Insurgency Walker wrote:
T9. 140 wounds. Bring it!

Haha! Have an exalt sir.

Liking the look of the arena already. Can't wait to see more.

EDC

Hope to be finished tomorrow morning.

In the meantime, here is I-Walker's medic station and a lady of the evening. I feel I overdid it with the red. I suspect she is a vampire, or perhaps an organ hijacker.

That is looking fantastic, and the lady is looking truly brilliant, really great work on that skirt, and the hair.

She definitely has a strong allure about her.

Thanks!

Well, the Arena is done for now. It could use some more ink/weathering/posters/bloody hand prints, but I -walker needs it for an RPG, and I am ready for a change of pace from gladiators for a while.

Here it is fully extended: Really, for playing actual games you need it extended since the basic set up is more like a terrain piece than a game board.







Some close ups:











And in it's basic, round configuration:

It came out great!

Im intrigued, though. Who finally managed to defeat the massive master guarding the arena?
?

I'm sure many tried and failed, before it finally departed for unknown worlds, defeating the mightiest champion of the arena with a single disdainful flick of its tail as it left.

But its hair still remains. ; ( One more chapter in the long and storied history of the Arena.

Ah, random little projects from bits I had randomly on my project shelf - this is the life!





The Beast Lurks!



Must keep my eye out for more of that cardboard packing material I used to make the building. Unlike styrofoam it won't chip to white.

I've got some of that kind of packing stuff lying around somewhere, it really is nice for some quick terrain! i made a little train tunnel with mine, though it's been lost in box for a while.

I almost want to call the metal piece an ultramarine bbq pit.

Could well be a BBQ pit. I literally have no idea what it is supposed to be. But once something gets on the shelf, it get gets used somehow. I did a big photo shoot for another "Street Scenes" I'll post in a bit, but since it features my entry for the most recent terrain competition, I'm holding off.


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In the meantime, here is a family of redheads featuring the green scholia cap and the kinderticket required in Pentegrad.



And a nude male gladiator I'm doing in greenstuff:



I got the Dreadmere expansion from the reaper bones kickstarter, in large part to do miniatures for the Docks of Pentegrad which I'll put on hold until then. That may well be the best $50 I ever spent on miniatures.

I NEED 10 of those pack tortoises, ASAP.

Love the champagne cap too! Took me a minute to place it.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I NEED 10 of those pack tortoises, ASAP.

You are not the only one...

One will do for me. I'm sure there are toy turtles that could be the rest of the caravan. : )

Looking forward to the next update!

(gallery mods get a sneak preview )

Is that a giant catfish?! WHY DIDNT YOU WARN ME!!!

No one suspects a Giant Catfish! I certainly didn't scrolling down through the kickstarter. It will look good hanging up by the tail down on the docks.

Very happy with how I did up my pegasus terrain and we've been using it alot lately. One thing I'd been grappling with was how to do the large arched fresco sections. I'd thought about freehanding images into them, but I'm not much good at that. I wound up printing random 40K images, then rubbing them to wear some of the image off. This had the effect of disguising different art styles that might otherwise have been jarring.



Really loving the Pegasus stuff and using it alot in games. I also built roof sections to go with them, and plan some more conversions, as well as buying the rest of the range.

I quite like the chimneys

I have a lot LOT of Pegasus stuff and I really recommend you snip off those top tabs and fill in the gaps with the bricks and gargoyles in the kit. It will look 10x better.

This is looking great, I love the shrines the woman is sweeping nearby. Very simple but instantly 40k.
Also, giant catfish??

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
I have a lot LOT of Pegasus stuff and I really recommend you snip off those top tabs and fill in the gaps with the bricks and gargoyles in the kit. It will look 10x better.

I would, but Pegasus is my go to terrain for creating one off situations for RPGs. Far more durable than my laser cut mfd stuff. The ability to assemble it multiple ways awesome. I should look at ways of filling/covering them temporarily though.


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Kurnost wrote:
This is looking great, I love the shrines the woman is sweeping nearby. Very simple but instantly 40k.
Also, giant catfish??

Thanks! Reaper delivers again with a giant catfish but I'm not sure just how it is supposed to used? Swimming under water? Slithering on the mud?
I used to fish for cat fish aka bullpout in my youth. Only kind of fishing I liked.

All in all, the dreadmere set is stone cold awesome, and the more I think about it the happier I am. Even in bones.

So I have Belisarious Cawl, courtesy of Insurgency walker, and that is a hell of a model! But I don't often do named characters as rule, other than as converted counts as stuff. I made an exception for Aun'Shi back in the day (and plan to with Celestine), but generally I find them too over the top. So I think I'm going to do a project I'd meant to do in a smaller scale scratch build with him:

Magos Valandria

Valandria came to Penetegrad in the time of Liberation in the company of Angron, ten thousand years ago. In that time she has dwelt quietly on the outskirts of the city, tending her botanical station. As a Magos Biologos, her perspective is somewhat different than most of her kind. She venerates the machine, but is obsessed with the functioning of life, and can spend a century contemplating a single genome's expression. Plants are her particular area of study, and there grow throughout the Argo cluster many crops, medicinal, and even decorative plants developed by her. She takes no credit for these creations, preferring to remain nearly anonymous and aloof from power and politics. Rarely seen behind her walls, she will sometimes, if propitiated correctly, provide a remedy, or train a young person in the botanical arts. To enter her compound uninvited is incredibly dangerous - her servitors may be armed primarily with pruning hooks, edgers and fertilizer sprays, but they are deadly just the same, and many of her creations are almost as lethal. Still, this doesn't stop a handful of adventurers from trying every year. Valadria does not mind - after all, new servitors must come from somewhere.

Still, she opens the gates to portions of her station on certain ceremonial occasions or even randomly, usually remaining hidden during these times.

