Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

There is absolutely no question at all.

aii & 1, though I must admit b sounds really good too.

I've loved watching your huge terrain projects... but I'm really jonesin' for small, single model bits of your brilliance. I used to do them a lot too and don't really anymore (not appropriate for Bushido), so I miss them. Would love to see you attack some of these yourself.

Well, you'd think I'd plump for the cybork - lots of legs, bioniks etc, but the two ideas I like the most there are flying kroot and a landship ravager. Flying kroot just sounds fun, and a dark eldar ship marauding the wastelands sounds excellent.

Oh, new page for a fresh start eh?
Quoted for ease of seeing...

Dr H wrote:Not soon-ish enough, but the next thing to happen will happen here.

But what to do?

I want a large and a small project.
I would like your opinions
A single comment may swing my choice, this is not a vote. I may well just ignore you all.

It's late at night, it's the weekend, and this blog has been quiet for a long time... I don't expect many replies to this anyway.

Small project options in no particular order:
a) Kroot combined with either Ork or 'nid bits.
aii) Or a flying Kroot.
b) Hormagaunt converted to a scorpion-like.
c) Ork with transplanted mass of 4-6 mechanical legs.
d) Brutal / scary / bestial Ork (they are often seen as comic relief, I want to create one that is scary)
e) The Victoria Miniatures female flag bearer mini'. (few mods, but a nice paintjob).

Large projects (all to be heavily modified as per previous vehicles here):
1) Ghost ark modified to be a floating factory.
2) Dark Eldar Ravager to be a land-ship sort of thing.
3) Ork truck... no plans, but modified.

Your thoughts gratefully received on this matter and then the work can proceed...
Stay tuned.

Thanks for the quick responses, Gits' and MT.
Both of you liking the flying Kroot idea. Well there's a turn up for the books.
The Kroot ideas are all stemming from the incorporation of DNA thing that they do. Coupled with The Scientist's knowledge to speed things along, this would be a Kroot that has evolved wings. My question for this one was "how would it handle weapons if it's arms became wings?" We will find out together.

Can't remember where the scorpion-nid came from, but I think it is intended to make use of the talons to create the pincers. And then replace the legs with many scorpion legs.

Yeah Gits', it's been a while since I've had the chance to really have a go at a troop-sized mini '. Just can't afford the time when it's for something to sell (hence only being left for things like the Helbrute and Drone tripod).

And the Ghost Ark factory for you?! With The Scientist breathing his special kind of special on it, why just pick up broken Necrons, why not a mobile factory of more minions. Picking up whatever is laying about the battlefield and sticking it together into something new. Why wait to get back to the lab?
Maybe the floating pyramid thing would be better mechanically for the gameplay implications, I'll need to have another look at what a ghost ark actually does to see how I can twist it to my needs... But visually, think of a cross between a garage, science lab' and an operating theatre, that floats across the battlefield...

MT, the cybork will happen one day anyway (as will all these ideas).
The ravager will, of course, make use of your old-skool piece you sent me for the Predator's dozer-blade and wasn't used.
And I'm seeing it still floating, a bit, and now skimming the ground (mostly so I don't have to use a flying stand), churning up said ground. What other modifications I make to it, I don't know as yet. It'll remain a Ravager, in game, but with added (Mad).

Any further ideas/thoughts from anyone still welcome.

Love where you mind is going on all these projects.

Waaagh. That is all.

Ta Gits'. Many of these are old ideas that have sat on my "list", ready and waiting. Some have been so long that I barely remember what I was planning.
Things will be fleshed out as it happens. But yes, some research is required on some points just for memory's sake if nothing else.

Graven' calls for Waaaagh. What Orkses do I have there?

Due to Ork physiology they receive robo-transplants well, so why not some robo-legs. But why just a boring pair of legs when you can have a mass of skittering spider-like robo-legs? I believe this is due (again I can barely remember how these multipart kits go together, it's been so long) to kits having more bodies than legs, so I need to scratch-build some legs to make use of all the bodies.

And, as mentioned there, I want to create an Ork mini' that cannot be confused for comic relief. How I will accomplish this, I do not know.
Some added sculpting to beef him up a bit, and careful posing, equipment choices and basing. Anyone know of good examples of "scary" Orks?

And the truck.
I have the kit, and not build a (mostly) Ork vehicle. I do plan to create proper suspension (I have a lot of springs not doing much at the mo), and just to have fun building a unique Ork truck (definitely can't have something like this in my army and it resemble anything that has gone before). What it includes, depends on what I find in my stash.

Keep the thoughts coming.

I decided to start getting bits ready for the flying kroot and just so happened to pull out some parts for the Ork Nob... naturally that's what I started with.

Bits pulled out for him,

First modification to the axe; added blade and Eldar battery.

Had to get this arm on first to start preparing the pose.


Legs are the next job.

I do have the basic bits out for the kroot and I have some ideas of how some of it may progress.

Nice chopper

Thanks Graven'. There may be more to do on it yet, but that's the little details for later.

Y'know, the left leg may be fine as it is.
Maybe a slight twist, but that will depend on the eventual position of the right leg.

Charging pose with that leg raised as it is here:


Time to cut up the right leg and stick it back together.

important to make sure you have the right choppa....

As you're 're-posing legs I'm assuming this is 'scary' ork?

Choppa's gotta feel "choppy"

Yarp, MT, Scary spi.. Ork.

There will not be any spice girls references on this mini'.
Although I won't rule out creating the rest of the group at a later date. I would be surprised if this hasn't been done before though.

Right leg required the hip and ankle cut.
The hip was completely cut off and has been rotated and straightened under the body.
The ankle was only partially cut through and just straightened to get the foot flat on the ground.
Using my usual prism/block of plastic to attach, with putty later, method.

Vis...


And then the right arm required a right arm (as the klaw is on a left arm).
That arm was cut above the bicep and rotated outward, and a block of plastic was used to bring the arm out farther.


Now that's the pose, but it's not done yet.
The face will (hopefully) make the model, and will be modified to be screaming and look really angry. Will see if I can do this.
And the arms, at least, will be bulked up to create an imposing figure worthy of this pose.
Various small details to give a story,
And the paint should bring it home...

And while filling gaps I had enough putty for the extra muscle.

Beefcake!


Striking silhouette, I think.
Will likely bulk up the trapezius as I add the head.

Now to modify that head...

Nice work on the bulking up!

Very impressive, and it's interesting watching the prism method in action.

Thanks MT. Lots of weights and protein.

Thanks Graven'. Ja, I felt that it's been a while since I've shown this method off.

This week I've mostly been isolating:



Didn't have a chance to go in blind (I've watched "let's play" videos before), but still an intense experience, especially on Hard difficulty. Well recommended.

Anyway, you're here for models.

Head modified.


Was tricky to get the jaw back on, probably would have been easier to stick the top of the head onto the body first and then sculpt the jaw back on: would have given a solid base to work from. But it's done now and will hopefully look good once painted.

Details added.

Decided against some of the things. Spiky shoulder pads didn't really fit, physically and aesthetically.
And the metal jaw piece, I wasn't really happy with how/where it attached.

But I did add some skulls. It appears this chap is a skull-taker.



Can't really see much more room for more details, so just need to construct a basing for him and it's on to painting...

Big, charging ork monstrosity? Check.

He looks a very angry chap. Quite rightly. I think he needs to be angled forward ever so slightly though, he's a bit... skippy. I mean I like taking skulls as much as the next guy

Thanks MT.

Thanks Graven'. It may be a combination of blu-tack and camera angle that did it. He should be leaning slightly forward, we will see when I attach him to a base...

...Oh look, I attached him to a base.

I dd try to make sure he was leaning forward, but can't go too far and the front foot almost looks like it touches the ground, so it is only slight (see the boss pole). Photo angle can make a difference and I took a few to get these; I'll have to keep this in mind for final shots.

Added some hob-nails to the front foot and some (but not all) plant-life to the base. Not a lot more I can add to a small base (I had thought a Nob may get a larger base than the basic troop), but going for a "rushing through the grass" look.
Did add some mud to the soles of his boots after these photos, but you'll see that once primed.

Now about this kroot...

That's coming along swimmingly!

