boarding the Arrke in search of lost technology and being transformed into something …else.
And thus, Legion was born.
Here’s my initial concept for the character:
The creature known to the denizens of the Arrke as “Legion” is what remains of an enterprising group of Explorator Magi, sent out by the Tech Priests of Mars. The Magi were sure that the ancient vessel would house an unfathomable cache of lost technology and miracles from the Dark Age of Technology. They were right in this, yet the price for such knowledge would turn out to be far greater than they had envisioned.
A team of explorators, accompanied by their Skitarii retinue, came aboard the Arrke and began a quest to uncover the ancient ship’s technological secrets. Initially, the Magi were pleased, for there were many secrets uncovered, and much was learned. They were already considering themselves heroes of their order and imagining their triumphant return to Mars with their many discoveries in tow. Alas, it was not to be.
For the Arrke does not take kindly to strangers, and so the explorators found themselves beset on all sides by the vessel’s strange and demented denizens as well as by environmental hazards and the powers of the Warp. With their Skitarii bodyguard all but wiped out, and some of the Magi themselves succumbing to the hostile environment, the Tech Priests did the only logical thing: They pooled their resources, in order to protect the valuable technological knowledge they had acquired: Whenever one of them was critically wounded, his working remains would be integrated into another Magos’ brain and body, thus protecting the knowledge and strenghtening the survivors. The remaining Magi thus became walking treasure troves of knowledge. But something went wrong.
Maybe it was the taint of the Warp, maybe it was the desperate nature of the Tech Priests’ struggle, but their fusion turned out to be flawed and incomplete. Corruption slowly seeped into their neural engrams, and what would normally have been a standard procedure for the disciples of the Mechanicum slowly turned into a nightmare.
The resulting creature is a horrifying amalgamation of the explorators’ bodies and minds, malformed and insane, its mind fractured into countless shards, its body misshapen and terrifying, yet utterly deadly. Legion now eternally prowls the deepest reaches of the Arrke in its half-remembered quest to find a way back to the red star. But even though a wealth of technological information and scientific marvels still lies protected within the creature’s twisted shell and mind, one shudders to imagine what would happen if the erstwhile explorators would somehow manage to escape their eternal prison and be let loose upon the galaxy…
With this basic idea outlined, I thought about what I wanted Legion to look like. Like I said, tech priests are scary enough in any case, so I tried to come up with an even more strange and corrupted look exploring the fusion of organic and machine parts, with a generous helping of body horror ladeled on top. Here’s a – very early and horribly rough – sketch of Legion:
As you might be able to tell, I wanted to use the plastic Cairn Wraith as the base for this conversion, even at this early stage. Several people have used the model to great effect to convert disturbing AdMech characters, so I thought this was a good base. I would then add all kinds of technical bitz as well as two very creepy “tendrils”, secondary creatures serving as additional parts of Legion. All of the creature’s different components would have sinuous, serpentine bodies, the better to move and wiggle through the Arrke’s dark nooks and crannies.
Obviously, the first step was to get the plastic Cairn Wraith, so of course that was where everything started:
I just used the Cairn Wraith’s cloak, discarding the scythe, inner body, face and base. I used a 40k servo skull as a replacement head, and the remains of a lasher tendril from the Forgefiend kit served as the base of Legion’s serpentine body. In the picture above, you can see the first basic build, attached to a Terminator base with a lump of putty.
I then added more and more technical bitz and doodads to the main body, making it look more and more like something that had originally begun its existence as a tech priest. Here’s the finished main body:
The most obvious addition was that of a GK Psy-gun on the model’s back, both to give it some potential oomph on the table and to create a strange, malproportioned look. I also added a ghoul hand to give the model a clawlike, organic left hand, and a vestigial arm from the Dark Eldar Talos/Cronos kit for a wicked looking scalpel-like right hand. To represent the “neural network” created by several Magi being fused together within Legion’s body, I added an additional servo skull beneath the first one, as well as two more “regular” skulls. I imagine the actual body beneath the cloak to be a horrible cluster of skulls plugged into each other with cables, serving as what is, for all intents and purposes, the 40k version of a Local Area Network.
The next step was to build Legion’s secondary tendrils. Once again, I used leftover lasher tendril pieces for a serpentine lower body. The rest of the tendrils was built from different Zombie and undead parts, more vestigial Talos arms, a couple of cables and some Greenstuff.
Here’s a very early mockup of the first tendril:
While the look was there, I wanted the tendrils to be far more disturbing and horrible. So I tried my best to make the tendrils look even more malformed and disgusting. Here’s the same tendril, some time later:
I wanted Legion to look like its transformation and evolution had not been a well-planned process but had rather happened spontaneously and chaotically. So this tendril looks like the body of a Magos has been crudely grafted onto the serpentine body, with only one arm remaining. Greenstuff was used to create a crude seam between the organic and machine parts.
I wanted the other tendril to look more combative, so I added an additional arm, with two of the creature’s arms tipped in cruel claws and blades:
Crude bionic eyes were added to a flagellant head to make the face look inhuman and threatening. I also added a cable from a servo skull as some kind of horrible, proboscis-like tongue.
When it came to actually painting the model, I wanted to achieve a striking contrast between distressed flesh and cold, oily metal. I began with the tendrils, picking out the major areas in different colours:
A combination of different washes (mostly Ogryn Flesh, Leviathan Purple and Baal Red) was used to make the skin look bruised and sickly. The metal parts were heavily washed with GW Nuln Oil to give them a dark, oily look.
Legion’s main body was painted in a similar way, although I decided to paint his cloak a striking red, in order to make him more recognisable as a former member of the Mechanicum. I had originally planned to make the red look bleached out and dirty, but seeing the cloak after painting it with GW Mephiston Red, I realised that this kind of spot colour was just what I wanted:
Some washes were used in the recesses of the cloak, though, to at least make it look suitably dirty and grimy. As you can see, I also added a striking blue to the different bionic eyes to create a point of focus.
And in the picture below, you can see the additional skulls in Legion’s stomach region quite well:
I’ll be honest with you: It took ages until I was finally satisfied with the different parts of the model. But a challenge like this doesn’t happen every day, so I absolutely wanted to give it my best shot.
When all of Legion’s components were finally finished, I still had to build and paint a base and decide how the different parts of the model should be attached to it. In my initial drawing, I had planned for all tendrils to emerge from under the red cloak. But not only did that seem pretty hard to get right, but I also realised that it would potentially be far more creepy to have several tendrils emerge from the same hole in the ground, making it look like the three aspects of Legion were maybe just tendrils of a much larger creature…
One interesting option would have been to have the different parts of Legion on different bases. That would also have allowed for some pretty interesting rules options. In the end though, due to the time allotted for the project, I chose to rather go for one really cool base instead of three okayish ones. But if there had been more time (and if I hadn’t been so damn lazy), I might have put the different tendrils on multiple bases.
When it came to the one base I did want to build, I wanted it to blend into Neil’s fantastic Yggdrasillium board as well as possible, making it look like Legion was emerging from the very surroundings, not so much a character but rather an environmental hazard. I wanted to create some kind of opening or pipe for Legion to emerge from, so I built a basic construction from a Predator turret hatch and plasticard pieces I cut from an old phone card. Then I heavily coated the construction in wood glue to close all the gaps and create a bulgy, warped surface. And I added modelling sand and small pieces of cork on top to create dirt and gravel. Then the whole thing was undercoated black. Here’s a test fit of Legion’s body parts on the undercoated base:
When painting the base, I let myself be inspired by PDH’s fantastic scenic bases, trying to make it as rusty and grimy as I possibly could. I painted the whole construction a dark green, with the dirt and gravel picked out in brown. The whole base was then liberally washed in GW Agrax Earthshade. Then I used thinned down GW Vermin Brown as a wash, creating a rust effect. And finally, The edges were picked out in GW Boltgun metal to show scratches and nicks in the colour, with the metal appearing beneath. Here’s the finished base:
I also added some Tamiya Clear Red to one side of the grate, making it look like Legion had dragged some unfortunate victim to its doom…
Oh, and I used a hazard stripe decal from the CSMs decal sheet, suitably aging and weathering it along the way:
And so it finally came to attaching all the parts of Legion to the base. Finding a configuration that worked took some doing, but in the end, I succeeded. So without further ado, I give you Legion:
Probably the biggest part of the adventure was actually sending Legion to England. But the postal service didn’t let me down for once, so everything went well. Now, looking back on the model after having spent so long working on it and obsessing over every detail, I am not really sure how to feel about it. I am happy with the model, without a doubt, but will it hold up when stood alongside models from enormously talented artists such as PDH, JRN and the Spiky Rats? Don’t get me wrong, I am really happy with how Legion turned out, but all the small imperfections are also driving me up the wall at the same time Maybe it’s just the fact that I will actually have to let some very talented people take a firsthand look at this piece — so no hiding behind fuzzy photos this time! And, of course, I hope John Blanche himself will like the model. Oh well, there’s no crying over spilt milk, I guess…
In any case, what really surprises me is how close the finished model is to my inital sketch. I am also amazed by how much I found myself thinking about Legion as a character…or at least, as a creature: I have a very vivid (and actually quite unpleasant) image of Legion in my mind: a creepy and sinister figure, perpetually surrounded by disturbing whispers and bursts of corrupted code language as the remains of the integrated Magi are communicating and argueing, with some of them almost perfectly sane while others are completely mad, full of rage, or just spouting untintellegible gibberish (I don’t know if any of you are into videogames, but if you are, picture the different cores of GlaDOS in Portal, or the different voices of the dark goddess Xel’ lothat in Eternal Darkness, turned up to eleven, and you’re not too far off the mark).
One of the personalities could be ceaselessly reciting the Mechanicus main tenets. Another might still be sane enough to broadcast intelligible Imperial/Mechanicus distress signals (System Shock 2, anyone?). Still another might be constantly reciting all kinds of disturbing Madness Mantras (“We are many. We are one. We are many. We are one…” or “Make whole that which was shattered. Make whole that which was shattered. Make whole…”). Also, PDH came up with this disturbing image of some of the denizens of the Arrke hacking into some random cable or mechanical bit during their exploration of the ship, then hearing bellowed binary screams and see the cable retracting, only to be faced with one of Legion’s “tendril creatures”.
Then there’s also that idea I briefly outlined above: Maybe those three tendrils aren’t really the whole creature, but only points of interface with the outside world, not unlike the lure of an Anglerfish. Maybe they connect back to the lair of the actual creature: a subterranean cavern filled with cogitators and technical equipment, much like a dragon’s hoard. The real Legion resides within this cavern: a vast, entropic and incomprehensible creature…
So, in any case, I think the concept of Legion is really just as disturbing and creepy as I wanted it to be. Whether the actual model lives up to it is not for me to decide, yet of one thing I am sure: Legion makes for a fitting new denizen for the mysterious Arrke…
So, to wind this up, let me give you one more picture of Legion, along with a broken little nursery rhyme that I came up with — written in true Yggdrassilliumme style
Oh, and should you wish to use Legion (or something like Legion) in your games of Necromunda, number cruncher and all around great guy PDH has you covered with some rules he cooked up. I'm too lazy to get the tables to line up here on Dakka, but in case you're interested, head on over to my blog, and you'll find the rules there
In the bowels of the shippe
Dwells a being most unkynde
Knowledge wyll from metal strippe
Passage to the red starr fynde.
Legion, Legion, he is many.
Legion, Legion, they are one.
So yeah, I realise that was quite a post! I understand the game in question took place this Saturday, so there’ll be quite a bit more information soon, I guess. Look forward to learning more about Legion in action, as well as about the fantastic entries from all the other hobbyists involved.
Until then, I’d be happy to hear any feedback you might have on Legion, so drop me a line or two!
And, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Congrats on coming to the attention of some of the best modelers around, after seeing your work its only right. I love the model and the fluff too, it really seems to fit the in game world. The finished product is amazing, I hope it gets there safe and gets the appreciation that it deserves
The most obvious addition was that of a GK Psy-gun on the model’s back, both to give it some potential oomph on the table and to create a strange, malproportioned look. I also added a ghoul hand to give the model a clawlike, organic left hand, and a vestigial arm from the Dark Eldar Talos/Cronos kit for a wicked looking scalpel-like right hand. To represent the “neural network” created by several Magi being fused together within Legion’s body, I added an additional servo skull beneath the first one, as well as two more “regular” skulls. I imagine the actual body beneath the cloak to be a horrible cluster of skulls plugged into each other with cables, serving as what is, for all intents and purposes, the 40k version of a Local Area Network.
When I first heard the name Legion I thought Mass Effect, when I read this I thought Mass Effect 2's Praetorians;
So much good stuff. Amalgamating the three figures into one, some awesome background, and topped off with excellent paint work. I wouldn't worry,as I think you fit right into that group.
I'm envious. I wish I had been able to get in on that.
Congratulations on a great model and a wonderful concept. What really makes it is the story you have created, that is what brings it all alive and I think it is just as difficult to get this aspect right as the modelling and painting elements of this task. I think you have excelled in all three of these departments. As someone who is mainly interested in the Necromunda/ skirmish side of 40K gaming I have also followed the various threads (as well as your own) for some time now with great excitement. It has been great to have something that feels new occurring for a gaming system that is so old. You have now added to that and your contribution stands up proudly next to everyone elses fantastic work. Again well done.
Perfect sir, I understand why you'd be nervous about sharing such a creation with such talented hobbyists, but I really think you have nothing to fear, its a genuine marvel! It couldn't be any more grimdark! The problem now is you have outdone yourself! We'll all be expecting such amazing standards of you all the time!
Also I love the fluff side, especially the idea that this is just the iceberg tip of a much larger sentient being, In fact I think you could extend it even further, if at some point legion had managed to tap into the main ship's network as an attempt to preserve the knowledge that the magos' bodies' were too frail to support its entirely possible that the entire ship's electronics are twisted parts of legion, The sheer scale of including an entire spaceship inside of you has got to mess up even the most sane of minds. (brings to mind pirates of the Caribbean when they are chanting about being part of the ship ) Talking of which, the mantras are an awesome idea too, in all, a beautiful idea sir!
(My two cents are just ramblings by the way! This is your brain child!)
A chilling rendition of something out of your darkest dreams. I love it! It really is creepy to imagine that they've become part of the ship, almost like an infection. I really like the image of its tentacles spread wide across the ship, and the thought that there's some massive, thing at its center is very creepy.
I love the model. There's something about it rising out of a drain pipe, the blood, the hunched magos center. It's all very reminiscent of Dead Space, and the Thing. Which is both what springs to mind when I look at it.
Paintjobs nice too, very succint, and minimalistic, which helps the concept that it's part of a large entity, as opposed to a collective of individuals.
Thanks a lot for the kind words, people! And for reading through all that in the first place!
@ Dreadclaw69: Mate, you're quite right! Although I never got into Mass Effect (apart from gathering a superficial understanding of the setting), that image you posted does indeed seem eerily similar. If anything, those disturbing, babylike heads may be even more scary. Brrr...
@ Taarnak: Cheers, mate! Considering the model you've got cooking atm, I am pretty confident your day in the limelight will come as well...
@ nathanie1: Aww, that's awfully nice of you! The idea of radically breathing new life into Necromunda wasn't my idea, though: We have KB, Neil101, Fulgrim, PDH and a couple of others to thank for that!
@ J-paint: Oh, you're quite right: Legion could really be *much* bigger and even more twisted! Didn't want to hijack the other guys' narrative, though, so I only left it at the barest suggestion.
@ Yellowbeard, Karokk & Two Spartam: Cheers, guys!
CONGRATULATIONS~! I just saw this guy on PDH's Ygg thread. I don't know how else to describe it, but it gives off a real creeper vibe... Stephen King's IT (in grimdark shadows), especially coming out of that "morlock hole" with the blood... and the extra "tentacle-men"...
This is a great model. Fingers crossed that this guy makes it into a Blanchitsu article - this one is really too good to keep just with the Dakka community.
Cheers, Remi! You're quite right: It's "IT" and "The Thing" and "Virus" and "Silent Hill" and pretty much every other half-remembered horror film I ever watched
Oh, and the model is making far more of a splash than I had expected already, so I couldn't be more happy with the results
KrautScientist wrote: Cheers, Remi! You're quite right: It's "IT" and "The Thing" and "Virus" and "Silent Hill" and pretty much every other half-remembered horror film I ever watched
Oh, and the model is making far more of a splash than I had expected already, so I couldn't be more happy with the results
LOL... yea! Either way, that thing is VILE. (in a really good way)
I'm absolutely impressed and congrats again for getting it the game to hobnob with some painting/Dakka celebs!
Oops forgot to comment, getting a bit overwhelmed with all these various threads and blogs and sometimes assume I have commented on one of them at some point.
I like the model and I like that you are using some GS there - and to good effect. It helps make the model unique. I also really like the red and turquoise - at first I thought the colours looked quite desaturated but in some photos the colours really pop and look fantastic.
I love the insides of the cloak with all the gribbly bits inside and I love the goggles on the one appendage-man. I guess I would personally prefer more weathering - on the metal particularly - you've done it really well on the base. I just like things looking dirty and rusty.