It would be a mistake to think of Valandria as an eccentric Dotard however. She has survived ten thousand years and hundreds of wars. When she reveals herself she is the size of a tank, bristling with blades and lethal dual purpose tools, a mass of steel hiding only a few withered bits of vulnerable flesh. Across her back in botanical tanks or as trailing creepers grow her favorite creations, some quite useful in battle.

The masters of Pentegrad sometimes seek to impose their will on her and her domain in one way or another. This has never ended well. That she is mad is nearly certain, but she has saved Pentegrad more than once in it's long history.

Idea for the future - Moon Tower. Some towns used to have them instead of streetlights (or still do).

Moontower would be very interesting! A few flat levels on the way up would make it a great connecting point for other buildings, and the top would obviously be a perfect sniper's nest. Certainly a centrepiece for the table, anyway...

Awesomeness love the fluff for Valandria

Thanks!

I am vaguely considering entering the Iron Sleet invitational converting thing, using my Dorok/Pacific Northwest/Feral Worlders. However, the deadline is pretty tight, and 5 figures is actually kind of a lot to do to their standard. Still, I'd really like to do something fairly original at some point, and Dorok troops are pretty neat!




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With some imperial iconography worked in, and some "My ancestors saw some space marines and made their armor as close as they could" influence.

As soon as the League of Riveters thing wraps, I'm going to put out my next Pentegrad Street Scenes installment.


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There was a literal Frog in the photo shoot.

Ooh yeah you should give the Invitational a go it is a pretty tight deadline to do stuff to their standard, but I'm dead excited for it

Neat froggos are awesome

On further reflection I don't think I have quite the Blanchitsu Groove for it. You do though, so win one for us!

You should still have a go bud, your work is excellent.
Excelent work on that Slann BTW.

Love the moontower idea, you must do that.

But I am really looking forward to Magos Valandria, that bit of fluff has me salivating. Brilliant writing bud.

Yeah definitely give it a go might be fun to make something that blends your style with a slightly more Blanchian twist

Welll...... the spirit might be willing, but the schedule and bits collection are weak. : ) I look forward to seeing that you do though! Made some statues from chess pieces though....

The fauna of Pentegrad - The Rats (occasionally mutated, always large), the frogs, and the statues...

That lot is looking amazing bud. Really fantastic. Love the statues. Beasties all looking great to.

Oh man those statues are gorgeous what paints did you use to get the bronze effect? Nothing I've got at the moment seems to do the trick...

The chess statues are ACE!

Thanks - glad you like them!

The statues use two craft paint colors and GW washes.

Basecoat black
Craft paint antique gold
Craft paint gunmetal (a dark silver) dry brush. This is my new favorite paint.
GW Nihalac (sp?) oxide - the pale blue stuff. Applied sparingly in this case for a "Not yet all that corroded" look. This stuff looks really virulent when it goes on - sort of like a kid vomited blue slushy on it.
GW Agrax Earthshade. This tones down the Nihalac to the point where it looks decent. I apply it lighly and sometimes leave some streaking unwashed or do a thinned down wash over everything.

Great for terrain, OK for figures which sometimes benefit from more dry brushing.

Here's the shots I did for St. Dravidia....
















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The statues turned out so great! When I saw the unpainted conversions, I had my doubts. But painted up, they look excellent! Those few Imperial bits really do the trick and the paint scheme is perfect! Nice work.

Thanks Riddle - I wasn't sure how it was going to either but it worked out, but I'm going to keep my eye out for other statues to Grimdark. Maybe some with a more eastern feel.

In the meantime, I started on the Victoria Miniatures BFG. I am thinking it is part of the Pentegrad local defense forces. Overall the kit is nice - the wheels can be easily removed so I could put tracks on if I wanted to at some point. There are some nice extra bits like shells and a wooden box. The parts are nice and rigid, with almost no mold lines and go together well. On the other hand, there are no instructions at all, which is potentially a big issue if you're not careful.



I'm using my WWI german camo sceme, mostly because it is more interesting to paint than basic grey, the other most likely option. That way it fits with my other vaguely WWI stuff, and could be used with a Xenos crew if I wanted to, or my Xenos could be used with it (at least the ones with helmets on). To'ok knights from Zombiesmith.



I've got a bit of an accidental army going, with the hinterland infantry and the heavy walkers.





Nots sure what I would ever do with it.

For something completely different, here is a nude gladiator: NSFW unless you work in an art museum.

Beautiful shots with your scenery altogether there, kestral - really tell an evocative story.

How did you do the ?plasma damage to the knight playing piece? It's a great effect!

Thanks - I like doing the scenery bits the best. The plasma damage is just done with a drill press and some craft paint copper. It looks redder in pictures than in life though.

New gladiator Painted:






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Need to give her a glowing cylon visor eye spot.

Nice, I think I recognize those walkers Star Wars something right?

Where are the models from, they look bigger than the old Star Wars Miniatures prepaints.

Huh. I think i have one of those lion shields lying* around.

The statues are amazing.

*lion shields lion around?

The Lion shields are pretty sweet - and I ain't lying. One of my favorite bits. The Walkers are star wars prepaints - though they are very big. I think I just bought them from some site selling cheap SW left overs. They might look bigger because the Hinterlanders are pretty small.

So some games got played using the arena, and *apparently* SOME people don't like playing on actual sand surface because it is *sort* of like sandpaper. SOME people's miniatures apparently live coddled lives it seems . But the long and the short of it is I'm looking for new sand surface flock - the ground walnut shell stuff I guess, both for the Arena and for basing the gladiators.

Can anyone recommend a good model basing sand? Preferably cheap and available in large quantity?

Finished painting the PDF, though I screwed up the commanding officers face pretty good with an ill advised adventure in black ink. I'll repaint it some day.



I like the wheel effect which I I achieved by starting with heather blue from reaper, dry brushed grey, dry brushed gunmetal, followed by an agrax wash. I think I might do a tank in the same style.









