This blog is going to be a temporary blog to document the "Pimp my wizard 40K! A friendly painting and modelling contest".
The idea to start this contest came up when PDH and I were arguing about calling dibs on converting the WFB wizards coming out in July.
You know these four handsome fellas, who are being released for the storm of magic:
Spoiler:
So after telling Peter "calling dibs, my ass!" I suggested to make a friendly competition of it, just to see what ideas some creative individuals might come up with when converting these few miniatures.
That's what we and some people we're going to invite, will do when the new wizards are being released on the 9th of July.
As it says above, this is an INVITATIONAL! So no offense, we're not intending to exclude anyone, but it's just a small event amongst friends.
If you love the idea, like we do and you're desperate to participate head over to Panic's open version (not to say rip-off ) of ours.
If you're not going to participate feel free to comment anyway and tell us how you like the idea and what you'd want us to convert, or something similar.
"Pimp my wizard 40K! A friendly painting and modelling contest"
Rules: (by PDH and me)
Get one of the new Warhammer Wizards released on the 9th July 2011. As seen in this picture (pretty picture/see above)
The model will need to be converted to represent something from the Warhammer 40k setting...where there is only war and paperwork.
Use the mages body as a base, but apart from that anything goes.
Use any parts as you see fit, be they GW/Forge World or one of the plethora of other miniature companies. Plastic Card, modelling putty etc is all good.
The base size shouldn't exceed 40mm and secondary miniatures should be minor minions (eg servo skull and familiars). Exceptions can be made if you can make PDH or Baiyuan understand why a bigger scene or additional character is essential to your project.
Update the blog at least once per week with words, pictures, ideas, stories. Whatever you see fit and will add to the project. Even a “I’m still alive and work has been massively busy.” would suffice. Obviously work in progress shots throughout the building process would be great.
All pictures should be posted in a dakka gallery.
When you have built the model and before undercoating please take a picture and post it in the blog.
The model will need to be painted and photographed by the 10th September ready to be posted on Dakka. Post the finished product on September 10th for all to enjoy.
At least one picture has to be taken against a plain white backdrop ie a sheet of A4 paper curved upwards with the model standing on the bottom. (That will make it a lot easier to put all conversions into one mindblowing picture via photoshop.)
There will be no judging or prizes (other than comments from other Dakka users) The journey will be the reward. You could look at this project as a nice break from your army, a change of pace from competition pieces. Something to add to your Inquisitorial Warband. A start to your often planned never started Inquisitorial Warband. Perhaps you just fancy showing off your skills. Whatever the reason it's about having fun and looking at beautifully created models.
Confirmed participants:
PDH
Baiyuan
Neil101
CMDante
Migsula
Scarper
Cadaver
HF Izanagi
Vitruvian XVII
JRN
Jackanory
...more coming soon...
Edit: added "use dakka gallery"-rule, added bigger pic of the wizards, added "white backdrop photo"-rule, added "base size and familiar"-rule
Update:
Dakka celebrity Migsula is in for the fun and we're happy to have him.
Another highly creative mind, I can't wait what breathtaking creations the guys will come up with.
I would love to know what conversions you all have in mind for the wizards, no matter if you're participating or not.
What comes to mind looking at them?
About my personal conversion plans so far:
My mind is currently racing to decide which wizard I'm going to convert. I'm having ideas for all of them, but I want it to be really demanding and unexpected.
Surely one could give the chaos sorcerer an autopistol and call him a chaos psyker and it would look great, but I'm thinking more in the line of "I wouldn't have guessed what the base model was, if hadn't known before."
The only model I'm more or less excluding is the tzeentch sorcerer, I don't like him that much. My only idea for him, was to turn him into an alien bounty hunter. I think the strange legs and twiggy physique would make a good base for a unique alien, but I'm not that excited about the idea, it's rather uninspired.
The chaos sorcerer was love on first sight, what a gorgeous miniature. On the first glance I knew that I had to convert it and the more often I look at it, the more I want it. There is only one problem, I didn't have a firecracker of an idea yet, just lame stuff. I was planning to turn him into a radical inquisitor, but I think I'll need to hold the actual model in my hands to get an idea of how to do that.
The necromancer was my second choice, lovely! I only see one problem with him, if you remove his weapons and/or head the only thing you got left is a robed figure, that could be from any miniature, not very characteristic. On the other hand, like PDH said, for the same reason it's a good canvas to work on. My best idea to convert him was so far to turn him into a ratskin shaman.
The supreme sorceress was the model I initially didn't consider at all. Sure it doesn't look bad, the hair is nice and everything, but it doesn't look like it's 40k compatible at all and it could be from any manufacturer.
Well as things go, my "bestest" idea for the competition is about the sorceress. It's in fact so good, should I decide not to do it for the contest I'll do it later. I don't want to give it away just yet, but I can tell you that much, it will be plenty complicated and the product will belong to my ordo hereticus warband, nuff said.
HF Izanagi wrote:LOL... this is an amazing idea!! This looks to be like a fantastic contest... I'm not worthy, but could I sign up as well?
Tell me more about the rules- anything goes? Start with a sorcerer, end up with whatever your mind's eye sees?
Vitruvian XVII wrote:Ooh this should be good! Would it be at all possible for me to join this hallowed circle? I would love to pit my limited skills against all of you.
Thank you, I think so too. It will be a blast! I can't wait, sooooo excited...
About not being worthy, Neil101 said he feels like "dining with the big-wigs". Sure some dakka celebrities are participating, but aren't we all just normal freaks enjoying our escape to fictional worlds? It's really not about anybody not being worthy of the company, I mean I'm in afterall and I'm just a dakkanewb.
The people who are being invited are just those that came into Peter's and my mind first, when we asked ourselves who we would really like to see trying to convert one of those wizards.
We wanted to keep the list of participants less random and not to big, just to make it more personal, it's not about being elitary.
We will see how many of our invitations will be accepted. If we decide to have some more in the end, there might be a second wave of invitations and then I'll make sure your interest won't be forgotten.
Understood. We'll be waiting if you guys have any openings, then.
Regardless, I look forward to the figures you'll all put out- I'm a regular at the galleries of all the participants mentioned... usually green-eyed with jealousy...
The ship sat solemnly in stationary orbit above the dirty smoke grey planetoid. Lights from the tallest spires stabbed out into space, though they would soon be extinguished by the explosions and flames, boiling up and out of the hives spires. Fire raged over the majority of the planets surface, millions would die before the end of the night. The protectors of the Emperor's realm had failed and the planet would not meet its tithe, for centuries to come.
Cadaver wrote:I'd like to get in on this! Also, I think it would be great to continue something like this for other future releases that fit the =I=munda setting.
In fact you're on our list, I just didn't get around to send everybody their invitations. Now that you said that you want in I can save the time to write you one and just tell you, you're in. Welcome!
Interesting idea. All the starting miniatures are seemingly a good place to begin and change. It'll be good to see what some of the more creative minds here can get up to...
Thankyou to Baiyuan and PDH for letting me join this esteemed circle! Hope i can deliver :S
How much of the original model do we have to keep....
At the moment i've got my eye on the DElf Sorceress, after all its about time i had a female tech-priest... Ideas for her involve a lot of amniotic fluid and machinery.....
The Chaos Sorcerer i wont be using (i think!), lovely model but too much robes and armour for me.
The Tzeentch Sorcerer i like, very interesting, need to play around with a few more ideas first.
The Necromancer could very easily become a tech-magos (ala Migsula with the Empire wizards) and for that reason i think i'll ignore him too, just too obvious for my personal take on this contest. Why do a generic figure when you could push the boundaries? Of course, im sure someone else will make a stonking model out of it, and leave astounded as to why i didnt think of that!
Hmm, decisions, decisions. Always a good position to be in...
That's almost exactly what I am thinking in every detail! And I'm also tending to use the sorceress, but I'll be going in a very different direction, let's just say I'll be using a lot of GS and red color...
For the millionth time, I can't wait to see the totally different things we'll all create based on those few miniatures.
As to how much you're supposed to keep of the original miniature: Like Peter and I wrote in the rules, you should use the main body somehow. You can change the pose, remove some limbs, swap the head, whatever you like. I'd just say it would be a nice touch if one could still recognize the base model in the final product somehow, if that takes 5min it's possibly just well done though.
My plans for the sorceress for example consist of removing her right arm/weapon, possibly keeping the other one, but I'm not sure yet and then cover most of her body, limbs and head in GS. So the general pose will stay the same, which isn't exactly necessary, but it suits my plans more or less, on the other hand the whole surface of the miniature will be almost completely changed.
Working on the necromancer one would most likely just swap hands and/or head and make some other additions (tentacles, mechadendrites...), but it would be an unthankful (but not impossible) task to change his pose. This makes it especially challenging to create something inspiringly different out of him. I think Scarper is planning to convert him, if he does it right it could me most surprising what one can achieve on a model that looks so restrictive on the first glance.
I have similar basic ideas about the figures as Vit- the Chaos sorceror could totally pass for an antagonist Inq (heavily modded to remove the symbols, crazy but awesome horned head), lots of GS work... DE Sorceress... no plans at the moment. And Migs' conversion of the Empire wizard stands out as an example of what COULD be done with the Necromancer, and pass off extremely well.
Like I wrote in the invitation acceptance, the Tzeentch wizard will be my base. I'm going to go all out on the conversion- the basic model will still be able to be picked out, I think, but the final mini will be... more in the 40K range... along with other interests I plan to incorporate into the project...
Thanks again for the invite guys - feeling pretty humble amongst some of these big names, but I'll do my best!
As to the models, I'm a little torn at the moment - I have a fair few ideas, but a lot of them feel pretty uninspired.
If I went with the necromancer, I'm leaning towards a hunched and wisened female scavvy lookout, overloaded with scavenged rags and equipment, and perhaps carrying an infant. Obviously the staff, head and skull would be long gone, I'd make changes to the robes, and hopefully change the pose up a little. I feel like it might be too simplistic, though, or kind of cheating as the base is, as had been mentioned, pretty blank.
I feel like the tzeench sorceror has a lot of potential movement with some fairly simple alterations - lots of potential story to it too! I can just imagine some kind of spindly, creeping monster, devoid of all the humanity it once had...
I've got a couple of plans for the dark elf sorceress too, but nothing concrete yet.
The only model I'm struggling with inspiration for is the first one, which seems to be a big favourite with some of you lot! It seems really static to me, so I'm really looking forward to seeing someone transform it
Early ideas, but there's a lot of pressure here - Every one of the people taking part has awed me in the past! Still, an excuse to push boundaries and work on my skills - Thanks again for letting me take part. Fantastic idea, PDH and Baiyuan!
Ooo Scarper, the scavvy sounds great! I thought about turning the necromancer into a ratskin shaman, but it didn't kindle my fire so far. Your plan doesn't sound simple at all, sounds like just the right thing. And like I said before the simplicity of the base model would make it an even more impressive conversion.
I think im going to go down the MC route and use it as an Archmagos Veneratus, got some lovely ideas of what to put on a 60mm base!
It will all depend on whether i can sort out an amniotic preservation chamber. Will need to test a fully submerged painted model in water effects to see if its viable...
Im definitely going with the Sorceress now, the others just arennt grabbing me. And if she comes with hair in 3 pieces like its rumoured, so much the better! (Should look a treat upside down and in fluid...!)
Baiyuan/Vitruvian XVII - I really hope you DElf boys don't take any inspiration from this:
Spoiler:
HF Izanagi - Nice to know you're game, glad you're using that model. I find it hard to believe GW aren't releasing it as a herald of tzeentch. In the future I may have to steal Baiyuan's idea of turning him into a alien bounty hunter.
Scarper - Stop it or you'll give yourself a complex, along with the rest of us . The scavvy sounds right up my street, you could use her as some sort of skivvy (like what I did there - Oh Yeah) for the Jackals.
As co-creater of this little project I guess I should share some of my ideas as well.... sorry they are a secret at the moment . We'll see closer to release date. Instead you'll just have to settle for some more of my terrible fiction. Now I'm off to email Molotov to see if there is a spare hive world in the Dalthus Sector he minds me ruining.
No danger of me going for naked admech, or any other kind of admech, at least not for the contest. And I think we discussed unmotivated nudity in sci-fi just recently. Should I really do the supreme sorceress (that sounded wrong) there will only be little of the bare skin left.
I'm currently trying to decide what weaponry and which familiar/companion I'll give her. Decisions, decisions... being spoilt for choice, I prefer the german phrase: "die Qual der Wahl" the agony of choice.
About stealing the bounty hunter idea, maybe there will be a second round of pimp my wizard, who can say, but let's focus on the task at hand first...
I really hope there will be better pics of the wizards soon, I looked at the current ones so much, but they just don't reveal everything.
Did Mol respond to his invitation yet?
And now, to follow Peter's example, some mysterious fluff, that says virtually nothing about my conversion, but (hopefully) sounds good:
She had hunted them for so long, scores of worlds throughout several systems and every single man, woman, child or thing that she had brought down, had made her feel closer to his radiance. All the years she had spent on the prowl seemed to have gone by in the blink of an eye, restless as if she was a bird of prey, that would fall from the sky, were it to ever slow down. - And now it all felt so void compared to doing Tiberius' bidding, he gave her the chance to experience the true meaning of her life. She had always known without a doubt, that her cause was just, but he had shown her that there was no need to worry about people despising her, that mortals would never empathize with her. Only through him she would find fulfilment...
Cadaver wrote:I'd like to get in on this! Also, I think it would be great to continue something like this for other future releases that fit the =I=munda setting.
In fact you're on our list, I just didn't get around to send everybody their invitations. Now that you said that you want in I can save the time to write you one and just tell you, you're in. Welcome!
Awesome, I'm loving the idea of this. Just one question regarding the rules - would it be okay to submit more than one entry? I'm not sure if I actually will, but I had my eye on the Necromancer since I first saw the leaked pics and now I'm thinking I could make a cool Escher model with that Dark Elf sorceress and some Dark Eldar bits. Possibly a Escher themed bounty hunter or hired gun. I've been on a pit slave obsession lately, so possibly a female pit slave... we'll see, and honestly, inspiration may not strike fully until I have the model in my hands to tinker around with. That usually how it goes for me.
Cadaver - Morning, glad you're on board. I'll answer this one for Baiyuan and myself. For this project there can be only one model. Its about quality over quantity but having fun whilst doing it.
Man I want to watch Highlander now.
Baiyuan - I like the background. I think I have an idea about your character now. Glad to hear you're not using that nicely drawn but terrible image for any inspiration.
As for Mol he is going on holiday and gets back towards the end of July. I've told him he is more that welcome to join in at any stage and have the model finished by 10th Sept.
As for a second round of Pimp my Wizard....shall we see how this one goes. Its not even started properly yet . Though from what I'm seeing so far its looking good.
Cadaver wrote:Just one question regarding the rules - would it be okay to submit more than one entry? ... we'll see, and honestly, inspiration may not strike fully until I have the model in my hands to tinker around with. That usually how it goes for me.
Just what I think, I have several possible ideas, some quite intrigueing, but I'll have to wait till I have the models in my hands, because that's also what it works like for me.
Regarding entering with more than one model, I can empathize with the wish, because I've considered that too, and if Peter hadn't answered in my name I might have been in a dilemma. I say let's listen to Peter's voice of reason and postpone additional entries to a later date.
PDH wrote:As for a second round of Pimp my Wizard....shall we see how this one goes. Its not even started properly yet
You're right that's why I wrote "maybe". Call me overambitious, because I am, but in my head the current one is totally running already.
PM me your idea of my character, would be funny if you got it already.
Awww, PDH, that was the whole inspiration behind my charcter.... (not really but i would like to make that model, just to see how many 40k pervs get the reference )
Seriously though, anybody have any links on submerging models in water effects or liquid resin?
This is pretty much the only tutorial on submerging miniatures in resin or similar that I've found.
http://www.reapermini.com/TheCraft/49 Hope it helps.
Thanks for the invite to join in the fun lads. As Peter already knows, I was already eyeing up the chaos sorcerer for an Inquisitor related conversion anyway so when I was invited to join in on this, it was a no brainer.
Ideas wise, like most I have a couple of thoughts and plans in mind, but these tend to be only tentative at best until I get the models in hand. I might get round to doing a few mock up sketches of what I'm thinking later today, though a similar project that I'm already working on currently has my full attention.
Looking forward to seeing what everyone comes up with and the final painted results.
I've seen other tutorials for things swimming in tanks, the guy used an old chewbacca action figure, I'll post it when I find it.
One thing you can go for is using wax gel. You know the stuff from which women make strange candle thingies? Thats just it, cheap, clear and if you mess it up it's easy to get off again, but of course it will never harden.
Baiyuan - I almost got my self a sig "I say let's listen to Peter's voice of reason..." I was in a little bit of a dilemma, when I answered, because I'm really tempted by the "alien bounty hunter". But then I thought no lets stick with what we've started.
I'm also retracting the "Its not really started properly yet" It has started... I can see that now. I still wish the 9th July would hurry up.
Vitruvian - LOL. I came across it when I was looking for inspiration for my tech priest and was somewhat disturbed by it. Its not even accurate: her chastity thong has a padlock rather than a numeral pad or a palm scanner. Your real idea sounds like an extravaganza that I'm really looking forward to seeing...having read the rather good link Igandris posted you're in for 7 - 8 hours of sanding... I'm sure will be fun
Hi Dante - I'm really glad you're in. I'm also intrigued by your preliminary sketches...I hope we get to see them. My sketching skills leave a lot to be desired so I've never attempted such things. I normally look at the base model and then hold sprues, weapons etc up to it. I often just have a final rough image in my head and work towards it. I'm also looking forward to seeing the finished results on the 10th Sept....man that seems like a long time off.
