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The crew are more low tech in my mind, a kind of rabble of space brigands with no particular uniform, while the officers can afford a great coat naval aesthetic, each according to their own taste, sort of like 19th century south american elites. There are some parts I really like from the WGF native americans, like this guy:



Gun shaped clubs seem like a totally reasonable thing to me in 40K. But if you can't mix and match the parts, you wind up with miniatures with two different "factions" in the same unit. The africans have some european style clothing mixed in which makes them fit a bit better with the officers, while the indians would have a totally different aesthetic. Gasmasked heads make anything 40K of course, and I have access to both the WGF ones and the old Warzone ones, which are quite small and should fit "true" 28mm well. Of course, I missed Foundry's new years sale, so who knows when I will get the crew done. Empire flagellents would really help out with the bits situation. If I do pilgrims they would be the starting point.

Of course, nobody can beat these guys for native americans IN SPACE from mega minis - always sad I didn't buy them and now I think they've vanished.



Top hat guy would be perfect for the crew.

While looking for those, I found these:



Some kind of Ratskin figures, but the page is in Spanish. I do like them though.

In the meantime, here's Captain Dan Gebwe - I want to add an aquila or two to bring out the crazy "worshipping chaos and the emperor at the same time" thing. I was going mostly for a rasta feel with him.





Another officer - from the Toughest Girls in the Galaxy. I got a few, but decided to split them up to various projects rather than keeping them as a unit. She doesn't fit the feel very well - I may try to sculpt a short naval jacket onto her.

I've finished the Brethren, or at least the first five. I've decided that in addition to removing bodies and sterilyzing the area in event of a disease outbreak, they are also first responders to fire and other emergencies. They're a secret society which is why they wear masks (as well as offering some respiratory protection). Their priorities are quiet a bit different than 21st century earth first responders of course, which is why their identities are secret - you have to be a child of a member of a society or invited to join. You don't want them triaging you, and they set fires too when it's warranted. They are also capable militia squads, since they can with, a relatively simple machine spirit ritual, convert their sprayers from disinfectant and fire fighting foam to spewing flames or acid. They also have a strong esprit d'corps and a fair amount of guts. I'm going to do a couple with axes and helmets (full turnout gear for fire for higher ranked members), and also a couple ragged and subservient ratlings who will be converted from night goblins.





With them is Vladimir Dax and his Horse, Skotha. Dax was a 35mm breed, a borderline abhuman, but he was able to join the PDF where with other 35s he served as in special flame platoon. Unfortunately, he injured his back and was not considered worth while for bionics or advanced treatment. Unable to carry the heavy tanks, he was mustered out and faced a bleak fate. However, using his savings he purchased a horse and used his knowledge of the rituals of pressure to construct a sprayer rig. In the summer he drenches the agri-flats with pesticides, at other times he sprays fire retardant or disinfectant, or hoses down the rare street disturbance. Alas, Skotha is growing older, and though Dax has tried to protect himself and his horse from the chemicals he sprays with cloth wrapping and purity rituals, they are taking their toll. He hopes to be invited to join the Brethren for the stipend, and has even dared to start using some of their yellow and grey heraldry along with his tattered PDF coat, but it is unlikely they would take a 35, who are considered clumsy and untrustworthy.

Lovely models and fluff.

If you really want the Mega Minis/Shock Force guys try dropping the owner a line, I'm sure he has some available even if he's not doing retail at the moment.

Very cool stuff as ever. Real shame those native Americans in space are no longer available, they're pretty interesting models.

EDC

 kestral wrote:
I've finished the Brethren, or at least the first five. I've decided that in addition to removing bodies and sterilyzing the area in event of a disease outbreak, they are also first responders to fire and other emergencies. They're a secret society which is why they wear masks (as well as offering some respiratory protection). Their priorities are quiet a bit different than 21st century earth first responders of course, which is why their identities are secret - you have to be a child of a member of a society or invited to join. You don't want them triaging you, and they set fires too when it's warranted. They are also capable militia squads, since they can with, a relatively simple machine spirit ritual, convert their sprayers from disinfectant and fire fighting foam to spewing flames or acid. They also have a strong esprit d'corps and a fair amount of guts. I'm going to do a couple with axes and helmets (full turnout gear for fire for higher ranked members), and also a couple ragged and subservient ratlings who will be converted from night goblins.