Here is some test coloration for Insurgency Walker's cars. This is an inquisition vehicle. I want to convey age, menace, gothic puritanical craziness... ...or something.

Just looked in on Eden the game and they have some stuff with different influences than you usually see in 40K that could be quite useful:

 kestral wrote:
Finished painting the PDF, though I screwed up the commanding officers face pretty good with an ill advised adventure in black ink. I'll repaint it some day.

Not civilians as promised, unsubscribering.

Amazing work, as always.

Thanks - glad you enjoyed it!

I really like that camo scheme you've crated. It's got a stained glass vibe to it.

Thanks! Good Camo is fun to do and makes painting more interesting, if longer. I vary it a little each time I paint.

I've painted a car and matching Rhino for I-Walker. I must say I feel wargames exclusives Cars are getting better as time goes on.

Taking inventory for the new year, and here's what I have for this project:

More Brethren First Responders waiting to be converted from some obscure game or other - the helmet shape and triple eye optics are good, as is the shoulder cape, I'll just add the beak. In the background is a Razorback waiting to be converted into a 40K fire engine!



Here are the remaining unpainted Gladiators.



Here is an (unpainted) journeywoman of the Surrogates guild.



And here are some painted gladiators. The female one was one of those tarbaby projects - you're not sure how much you like the figure to start with, or your conversions, you mess around with the colors and it just keeps getting more and more messed up but you don't want to give up. In the end it works though. The Angelus with jetpack is turned out great - one of my favorites, though the pictures don't really do him justice.

Nice work all around in this thread. I'm really liking it.

Thanks!

My wife got me a Firetruck for the Brethren - I was going to strip it for bits for my fire fighting Rhino, but I think I'll convert it and paint it up instead. it is a little small, but I prefer smaller vehicles. Better for narrow streets.



Actually, in the picture the scale looks perfect.

Fire truck is a real find. Nice work on the gladiators.

Will that be a fire truck that puts out fires or one that Fahrenheit 451 style, starts fires?

 kestral wrote:
Thanks!
My wife got me a Firetruck for the Brethren - I was going to strip it for bits for my fire fighting Rhino, but I think I'll convert it and paint it up instead. it is a little small, but I prefer smaller vehicles. Better for narrow streets.

Actually, in the picture the scale looks perfect.

Add a few bits so it looks a wee bit like a Taurox?

I think it would be readily done.
Thinking more around the line of the bars at the front, engine exhaust pipes, the "ribbing" on the hood, more involved doors and maybe a water-cannon turret.
I keep envisioning this thing performing double duty for crowd control so a bit of armor is needed for both situations, promethium fires I am sure are no joke.


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 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Will that be a fire truck that puts out fires or one that Fahrenheit 451 style, starts fires?

I think the hellhound has cornered that.


I was just thinking that a modified Hellhound would work just wonderful as a fire truck.
You know how the mechanicus just HATES when an STC construct is not true to it's design.

Well, if my Brethren ever hit the table, they will surely be armed with flamethrowers. Is it actual fire or just the hideously dangerous "cleansing fluids" they use at plague scenes? Who knows, in game terms it is the same. I'm sure they do all the 451 work needed in their city as well. There is nothing worse than burning a few heretical texts on a windy afternoon, then the next thing you know the Grox Rendering plant goes up in flames. Better to send professionals.

Thanks for the Taurox Ideas - that gives me a good direction to get started - I was drawing a blank.. I had planned to focus most of the converting on the cab and leave the back mostly stock, so that works well.

Amusingly, there is in fact a line of fire fighting tanks:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MyWPnhf4OF4

Among others, NASA has some.

Note to self:

At some point I'm going to do do two noble house ("Each alike in Dignity") - one a more fuedal group in black and yellow (have some already) and one more Gothic (in blue?). Anyway, I must remember that Anima Tactics makes some great character figures for this kind of thing, like this guy:

Interesting model

Should he be Romeo or Mercucio, though?

Mercutio, I'd say. He looks too wise for Romeo.

 kestral wrote:

I like model that tell a story and make us want to know more. For example, how the heck does he draw that sword? Or is he like a sword caddy and the guy next to him draws it?

Oh and I think Animia Tactics is OOP.

Last time I checked you could still get Anima direct from some website or other - could be gone now though. The sword is absolutely drawn by his permanent caddy, one of generations who have served in that role. I actually checked to be sure that sword was a separate piece - it can be left off or put at a more normal angle. Apparently he only goes through doors large enough to befit his status.

While we're on the subject of Decadent Aristocracy, here is the Journey Woman of the Surrogates Guild. Many in the aristocracy don't carry their own children to term, some can't even be bothered to concieve them. The Surrogates Guild produces children of natural birth and bespoke purity. The Lion regalia shows the guild's ancient connection to the Leo Gladiators, but also their determination to protect their charges, for it houses a Conversion Field and emergency life support to protect a royal heir.

Clap, clap, clap...

Where is the model from?

Kingdom Death Naturally, with light conversion. I thought I'd see what all the hype was about, and the model fit this project.


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My Brethren did get a new Inceratorium for their Farenheit 451 duties - with the bonus that this one will hold a model. Here we see Napoleon Zaphod in peril. Will he be rescued before the brutal agents of the Imperium of Man consign him to the flames in an instant? Not if I don't ever finish my Mutant Slum project! You can't really see, but there are burned papers scattered around. Could be heretical, could just be cleaning up the ton of mostly useless parchment the city generates each day.

Lol that's a brilliant idea. Loving it

Better and better and better.

I like the Frostgrave aprentice as a mutant hunter, the habit works for the role.

Wonderful. Brilliant work, keep looking at the Frostgrave stuff, can see lots of possibilities.

The Surrogate is an excellent job, I do find a lot of that stuff disturbing, but appreciate the art and feel it is a necessary part of the genre, great conversion.