@ Bruticus: Thanks, mate! Regarding the weathering on the metal, that was something I actually did consider for quite a while, since I really love weathering as well. However, I decided against it for two reasons: First, I wanted a rather stark contrast between the flesh and metal parts (and the red cloak), and I guess weathering would just have blended it all together a bit too much for this particular project. And PDH wrote in an e-mail at some point that he usually doesn't use weathering if it's on a Tech Priest, and I somehow felt the same way: Legion may be a horrible monstrosity, but for some reason, his AdMech origins mean he's still able to keep himself fairly clean and well oiled
PDH wrote: KS - I have actually been thinking about the weathering on Tech-Priests again since seeing Jeff Vader's Adept Prokofievtech.
I now think that their clothing should be weathered and torn but their bionics should be polished and oiled.
BTW do you have Vallejo Smoke wash?
Et tu, Brute?
Seriously, though, as I already mentioned, I had originally planned to make the robe all bleached and dirty, then couldn't bring myself to do it since I liked the striking red so much. I'll happily admit that I love Jeff's Prokofiev, though, and I almost had a heart attack when I saw the model after having sent Legion off to you
Ah, almost forgot: No, I don't have that wash, although I've been curious ever since you recommended it to me. Unfortunately, my FLGS only carries fairly "regular" Vallejo stuff.
Alright, guys, it’s been almost a week since the last game set aboard the Arrke, and a huge cache of delicious information about the event has since turned up on the net. So like I promised, let’s take another look at this strange and demented world, and let me finally show you my dear Legion in action:
I’ll be honest with you: After having sent the model to England, I was of course dying to know how it would all play out: Would Legion fit the overall aesthetics of the game? Would he blend in well with Neil’s fantastic board? Would John Blanche and all those other talented guys like the model?
And then I checked my e-mail account on Saturday, to discover that none other than John Blanche himself had sent me a snapshot of Legion in action:
Look at you, Hacker! ...no, wait, wrong game!
I really couldn’t have been any happier! And I am only a little ashamed to admit that I spent quite a while during that afternoon repeatedly pressing F5, in order to see whether there were any news from the Arrke. And, indeed, John was good enough to send me multiple pictures during the game. Thanks so much, JB!
By all accounts, it must have been a fantastic event! And now that lots and lots of pictures from the event have started turning up, everybody can see the glory of it all: The amount of crazy modelling and painting talent on display was stupenduous. And what’s more, PDH somehow managed to weave it all into one game and one narrative, even though it must have been a pretty busy afternoon aboard the Arrke.
Anyway, let’s take a look at some more photos of our favourite insane AdMech monstrosity, shall we? All of the following pictures were very kindly provided by Neil101, by the way.
Legion emerging from the Arrke’s dark nooks and crannies. Check out that fantastic, flaking paint on the wall in the background!
Some time later, Legion is gazing across the derelict and rusty halls of the Myth Shippe from a lofty vantage point.
And finally, having arrived at the banks of the vile Sump, Legion casts a contemplative glance across the frothing waters — awfully introspective for a biomechanic monstrosity, isn’t he?
I really love how the Cult of the True Journey’s sniper seems to be drawing a bead on Legion in this picture
And finally, what has to be my favourite picture of Legion to date, taken by Fulgrim:
As you can see, Legion does indeed look like he’s emerging from the very underbelly of the Arrke itself. I am very pleased that I managed to achieve that!
So what about all the other amazing models? Though I would like dearly to post them, I won’t do that. Not in order to keep all the glory for myself, mind you: I think you should really head over to the other guys’ respective blogs to check out what they have to say about their marvelous creations! And don’t fret, I’ll provide a handy list of links for your perusal. You ABSOLUTELY need to check out this stuff! Seriously!
To begin, Fulgrim has started a brilliant writeup of the event, introducing all the different gangs and walking us through the narrative (with lots of pretty pictures):
The Spiky Rat Pack don’t disappoint either, with Kari posting his brilliant Stryderre, complete with sinister poetry, and Mikko’s Living Coffin following hot on his heels.
And finally, be sure to check out PDH’s Yggdrassillium threads here on Dakka and the Ammobunker. Again, lots of pretty pictures and well deserved awe.
And while you’re there, don’t forget leaving a nice word or two for PDH himself: It only becomes clear now what a spectacular job he has managed to pull off with this: Models from several countries, lots and lots of characters, and he even had to GM the whole thing. The mind boggles!
So, once again, a million thank yous to everyone involved! It’s been a pleasure, and I have certainly never had so much fun with an event without even being present
To wind up this post, just because I can, let me share a picture of Neil’s spectacular Arrke board:
The only question is: How are we ever going to surpass this?
In any case, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Matt.Kingsley wrote: You know you've done well with =][= 28mm when John Blanche himself sends you a pic of your model in action
Pretty much this
Well done Kraut, Legion looks even better on that board (if possible) and I don't think anyone else was more deserving of the honor of an email from John Blanche than you
@ Matt.Kingsley: Tell me about it! That's an all -time high point I won't be able to surpass any time soon (or, indeed, ever)
@ janushedemann: Well, looking at all those fantastic pieces of the other guys (and girl), John did receive quite a cache of brilliant stuff, and I think he actually was really happy.
Beautiful model, sublime structuring, and wonderful wonderful fluff. I can totally picture it, from the way it moves, the sounds it makes - I'm trying not to imagine the smell! The basing was a stroke of genius - I can just imagine tendrils running throughout the board and those grotesque flesh manikins bursting out of all sorts of vents and access points.
Certainly my favourite model of yours so far, which is saying a lot! Lived up to your compatriots for sure. Congratulations on getting a foothold aboard the Arke by the way - I'm incredibly jealous
KS , I discovered your work récently ( am always in Time laps after the real World ) and i must tell you i m stunned. I like all your minis, your inspiration and thé concept of INQ 28. You give me a new opportunity to to back on my desk to explore your way
@ Scarper: Cheers, mate! That's exactly the kind of image I had in mind when building the model, and I am very glad it seems to be represented fairly accurately by the finished piece!
@ Fufu: Merci beaucoup, Stéphane! Like I said elsewhere, your pieces are absolutely stunning -- like miniature recreations of John Blanche's art. I feel very flattered that you should feel inspired by my thread! Very much looking forward to seeing what you come up with next!
Even though following the events aboard the Arrke was a captivating and exhilarating experience, I wasn't idle during the last week, so let me show you what I am currently working on.
First up, I finally put the finishing touches on that gas mask mutant I posted earlier. Take a look:
As you can see, I added quite a bit more blood. That's a fairly atypical move for me, yet it made sense considering the background I have in mind for the model: Thanks to both Dreadclaw69's and DexterKong's suggestions, I now have a much clearer idea of the role this little guy will play in my overarching narrative:
He'll be a member of Inquisitor Holm Fiegmund's retinue. Fiegmund has been heavily dependent on a coterie of servo-skulls ever since being horribly maimed in a fight against Inquisitor Antrecht's Daemonhost Zalambur. He now employs the services of a small, masked mutant who has an uncanny talent of constructing extremely advanced and effective contraptions for his master. The mutant is actually obsessed with the form of the human skull, collecting all the skulls he can for his work. And while he uses some of them to build more servo-skulls for the Inquisitor, he is allowed to keep some of the skulls he collects, though no one can say to what purpose...
Anyway, it's just a rough sketch so far, but I wanted the model to look like it had just finished "cleaning" a skull by slicing off all the flesh. Hence the blood (and the bones strewn across the floor). I remember being immensely inspired when seeing JRN's "Servo Skull Collector" some time ago, and after just considering duplicating that idea, I am rather happy I managed to come up with my own take on the whole "Skull Collector" concept in the end:
Inspired by both Jeff Vader's recent work and the models of fellow German hobbyist Ammi, I also repurposed one of my Dark Eldar Wyches, transforming her into a Death Cult Assassin. Here are some WIP pictures:
Granted, the head may seem a little bulky, but who knows what augmetic horrors may lie hidden under that gas mask?
Personally I'm not sure about the gun and shoulder pad. The iconography on the shoulder pad does'n't particularly gel with me and the gun could do with looking more techy. A flint lock pistol doesn't really fit with the hi-tech body suit and helm. The balance of it looks good it's just the tech level really jars.
I like the extra touches to the mutant-servo skull-savant, the fluff ties him nicely to the history of your warband (although I may have a slight bias ). Nice work on the Death Cult Assassin too, it reminds me of the Devout Sisters from Inquisitor - the mix of the very feminine body gloves and the contrast with the mechanical augmentations
@ Llamahead: You know, at first I only used that pistol since I thought it looked interesting. But while I agree it's indeed conspicuoulsly lo-tech, I really think it coud become a detail in her background: Maybe she is bound to her Death Cult's rigid rituals and regulations, and one of those would be to use one of the blessed, ancient weapons? Maybe the weapon itself is a priceless artifact, bestowed upon her as the instrument of the cult's sacred wrath? Or it could just be a recreation of an ancient weapon in design, yet be much more modern underneath its casing? I think this could be an interesting little bit of additional texture.
It's really the same with the shield: I am rather okay with the fact that it doesn't show an =][= or some similar iconography: Maybe it's a sigil of the Death Cult? Or maybe the cult started out as a "training ground" for those willing to join the Battle Sisters, but its original purpose has since been warped and twisted?
Actually, the fact that you called these elements jarring is what leads me to think of a narrative reason for them -- and that's a good thing, I guess?!
@ Cheers, mate! I really didn't have any choice in the matter, seeing how your background idea was so cool! And when Dexter added his own ideas regarding Inquisitor Fiegmund, everything just fell into place for the little guy. As for the assassin, the resemblance with the Devout sisters is very much there (and I really ran with it, once I realised they were similar).
Another small update: I am currently working on a model representing Inquisitor Zuul for the Inqvitational 2013. While the model is still a little rough around the edges, PDH's brilliant take on Inquisitor Trask slightly put me on the spot, so I'll share a WIP of Inquisitor Zuul with you. Not as smooth yet as Peter's model, certainly, but I guess I am confident enough to at least show him in public now Thanks to Peter and Molotov for their help so far!
Anyway, I tried to keep the aspects I liked about the artwork and translate them into an actual model. Here's Inquisitor Zuul so far:
Like I said, he still needs some tidying up, but I guess he's getting there. Let me know what you think!
Guy looks good, even with the frazzled head. You've already addressed the GS smoothing issues and the composition/pose is looking good as well.
At first I thought the hand on the pistol was awkward - like a hand resting on a sword-pommel (from the front). Not sure... did you cut off the pistol butt? Still looking at it - it does look a bit off... any battleplan to address that detail?
Again, Zuul is looking very cool and is sure to make a splash at the Inqvitational 2013. (And congrats on the invite - will you be participating personally? Or just sending a mini over?)
-Remi
-EDIT- "Zuul is looking very cool..." ? Did not mean to sound like Master "I make another funny" Splinter.
Regarding the right hand and area where the pistol used to be, that area definitely needs some more attention. Peter suggested that it might look cool to have him carry his Inquisitorial rosette on a rosary or chain, and I am currently working on that. It should also make his hand look more plausible.
In the meantime, by an amazing stroke of luck, I managed to get my hands on a bunch of very cool bitz from the Vampire Counts Coven Throne. The three female Vampires are definitely the star of the show, since I think they are really fantastic models, and I've wanted to use one of them (the least vampire-like) as a base for a conversion for quite some time.
My plan was to add a female member to Inquisitor Gotthardt's retinue to balance out all the male members. So I did a quick initial mockup of the model. Here's a WIP shot of Elisha Gorgo...
...or, actually, Countess Elisha Haxta di Colasante Mordina Gorgo. My rough background idea for her is that she is the daughter of a powerful Imperial Noble (maybe even a Planetary governor?!).She started displaying psychic powers at a very young age. Normally, this would have meant she would have had to be taken aboard one of the Blackships, although her influential father pulled all kinds of strings in order to keep her "affliction" a secret.. Maybe he even managed to find someone to "train" her in private, although I have no idea yet how that would have worked.
Anyway, due to her powers, she has been secreted away from other people for most of her life and grew up very shy and demure as a consequence. Her secret was only uncovered when Inquisitor Gotthardt visited the planet as part of some investigation. And for some reason (which will need to be pretty good, I suppose), he chose to make her a member of his retinue.
While the warband could use a psyker from a rules perspective, I mainly think that she could serve to introduce some interesting character dynamics into the retinue: Esteban Revas is feeling immensely protective of her for several reasons: They both come from a noble background. They both lost their standing and home. And there's also the fact that she reminds him of Archduchess Cyrine, the young ruler of his homeworld. I could also see the Rogue Trader Iskander Gagarin constantly trying to woo her In any case, she could be interesting from a narrative point of view.
Both the model and background are still very WIP, so I's love to hear any suggestions you might have!
KrautScientist wrote: ...or, actually, Countess Elisha Haxta di Colasante Mordina Gorgo. My rough background idea for her is that she is the daughter of a powerful Imperial Noble (maybe even a Planetary governor?!).She started displaying psychic powers at a very young age. Normally, this would have meant she would have had to be taken aboard one of the Blackships, although her influential father pulled all kinds of strings in order to keep her "affliction" a secret.. Maybe he even managed to find someone to "train" her in private, although I have no idea yet how that would have worked.
Anyway, due to her powers, she has been secreted away from other people for most of her life and grew up very shy and demure as a consequence. Her secret was only uncovered when Inquisitor Gotthardt visited the planet as part of some investigation. And for some reason (which will need to be pretty good, I suppose), he chose to make her a member of his retinue.
While the warband could use a psyker from a rules perspective, I mainly think that she could serve to introduce some interesting character dynamics into the retinue: Esteban Revas is feeling immensely protective of her for several reasons: They both come from a noble background. They both lost their standing and home. And there's also the fact that she reminds him of Archduchess Cyrine, the young ruler of his homeworld. I could also see the Rogue Trader Iskander Gagarin constantly trying to woo her In any case, she could be interesting from a narrative point of view.
Both the model and background are still very WIP, so I's love to hear any suggestions you might have!
Having played through Dragon Age Origins her backstory could be very interesting indeed I suppose that a charismatic father could have had a Sanctioned Psyker unofficially school her in the ways of her powers (or maybe he had dirt on the psyker) I like the figure, the legs look a little plain but maybe some design will break that up a little. Will she have a handmaiden/body guard/father's spy accompanying her?
Cheers, mate! The idea regarding the sanctioned psyker might work! While she'll not get a retainer per se (I've got to be careful, lest every member of Inquisitor Gotthardt's retinue end up with a follower of her own), I imagine she'll have some interesting relations with some of the other warband members to make up for it.
I added one or two additional bitz to her, although they are just tacked on for now:
And I also did some more work on Inquisitor Zuul: PDH suggested it might look cool if he were carrying his Inquisitorial rosette on a chain or rosary, so I tried to make that work:
Glad to help and so long as you like them who cares! The new girls looking good already really puppet mastery and the elderly Inquisitor definitely has the old mage look going on.
The Rosette definitely works on him. The knife on Countess Elisha Haxta di Colasante Mordina Gorgo looks slightly off to me. You have someone of noble bearing, who's strength is her psychic powers, yet she has a rather large and relatively crude knife at her side. Is there anything that might be more elegant and befitting her backstory as being of noble blood? I'm thinking maybe an Empire dagger in a sheath (I recall one with a loop at the hand guard that looked almost like a bayonet) or something discreet at the small of her back.
Just my two cents, please don't take it as overly critical
Automatically Appended Next Post: The Sanctioned Psyker idea was "inspired" (sort of ripped off) from Dragon Age, were an unsanctioned mage taught a noble woman's son how to control his magic. I'd imagine that anything like that in 40K would be enough to get all concerned killed, and possibly have the planet purged. Just to be sure
Liking both models so far. It's nice seeing psykers with a bit more of a 'normal' look going on rather than the often seen 'shriveled old caster' look going around.
I am really rather fond of Elisha Gorgo: Getting my hands on those vampire models from the Coven Throne was an unbelievable stroke of luck. I think they're among the finest female models produced by GW -- and we all know that female models (or even useful parts) are pretty hard to come by in their range...
@ Dreadclaw69: I get where you're coming from regarding her knife. Unfortunately, pretty much all the knives available in 40k and WFB are far too bulky for her and end up looking like swords or machetes. I should have a very slender Wood Elf dagger somewhere that would work like a charm, but I cannot seem to find it. And I also have a Dark Eldar knife or two, yet I fear they may end up looking too alien. Hmmm...
@ Taarnak: You're quite right, mate: Zuul's hip is still a rather rough area, and it may take some doing to actually fix that. I probably won't be able to just add some bit or other on top, since that would interfere with his coat in a rather awkward way. The green area is my attempt to rebuild the folds of the fabric where the pistol used to be, but it may need some more work.