Man with fluff like that you really want to make my buy these.

Or maybe the ones with the hats.

I've decided against buying more because I hate duplicate figures, but I am going to keep my eye out for models in the right kind of cape. After all, the beak is easy to greenstuff.

In the meantime, here is a rather random project: The Chronument. As noted in "The Star Pilgrim's Guide to Pentegrad", the Chronuments are mechanisms constructed in the form of imperial heroes that rotate slowly through the day, their sword pointing to parchments indicating to the citizenry the appointed hour of their labor, prayer, and rest. Children are taught that the Chronuments will come alive to protect or punish them at need. Indeed, there are advanced mechanisms concealed within the statue, they are known to change their position, and their eyes are seen to glow. The parchments are changed at need, on festival days, or when the populace is called to labor more than the customary 12 hours daily, which is often.





Built from a kitchen timer, the Chronument actually rotates and you can see the gears moving. Sadly, it also means there wasn't any good way to change the colors of the gears from white. On the plus side, you can keep track of time in your games with it.


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I find that Agrax over top of the Nihlac oxide cuts down on the "blue" to a reasonable level and makes it look a little more green.

 kestral wrote:
While looking for those, I found these:



Some kind of Ratskin figures, but the page is in Spanish. I do like them though.

Those are Ratskins - released by Specialist Games for Necromunda Underhive. OOP now, though.

I like Vladimir, too; It's been a long time since I saw a Chem-grunt.

Vor the Maelstrum had some good stuff going. I'm sorry they never did the full range of undead space mummies. I liked the art and concept on those. Pharon, IIRC.

Been working on terrain a little bit. Also Insurgency Walker gave me a fine new piece of construction equipment - I'm going to do it up as the centerpiece of the Earth moving Fleet. I need a cool name... Maximus? Imperiator Labro? Munitoria Terragran? Lady Ferrus?







Let us now consider the mutant labor gangs who do the dragging of stone, pick axe work and such. The bottom of the barrel, they can hope for little in their short wretched lives before being sent to the fertilzation plant. They are a fairly consistent strain, who are selectively bred for endurance, fecundity, and low intelligence by unscrupulous munitorium masters. Unlike more variable mutants (perhaps chaotic) who are likely to have pure relatives and at least some pity, they are truly hopeless. Few imperials like to think about them, though when their desperate, brutal rebellions break out, the violence is terrifying...

They have a lot of applicability for wargaming, so I want to do some. They have to be cheap, easy to paint, and not TOO mutated - the more wild variations are cool, but too chaotic. At at the moment I'm leaning towards the LOTR goblins, though I'm not sure about the scale. Give them some tools and grimdark bits, and I think they could do very nicely.









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Probably should round the ears.

I'm really liking your "first responders". I'm curious to see how the LOTR goblins turn out. I have a suspicion that they might look a wee bit delicate compared to regular 40K models.

I really appreciate other people who think about the background of 40K. Your stuff feels very 1st edition Rogue Trader to me, and that's one of the highest compliments I can give. SUB-scribed.

Why thank you! I imagine the early days of 40K as a time when people found clever ways to make a galaxy where all their miniatures could fit in. I know of rouge trader only as a legendary time when skimmers were made out of deodorant containers, but I love building my own stuff, and the scratchbuilding and converting I saw in early white dwarf issues were my inspiration to get into the hobby in a big way. I also always like to think about the whole picture - in a period movie, its the details of street scenes and extras that I often find more absorbing than the main plot.

Here's Og the Ratling. Og carries the Brethren's banner to proclaim their heraldry, but he also has the less pleasant duty of directing traffic using his light wand. Many Ratlings have perished in this role, but there will be another of Og's family to take up the mask and tattered robe if that time comes.