Dude with sword, although highly ridiculous, still looks cool as hell.

Good lord - how have I not seen this thread before!?

Brilliant ideas, modelling, painting and wonderful inspiration.

Thanks folks. Those two frostgrave figures are some my favorites - a good wimple goes a long way. Glad you like it Gordy - your batreps are some of my favorite content on the whole internet!

I've converted the Fire Truck - fairly lightly as it turns out, though I still need a good hood ornament and I'm going to put some polearms on a rack after I paint the back. Might also add armored windows. The scale just didn't jive well with most of the bits I was thinking of. I should probably just get a taurox to make a fire truck out of. : ) Then it would be big enough for a fire dog to ride on!

For the hood ornament maybe a torch? There's a few in the Flagellents box.

Perfect! I must have one somewhere. I don't have the flagellants, more's the pity, but I think there are some in one of my building sets.

Lookig good For hood ornaments, and eagle could also work, or if you have some old brett heads, the helmets crests may look good as well.

I used Bret Helmet crests on my Limo to my satisfaction - most are a bit large for this , but some might fit... ...hmmm.

Note to self for later:

These are very 40K:

Did a Pelegarth Gladiator with Grenade launcher...

Good job, paint work is fantastic. Sorry but got to say, for some reason she disturbs me. Not sure what it is. Could be because she looks like something from a dodgy game show, but she's got a granade launcher! Can hear Stewart Hall laughing as she blows up an inflatable clown. Wow, got to get off these meds.

I think both the Roman and Warhammer 40K Arenas could readily be described as "Dodgy Gameshows", admittedly where people get killed fairly regularly. Comic characters make total sense - it is all about amusing the mob, after all.

In the meantime: Broker and Bag Lady of Pentegrad:



And a Ganger.

Nice! Where are those last three from?

Vampire the Masquerade Nospheratu and something from the depths of Cool Mini Or Not I think. Got them in a trade, so I'm not too sure.

The lady would not look out of place in an Escher gang.

Though is looking fine as is, sure I have seen that model somewhere else. The first two are really awesome as well.

Thanks! If I ever do Escher, it surely will not look like everyone else's Escher, so the thought was certainly on my mind.

Tabletop D&D is all the rage around here, spurred on by my wife. Odd how the wheel turns...

Anyway, I used it as an excuse to get my Underground Lasers terrain painted up. RIP Underground Lasers - I always felt bad that I never really got through doing up all their stuff and posting pictures. I was shipped the fantasy dungeon set by mistake in place of the Sci Fi one I ordered. I got a sci fi set shipped out free of charge, and meant to do up the fantasy stuff and share some promo pics as a thank you, but never did.

Well, done now, mostly. I naturally couldn't resist A) adding some optional 40K elements, and B) replicating some historically topless murals from Crete. Only flaw in the original set, aside from some issues with the doors, was that the only mural included was Theseus kicking the minatour in the jimmies - over and over again. Which oddly I missed taking a picture of. Anyway, I drew similar murals and painted them on parchment paper, then glued them to the walls over the Theseus murals. I see it as maybe the ruling palace of a semi feudal world with a patron Bull themed space marine chapter.

Discovering that you could color in your MFD stuff with markers was really cool. Makes me want to work on the sci fi stuff. You can spot some maestrom's edge stuff in there too.

Also painted and restored my Heroquest terrain, or what is left of it after a misspent childhood of not caring for my now-would-be collectable crap.

Very nicely done- it'll make a terrific stronghold! You've got a good drawing hand and a lot of imagination- I'll stop by frequently to see what's new.

I love the murals and the mix of medieval and sci fi elements.

Good stuff.

PS saw these new Romeo and Juliet-themed models from Eurika and thought of you.

Very nice! Do you know which Eureka range they are from?

They showed them off on Facebook so my guess is coming soon

Cool stuff here, I haven't finished all the old posts on here yet, but just went through the most recent page. I'm enjoying the use of so many different styles and brands of minis, and the conversions. My favorite part was seeing the HeroQuest alchemy table, and hwo you added the book with the leather strap and the scroll to it. Nicely painted too.

Thanks! I do really enjoy hunting up odd miniatures and incorporating them into my projects....

You know your heroquest....

Got a few things cued up:

Mutant Family....



Couple of Rogue Trader Crew:

Great figures, where are they from. I love that bird family.

Eureka's fantasy line.

You find a lot of unique and characterful minis for this project. very cool

Just caught up on your blog. Love your conversions. So many fun painted minis as well. Thanks for sharing!

Thanks folks!

I'm hoping to get my gladiators based and photoed for showcasing in the next month, as well as more cars.

Here's the start of an RPG report featuring quite a few of the models in this thread for those who like such things:

https://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/90/524342.page#10076922


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A somewhat converted mini from Laughing Monk. The sculpting is cartoonish by today's standards, but I rather like the result. Suitably bizarre for the dregs of space on a rogue trader or corsair.
I really like the yellow and stegadon green color scheme and plan to use that again. Goggles by victoria miniatures.

I like that. Sculpting is a little dated, as you say, but she looks badass.

Hmmm, a quick head swap and I think she's fit in somewhere with one or other of my warbands.....

the crazy monk chick is kinda cool, I like her. she's just weird enough to be in the 40k universe

Thanks! I've been meandering through creating a full rogue trader crew. I should get them all together at some point.

In the meantime, here's an addition to the motor pool - two Mantic Mules (one of them is I-Walker's). I was not impressed with it when I saw pictures, but in person they are pretty nice. They are not overlarge or overdetailed, but both things are fine with me, especially for a basic vehicle. They are very solid, very easy to put together and paint.

I like those Mules, I may have to give Mantic's stuff a look-over again!

I'm going to give some though to wether or not I need some of their flyers. We'll see.