It was the bounty hunter for me too, but estimating the amount of work that will go into realising my first project, it wouldn't work that well anyway. If all else fails we can still make it a follow up two man bounty hunter conversion contest F.U.T.M.B.H.C.C.
By my feeling the 9th of July is a much longer time off, than the 10th of September. When the actual project work starts time flies, until then it's just looking at the same pictures, reading background for my idea, making sketches and then there is this thing called real life that tends to interfere with that.
To be perfectly honest I'm actually one step ahead, I browsed through my bitz today and already found much stuff to make use of. Thank you, obsession.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Just a little extra fluff to keep Peter guessing and everyone else entertained I hope:
When she left at first she had felt more isolated and lonely than ever. She would have turned back if it hadn't been for the tragic and violent death of her baby. She had indeed felt like a mother must feel for her child. Perhaps the years of care and attention had brought the two of them closer together than mother and child normally are. They had shared moods, desires and even their senses, everything torn from her, her only connection to another being lost. She was praying for deliverance from her very existence, seeking death for what seemed like an eternity. When Tiberius finally took her in she had hated him, mainly for his selfishness, because she was sure that he just wanted to use her for his aims. Again she had to do what she was bred for, what she had wanted to leave behind and she knew he wouldn't let her go. When she was almost about to kill him or at least be killed while trying to do so, he had changed it all. A new hope...
PDH wrote:Cadaver - Morning, glad you're on board. I'll answer this one for Baiyuan and myself. For this project there can be only one model. Its about quality over quantity but having fun whilst doing it.
I assumed it would be just one model, but just thought I'd ask since it wasn't mentioned in the rules. I'm really excited to be a part of this, it's like a who's who of my favorite Dakka contributors, I just hope I can step up my skills for this!
Baiyuan wrote:
Just what I think, I have several possible ideas, some quite intrigueing, but I'll have to wait till I have the models in my hands, because that's also what it works like for me.
Regarding entering with more than one model, I can empathize with the wish, because I've considered that too, and if Peter hadn't answered in my name I might have been in a dilemma. I say let's listen to Peter's voice of reason and postpone additional entries to a later date.
I've been looking over the models again today and think I'm pretty settled on the DE sorceress. As I mentioned, I'm really into pit slaves lately, and I think a female pit slave based on this model would be a fun challenge. I'm gonna have to channel my inner Blanche and just go over the top gothic on it, I think.
My main concerns will be the hair, and removing the cloth on the legs. The vision is coming together a little already. I just really need to get the model so I can see how all the pieces fit and how extensive the removal work will be for some bits. Someone leak some pics on sprue already!
Cadaver wrote
Someone leak some pics on sprue already!
Normally I would be all for this. But strangely, on this occasion, I hope I don't get to see any more of the models. I'm looking forward to going into GW on the release date and looking at the models and investigating the intricacies etc. I've not actually bought a model on release date for years and I'm a little giddy at the thought of it. The main reason for this is that most models have been up and spotted weeks in advance and are no longer new and exciting. I've even stopped myself looking at the leaked WD picture so when actually see them I go WOW.
So guys thanks for the invite , and i look forward to trying to create a nice story based model, unsure on which Wizard, as of yet none are giving me that feeling , so will have wait and see what they look like in person, i have had a few ideas in my head , but probably wont ruin my excitement by posting any yet . Glad to see this idea is generating a lot of response.
Following the trend of vague background that says very little about the model in question:
A bubble, ascending, breaks the surface with an audible gurgle.....
The young girl looked around in awe, she could feel the power coursing round the gargantuan room that was packed to the rafters with the most cutting edge technology. Never before had her father allowed her into the Mainframe Hub of the factory. She passed numerous 5D Virtua Capacitators, Oliphorniscopes and Co-Definitive Vectoral Intervals drawn ever inwards, unexplainably. Through coves in wire bundles and around vast girders she weaved, some sub-concious influence urging her forwards. She came to a small plinth, upon which rested a small, unassuming chrome orb. She reached out, but drew back as her father's voice echoed back to her, "Seraphine..Seraphine.....
A limb shifts slightly, making fluid lap against the Adimaspex.....
She had been chosen. Dread and fear, yet a strange sense of joy, consumed her body. She had been chosen. The thought played around in her head. Despite having told numerous times that she was gifted, it had never really occured to her that she might be selected for this. She commanded the drone to remove the tools she had been working with. She was disrobed by a Class D-IV-J Robot as many hooded figures circled round her chanting ominously, "In nomine Omnissiah. Tribuo vas vecti vox. Animadverto vestri perfectus. In nomine Omnissiah. Tribuo vas vecti vox. Animadverto vestri perfectus. In nomine Omnissiah. Tribuo vas vec..." An ear-piercing shriek washed over the congregation as the drill whirred into her nubile flesh.....
A strand of ash-white hair drifts to and fro, wrapping around a wire.....
She stood unmoving, a silent sentinel, with her Brotherhood. The figure strode towards them majestically, flanked by mighty beings bedecked in resplendent golden armour, yet dwarfed by his size and brilliant luminosity. Had she the capacity for emotion still within her, he would have taken her breath with his beauty and inspired a religious fire within her heart... They watched him sign the accord, before committing their own signatures. As the pact was completed, a new age of prosperity dawned.....
A wire hangs suspended, covering a feminine countenance.....
Gun-shots rang out, drowned by the boom of heavy ordinance and the static-enducing roar of Intrinsic Neutron weaponry. Anguish overrode all of her other emotions, far outweighing even her link to the Omnissiah as she cut down those brethren with whom she had fought beside mere months previously. As fire and confusion reigned, and Mars was consumed in destruction, a single tear rolled down her cheek.....
A heart beats, sounding dulled to those on the outside.....
Awesome fluff, guys... I'll find time to write mine a bit later... integration is proving to be a bit tricky at the moment...
And yes, I know, I'm being deliberately vague and you all would be totally justified in throwing rotten fruit my way when you see me... (please don't). Like you guys were thinking, it's definitely going to be an Alien (what else could it be??) but I'm targeting a much smaller crowd with what I plan to produce for the exhibition... may hinder my chances, but I'm committed to doing so.
Again, super vague- commence with drive-by fruiting.
Never mind, everybody is keeping his secret more or less. For me teasing you with fluff that's hard to interpret, is the only fun the project can provide so far.
Instead of an alien the sorcerer could also be something demonic, but that might have been too obvious to mention. Or maybe something that was bred or modified that way, DE grotesque, special kind of AM servitor, cyber ninja with "cricket" pattern jump augmentation (parcour action!).
I've spent some time on my project today, I worked on the "new hope" a little, some preparations, brain storming, information gathering, bitz browsing etc.
And my turn for vague fluff... for now, it'll be bits and pieces of backstory. I could show concepts, but that'll totally give it away. And I'd hate to produce something on paper that doesn't pan out for the actual model itself.
Actual concept sketches and work will commence when I pick up the new model in early July. Time to scour for parts and pieces to make this guy... I can almost promise there'll be A LOT of GS work on this guy.
A Rude Awakening
The sky turned to fire as the day died… Lines of heavy-treaded war-machines rolled by, their worn hulls and chipped camo paint blending with the scorched rubble they traversed- iron snakes in a concrete desert. The rumbling sent fierce, subsonic vibrations through the ground, causing small bits of debris and dust to fall over their unseen watcher’s position.
There was no danger of being discovered, and that left him plenty of time to guess as to why and how he had come here. In one instant, he had found himself in a desperate fight for his life with his band of brothers… and in a flash, he found himself here. Alone. Was it an enemy weapon that sent brought him here? It wouldn’t be surprising if they had that sort of technology. And what was this place? A different universe? And were any of his team nearby? He tried raising them on his helmet’s comm, but static was his only response. He could only assume…
The thoughts in his head both frightened and exhilarated him… he had fought a war like this before- many against one. And he made them all pay for their arrogance. He had no bearing on his position… and no mission… and that was alarming.
He finally opened his eyes. He blinked several times, his eyelids clicking, the inky darkness reflecting back the desolation he saw before him. If a bystander had seen him begin to move, it would seem that the debris was coming alive, like ancient golems or rockwraiths of legend- angled death, built for speed and agility. Standing to his full height, his head easily reached the remnants of the doorway he had crouched under. His weapon folded out and energized as he pulled it from his back holster for inspection one last time. He was alone… but he was ready to fight through any obstacles to get back to where he belonged…
Exciting! Sounds a bit like Predator, in a very good way. So far to make an alien thing from the sorcerer is my second best idea/choice, but I think if we had three or four guys doing that, the products might look more alike than for example four different versions of the supreme sorceress, which it seems we're likely to end up with.
I just tried to picture all the (possible) creations from this contest together in one picture, that might make the sweetest (slightly heterogen) warband ever...
Thanks! I have a similar feeling as well- it is the strangest one out of the group, and that helps make it stand out... as well as constraining it to a certain extent.
I just got in touch with a few gamer contacts for bits during my smoke break. I think the only thing I'll have to buy is the wizard itself.
And yes... I second that- the most awesome warband... ever. It totally would take a page right from Inquisitor, where even the henchmen are unsung heroes in their own right. Mighty... but unsung.
I wish GW had them up on their site already, I'd like to take a closer look at that wizard to see what I'm working with. He's hunched over- is his back armored? How do those arms fit together? 3 arms? Why, God, why? (I can say that mine will be of the two armed variety)
Baiyuan wrote:Exciting! Sounds a bit like Predator, in a very good way. So far to make an alien thing from the sorcerer is my second best idea/choice, but I think if we had three or four guys doing that, the products might look more alike than for example four different versions of the supreme sorceress, which it seems we're likely to end up with.
I just tried to picture all the (possible) creations from this contest together in one picture, that might make the sweetest (slightly heterogen) warband ever...
when they are all done maybe we should place them into a graphic and have them all together , so we can see them next to each other.
neil101 wrote:when they are all done maybe we should place them into a graphic and have them all together , so we can see them next to each other.
I thought of that too, sounds like a job for you, Mr. Makingfancypictures.
Seriously guys, are you getting as excited as I do? This whole thing could turn out so great, I can't believe what this quick idea is turning into.
This looks very interesting. I have an idea of a conversion myself, but since it would be the first ever conversion i've done, I don't think I'd be a suitable contender for the competition. If it's ok though, I will post my attempt in this thread so people can comment.
...but just letting you know, I can take the picture of mine (when finished) fairly well, but have no skills w/ Photoshop... although.. I've always wanted to learn...?
Anyways... this contest can't come soon enough- I'm on the verge of breaking and just releasing my concepts...
Oh yea, is there any limit to the bases? Should we keep them on a simple 25-40mm base and detail it up? Or can it be a bit larger... say "single mini diorama size"? Let me know- base will come last, but I just want to get an idea of what I'm working with.
neil101 wrote:when they are all done maybe we should place them into a graphic and have them all together , so we can see them next to each other.
I thought of that too, sounds like a job for you, Mr. Makingfancypictures.
Seriously guys, are you getting as excited as I do? This whole thing could turn out so great, I can't believe what this quick idea is turning into.
No probs , i would suggest adding to the rules at least one picture to be taken against a plain white backdrop ie a sheet of A4 paper curved upwards with the model standing on the bottom. That would make it a lot easier when it comes to placing them all together.
And yep iam getting pretty excited about the hole thing too , i have some pretty fluid ideas now .
Ok, we will add rules for both, the bases and one "easy to set free" picture.
I'd say, as it is a contest about converting the wizards, we shouldn't overdo it when it comes to the base size. A small diorama is fine by me, but let's try to focus on the wizards. IMO it would be off topic to make one of the wizards fight 50 orks on a 30cm*30cm scenic base.
I don't know I think it would make sense to limit the base size to 10cm*10cm max, that's big enough to fit anything in that's in direct relation to the miniature, without giving to much room for things to distract from the actual conversion. Most will take a slightly smaller base me thinks. And if somebody has an awesome idea for something bigger we can discuss it and perhaps make an exception.
(I know I'm undermining my own point, but talking about it gave me a vision of a converted chaos sorcerer ramming his staff into the ground in the middle of a crater (that he caused) surrounded by a dozen soldiers (choose a race) who are mid air from the psychic blast wave....)
That also brings up the topic of additional miniatures on the bases and I'm a little bit torn here. I think it would ruin the focus on the wizard to have an equally detailed second character fighting him. To have him finish off some bland minion on the other hand would just underline his awesomeness.
Companions are another topic and I'll totally include one, so it's ok by the rules... Just kidding, honestly I think it's about the same point: Giving your character a servo skull, cherubim, hunched servant, cyber-chicken or walking fax machine is ok, giving him a scout titan on a leash could be slightly taking away from your actual project.
Let's discuss this openly and when everybody has uttered his opinion, Peter and I will decide in an almost non-totalitarian fashion.
Baiyuan wrote:(I know I'm undermining my own point, but talking about it gave me a vision of a converted chaos sorcerer ramming his staff into the ground in the middle of a crater (that he caused) surrounded by a dozen soldiers (choose a race) who are mid air from the psychic blast wave....)
Lol... holy crap! I wasn't going to go that far! I simply meant perhaps a slightly larger base...er... dammit. Alright. A bit more teaser detail for you.
My "figure" will be stalking ruins... note, "ruins", not ground-rubble, meaning some sort of vertical component to the model's base as well. But if that's against the rules or makes it too complicated, I can work it out on a regular 25-40mm base and add some reduced, yet still awesome, vertical component to it still.
Now that I think about it though, it might be safest to go with the standard bases, as if we all have different style diorama-style single minis (I'm catching myself on that "ruins" word), my interpretation of "ruins" could be urban, while someone else does some sort of "jungle ruins" scenery) I'm thinking now that it'd be easiest for whoever does the meshing of photos (Neil? ) to have the models and pics, and not have to contend with their individually-charactered super bases/dioramas...
That also brings up the topic of additional miniatures on the bases and I'm a little bit torn here. I think it would ruin the focus on the wizard to have an equally detailed second character fighting him. To have him finish off some bland minion on the other hand would just underline his awesomeness.
Yea, I'm thinking of sticking with just that mini by itself. IMO, no additional minis unless they're companions (for which my guy has none) of lesser status, meaning that when you/guests look at the mini, the main/first focus should be on the wizard at hand, and not his group as a whole. Jus my two cents.
I think familiars / pets / obviously 'associated' creatures or minis should be fine, just as long as they don't steal focus, so to speak Really excited for this now! I'm kind of wishing away my one holiday of the year, but I've got a fair few plans brewing now, and I really want to see the sprues!
Baiyuan wrote:Let's discuss this openly and when everybody has uttered his opinion, Peter and I will decide in an almost non-totalitarian fashion.
I would say no additional models aside from familiars, servitors, etc. I think the focus should be predominantly on the single miniature, but that's just my opinion. As for bases, I'd say a 60mm bases would probably be a little overkill, but then thinking about HF Izanagi's comment, it reminded me of Migsula's "Twins" diorama that were set up against ruins. It was an amazing piece, and I think if any entries done in a similar spirit when considering base size, it could only add to their individual piece.
Might a noob participate? I have never really converted anything (or had the balls to try) but this could be a good learning experience for me and something to keep me motivated to try. I have a feeling this could be tough for me as I have had about 10 different ideas in the last 4 minutes.
If so, I will be gone to Historicon til Jul 11 or 12 so I would not be posting any progress until after that. On the 9th my mind will be focused on historicals!
Baiyuan - almost non totalitarian way....really? I'll bring our discussion into the open for this one too. Then crush their dreams Note the below thoughts are not rules, the rules are in Baiyuan's first post.
Graphic/Group Shot - I've got no worries with adding that. Neil's A4 white paper rule would do fine. Though in all honesty having photographed models on a white backdrop its all to do with the light you are using...some will turn out white some will turn out grey. Eg both these shots were taken at the same location and zoom etc and look how the background turned out:
Spoiler:
Bases and Base Size - I'd say 60mm base should be the maximum. The reason for that is Vitruvian XVII has mentioned that it is the base size he is using for his tech heresy . If participants want to make a whole diorama then they are more than welcome to as long as the miniature is on a separate base no bigger than 60mm. That way it can be photographed separately for the project as well as in situ. One of the best examples I can think of is from Migsula (and he got himself a gold daemon for it ) 2nd pic down shows it best:
Spoiler:
Secondary Models - I'd say chrub and servo skulls would be fine and what I had in mind anyway as long as they fit on the base or model. Servitors or other 28mm miniatures are a different story since they are models in their own right. So I'm not so sure....unless it is a crucial component to finished product. I reckon we get them to beg for anything other than the base model
HF Izanagi - Nice background...looking forward to more. Especially when he guts his first Imperial minion.
mould2k and Ssgt Carl - Hi Chaps. Sorry but this is invitation only. While I'd be more than happy for you to comment on this thread please don't post pictures of your own. But if you really are keen and this project is inspiring/gets you converting please post a link to your own blog here, without derailing this one.
MajorTom11 -
Misgula and CMDante are in the first ten??? Feth this I'm out!