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WIP of course.


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Naturally, Og needs some traffic to Direct. This car actually belongs to Insurgency Walker, but I'm painting it, so I thought I'd show it here. Its the new inquisitor car. It has a great deal of homage to the original genestealer cult limo conversions, so I started out painting it purple, but then decided to focus on metallics and gloss black. It is a solid model, though there are some odd asymmetries from left to right - odd in what I assume is a computer 3-D model. The cast is very nice though, and comes in three well thought out pieces. The windows and doors are the only parts that really stretch beleif. I like the little skull shrines. I figure they are the car's past mechanics. A vehicle like this, if you don't want to go through the mechanicus (and what inquisitor wants to do that?) requires decades of training to be able to understand the machine spirit canticles, memorize the catechisms of Voltage, care for and update the librarium of documentation accompanying it, be able to machine new parts as needed, perform the painstaking crafting of holy circuitry, and buff it to a perfect shine. Absent any theoretical knowledge, everything must be understood by rote. Accompanying the inquisitor will be a family of mechanics who have served the car for generations, each knowing that someday their skull will join their forebearers in watching over the machine.









I have to say this is my first large scale use of GW metallics and they are very nice indeed.

For the mutants have you considered Skaven plague priests with a head swap?





I played with it for a long-abandoned Genestealer Cult idea, they take human heads and arms pretty well the main problem was the rat feet which you can either leave, cut off entirely (which makes them very short) or replace (if you have a ton of feet lying around or feel like sculpting a few dozen).

Also I just came across Lead Adventures site and had that wonderful 'where have you been all my life' feeling of discovery.

Their 'The Last Project' line is full of post apoc gangs and such, but, more importantly for my interests merchants and other civilians. Lots of rags, gasmasks and madness.

http://www.lead-adventure.com/index.php?cPath=1

I love the Chronument. Great idea. Also that pimp mobile car is excellent.

EDC

The cronument is brilliant! Hilariously distopian.

Glad you like the Chronument - it was one of those weird projects that you sort of pick up then can't put down even though you're not really sure what its for.

The plague monks look really good with the militia arms and head swaps! Greenstuff masks might work too. They have the overall "hunched and ragged" look, and I'd really like to do them eventually. I actually bought the LOTR goblins though, so they are up first. I think there's room for both. They seem to scale pretty well:

The ghoul is of course the prototypic hunched mutant from GW, but they are actually kind of hard to work with in my experience, good for bits but not so great as a starting point.


I'd love to do a market scene, and the lead adventure stuff looks great for that. I especially like water and books. One of my main modeling challenges is how to do good tents and awnings, such as a market would have. There are lots of things I want to do that need them, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Some kind of paper mache maybe, or perhaps draping a sheet of thermo plastic over a frame?



I was thinking the other day about one of my favorite episodes in a Dan Abnett book - I think its in Ravenor. Generally I don't like his inquisition stuff as much - the characters are too superhuman, it just doesn't work for me. But many of the portrayals of society and locations are awesome. Anyway, they're look for chaos drug dealers on a herd world where there are lots of huge planes roving bovines and such, and they're at a big festival/market. The descriptions of the people there were very evocative - badass butchers, shepherds, and such, with kind of a little bit of a Siberian cossack vibe. I especially liked their meeting hall which was covered with giant fish scales. I think that would be an interesting project. Anyway, I was thinking you start with the Dark Age nomads, specifically these folks:




Mix in a few Khador odds and bobs, especially my favorite, the wandering Lexmechanic known as the Old Witch, who travels from place to place healing corrupted data sprites, soothing machine spirits, and uploading official notification of weddings, births, deaths and so on. Her ability to divine a wide range of information when properly paid, as well as send messages over a distance is much sought after.



Dark age has alot to offer, though in a large scale I believe.