In the Meantime more mutants:

Too funny! The posing puts me in mind of the Lorelei (sirens on the River Rhine) if they were mutants! Great stuff!

Well, mutant sirens is good I think.

Here's another of I-Walkers Cars. The only thing I am not sure about is the silver glare on the gloss black windows. I could do the windows black, or red, or just leave the silver. Not sure.



https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/963904-Car%20Civilian%20War%20Games%20Exclusive.html

Absolutely love that mutant family - great skin tones! Where's the - uhh - 'beaky' gent from?

I like your silver glare effect - at a first glance it really gives the impression of reflective tinted windows.

Agreed- keep the silver. Nice ride.

Thirding that the silver effect is good.

It is a thing of beauty! Like the silvered effect. Going to scale up a carwars turn tool to the WGE scale cars, which covers the FW stuff too.


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Need to do the beach car show too...


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Just about the right size

Excellent! I am going to work on the windows a bit more after dull coat.


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Blend the silver in a little.

Couple of Denizens of the Galaxy - Geminia Mk 2 from our kill team campaign, and a "Dvarg". With cool Landsnect clothes.

At last! The Train my civilians have been waiting for this half decade has been found!

Nice train. You going to be adding a lot of 40k to it, or keeping it fairly stock.

Have not commented in a while here, but been lurking. (sorry) but the train made me come out of hiding.

Love the car, love the Mules, love the people, but the "Dvarg" really catches my eye. Like him an awful lot.

Great stuff all round.

Ha, that's a good train. I'm not certain what a dvarg is but i like his shoulder pads.

A dvarg appears to be some sort of space dwarf, though this fellow is the best dressed of his people, who can be found here... .... ...well, whose people seem to have vanished from the internet. Sad, but sort of fitting. Still, I got the best one.

With the train I'm thinking the engine will get some light armor over the windows, a smokestack, and a few cog bits, maybe a purity seal. Not too heavy conversons. There is a coal car that will take a turret mount nicely, for with a quad gun or whatever for dangerous stretches of track. The passenger cars (comes with 2) are oddly a little out of scale unlike the engine. I'm going to unscrew the bottom, add a piece to make them a little taller, make the doors bigger, maybe put some aquila water slide transfers on it. Overall, nothing too heavy. I do want an armored train eventually though! I'm going to get at least one more set, the one with cargo cars.

Hobby Progress has been minimal recently - Super busy and unfortunately back pain is interfering with my enthusiasm for sitting for long periods. I have done a few things, most notably worked on my downtrodden mutants. Given that they are a mix of several different lines of figures, I'm giving them all the Ramshackle games orange and yellow stripped outfits treatment. I figure it is a particular cloth that is given to the mutants, sort of a charity but also making them stand out as outcast. Aesthetically, it helps unify the different lines.









It might be fun to do a 40K rpg episode where the players are mutants launching a doomed uprising.

I love the Ramshakle mutants, the keytar guy is fantastic and the 3 legged girl is just disturbing.

Looking good, the cloth works well to bring them together, and is a nice bit of fluff

Thanks!

Painted these here "Chernops". Not really sure what a Chernops is - I had slated them for Gladiators, but now I am thinking they are bodyguards of some sort, highly augmented. They have a sort of a "stake launcher" on one arm - to protect you from psykers, obviously. It is nice to paint older figures with cruder sculpts, IMO - less pressure.





Here is a more conventional gladiator:



NSFW maybe.

[spoiler]

Idea for later: Take a Munitorium cargo container and make it into a soothsayer or holy person's hovel - lots of skulls, an LED light in the ceiling, belongings, etc.

Note to self - Astropolis figures can be had from Noble Knight games:

https://www.nobleknight.com/Products/Astropolis-28mm


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Oh Nos - the Astrogators are sold out!

Gladiator Escher conversion. The helmet looks really big - obviously packed with tech.







Pelegarth and Xenodrin:





Everyone so far - almost painted!

Looking fabulous bud. Actually look better than the silly hair they normally have.

Yeah the helmet looks great, looks like an actual human wearing a helmet over head

Rather than someone who had their head removed and replaced by a helmet shaped one.

 Kid_Kyoto wrote:
Yeah the helmet looks great, looks like an actual human wearing a helmet over head

Rather than someone who had their head removed and replaced by a helmet shaped one.

LOL. Well said. I have a Goliath gladiator conversion going on right now that has the exact opposite problem.

Glad you folks like it!

The helmet looks great, nice job all round.

Thanks! Now I am considering making some of the helmets larger. Sigh, you just can't win with this whole "anatomy" thing. I was pushing hard to do the last few gladiators, then shelved it. Still, with the basing done I think a set of glamor photos for the show off thread should happen soon.

In the meantime, I saw a lighthouse for a buck, and well, I've wanted to start doing nautical stuff for my 40K/Insmouth crossover (the Docks of Pentegrad), so I did a light house. Not super grimdark, but I rather like it and enjoy totally random projects.

















In other random news, I've become kind of enamored of the Stormcast with mechanical bows. As the dimension hopping replacements for the Olde Worlde, they suck. But as an obscure order of low tech knights (perhaps with a sinister secret....) in the 40K universe they are pretty awesome. We may see more of them. Low tech warriors aping the space marines as best they can makes total sense to me.

Looking good. Glad to see I'm not the only one who can't walk into a shop without assessing the scale of every chotsky and souvenir.

Absolutely! I've been eyeing some new MFD holiday houses that have come out - the scale is looking good. Perhaps we'll see them on sale super cheap.

Speaking of super cheap, War Machine hit 70% off at the FLGs, and I scored I couple of things I've wanted from that range:





Ogryn Gladiator!

That cyber ogre (or whatever) is NICE. Can't wait to see it.

Loving both those models!

I had been eyeing them for some time. The only downside is that the cyber ogryn is about 25% too large. But hey, Growth Drugs!