Oh, and I also have a really cool story for you. Even though I'm not one for shameless plugs, I'll have to ask you to head over to my blog for this one, though. It'll make sense once you read the story, and it'll be worth it. I promise It'll tell you about a series of events that ended with me having to build an almost perfect duplicate of one of my models for the first time in my hobby life:
Great story, Kraut! Your hobby life has to be one of the coolest I've ever heard about: Invites for elite gaming societies (perhaps "Elite" is the wrong word, but you catch my drift - you're playing with the premiers of the Inq28/Inquisimunda world) and now a guy who found your mini and actually LIKES his grimdark counterpart instead of issuing the C n' D letter??
-Remi
P.S. I really like the little treasure box you put his mini into. Seriously. Great touch there. Should I do any mini exchanges in the future, I'll be sure to remember the finishing touches like that to complete the experience.
Like both Zuul and the sanctioned psyker quite a bit.
For Zuul, since the right hand seems a bit large, maybe you could play with that, and give him some sort of reinforced glove for that hand. Some sort of brass knuckles maybe... it would make the larger hand more plausable. Also, it may be just a photo artifact, but is his head slightly forward? You m ay want to carve out the back of the collar a bit to move his head back if that is so.
For the psyker, the knife is a bit large, but it is not overly so (this is 40k after all, where every gun and sword is 200% of scale). You could probably cut the pommel and the tip of the scabbard a bit if you wanted to reduce it. It would also be interesting if you could get her shoe toes to be long and curved up a bit...
HF Izanagi wrote: Great story, Kraut! Your hobby life has to be one of the coolest I've ever heard about: Invites for elite gaming societies (perhaps "Elite" is the wrong word, but you catch my drift - you're playing with the premiers of the Inq28/Inquisimunda world) and now a guy who found your mini and actually LIKES his grimdark counterpart instead of issuing the C n' D letter??
I love how this makes it sound like I was converting models while riding a speedboat with supermodels on either side of me Seriously, though: You do have a point, Remi: When I got back into the hobby in late 2010, there was little to suggest that my hobby life would be any different than it had been before: I expected it to mainly consist of little old me sitting here in my hole in the ground, hacking away at little plastic men. Sure, the internet was already full of inspiration back then, but I would never have expected being in any position of conversing with people from all over the world about this common hobby of ours, least of all getting in touch with people whom I consider hobby legends.
And of course, Elias' e-mails to me were a fantastic example for the opposite side of the spectrum: I don't think we get to talk to often about our hobby with people who aren't hobbyists themselves, and even then, the exchanges are not always pleasant. So on top of being a crazy coincidence, this whole thing was so stunning because Elias was really willing to roll with the punches. What a fabolous development
Regarding the little, treasure chest, a colleague pointed me towards a - mainly useless - store that carries these at all shapes and sizes. They are fairly cheaply made, but they look great and are very versatile. I got a bigger one to house my INQ28 models, as a matter of fact
@ Slaanesh-Devotee: Cheers, mate! Same here
@ Matt.Kingsley: You've got it exactly right: There are three of them now. Although I have to exist that only two are runty mutants, while the third is a scholar and a gentleman
@ Dreadclaw69: Tell me about it! Like I said, I'd never have expected something like that!
@ lasgunpacker: I am pretty sure the size difference is not all that noticeable when seeing the model firsthand, although maybe I'm just trying to fool myself. I did actually carve out his collar as best as I could, although the cables at the back of his head take some room as well.
Regarding the psyker, I really need to find that Wood Elf dagger I know I have somewhere -- it would be the perfect fit. And sorry, but no Harlequin shoes -- she's still a modest Imperial debutante, after all
I love how this makes it sound like I was converting models while riding a speedboat with supermodels on either side of me Seriously, though: You do have a point, Remi: When I got back into the hobby in late 2010, there was little to suggest that my hobby life would be any different than it had been before: I expected it to mainly consist of little old me sitting here in my hole in the ground, hacking away at little plastic men. Sure, the internet was already full of inspiration back then, but I would never have expected being in any position of conversing with people from all over the world about this common hobby of ours, least of all getting in touch with people whom I consider hobby legends.
It might as well, be, man. It might as well be. Seriously, though - you've done quite well for yourself and any attention is well deserved.
But, to get back to the minis- liking the new female psyker. You've taken what I consider is the most attractive of the Coven Throne, and the one I've been considering for Ms. Quinzel. From the hands, I'm guessing you're going for some sort of "conjuring" arm action, no? I know it's rough right now, but I suspect you'll need a bit of GS on the sleeves to put a bit of graceful movement and sweep to them. Right now, they're still look a bit "zombie" to me.
Oh yea... got inspired and started making the Grimdark Knight's base - kind of a mast-like thing he'll be stepping over to simulate the whole "gargoyle" look. I'm thinking I'll paint him this weekend. Seeing these toys and your recent painted mutant plus Elias x 2... yep. Definitely put in some painting time after constructing/pinning him down tonight.
To tell you the truth, I won't change much more about the model. The arms are so slender (and the set of the bones beneath the skin so clearly visible) that any attempt at changing them could spell certain disaster. In fact, I was really lucky that replacing the hand did go so well. Here's the model right now:
Replaced the other, talon-like hand as well, again with a hand from the DFG Eisenkern Stormtroopers. I think I will paint the hands to look like she's wearing gloves. And I'll add an OSL effect to the palms (and maybe her eyes as well) to show how she's channelling her powers. Still not sure about the knife, though...
I also have something else to show you all, although it's a *very* early WIP: Inspired by Bruticus' fantastic female cultist/assassin, a piece of artwork phiq posted in this thread and a character concept by Lupo, I tacked together some parts to make a sun cultist:
As I said, it's a very early build, as you can see by the copious amounts of yellow modelling putty: The legs and arms are from the DE Wyches, the torso is from the second of the Coven Throne Vampires I bought. The one part I am actually pretty pleased with at the moment is the head. It was spliced together from a Sanguinary Guard helmet and a female DE head to create some kind of ceremonial mask:
Apart from that, everything about the model is highly preliminary, so I would love to hear your thoughts!
I am not convinced by her pose at the moment. What're you trying to achieve?
But wow, those vampire parts are truly fantastic! So many possibilities, and very characterful! I'm loving what you're doing with the Psyker, but I do think she needs the knife. Afterall, even people who can shoot lightning from their brain might find themselves in situations where subtlety is required; hell, if the shadow in the warp was near, it'd be the only thing she could rely on!
Great looking minis all round, Kraut!...But I have to agree on the pose of the Sun Cultist...If you're planning of modelling her to appear running or jumping you should change the angle of the head as it make her appear very stiff...I'm aware that this is a WIP model and that you're going to change things anyway, but that's just my two creds!......Keep up the good work!
I missed that guy you did on page 11 before that gas mask mutant is fantastic, so creepy.
Maybe its because his robotic arm looks kind of insectoid, but I think this little guy is the scariest thing I've seen you make. Just imagining him focusing on the skull scraping rapidly at it with that claw, turning it round, scraping some more, examining it to see if there's any meat still left. Then it pauses and lifts its masked head in your direction and drops the skull..
Unfortuantely I agree with the others on the pose so far for the sunny ma'am. At the moment i'm rather reminded of a morris dancer, especially the second to last pic! However if the pose is changed slightly I think it will be perfect, lovely use of the sanguinary mask btw, its one of my favorite go to bits when i'm stuck for a head! Just because I havn't commented on your other exploits doesn't mean I havn't been following, its all just flawless, and there are only so many times a month I can come on here and praise you without running out of adjectives. (I may have to start making them up) Your female psyker is, for the record, flooping amaze-balls.
Two Spartan wrote: I missed that guy you did on page 11 before that gas mask mutant is fantastic, so creepy.
Maybe its because his robotic arm looks kind of insectoid, but I think this little guy is the scariest thing I've seen you make. Just imagining him focusing on the skull scraping rapidly at it with that claw, turning it round, scraping some more, examining it to see if there's any meat still left. Then it pauses and lifts its masked head in your direction and drops the skull..
I originally wanted to answer that this guy would never ever drop a skull, but then the realisation hit me: The only circumstances under which he *would* actually drop a skull would be for a far more desirable specimen to appear. Brrr. Great job, mate, now you've made me afraid of my own model
Regarding the sun cultist, I'll happily agree that the model needs much more work, pose and all. I am, of course, slightly limited by the pose of the legs, so she will be dancer-like and dynamic by sheer necessity. I'll work on it, though.
Before that, the guys over at the Ammobunker pointed out how the proportions of her face were ever so slightly off, the face underneath the mask not matching the mask's proportions and suchlike. I was very tempted to just dismiss it all, but those perfectionist madmen were right, dammit, so I shortened the mask a bit to sort out the facial proportions and take some of the masculine hardness away from the mask:
While it's not even milimetres we're talking about here, it still has a huge impact on the plausibility of the face.
The next step will be to figure out which weapons to use on her: Though I like the DE whip (and am tempted to keep it), just going for DE weapons all the time is maybe a tad too lazy. Here are all the possible weapons for her I've managed to find in my bitzbox. I would love to hear your thoughts about which weapons I should use, since I am pretty much stumped at this point:
I also have a buckler with a sun on it that would be a great match for her, but it doesn't appear in the picture. Anyway, would love to hear your ideas!
I think she could look interesting with one of the pikes or long handled weapon in her right hand, buckler on left and standing in a completely upright position so that she is looking forward instead of down.
I think she should look ready to strike with her leg up, like a cobra about to strike. Because if her head is stuck to the torsos direction, it will be hard to have her look as though she is running.
Edit: also good work on the helmet, I looked at what is was before and you have made a big difference fitting it to the face
Hmm, that's an interesting idea! Just a little mockup while I am figuring this out:
Please ignore the hokey area on her midriff: I had to cut away the lower part of her torso to make it more freely poseable, and will have to rebuild that area with a bit of GS later on.
I agree with ghosty and llama, that axe would fit right in.
I was imagining her even more upright than you have her, standing like a peacock with one leg up. And the end of the pike on the ground. I'm not with my bits at the moment though so I cant tell if that pose would look awkward or if the bottom foot would be wonky. But it may be an option if you couldn't get a natural running pose.
Cheers, guys! I appreciate the well-considered feedback!
Not totally sold on the spear myself, to tell you the truth. While I appreciate the classical quality about it, it just seems to clunky and unwieldy a weapon to use in a fix. I did do a mockup of her with the axe, as some of you suggested:
The pose is slightly awkward for now, of course. And I had to use a flagellant arm as a stand in.
Anyway, what I love about the axe is that the serrated blade seems to be picking up the sun motif. On the other hand, I dislike the way the hand is gripping the weapon at a seemingly awkward point of the haft -- in fact, that's the reason I originally removed the axe from the cultist champ. But I think there might be something there warranting further exploration. What do you think?
You can always shorthen the lower part of the haft. Tbh i always found axes to be more of a barbarian type weapon wielded by the more bulkier individual. Personally i would go for the straight serrated blade, more suitable for slender persons with a more graceful fighting style.
I have to say, I prefer the spear, though it may need a small amount of shortening (does still work at that length, just looks a tad awkward)
The axe just doesn't look right to me, probably because it isn't sleek enough.
Also on a totally unrelated notr, my computer thinks axe isn't a word, damn spellcheck
I like the spear, but I agree that it's too long... what if you swapped the axe head with the spear head? It would look sleek, and the awkward grip would make more sense.
Thanks for the suggestions, guys! I guess I'll have to take my time with that sun cultist -- after shaving tiny little slices off that mask for so long, I won't mess up the model by going for the wrong arms and weapons
In the meantime, I've done more work on some of my other models. Most importantly, I have started painting my Xenos Inquisitor, now named Titus Alvar:
He's not nearly finished, of course, but I am rather happy with the overall colour combination. You may also have noticed that I went back to the original tie I had planned for the model (I feel I let myself be talked out of that too easily). And after seeing how well a Dark Elf sabre worked on Bruticus' Inquisitor Tsengir, I added the same weapon to my own Xenos Inquisitor: I like how it looks decidedly alien without being too on-the-nose Eldar-ish.
I also did some work on a couple of models for Inquisitor Fiegmund's dark and gothic Hereticus warband.
First up, thanks to the suggestions of several people, I replaced the purity seal on the Death Cult Assassin with a more organic looking version to emphasise the sense of movement:
And I used two cultist conversions I had started earlier as hyper-religious nutjobs working for Fiegmund as a means of basically enforcing their zeal on others. Meet Practicals Pask and Gretsch:
These will need some more work, obviously, but I do like the slightly medieval zealot vibe they have going on!
Amazing thread updates, ones that actually inspired me to work on my own =I= stuff ^^
I like how the wych makes a proper DCA with a few simple swaps and bitz additions, and same goes for those cultists. Though you may want to file off Chaos trim on the last guy's shoulder
KrautScientist wrote: Thanks, guys!
Anyway, due to her powers, she has been secreted away from other people for most of her life and grew up very shy and demure as a consequence. Her secret was only uncovered when Inquisitor Gotthardt visited the planet as part of some investigation. And for some reason (which will need to be pretty good, I suppose), he chose to make her a member of his retinue.
He could have made her part of the reunite because of her isolation, she has had no contact with Chaos. Her only knowledge is the Imperium making it harder for her to be corrupted.
Lovely colour choices on Titus - very debonair! Looks like he's got a touch of the peacock about him, but would gut you for saying so. Can't wait to see him finished
Nice work on the Inquisitor Can I also add my voice as a +1 for the sun buckler and axe combo for the assassin, I'm grateful that ghosty pretty much said what I wanted to about it.
All I would add though is that maybe removing the studs and the spike from the axe head will help with its appearance and separate it from the original model. You may also want to consider shortening the shaft too. It does look a little like she is trying to wield a two handed axe with a single hand
heers, guys! Thanks for the feedback and suggestions!
@ Dreadclaw69: Regarding the Sun cultist, I believe getting her just right will still require a bit of work, and also possibly the acquisition of some additional DE Wych arms, just to be on the safe side I am reasonably sure that the buckler is in, though. At the end of the day, I would rather take my time with her to get her just so -- she'll have to hold up to Bruticus' fantastic sun cultist, after all!
@ DRommel: Cheers, mate! Yes, those Wyches are perfect conversion fodder for creating female cultist types -- so much so, in fact, that I have to be careful not to use them all the time and become lazy and unimaginative Honestly, though: They take surprisingly few alterations to make them look more imperial! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, btw! Those last models you posted were stellar, as usual
@ tundrafrog1124: That's certainly a good starting point for finding a good reason for that particular plot point! Thanks a lot!
@ Scarper: That's exactly the effect I was going for! My basic idea with Alvar was to have an Inquisitor who is also a bit of a snappy dresser and, indeed, a socialite. Still working out the specifics in the back of my head, but I think it makes a nice contrast with all of the shadow war stuff without straying into "golden power armour and burning torches" ostentatiousness
@ SelvaggioSaky: Cheers, mate! It's surely been quite a bit of work, but I finally like where the model is headed now!
Feeling the short prong-spear and buckler, for my part. (I think that's vote #2 for that) The axe looks pretty sweet too, though, and I can see an awesome theme of the "sun" running through the figure. (Face mask, buckler symbol, half-sun axe), so either way.
As to the Inquisitor, I love the paintjob - the face is especially good with that sexy tie. Reminds me of an Inquisitor Jason "Transporter" Statham. Sexy beast.
New Assassin looks great too - very awesome true-to-grimdark version of a Callidus.
@ Dreadclaw69: Regarding the Sun cultist, I believe getting her just right will still require a bit of work, and also possibly the acquisition of some additional DE Wych arms, just to be on the safe side I am reasonably sure that the buckler is in, though. At the end of the day, I would rather take my time with her to get her just so -- she'll have to hold up to Bruticus' fantastic sun cultist, after all!
@ DRommel: Cheers, mate! Yes, those Wyches are perfect conversion fodder for creating female cultist types -- so much so, in fact, that I have to be careful not to use them all the time and become lazy and unimaginative Honestly, though: They take surprisingly few alterations to make them look more imperial! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with, btw! Those last models you posted were stellar, as usual
@ tundrafrog1124: That's certainly a good starting point for finding a good reason for that particular plot point! Thanks a lot!!
Got some more work done today. First of all, here's the finished build for Inquisitor Zuul, the character I'll be sending off to PDH and Mol for this year's Inqvitational:
I mainly smoothed out a couple of rough spots, and after a last bubble bath, I'll undercoat the model and hopefully get it painted over the weekend. Whatever's horrible about him will have to be covered up by paint
Here's a detail shot showing his hand holding the Inquisitorial rosette on a cord:
I also built a base for him, using pieces of an old telephone card, some brass basing material and some cork:
And, finally, here's a test fit with both the model and base:
Expect an update on him soon!
I also worked some more on Inquisitor Alvar (who, from a painting perspective, will serve as a bit of a test run for Zuul -- I would love to paint Zuul in a similar manner). The model's still not finished, but I added some new touches:
I also really like the base I built for him:
And, to wind this up, a couple of detail shots of the model on its base:
And, finally, here's a test fit with both the model and base:
I also worked some more on Inquisitor Alvar (who, from a painting perspective, will serve as a bit of a test run for Zuul -- I would love to paint Zuul in a similar manner). The model's still not finished, but I added some new touches:
Wicked! The Zuul looks great for an old guy! So, I'm sorry if I missed this, but he's for Inq 2013, right? Is he to be painted by you and provided? Or left "raw" as a prize to-be-painted by the winner?
