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Update <st1:date month="8" day="28" year="2007">8/28/2007</st1:date>

 

Okay, we’ve had a lot of requests for separate rider’s legs for those who’d like to use other mounts, like horses, dinosaurs, etc., so I’m happy to announce that we will be offering those as well.  So, there are now two ways to join in on this project.  The regular way, as described below, and rider-only, which will net you ten sets of riders legs and shock lances which can be used on other mounts.  The price is the same either way, and both include shipping.  Make sure to be specific about which door you want to use when joining the project.

 

So, if you want to go that route, send me a PM.

Now that the Female Imperial Guard project has come to a successfull conclusion, my club and I have set our sights on a new project.  We want to gather together a group of Imperial Guard players, pool our resources, hire a sculptor, and make some really nice Cadian Rough Riders for ourselves.

Rought Riders are one of the best and cheapest (points-wise) counter-assault units the Imperial Guard have available to them, but most players are turned off by the models, so we're going to make them ourselves.

Big BIG thanks to kugelblitz who created the concept art and worked out the design.  What's brilliant about this design is that they can be used as regular rough riders, but have enough armor that players could also field them with the rules for carapace armor if they want to without having to convert the models.  Alternately, players could also use these with the rules for xenos cavalry, but the way the model is designed they won't have to unless they want to.

The project calls for the riders legs to be sculpted as part of the mount, so players can use any torsos they want to when building the model, so it will be compatable with all types of Guard armies, like catachan, Death Korps, Pretorian, Mordian, Tallern, etc.

This creature is based on the Moa, an extinct eleven feet tall creature native to New Zealand.
The Moa is very similar to a Veloci-Raptor, both in silouette, speed, ferocity, and intelligence, but it is unusual in that is has no arms/wings, not even little ones. Moa were very strong, able to break through a man's skull or snap a man in half with their lightning fast beaks as effortlessly as popping a balloon. The Moa has been the inspiration for other Sci-Fi creatures you might be familiar with in movies like Wizards, Naausica, Final Fantasy, and some Star Wars critters.

The shocklance would be an equivilant weapon that would use the same rules as a hunting lance.

Here are the parts that will be sculpted:
Moa head and neck (so that it can be positioned when assembled)
Moa body with rider's legs attached.
Two sets of Moa legs (one walking one standing)
Shocklance arm and tip. (A piece of brass tubing will be necessary to make the shaft)

Here's our concept art:

Send me a PM if you want to join in.  The deadline to join the project is September 30th, at which time sculpting will begin.  When casting is done, models will be sent out to people in the order that they joined in, so the sooner you join, the sooner you'll get your models.  The buy-in price is $50.00, which will include the cost of shipping the models out to you once they are done.  Each person who joins in will get 6 sets for each $50.00 they put towards the project(mount body, mount head and neck, mount legs, and rider arm with shocklance)

I would much rather see a simple pair of parts. The shock lance arm and a pair of Cadian riding legs to fit an ordinary GW horse. Its only one 'extra' part from what you are doing. It will pay to accomodate this option even if you go ahead with the Moas.

You could sell packs of ten shock lances and ten riding legs for a modest sum.

Posted By Orlanth on 08/23/2007 4:49 PM
I would much rather see a simple pair of parts. The shock lance arm and a pair of Cadian riding legs to fit an ordinary GW horse. Its only one 'extra' part from what you are doing. It will pay to accomodate this option even if you go ahead with the Moas.

You could sell packs of ten shock lances and ten riding legs for a modest sum.

That's a good idea.  A really good idea.  If enough people would be interested in just getting some legs and shock-lances, then I think we could definately do that.

 

Let me turn the question to the public.  If you'd be interested in lances and legs without the mount, say so in this thread.  The number of responses will give me an idea of how many people might be interested in that option.

Love the bird, but I think it would go over better if you went just that little bit further with it, and offered a whole model.

Add in the second arm and a generic head and torso and you could have a rather interesting model. If the torso is a seperate piece, and the arms generic enough (I'd go with just Catachan-style bare arms, which would still look fine on Cadian Rough Riders) Cadian torsos could still be swapped in by those who specifically want Cadian RRs.

That would also leave you with a rider who could be used with further variant mounts later on...

i would be much more interested in just the arm/leg combo than the bird mount.

I missed out on the Cadian Females ( cause I reacted to slow ).....while these Rough Riders would be interesting for my Inquisitorial Stormtroopers, I may have to pass. The idea however is very very good.

I wonder if I might be cheeky, and ask who you are going to source for the sculpting. I recently hired the services of Scibor and I was blown away with the quality. I am looking to do a unit of "improved scale" Grey Knight ( Power Armour and Terminators ), maybe you would be interested in this project....however failing that, if you could let me know of any sculptors who would be willing to help out then I would appreciate it!

Kind regards
Delephont

While the mount is fascinating, I"m less interested in that than a rider. Specifically, a Cadian that CLEARLY is cavalry, rather than a modified Shock Trooper.
What does that mean to me?
1. Different legs, obviously, but ones with riding boots rather than spats over combat boots, and no pockets
2. Different headgear; either modified helmets or the occasional cap/slouch hat etc.
3. 2 arms, one with lance and the other meant to be holding reigns of some kind.

So: interested but that's where I'm looking!

Posted By Delephont on 08/23/2007 5:47 PM
I wonder if I might be cheeky, and ask who you are going to source for the sculpting. I recently hired the services of Scibor and I was blown away with the quality. I am looking to do a unit of "improved scale" Grey Knight ( Power Armour and Terminators ), maybe you would be interested in this project....however failing that, if you could let me know of any sculptors who would be willing to help out then I would appreciate it!

I have also been very impressed by Scribor's work.  I am a long-time fan of Insaniak's work, as well, if you haven't already approached him.  I'll pm you some sculptors that I think might be good for your project.

 

Love the bird, but I think it would go over better if you went just that little bit further with it, and offered a whole model.

 

I think that's a good idea.  If we have enough people join up, it would be easy to do that.

Thanks....I'd appreciate all the help I can get!

I vote for set of legs and arms and possibly hand weapon (chainsword, saber, powersword..ect) arms iin various poses. Heads would be nice.

Can you do whole models under the terms of the agreement? After all each female cadian is essentially a 'conversion' made with resin extras to GW parts.

Posted By Orlanth on 08/23/2007 6:08 PM
Can you do whole models under the terms of the agreement? After all each female cadian is essentially a 'conversion' made with resin extras to GW parts.

As long as we don't try to sell them on ebay or bartertown afterwards, we're fine.

 

Hey syr8766, rryannn, and orlanth, what about something like this design for the rider legs?

 

Not a fan of the armour plates on the boots, but otherwise that's perfect.

Posted By insaniak on 08/23/2007 6:53 PM
Not a fan of the armour plates on the boots, but otherwise that's perfect.

Well, we're still a ways off from sculpting, so if you have an idea for a different design for the leg armor, I'd love to see it. 

Honestly, I don't think they really need any.

The absolute most I'd go for would be pads/plates on the outside front of the thighs.

I would see bird-riders as being by necessity (given the relatively fragile nature of a bird's skeletal structure) relatively lightly-armoured. You can add all sorts of appropriately scifantasy explanations for heavy armoured troops (the birds are genetically spliced/have their skeletons reinforced with adamantium/are magic/bask in the light of the Emperor and stop questioning things, Heretic!) but they're just not going to 'look' quite right.

So I'd go for unarmoured legs, and no shoulder pads, with just a flak jacket and maybe a helmet (although I like the Slouch hat suggestion as well).

Chocobo riders?

I may be interested in buying some of your chocobos for my Bret army. I don't know why.

Malfred!

I'd also buy some (or chip in to the fund).

Not a big fan of the bird, but would love the torso and lance idea for Praetorian conversions

I understand there are casting challenges working with resin. Can you let us know what is being done differently with the casting, this time around?

i would be very interested in legs and arms. and i think the bird looks cool as well

Original Rough Riders were just Shock Troopers on a horse with a lance. I'd be interested in legs (dosen't matter if they're the same as ST or a little different, but sculpted to fit the standard non-barded GW horse), lance, lance-arm and arm for holding reigns. I'd just be up for parts to convert the basic Shock Trooper.

I like the idea of the bird, but as a seperate model, perhaps for fantasy/pulp.

Honestly, I recommend looking at pictures of riders, both jockeys and military riders. The armor plates make for great Warmachine bits but don't seem practical for mounted troops, even in the 41st century.  You don't want your boots to get caught up on your gear, especially if you need to quick dismount or get thrown from the saddle (better to get thrown clear than dragged/trampled).

Some images of riders:
Jockey
WWI Cavalry

While I'm no military expert, especially not on cavalry.....perhaps some are missing the point of this...the discussion of "what a real rider would or wouldn't wear" is a bit redundant....I mean, we're discussing WH40K, you know, BIG guns, Space Marines....I mean these guys are riding birds for goodness sake....whats reality got to do with it?!?!

If we were going to discuss the actual practicality of the concepts of WH40K there'd be nothing left.

Chocobo what?



Also I'd like to add AAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGG
I got caught up in class work and completely forgot about the female IG.
Now I am sad :broken heart:

Edit:  I missed the second page.  I like the idea, much like the wacky mounts that the Tallarn got from FW.  I would proudly charge my birds o'er the field, assuming the sculpts look ok.  Also, I think you should make another run of the female guard just for me.  Or not, I'm just sayin'

While I find the work so far to be excellent in quality.... I just wonder how well they will fit in with the rest of the army aesthetically? Other than the Catachans, that I haven't seen anybody admit to having in a few years, all the current Guard stuff seems to be going toward more of a mechanized modern look. I can see a lot of areas that this idea would work great, just not as Cadians.

Heck, one of the only reasons the Krieg horses worked out is because the whole army has a very Imperial Germany feel to it, and the whole set of them wouldn't really be too out of place in Flanders in 1917.

-Hans

I like the mount design but I do not think I would use it with the style I have planned for my IG. I would definately like just rider parts, so count me in on that.

For a Cadian on a GW horse, my wish list for resin pieces would be:

- Cadian Legs and Saddle piece, maybe pistol holster included

- Cadian Arm w/ Lance

- Cadian Arm holding reigns

- Horse Head, with at a minimum some sort of eye protection

Another suggestion: take a look at the old Target Games (Excelsior) Bauhaus Venusian Cavalry. They also have greaves as you designed but in a different fasion. They also have kepis. =)

I'd be interested in the torsos and lance arms for sure.

Any way of making the mounts robotic, or having wings for flight?

Flying calvery would be cool. ( jetbike rules)