Wow, those mounted troops, that's amazing!

Here's another Warmachine figure - Privateer Press sees him as a brutal "Cage Rager" harvesting the fear of his captives.



But I see a helpful mutant delivering much need Prometheum Byproduct cooking slurry to his friends and family.




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There are no end of the things this Ogryn Mutant could haul!

I really like that change you made, the mutant delivering promethium is great!

Aw, he's my favorite now.

Ha - when I first came across that figure my first thought was what could I do with the cages, and kinda dismissed the side as becoming some sort of ogryn....

The cages are... ...OK. They would probably benefit from a more motivated painter, but you can't really see into them very well because the bars are fairly wide. I think metal would have been a better material.
Still, hanging crow cages is useful as you say!

Here's a Malifleux Miniature that seems very 40K (Not my paint job). They must wear stove pipe hats somewhere in the Imperium, right?

I dunno, the elongated limbs and torso are kind of the opposite of what GW likes to do. It would be like Bugs Bunny showing up in Akira, both are good, but not really the same look.

That chained and robed servant being used to hold the book definitely has a strong 40k vibe.

I could see it done in Harlequin aelves style working quite well or (bugger can't remember the name ) dark elves. Would lend the thin limbed figure well into the 40k. Certainly not imperial though.

I've really stopped worrying about scale or form in the humans I'm using - it is a big imperium after all.

However, now I really want to make a Harliquinn army and bulk it out with Malefelux conversions. I think you're right, they'd work great!


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Painted my Galvanic Crane - this kit is everything you'd hope it would be. Go GW! I used black with a light green drybrush and gloss nuln oil. Not sure it was really worth the trouble compared to black with a light silver dry brush, but I do like it.





My new arch enemy is lights with wire cages over them. Hate those things.

Tractors next!

You should ERADICATE your enemy with knives and files!

No, seriously, I love this thread, and I'm glad you got your hands on some cranes and tractors!

You see it is typical of GW, they go and make stuff like this just to pee me off, I spend ages making cranes and mechanical stuff, and then GW come along with a beautiful kit, bloody lot.

Nice work on it though, good stuff bud. And yeah agree about the covered light thingy, hey maybe I could come up with a two part light unit....mmmmm.

Yeah, but this is the same crane everyone has. I'd much rather have one of yours that no one else has.


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 Briancj wrote:
You should ERADICATE your enemy with knives and files!

No, seriously, I love this thread, and I'm glad you got your hands on some cranes and tractors!

Thanks! I've just been painting them all one color and then inking them. It doesn't really make sense, but it is easy.

Lovely stuff. Nice work on the crane.

I'm planning to do a lighthouse myself, and seeing yours is a great inspiration!

I look forward to seeing it - I'm sure it will be Awesome!

Painted the Tractors and crane bits:



I made the grabbing claw optional on the crane- mostly because I need the hook to hoist up my giant cat fish from the Reaper bones KS.



The little tractor is one of the best things GW has done ever, IMHO.





At first I was cool to the 2nd tractor, but after painting it I rather like it.

Those little tractors are really cool! Nice find and addition to your collection.

I do love them! Just realized I missed a few things on the red one.

So I was working an accident scene an hour or so ago, and I saw what can only be described as a warhammer 40K bus. I didn't get a great look, but it was silver, mostly square on the front, fairly tall, with arched windows down the side and a weird angled stern. Like a cross between a trolley, a UPS truck and something art deco. If I remember it, I now know what to make my busses look like!

I wonder if I should cast them.


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Hmmm - or try 3D printing.

Here's the Prometheum Hauling Ogryn mutant Grod - and his best Friend, Napoleon Zaphod, the mutant crime boss. Zaphod wears a bit of the orange and yellow mutant charity cloth on his lapels as required by law - but of course he bribed some Sister Textilous to make him a particularly fine bolt. This way he shows solidarity with the Twists, and follows the letter of the law. Grod does whatever he says, whether it is hauling prometheum sludge to the shanty town, popping someone's head like a balloon, or taking bolter rounds....










Generally happy with how he came out. Barrels are modular, so he can haul other things as needed, including his original cages.

These are so much fun. Thank you for sharing!

I love Zaphod! Where's he from?

He's from Denizen Miniatures (only 25mm though).

He is the "Two headed hiker" at the bottom of the page.
http://www.denizenminiatures.co.uk


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$1.90 US at the present exchange rate.

That's one awesome looking brute. Perfect for trudging around in the day to day life on some backwater planet.

Love the big guy, and thanks for the Zaphod Beeblebrox, now I have a bunch more models to buy.

Denizen makes some neat stuff.

So, I wasn't really working on this project, but suddenly I had a chance to score some incredibly cheap, base coated Menoth. I'd also been working on the Arch Papess kind of listlessly, so I stepped up and started doing my Eclesearchy parade. How do you spell that? Anyway, I love starting from other people's part painted models since it saves so much time. I'd planned to do one of my church factions using Menoth colors (the other in Green in honor of the Infardi from Dan Abnett's books), and all Menoth really needs for 40K is purity seals and skulls, which I can do. They are carrying images from Pentegrad's sacred history.

I'm using the light warjacks as a "really bad idea souless church battle robot". The inquisition is going to catch up with these folks someday.















Not my best work overall, but done for now and I can always revisit it.

I love that Raging Heroes priestess, is it just me or does she look like Hillary Clinton?

Had things gone differently in 2016 she would have been the commander of one of my BFG fleets.

She does remind me of someone, maybe one of my aunts. I did a poor job on the face, but I might return to it someday. I'm also not sure putting the cherubs on the same base was the right call.

kestrel,

Any model painted is another small victory against the horde of the unpainted!

Cheers,

CB

I love this project... fantastic...

FTL

Captain Brown wrote:
kestrel,

Any model painted is another small victory against the horde of the unpainted!