And Alvar is looking great too - the base is phenomenal and the painting is solid. (even in high-def! )
Question: Do you intent to weather the boots + coat bottom at all? I think they look great as-is, but a little bit could put it over the top? (just not sure it's your/Kraut style or not...)
Inquisitor Zuul will be painted by me, so he can play his role as a character in the Inqvitational's narrative. Since there's a very real chance that he won't survive the day, only having him painted after the fact would be slightly anticlimactic As a matter of fact, I am painting the model right now.
Regarding Alvar, you're quite right: The hem of the cloak and the boots will be slightly drybrushed with GW Graveyard Earth to show where grime and dirt have begun to collect. I am currently putting the finishing touches on the model, so expect an update soon!
In the meantime, the INQ28 madness continues with two WIP models:
First up, you may remember Trooper Koltz here:
When I first posted the model, DexterKong suggested I change the head to make the character look more like a world-weary veteran. So I tracked down the Empire free company head Dexter had suggested. Here's what it looks like on the model:
So, what do you think? I would love to hear your thoughts!
In other news, inspiration struck and made me want to convert one of the most underappreciated WFB plastic characters, the Empire Master Engineer -- at least it's the only model that's ALWAYS available at the FLGS and never sells out. And to be honest, it used to be the one model I couldn't see myself using for anything. But then I started to think about yet another retinue member for Inquisitor Alvar, and I had an idea for a renowned Xeno-Archaeologist from the Imperial Bastold Akademy, accompanying Alvar on his travels. And I started working on the model:
The base model remains highly quirky, of course, but I think that in this case, that quirkiness actually works in the character's favour.
Cheers, mate! Here's a small update on the character:
Messed around with the original model's right arm and an extra hand from the Dreamforge Games Eisenkern Stormtroopers acessory sprue (fantastic in its own right, but also brilliant for INQ28 characters!):
Now the Professor is...
- wiping some dust from the xenotech he just discovered
- gently caressing a priceless artifact
- thinking of a guy he once knew and telling his Servo Skull Horatio what a swell person he was
This works for me - wiping some dust from the xenotech he just discovered but this made me chuckle - thinking of a guy he once knew and telling his Servo Skull Horatio what a swell person he was
Quite a simple conversion "Inquisitor Alvar" but fits quite nicely with your theme, nice bitz selection from an alternative source can I just say maybe adding something to his belt to tech him up a little might be good, also maybe a knee pad might look cool as he is always picking and digging
Your commissars neck tie where is that from again (I did ask you once before I think but I must of forgot )
KrautScientist wrote: Cheers, mate! I guess I'll definitely give him some more kit on his belt: some pouches, a gun holster,...
The tie is a High Elf bit, from the Dragon Princes sprue. Check out this picture: It's towards the right of the sprue, nearly at the top.
Cheers for the link mate I might borrow that idea for some redneck type gangers I just need to buy some high elves first
I think once you add some pouches it should make it look more 40k, also what kind of holster will you use ? I think an Eldar holster would look quite cool, something he came across once.
Shakespearean model got me out from lurking around your thread kraut!...
your stuff is brilliant...and I kept quiet due to... what could I add... nothing...what could I achieve by praising what you didn´t already accomplish without me doing just that ...everything^^...so... I just sit here a bit more and marvel at your creations if this is alright with you
The Professor is absolutely perfect!! I like the grittier Free Company head on Koltz, but I can't help but feel its just a little bit undersized compared to the rest of him
@ lone dirty dog: I'll probably go for one of the holsters from the Cadian command squad for the professor. Nice and understated. Adding an Eldar holster might be tempting, but I don't see the good professor as much of a shot, so he wouldn't use a priceless artifact like that in battle, but rather keep it in a glass case
Regarding the link, Jeff Vader has been stupendously active over at the Ammobunker for some time now, and I am a huge fan already! His blog, Officio Convertorum, has gone straight to my favourites list, and I urge you all to check it out: That JB-painting ist just the tip of the iceberg!
@ Igandris: Sorry, my camera's batteries are out right now. It's nothing flashy, though: Just a voxcaster from the Cadian command kit with the long aerial cut off. And I added a fluttering parchment and a servo skull. Will do some 360 degrees shots soon, though!
@ Viktor von Domm: Aww, that is so nice of you to say. Stay a while and marvel all you like Du alter Schmeichler!
@ Dreadclaw69: Cheers, mate: The size of the head is quite alright, I believe. If anything, the guy's legs are far to short...
@ Yellowbeard: Haha, I cannot count the times I had that model in my hand, marveling at how anyone could ever make something out of it -- it just so happens I was to find out the hard way! Inspiration's a bitch sometimes...
Alright guys, yet another update. Here's a look at Inquisitor Zuul getting ready for the Inqvitational:
After the base colours and first pass of washes:
And what he looked like when I put the model down a few minutes ago:
Now there's still quite a bit of work to be done on this guy, to be sure. But I hope youll agree that this is at least some kind of progress
@ SelvaggioSaky: Well, I tried my best to make him equal parts majestic and creepy, so it would be awesome if other people felt the same way about him you do!
@ Dreadclaw69: I am actually considering doing a simple marble effect. I will however hold off on the decision until I know a) whether I'll be able to pull it off and b) I know what Peter thinks about the idea -- he's my INQ28 hero
@ ghosty: The Rosette fell off during undercoating, so I decided to leave it off until the area behind it was completely painted. It will eventually be reattached, of course!
I have to say I was not keen on the first picture of this minis creation, however the paint scheme has breathed life into it extremely convincingly.
The shading on the boots is really impressive, yes strange thing to notice but hey ho, I also was not sold on the red coat at first but now it works perfectly with the scheme.
The shoulder pad looks so much more belonging now and blends nicely with the miniature, I really wish I had the talent for this type converting
Thanks for the link as well PS Your Ork star player simple conversion but looks bloody brilliant
Zuul looks great has a certain charm about him now, slightly war warn but remaining to keep a sense of importance and stance.
As for the xeno-archaeologist he looks good so far, I think once he has his side arm and maybe some kind of eye bionic would be cool, I just think it would help with examining artefacts and other finds.
lone dirty dog wrote: As for the xeno-archaeologist he looks good so far, I think once he has his side arm and maybe some kind of eye bionic would be cool, I just think it would help with examining artefacts and other finds.
Its a nice idea, but it renders the characterful do-hickey on his helmet redundant
lone dirty dog wrote: As for the xeno-archaeologist he looks good so far, I think once he has his side arm and maybe some kind of eye bionic would be cool, I just think it would help with examining artefacts and other finds.
Its a nice idea, but it renders the characterful do-hickey on his helmet redundant
I see your point but the do-hickey is for looking at objects in the distance, the bionic is for close inspection of objects like a jewellers eye piece so to speak
It's an interesting concept certainly, but wouldn't that make the face a bit crowded? I like his face, it looks very old and weathered, and a bionic eye more detract from that somewhat.
ghosty wrote: It's an interesting concept certainly, but wouldn't that make the face a bit crowded? I like his face, it looks very old and weathered, and a bionic eye more detract from that somewhat.
It could I guess, after all it aint down to me it's not my mini just an idea to throw around
Very nice conversion work thus far! I would, however, put my voice for the bionic eye idea, as this would give this mini a much more Blanche feeling - mixing in bionics and medieval wear is what 40k is about )
And Zuul looks almost perfect, however, I'd suggest adding eyes to his face - just as simple as two tiny white dots. This qould instantly make him more lively and creepy )
Love the colors you chose. Also I think the less bionics on the henchmen the better. The little head goggle thing is perfect. And I choose the option of him caressing the skull. Poor yorick.
Loving this thread dude. I'm up to page 7. Great use of those Gorkamorka boyz. I've been doing something similar with some i found in a box of old stuff. Using Plaguebearer heads and various plastic Gorkamorka, Necromunda and Plaguebearer bit's I've built a small gang of mutant nurgle cultists. Planning to photo and post 'em when I get 'em finished so I'll keep you posted. Love that brute you've made from AOBR nob too. Good mutie action in general.
@ DRommel: Thanks for the kind words, mate! I'll let you in on a secret, though: I am horrible at painting eyes, and I won't let my shortcomings ruin Zuul's face, which I am very fond of
@ Diakon: Ah, yes: Building muties and twists is just such fun once you've managed to find a recipe that works for you, isn't it?
Anyway, short update on the Professor:
I converted the loudspeaker on his backpack into a lamp, using a landspeeder headlight. Should have thought of that right away, though I'm glad Bruticus pointed it out to me!
And I added a cable running from his head to his backpack, probably transferring the visual data he collects into his portable cogitator or something like that?
Anyway, I don't believe I'll be adding any more bionics to him -- I pretty much like the model as it is. I'll only add a gun holster, and then this guy will hit the painting bench
Alright, guys: Even though I had five days off, I have been phenomenally lazy in hobby terms. The reason for that is that I am also a huge videogame nerd and finally, about six months too late, got around to checking out Dishonored. The art direction and world in this are truly exceptional, and I believe any 40k aficionado who has not yet checked it out should definitely do so: Chances are, you'll find a lot to like about the setting, even if it's more steampunkish than 40k's strange blend of quasi-religious retro-futurism.
Ahem, back to topic, though: I finally managed to put the finishing touches on Inquisitor Titus Alvar. Here he is:
There wasn't that much left to do, actually: Some accents were tidied up, and the hem of his coat and his boots were lightly drybrushed with GW Graveyard Earth to show where grime and dirt had begun to collect. It's a rather subtle effect, but it works pretty well if you see the model up close. Oh, and I also added a simple gem effect to his tie.
Here are a couple of detail shots of the model on its base:
All in all, I am fairly happy with how the model turned out: I like the aristocratic quality about him, yet his equipment and the googles on his brow show that, as a member of the Ordo Xenos, he also is an accomplished fighter and possibly quite a bit of a scientist as well. All in all, the main point of critique leveraged against the earlier iterations of the character was that he didn’t look all that much like an Inquisitor. I think the finished model puts that problem to rest: At least, he very much seems like an Inquisitor to me
The last thing to do was to write a short background vignette for the character, outlining the ideas and concepts that had led to the model’s creation:
Inquisitor Titus Alvar, of the Ordo Xenos
House Alvar has been one of the more influential noble houses for centuries. As a scion of the house, Titus Alvar grew up in luxury and power, the intricacies of the Imperial courts with their waxing and waning support for one house or another a game he quickly mastered. Maybe the search for new and more immediate thrills was what made him enter that perilous region of space known as “The Veil of Impurity” time and time again, and tales of his exploration of ancient ruins, of treasures discovered and adventures survived, made him the talk of the courts he had left behind. As a matter of fact, one of his expeditions into the treacherous cluster of stars resulted in a standoff with Inquisitrix Cimbria Carscallen. Under normal circumstances, someone running afoul of the Ordo Xenos would have been executed without second thought, yet Carscallen must have seen something in Alvar that made her reconsider. And so, Titus Alvar, noble, adventurer, became an Interrogator in the Emperor’s Holy Ordos of the Inquisition and, in time, an Inquisitor in his own right.
Though the years of doing the Emperor’s work may have somewhat mellowed his once flamboyant lifestyle, Titus Alvar very much remains a socialite and a political animal. His standing as a member of an influential noble house makes him a common guest at social functions all over the sector, and the tales of his exploits have led some of his peers to suspect that he is a glory hound, first and foremost.
In truth, Titus Alvar is, above all else, a pragmatist: The trappings of nobility are as much of a useful tool to him as the artifacts he has recovered on countless expeditions or the retainers, some of them quite exotic, that comprise his warband. Meanwhile, some of Alvar’s colleagues have grown suspicious of the Inquisitor’s continued expeditions to the Veil of Impurity and some of the alliances he may have forged there…
As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Looks great Kraut The turquoise gem is a nice spot color and the background was a good read.
I do however feel that he could use some more contrast, maybe a different colored tie or shirt.
Thats just me tough.
KrautScientist wrote: Alright, guys: Even though I had five days off, I have been phenomenally lazy in hobby terms. The reason for that is that I am also a huge videogame nerd and finally, about six months too late, got around to checking out Dishonored. The art direction and world in this are truly exceptional, and I believe any 40k aficionado who has not yet checked it out should definitely do so: Chances are, you'll find a lot to like about the setting, even if it's more steampunkish than 40k's strange blend of quasi-religious retro-futurism.
Ahem, back to topic, though: I finally managed to put the finishing touches on Inquisitor Titus Alvar. Here he is:
Ah... you too, huh? I just opened the copy my brother got me for X-mas last year... yep. I can definitely see some inspiration there - moreso from the environment for me, rather than the general populace. I'm not sure if I'm supposed to get more stealth-killy later in the game, but escaping the prison was a friggin' bloodbath...
In terms of the progress on the Inquisitor... I'm frankly jealous of your paint style. It's simple, but really clean and effective. My favorite bits (aside from the spot-gem) are his sword and his pants. The pants I figured how you did it, and the effect looks great - like the stretching feel of the pants at the... KNEE. Get your head out of the gutter...
But I still want to know how you did the crusty-used look on the sword. Base of... metal? Wash... then highlight the edges with a lighter metal?
@ Dreadclaw69: It's good to know that I seem to have managed to achieve that effect, even if this model took quite some time to come together!
@ Igandris: I actually went back and forth on this, yet in the end I decided that the uniformly dark grey clothes under the cloak would look well made and expensice precisely because they are so similar in tone. The coat's also really flashy enough, and I didn't want him to look to colourful
@ Boringstuff: Glad you feel that way, mate! That eclecticism was exactly what I was gunning for!
@ HF Izanagi: Cheers, Remi! You're exactly right about the sword: First a base of GW Boltgun Metal, then a wash with GW Nuln Oil, then a wash with GW Drakenhof Nightshade (for the slightly blue sheen) and then a final accent with GW Mithril Silver.
Regarding Dishonored (which has held me enthralled for the last ten days or so), it's really easy to derail this thread by getting me to talk videogames, since I am a huge videogame nerd. So I'll just put the following into spoiler tags. If you're not into videogames, feel free to ignore this
Spoiler:
I found Dishonored truly inspiring from a 40k perspective because its juxtaposition of a poor lower class, living in squalor on the rat infested streets of a city decimated by the plague, and the aristocracy, perfectly sure of their god-given superiority and holding pointless social functions to drown out the very real problems, even as reality comes crawling in. It may be a tired trope, but it's extremely well executed here. And it could very easily fit the more feudal worlds in 40k: Dunwall would make for a pretty convincing civilised world in the Imperium of Man: Not a hive world like Necromunda or Armageddon, to be sure, but something between what I imagined Balhaut and Aexe Cardinal from the Gaunt's Ghost novels to be like.
The game's art direction is also truly exceptional: The character art, architecture and graphic design are all top notch, plus I love the general "it's England, only not" feel.
As for the stealth, I am four or five missions in, and have yet to kill a single enemy. I love how there's a nonlethal option for EVERYTHING in the game, and I play as stealthily as I can. While that's simply the way I've been playing these kinds of games ever since the original Metal Gear Solid, it also results in a different atmosphere in the city and , I believe, a slightly different storyline. In any case, I love how many options there are in Dishonored, some of which you might never see in your first playthrough: For instance, I only started to really rely on the magic abilities several missions in. Anyway, I cannot recommend this enough!
Right, with the Inqvitational 2013 almost upon us, let me share some more pictures of my model for Inquisitor Zuul, who is to play a part in the upcoming events.
So here's the finished model:
All in all, some parts of the model may be slightly rougher around the edges than I would have liked, but in the end, I had to get the model out the door before the deadline expired. And I think I really managed to get across that Zuul is an ancient and experienced Inquisitor who doesn’t hide his convictions or fear any confrontation with his puritan colleagues. PDH remarked that Zuul had “such a weight of years to him”, and I am really happy about that, since it’s one of the things I was trying to achieve with the model!
Here are a couple of additional detail shots:
Zuul’s face:
The model’s base:
And, once again, the face (which I am actually really happy with!):
And, just for fun, some pictures with two other models that were pretty important for the creation of Zuul:
First up, Zuul with Inquisitor Alvar, who, as I already mentioned, served as a “colour test” of sorts:
While the general colours used may be similar, however, the models still ended up looking quite different: Alvar is younger and more idealistic, and certainly a snappier dresser, while Zuul has a certain feeling of regality and gravitas about him.
And here’s Zuul with my own Inquisitor Antrecht, himself an outspoken radical. I wanted to give Zuul a slightly superior patrician vibe, just the same as Antrecht.