Nicely done Love the idea of rushing through the grass.

Thanks Gits' and MT. Yeah, I've been getting vibes of the Mantis warrior I built for Gits' competition, but I didn't want to go quite so OTT with the plants for this one.

As I said, time for the Kroot you asked for...

How to solve a problem like holding a weapon when your hands have evolved into wings...?

Pictured below are the various stages.
I picked the most boring set of legs as I knew I'd be chopping them up.
And I picked the gun for how close the hands were. I nearly chose the one with just one hand, but "felt" this one more.
4 cuts for the right leg and 3 for the left.

First, cut off the arm from the gun, at the wrist (handy wrapping there to hide the join).
Also, cut off the right foot. Technically, just the toes, cutting the foot in half: The "backwards knee" that you see in animals and beasts is actually the ankle and the long final length of leg is the foot.
Glue what remains of the foot into the wrist.

Then cut at the knee and remove some material to bend the leg up a bit (and add a bit of inwards twist).
And cut the ankle and bend that up as well.
This is to bring the second hand in reach of the left leg.

As with the knee and ankle, cut at the hip and remove enough material to bring the gun up and in so that the left leg is possible.
Notice the change in angle of the hip/waist piece.
Also cut off the other leg to gauge the position (and because the foot was actually getting in the way at this point).

Cut the hip of the left leg to angle it outwards and line up with the left hand.
Also cut above the ankle and rotate inwards slightly to line up with the wrist.
Leave a gap as the hand here has less arm attached (it's from below the wrapping), so some extra foot is needed to be sculpted.

Add putty to fill the many gaps and sand down to taste...


Now to think about how the body is going to be posed...

Sometimes the old hand-foot swap is just what the doctor ordered.

Yeppers... very clever.

Thanks chaps. There's no telling how these things will turn out until you try them.
Any awkwardness will be hidden with feathers.

Next stage was attaching the body and head.

With the way the legs worked out, the stock body position would have had the gun lowered.
This is not a problem as I could use it as part of the flight stand as it drags through a bush.
But it was close enough to horizontal that a minor adjustment would mean it could be aiming...

Rather than a simple wedge for this job, I elected for layers of plasticard. Needed 3 layers in the end, each slightly smaller.

Body was positioned and the head attached.


As it says, time to research some wings.
I have some "how to draw wings" tutorials that I came across on Twitter a while ago which should prove useful.
Then I'll hate myself for needing to sculpt a ton a feathers...
But I look forward to deciding what colour to paint the feathers.
And then hating myself for picking some ridiculous and difficult colour scheme...

Ooh, it's gone all Sebulba.

My advice (depending on exactly how you plan to go about things): don't fret about marking out every barbule on every feather, not at this scale. And take advantage of the nice, neat rows that wing feathers are laid out in.

Love the foot adaption to firing the gun. Frees up the arms for flapping.

To be honest, with the feathers on these guys being more like barbs anyways, half wonder if you could build more bat style wings, possibly with some heat bent plasticard for membrane, then just style them with the stub bits...

Flying Kroot is looking ace already!

Thanks Vermis. Yes, I should have thought of Sebulba when describing my plan.
Yeah, makes sense. It will certainly be the "idea" of a wing made of feathers, rather than sculpting a wing made of feathers. I will, no doubt, get carried away and try and sculpt in ALL the details... because that's how I do.

Thanks Theo'. Ja, birds have been doing it for a while, why re-invent the concept?!

Thanks Veiut. The idea for this chap is that he's further along with evolving to flying, and hence evolving feathers (the barbs being primitive feathers after all). With the Kroot nature of incorporating foreign DNA and being force-fed feathered birds of some kind. I may also do a bat-winged version at a later date.
I may use some card as a base to sculpt upon though.

Thanks aku'.

Research done, wing style decided upon, plan for going forth ... roughly thought on...

Frame added to get an idea of where the "arms" are and the leading edge of the wing.
"paint"-job to show rough outline of eventual wings in relation to frame.

I may even drape some tissue over the frame to create the base for sculpting, that may be easier than fitting a piece of card to it. I've done that before for robes, it's basically the same thing, just feather-shaped.