Good water seller:



A favorite of mine:




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Also, weren't imperial knights originally for hunting huge beasts fluff wise? Maybe some kind of early protoknight might be in order.

 kestral wrote:



I'd love to do a market scene, and the lead adventure stuff looks great for that. I especially like water and books. One of my main modeling challenges is how to do good tents and awnings, such as a market would have. There are lots of things I want to do that need them, but I'm not sure how to go about it. Some kind of paper mache maybe, or perhaps draping a sheet of thermo plastic over a frame?

In Guyana and Trinidad I've seen a lot of market sheds with wood front and posts and a tin roof. Easier to model, and much more Grimdark.



I'm adding it to my theoretical project pile... someday.

But first I want to try a Soylent Green food truck.

Those Darkage Nomads are excellent models.

EDC

Hmmm - I do have a good technique for doing corrugated sheets - I seperate a certain type of cardboard into two pieces, one of which has a corrugated surface. Its a bit painstaking, but it is free. The only tricks with corrugated market stalls would be to avoid making them look Orky, and make them sturdy. Or I could embrace the ork, and try to make it duel purpose...

I just suffered a knee injury, which sucks, but the up side is much more time for miniatures!

Spent a day knocking away at stuff, and here's what came of it:

First off Mother Superior Kristianna and her novice Alyce. Frostgrave figures, and very nice, very realistic. I do enjoy the occasional break from space cheese cake in my female figures. Anyway, Kristianna is in the process of chastising someone by hurling a scroll with a large scarlet letter "R" on it for "Repent" at them. Alyce looks like the perfect pilgrim, wandering the streets of Pentegrad with guidebook in hand, looking for the famous chronument of Brother-Sergent Capulus in the Ludus district.



They look better on the table than in the picture. Stupid photography. Someday I'll figure it out and do glamor shots of all my stuff. At this point is is established that the country clergy shall be green in vestment.

Next are two Explorator Team members. I'm using a lot of Orange and White with them, in honor of astronauts and cosmonauts of course. Generally, since I have lots of different models I'm sourcing them from, I'm painting them as individuals, very flamboyantly. More color means more visibility in a difficult environment, and they are far enough from imperial authority to have more leeway in such matters.



Stared working on my Magos. That is an awesome figure. I gave him a little scanner instead of the huge axe to make him fit in with the civilian theme better, and to make him different from everybody else's. I will probably give him a bodyguard holding the axe, since it is awesome.



Couple of WIPS:



Finally we have the awesome earth mover (Insert cool name here) which is mostly ready for painting:





Conviently, at least one loyal factory worker usually dies during the construction of such a monster, so it provides a guardian soul/skull shrine for the vehicle. Reports of workers sacrificed at the completion of major projects for this purpose are wholely without validity and should be reported to the Arbites.



There are two main issues when working with toy construction equipment. One is the smooth finish of the model with is hard to paint (I am going to try dullcoating before painting - its my new thing), and one is the small size of the cockpits in the usual scale.



Unfortunately I put the fuel barrel on before I remember that I had planned to do a backhoe on this one. Now I need at least one more vehicle.










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Now the question is, who is going to drive these construction vehicles? Who is going to be the crew? I was thinking of some conversions based on Catachans, but I've worked with catachans enough for one lifetime. What if they were driven by Squats? It would make sense, and it would explain the small crew compartments. The grunt labor can be done by "indentured" mutants. The question is, which squats? They need more tools than guns. I'd like an Ogryn on the team too.

One possibility is the Microsm Digger and Og figures:



Most their stuff is too military, but these could work:



Also, while I'm thinking of it, Statuesque Miniatures has a lot to offer, such as their asylum figures....

Painted some more Explorators/Rockjacks. I wanted an Ogryn in a space suit, and when I happened across a Karman model from AT-43 I thought it would work well. The long armed, bow legged frame seem appropriate for "Ogrynn in SPAAAAACE". Generally pleased with the variety of colors:





Og the Ratling painted, but no banner yet:



Captain of the Freighter Crew:





Thunderhawk blue is my new favorite color. Looks great for cloth with a little blue ink and a minimal highlight. Might have found the color for my Factory Worker's Uniforms...., athough they might look too much like freighter crew.