Really... the point of this project, which it really is rather than a completion, is to have fun there are no prizes. The other part for me was to get Baiyuan to the painting table. The reason certain people were invited was because Baiyuan and I were taking about other cool modellers here, off the top of our heads we came up with a few names.
Ok let's sum it up:
No matter what you'd like to add to your miniature you should keep in mind that it shouldn't draw too much focus from the wizard, therefore the base shouldn't be bigger than 60mm and additional miniatures should be minor minions not full characters of their own. As PDH wrote there is also a very elegant solution for a big scene, put the wizard on a standard base that fits into a bigger one. (So go crazy on the ruins for your Predator, HF.)
Exceptions can be made if you can make PDH or me understand why a bigger scene or additional character is essential to your project.
In other news, my "HH: Collected Visions" arrived today. Blimey, what a treasure chest of inspiration! How could I not buy that much earlier? I love 40k artbooks, they make it obvious how far away from their actual potential most straight-from-the-box miniatures are. I mean that's why we struggle with all the conversions afterall, isn't it? To give them more depth or a bit of soul.
I hope you're part of it Igandris, you made such a nice thing out of your Empire Wizard that I'm sure you could pull off something awesome with that!!!
Baiyuan wrote: (So go crazy on the ruins for your Predator, HF.)
*in a high pitched, distorted voice* **WANT SOME CANDY?**
Sounds great! 60mm for max it is, with possible slotted base (that's actually a pretty awesome idea, although I have no idea where to find/how to make that...
For my personal project, I would suggest not thinking too-much into the crazy alien-stalker/hunter concept... Predator casts a VERY large shadow of expectations, and to be honest, my project skirts the edge of the Preds, but doesn't have that feral, spine/skull collecting edge they've got... A lost soul in a totally strange land, definitely NOT top "predator", but more like prey armed to the teeth with a professional killing attitude. Yea.. more "assassin", than "savage murderer".
To be honest, for single figures like these I think the GD rules make most sense when it comes to basing - no bigger than 40mm base.
Anything bigger and the figure gets lost in it and any story-telling elements the base adds take over the focus rather than the figure itself. I don't think that rules out using ruins and terrain in the basing - you can fit a lot on a 40mm base without even going over the edges (which isn't forbidden, within reason, anyway).
Obviously, this is all for fun so "rules" are really only guidelines, but I think the focus should still be on what's been done to the figure itself rather than it's elaborate surroundings.
Ok my bits and kits order arrived today. All parts arrived and accounted for . I spent £2.50 on this project but managed to spend £20 anyway. I couldn't resist picking up the warhammer forge - Captain Edvard Van Der Kraal. I also picked up some parts for the rest of my new Inquisitoral warband (who will feature my wizard model).
MajorTom11 - Sorry, I did realise you were kidding. I should have made that clear in my response. I just wanted to use your response as a for the project.
Baiyuan - I like the point (actually whole post) that CMDante made. On listening to his experience I'd rather have maximum base size 40mm. 60mm by exception. (Vitruvian XVII has already shown good cause).
so I propose this rule:
Maximum base size 40mm and secondary miniatures should be minor minions (eg servo skull and familiars). Exceptions can be made if you can make PDH or Baiyuan understand why a bigger scene or additional character is essential to your project.
HF Izanagi - Sounds good. It being prey rather than predator is an unusual step. If it looks like Arnie when you're done though I may cry (with joy).
Good points being made all round. Changed the title and added rules.
Also I'm filing the petition to be granted a bigger base, not for me, but for my sorceress. We will see, but I think I'll need a base slightly bigger than 40mm to properly arrange what I have in mind. Do you think I could glue a baneblade to a 40mm base if I balance it on the barrel of its cannon? Would need to be pinned don't you think?... just kidding, no super heavy tanks involved.
Talking about baneblades, HF you could make your alien actually watch the convoy you described in your fluff. I had that idea for years to build a tau pathfinder sniper lying on a ridge or cliff and looking down at some epic scale tanks. Always wanted to make use of the scale difference, but never did.
Lol... I think we all started looking... I know I did after I got my invitation via PM. I started scouring the internet and in-between, called up some gamer contacts for bits...
I'm all set... I think. Just need a few weapons to chop up and transform... oh... and the base model.
I'm super-excited to see what the bigger names come up with (Dante, Migsula, and the esteemed hosts PDH and Baiyuan)... you know what? I take that back, I'm excited to see what EVERYONE comes up with, if only, for the final "group" pic in the end...
... the potential for epicness has me spinning around in my office... and who knows? Perhaps a squeal and lucky heel-touchs like a leprechaun while I walk out the door!
Baiyuan - I bought him to paint, no conversion or changes, just to paint. But the more I looked at Van Der Kraal last night more I want to give him and head swap, plasma pistol and chainsword - Ta dah a Rogue Trader (the model even comes with a bionic peg leg if you paint it the right colour!).
Oh and your baneblade base sounds just perfect.... I think you might want to use quite a large pin though!
Nice edits/changes in the first post
Vitruvian XVII - You should get a t - shirt Parts shopping is so much fun (damn you GW). I always end up with bits I don't need because I think they look interesting rather than having a use for them.
HF Izanagi - I'm also looking forward to seeing everyone's work. Its sad I'm wishing my life away.
Rogue Trader with bionic leg is what I had in mind too, but not with a chainsword, so crude, ts ts ts. Good RTs use digital weapons and mono blades/whips!
Baiyuan -
Rogue Trader with bionic leg is what I had in mind too, but not with a chainsword, so crude, ts ts ts. Good RTs use digital weapons and mono blades/whips!
Who said he was a good rogue trader...he might have won his charter and ship in a game of chance. I was actually thinking he could be a former captain of the Imperial Navy. Hmmmm we'll see when I eventually get round to touching him.
I just had a great idea for the sorceress. However, I'm currently working on an army for a tourney in September so don;t put me down as I probably wouldn't ever have time to do this, but if I do I'll post it up here.
@Baiyuan, I was looking at that model last night. I don't know what I could use that chain cape for, but I want it!
Just spent the last 30 minutes or so digging through my bits box - well one small section of my bits box - and I'm getting some great ideas and lots of bits for potential use set aside. I mentioned before that I'll be channeling my inner Blanche and going for a really gothic look. But the ideas I have from the bits I've cobbled together are almost disturbly gothic. My pit slave might be a female, but she ain't gonna be pretty! I'm trying to visualize what a pit slave would essentially be to it's owner - a base chassis to build upon and specialize for a specific purpose. There's no humanity there, just parts to build a living tool. So with my model I'm really trying to strip the humanity out of it as much as possible, yet keep it from looking too much like a machine.
After seeing the sprues, I can't wait to get started!
@Cadaver: That sounds awesome man! Can't wait to see a high class pit slave. Have you done any before? One of my future projects is a fully converted pit slave gang, so I'm a sucker for anything pitslave related.
Ok guys, it took me quite long, but I revised the fluff for my project and added a lot of new stuff and of course I'm going to give it to you. I hope that, despite my spelling, you'll be able to enjoy the first three chapters of the story of:
Sahmarianne:
I The death of a child: A life without her baby, that was what had made her run away.
The rest of her squad had been obliterated and she had survived unharmed. She had never thought about running away, but in the aftermath of the battle, sitting between the piles of ashes and asking herself which piles were her sisters and which were their children, she had lost it all. She had been reborn in the most horrible way, meaning she was still alive, but the rest of her world had died, so she left a clue to her own demise and walked away. When she had left, at first she had felt more isolated and lonely than ever. She would have turned back to find consolidation, if it hadn't been for the death of her baby. She wouldn't go back to receive a new child. It was an impossible thought, she couldn't just replace it. She had really felt like a mother feels for her child. Perhaps the years of care and attention had brought the two of them closer together than even mother and child can get. They had shared their moods, desires and even their senses, everything torn from her, her only true connection to another being lost.
II The meaning of life: She was praying for deliverance from her very existence, seeking death for what seemed like an eternity. She had avoided being seen as what she actually was, because people would have asked questions and brought others on her track. So she had hidden any significant clue to her origin. She even had to break her oath to avoid being remarkable, but it didn't mean that much to her anymore. Her new life was so different from the life of duty she had lived before. Being her own master for the first time in her life, she realized how hard it is to find meaning in life, when you're not being told what your eternal mission is. So she drifted from settlement to settlement and even managed to travel between worlds a couple of times. Living only to find an opponent worthy to fight and maybe even worthy enough to put an end to her misery. In the course of years she had developed her own code and she had even felt the rush of the hunt again, but it was only in the short moments of taking a life and even that felt meaningless when she looked back at it only moments later. What is the meaning of life, when you're surrounded by all kinds of entities, but you cannot connect with even one of them? She knew about her effect on other humans, so she tried everything else. Wild creatures from dozens of places and any kind of Xenos she met, nothing could replace the feeling she had lost, when her baby had been taken away from her.
III A new master: He took her in and she hated him.
When Tiberius found her, he had immediately known she wasn't what she claimed to be and it didn't take him long to make sense of her. That was what he seemed to be born for, looking into people and seeing what they really were. He used his power and her secret to force her into his services and she had hated him for that. Mainly for his selfishness, because she knew he just used her to persue his designs. He made her do again, what she had been bred for, what she had wanted to leave behind and she knew he would never let her go, because only in death does duty end, as some say. When she was finally ready to discard her code and just kill him or at least die trying, he had changed it all. He gave her life a new meaning, he gave her hope...
I'm suffering a little form of writers block/I'm not a writer so the image in my mind is not translating to written words... so my background has come to a halt. So instead of wasting time I've been modelling for an extension of this project.
Baiyuan - That cloak is great, the model as a whole is great...my favourite bit is the sorcerers head. But the part I'm most impressed by is the paint job, on the left rear flank/left side of the beast, amazing.
Your expanded fluff sounds good. I've still no clue as to what she is...maybe some sort of Adeptus Sororitas of a lesser known order, perhaps she worked in a Schola Progenium. Either way I look forward to her as a model which will hopefully shed light on her occupation.
Cadaver - I love spending time look through my bits box and other peoples for that matter. I like the idea of your pit slave, very much how I see them too. The only thing, I think you may have problems with, is that if you're using the sorceress she is so pretty! I saw some pretty cool pit slaves over on the Eastern Fringes http://easternfringe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7813" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://easternfringe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7813.
Cadaver - I love spending time look through my bits box and other peoples for that matter. I like the idea of your pit slave, very much how I see them too. The only thing, I think you may have problems with, is that if you're using the sorceress she is so pretty! I saw some pretty cool pit slaves over on the Eastern Fringes http://easternfringe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7813" target="_new" rel="nofollow"> http://easternfringe.com/forum/viewtopic.php?t=7813.
Peter
This one definitely won't be pretty. I think one of the things that appeals to me about the Sorceress model is that I like the challenge of taking a "pretty" model and making it something completely different. My first reaction upon seeing all the models was to gravitate towards the necromancer. But that was to easy and too comfortable for me. I'm used to making stinky, creepy models(just look at my deathguard! ) so I'm really excited to push myself out of my comfort zone on this one and really try and do something new.
Also, my new avatar might give you an idea of where I'm going with the model.
I'm really excited to see where you go with this actually, Cadaver - I've never seen a pit slave done particularly gothically, which is strange as they're probably most suited to just that!
Seeing the sprues has set me off a little - formulating plans for how it'll all come together now Roll on July!
@Baiyuan - Yes, in fact I'm working on 2 other male pitslaves along with my Goliath gang. One based off of Straken, and one from the pit slave champion model. With the female one for this contest I may end up just doing a full pit slave gang. I've got alot of projects already, so we'll see.
@Scarper - Yeah, I'm honestly surprised at the lack of pit slave models in general. Some of those in the Eastern Fringe thread are cool, but a few are too silly looking for me. I think the biggest problem I'll have is trying to keep it from looking too Dark Eldar.
Pretty? Sorry, but no matter how hard I try, the DE female-dog is not pretty! The body is nice of course, the typical "I-sculpt-for-GW-and-never-met-a-girl"-thing, but her face...YUCKY!
Spoiler:
I'm glad I won't leave much of it showing on mine.
And that arm, don't get me started, so anorexia nervosa is a problem in dark elf societies too.
Baiyuan - Pretty is comparative. If all the models on that page were real and you had to chose one to err marry....I assume you would choose the Necromancer!
Neil - Thank you again for the background information you sent me, last week. I've managed to have a read through all of it now and it has given me a few more ideas for this project. (I'm being deliberately vague as to what Neil sent me).
In other news I got a message back from JRN who is
"I'M IN!"
Baiyuan please can you add him to the front page when you get a chance.
@Vitruvian- you kidding? I'm getting excited to work with all of my favorite artists on Dakka! This will be almost as good as sitting at a round table with everyone participating, drinking whatever it is you'll have (red wine, sake, or something hard on ice for me) and talking shop- either, converting, painting technique, modelling, favorite ranges...
That would be sweet- I have so many questions to ask... have so many requests for personal demonstrations of people's techniques...
Alas, seeing everyone's works here will have to suffice!
-Remi (HF Iz)
P.S. Lol... I just saw Panic's thread too... aha ha ha hah... Congratulations, gentlemen, for inspiring an entire wing of people to play the game!
-EDIT-
Just clicked the links... why, God, WHY are the sorcerers not Finecast?? I was hoping they'd be resin... easier cutting and conversion...
What's going on guys? Hyperactive boosts of excitement? Well I'm in for that.
I said it before, I'll say it again, it's gonna be a blast!
And I really don't care wether they are finecast, plastic or solid titanium, nothing is going to stop me from forming them according to my designs.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
PDH wrote:Baiyuan - Pretty is comparative. If all the models on that page were real and you had to chose one to err marry....I assume you would choose the Necromancer!
If I had to, I'd go for the tzeentch sorcerer, if I "marry" him good, who knows maybe I get a nice mutation. Yeah ok, you won, I'd rather "marry" the sorceress, even though she's what we call "Gesichtsgrätsche" in German. (Literally "face straddle(-vault)")
Baiyuan wrote:What's going on guys? Hyperactive boosts of excitement? Well I'm in for that.
I said it before, I'll say it again, it's gonna be a blast!
And I really don't care wether they are finecast, plastic or solid titanium, nothing is going to stop me from forming them according to my designs.
Automatically Appended Next Post:
PDH wrote:Baiyuan - Pretty is comparative. If all the models on that page were real and you had to chose one to err marry....I assume you would choose the Necromancer!
If I had to, I'd go for the tzeentch sorcerer, if I "marry" him good, who knows maybe I get a nice mutation. Yeah ok, you won, I'd rather "marry" the sorceress, even though she's what we call "Gesichtsgrätsche" in German. (Literally "face straddle(-vault)")
Lol... yea... this is bad though... facing caffeine burn-out, but I'm only 3 hours into work... bagh... I can dream about how I'll approach the transformation of my sorcerer while I do my reports and activity summaries... Soul crushing garbage, man, but I can't knock the buying power...
And I spit up my coffee on the "face straddlevault", aka donkey... Bwahaaha ha ha haha...
Baiyuan - Since GW changed the background and the Chaos Gods play nice these days.... marry the Tzeentch Sorcerer and get him to introduce you to some of his Slaaneshi friends.
It could be the beer talking but face straddle doesn't sound like a bad thing?
As I wrote in my blog, only progress today wasn't hobby related, yet satisfying.
Yesterday I worked on my wizard though and I'm really torn now. I have two approaches for her companion, two very different base models that is.
Let's say here companion will be canine in the widest sense. I had actually started converting it on a rather small and simple base model, it would make a normal dog-sized companion, but I can't really see it turning out the way I would imagine it. The other base model is pretty big, almost to big, about shoulder high, but it has all the looks I can base my conversion on, I can see it already. Poor me, what am I going to do?
PDH wrote:
Neil - Thank you again for the background information you sent me, last week. I've managed to have a read through all of it now and it has given me a few more ideas for this project. (I'm being deliberately vague as to what Neil sent me).
Peter
It was a pair of bunny ears and a new testemant bible
No worries mate, I didnt bother to read it either so i will be just as in the dark as everyone eles
Well I have considered all the models and read a bunch of grimdark fluff , and iam still no nearer to a decision on the mini , i can feel it my bones now , though , so it wont be long , unless thats just the Dark elf resurection spell so guys do we post the wip models and fluff in here , or in our blogs ?
PDH wrote:
Neil - Thank you again for the background information you sent me, last week. I've managed to have a read through all of it now and it has given me a few more ideas for this project. (I'm being deliberately vague as to what Neil sent me).
Peter
It was a pair of bunny ears and a new testemant bible
No worries mate, I didnt bother to read it either so i will be just as in the dark as everyone eles
Well I have considered all the models and read a bunch of grimdark fluff , and iam still no nearer to a decision on the mini , i can feel it my bones now , though , so it wont be long , unless thats just the Dark elf resurection spell so guys do we post the wip models and fluff in here , or in our blogs ?
*looks at bunny ears on one hand and new testament in the other*
I think we should do it in both. And yes, how do you guys want to post our progress? I think the obvious choice would be here, but should we have the option of posting on our own personal blogs as well?
@Baiyuan- in my caffeine-induced rush this morning, I read a previous comment about scale- Great idea, actually, using Epic 40K tanks to portray the Assassin looking at a caravan... I was looking at a Baneblade or variation thereof... kinda big, being about 25mm in length... I'll have to see if I can get some soldiers and/or smaller vehicles cheaply. Or, if forced to put the superheavy on the same 40mm base max, that'd have to put him pretty high, a 100 to 120mm-high pedestal stemming from the base, but I don't think it'd be convincing.. I'll think on this more. The model itself will not change, but the idea presented is excellent.