Cheers,

CB

Truer words were never said Captain!

Thanks FTL!

Here's a sub project that I've put a lot of thought into, but only a little modeling time:
The people of Mithras. Mithras is my attempt at a really "alien" world - an ancience (10 billion years +) world, geologically dead, flat, with nothing but incredibly highly evolved basically single cell organisms - algae, mold type stuff. No animal life of any kind. Periodically dominated by Orks. The people are really "strange" (as in not based on any historical archtypes) , but still (mostly) loyal subjects of the imperium. I'm going to set Dark Heresy campaign there, and I'm enjoying developing the setting.

I like that setting, something feeling truly alien while also human is something difficult to pull off i think, and you've got a very good start to it there. I'd like to read and see more!

 amazingturtles wrote:
I like that setting, something feeling truly alien while also human is something difficult to pull off i think, and you've got a very good start to it there. I'd like to read and see more!

I agree with that! If my ambitions play out, I have quite a few figures/projects in mind - write ups, figures, terrain.

Most Mithrans live in communal nomadic groups that travel by truck between harvests along Mithras's excellent road network. Here such a commune is harvesting large chunks of spore blossom from a recent game (though this was before I had Mithran specific figures to go with them).

kestral, I'm really impressed how much progress you are able to share with us on multiple blogs, that is dedication.

Thanks!

I feel a bit weird about multiple blogs (especially since at the moment you have some of the same people reading all of them), but I really do like organizing by subject. Usually I'm focused on only one at at a time, but not these days! I've been tremendously productive, but not focused on one thing the last 3-4 months, which is the result of a sort of "perfect storm" - it is the best time of year for hobby, since soon I'll be outside on maintenance, forestry, building that kind of stuff after work, other aspects of my life have been going pretty smoothly, and I've had a bit of a "mid life crisis" that has caused me to kick some things into high gear. I've also been doing tons of it... ..because it makes me happy. I sometimes feel like I'm shirking when I spend a bunch of time on painting, but this year I'm just ignoring that feeling, and my mental state has really benefited without any appreciable drop in productivity in other areas of life. In some ways I'm the best I've been at the moment.

Another Shrine for the Imperium - this one made from a giant goat (sea monster?) vertebrae.

Sweet! How many bits of real dead critters get used in actual terrain.

I still need to make something out of that nasty skeleton bits you found me.

Now that is so neat. Fake skeletons inside a real skellington.

I do love natural materials.

Here's a bit of "The tale of four Magii". I've always loved Techno Mages as a concept, and their sort of "Lord of the Rings" riff in Deep Space Nine - as powerful, mysterious individuals with their own agendas. I have four in the works, and here's number one:







I'm thinking she is a Magos Metaphysic who studies things like how many saints can fit on the head of a pin, as well as the science of art and aethsetics.

The crash of Warmachine is finally paying off for me - scored her for $9 on Amazon Prime of all places - free shipping! All metal model, so I washed it with gloss ink, then lightly filed the edges to create a highlight, glued on some parchment strips and called it good - very little painting at all. I'd love to do more metal convergence figures in the same way.

The other 3 are Biologos Vanodria (based off Caul), the Old Witch of Mithras, and Magos Casca, who has modified his form for deep sea exploration...

Wow nice work.

Verrrry nice. I wonder if I still have some of my old Cryx.

You have a great eye for how models can be used beyond their original purpose, she certainly fits your plan and looks very cool.

Very nicely done- I'm getting a strong Azimov "Robots of Dawn" vibe of this piece!

Very, very cool. Adding this blog to my reading list.

Thanks! I've been inspired by everyone's work here on Dakka, and it is nice to contribute in return.

Here's a project that fits on the "Minor Xenos" theme. These are some mutants by Dakka's Doombunny that he was kindly giving away. I really like their look, so I'm giving them a bit of love - and Fluff.

"Is there anything more vile than the Darmothi Species? Blessed by some quirk of genetics with a strong resistance to mutation, they chafe against it and will go to any length to twist their forms. So strong is the Xenos need to invite corruption into themselves, that the Darmothi will graft heads and arms of captives onto themselves, for these can mutate which they consider a blessing. The Darmothi are a small, goblinoid race of limited intelligence who habitually dress in crude armor somewhat like that of Feudal worlds. The process of grafting a head must be fatal to the Darmothi as such, but this seems to bother them not at all, since they believe that by doing so their souls will be accepted by the Chaos gods. The hybrid mutants that result take service with the chaos powers, where they are swiftly consumed as cannon fodder, but not before suffering all sorts of hideous mutations. Radical inquisitors have wondered if their resistance to mutation might be transferred to humans in some way.... ...this is of course heresy."

Did up some servitors because I needed them for an RPG session. I've always liked servitors as a concept, but the models leave me a bit cold. These did grow on me a bit, but I still feel the need to track down/convert some as well. The yellow was sort of an accident - I was going to do them with black rubbery suits I was trying to do with gloss black ink, but started adding yellow and then just kept going. It does give them a sort of generic "construction equipment" feel. Not sure I'd do it again though.











And another really random bit - part of the "clear the shelf for Air Power April before April is gone" effort - Doombunny's Corpse Dogs.

Aw.... doggies.

Some cool civvy servitors, it must be very Grim Dark in the 41st Millennium if construction servitors need heavy bolters though!

Those pups seem loyal til the end...

I think they're assumed to be like the Monty Python rabbit, so maybe not so much loyal. In the meantime, here's a guy. Praising the sun-Emperor? Calling for Brains? About to turn a handspring? Hard to say. He's portraying a drug addict in an upcoming come though. Cawdor head and Mantic Zombie body.

He looks like he is coming in for a hug. That might terrify all of those stuck up space marines who need their personal space...

"I just saved $500 on my car insurance!"

kestrel,

Nice to see the Servitors get completed.