Come to think of it, these two could probably be pretty good friends
By the way, this is possibly my favourite angle of Zuul:
So yeah, I certainly hope the model’s good enough to pass for Zuul during the Inqvitational! While it may not be perfect, I must say I am at least reasonably pleased with how it turned out. Plus building a model to resemble a piece of artwork was a completely new and refreshing challenge! Which actually begs the question: Does the model for Zuul resemble the artwork it was based on at all? Here’s a composite with the artwork and model side by side:
As you can see, I changed a number of things, some of them by sheer necessity (like the pose): The Katana-like sword in the artwork was replaced by a more western looking sword. The facial features in the artwork are noticeably sharper, yet that cannot be helped: Trying to change the face itself would surely have ended in disaster. On the other hand, there are also a number of parallels that were strangely coincidental, like the dangling inquisitorial rosette, the (purity) seal on Zuul’s right lapel, the very similar coat or the fact that the armour the model is wearing on its torso could be seen as the same kind of augmetic pipes and doodads seen in the artwork.
Anyway, the model was packed up and sent to PDH, where, after some hair-raising delays caused by my very good friends at the German postal service, it managed to arrive just in time for the Inqvitational. Phew
Huge thanks must go to both Commissar Molotov and PDH for their input and suggestions which have been invaluable during the creation of the model (and, indeed, for allowing me to tackle a rather important supporting character for the Inqvitational)! And thanks to the INQ28 crowd over at the Ammobunker as well for their continued feedback!
Alas, Inquisitor Zuul’s story might end up being a rather short one: There’s a very real chance he won’t survive the run-in with his puritan colleagues this Saturday. In any case, building the model to both resemble the original artwork and express Zuul’s character through the conversion and paintjob have been a great experience. And as for Zuul’s final fate, I’ll keep you posted, of course!
Until then, let me know what you think about the model! And, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Loving the archaeologist. Work in the profession myself have to admit to be a proper one a hammer and shovel (or at least an oik like me to use them for him) should be part of his kit.
That is fantastic. I just noticed that Alvar had a very similar scheme to Zuul....
I really like the mini, and your translation does the art justice for sure. Feedback from Molotov and PDH, ey...? Perhaps I might ask you for the same once I get started on some new Inq guys (2 to be exact). One will be most likely for the =I=Men, using the new Eldar HQ choice Nightspear something or other. I see Kurt Wagner aka Nightcrawler but already have his female counter/daughter on the team. Will give it more thought. Or perhaps another for the Grimdark Knight's retinue.
The other one... thinking of trying it the way you guys do it. I think my minis go with my own personal aesthetic taste first before trying to integrate them into the 40K/Inq. universe. You guys do it the other way around, I think...
In other words, it's time to make me an ugly guy!! Keep you posted when I start.
Again, great mini for the finished Zuul product. He'd be a commission I'd gladly pay money for, and whoever gets him (he is a "prize" mini for the Inqvitational, yes?) is a lucky guy/gal.
I know I have told you what I think via email but he is absolutely fantastic!
That weight of years really permeates out from the miniature. The psi-booster cabling on his head is my favourite part along with the way he is holding his staff.
Thank you ever so much for volunteering to make us a miniature for the event. Very kind of you my friend:-)
Thanks for the kind words, guys! I really appreciate it!
@ Llamahead: Huh, that's what I get for building an archaeologist with no concern for his needing some tools to do any archaelogy Seriously, though: I am now torn between simply adding a shovel and/or hammer to the model or adding a buttmonkey assistant of his, carrying all the gear and doing the heavy lifting. The latter could be brilliant fun, although I may have to resist the urge to make additional retainers to my Inquisitors' retainers... But then, I have some perfect bitz for that assistant... Damn choices!
@ HF Izanagi: Cheers, Remi! Feel free to drop me a line if you're interested in more detailed feedback about models. I'd be happy to throw some ideas and remarks your way! It has to be said, though, that I tend to try different approaches to character creation: With some characters, I just want to use a certain base model in a conversion. Others come from a desire to build a certain archetype. And still others exist as characters in my head before I ever look at how to build them. Usually, it tends to be a mix of the three...
Oh, and Zuul will not be given to the "winner" or anything! As far as I know, he still has some role to play in the story, and if anyone ever were to receive the model as a gift, it would have to be Mol or PDH for doing all that work related to the Inqvitational.
@ SelvaggioSaky: Now that's an image I won't be able to get out of my head for a while...
@ gianlucafiorentini123: Cheers, mate! The artwork is from the Inquisitor rulebook. It appears on page seven
@ PDH: Like I said elsewghere, you are very welcome, my friend!
Right, time for another update: Since work has been rather stressing lately, and the sweltering heat that has gripped parts of Germany makes even the smallest tasks look like a herculean effort, I am sad to admit that I don't have any new conversions or painted models to show you. But at the same time, looking at all the fantastic INQ28 stuff people have come up with lately (honourable mentions must go to PDH's INQ28 villains and Bruticus' brilliantly disturbing Dark Mechanicus models , I feel the growing urge to creae something cool. Until I can make it happen, though, I content myself with picking up some bitz and bobs for future project and searching for useful models in my cupboard of shame. Just the right kind of activity in this weather Here's what I've come up with so far:
First of all, when I learned that GW are selling the last of their Specialist games' models, I was quick to order some Necromunda Esher models from my FLGS: Adding more female characters to my INQ28 warbands has been a bit of an idée fixe lately, since it's so easy to fall back on all-male warbands due to the fact that decent female models can be hard to come by in GW's catalogue. And you can only convert the same (Dark) Elf and (Dark) Eldar models every so often, before it becomes stale. The Esher models have been among my favourite female sculpts for a long time. Granted, you have to look beyond the outlandish 80s' hair on some of the models, but they are really great and work well for IQ28 retinues as gunslingers, hive gangers or operatives, if you ask me.
So, yesterday I picked up my order at the FLGS: I had ordered a gang box and an additional booster pack, to maximise the amount of different sculpts.
These are supplied randomly, so you need a bit of luck. The purchase gave me one gang leader, one specialist, six regular gangers and three juves. On the positive side, there was only one duplicate among these, which is even a plus, because I can now paint one of the twins as a warband member and still have another one, in case I ever decide to start a proper Necromunda gang. On the other hand, one or two models I had hoped would be part of the deal were missing. Oh well, you cannot win them all, I guess
Here's the model that I received twice:
I guess I'll use her as an ex-hive ganger that was recruited by an Inquisitor (maybe Inquisitor Alvar?) and now serves as a gunslinger/operative in his warband.
I also picked up Reaper's Sasha Dubois model:
I normally stick to GW models, by and large, but in this case, I made an exception: I have loved this particular sculpt for a long time, plus I think she makes an excellent addition for an INQ28 warband. Granted, she may look slightly "stripperiffic" with that bared midriff, but it should be easy enough to paint that area as covered by a bodyglove. Here's a link to a very nice, painted version of the model, btw.
What I especially like about her is that she's perfectly proportioned to fit the 40k scale. Here she is, next to the aforementioned Esher model:
For the moment, my plan is to name her Millerna Acheron and use her as Inquisitor Alvar's Interrogator: It would somehow suit his character
Apart from that, I also found some additional models in my bitzbox:
First up, a couple of Inquisitorial henchmen, given to me by my cousin Andy some time ago:
I haven't used these yet because they were too on-the-nose hereticus for the warbands I've been working on. But they should work rather nicely, once I get around to the puritan/monodominant end of the spectrum: That flamer acolyte is far too cool to moulder in my bitzbox forever
Then there's some Necromunda odds and ends that I have managed to pick up:
A Delaque Juve (minus his head, which I clipped off because it was horrible), a Scavvy and a Van Saar (which would make a fantastic Spec Ops operative for a warband, if you ask me).
The Scavvy ended up in my bitzbox thanks to Peter's generosity:
I had actually never seen this particular sculpt before. Strange...
And finally, some Ecclesiarchy types:
On the left, a Necromunda Redemptionist priest that I had at one point used as a Mordheim cultist of Sigmar (hence the clipped-off pistol):
The other model is my favourite Imperial missionary, picked up as part of an ebay auction: Someone cut off the hand with the chainsword, but it should be easy enough to replace:
I love the workmanlike look of this guy, although I suspect I will end up replacing the staff with the huge book with something more practical...
Anyway, so much for our small tour through the dark corners of my bitzbox Let's hope I'll be more productive soon and can show you some new conversions
Very interested in seeing what you do with these I have a soft spot for the Necromunda figures because they're so characterful.
The Reaper sculpt looks like she scales quite nicely too.
Cheers Butt monkey with the tools gets my vote or possibly a young student.....
Young Student/Apprentice might be a more interesting character to grim darkify than the butt monkey.
, great minis, just one question: why do you maintain both a blog and a post about the same thing? doesn´t that mean that you need to do all the text and image uploads twice? it´s just something I´ve never understood really.
@ Dreadclaw69: Indeed, the Necromunda seems to combine the best GW models and the worst GW models in one catalogue. As a matter of fact, I really don't get why the Esher gang isn't yet sold out, seeing how they are really the best sculpts, if you ask me. I've always found Delaque and Orlock rather uniteresting and, in some cases, downright horrible. Oh well, it all comes down to personal preference, I guess...
@ Llamahead: Seeing how I have some very nice bitz to use on a possible assistant/student for the archaeologist, it's a pretty fair assumption that I'll eventually cave in and build him
@ buhonero13: Well, the basic idea is to get maximum exposure for my hobby projects: While there are some people who only ever read my Dakka thread, others will only read my blog. As a rule of thumb, it's quite a bit easier to get people to read your forum threads, but then only a blog offers me the ability to post anything I want. So whenever I feel the urge to spout a thousand words about some formative moment of my personal hobby life, the blog's a far better medium for that than any thread. Plus I can do reviews, terrain turtorials and all of the other stuff without having to create twenty threads on the same board.
In the end, it's more work, of course. But I try to be as economical about it as I can: The World Eaters stuff goes to my blog, Dakka, Throne of Skulls, B&C and a German board. The INQ28 stuff is posted on my blog, here on Dakka, on the Ammobunker, the Conclave and, again, the German board. For each post, I try to compose it so that it can be used in several places. And I usually use Dakka's very robust image hosting, so that isn't too much work.
In the end, you may call me a gloryhound for posting everywhere I can, and you'd surely be right: Getting feedback on my models is a huge incentive for me to get stuff done, plus it has led to all kinds of crazy hobby projects so far.
Meant to post here yesterday, but the day got away from me.
I'm excited to see what you do with the Escher models. I always liked them, and thought that their ridiculous 80s punk hair was actually pretty cool. The Goliath models are my second favorite, but there's really only a handful of models in the range that I liked. Their heavies are awesome, but their juvies looked rather terrible.
There's a lot of potential with the Escher models, turning one of them into a grotesque servitor would be fun. I know they're metal so the cutting and filing is an issue, but it'd be a cool take on them that I haven't seen before.
KrautScientist wrote: @ Dreadclaw69: Indeed, the Necromunda seems to combine the best GW models and the worst GW models in one catalogue. As a matter of fact, I really don't get why the Esher gang isn't yet sold out, seeing how they are really the best sculpts, if you ask me. I've always found Delaque and Orlock rather unite
Some of the original Orlock sculpts are fantastic, the ganger with the double barreled shotgun, the ganger with not-an-Ak autogun with knife on the side, and the heavies.
yeah, good minis, but they are just...... AGH, HOW I HATE THEM ALL!!!!!!!!
PD: yeah, an orlock player kicked my ass very hard, anyway, the heavys were great (thought i still say a heavy should never be so g-damn sneaky and shadowy while carrying a freaking lasscannon)
@ Dreadclaw69: It's actually not so much the sculpts I take issue with as the overall concept for the gang: While some (indeed quite a lot) of the Necromunda sculpts are fantastic, and still manage to hold up today, I always found the gangs to not be nearly gothic enough for my taste, especially in comparison to Necromunda's unofficial predecessor, Confrontation: Some of the designs always seemed too straight up SciFi/Dark Future/Mad Max-like to me, when I would have preferred something more bizarre and eclectic. And for me, the Orlocks are clearly among the gangs that seem a bit too generic.
Right, I haven't been all that productive from a hobby perspective for the last few weeks, but today I finally have something new to show you, even though it's a very early WIP.
As Llamehead rightly pointed out earlier, my Xeno-archaeologist doesn't really carry all that much gear for excavations, considering his profession. So my options were to either clutter the model with yet more bitz, or construct an assistant for him to do the heavy lifting (or rather, the digging). And even though I wanted to resist the urge to build yet another retainer for one of my Inquisitor's retainers, I couldn't help it. So I dived into my bitzbox and made an early mockup of a xeno-archaeologist in training. In my imagination, this guy is a devout student of Professor Abelard Marbray (the older archaeologist I posted earlier) and is thrilled by the chance to do the dirty work for his idol:
I wanted him to look like he was checking something on a map in his left hand, while his right is holding a trusty old Laspistol. Oh, and I also added a guard backpack to him, as you can see, so he at least has a shovel
The rather frightened looking head from the Celestial Hurricanum kit seemed to be a perfect fit for him, plus it also creates a visual connection with Inquisitor Alvar, which I like. All in all, Alvar's retinue seems like a group of explorers trawling ancient Xenos-ruins and catacombs, which is a rather nice fit for Alvar as a celebrated adventurer and member of the Ordo Xenos.
The model is still in its very early stages, of course, and I may yet add some additional gear. But I may be on to something here...
I like him, but there's a but....
laspistol is a very nice weapon, but He's a worker, I think that a pencil, a scalpel, a pick on the right hand would be more appropriate.
KrautScientist wrote: As Llamehead rightly pointed out earlier, my Xeno-archaeologist doesn't really carry all that much gear for excavations, considering his profession. So my options were to either clutter the model with yet more bitz, or construct an assistant for him to do the heavy lifting (or rather, the digging). And even though I wanted to resist the urge to build yet another retainer for one of my Inquisitor's retainers, I couldn't help it. So I dived into my bitzbox and made an early mockup of a xeno-archaeologist in training. In my imagination, this guy is a devout student of Professor Abelard Marbray (the older archaeologist I posted earlier) and is thrilled by the chance to do the dirty work for his idol:
Fantastic work as always The head is the perfect accompaniment to his fluff and the goggles tie him well to the Professor. His face has a mix of youthfulness, uncertainty, inexperience, and a little trepidation.
For his backpack are you going to build it up more so he looks like one of the knight's retainers in 'Monty Python and the Quest for the Holy Grail'?
Concerning the laspistol I think it's the perfect choice. It's basic, reliable, low maintenance and pretty much point and shoot. Perfect for an scholar with no military experience
SelvaggioSaky wrote: laspistol is a very nice weapon, but He's a worker, I think that a pencil, a scalpel, a pick on the right hand would be more appropriate.
, really? tools??: I mean: you really imagine him going to war with a scalpel? , the mental image of him using a pick as a melee weapon was great dude , anyway, workers don´t usually go to war unarmed, but it´s tru that a laspistol normally shouts "militar men", I mean, normally workers go with stub weaponry (the stub-pistol, auto-pistol or hand-cannon), because they are cheaper and easier to find than laspistols.
Regarding the pistol, I wanted to make this guy look slightly more combat-worthy than the professor. I imagine he may even have a slightly-military background -- maybe he used to be a member of the PDF, Hiveguard or something similar. Although it would have been fun to just imagine him as a useless pencil-pusher, that would have raised the question why he would be allowed to tag along with the Inquisitor's retinue in the first place. I guess each member in a given warband does at least have to be reasonably good at something, after all
So my idea for the assistant is that he can at least hold his own in an armed confrontation. The Laspistol, then, could be a callback to his military days.
That's wonderful glad to have helped he fits the part and looks far more practical about to tell the professor "Sir you know that skull your looking at?"
"It's a priceless find totally unique in my experience"
"Well look behind you slowly and you'll see it's not unique it's got buddies and their intact and angry."
Right, just a small update to show you that this thread isn't dead or anything While I have to admit that most of my hobby time lately was spent building new stuff for my "regular" 40k army, my World Eaters, I did find the time to revisit one of my INQ28 projects recently.
You may remember the WIP Sun Cultist I posted a while ago. When we last saw her, the lady in question was having a rather hard time choosing what weapons to take along for a nice little stroll in the underhive. Well, no longer, because I think I may have found the right pose and equipment for her, thanks to some WFB Empire bitz PDH was kind enough to send my way. Here she is (still WIP, obviously):
I have always been a huge fan of characters fighting with a longer and a shorter blade - duelist style, if you will - and I think it's a rather nice fit for the model. While the less esoteric weaponry makes her look a bit less eclectic, I am still rather pleased with the result. I also changed the pose of her right leg, making her pose seem less acrobatic (but still rather lithe).
She'll still need quite a bit of work, as is evident by looking at the copious amount of yellow placeholder putty, but I think I may be on to something here -- let me know what you think!
Oh, and I already posted this on my World Eaters thread, but I think I deserve a medal for managing to separate this FW head and torso with minimal damage to either:
The head will be used on a Heretek, taking inspiration from Bruticus' fantastic rogue genetor. The torso will most likely see use in my small traitor guard force.
I realise it's been quite a long time since I posted any updates on this thread. So what about my various INQ28 projects? All over?
Far from it! Time's been pretty short for the last weeks and months, though, and most of my hobby time went into my main 40k army, my World Eaters (as those of you following either my blog or my World Eaters threads can attest). Fear not, however, because I’ve recently begun to get some more work in on my various INQ28 retinues. You'll know some of the following models if you've been following this thread, but that's quite okay because I've recently started to organise some of them into a retinue for one of my Inquisitors: Titus Alvar, a member of the Ordo Xenos:
Alvar himself is a rather dapper fellow, and also an Imperial noble, so I thought he would merit a rather colourful collection of retainers. I picture Alvar as a bit of an adventurer, always taking expeditions to uncharted regions of Space in search of some Xenos artifact or other, so his warband should incorporate some muscle as well as some brains, with a dash of the exotic for flavour. Let’s take a look:
The first member of Alvar’s retinue is this veteran of the Imperial Guard I built quite a while ago:
I like the big gun and the “tough as nails” look and imagine this is the kind of guy Alvar makes use of when negotiations turn sour and diplomacy is no longer an option.
The second member of his retinue was also completed a while ago:
Kroot Pathfinder T’l'kess lost his entire kindred in an atrocity committed by a Tau officer (it’s a long story). He realised that his last chance to keep his bloodline alive might be to travel the stars in order to find members of the brood who left the planet prior to the genocide. During his travels, he met Inquisitor Alvar whom he now serves as a scout and pathfinder.
I imagine this character as a very dignified and honourable individual, a bit of a “noble savage”, if you will. It is also very much in character for a socialite like Alvar to have an “exotic” retainer like this in his warband, even though it might make the more puritan members of the Ordo Xenos foam at the mouth…
Then there's the Xeno-Archaeologist I converted from the Empire Master Engineer:
Professor Abelard Marbray, of the Bastold Imperial Akademy, formerly one of the sector’s pre-eminent specialists on Xeno-archaelogy. That was before his scientific theories on the warp affinities of certain Xenos were shot down by Inquisitor Alvar at a social function, which rendered him the laughingstock of his colleagues. Alvar visited him afterwards, revealing that all of this had been a conscious move to discredit the Professor, since his theories had been too close to the truth for the Ordo Xenos’ comfort. The Professor was outraged at this, yet when Alvar offered him to join him – not to attain academic merits, but to learn the actual scientific truth – he eventually accepted.
And I also finally glued together the components for Marbray's assistant:
As you may be able to tell, he received some additional gear and pouches, although I certainly didn't go overboard with the kitbashing
To round out Alvar’s scientific staff, I recently good a really good deal on the FW Tech Serrvitor for Inquisitor Solomon Lok who should make a pretty great Magos Xenobiologis with a bit of work…
A dandy like Alvar should also have some female members in his warband, of course. Finding suitable models across GW’s catalogue can be quite a bit of a challenge, however, so I had to improvise:
First up, I picked up Reaper’s Sasha Dubois model:
I normally stick to GW models, by and large, but in this case, I made an exception: I have loved this particular sculpt for a long time, plus I think she makes an excellent addition for an INQ28 warband.
My plan for now is to call her Millerna Acheron and use her as an Interrogator for Inquisitor Alvar: It suits his character to have an attractive woman around as his assistant. At the same time, he’s shrewd enough to consciously give the impression that he just chose her as a pretty face to accompany him.
I also bought a box of Necromunda Esher gangers before GW sold out all their Specialist System models, and one of them will probably be added to Inquisitor Alvar’s retinue as some hired muscle:
Shiv Korlund is probably an ex-hive ganger and gunslinger and could be Alvar’s operative for whenever he has dealings in the underhive of a particular world. I also imagine she might have a rather interesting “kiss kiss slap” relationship with the guard veteran…
So those are the members of Inquisitor Alvar’s retinue so far:
Granted, the warband remains hideously unpainted at this point, but I'll endeavour to change that as quickly as I can Nevertheless, I think it’s a rather interesting cast of characters, and it will be fun to further flesh them out. It’s also remarkable how things just started falling into place once I had begun to work on the warband! Of course I’d like to hear any suggestions you might have!
Those were not the only INQ28 models I have been working on, though: Some of you might remember the WIP Sun Cultist I showed you a couple of posts up in this thread. The model is based on a Dark Eldar Wych and a couple of different bitz. Getting this character to work turned out to be quite a task! However, I have recently managed to complete the basic build of the model:
I now see her more as a bodyguard than a cultist, to be honest: I believe her ostentatious quasi-renaissance outfit makes her look like the trained personal guard of a powerful spirelord, with her movements like those of a dancer: elegant but deadly. The model will yet need some more work, and I’ll need to find a warband for her as well, but I am now feeling really happy with the overall look of the model for the first time.
The last model I want to show you today is still very rough around the edges. It is also merely a fun little project, inspired by a brilliant little conversion I discovered on one of the German forums. I give you the TAU SAMURAI:
I really build this first early mockup as a project just for fun. But strangely enough, it worked, so I kept throwing more bitz at it Here's what the model looks like now:
Granted, building a Tau looking like a Samurai is almost painfully clichéd, but come on: There's even a commander El'Miyamoto in the official background! These guys must have come from the E'Do sept
Seriously, though, while I don't have any plans to use the model for anything much, there may be a story worth telling there: Maybe he’s a former officer who was part of the atrocity that wiped out T’l'Kess’s kindred, and chose the path of the Ronin (whatever the Tau name for that might be) as an atonement for his sins?
In any case, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Tau Samurai? Suicidal failure and seeking atonement seem the best background for a Tau going in close. Pose is awesome. I can't help but feel Inquisitor Alvars warband needs a Psyker of some description.
@ Llamahead: Yeah, isn't it fun to imagine what kind of disgrace it would take for a Tau to go and take up something his whole race seems to be truly horrible at?
As for the model, I am considering losing one of the shoulder pads:
For some reason, I like it better that way: Maybe it's because it makes the model seem less clunky? And asymmetrical armour is always sexier, of course...
Regarding the Psyker, I see where you're coming from, although I would only want to add another character if I had a good background idea: From a narrative standpoint, Alvar's warband seems pretty well rounded out already. Any ideas where a Psyker might fit in?
@ Dark Apostle 666: The Tau's pose is mainly due to his legs, since they are running forward. There's really no option to make him more upright without resorting to GS, and I actually think the slight tilt forwards rather fits the overall composition.
The head is not from the Zombies, although I agree there is some resemblance, but from the Empire Luminark of Hysh/Celestial Hurricanum kit, which is full of wonderful INQ28 bitz
The four traditional psyker backgrounds would be a Sage who dabbled to deep and got into the wrong sort of trouble you've already got with Abelard. The next is an amoral mercenary character easily hired and easily explained. The third which might be interesting is a trusted mentor or acolyte figure the Acolyte is already covered by Sasha Dubois and a line in her background is a possibility. The fourth is the lone survivor archetype. I rather like the idea of a veteran guard sanctioned psyker the only survivor of a hideous xeno's beast being recruited by Alvar. A navigator or an astropath being recruited in a similar pattern might be an interesting option. I also think a scantily clad bodyguard who is a minor psyker would appeal to him. The description of the psychic xenoarchaeologist in A Thousand Sons might also be interesting
The other traditional Ordo Xenos retainer he doesn't have is an Adeptus Mechanicus representative. I like this as it speaks to a clash with them over a relic and also explains why he has a sholar who is not a servant of the Omnissiah attached.
My name is Slaashi-Choypi you killed my Riptide, Prepare to die!
@ 4oursword: Well, in all honesty, there is quite the resemblance to that head from the Zombie kit you mentioned -- you guys should have realised I could never GS-sculpt goggles like that, though
@ Llamahead: Cheers for the concepts. The strange thing is that I already have a WIP model that fits the "veteran guard sanctioned psyker" concept you outlined to a T:
Maybe this guy could become a fiiting associate for Alvar, with a bit of work?
As for the AdMech: I did actually mention a possible Magos Xenobiologis I want to build and paint for the warband! The guy will use Solomon Lok's Tech Servitor as a base.
Nifty and he probably doesn't need much work at all. I'd agree that Adeptus Mechanicus works great with the Ordo Xenos either as allies or enemies and I look forward to seeing your versions. It would also make a great enemy mine scenario hmmm.
Right, just a minor update for now, but thanks to Llamahead's suggestion, I spent some more time on that sanctioned Psyker, in order to turn him into a possible member for Inquisitor Alvar's retinue.
He's now sporting standard, guard issue boots instead of Elven footwear
Changing the feet actually took more cutting and fitting than you would believe! I also changed the leg pose, while I was at it. And while not everyone might like the new look, I think it's closer to how I see the character: he's not a very physical type, relying on his gift (that is also a curse, of course, turning him into an outcast, even in the midst of his comrades).
I also added some equipment and a couple of pouches to his belt.
Matt.Kingsley wrote: With the new leg pose, it looks as if he's wearing a skirt!
Other than that, I think he looks great!
You could even say... fabulous!
Hey everyone, a belated happy new year to all of you!
Just a small update for now, so you know I'm still alive: Virtually no progress on any of my hobby progress, since my desire to sleep has rendered me lazy beyond your wildest imagination -- as has my constant twitch to play GTA V
But lo and behold, I have actually started painting the sanctioned psyker:
Granted, he's nowhere near finished, and not much to look at (yet), but at least he's proof that I am working on something. Oh, and I really never intended that skirt to read as a skirt, but rather as the lower part of his greatcoat -- it would probably have been a good idea to tidy up the conversion towards that effect, however, so I am entirely to blame for the skirt effect, I guess
The other thing I would like to share today are some group shots of Inquisitor Antrecht and a part of his merry band of rascals out and about. I took those pictures to illlustrate this post about a piece of terrain I built, and I quite like them (and don't think I've posted them yet). Here you go:
And, of course, a suitably moody b/w image to round things out
As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
Cheers, mate! Like I promised yesterday: Update time!
It’s been quite a while since I was last able to show you a finished INQ28 model, but now my – mostly – rediscovered painting motivation has allowed me to finally put the finishing touches of another character for this particular side of the hobby.
In fact, the model I would like to show you today really shouldn’t be a stranger, at least not to regular readers of this fine blog: It’s a model I already showed you twice: Once as an unpainted WIP and once during the later painting stages.
The original plan, as I might have mentioned before, was to build a model inspired by the original Quovandius artwork from the Inquisitor rulebook:
While the actual 54mm model for Quovandius is faithful to the artwork in many ways, the model itself ends up looking somewhat pitiful and sickly, while the guy pictured in the artwork above seems like he really means business. I also really wanted to incorporate the shotgun used as a crutch, since that has to be one of my favourite parts of the artwork!
Anyway, using an old Ork boy as a base model, here’s the model I came up with:
Not a perfect match, surely, but you should still be able to recognise where the inspiration came from, I believe. And, true to the artwork, this twist really looks like one mean mother, if I do say so myself.
And while painting him may have taken ages – he had been mostly finished for a long time, but I only went back for the finishing touches now – the model is now finally finished, and I am also quite pleased with the result. Take a look:
You might think I am crazy, but making the loincloth look more vibrant on the finished model may have been my best decision while painting. I also gave some extra care to parts of his equipment, like his knife, to make them look well used but deadly:
And finally, the model’s face received an extra layer of highlights, making the scars and seams slightly more noticeable. I really think he’s a bit of a character, to tell you the truth:
All in all, the model looks scarred and malformed, but this twist is also clearly his own man: You may find him horrifying, but you certainly wouldn’t pity him like you do pity the awkward and sickly looking Quovandius, right? Even though he has a bad leg…
But what about the model’s backstory? How did he end up even more ugly than your average twist? And why does he look so angry? As is my usual approach, finishing the model also entailed coming up with a bit of background for it…
Decius Freeman, twist bounty hunter
“Say, you ever heard of Decius Freeman?”
“Nah, couldn’t say I have. Wait, you mean that twist revolutiory riling up them workers on Silon Minor? The one sold out his fellow conspirators in the end, trying to save his hide before the cartels brought in the heavy hitters?”
“That’s the one, although that’s not the way I hear it told. Ask the right people, and they’ll say he was actually the one being sold out, only that, once that rebellion had been quelled and the dust had settled, no one was that all intent on finding out the truth of it.”
“What’s it to you, though? You turnin’ into some kind of historical expert on the matter of the twist freedom movement, or what?”
“Feth, I was getting to that, right? So, just the other day, a twist hunter came by the Virgo, down in sector eleven. One big fether, I tell you. Ugly too. All muscle and scars and gristle, and with a gammy leg. And I gak you not, he was using a mean looking shotgun as a crutch.”
“So?”
“Said he was looking for Reuban Nonus. Said the two of them go way back. That he owed him. Only thing is, he got that look in that one good eye of his when he said it, made you feel like old Reuban wouldn’t be all too pleased to be paid back what he was owed, if you get my meaning.”
“And did you tell him?”
“Me? Throne, no. I reckon if someone needs to find me, they ought to know where to look. And if they have to ask others for my location, well, maybe I don’t want to see them all that badly. That twist didn’t get a word out of me, and he was putting on his best scowl too, by the look of it. Told me to come find him if I remembered. Told me he goes by the name of Decius.”
“But you didn’t remember anything?”
“Nah, course not. But you know how it goes in the hollows: Some Asher down on his luck musta told him where to find his old friend, because next thing you know, Old Reuban’s floating face down in one of them culture tanks, down at the hydroponics.”
“Gak! I hadn’t heard that! Say, didn’t Reuban used to work on Silon hisself?”
“That he did. Never did want to talk about his time in the mines, though. I figured it must have been terrible on that world during the riots.”
“And you think that twist did him in? The one with the gammy leg?”
“I’d bet my last cred on it. And you know what? If there are any more guys in the sector being owed by that Decius fellow, they had best keep out of sight. Throne, all that talking is giving me a sore throat. You still drinkin’ that?”
As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
A great paint job. I love the skin tones. It's a nice characterful model too. I want to try my hand at making some similar mutant conversions from Orc boys, it looks ace.
Those who are also following my World Eaters/Traitor Guard thread may have seen the rather extensive experiments I have lately performed with the new Tempestus Scions kit, exploring its various conversion opportunities. By all rights, that experimentation was probably just as relevant for INQ28 as it was for my Traitor Guard, so for those of you who are interested, I'll just point you towards the relevant pages in the other thread, instead of duplicating everything here.
The first actual INQ28 related model to come out of this messing around is this WWI trencher inspired soldier who will likely end up as some kind of Inquisitorial trooper:
The main ingredients for the conversion were a torso, arms and a dagger from the Tempestus Scions, the running legs of a plastic cultist and a Cadian backpack. The head was spliced together from a Bretonnian Men-at-arms head and a scion helmet. I am really happy with this guy
The fact that I had used cultist legs for this conversion meant that I ended up with one pair of scion legs surplus to requirements, and that in turn allowed me to tackle a conversion that I had wanted to do for a long time: Quite a while ago, PDH gave me a Commissar Tank Commander from the DKOK Commissar set under the condition that I would use it in a conversion.
Well, it has taken a rather long time, but those Tempestus Scion legs finally paved the way for this conversion. Take a look:
As you can see, the legs were (painstakingly) grafted to the commissar body. I also added a new head, although PDH correctly pointed out that the scout head might be a tad too large. So I tried yet another head:
Not sure which one is the better option, to tell you the truth: The first one may be too big, but I like the attitude The second one makes the model look more like an arrogant noble - which is pretty cool - but lacks some of the oomph of the first head choice.
All in all, I am seeing this guy as some kind of noble/military NPC: a high-ranking military advisor or, indeed, commander. Maybe even a Lord Militant?
The second head actually came from WFB, and I might actually add some bionics to it. Hmm....
By the way, the original commissar head actually survived the "surgery" intact, so I can now quickly throw together a DKOK style officer, if I need one:
I also seem to be on fire, kitbashing-wise, because I just tackled another conversion that I have wanted to do for ages: A kitbashed Sister of Battle:
She'll need some more work, but I think the model's definitely getting there!
Your conversions and backstories are amazing! I love everything in all your blogs, very inspiring.
I like the first head for that officer-figure, it looks like he's going red-faced with anger! And the sister is cool, but her face is too static for that pose.
It's strange, but the size of the head on that Sister kitbash certainly isn't as much of a problem when you see the model firsthand. I mean I have it standing in front of me here, and the head doesn't seem all that big -- you'll just have to take my word for it, I guess
As for the expression, that may be correct. But in any case, it's not like I have all that many alternatives to choose from for a Sister of Battle plastic head, so I guess this one will have to do.
Added some final bitz and slightly shaved down the backpack -- it might still be too wide, but there's little to be done about that without ruining the whole bit, I fear:
Sisters look great and I'd definitely be tempted to raid the Scion heads for the Noble. While the body is to thin that's as it's DE and doesn't quite gel with Power Armour
I did consider using a scion head for the noble, to tell you the truth, but decided against it: The beret heads don't look senior enough for what I had in mind, and if I had wanted a masked head, I could have stuck with the original, gas-masked commissar head after all
I put in some more work on the noble however: Fellow hobbyist Logan remarked how the second head option reminded him of Karl-Franz of Austria...
Spoiler:
...which gave me an idea: What about basing the model in a way that actually slightly recalled the kind of pose you'd see in an oil painting of a renowned officer? So I mocked up a base for him, complete with attending servo-skull:
@ Llamahead: Haha, yeah right Don't try and give me any ideas here, I am almost tempted to build a painter. If anything, the whole model really reminded me of a certain scene in Dishonored anyway (Sokolov paintings, anyone?)
So, the fun I've had with the last two models gave me some motivation to touch up some older conversions -- because heaven forbid I ever finish anything, right?
These have been shown on this thread before, although a rather long time ago. Both models are planned as Inquisitors, by and large, one very "brainy" one, relying on his status as a psyker, the other one very physical. I haven't decided whether they should be Hereticus or Malleus yet, since there are enough reasons for both, I suppose.
Anyway, first up, the psyker Inquisitor:
This guy originally sported regular Marine shoulder pads, but then PDH suggested some time ago that I get rid of them to make him look less like an Astartes. So I tore of the arms, and then it took me ages to find the right kind of shoulder pad for him. I settled on a set of Marauder pads, because they almost look like Astartes pads, but the proportions are decidecly off, making it clear that this guy is not a Marine.
I also made a mockup for a backpack, intending for it to look like some kind of custom energy generator/reactor. This element was heavily inspired by backpacks seen on many of Jeff Vader's models:
All in all, I think this guy looks far less like a marine now, and he actually resembles a piece of artwork in the Inquisitor rulebook fairly closely, although that's more of a coincidence, really.
Next up, the physical guy: Last time I posted this model, several people stated that they thought he was too beefy, and I fear he has only grown even more ostentatious since then:
It's important to keep in mind that this guy is not intended to be shadowy and secretive, though: He's a firm adherent to the "kick down your door and burn down the house" school of thought. Think Inquisitors Coteaz or Tyrus. The main additions were an additional shoulder pad and a half cape. And I also added a heraldic shield from the Dreadknight kit, because that's really how he sees himself:
I may actually end up adding even more Inquisitorial bling to these models. In particular, I think the second model's armour should probably be encrusted in purity seals.
Oh, and I also still think these guys have an interesting bit of chemistry together:
Like I said when I last posted them, maybe they work together in a "brains and brawn" configuration in order to sniff out heretics and rogue psykers, secretly hating each other's guts all the while?
Nice they do fit together maybe both former acoltes of the same master constantly at loggerheads and now reunited in an uneasy alliance in a quest to avenge him.....
@ Deunstephe: While he would probably consider himself more refined than a mere redeptionist, I suppose the Inquisitor is very fire and brimstone, at that
@ Llamahead: Ohh, I like your way of thinking: That "former pupils of the same master" thing is a really good idea!
The INQ28 kitbashing spree continues, so I have two small updates for you today:
First, a while ago, PDH let me have a wonderful little powder monkey from one of the WFB Empire kits, so I added some very subtle touches to turn the little guy into an augmeticised familiar, either for my Rogue Trader model or for a particularly eccentric AdMech priest? In any case, here's the model:
Since the model's so tiny, the conversion had to be rather subtle: I gave him a tiny bionic eye and replaced the tail with a cable from a servo-skull.
I am also currently working on the plastic Commissar, trying to turn him into a gunslinger type (or maybe an Inquisitor with a thing for pistols): I think the model has a certain pistolero vibe going on
I have yet to figure out the right combo of guns, though. Any suggestions would be very welcome!
Personally I reckon a pair of pistols works best how about some Laslocks based on Pistoleer Pistols. Two the same has a better balance. I'd also go for something ornate posh stubbers or bolt pistols rather than utititarian guard issue laspistols
I like the splinterpistol, very useful as a stand-in needlepistol, use that and give him an off-hand laspistol to keep things light. those plasmas are big and clunky, you want something light and smooth for a dual-wielder I think.
Thanks a lot for the many suggestions, people! That was really rather helpful!
Your comments made me realise that the model should have a rather elegant weapon with a sleek silhouette. And it shouldn't be your everyday, guard-issue laspistol either. While I really liked the splinter pistol, though, I think it doesn't gel well with the overall feel of the character: He's wearing a pretty ostentatious uniform, hinting at an upstanding and rather puritan servant of the Emperor, so pure xenos-tech is probably a no-no.
Anyway, after multiple unsuccessful attempts at kitbashing a custom pistol for him, I have finally come up with a version that isn't totally terrible. Take a look:
Granted, it loses some of the splinter pistol's elegance, but at least it looks like something that could conceivably be imperial tech. If anything, it has a slighty retro-futuristic SCIENCE! look, if you ask me.
I also swapped out the autopistol for another, slightly less clunky cultist pistol. Part of the comissar sash was cut off because it got in the way of all the gunslinging Oh, and I also used the power cable from the commissar's saber to run a cable from the small generator on the model's back to the augmetic head implants:
To make things even more complicated, I just tried to combine the upper body with a pair of Eisenkern Stormtrooper legs I had lying around,...
...and while this has only quickly been tacked together, and the proportions are a little off, I cannot help feeling that there's something there that might warrant some further exploration somewhere along the line...
I also kitbashed a Stormtrooper:
The pose was more or less completely lifted from a thread on the Ammobunker -- unfortunately, I cannot remember who originally came up with this idea: If you recognise your work, please let me know, so I can give credit where credit is due! The model's also not quite finished: The right legs needs some greenstuffing, and the head is just a placeholder for now.
I also finally caved in and started playing around with the Tempestor cloak from the scion kit:
Easily the coolest bit GW have released in a long time! The saber came from the plastic commissar, btw, and while I thought the weapon far too clunky for its original wielder, I believe it works better here.
Oh, and one last thing: I need your opinion on something else:
I think you'll remember this guy I posted recently:
Now which version is better? The one above, or the one below, with some purity seals added to the legs:
@ Gogsnik: Cheers, mate! Yeah, not 100% sure about those purity seals, either. I think I'll have to take another look at it...
Cheers, guys!
Since several people over at the Ammobunker pointed out that the left arm of the model based on the Tempestor Prime was far too long (the one design shortcoming of the Tempestus Scions), I put in some more work, cutting and repositioning the arm:
It may still not be 100% perfect, but I think it's getting there. By the way, which angle do you guys prefer for the saber? The one above or this?
Then I needed to make the little monkey familiar a little taller, and I used this opportunity to add a bit more 40k-feel to him by putting him on top of a techy bit (actually from an old model truck):
I really love this guy, to tell you the truth. Oh, PDH was the one who gave me the model in the first place, I think 'll just call the little guy "PeeDee", by way of thanks
One last thing for today: I picked up my favourite GW Inquisitorial acolyte from a fellow hobbyist a while ago, but unfortunately, the eye section of the face was miscast/damaged, leaving him without eyes and giving him an ugly splotch of metal over the upper half of his face. Today, I added a new bionic eye to him, in order to repair the model:
It works rather well, I think, and the strange "welt" running over his right eye now looks more like a cable feeding into his bionic eye -- how very 40k, to replace and eye and thereby fething up the other one, right?
As a matter of fact, I am considering using this guy as a "painting servitor" or augmeticised master painter, in a diorama with this guy:
The diorama would show the Lord Militant getting his portrait painted -- and by keeping it modular, I'd make sure the models could still be used during games.
It goes without saying that, In order for it to be proper 40k, I think we need an easel too, albeit one suitably covered in technological gubbins. My plan is to have the painter accompanied by a coterie of servo skulls doing the actual painting for him: He'll just be making preparatory sketches and giving the skulls commands, which means I don't need to convert the model any further -- which is great news, both because I love the model and it's metal, which means converting it would be a nightmare
As a matter of fact, I am building the canvas right now! It will mostly be made from the parts of one of those servo skull diceholders that were released alongside 6th edition. Here's an early mockup:
On the finished piece, servo skulls will be floating at the sides of the canvas.
I have also made an early mockup of the scene, using a CD as a makeshift base for now:
That diorama looks excellent a great start just been scanning through the Sabbat Worlds Crusade books which has half a dozen of these. I prefer the lower angle on the sabre but can't work out why he's not wearing the sleeve on the cloak. Purity seals look good on the Inquisitor although they may look better as wards of some kind. The pistoleer looks great anf the Eisenkern legs would really Sci-fi him up a bit.
I seem to be on fire when it comes to kitbashing INQ28 models at the moment! Let's just hope I'll end up with at least a few completely painted models as well, once the dust has settled
Anyway, I replaced the head on that Trooper kitbash with a Tempestus Scion beret head -- because nothing says Special Unit like a beret, right?
A combination of seeing Forgworld's new event only model and this particular piece of artwork by John Blanche gave me an appetite for converting a navigator, so that's what I did. Here's a look at the WIP model:
I took a page out of Forgeworld's book for the model, giving him a flamboyant feather collar instead of one made of fox tails
And as should be par for the course for a navigator, I added several subtle hints at physical deformity to the model -- can you spot them all?
The use of the Empire Wizard model is a good call, and the Celestial staff is a perfect fit. Does his pinky normally stick out like that or is he just being dainty?
Very clever! I see now the head is from the Dark Vengeance chosen (sergeant?) with the third eye.
As it happens I'm working on my first Navigator outside of an exo-suit so it's been interesting seeing first the FW model and now your excellent conversion. The head and deformed hands are perfect and I like the feathered collar idea a lot. Is that a tail curling out from beneath his robes?
@ Chemical Cutthroat: Well, he is certainly being dainty, but he is also using his sixth, vestigial finger that I added to the hand holding the staff Regarding the head, as weirdingway pointed out, it's the head of the Chosen champ from the Dark Vengeance boxed set: The model's nose had been slightly damaged and flattened when I opened the box, and so I ultimately decided to replace the head. The third eye wasn't all that fitting for a servant of Khorne either, but just the right thing to build a navigator. And the slightly misshaped nose can be explained away as yet another manifestation of the poor chap`s deformity.
@ weirdingway: Aw, mate, I forgot to cite your Navigatorii as one of the main inspirations for me tackling this model, which of course they were. What a criminal oversight -- sorry for that! You are right, btw, it's a vestigial tail. I admit it might be a bit extreme, but I simply couldn't resist a little fun. And the very restrictive build of the Empire Wizards kit didn't leave me that many options to make this guy suitably twisted
@ Deunstephe: Haha, right, he does seem pretty malicious, doesn't he? Jeff Vader commented over at the Ammobunker that the model might seem too much like a follower of Tzeentch, what with the mutations and feathered collar. However, I spent some time before I build the model reading up on navigators, and these guys are fething WEIRD! This particular part of the background is indeed rather fascinating (and woefully underused), and I wanted to channel some of that weirdness with this model. And while the navigator probably won't be a follower of Tzeentch or any other ruinous power, I am indeed seeing him as a bit of an evil guy. Not a villain, mind you, but a schemer and slightly depraved individual. Here's a short quote that came to me - unbidden - while I was working on the model:
"I am aware, my lord, that my kind disgust you. I need not look into your soul to see your revulsion, for it is written all over your face. You shiver at our nature, and at our perceived unwholesomness. But oh, my lord, if you could only see us how we really look, in the realms behind the veil..." (insert malicious chuckling here)
And another small update: While I realise it must be infuriating for you not to see anything painted in this thread atm, I am enjoying the kitbashing spree so much right now Here's what I've been working on during the afternoon today:
This is a bit of a long time project of mine, but whenever someone else posted their own excellent TS Marines, I felt completely disheartened about the meager progress on my own Today is the first time I feel like I may be on to something -- he still needs quite a bit of work, of course, but I think he's getting there...
Looks good to me. The arms are maybe a teensy bit short but that might be because they are bent back. Reminds me of Mighty Zug. Good work on the plasticard collar too, that's a nice detail.
By the way, your diorama mounted on a cd - I made a bit of scenery on a cd once and after it got dropped it all just flaked off. I think superglue doesn't work well on it's own, maybe due to the way cds can flex. If you stick stuff down maybe use hot glue or papier mache the cd first.
Cheers, Bruticus! I'll keep that in mind about the CD -- that is some really useful information to know beforehand, before everything you've just painstakingly built and painted comes apart in your hand, so I really appreciate the pointers!
Managed to get a little more work in on the Marine after work today:
The picture isn't the best, but you should be able to make out the added lion reliefs on his leg cuisses. Also tidied up the gorget piece some more.
I would really love to hear your feedback on the possible weapons for him: Here's the selection I am looking at atm:
For the right hand, we've got either a standard Terminator power sword (just the sword, of course, minus the arm) or a GK power sword (again, ignore the hands). For the left hand, I want to go with either of the sidearms pictured: a good old plasma pistol, a second plasma pistol, although with a sweet retro look, or a rather old plastic boltgun.
As much as I like the retro Plasma Pistol, I think it might look a bit puny with your marine - I'd use the other Plasma Pistol, particularly because I'd like to see you do some OSL with the coils
By the way, the marine himself looks hard as nails, just like a real super-soldier should, nice one!
That's one of the best try-scales I've seen, especially considering it's made out of bitz. Personally I would go for the Grey Knights sword in keeping with the try-scale along with the first plasma pistol.
Played around with the various weapons, and it turned out that some simply didn't work because they looked like toys in these guy's massive hands I would have loved to use the retro bolter, but he was so small as to look like a pistol (as pointed out by Medium of Death). Not a problem in and of itself, but the one element I like the most about that bolter is the stock -- and that wouldn't have made sense on a pistol, so I went for plasma instead (yay, more OSL plasma coils! ). As for the sword, the shorter Terminator power sword is more bulky, but it ended up looking like a toy sword, so I ended up using the GK blade. It may be a tad on the slender side for this huge guy, but I am actually considering making that a part of the background (the sword being the original weapon of the Imperial Martyr St. Sabasto, re-forged so as to be useable by an Astartes, a priceless relic of the chapter).
Anyway, no more talking I give you Brother Sergeant Janus Auriga, of the Golden Legion Astartes Chapter:
And, of course, no post about a true scale Marine would be complete with a scale comparison shot showing the model next to one of its “regular” counterparts. Take a look:
Quite a beast, don’t you think?
I won’t lied to you: I am super happy with the finished model, especially since it has taken me such a long time to come up with a true scale Astartes of my own! Since I don’t plan on building any more TS Marines, I knew that I should give it my all on this guy — and I did.
My problem at the moment, if you can call it a problem at all, seems to be that some of the models I have recently built seem to warrant further retainers and familiars, just because it’s such a great way of further exploring them as characters. You’ll be seeing another example of this in a minute, and while building some additional models (for additional narrative texture) is a blast, I wonder whether I’ll ever be able to finish all of these… Then again, as long as it’s fun, it certainly can’t be all bad, can it?
Anyway, I have come up with two possible retainers for Brother-Sergeant Auriga, my true scale Marine:
First up, I’ve had this little guy in my bitzbox for ages now:
While I love cherubim – they’re such an ironic part of what makes 40k interesting – I never got around to finding an actual use for the model: That bolter the little guy is lugging around didn’t seem like such a good match for any of my Inquisitors, and I didn’t want to chop it off for fear of permanently ruining the model.
Brother Sergeant Auriga, however, is a Space Marine. And by virtue of being a Space Marine, he would own and wield a bolter, right? Well, so much the better, because now he has a servant to carry the weapon for him, at least when it’s not actually required on the battlefield, but rather as a “sign of office”, as it were. And it really fits my idea of the Golden Legion that they would not be above a bit of ostentatiousness like this.
Once I had seen the Marine and cherub together, there was no stopping me, and so I started working on yet another retainer for Brother Auriga: My original plan had been to have options for both a bare head and a helmeted one, but then I really liked the idea of having a chapter serf carry the Brother-Sergeant’s helmet. Here’s an early mockup:
These three really look great together, if you ask me:
Awesome work as always. That TS marine is a work of GENIUS.
Question though, have you considered trying to integrate the cherub with the marine's base? I'm not 100% sure it'll work, but if you can kind of imitate Celestine's cloak with the cherub behind him, it may give him a slightly more baroque, over-engineered grandeur
Well, though i checked this thread quite often, I never subbed. Consider that mistake corrected Amazing job in here as well, you rarely disappoint me mate!!!!
Let me just add that 1) giving Brother-Sergeant Auriga a fairly static pose has been a very conscious decision (in order to underline his "huge hunk of rock" look) and 2) I've kept the cherub on a separate base, both in order to keep him useable as a separate model and to prevent the Marine from looking overcluttered.
A small update today, with just a couple of easy kitbashes or WIPs:
First up, I completed PeeDee's base: He'll definitely be one of the next models on the painting table
I also picked up one of the servitors accompanying FW's Hector Rex model for a really good price a while ago:
Rather than using it as a servitor, however, I believe I’ll make this guy into a Magos Xenobiologis, maybe for Inquisitor Alvar's retinue. I really like the look of the model, both because it’s rake thin, which makes for a rather unique visual footprint, and because it’s really close to my archetypal idea of a Magos of the Adeptus Mechanicus.
The one thing I have done so far (apart from scrubbing the mold release agent off the model, mind you) was to cut off the tangle of cables serving as the model’s left hand. It will be replaced by a fairly regular hand — or maybe by that DV cultist champ hand with the blade tipped fingers? Anyway, this guy is not very far along yet, but I really love the base model!