As Baiyuan said, definitely in here. Whilst my Inquisitor (in my blog) is related to the Wizard I'll be converting, all Wizard related stuff will be in here. Though I will probably put the finished model in my blog after this group blog dies out.
Its big and pink and made me laugh.....not sure why though.
Neil - we made a promise never to tell anyone about the bunny ears and the bible it was a special night.....
Haven't decided on the subject or model to work on yet. But they all look very nice.
Currently I am drawn the most to the Chaos Sorcerer and the Necromancer...
Has anyone thought about mixing the various wizard parts to form their character?
We shouldn't apply to many restricitions anyway, why would we? We don't have to worry about how comparable the outcomes of our projects will be, there will be no judging.
So have fun and don't hinder your imagination with stupid things like "oh no, my base is 1cm bigger then suggested!" or "I want to replace the chest, but it says "use the body" in the rules.
It would be nice if the finished models could somehow be related to the wizards, but before all follow your vision. I'm confident that there is noone in our contest who will come up with anything not worth drooling over, so who cares what parts are being used or how big it is.
Clicking on your link and browsing through your gallery I only realized "who you are". JRN didn't really ring a bell for me (except for your recent and glorious duchess) and I didn't know where to place the name Jakob Nielsen, but then I realized that you're responsible for some of my favorite miniatures (my alltime favorite is the "mercenary captain"). I don't like the extreme idolization of people in internet forums, but I always found your stuff very inspiring. Even though I always get your work mixed with Mike Anderson's, don't know maybe it's the colors.
Looking forward to see what you come up with... like with every other participant tbh. Little more than a week now...
Jakob Nielsen... of the horse-head robo-centaur ballerina??
If that is you, welcome aboard- this group project is getting more and more exciting by the minute! Impressive work, and that aforementioned model is just something out of this world. (in a good way, nay, in a great way)
If that doesn't happen to be you... My apologies, but welcome aboard either way. I look forward to working with you.
My Tzeench wizard turned 40k alien infiltrator is on pre-order... but cannot come soon enough...
Hey welcome aboard JRN, i just realised that i am your only friend on on dakka I think i must have been asleep to not notice that the Blanche millar horse , was by you
When peter linked it a while back i was floored ,well blanche is my fave painter of all time . I even stole your tutu deisgn for a cape ( but messed it up becuase i didnt follow your tutorial ,
then i noticed your work on cool mini or not and again was impressed at the standard, very creative and equal amounst of skill at painting and moddeling , a rare thing indeed.
My god am i gushing ... welcome aboard fella , this competetion is such a cool way to share and learn , i am busting to see what comes out of it in september .
The first one to actually ask, how to join. Speaks volumes of a person...
There is basicly nothing you can do now to get invited. (You must have missed the angry mobs that recently formed to tar and fether Peter and me, for not inviting all the lovely, interested people.)
The things one could have done beforehand are:
a) to create miniatures that appeal to Peter's and my sense of art/coolness
b) to be part of our little creative community, ie to be a regular on our blogs or have us as regulars in your blog (in the internet those people are then considered friends)
Both things apply to you and funnily Peter and I just simultaneously sent each other PMs, saying that we forgot you in our initial lineup and that this wouldn't have happened, if it had not been for your forced hiatus due to leaving Nippon.
We started this whole contest a bit hastily due to overexcitement and we didn't take the time to invite everybody first, which would have been the smarter move. Since there wasn't that much news from you recently, we somehow just didn't think of you in the invitation stress.
Since Peter and I, without having talked to each other, both have agreed that it's strange we didn't think of you earlier, there is no way we're not making up for that mistake.
Expect your official invitation soon.
In other news, even though the week is a bit busy, I actually had an hours time to clean up mold lines on my wizard's familiar. Plenty mold lines on it, so there also was plenty time to think about what conversions need to be done to it.
It's all still pretty vague, I'm not 100% sure about the pose yet and I really want to have the stupid wizards now, to start playing with different poses and settings.
Baiyuan wrote:That's him Remi, it's called "the duchess".
Awesome!! Now I'm really stoked! Thanks to both you and Peter for bringing this together! And now Jackanory too?
@Jackanory- you back from Japan? If so, how was it, you going back... etc.
I feel like I'm standing among titans. The feeling is like epic and really good vodka, plus some sort of juice you can drink all day long, mixed together.
While "The Duchess" is amazing, what i find more impressive is this (from Jakob's Gallery on his site):
JRN wrote:I take special pride in my Golden Demon entries which over the years have won me 17 Demon statues, 1 Open Competition Cup, and 2 Slayer Swords!
"If I have learnt any from this, and if I do anything of this nature again, think through the list of invitees thoroughly, invite them and then open the thread. It got opened quickly this time round because we were excited."
Hey jackanory -
HF Izanagi -
The feeling is like epic and really good vodka,
I wish I could afford an epic army. I'd probably prefer port to vodka whilst playing though.
Ooh more competition on the sorceress! Can't wait what you're going to do.
That brings me to another thing, wouldn't it be nice to have a vague overview of who is converting which miniature?
So how about everybody posts again which wizard (he thinks) he is going to convert and I'll make a list of it and add it to the first post.
Think I will be going for the DE-sorceress/deathcult assassin-lady.
Also, quite fond of the idea of having a blind hunchback collecting servo skulls to aide him see...
Whatever we decide not to do can still be done in a follow-up project. I'm having plans for all four models and I'm also going to buy them all. I like the idea of having them all four as 40k versions together, maybe even in one warband.
I'm glad Neil and Peter were wrong when they thought my Samarianne would be a deathcult assassin too. And to keep you guessing, here's the fourth chapter, which might give you a clue or two:
IV Hope: "Hope" was the name and hope was what it was.
She called it "Hope", because it was the only positive thing that had happened to her since her first conception. She couldn't understand why it worked and how it was different from the times she had attempted to create a bonding to another creature herself, but it was.
Tiberius would later explain to her, that it was in the genes. Far less than one in a billion would be born with that special gene, that had always defined her life. For other species the chance was even smaller or non-existant, that was why she had never felt a connection. It was too rare a gift, Tiberius had said, and that she was too unique to swim with the other fishes. And so was Hope.
She had always been interested in other creatures that were like the orders familiars, but she had never seen or even heard of anything like this specimen. It was truly superior in almost every way. It was bigger, stronger, faster, tougher and even more importantly, smarter and meaner, than any other.
No worries about forgetting me, I know I haven't been active lately! Still not sure what to do but that's part of the fun!
@ Izanagi: yeah I got back in March. Was awesome and I'm missing it already but I prob won't be back for a while; they're still getting aftershocks!! :(
I already ordered the chaos Mage so I guess you can put me down for him.
Jakob, nice sketches mate, the chaos Mage isn't a million miles away from what I have planned to be honest! Would love to see your take on the death cult lady. Especially after witnessing the process behind Dutchess Death!
@JRN Cool concepts , nice and loose yep perfectly captures them
@Baiyuan , still no idea , but for some reason a EDIT Loxatle not Delineator sprang to mind and yes we all want to corrupt something pretty by the looks of it and i bet we all thought no one would go for her either
Spoiler:
@Jackanory , Welcome aboard matey
@CMDante look forward to seeing your magic with the mage
By the way, thanks for all the warm welcomes!
Two things:
1. I've decided to go with the necromancer.
2. All the fluff you'll be getting until the model's finished:
"When? When will it happen? At what time? A great event, truly! We will all see. Yes, yes. Must be precise...must be exact...must be on time!"
Wow you guys have been busy! I'm not ordering mine. I'm actually looking forward to walking into my local GW as it opens on Saturday....with gift vouchers.
JRN - Thanks for the sketch. I love the hunchback collecting servo skulls. The death cultist will be lovely to see completed, her implant hand cannon looks rather uncomfortable!
Vitruvian XVII - Oh dear god. You mean her eyes and mouth don't you! Have you worked out how you're going to build her fluid tank yet?
Baiyuan - I've got plans for two of the four models. How did you know I was going for the chaos sorcerer ? Oh yeah its because I got dibs Mo
Its actually nice to see the break down list you've bunged up....we should have run a pimp my dark elf sorceress comp! As for your ladies background...she now comes across as an untouchable assassin....
CMDante - I'm going to ask Jakob to do me some concept art too . If your sorcerer is going to look a lot like that I'm rather happy, since that is not the route I'm going. I'm glad someone else is doing the chaos sorcerer, as it will be nice to compare the differences between our finished products/what can be done with it.
neil101 - Those pictures are just wow. Thank you. 1. That apple doesn't look very appealing. 2. Doesn't give much away but I like it.....how are you going to turn your sorcerer into a loyal dark angel? Seriously though I love the colour change in the spoiler, very clever stuff. Whenever I read about the Emperor's Tarot in the future it will be this image I have
jackanory - ..."Yes, yes. Must be precise...must be exact...must be on time!"... that's not fluff that's just what's going through my head with this modelling project Sound intriguing, I'm still suffering from writers block when it comes to my next fluff update. I'm looking forward to where you'll take the necromancer.
Peter
(Baiyuan - I'm still properly laughing at my own joke....I'm going to take a long walk on a short pier)
Very nice, Neil! Looking forward to more reveal... makes me want to write my own today too... perhaps more today? Perhaps more tomorrow...
@Jackanory- very Alice in Wonderland, bro. Reminds me of the Rabbit... and I'm facing severe brainlock because I can't see how the two(figures conversion and AiW) relate... a weak relation at best... or a very well hidden one... or a decoy to lead away our roving eyes...
A few more days before we start- mine is already on preorder, too.
Yea... I'll be back after doing some work- next installment of the fluff.
No preorder for me either, I'll go to my GW store and pick them up on saturday. Similar to PDH I haven't bought anything from GW directly in years, always had a friend pick it up and another thing is I don't want to take the risk of any trouble with the post. Worst case scenario, everybody has his wizard, starts converting and blogging and I can't get it before monday. Nonono, better to be safe, than to be sorry.
I had a little breakthrough with Samarianne's companion. I chopped up models for 40€ and have some bits to start with now, awesome! Just need to wake my inner techpriest now...
Awesome to see JRN has joined! I'm a huge fan of your work, JRN, so I really can't wait to see what you come up with. In fact I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. I haven't been this excited about anything hobby related in awhile.
@Peter , Cheers mate , i actually created 16 transitions for the gif , but, i had a problem saving it, so just the 3 now and you know i cant create anything without it being fluffy
@Vit i bet some good stuff comes out of Panics thread , with over 30 posters , thats a lot of conversions , GW should send ours for free as promotion
Cadaver wrote:Awesome to see JRN has joined! I'm a huge fan of your work, JRN, so I really can't wait to see what you come up with. In fact I can't wait to see what everyone comes up with. I haven't been this excited about anything hobby related in awhile.
Thanks. But as you say the yourself the really great thing is that so many are involved - both here and in Panic's thread. Should ensure lots of very interesting looking miniatures.
Think I will be going for the DE-sorceress/deathcult assassin-lady.
Also, quite fond of the idea of having a blind hunchback collecting servo skulls to aide him see...
I'm really loving that hunchback. Yes I am. Mmm. That looks tasty.
I do so hope GW are sneaky and pull another round of plastic wizards out for August. I really do.
Hey pekustin i did notice you were in Panics thread too , Well you kow what they say about great minds more likely their is only so much you can do with gw minis I am pretty sure we will see doznes of the same idea by the time september comes . but just to keep us all in the know , here is my final reveal , i know i said 5 and this is number three , but hey hum
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
Lilitu
Chapter One “pick a card, any card”
The Psyker pulled a third card from the deck , the psychoactive liquid-crystal wafer glowed a deep blue before crackling into bright white... The Lost Child . Four Acolytes watched intently as the old man methodically arranged the incomprehensible pack in front of him. The Inquistorial training barely holding back their rampant probing thoughts. “ A mariner always checks the weather before he sets sail ” The Venerable Inquisitors Vendrakes words formed a collective memory amongst his disciples.
“Next card, hurry “ Uxley gibbed, as impatient as ever .
“Some things cannot be rushed child ” , the Primaris chastised .
“Would you rather I make some mistake , perhaps read the cards inverted?”
“No Primaris “ Please forgive our enthusiasm, we only wish to bring an end to this puzzle.....for the Emperors sake. “ added belatedly.
“I understand that you are anxious to complete your task, I even find you ambition refreshing, But overeagerness can lead to mistakes … And I wouldn’t want any of you to come to harm from an over zealous reading. Don’t hurry to your deaths so easily, You best serve the emperor in life.”
Now this is interesting... The Great Eye ! I haven’t seen that one in a while. The acolytes pallor dropped from pale to deathly white.
“Make no assumptions yet … the reading is far from over”
“And finally .. The daemon “
The room fell silent, You didn’t have to be a to be a Psyker to realise that this was not a good omen.
“The Great Eye signifier holds that , you will be facing one of the ruinous powers , the fallen angel and lost child indicate , an Astartes is involved .The seeded Chalice hmm.. of that I am not too sure. I presume the “beast with two backs” is at play. And finally the Deamon card. Well that is plainly obvious, alongside the Great Eye. “ The Primaris lowered his tone and turned to face the Acolytes, This is going to be very tough for you, I suggest extreme caution. The cards were not clear about which powers are involved, but you must assume it could be all four of them, although I sense a female is involved somehow. I suggest you hold prayer before descending into the hive.
May the Emperor have mercy on your souls.
Chapter Two succubus
Tears rolled down the old warriors cheek whilst silent sobs echoed forlornly in his stalwart heart.
“Their, their dear.. No need for the tears, this is a joyous occasion. “
Her silky words ran viscous sweet honey through his thoughts. Dripping warmth like a hot tap in a cold bath, whilst clouding his mind and beguiling his senses.
“But..”
“No need to think darling, just enjoy the fruits of our endeavours. Your a great man , and you will be a great father.
“Fa..ther...” the words seemed distant and yet still familiar....Patriarch...?
Look Samael we have a lovely baby girl, what shall we call her?
“G..i..rl...err..er..”
“Never mind dear. You rest yourself, you have worked hard. I shall do the thinking for both of us..
how about..... marilitu ?
Err....okay...if you think that's for the best...
“Lilitu always knows best”
Chapter Three “if you go down to the woods tonight your sure to get a surprise”
Uxley thumbed the Auspex, and watched as it flickered into life. The static green screen giving an ominous glow in the darkness of the under hive.
Uxley “Where are the Arbites?” The young Acolytes impatience getting the better of him again.
Sung “ They said they will be here , so they will be here. I doubt even Lord Helmawr would dare to incur the wrath of Vendrake.”
Loxez rubbed a mail gloved hand over his carbine, Clearing the dust and grime that had accumulated during the firefight.
“Where the feth , did those Escher spring from ? I knew we couldn’t trust Jerico.”
Socrates “We had no choice “. Their was no way of getting this far into their territory without his help, we would have ended up like those Goliaths we saw by the sump.”
Uxley “ Well , unless you were asleep these last ten minutes, you may have noticed we just nearly did!!”
Loxez “ Sung's right , all we have to do is wait , Uxley sent the vox, now we just sit on our hand and wait for back up.
Socrates “I don’t think waiting is an option.. look up there!”
The group turned to Socrates and strained their eyes into the gloom. Beyond the Waste and slag, where the ancient corroding plasteel struts gave way to pitch blackness , The group eyed movement. A feeling first, dark and unpleasant , like a nothing they felt before. Nausea washed over them and they did all they could not to turn their heads and scream! It came too fast for an Escher, too fast for a human! Baleful eyes peircing at their souls, through murky sub light world.
That's ace Neil, it has everything I crave: inquisition-gak, necromunda, mysterious bad guy/girl.
I couldn't help to imagine her as something along these lines:
Spoiler:
Does anyone else think that this project will be a wealth of insane miniatures/characters? The fluff we've got so far is so much fun already, to ultimately see the actual miniature for it and dive into the vision of the creator will be a unique thing, especially as a mutual work of several artists.
Anteno would have been my suggestion too. But be warned it's dangerous! Their stock is so huge it's hard to stop shopping before you begin to consider pushing your granny down the stairs for the insurance.
No worries Flinty. Although I wouldn't say it hasn't started yet, some of us have already put more thought into it than others do for a whole project. But you're right of course, it's still four more days.
Automatically Appended Next Post: Oh and Neil, yes it is. It's the small bit on the left side of the sprue I guess. I wasn't sure it's her face though, that's good news, I was afraid I could damage the hair when altering the face.
Neil... you are killin' it, mate! Great, GREAT FLUFF! I love the tarot graphics!
I apologize for being MIA this past weekend. I would like to say it was due to the Independence Day holiday, that I was busy stuffing my face with delicious grilled food of the asian and middle-eastern variety... but sadly, I was actually doing grad school work for most of it, and had to settle for kabobs and karaoke on Sunday night with wife and friends. (and nurse a massive hangover on Monday, promising and lying to myself that I'll never drink again...
Anyways... next installment for me. Apologies for the wait.
Guardian Angel
He was trapped. After observing and following the group at a very safe distance, he had run out of luck. The caravan he had seen trundling through the ruins had spotted him. That would be the first and last time they took him by surprise. In comparison, their tech was almost stone-age… pre-flight tech on his homeworld, before his race fought one of its most significant wars and was enveloped into the coalition. These soldiers flew around in brutish boxes, guns stabbed into turrets and fronts for max-killing potential rather than any aesthetic fashion. Most of these tanks were powered by diesel, spewing out noxious black bands of smoke. The larger (command vehicles?) were at best, a crude atomic engine. Yet, they had somehow found him, using long range radar. (they know exactly where they’re going) Their scanner somehow picked up his signal, and, from their deadly efficient moves, mapped out the terrain as well for their troopers.
I’m going to die here, he mused as he checked his weapons again. Everything lost, and he would die alone. Did his teammates already hold a ceremony for his loss? Was he considered KIA or MIA? Unlike his teams’ leader, he doubted his race, or any, for that matter, would spend billions to find him and/or repair him. I don’t want to die alone…
Then step back- I’ll make sure we have a lot of company with us when we leave... He smiled, insofar as his bone-plated face would let him. It always happened this way… ever since he could remember. He was a competent soldier, an infiltrator, and an assassin. But he was good as long as the odds were on his side. This was not one of those times…
But he had another trick up his sleeve- his very own protector, a sharper keener mind that was made only for evading and killing… killing in large numbers to escape. Some would call it a concentration circle, others would say it was a mask… detractors would call it some level of psychosis, if they ever found out. It was a machine, a death-dealing engine. Whatever it was, he called his other self Angel.
Don’t be afraid.I’m not.I haven’t failed us yet, so let me get to work.Right… take me home, Angel. The alien closed his eyes, his mind receded, and let the Angel take the wheel.
OOOh the plot thickens. Like where you going with this Izanagi , sounds like a double act that will leave a lot of scope for conversion... Alien too, or is that a misnomer, Alien could human from a certain point of view. Just enough info to keep us on our seat edges.
Happy belated 4th mate. and yes never again i'm sure...
neil101 wrote:OOOh the plot thickens. Like where you going with this Izanagi , sounds like a double act that will leave a lot of scope for conversion... Alien too, or is that a misnomer, Alien could human from a certain point of view. Just enough info to keep us on our seat edges.
Happy belated 4th mate. and yes never again i'm sure...
LOL, thanks, Neil! I'm thinking about how to space it- the story is already pretty concrete in my head, I just need to figure out the release rhythm that'd suit our purposes best. Also have a few sketches, but nothing good enough to show at the moment. I guess I could give a tidbit- alien, in this case, is alien, like non-human. No stretch of the words there. The ball starts rolling after this past installment, so stay tuned...
Yea... this morning, I also reaffirmed my completely sober status... but I'm sure in about 7 hours, I'll probably be hankering for a glass of wine or some nice cold sake...
Welcome back HF!
Your new fluff made me think of several things. One was the possibility of him being a Vespoid (which would be cool, because the actual models suck), but that doesn't seem likely considering the later clues.
The other thing was Dexter. Not the tv show (which I like), but the books (which are so different and so much better). Letting the dark passenger take over the wheel. The reptile instinct at the back of your head...
Sweet mother, you're well-read! I may be wrong, but I thought Darkly Dreaming Dexter, or Dexter, was just an American show/book. I haven't read the books, but I've heard much the same thing from others who have- that it's much better than the series.
Unfortunately, I've only seen parts of the show. I am the Dexter, and you guys are my Doakes...
Jackanory actually guessed via PM it was a Vespid/Vespoid (sp?) warrior as well, and unfortunately... no. It's not. Although, I know what you guys are going for, and a truly converted Tru-Scale (aka COOL) Vespid would be friggin' awesome. The GW ones are... yea...
Damn... you guys really are going to make me buy two of these guys??? Aha ha ha ha... that's the problem with getting us together like this. I have one idea, it gets built on/up, people build more on aspects of it... and suddenly, I can't tell which one sounds cooler: the original plan or a friggin' TS vespid!
-Remi
-EDIT- Yep, just took a look at the GW Vespid minis... they look pretty stupid, man. You gotta wonder if the sculptor actually tried on those, or if they had really bad drawings to reference...
The ship sat solemnly in stationary orbit above the dirty smoke grey planetoid. Lights from the tallest spires stabbed out into space, though they would soon be extinguished by the explosions and flames, boiling up and out of the hives spires. Fire raged over the majority of the planet’s surface, billions would perish before the end of the night. The protectors of the Emperor's realm had failed and the Hive world of Algea would not meet its tithe, for centuries to come.
***
The green glow of the command deck’s holo screen gave the devastation below an odd clinical appearance. The captain stood out of his command throne silent, aghast at the devastation below, the other human bridge crew in a similar state. The only sound on the deck were variously toned chimes, which rang out unanswered. Only the mono-task servitors carried on unmoved, uncaring and oblivious to the billion deaths.
A buzzer sounded and a blue light flashed, this stirred the crew from their communal shock. The captain composed himself, checking various screens around his command throne. He pressed an assortment of buttons and then the gunmetal grey floor plates, under the view screen began to sink. Steam escaped along the plate seams, an unseen engine moving the floor. With a clanking sound of stone hitting metal steps rose from the recess. Moments later a figure in dark blue robes carefully walked up the stairs, through a haze of steam. At the top of the steps he turned and looked at the view screen. He reached into his robes and made adjustments to a control wand and the command deck slowly went back to its original state.
The figure turned from the holo screen and faced the captain. In a low whisper the figure spoke “Regards, Captain Kerrn. Please get the engines online we will want to follow this ship.” Referring to a dataslate he passed to the helmsman. “How is my Master?”
Kerrn replied firmly “Master Navigator this is not your ship to command. You were monitoring the comm, the Inquisitor was almost dead. We teleported him back aboard as his Interrogator ordered. You know he ordered me to stay in stationary orbit above the Governor’s palace”
“I am aware of what happened and your orders Captain.” Turning again to the view screen the navigator stated “I am also aware that the Governor’s Palace no longer exists... What was the delay in reintegrating the Inquisitor and his fellows?”
Ignoring the callous comment Captain Kernn answered the man’s question “Aye it took eleven minutes, the tech priests are uncertain as to why.”
“Is my master in the infirmary? Shall I go to his death bed?” with what was possibly an amused look in his human eyes.
“No, in his chambers, the report of his imminent death was greatly exaggerated. He marched right out of the teleportarium. Apparently his “fellows” were as shocked at the medics. His armour might be damaged, covered in his own blood, and his face a ruin he is very must alive."
The navigator walked past the Captain’s throne, leaving the bridge by the gothically arched blast door. In little more than a hoarse whisper he shouted back “Captain, My Master will wish for that ship to be followed. It was the only one to break orbit during the ritual. Get the engines online now; you will get confirmation from the Inquisitor.”
Baiyuan wrote:Welcome back HF!
Your new fluff made me think of several things. One was the possibility of him being a Vespoid (which would be cool, because the actual models suck)
Great minds!
Peter your fluff's got me wondering if we'll be seeing the navigator, the inquisitor, or someone else entirely!
This is so hard! Every twenty minutes somebody reveals another chunk of intriguing fluff. You can't say "awesome" every time and you have to stop yourself from thinking "hhm, I could do a nice model for that idea!", otherwise we will end up like HF, planning to realize all ideas that come your direction. To be honest it's not that different for me, but I'll stick to one conversion per wizard and of course my actual project has absolute priority.
@PDH: I like the fluff, Peter. It reads exactly like something from Horus Heresy, with a gloomy inquisitorial touch.
@HF: I wouldn't count popular recent fiction for "being well-read", but thank you. I'm still intending to finish some of those classics I bought for my kindle, but haven't finished yet. It's all Horus' fault, if his puberty hadn't let to that "let the galaxy burn, because I want more allowance"-crap, I would have finished some of those timeless classics already. So instead of Moby Dick, Alice in Wonderland, Catcher in the Rye, Dante's Inferno and Wizard of Oz, I've recently read HH01-08.
Spoiler:
About Dexter: I saw all five seasons so far and I've read the four books I know of. I wouldn't say the books are better, they are a completely different story. They used the basic idea for the first season of the tv-show, but that's it. The end of the first book is COMPLETELY different from the show. Don't want to spoil it for anyone, so a keep it vague, but: A person dies, who is still around in the fifth season, his sister finds out what he is, which she has no clue of until season 5 and he's tempted to join "the ice-truck-killer". And that's just the showdown!
They didn't even try to adapt the following books and made up new adventures for the show on their own.
I like the tv-show anyway, you just can't compare. And to be honest there are weak spots in the books too, I wasn't to convinced when the author changed the explanation for Dexter's behaviour from being traumatized, to being possessed by a fragment of the essence of evil, the 5000 year old god Moloch.
And stick with your original plans! No way stupid vespidpoids are cooler than that, I'm also tempted though...
Automatically Appended Next Post:
jackanory wrote:
Baiyuan wrote:Welcome back HF!
Your new fluff made me think of several things. One was the possibility of him being a Vespoid (which would be cool, because the actual models suck)
Great minds!
Peter your fluff's got me wondering if we'll be seeing the navigator, the inquisitor, or someone else entirely!
Can't be the =I= because he's modelling him on his other blog already!
Baiyuan wrote:This is so hard! Every twenty minutes somebody reveals another chunk of intriguing fluff. You can't say "awesome" every time and you have to stop yourself from thinking "hhm, I could do a nice model for that idea!", otherwise we will end up like HF, planning to realize all ideas that come your direction. To be honest it's not that different for me, but I'll stick to one conversion per wizard and of course my actual project has absolute priority.
@HF: I wouldn't count popular recent fiction for "being well-read", but thank you. And stick with your original plans! No way stupid vespidpoids are cooler than that, I'm also tempted though...
EXACTLY! This is so... so wrong! Like starving prisoners... we don't have food, so we torture ourselves by talking about it...
You surprise me though, that you know about Dexter. I suppose that's what I meant. And that 5000 yr old Moloch-bit is garbage... (aka "jumping the shark") lol... alright. I'll probably stick with the series, then.
And... I beg to differ... the model originally is just meant to be a base... ( , vague as all hell, like "do you remember that guy, y'know, with the two eyes, that nose, and that hair??") but as a base, I can see him as still the invader/assassin/lost... but a vespid merc would be pretty awesome as well... I give it away freely, because it's not exactly on my plate right now...
I imagine that Vespid merc, damaged armor, better looking sculpt by yours truly, perched on a damaged cathedral-arch, torn camo-mantle, looking down... The Dark Passenger- limited paint pallete of purples, blues, light blues/green for OSL work, greys...
@Peter great fluffy start fella, sound like it could be an epic story. Very dark and suitably grim and decidedly vague.
@Izanagi , now i am confused Are you saying you model will incorporate a vespid ? if so excelent i havent seen a vespid conversion before if not arh well iam sure what ever you do will be top bannana
@Vit "Mmm, what do they taste like... " like chicken
@ Igandris , i see you joined up to panics thread , so i guess you could'nt resist
@ Jackanory qoute Just come up with a name for my character...though naturally you won't know until the end.................... you tease
I love that everyone's being so secretive over their fluff. ..................... not anymore
Neil, what you've got so far is awesome! Love the scene with the tarot cards, really evocative! ..............................thanks mate
neil101 wrote:@Izanagi , now i am confused Are you saying you model will incorporate a vespid ? if so excelent i havent seen a vespid conversion before if not arh well iam sure what ever you do will be top bannana
Hmm... to be honest, I don't know anymore. Both my original idea in the fluff and the newly-hatched Vespid merc have certain elements that I'm drawn to without being absolutely polar in end-result... both the original and vespid could work as the lone, desperate assassin-type. Both can do "stalking" without looking awkward...
The original which I can't reveal yet until I start working on it incorporates a different popular influence... while, as I've just given, the TS Vespid could totally do a Batman homage and get away with it cleanly...
Damn. I'll have to think on this tonight. I'm not sure what's going on anymore... either way... I'm hoping I live up to everyone's expectations!
Thank god for the replies. I knew watching an episode of 24 was the right call (though maybe not since I want to do modelling at the weekend and not watch 12 hours of 24!).
I'm determined to post the background without comment. It was so hard though because of all the great stuff that has been added....
So first up
Neil - Thank you. Your amazing tarot has got me over my block. I am honestly so impressed by it. It is creativity like yours that makes me glad to have found Dakka. As for epic story - I've got a bit of background set 60 or so years after the unfolding events.
HZ- Man I wanna see it.....I really like where its going. Hurry up September. I'm rather fond of the vespid models, though they are a little static for flying aliens. Hopefully any new ones will be in plastic and look better than the DE Scourge.
Jackanory -
Peter your fluff's got me wondering if we'll be seeing the navigator, the inquisitor, or someone else entirely!
As Baiyuan said the Inquisitor is in by blog.
Baiyuan - Wow I take that as high praise indeed. I am currently reading Age of Darkness. The Iron Within by Rob Sanders is the best Horus Heresy story I've read so far. I'm a little disappointed that the Black Library have not done a book for all the Legions in the lead up to the heresy.
Jackanory and Baiyuan - Will it be the navigator or will it be someone in the Inquisitors chambers? Could it be one of his "fellows"?
Flinty - I was surprised to find 6 pages too. I'd say it has already been worth it.
Igandris - You're hooked me too.
Vitruvian XVII - Erm eyes.... As for plastic card I'd say if you have a local model railway shop they should be good . Antenocitis workshop I've ordered from them in the past and they have been great.
Cadaver - Thanks for the siging my throw away comment because I got to use it in my background
JRN -
Thanks. But as you say the yourself the really great thing is that so many are involved - both here and in Panic's thread. Should ensure lots of very interesting looking miniatures.
Spot on I'm looking forward to seeing just how much can be done with four models.
Molotov - Thanks for the hive world to ruin . I hope the name of the planet is suitable. Just so you know, the ship that left orbit is heading out of the Borderworlds to the Howling Stars!
I'll make the mess complete and add another chapter of my story too:
V
The value of a Life:
She had no idea to what great lengths he had gone.
Tiberius wouldn't say or even brag about the value of the gift or about how he had acquired it, but she thought she had a vague idea of it anyway. How wrong she was...
It took her years of working with Tiberius and his men to eventually find out how valuable it had actually been.
Tiberius must have seen through her, like he always did and guessed her secret needs. She didn't understand why he would bother, she could only guess that he must have considered her either too valuable an asset or to great a threat to lose control over her, while the latter was less likely considering who he was.
So he had charged one of his old contacts, a rogue trader by the name of Slabo von Dietrich, to gather information about possible subjects for the bonding.
Von Dietrich, who had got quite a reputation, and not necessarily a good one, for his dealings near the eastern fringe knew where to look for such information. He soon returned with rumours about a cabal of dark eldar raiders, who had been fielding warbeasts of a mostly unknown species. And that, assuming there was a way to find a specimen with the right genetic code, he knew where to look for it.
After the creature had been captured the real effort began. Months of meticulous research to develop drugs that could control the beast's temper.
Weeks of intricate operations to install the augmentation that guaranteed its functionality under any circumstances.
And again months of training and bonding procedures to gradually establish the link between her and it. Hope was its name...
Man, all this fluff is epic! And i love how its all still completely vague and unrevealing! You teases! Speaking of vague fluff, im off to write some.....
Arh at last a reveal, dark eldar beast. sounds like you may be working a new species here , still reminds me of the Loxatle, but i guess its a much darker beast, not the docile grox i wager.. something from rogue trader maybe like the catchan face eater or possibly a crotalid or dare i say enslaver?
http://redelf.narod.ru/w40k/w40k_z_creature.html
I'm loving how vague this all is seeming. And damnit. It's inspiring. My recent good fortune may even tempt me to do something with the Necromancer for the sake of it in the other thread!
IT is just HER companion, so it's not a beast's spirit in the wizard's body or something. But I'm not saying any more. If you read the first chapters again you get an idea of the link between them.
I mentioned it somewhere before, so I can give you that hint again, the beast looks canine in the widest sense. I've actually worked on it for a couple of hours already and it's at a 50% status atm. Now I've reached a bottle neck though, I can't continue because I can't start sculpting before I have the wizard and can thus figure out both miniatures poses. I really need to put them next to each other.
@DarkStarSabre: It's great if we can "fluff" people into starting a project of their own! Go ahead, do it, there can't be too many conversions.
@ PDH - Just got to reading your fluff... awesome! Must suck to be a captain and be told off on your own vessel... damn the inquisitors and their carte blanches... ( HERESY!! ) I've been watching your thread and saw the Inq model... so I'm excited to see who's next in your warband. Could you sketch it out or something for us??
@ Baiyuan - Sweet! Interest is piqued (I'm sure there's a limit to this, as it's been 7 pages and we still don't have anything else, but the stories just keep getting better and better... I'll let you know if my head pops from all the excitement... or not. ) The bonded "beast" is interesting... without any other factors, my mind's eye thought up a meld of something like a more feline arco-flagellant, minus whips, but with the drugs, wires, and tube doo-dads marking out it's back as a cyber creature. Probably all wrong, but want to see more.
LOL, speaking of which, does anyone else aside from Jakob sketch? I'd be willing to put down some crap if they do... the wait is KILLING me. Neil?? Help me out, brother!
Oh yea... thanks for the pics, Neil! I never knew what a Psychoneuin looked like reading the 1K Sons book, now I do!
Baiyuan wrote:I do sketches, but only to keep hold of my ideas, they look gakky in most cases. My drawing skills aren't what they used to be...
Same... they'd take way too much time to call them "sketches" if I wanted to make them look good... Hmm... might just have to buckle down and produce... in between washing my 1K sons, as that takes forever to dry. I might do a few- the Batman Vespid, and two for the original idea.