Cheers,

CB

Loving all these, servitors look great, the Magos steals the show for me.

Arbites. I've found my blue grey coat/cape recpie - start out off white, paint with Nighthaunt gloom, then add some Spacewolf Grey in the recesses, highlight in Pewter Grey craft paint if desired. The armor is contrast Ultramarines over bare metal with some nuln oil.





And some speed painted rhinos.






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The image filter didn't do the coat any favors - it looks better in life.

More Arbites! What are you counting them as?

They're mostly I-Walkers - he does them as inquisitional storm troopers generally.

Could you post them in the Arbites group, always nice to see new models there.

https://www.facebook.com/groups/1924169174551862/

 kestral wrote:
They're mostly I-Walkers - he does them as inquisitional storm troopers generally.

Yeah, started using them as with the witch hunters codex, but also used them as Guard vets in 6th ed? Sgt Brettone as the squad leader with pistol and power maul did really well in one battle. Though it was conscripts that were the star unit of the day.

Fop with a Writ:







I need a better way of doing writing.

Exo armored squat from Terminator and space wolf bits. Kind of makes me want to do more.





Mounted Imperial Fanatic:

The fop is excellently foppish. His tights are admirable. And the squat looks nice and robust

Wow, I went through all of this last night, and I have to say that I find it extremely impressive and creative. Have you posted the Belisarius conversion yet?

Thanks very much! No, I haven't done the Belisarius conversion - I need to find some tiny clear domes.


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 amazingturtles wrote:
The fop is excellently foppish. His tights are admirable. And the squat looks nice and robust

Thanks! He does have quite a few different styles of fabric going there.

Civilian Servitors - Wargames exclusive, having paid their bills with cheesecake, are now producing some much more original stuff...
















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I need the cyborg pit crew

The bucket servitor is definitely my favorite

Bucket is my favorite too! They are great figures.

If you have a display cabinet you need the bucket servitors to be cleaning the glass!

gobert wrote: If you have a display cabinet you need the bucket servitors to be cleaning the glass!

I love that comment!
Also, cool find of the civilian servators Kestral, the bucket one is my favorite too.

They look awsome, nice job on the bucket.

Some figures I needed for a game....


















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I'm a little worried about having him polish the glass on the display case because the doors slide and there is a gap...

Still, great idea!

Been a while since I had anything for this Blog - but here are the Sisters Castelleon, Valarian Gunrunners with their shuttle Benedicto. The Atlantis class shuttle is capable of making trips and up and down from orbit with a small payload and a single cramped pilot. It also reenters at very high speed with ceremite plating. These characteristics make it relatively useless.... ....except to smugglers or couriers. Rumor has it the Castelleons have carried an Imperial Assassin at least once....

Enterprise class shuttle surely? Or Colombia.

Been meaning to add one to my spaceport project.

Also been meaning to actually start my spaceport project...

The servitors are really great kestrel.

Cheers,

CB

Thanks!

I am slowly working on my Feudal world stuff, based mostly on the AOS guys and gals. It will also feature some Bretonnians, some Technolog, a MIGHTY FORTRESS and a Star Fort. I got some Gryph Hounds done - they are pretty neat.

Two Mithran Fungus Haulers trudge under a heavy load of starch carved from the great mold blooms of their world.

Ah i love looking at your work man. always sparks good imagination and inspiration.

Why thank you!

Here are some trucks driven by the Imperial Lady's Auxiliary. MFD Mattadors from Bad Squido games. I had a tough time with the MFD - probably going to generally avoid that in the future, but they are a great fit for my 40K aesthetic, maybe my favorite trucks so far.

I love how you did the gryph hounds! so colorful and lively. They are for sure some of my favorite things gw has put out recently

I've had trouble with mdf too but i think that truck came together very well.

Some neat trucks there kestral.

Cheers,

CB

 amazingturtles wrote:
I love how you did the gryph hounds! so colorful and lively. They are for sure some of my favorite things gw has put out recently

I've had trouble with mdf too but i think that truck came together very well.

Yeah, me too. They really scored a hit with them. Peacock and leopard seemed a good combination - I even repainted one back to that scheme I liked it so much. Contrast does the peacock feathers well.

More Mithrans. At this point my goal is to get one unit of them as inquisitional henchmen and then call it good. The painting is pretty rough. For whatever reason I have a tough time with Kings of War models, which were the starting point. I do like that they don't really look like any historical period or fictional trope. I wanted them to just look odd, which they mostly do.

I love those Matadors! A nice colour scheme and the builds suit your theme very nicely.

Thanks! Been a while. I've done some fire fighters for the grimdark future. Here is Engine "C" for Corax, a light and nimble pumper for narrow streets and quick response. I have two more engines and maybe 3 more brethren to do. The Brethren are surgically modified, not really sure about how, but it involves hoses.










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The truck started as a supermarket random toy - it actually had a nice amount of detail, like the roof hooks on the ladders.

Hey, great thread and something I'm also interested in. Only read the first and last pages so far but will be looking at more when I can.

I think actually having civilians in a game would add so much fun and flavour. For example I can imagine a mission where a few marines have to rescue some farmers before they get eaten by 'nids, using heavy farm equipment as weapons.

I'd say the fire truck needs something, maybe repaint it in a darker red? The raw plastic looks too toy-ish.

Where are the firemen from?

The firemen are great, but i agree that the truck needs to look a bit more imperialish.

Hmm, a darker red might work well. The firefighters are plastic "corrupted firefighters" from one of the board games - not sure which one. With greenstuff'd plague beaks.

I always enjoy seeing an update to your 40k civilians Kestral, always very creative ideas.

Well, it has been a while! A lot has changed, but hey, I still love miniatures, especially creatively scratch built ones - though mostly I have painting other people's stuff. However, you can see a bunch of the figures from this blog in an illustrated audio story:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PvUl4_RhLfA