And finally, I have recently completed a really fast and dirty kitbash one evening after work, when I needed to do something creative in order to relax: I decided to build a servo-skull heavily inspired by the type of extra-grimdark skulls that appear in the Witch Hunter artwork. Take a look:
Again, a really easy conversion: I just added the top of a Empire flagellant’s head to a resin skull and blended in the seams with a bit of GS. Then a parchment was added, making it look like the skull was carrying around Imperial liturgies. And finally, some cables were used to provide a suitably tech-y look (and a certain sense of movement) to the whole affair. The whole thing didn’t take longer than rougly half an hour, but it was a fun little exercise to take my mind off things.
It's finally time for an update today, so let me show you some new kitbashes!
I already mentioned in a prior post how much I love weirdingway’s Navigator models. In fact, I feel his models make up one of the most creative and interesting 40k/INQ28 projects around at the moment, and one that has been a deep well of inspiration ever since I first came across it.
You will probably remember the Navigator model I kitbashed fairly recently, a model that I am pretty happy with:
Building this model was a fun kitbashing experiment as well as an attempt to get my current obsession with weirdingway’s models out of my system – at least a little bit. But ultimately, the Navigator bug had hit me so badly that it became clear to me that I needed to add a couple of additional models in order to make up the Navigator’s personal retinue.
Unlike weirdingway, however, I am not trying to expand this into an army project, so I tried my darnedest to stay focused and only build a handful of additional models. The other big challenge was to make the models more than just cheap knock-offs of weirdingways’s characters — I’ll be honest with you: There was a very real temptation to just copy his awesome kitbashes and be done with it
I went a bit against my own laziness, however, and now I think I may have come up with a couple of models that share the eclecticism of weirdingway’s retinue, but put a slightly different spin on things.
The background for my Navigatorial House, named House DeVries, is that it is the oldest and most influential Navigator house of the Velsen Sector. The house is unbelievably rich and very much at the height of its political power, which has made its members increasingly haughty and eccentric. At the same time, their genetic makeup of the house has gotten more and more “particular” over the millennia, so that some of the members of the house can never hope to be able to walk among regular humans, while even those who act as representatives of the house will show minor but noticeable signs of deformity (like my Navigator above).
In keeping with the status of House DeVries, I wanted the Navigator’s retainers to be both eclectic and ostentatious enough to look the part. So I grabbed my bitzbox and got to work.
So far I have:
A regular of the DeVries household guard:
This model was based on an WFB Empire Musketeer given to me by PDH. I really liked the model, so I wanted to use it as part of my Navigator retinue — I’ll happily go on record stating that I love using Empire bitz on 40k models! Even the puffy sleeves! Especially the puffy sleeves! Not due to laziness, mind you (though I am pretty lazy, actually), but because, in my idea of the 40k universe, there are lots of puffy sleeves, powdered wigs and strange, anachronistic elements.
In this case, that approach produced a model heavily inspired by a formation like the Pontifical Swiss Guard, which was pretty much what I was going for. In order to prevent the model from looking too fantasy, I added a head and backpack from the Tempestus Scions kit. And even though I really wanted to keep his weapon, I did add the muzzle of a Cadian Lasgun — maybe the weapon is a priceless Longlas? Or maybe it has been expertly crafted to resemble the ancient weapons from Old Terra’s history, due to the whims of the Navigators?
In any case, while this guy might need a tad more work, I already like where he is going!
I also built an an officer of the DeVries household guard, or possibly even its guard captain, based on a Tempestus Scion:
Once again, the Swiss Guard vibe is clearly palpable, isn’t it? The slightly baroque breastplate is really a good match for this particular look. I also wanted to gives the guard officer’s weapons a slightly impractical, very ceremonial look, so he is armed with a very ostentatious (and rather bulky) chainsword and a tower shield that originally came from the Bretonnian Men-at-Arms:
The decoration on the shield consists of an aquila (shaved off a Centurion shoulder pad I used for my Obliterator — waste not, want not and all that) and a parchment from a Marine kit. I also added a feather I had left from converting the Navigator, because I thought it would make for a nice bit of visual consistency to have feathers appear as decoration on several models in the retinue!
All in all, I really love this guy: He has such an “implacable man” vibe going. Plus the head really gives him a slightly sinister aspect, doesn’t it? He may be dressed like a fop, but there is actually no doubt that he could hold his own in a fight…
I also built a Majordomo for House DeVries. The idea for this model developed when I thought about the function of the actual Navigators in the organisation of the house and realised it would be cool if the members of the house were so rich and powerful and in their own little bubble that dealing with everyday matters was completely beneath them. So they would need a servant to coordinate their household and keep their little empire running. And while this servant would not be a trueborn Navigator himself, he would wield some of the authority and power of House DeVries, making him rather powerful and important to everyone other than his masters. So I set out to build a suitably ostentatious model for such a character. Take a look:
The model’s a rather easy kitbash making use of Cadian parts, an Empire Knight’s breastplate and a particularly great head from the WFB Empire Battle Wizard kit: While I think the kit is full of missed opportunities – especially when it comes to the bodies – some of the bitz are simply amazing — this head among them. As you can see, the Majordomo carries a tome of treasured secrets — maybe the travel routes through the warp jealously guarded by House DeVries? Or maybe the genealogic charts of the house?
You may also have noticed the withered claw clutching the book, and there’s a story behind that: In my imagination, while only “pure blooded” children of Navigators will become functional Navigators themselves, I like the idea that the members of House DeVries are known for their voracious “appetites”, really “sowing their wild oats”, so to speak. Now my idea is that House DeVries tends to use the many, many bastards produced by members of the house as household guards, retainers, menials and what have you. Now what if the Majordomo is not pureblooded enough to have been born a Navigator, but very much pureblooded enough to share in some of the deformities of the more exalted members of the house?
In order to represent the fact that he is wielding a portion of his masters’ influence, the Majordomo carries a staff of office crowned by a stylised warp eye:
The staff was constructed by combining a Sanguinary Guard axe haft, a part of the Chaos Terminator Sorcerer’s staff and a piece of Space Marine bling on top Oh, and to give credit where credit is due: The use and placement of the purity seals on this model was very much inspired by MonkeyBallistic’s wonderful 30k Imperial Navy Captain. Thanks for the inspiration, mate!
In fact, after building a couple of retainers for him, even the original Navigator didn’t escape my attention, and so I added a ring to his right hand:
I really like how the ring serves as a representation of House DeVries’s wealth and creates an interesting visual counterpoint to the somewhat misshapen claw of a hand…
So here’s a look at the entire retinue so far:
Coming up with these models has been brilliant fun so far! And while the fact that I have taken lots of inspiration from weirdingway should be very obvious, I still hope that I was able to put my own spin on things!
Let me know what you think! And, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!
@ Llamahead: A Servitor with puffy sleeves, eh? Hmm, I'll look into it...
@ Deunstephe: That is a very nice compliment ...I guess
Yesterday evening, I sat down and worked a bit on the Savant model that will end up being a part of the painting diorama I posted earlier in this thread.
Like I said earlier, the model's face suffered from a rather serious miscast that I had to repair by adding a bionic eye. However, since the model came pre-undercoated, I only learned precisely how damaged the face was during painting. I did my best to return some of the lost detail through the deft appliance of some washes and highlights, but there was only so much I could do.
@ Moltar: Much as I would like to take credit for that script, it's only a decal from a Sisters of Battle decal sheet -- although I am slightly proud of managing to apply it so flawlessly
it's been quite some time since I updated this thread, hasn't it? Well, fear not: My INQ28 days are far from over, and even though much of my hobby time has been taking up with building new frenzied madmen for my World Eaters army, I've also been working on several larger and smaller INQ28 projects. So let me share some of my current work with you:
First up, I finally managed to finish a model that, for some reason, took my ages to paint. It's the sanctioned psyker I showed you earlier in this thread:
Not award winning material, certainly, but I am rather fond of this guy, to be honest: I wanted him to look like a professional soldier, and I think it worked. No transhuman demi-god in baroque armour for once, just a guy doing his job -- while the entire rest of his regiment hates him for being an abomination, no less
Next up, an idea I copied from a fellow hobbyist's thread: I used a leftover eagle from Inquisitor Coteaz to build a familiar/objective marker. A simple but rather effective idea:
Following hot on the eagle's heels is just the guy who would be using an ostentatious familar like this: An Ordo Hereticus Inquisitor I've already posted several times on this thread. After a last round of detailing, the conversion is now complete:
And here's someone who would fight right into the retinue of such an imposing servant of the Ordo Hereticus: A female operative that could be used as a Crusader type or even an Interrogator:
The model is based on a - severely damaged - Sister of Battle PDH let me have as part of a rather impressive bitz drop (again, cheers for that, mate!). I provided the lady with some new feet (courtesy of a Dark Eldar model) and a new head (from the Wood Elves Glade Fuard). I think she would really work as an associate of that Hereticus Inquisitor.
And, last but definitely not least, another model made possible by a fellow hobbyist's donation: A while ago, fellow hobbyist Steifer let me have one of his very nice female models for experimentation purposes. So far, this is what I have come up with:
As you can see, I've given the - very nice - base model some arms and a head of hair. I see her as a professional assassin specialised on working from within Imperial high society -- like a grimdark Femme Nikita, if you will
So yeah, back in business, I guess As always, let me know what you think!
They're some REALLY nice pieces, Kraut! It would seem it's a bit quiet out there at the moment but I am most definitely pleased to see some more work from you on INQ28!
As I dont really have anything to add, its kinna silly to just everytime say I love your stuff. But dont worry, I still wanna see more Inq28 (and World Eaters, Custodes etc )
So keep up the work!
@ 02Laney: That model was sculpted and cast by Steifer himself, and he was nice enough to let me have two of the copies to play around with. Definitely check out his blog , his INQ28 models are excellent (and mostly sculpted from scratch).
So great to see more and more inq stuff. This thread is a great source of inspiration and i just started to make my own inquisitor and retinue. Some really cool ideas, keep up the great work
In an amazing stroke of luck, I managed to buy a pretty big lot of OOP and rare stuff at my FLGS last week, among it quite a bit of stuff that might come in handy for my various INQ28 projects:
For starters, there's this lovely OOP Eldar Warlock from the 90s, sculpted by Jes Goodwin. It’s trange: Even though I have always loved Jes’ Eldar models to bits, I have never owned any of them, so picking this guy up was an absolute no-brainer:
Seeing how I don't play Eldar, the most obvious use for this guy is to be added to my INQ28 collection as an NPC or something similar.
Speaking of Xenos, I also scored this unassuming pile of Tyranid nuts and bolts that, while not all that impressive in and of itself, will come in handy for a future INQ28 project of mine…
Then there's this guy (from one of the old WFB mercenary regiments, if I recall correctly):
Also, this lucky discovery:
The Dark Emissary from the Albion campaign. This guy was re-released in Finecast a while back and is still available. But finding him in a pile of shoddily painted Hormagaunts was still a rather nice surprise! I may actually leave this guy unconverted, but he could also conceivably be turned into some kind of rogue psyker?!
I was also thoroughly surprised when I found exactly half a 54mm Delphan Gruss model at the bottom of a pile of bitz:
This guy may actually become my first (and, quite possibly, only) foray into the world of Inq54 -- we'll see...
And, last but not least, a collection of really cool old 40k publications:
From left to right: The 40k 3rd and 4th edition big rulebooks (believe it or not, I have never owned those until now), one of the hallowed Chapter Approved compendiums (containing wonderful but somewhat outdated Index Astartes articles on the creation of Space Marines, Dreadnoughts, Librarians and on various chapters and legions: Dark Angels, Emperor’s Children, Iron Warriors, White Scars & Flesh Tearers) and Codex: Witch Hunters (obviously a must for any fan of the Inquisition). All of these are in excellent condition, too!
You can read more about my crazy haul over on my blog. It was one awesome surprise, I can tell you that!
Haha, thanks It's important to note that I am basically trying to get the general setup of the model sorted out first, with further details (and GS...and maybe pants?!) to be added as necessary later.
This latest conversion is a hybrid, one of the intermediate stages of hyper-evolution between a human and purestrain genestealer. I wanted to create a model in which both parts of its genetic heritage are still very much visible. This will indeed turn into some kind of Genestealer-ish warband at some point, since Genestealer cults are one of my absolute favourite parts of the 40k setting, the one thing I find interesting about the Tyranids (and also the one thing that moves them beyond being Xenomorph expies, if you ask me). I've already got a vague background in mind regarding one "Brotherhood of Imago", a cult seemingly preaching the betterment of the Imperium through perseverance (until the stage of perfection - Imago - is achieved). It goes without saying that they are not as benevolent as they seem -- and there's a darker secret still...
For now, here's a better look at the model:
I am really not sure whether it looks better with or without the bone plates/shoulder pads -- any thoughts?
Personally given Space Hulk I think the Genestealers are the most Xenomorphy part of the Nids although the cults make it far more 40k. They do however make them less alien locust invasion beloved of cinema and science fiction
So, another small update today: Johannus' utterly amazing Punkette model proved to be such an inspiration to me that I had not other choice but to "repurpose" one of my Dark Eldar Wyches in order to kitbash a similar character:
Rather derivative of the source material, I'll admit, but the original model was just so good that I needed something similar in my own collection.
@ Ezra Tyrius: It's not nearly as bad as you suspect, mate I do have a pretty well-stocked bitz box, yes. But what really makes it work is the breadth of it, not the depth: I make it a point to collect stuff from many different armies, which gives me quite a bit of room to experiment. This really comes in handy, especially for INQ28 characters!
Speaking of which, I kitbashed two new models recently:
First up, an incidental kitbash that started out as a half-serious attempt at building another Psyker for my Traitor Guard turned into this:
I think the model might make a cool underhive Witch Doctor, scavvie shaman or what have you -- which is why I added some suitably primitive trinkets added to his belt
And what do you know, using with the leftover Stormvermin upper half, I did build that traitor psyker I had originally planned after all:
A fairly simple kitbash, really, but there is something about this guy I really like. As always, let me know what you think!
Both look great liking the scavie vibe of the first one especially the belt of of trinkets and the staff, the skeleton torso just finishes it off nicely
Now the traitor Psyker looks great especially the hunched over pose and neck detail reflects it well, is that a flagellants arm with an alternative hand though
Just happened upon your blog again and browsed through pages of cool new stuff.
This henchman really stands out though. Excellent overall impression, very dense and stylish.
@ lone dirty dog: Well spotted, sir Both arms are flagellant arms with new hands spliced in: The right hand came from the Skaven Stormvermin kit, while the left is that of a Crypt Ghoul.
@ deadmeat85 & Boba Fett: Cheers, guys!
@ Baiyuan: Mate, you're alive! Happy to hear it I really like that trencher as well -- let's hope I'll finally get around to painting him soon. And don't be a stranger, you hear! Maybe heading over to the Ammobunker INQ28 section might rekindle your interest in all things shadowy and underhivey? Just a suggestion...
@ Llamahead: You mean the one on the witch doctor, right? It originally came from the WFB clamshell plastic Necromancer.
@ OnlyWar: Phew, mate, that is a very tough question to ask! It purely depends on what kind of warband you have in mind. Therefore, I'd suggest you head over to the INQ28 board over at the Ammobunker , let yourself be inspired and then decide which approach is the right one. Seriously, that's the best possible course of action before buying anything!
Oh, and I even have an update for you:
First up, I painted the traitor psyker -- you may already have seen him on my other thread.
He wasn't a huge project or anything, just a bit of mindless fun to help me unwind after a really involved paintjob on another model. I am still pretty pleased with how he came out, though, and I suppose he will serve as the design template for a small psyker battle squad.
In other news, I've been doing some kitbashing again, coming up with a trooper that is very obviously inspired by a recent, absolutely excellent, conversion by PDH...
...and I've started working on the new Sanguinary Priest, in order to turn him into an Inquisitor. Very early WIP:
I am rather ashamed to confess that I've only managed to paint a meagre three models for Inquisitor in 2014, so let's hope I'll be a bit more productive this year -- wish me luck!
love the arm holding the skull and the robotic spike arm is a great addition, looks crazy and feral excellent work 
) — and if you haven’t, let me give you the gist of it: Some time ago, a group of players including, among others, PDH, Neil101, Fulgrim and none other than John Blanche himself, started playing a series of games set on the “Arrke”, a huge, derelict fusion of countless vessels drifting through space. This huge space hulk is home to many demented and strange people and creatures, yet it is also so ancient and so enormous that most of its denizens have forgotten that they are actually living on a spacefaring vessel in the first place: What remains of their original respective cultures and backgrounds has become as warped as their bodies and minds, and the ship itself has become a world unto itself, encompassing both a strange and unforgiving ecosystem as well as a sinister and unique society. The initial idea for this vessel came from John Blanche, and all of the events play out on the breathtaking “Yggdrasilium” table built by Neil101. I’d love to link you to Neil’s blog to give you a chance to learn more about this fantastic adventurescape, but alas, he has decided to delete it. You still can (and definitely should) check out his 
) Talking of which, the mantras are an awesome idea too, in all, a beautiful idea sir!
this is amazing. Defiantly want to finish putting together my war band. Thanks for all the idea