Baiyuan wrote:
@DarkStarSabre: It's great if we can "fluff" people into starting a project of their own! Go ahead, do it, there can't be too many conversions.
Oooh, you tempt me you devil. Well, actually, no, this nice fat lump sum of money I've had put on my credit card tempts me.
Now the question is how to smuggle the Necromancer past my friend's eagle eyes so he doesn't accuse me of painting the painting pledge (1000 points = £50 to spend. Mind you, I did pull out a 2500 point army in two months ).
Now the next real question...do I go down an Eldar route, Mechanicus route or....more Tyrannic route?
DarkStarSabre wrote:Now the next real question...do I go down an Eldar route, Mechanicus route or....more Tyrannic route?
I've done the Yriel Eldar into young Inquisitor-Xmen-Cyclops hybrid... I'd LOVE to see how you'd do the Necro into Eldar... I can't even think of how I'd start that one...
DarkStarSabre wrote:Now the next real question...do I go down an Eldar route, Mechanicus route or....more Tyrannic route?
I've done the Yriel Eldar into young Inquisitor-Xmen-Cyclops hybrid... I'd LOVE to see how you'd do the Necro into Eldar... I can't even think of how I'd start that one...
-Remi
Heh. I can think of at least three, if not four ways to go with the Eldar. And I can even come up with preliminary fluff for one of them! I blame the staff really.
HF Izanagi said
PDH - Just got to reading your fluff... awesome! Must suck to be a captain and be told off on your own vessel... damn the inquisitors and their carte blanches... ( HERESY!! ) I've been watching your thread and saw the Inq model... so I'm excited to see who's next in your warband. Could you sketch it out or something for us??
I'm afraid drawing skills fail me. I normally just have the final image stuck in my head and work to it as close as possible. As for the warband I'm planning on having about 6 members in total and they will be set about 60 years after the background I've written so far. I'm rather please with the captain's telling off and it wasn't even from the Inquisitor! I'm looking forward to the next instalment...
@ Izan send me a pm mate , i am sure we can work out some nice concept art for ya.. and apseaking of concept art , heres some of mine , off to pub now with me bro cacth ya later guys
Vendrake slammed the table hard. "Where are they ... I send them to do a simple job !"
"The Primaris has their last known location sire. We have collated all known data on the threat.
here.."
Oh Neil you're really spoiling us. I think I can guess what you're planning on using for that third arm. I'm also intrigued as to how you're going to make the tentacle claw skirt.
Looks like I know what I'm doing tonight... time to put off my Sons again to do some sketches. And by sketches, I mean drawings done with sweating-brow concentration so they at least they look like I tried.
Fracking nice work Neilio! Especially like the chain blade weapon (do they have a name?). Tempted to put some sketches up but I'm not sure I want to give too much away...
jackanory wrote:Especially like the chain blade weapon (do they have a name?). Tempted to put some sketches up but I'm not sure I want to give too much away...
PDH wrote:I say put it up...only because I want to look at it. Besides we'll find out soon enough what everyone is going for.
I've actually been tempted to reveal what I'll be doing since last week. All my teasing teases me to... As Peter said: Soon enough!
That kind of weapon is called a chain whip, which normally has a dart where the ones from the hagashins (that's what you're using Neil, isn't it?) have that round little blade. The handling would be pretty much the same, so it's a chain whip. I can tell you, like all flexible weapons, chain whips mean pain, first of all for the person learning to wield it. Not my favorite training weapon, but it's still fun, especially when dual wielding.
And indeed that was another damn sweet artwork from Neil. The most revealing thing so far.
Jackanory - Thanks. I actually find him creeping me out. I'm really rather looking forward to see how you build those eye lenses. The nose tube is a very nice touch. When I first looked at the pic I thought you'd done it on the palm of your hand....clever photography?
Haha I can see how you'd think that. It was actually just the lamp that I used casting weird lights across the page. I was actually trying to avoid it but I guess it does look quite cool not really sure how I'll do the lenses yet but I've got some watch parts that might have the requisite slender pieces with loops...we'll see!
For the lense itself I'd recommend using Microscale's Micro Kristal Klear. Maybe you're familiar with it, it's basicly clear cement meant to glue clear plastic parts, but if you apply blops of it on a plastic surface you get clear lenses of desired size.
Automatically Appended Next Post: @ Peter: You had it coming, mate!
It's all starting to come together- now I know why you wanted tuts/info on submerging models in resin. If that model comes out (that's a big risk, but super-high reward) clearly from the clear liquid stuff... that model is going to be frickin' wicked.
... in other news... I've decided. I'll be out tonight celebrating with some Japanese company employees (smart, let's have them drink alcohol during our night, which is technically their day... ), but afterward, I'll be sure to do my sketch and post tomorrow morning. Yes... SKETCH. I've decided on one concept.
Vitruvian XVII - Not what I was expecting either. I got the tank part but I assumed because of the base size you were going with some massive spider legged machine. This will be interesting and I think possibly the most unique model we'll see in this thread .
Peter: Lol! Thanks, high praise indeed, but im sure you will all outshine me
Chapter I - Skulls
The feed jerked back and forth, panning across the urban metropolis, now in disarray. It stopped suddenly, before zooming in on a patch of ferrocrete above an adamantine bulkhead. Daubed in blood and faecal matter was a grotesque mockery of the Opus Machina, overlaying an 8-pointed star of Chaos. A brilliant purple flash over-exposed the sophisticated pict capture unit, before the signal abruptly terminated.....
In the gloomy depths of a rusted Manufactorum complex the beam of light picked up motes of dust, disturbed from their centuries-long rest by the grav repulsion engine as the small skull whirred along. The scene would have been almost serene, calming even, were it not for the ugly arrangement of bronze augmetic limbs that came into shot every five clicks. They appeared to be large heaps of war-damaged augmetic arms and legs, as though removed from corpses and thrown in a pile. As the feed zoomed in closer the arrangement became obvious. The bronze autolimbs were plasma-welded together such that the mass joined into one large device, capable of articulation and movement: a stump to a wrist, legs side by side, an arm projecting from a thigh, and so on. Data conduits and power lines weaved throughout the whole, linking small potentia coils and scavenged flexor-devices. Heretic sigils and nonsensical machine cant scripts could be made out inscribed upon the most crucial linkages. As the Servo-skull continued down the vast causeway, it left a trail of horrific mechanical shuffling, the clinking of many disorganised limbs moving as one.....
@Vitru: My expectations were different, because I never thought the tank would part of her, I thought it would just like a cell. So I mainly tried to visualize a female techpriest and how it would be converted. Your sketches on the other hand focus on her "suit".
It's a good ideale through, reminds me of the 54mm techpriest on a defiler body I startend aeons ago.
I'm looking forward to it. One word of warning through, I'm a little concerned about what's happening inside the tank:
The DE's pose doesn't look like it's floating, so you need to come up with a proper solution for that in order to prevent it fromm looking like a DE wizard stuffed in a tank. Could be complicated.
My first idea was use her split legged pose to putin her in suspension. E.g. cuffs for her hands and feet, you would just have to replace the arm with the staff with a straight one and bend the other arm upwards.
what were you're plans so far?
Automatically Appended Next Post: Written from my mobile which has an auto correct function that drives me crazy. Instead of that it always puts "thatcher" and put becomes "putin".
Bear in mind these are concept sketches, very wip. The sorceress is really just a placeholder in that pic, i liked the design on the tank as it was the first time i managed to make it look integrated with the rest of the walker.
Also i cant draw people, especially faces! So i didnt really sketch any of the actual tech priest!!
Cuffs/limb "plugins" were my first idea too, now im leaning towards literally floating unsupported.
Haha! You have a very politicallly minded phone...
I will say Vit's design made me open my eyes a fair bit. That is a lot more than the mage itself but I'm curious to see how you do the tank the thing will be in!
And I folded. I joined the other one because the Necromancer is way too good to pass up with the ideas in my head. Seriously looking forward to see how you guys progress with this.
Well the hangover is almost gone and i can see much clearer now never got chance to say thanks for the compliments last night , so ..thanks for the compliments i should stress that these pics are only concepts , not definate on the final look for her, i have a few other ideas i would like to play around with too, but you get the direction i am taking...
@ Izanagi , hope your not as hung over as i am mate a mcdonalds vegiburger and large fries has gone somewhat a ways in clearing it up though look forward to seeing your concepts when you rouse
@PDH monsieur with these ferrero rocher you are really spoling us
Spoiler:
The arms might be tricky becuase the ones i have seen are armoured , may end up sculpting one if it does'nt sit right. But i have seen 3 versions though, i am really looking forward to sculpting the tentacle skirt/hair, though a bit scared becuase of the tiny size of the dark elf. ithink it will push me to the limits tbh. But the legs are my greatest fear, i wanted to convert the original legs , but i doubt it will be possible , will have to go with a new set i think , would really rather not try sculpting them lots of trial and error i think. i realise shes not that ambitious , I wanted to retain her sexuality without loosing the amazing uperbody silloutte of the original figure. , still undecided as to what head to go with
@Jackanory , thank you , and ditto , your picture is scary mate, love the direction , lts so grimdark already. such detail and that only one pice of the puzzle. when i saw the face i instantly thought of this miniature as the head.
Spoiler:
i agree with peter about the nose tube and the lenses are a very original idea too cant wait to see how you implement them . its getting so close now.....rubs hands
oh and Baiyuan is of course right a chain whip , or chain flail, in the dark eldar book there called weighted flails , i actually might custom make the blade if i can better the gw one.
@Baiyuan reveal reveal reveal, i want to know what savage doggy your working on.... oh hang on ... is it a cerberus? that would be pretty awesome i should have know you would instantly know your wapons yep hagashin it is , although the sourges have one also , which is a little longer and more effeminate.
nice find with http://www.microscale.com/Merchant2/merchant.mvc?Screen=PROD&Product_Code=MI-9
@Vit i am really enjoying this teaser part of the comp, i am making the most of it because when it comes to converting Baiyuan is gonna blow us all out of the water with his insane attention to detail , and then Peter is gonna go Michealangelo on our behinds with the brush work I actually cant wait to see what people build and i really hope to learn some painting tachniques through this project .
I'm a little concerned my conversion might not blow anyone out of anything. I keep hav6ing second thoughts whether it's too simple, because I'll be keeping most of the base model, but it's what I saw in the sorceress right from the beginning. So I'll stick with it and we will see in a couple of weeks.
It's not a cerberus, even though Beowulf suggested calling it Fluffy, when I told him about it, he hasn't seen it though. The only other hint you'll get before my next fluff installment, is that it features wh40k alien technology for which I destroyed kits worth 55€ and that the base model is something fresh, since it's not from GW.
Baiyuan wrote:I'm a little concerned my conversion might not blow anyone out of anything. I keep hav6ing second thoughts whether it's too simple, because I'll be keeping most of the base model, but it's what I saw in the sorceress right from the beginning. So I'll stick with it and we will see in a couple of weeks.
People often underestimate the power of a simple conversion. No second thoughts. An effective simple conversion is bound to be impressive in itself!
Morning everyone... this is what sucks about not having dakka come as one the infopoints on my HUD... although that would have possibly killed me driving after having a few as a teen (which I totally can't do anymore, having lost my invincibility, good looks, and luck years ago)... too many responses.
Ok... from the top-
@Baiyuan - hmm... didn't think of a spider-fluidtank base, but that also sounds extremely interesting. Either way, if Vit can capture that tank and a CLEAR figure... yea, it's gonna be good. And what's this about doubting your conversion? Is it because it's going out of your specialty of guns and tech? Or there'll be less on there that makes it feel worthwhile? Go at it, man. I'm sure it'll be amazing.
@Vitruvian - thanks for the reference pics! I'm excited to see your (and everyone elses', for that matter) WIPs leading up to the final project. This'll be a treasure trove of new/experimental techniques, methinks when it's finished.
@ DarkStarSabre- Seconded. That tank is gonna be crazy.
@ Peter- don't know if you responded or not, as I only see the last page... and I'm running on about 2 hours of sleep. Good morning.
@Neil - Mmmm.... vegiburger... I had a regional menu item during a stay in Prague, a McZorba... standard cheeseburger minus the all-american fillings, instead soft feta cheese, tzaziki sauce and a cucumber slice... I dreamed about a McZorba yesterday night. And no, I didn't drink as much, enough to get buzzed and mellow out on a short 7 minute walk home.
As to my own projects- I have what was asked for. Would you care for fluff first? Or concept that will solidify your images of my work in stone?(only to be shattered when my horribly inadequate modelling skills butcher it?) If you ask for fluff, the update will take... about an hour as I fabricate the story from my head. If pictures... about 10 minutes. Let me know.
I'll keep you hanging for... an hour longer. I meant that I'll be putting up both together or pics first as I already had them, so you've bought yourself an hour.
And here you go! I've spoiler'd the pics, in case you want to resist the reveal... but yea, concept and fluff, as requested. It's a WIP, even in sketch mode, the head and feet, in particular I'm still researching. Either way, I've committed myself to this idea, as I think this will really push the limits of the model and all applicable skills I have to make something awesome.
The Dark Passenger
They were close now… an advance hunting party… my prey. He wanted a better look.
Like an ancient Terran gecko, he leapt towards a wall, shimmying his way up several meters with a sound like a piece of paper going through a silent turbine. He crawled into the upper floors of what might have been a large human gathering place. It was completely blasted out, yet in some strange twist of fate, a stained glass window had been left nearly intact, casting colors unto the center of the rubble-dusted floor, a circle of warmth against the cold concrete. From here, he peered out to what was left of the streets, now flooded with debris, at his hunters.
---------------
“What do you think we’ll find?” one of the motley crew wondered aloud into his helmet mike.
“Think of it as treasure-hunting. Whatever we find, the target hid from us this long. That means tech. If we’re lucky, it means hi-tech. VERY-LUCKY, and we get us a still-warm woman wearing the gear.” Another grumbled, as others chuckled. All grunted in agreement as one toyed his crotch in anticipation.
“Shaddap... He’s here, somewhere..” the leader growled as he pumped a fist back to his team. The team was trained but moved clumsily into cover, concealing itself upon command.
“Boss?” one of the team echoed. “Vox from command. Sending it through.”
The lead figure put two fingers to the side of his helmet, opening the channel and keeping it on auto. The message streamed clearly through, with little to no static…
**ka-shh** Terg, we’ve lost the target. Repeat **shh**is not on radar…
“What should we do?” The comm’d merc whispered. Others looked about, and then to their leader.
“We’re not finished yet.. unless you want it following us home.” the Terg said tersely.
His men noticeably bristled when he changed the ‘he’ to an ‘it’. A xeno… a beautiful Eldar woman, perhaps? Or so their minds held to that fleeting hope. The image of Tyranids quickly spread through the crew, destroying any hopes of tech or alleviating loneliness. Tyranids… despite the fact that this planet had never been infested nor seen their like, the idea stabbed them in the back, bleeding out whatever bravado they had. They froze as if they hit an invisible wall upon hearing a faint but intense flutter- the sound of blades cutting air faster than the eye could see, followed by distant rubble clacking echoes. Their eyes immediately darted to and fro, taking note of all angles, the ground, as well as the buttresses and upper floors of the ravaged plaza buildings.
Various weapons energized and racked, shadows stretched in the fire of the afternoon sun… while directly behind them, their prey watched from above, one of the gargoyles adorning the cathedral come to life…
Good story, good concept. The only part I'm not to fond of is the gun, it looks too mundane, bolter-like. I'd vote for a techy alien gun, but you know me and guns...
Being somewhat familiar with mantidae due to my martial arts style, I can recommend some badass looking types. Most people only know the mantis religiosa or the tenodera aridifolia sinensis, which both look rather boring. But there are some that look so alien, it's hard to believe. My favorites are the blepharopsis mendica, empusa pennata, pseudocreobotra whalbergii/pictipennis, phyllocrania paradoxa, deroplatys dessicata, gongylus gongylodes and hymenopus coronatus.
Besides they do not just provide ideas for modelling. Look at their camouflage, who could think of such color schemes? Normal people would say it's ridiculous, totally unrealistic...
Baiyuan wrote:Good story, good concept. The only part I'm not to fond of is the gun, it looks too mundane, bolter-like. I'd vote for a techy alien gun, but you know me and guns...
Being somewhat familiar with mantidae due to my martial arts style, I can recommend some badass looking types. Most people only know the mantis religiosa or the tenodera aridifolia sinensis, which both look rather boring. But there are some that look so alien, it's hard to believe. My favorites are the blepharopsis mendica, empusa pennata, pseudocreobotra whalbergii/pictipennis, phyllocrania paradoxa, deroplatys dessicata, gongylus gongylodes and hymenopus coronatus.
Besides they do not just provide ideas for modelling. Look at their camouflage, who could think of such color schemes? Normal people would say it's ridiculous, totally unrealistic...
Thanks! Glad you liked it. And you caught me on the guns... I had no idea, all I knew was that they would be Tau-elegant uzi-like pistols to match the body-plate, but then I remembered I haven't seen Tau guns in... years. Definitely will be working on that.
I'm definitely sold on the Mantis head though. The triangular look is too cool to pass up. Plus the Vespid (aka Wasps) are triangular headed too, IRL. LOL, holy crap. I've never seen those ones before. The pink one with the feathery antennae appeal to me the most, both color-wise and shape. The blue wonder in the last pic, or the one right before it... those guys caught my attention for Vespid head-shape. No idea as to color scheme, but great examples here. Great references, and you have my thanks!
@DSS: The tank is gonna be the pivotal part aye, need to find a suitable bit so i can work on integrating it properly.
@neil: It should be fun, if i can pull it off It is similar i suppose to a penitent engine, only far more high-tech and polished. We're talking about technology from before the Heresy, from the birth of the Imperium even. Yeah it will have arms, and guns Being one of the founders of the AdMech you kinda have to go bold..
@Izanagi: Great fluff Remi, nice concepts as well. I think it would be cool if you changed the head from "Vespid" to something a little more alien and unrecognised, those mantidae are wicked as well
Vitruvian XVII - stop it dude. It's all going to be fun and its all going to shine. Everyone will be bringing something to the table.
The background is nice. I especially like "In the gloomy depths of a rusted Manufactorum complex the beam of light picked up motes of dust, disturbed from their centuries-long rest by the grav repulsion engine as the small skull whirred along. "
Baiyuan - I always saw her in the tank. I'm intrigued as to how he is going to pull it off though, will be interesting. Oh hi Vit sorry for talking like you're not here
I'm sure you're conversion work will be fine. I'm not even changing the pose on mine. I should have him done by the 20th July . In all seriousness though my conversion work will be mainly cosmetic. I like the model so much I want to change his function not the model (if that makes sense).
Neil - You posted your hangover was almost done at 12.44. Hmmmm you guys didn't do it right last night
Thanks for turning me in to a hot blonde blond though, now whenever anyone pictures me they will think hot blonde women! PM your address I'm going to send you a cash 4 gold addressed body bag.
HF Izanagi - Good evening I think I responded....or have I missed something. Oh hang on I messed up your name lol.
PDH said HZ- Man I wanna see it.....I really like where its going. Hurry up September. I'm rather fond of the vespid models, though they are a little static for flying aliens. Hopefully any new ones will be in plastic and look better than the DE Scourge.
The new update. I'm fond of the concept picture though I'm not seeing how you'll be changing the sorcerer to look like that, nice. The latest bit of background I'm not so fond of, the implications of what the mercenaries would do in if they catch a hot eldar women. It reminded me of that diorama of the Imperial Guard tank crew about to rape the eldar guardian (not a nice diorama imo). Leaving that aside I am liking the build up to the massive acts of violence that will surely be coming. The final line has got me hooked.
I'm with you that the pinky red one is a good colour. It would contrast very nicely with some white armour plates.
Oh hi Peter....! Thanks, defnitely will be interesting. COME ON SATURDAY!
Oh come on, you mean you wouldnt if an eldar female was taken captive.... I see it as coarse mercenaries having a bit of banter. Got a link to the dio...? (just kidding)
It's on cmon somewhere. When I found it I was a little shocked. Don't get me wrong I'm not especially sensitive to the whole wartime rape topic, I know it happens in every war and normal people do incredible things in situtations with a special dynamic, it still felt wrong. People were simply getting too much satisfaction out of it, the comments were mostly slowed and it didn't seem like sending a message about an inhumane humanity was among the creator's motives.
It's like all those anti-war movies, Platoon, Full Metal Jacket, Apocalypse Now etc., I appreciated them all, as intended some scenes shocked me, most sent a clear message about the terrors of war and nevertheless 50% of the guys watching them only learned one thing from it: "tease the fat bitch enough and he shoots himself, hurray!"
Now back to what HF wrote: I'm having Peter's back about the diorama, but the trash talk of the mercenaries isn't against my moral values. Unlike the diorama HF didn't make it the central statement of his creative process. It's fluff and thus it should mirror a form of reality. It's more than likely, that those traumatized morons dream of eldar pussy all day, just to forget the last time they got fethed by the nids. I liked that part btw, when their wet juvenile dreams were shattered by the possible nid threat.
Maybe the only reason Peter was a little offended, was because he thought of the diorama when he read the lines, which I did as well btw., but I didn't see it as a core element of the story.
That is a bit wrong i agree. Especially the guy undoing his belt... :s Cant deny its well painted and modelled though. [A small part of me is thinking her facial expression should be far more distressed, not just a bit miffed ]
Btw, this is a description of an Arch-Magos Veneratus:
The ancient Archmagos Veneratus are the original tech-priests who codified the Mysteries and Warnings of the Cult Mechanicus over ten millennia ago. As age and technological advancement stripped them of their humanity, so they became more detatched from the day-to-day affairs of the Mechanicus and spent longer periods of time in solitude musing on the destiny of humanity. Occasionally, an Archmagos Veneratus will arrive without warning to take command of a Skitarii Legio. They are answerable to no one, not even the Fabricator General. Their word is lore and their reasons for involving themselves are unfathomable, much like the exotic battlesuits that they pilot into battle.
@ HF Izanagi , Lovely concept art , lots of nice movement and flow.
The fluff is cool too , i really like that there are loads of differnt aprocahes allready, i think the vespid is a great choice , but i too fail to see, how the dark eldar can be turned into that lovely art work maybe you could use her as a tau conscript or prisoner alongside the vespid? but i am looking forward to the vespid regardless . i think its a totally original idea
that will look great .
Have you seen the AE bounty miniatures ? some of them have a similar alien design . or the combined from Infinity miniatures? the paint jobs on those are just stupidly good looks like you have found some nice bits to make it up from scratch though
@ baiyuan , nice list of latin insects mate. Good research stuff that
went into games workshop today , picked up some bits i had my eye on for the rest of the Lillitu coven, i asked if they had any minis in stock yet but they told me to get lost come back at 9 am saturday worth a try roll on saturday peeps
I didn't take it to be central to the story... but it was the part that most stood out to me...due to that diorama. I know it happens irl but it isn't something I would want to read about in fiction. I understand that it was meant as banter between the characters. I assume to make the reader dislike the group, so when they get their comeuppance it will be all the more sweet....HF make it bloody
The main reason I didn't like it is because as part of my job I've dealt with a number of women who have been attacked and suffered from differing levels of domestic violence. This is not the place to be discussing this though.
Peter
Automatically Appended Next Post: Neil I've not seen those before and I want these two.
Spoiler:
They are so cool, reminds me of star wars aliens.
Vitruvian XVII - I like the idea your tech priest is 10 thousand years old. Is it something you came up with or have you read about them somewhere?
@Vit: Don't you dare receiving your package before saturday, you'll have an angry mob at your house with me leading it!
About the diorama, it actually allows for a "happy" end, being as quick as eldar are supposed to be, I'm sure she could use that knife in the mud next to her to cut off a couple of wieners...
@HF: Neil has a point, but AE Bounty doesn't just have nice miniatures, they also have a pack of alien looking guns (which I happen to own):
@Neil: Thanks, just from the top of my head.
Automatically Appended Next Post: @everybody: Come on let's beat up Jack!
Baiyuan - I think the thread title needs changing again.
Jackanory - I wholeheartedly agree that you should support local businesses. Unfortunately here in sunny Preston there is a GW, Railway model shop and a scary roleplay/magic shop (that strangely doesn't do a side line in any miniatures). Besides I've got GW gift vouchers
Sooo I'm an idiot, or more correctly, I'm a lazy git! I haven't pre-ordered or called my closest FLGS to see if I can reserve one or if they are even getting any in this weekend. I was just gonna pre-order through GW, but since there isn't a GW here in town, I'd have to have it shipped, and they don't ship til the day before, so I'd get it next week. Hopefully the bigger FLGS across town will have some if the closer shop can't get me one. Oh why do I procrastinate!
@Baiyuan - Go for the conversion you have in mind, even if it's simpler. You can always tweek things once you get the model in hand, and get more complex if needed as the build progresses. I tend to over think planning, and the real inspiration hits once I start working. It's good to have a simple, clear idea as a jumping off point though, as far as I'm concerned.
I'm liking everyone's ideas. Can't wait til the weekend, at least assuming I get my hands on the model this weekend!
@Vit thanks matey for cleraring that up , makes sense now
@PDH lovely choice , nice choice they are like star wars guys , very classsic ron cobb designs i thought. i have one of them and tey are nice , but the paint work on them make them look soo immpressive
'@ jackanory = jealous
@ baiyuan lovelys sculpts those , i have one of those miniatures , the gun is molded into his arm on mine and tbh although over the top stuff is lovely , i am a fan of simple converisons , much more than , super exotic ones , i think it takes a lot of confidence and skill to pull of a simple yet immpresive conversion , resisting the temptation to add more stuff. saying that , i have one rule of thumb when scratch building , and thats stay true to the sillouette, get as busy as you want on the inside , it wont matter if your silloutte is clear.
@PDH: Erm yes... myself..... Lol, no it was from the Cult Mechanicus Fandex by Tempus Fugitives, probably should have referenced that Its gonna be a challenge to make it look Imperial but lightyears advanced in technology...
@jack: Go go flgs!
@Baiyuan: I'll tell the postman to come back on Sat if it comes early
@Cadaver: Lol, i only ordered mine online on Wednesday. Procrastination is the bane of my life Hope you get it sorted.
@Neil: No worries.
Replying to this thread is actually quite a chore! I love how this has just become like a place to hang out.
By the way, with all the excitement over having the necromancer early, I totally forgot to comment on how awesome Remi's and Vit's drawings are! If you can both pull those off they'll be great. Both of them are super ambitious but I have faith!
Thanks jack, that was actually what i was playing around with. Would need to look into it further, if definitely high on the list though as it would make it look cool, but also put the wizard on spotlight. COncern would be shadows obscuring some of it, so id have to have a few.
The shadows shouldn't be a problem. Use two LEDs, on at the top, one at the bottom, both at six o'clock from top view, having model towards the back of the tank.
Looking forward to this starting off for you guys! Quite eager to get mine on Saturday for the other thread! Just rather irked that there's no bits store that has the particular bits I want in stock - it's only 2 particular DE bits that I'd want. Grr.
Dark Eldar. No worries, going to have a snoop around tonight after work at a few things and got 1 thing sorted. I think I shall write some fluff in the other thread tonight when it quietens down here a bit.
Now i just need to learn how to wire L.E.D.s.... lol
Chapter II - Witches
Inside the ruined and rusted cathedral, dimly lit by failing phospho-lamps, a vile screeching echoed down the deserted aisles. The small, tracked automaton crawled slowly, silently, towards the source raising a slight pall of dust as it moved. Its sensor auguries weaved this way and that discerning by sophisticated processes that the objective was in the vaults below. The small, yet powerful, Mind Impulse Unit beamed a signal back to its host allowing her to see as its pict-recording software saw......
Hanging suspended, she let out a sharp breath as her thoughts were replaced by a direct feed link of a dim cathedral......
The feed swung left and right picking up the moss-slicked walls as it slowly navigated a spiral staircase. As it traversed a pool of what appeared to be long-spilt blood the sound that was processed earlier returned, albeit at a much louder volume. It was clear now that it was a chorus of voices, raising a keening wail as a more commanding voice uttered what sounded like High Gothic, spoken primitively, with a strange staccato intonation on every other syllable. The feed moved inexorably closer, navigating a catacomb of rusted pipes leaking fluid, seeming to converge in the centre of the cathedral’s lower vaults.
Suddenly the picture became overly bright, and subsumed by a sickly purple pallor that seemed to pervert everything it rested on. As if from out of the very bowels of the planet a group of figures came into the viewfinder. They could be seen to be human females, or at the least they were at one point in their miserable lives. Bathed in blood and keening vile utterances to horrific Gods they painted a gruesome spectacle. Each was wearing an armoured corset that was riveted to their pallid flesh. Their faces were gaunt, with lifeless stares and all manner of strange and warp-tainted machinery in place of eyes, mouths and noses. From out of their scalps came many mechadendrites, which swayed with their chanting, seemingly an attempt to replicate myths of an ancient Terran named Medusae. Their limbs were sliced open to the tendons, and re-sewn with crude cord, and the foul Chaos star had been scored into tender places. As the pict-feed continued to record, the females began to circle a broken and scavenged Mind Impulse Unit. Faster and faster they moved, all the while increasing the level of chanting and moving more erraticly. The chanting reached a crescendo, at which point their was a brilliant purple flash, which over exposed the camera for a few seconds. When the sensors recovered the witches were gone, all that remained were steaming hunks of flesh and spatters of viscera. Suddenly something large and gore-dripping entered the view, it was a mockery of human form with wires and machinery weaving between horrific musculature. Its many eyed and tentacled head rotated fully turning to stare at the tracked unit. Their was another purple flash, this time the camera didn’t recover......
@neil101 and Vitruvian XVII - I think I got it sorted. Of course the closest FLGS was completely unaware of "Storm of Magic' and had to check the order records to see if they had anything coming. I like supporting local shops, especially when they're 10 minutes away, but good lord, this is the exact reason it's easier to order online. I don't like placing pre-orders when the dude ordering doesn't even know what he's ordering without me pointing it out on the GW website. I guess I shouldn't be too hard on them - it seems to be more of a comic shop, no gaming tables or anything, but they do have decent GW shelf space.
Ok, sorry for the rant. / It's my fault anyway. I called the other shop and I think they'll have one for me. After an unsuccessful attempt at convincing them to let me pick it up today with those smart people who pre-ordered there, I have to go by tomorrow, but they should have one.
I've got the bits I need coming through the post. A raid of my own stuff has turned out most productive for other things. I actually get to attempt GS sculpting as well.
Got to GW for opening time and then had breakfast with Abi. She wasn't massively impressed that I took pictures of models in the cafe. LOL Got home and got them open when the hangover kicked in....I think I'm going to watch Lethal Weapon.
These models are so much nicer that I thought......the Tzeentch one is beautiful. EDIT - Damn four of his toes are modelled onto his base!
The way the chaos sorcerer is sculpted and broken down has reassured me that my plans are going to be manageable and I really cannot wait to get cracking. I think I should have it modelled in the next two to three weeks.
Right, so first out, sorry for the absence - Have been on holiday in London with a few friends, making the most use of my last few days off! Seems like I've missed a fair bit - glad to see the other thread has sprung up, and it should be great to see what everyone does. I can't quite believe how many amazing things there were to peruse in this thread when I got back yesterday, so here's an attempt at covering as many of the last 5 pages as I can. Sorry if I missed anything big!
@JRN – On the "Random ideas" sketches: It's been said, but I'd kill to have your 'quick sketch' skills as my best drawing ability! Love what you've done to the sorceress the powerpack and arm cannon are a really nice addition, and the mask looks brilliant too. The Servo skull idea is fantastic, incredibly grimdark and characterful. From the sketches it looks like it risks being really close to the original, though - would need a lot to differentiate from the original model, but I'm sure it could look great.
@Baiyuan – Really like the slow reveal of the fluff. I was thinking originally of some kind of psychic null, but now I can't wait to learn more about her connection to her familiar. Really intrigued as to how you'll model her!
@Neil101 – Told you what I thought of your tarot cards in PM – absolutely amazing. Such a fun way to slowly reveal character, and so much depth before you even really know anything! Really enjoyed the fluff – viewing the action from the PoV of some relatable adversaries is an inspired way to deal with mysterious characters. Nice transitions into the story as well. As to the image of Lilitu, just wow.
@Jackanory – Got to admit, I thought of the rabbit from Alice in wonderland too at your first hints, but something tells me that's not the way that you're going anymore! Can’t wait to see what you do: really looking forward to seeing how it differs from my own necromancer Love the sketch – Fantastically intricate.
@HF Izanagi – Oooh, beneficial schizophrenia! Really interesting fluff, and I love the assessment of the humans. Really looking forward to seeing where it’s going – I love the concept sketches!
@PDH – Like Jackanory said, I’m trying really hard to work out which of the characters from your fluff will end up as your character. I was suspecting the inquisitor – an adversary to the one you are currently making in your other thread, perhaps... Now I have no idea though – will have to keep reading!
@Vitruvian – Wow, looking really interesting! Still can’t see exactly where you’re going, but my interest is piqued! Big fan of the mechanicus.
So awesome to see all the different plans with the same models – really interested to see how quickly things will diverge now that we're all picking up our base characters. Got my necromancer this morning!
I've got a tiny bit of an intro to my character, but it's a little vague. Almost didn't post this, but Neil seemed to like it so I thought that I'd share. Feels like I owe you some background after going AWOL...
The sound of gunfire and Curen’s scream woke her with a start. Frantic, she scrabbled for her relic blade, finding no sign of it. She grabbed a rifle beside her, swinging left and right before she’d even taken in where she was. Her blood pumped fire, anger and fear a haze on her vision. She had to protect them! Curen was dead. She knew that. But as she struggled into wakefulness, she could not remember how that information related to her. Curen had been dead a long time. Baby was with her, too. She - she could not correlate that with where she was. Animal gave her a quizzical look, head cocked to the side. He chirruped, startled – she had kicked him as she jumped to her feet. He moved between her legs, seeking forgiveness for whatever his wrong had been. Her eye colours told her nothing, arm magics whirred to no threat. The walls of the watchtower came back to her, her mind slowly returning to the world where she resided. A dream. Nothing more. She felt sadness. She had lost them again.
The memories came at night. Confused, detached, garbled. She had been given a task, once. Important, secret. They had spent many evenings hiding. Curen had been with her, as well as another female, one she recognised as close, but for whom she could draw no name. There had been more, in the before, other friends and faces, but they had been whittled down, one by one. In the old time, Curen and the other had been all that was left. They had been fighting, a fight that they could not afford to lose, and Curen spoke often of death for a cause. What they were doing was important, but she could not remember why.
Her smile, though, the smile of the other, unknown female, snagged at the edge of her memory. It bore some special meaning, one exclusively for her. She had understood, but that slid away from her, even as she fought it – As every morning, her comprehension retreated, meaning receding and the strings that held the images together twisting and breaking, one by one. A truth once known was once again out of her reach. It was infuriating, and brought with it an aching and incomprehensible feeling of emptiness. A feeling of loss. All of her dreams ended in fire.
She scratched Animal’s ear, murmured platitudes. She was sorry that she had kicked him. She remembered now. Guard for the others, her new friends; remain awake and watchful for the bad men. She had failed. Slept. Baby cried now, woken by her night screams. She was sorry for this too, but she must fix her first failing before her second. She scanned the borderlands, eye colours searching deep into the forbidden territory, where her own eye could not see. Farl had explained to her how important her task was, and she mustn’t fail her friends. Not again.
Thank you so much for the kind words on my writing Neil, it really means a lot. Hope the rest of you lot like it, and I'll try to get some of my reference images up before dinner.
I just had my first session with the wizards. I couldn't resist to buy all four, because I have plans for all of them and will sooner or later 40k them all. I also bought a Talos, because the model is kickass, there are tons of bits in it and I might need some for the wizard.
Some impressions and things I realized when messing around with the wizards:
1. First realization, the models are all great and will be a pleasure to work with. I demand GW to produce more future characters in this format.
2. Second thing that caught my eye, actually already at my local GW, the chaos sorcerer is quite a tall lad. Not exactly the hunched weakling psyker. I'd reckon even without his horns he stands a good bit taller than a space marine. Compared to the sorceress, who has a pretty normal size you can see it.
3. Three of four wizards have heads that fit snugly onto the others necks. Excluding the sorceress who has a loose face all others come decapitated and the heads have the same connectors, so one could swap them around without even the smallest amount of conversion. The necromancer's head on the sorcerer looks great!
4. The sorceress is averagely tall, but otherwise really petite. I compared her to DE hagashin and warriors, because I consider borrowing some limbs from them and they look fat compared to her.
Ok first pictures of my conversion. So far I only cut off her arm and drilled out her right shoulder to receive a new arm including the shoulder. I've also tried different bases, 40mm round is too small for what I have in mind, 40mm square is ok, but looks overpopulated, 60mm round is too big. In the end I found a plastic cap from some can I had flying around and it's perfect, just big enough for everything. In the pic with the sorceress and a 40mm round base. And a first preview of her on her primed base. As I said before I'll be keeping most of her and work on top of it.
Also I've decided I'll not be showing you Hope until way into the contest, I want to keep it as a surprise. So expect lots of WIP pics of Samarianne the next few days, but no Hope yet...
Oh one other thing, if by any chance you happen not to have bought a Talos yet, it's terrible, there are basicly no options for the assembly. It only has like 40.000 bitz, what a pity... You'll be seeing a lot of it soon.
Automatically Appended Next Post: P.S. Beowulf bailed out, like I almost expected, too many other projects on the side. He sends his regards though.
Baiyuan - So I assume she will be undercoated by Sunday evening?
Nice review of the models.
You really have made some good progress. for a moment I though that in the penultimate picture she had a mask on. lol
I've just cut the chaos sorcerer off the spure. I'm really happy the armour plates on the legs are attached to the torso, make it easy to remove them. The alien bounty hunter sorry I mean Tzeentch Sorcerer can wait a little longer for its shotgun.
The talos it is beautiful. I plan to pick some parts up from a bits site. By the way what do you mean it has no options for assembly?
My apologies, gentlemen for the lack of response. Work had me testing our new tech for a project bid for about 10 hours straight yesterday. Standing. And then my boss had the nerve to ask me if I could come back to finish something he handed off a little over an hour before we started the testing. I told him to kiss my ... nicely. Something about MBA work.
PDH- I got your message and read your responses. In fact, that was where it came from. The diorama from Nakatan, without knowing the conclusion of that particular story, filled me with a certain revulsion- what if it were me? Or my wife? I'd tear them apart starting with fingers and other small appendages.... It was a play on that, if in fact- face my fears... the what-if if those bastards actually saw that as sport, but what they get is a lean, mean killing machine... with spikey bits and a face only a mother could love... a reversal of roles, so to speak. I don't trip about your particular reaction to it as well... to each their own, and I feel exactly the same way. What comes will be bloody, if I finish it at all. I was almost thinking that would be the end, the diorama a bridge, then the final story after. But perhaps I will stretch it out- a long, drawn out nightmare for the soldiers as their lust for... whatever, sends them screaming.
... we shall see.
Lots of new things too- everyone searching out things for others- thank you for the links to tau guns, the pictures of possible materials for usage.
Unfortunately, when I should be firing up the work on my guy, I'll be doing MORE testing for that slave-driver of a manager of mine, possibly a Monday to Sunday, 8 -6... and possible overtime after that. I grit my teeth and hate him for it, and not at all suprised why my predecessor(S!) left that overbearing d-bag. But I'm in it for a while, and I gotta bite the bullet. Currently skipping my lunch hour at school to say hello to all of you, just to say I'm not missing at all or leaving/offended, in case that's what you guys thought! This is a fantastic group, and we're all bound to be harsh due to experiences and simply level of performances, but that's what makes it great- I have no doubt I'm pushing that model out of fear to perform, but what'll come will be fantastic.
@ Neil- how will I make that guy out of the Tzeentch sorcerer? Legs, torso, lots of cutting (head and arms will be bitz for me, not used)... lots of greenstuff. LOTS of greenstuff. And a helluvalot of luck.
Gentlemen and any possible female readers, I bid you adieu for the day, and hopefully not the week. Just know I'll be watching and cheering, despite lack of response! Apologies, in advance!
-Remi
-EDIT- Peter, my fault- it was you who asked about how to change the sorcerer, not Neil. You're still my friend, Neil, and when I have time, I shall talk to you as well. Peter, see above for how the sorcerer will transform. And adieu again, with a flourish of a cape and dandy spin (commence fruiting)- I need a cigarette and prep time before my next 4 hours of class.
I was the first to get my wizard and I've done barely anything to him! I'm getting a new desk tomorrow so when I've got that I'll be able to actually get cracking properly.
Scarper - it is a picture of sorcerers with an incidental breakfast in shot. The funny thing is someone other than myself disabled the voting on the pic. which is probably for the best you foodies. lol.
Incidental breakfast would be an awesome name for a band.
I'm trying to really push myself here to keep up with you lot - Animal is getting sculpted from scratch, as is Baby. Slow progress, but I'm feeling really inspired!
Trying to find some limbs skinny enough to fit my necromancer is proving troublesome though. How's everyone else doing?
@PDH - Could you enlighten a curious American and tell me what that hockey puck thing is on your plate?
@Baiyuan - I've had my eye on the vestigial limbs from the talos/cronos set. I hope I can get my hands on some without buying the whole kit. I'm liking your model so far!
Scarper wrote:@PDH - Your breakfast picture was on the front page of the Dakka gallery for a while
LMAO, I wish I had seen that.
Got up to the FLGS at the crack of noon. They hadn't even entered in the Storm of Magic stuff into their systems, and apparently, I was the first one to come get anything from the shipment. So I got my sorceress ahead of the people who pre-ordered.
I do wish they had all the stuff out on the shelves so I could have checked out all the stuff close up. Probably better I didn't or I would've bought more stuff than I needed.
I've been messing around with the model a bit and have some very prelimary work done. Legs are probably gonna be changed, and I need those vestigial arms to tinker around with and see what works. Still haven't figured out how I want to build the weapons yet. Although there's a little hint of what the base of the pit slave weapon will be somewhere in the pics.
This is very rough stuff, but I wanted to give ya'll an idea of where I'm going with it.
Got mine i was quite suprised too at how small and delicate she is. I havent managed to do anything yet, maybe tommorow, loving what baiyuan and cadaever have done so far though
@scarper the fluff is still good mate glad you enjoyed the thread uptill now. I think your back in time for the really goodstuff.
@Baiyuan Nice rundown of the minis , you made a good start fella. still teasing though i see your pain engine is a must for all convertors i think and thanks for the chain flail reference ic , i still havent mine off sprue , but thats the first thing i checked too posing looks like she is holding her puppy by the reins.
@Cadaver she looks cool already , is that a skull for her face ? the deamoneette hair choice is a good one i chose that head for one of lilitus harpies . Look forward to seeing how you connect the other weapon arm
neil101 wrote:@Cadaver she looks cool already , is that a skull for her face ? the deamoneette hair choice is a good one i chose that head for one of lilitus harpies . Look forward to seeing how you connect the other weapon arm
Yeah, it's a servo skull, but I'm probably adding a bottom jaw to it. I really wish I had gotten some bits orders in, but most of the desirable bits are out of stock, so I've gotta keep my fingers crossed I can get some good deals on eBay and get them shipped to me quickly. I should be able to get the head completed and do a little greenstuff work in the mean time, and maybe get the base done as well.
Great stuff so far, and its only been a few hours!!
Unfortunately my wizard didnt come (stoopid GW!) and im off to Portugal for 2 weeks in a week, which coupled with the fact im mooving house atm, means i wont be able to do any converting till August So i'll have to content myself with all your awesome work!
Btw, anyone know any good sites online to buy small LEDs and elctrical supplies?
No worries mates, I think everybody is going to be on vacation at some point of the contest. I will, it's just that time of the year.
About the pose: She will not be holding it by the reins, understandable missinterpretation though. Hope is not the kind of puppy one can hold by a leash. I had the perfect arm for that, from a hellion pilot holding to his board by a chqin. So try again, what else could she be doing? Hint: her hand doesn't grab...
Automatically Appended Next Post: I was just browsing the net for smaller left handed power fists (PLEASE tell me if you know any except the one from the elysian seargent), when I came across this picture. Serioulsy, I had no idea the space marines of the "feth off" chapter used the same weapons as their primarch, the Undertaker. Great news, I won't be taking any further part in this contest, I'm off to build my army of feth off marines with double handed power chairs!!!
Cadaver - If you really want to know what that hockey puck is..... click on the pic and read the comments. Just to reassure you it is delicious but sounds revolting (Scarper described it best lmao).
Nice start on the model.
Baiyuan - It's a good job that you're after a left handed power first... I've found the old metal terminator storm shield hand works a treat. It is still big on a human but that is how I imagine power fists to be.
I have plenty of those actually, but to be more precise I do not just need a small left power fist, I also want a rather delicate design, and more importantly it needs to be opened, not clenched.
Without reading the comments on the pics, may I guess it's black pudding? Some british friends who lived in Germany kept complaining about the terrible german breakfast, while the whole world knows it's actually the br...
I checked my boxes but no joy :( why is it you see something so often when you don't want it but when you do it gets lost in the void?!
Sorry mate. Fingers crossed for you.
so heres my 1st update , managed to get some blutack work done today , i tried out a few styles but think i have setteld on my orginal plan.
1st try out
Spoiler:
[img]
Spoiler:
Spoiler:
the legs of the deamonetet work very well with her as do most of the heads imo. i really like this pose but felt she was not the succubus i had immagined , so she is scrapped , unless i get another mini
i then tried making the one i really wanted
Spoiler:
ended up with this for now . tried swapping out different staffs , but the origan looked too small , now she is higher.
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Spoiler:
So lots of work to do on getting the deldar arms smaller ,sculpting the hair/snakes and a new right arm , fortunately the staff has a hand over all iam happy with this pose over my new idea, as i think she is more feminine this way .but i do miss that face mask thing .see ya later guys
PDH wrote:
Cadaver - If you really want to know what that hockey puck is..... click on the pic and read the comments. Just to reassure you it is delicious but sounds revolting (Scarper described it best lmao).
Nice start on the model.
Ahhh, should have guessed it was a blood sausage.
Baiyuan wrote:Seems like a viable option, unfortunately there are none on ebay.
Not so fast! Probably enough here to last a lifetime.
Cadaver thanks for your Search-Fu, could be a bit too much though. I'll think about it, I had an eye at a couple of those weapons anyway... hhm.
Neil I'll send you a pm should I decide not to buy that pack of bits and that I really need it anyway. I'll go through my catalogues first, maybe I haven't thought of something.
About your conversion looks like you're almost done. I amazes me again and again how quickly you work. The pose is great, the base is great and once your done with the fine tuning it will be GD worthy. Cadaver is right though, the head sucks... the bad way.
Neil, that is unreal. Fantastic work! The daemonette legs were a masterstroke - would not have thought of that in a million years. Awesome!
Cadaver, I love how yours is changing too, I've got a great image in my head of how she may end up. This is so exciting!
Automatically Appended Next Post: As a kind of counterpoint to Neil's, here's my staggering achievements so far. Likely to be more confusing than enlightening, but there you go
I've had a busy evening!
Guess I haven't changed a lot from the original model but I really like the base model so there you go. Starting to reveal a lot of him I guess but maybe not who he actually is yet...
Cadaver, I love how yours is changing too, I've got a great image in my head of how she may end up. This is so exciting!
Thanks, it's still very early as I mentioned, but I have a pretty clear vision for the model. Just paid out the ass for Talos vestigial arms on eBay, but hey, I need them quick and can't wait around for a good deal. I expect major progress once those arrive.
I'm interested to see where you go with yours. I'm liking the amount of sculpting you seem to have planned.
No worries Jack, the fact that you only change things on the surface isn't half bad. I said it some time ago, the necromancer doesn't allow for as substantial alterations as the others imo, but when you're changes seem superficial, yet change the appearance fundamentally, that can be one of the most impressive conversions. (See Peter's Ikit Claw Magos)
Scarper- I'm very confused....have you sculpted your figure from scratch?.....or is that funny lighting making it all look green? I rather like the pistol and shotgun base
Cadaver - Mmmmm blood sausage. I like the servo skull face and the choice of hair is spot on.
neil101 - What have you used for the base sides? She looks good and the daemonette head you have used is fine, she aint pretty but that should really be the point.
jackanory - I like the random odds and ends hanging off the staff. I'm really looking forward the changes you're going to be making to the face. Are you planning on changing the hand holding the skull?
Baiyuan- Cheers...but lets not talk about Magos Spur...he needs hazard stripes
@Jackanory - is that an oxygen tank taped to the bottom of his staff? That's ace! Love all the dangling gubbins too - looking forward to seeing how you change up the left arm
@Cadaver - Thanks! I think I might be being a little over-ambitious, but I'll just have to see how it goes.
@PDH - Most of it is probably just the lighting. The spiky bit on the right is the necromancer's collar (to be borrowed by Animal), and the body in the centre is the necromancer himself, he's just lying on his front to confuse any would-be attackers Most of the rest is GS and grey stuff, though at a (very!) early stage. Hopefully it'll all become clearer as I go on. Glad you like where the weapons are headed though!
@ csarper , itoo trhought you had sculpted your model from green stuff , lol the guns look kewl! loving the tommy gun style one. and that collar is rather nice too.
@Jackanory nice to see your progress too matey , his staff now reminds me of a dream catcher , its very charming and trinkity ( is that a word ) is see you have made a oxygen bottle at the base of the staff . now that is fething wicked , and i can see the tube go to his nose , sucha cool idea , well done matey
@everyone , cheers guys , i have tried out a head swap and she looks pretty hot now :-) but it has its own issues though , will post a pic later for comparrsions, also used the smaller staff and got rid of one of her arms , she looks more feminie but a lot less demonic, :-/?
@ PDH i use the bastion kit las cannon sponson, and chopped of the stabelisers not mine btw
And neil....yowza. The sheer amount of chopping and changing in such sort time is insane! Makes me feel guilty in the other thread that mine's somewhat minimalist!
re. The oxygen tank. This guy's really not been looking after himself these last few years. He's got more important things on his mind!
@Peter: The left hand is possibly going to be the most important part of this model. I spent ages trying to work on it last night but it just wouldn't click for some reason!
@Scarper: I'm intrigued by yours. Seems like he's going to have a lot of kit! Some nice scratchbuilt guns there.
It's probably going to be a while before I make any more progress with my wizard. There's a Malifaux escalation league at the FLGS so I need to paint my crew before I can do anything substantial to anything else! :(
Oh, and another thing. I recommend heading over to Panic's wizard thread if you haven't already. There's some cool stuff going down there.
@neil: Superb mate, great feel to that model, just an epic pose. I love the bastion kits as well, so many great bits on the "accessory" frame.
@Scarper: Interesting, how do you get such clean angles on your sculpting!
@Jack: Hmmm, very interesting. Love the "fetish" pole, and very interested to see where you go from here! O2 tank is cool too
On a side note, my wizard arrived, and you guys weren't lying she is a frail little thing, definitely workable though! I just have to fight off the urge to open it and start ripping things apart before i go on holiday!
@ Jackanory, neil101, and Cadaver: Great starts gentlemen. The skull-face on a female body always works wonders. The staff of the ex-necromancer looks promising already, and the daemonette-conversion using the DE-sorcerer looks great already!
For my own project(s) I have the time against me for the next few weeks but I will follow the progress for all the projects in here until I can get into business myself.
) of ours.
I'm not worthy, but could I sign up as well?
I reckon we get them to beg for anything other than the base model 
**WANT SOME CANDY?** 
for the project.
Soul crushing garbage, man, but I can't knock the buying power...