Did a banner for the Brethren. I'm going to try to sculpt the combination fireman's helmet/plague beak, or possibly even commission it.

Painted the Dominus Dio, though I think I'm going to try to fit in Dominus Dicto instead, "dicto" is a better nickname than "dio", not sure what I was thinking there.







Plus one of Insurgency Walker's figures painted in Tramp Freighter Crew colors. Apparently she lost her hand in some long forgotten conversion. Now she uses the stump to appear helpless....

Have you tried google latin translator for names? Ventilabis Terram or "Push Earth" works nicely.

I did try some translate, but unfortunately I didn't hit upon Ventilabis Terram - that's rather good.

I was thinking about my firefighting squad, and here are some of my ideas -

Ancient firefighters relied mostly on demolishing buildings, burning or near burning ones to stop fires. I think one of the firefighters will be a "demolitionist" with explosives, who blows up your house in the service of the imperium if need be. At least one other one with some kind of long pole weapon, also for pulling down burning stuff.

Also, you had to have a "fire mark" on your house in some eras to show that you had paid your dues. No mark = your house burned down. That would make an interesting little sculpting project in a press mold.

Those Frost Grave minis looks great. I really like the earth mover too, you made it very appropriate for the 41st Millennium.

EDC

Why thank you!

I got the goblins and the scale is fine - the largest of them is as tall as a space marine, so GW jumped the 25mm scale requirement for lord of the rings stuff there I would say. They are a little more delicate than typical 40K figures, but that is fine. Conversion will consist of a few tools swaps from their weapons, and some greenstuff hair to cover the elf ears. I'm going to speed paint them, and some of that will involve giving them patches of the Argellian earth technical paint for cracked, nasty skin.

Before I forget, I want to do these guys - scavengers of the waste sumps:

kestral wrote:
Also, you had to have a "fire mark" on your house in some eras to show that you had paid your dues. No mark = your house burned down. That would make an interesting little sculpting project in a press mold.

Not just back in the day...

http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2011/12/07/9272989-firefighters-let-home-burn-over-75-fee-again

In the U.S. in some rural areas your fire dept fees are voluntary, but if you don't pay, you burn.

Of course in the Grimdark future this may be even more so... "That's a nice shop you have, sure would be a shame if anything happened to it"

Have you seen these nice ladies from Lead Adventure?

http://www.lead-adventure.com/product_info.php?cPath=2&products_id=282



Maybe with a gasmask head swap?

How are you going to do the waste sump scavengers.

EDC

I think the waste sump guys will be original sculpts/scratch builds - with so much of the anatomy covered I think I could pull it off.

Fire Angels of Whitechapel look awesome. I think they have a place in the Brotherhood. After all, back burning is a thing, right? And I think there is definately some "Nice house you've got there." going on.

When I get a good chunk of stuff done I want to do some staged scenes, probably a lot of it set in a city recovering from war. I took a few concept shots, although nothing is close to good enough to really show off yet. As always, better photography is needed too.

The ravaged streets of Pentegrad....





Lucidia Vauren tours the damage with her servitors and retainers in tow.





Father Ikos and a tech priest aspirant confer on the subject of how best to restore the Fulgam Prævaricator Manufactorium to functionality. Electrical talismans are in short supply to reconnect the city's electro web.





Meanwhile, the Vigilant Brethren have discovered a body lodged in the mechanism of the Chronument.



A heated discussion begins on the subject of how best to purify and appease it. Vladimir Dax and Skotha wait impatiently, though not really daring to voice their opinion.



A farmer returning from selling his crop of Algae, Mealworms, and Millet to the hungry cityfolk pauses to listen.



Bella flirts with a local militia man in front of their miraculously intact but still WIP hab. Life goes on, after all.







Alone, the street sweeper slowly and laboriously pushes the smaller debris inside a damage cathedral into piles.





A sort of a rough draft, as it were.


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Alkemy makes scruffy alterboys for their templar range: