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.

The problem I had with the kroot and ghoul kit bash is that their size is REALLY different. Kroot don't look that big on the table, but they are about half again to twice as big as the ghouls. It's a shame, too, because I really wanted to use them fo a while too.
The kroot arms, however, do work pretty well with IG/Flagellant sized bodies.

As to the truescale from GW, I think obsoleting their entire Marine line would be the best move they could do for the new codex. So long as the new guys still use a 25mm base so the rules still lined up, how many people would repurchase huge swathes of their collection to have the biggerized, cooler minis? If Migs here decided to cast and sell his creations, I know I would buy 20-30, and I can make passable versions myself

Depends what look you want I find the Beastman and Ghoul plastics work well together to produce hideous hunchbacks, even though their grossly distorted. Thinking about it Plague Monks could work as well, I've seen some converted to Genestealer Cultists which worked great.

CMDante wrote: Not a fan of marines in non-chapter colours and scheme so hope your not planning on going the usual "desert camo marines" route that has been done to death?

Mate, do you know me at all ??

Wehrkind wrote:The problem I had with the kroot and ghoul kit bash is that their size is REALLY different.

Agreed, I'll use some of their rifles though and convert them into muskets. Maybe some arms too, slighlty modified. Otherwise I think the one I built for shaddes is just right - only more ragged and more gear and more "great plains"

VonStreusel wrote:Do you think you'll get around to doing a non-power armored Legionaire as described in Legion? I think that would be pretty cool alongside the muties, but I could also see one leading a black clad assassination type squad. ANyway, looking forward to seeing more!

I will do one black Clad - I think he hangs out with the elite Tacit. I want them all in PA though

So here's a little bit of progress.

Basing for the "Dune Twists" who will inhabit great equatorial plains, rocks, sand and bush - more than just arid desert. Anyway, they are passing by a Track-Lev track. I want to find sub-themes for the basing too. This will tie the group and the marine into the group nicely. The bases with out track, get related service point hints. Scorched, maybe they just took out the train.

Alpharius is going to be much more dynamically posed, slightly crouched like the squad, and looking and firing to right - his legs part have been cut to 6pieces and rebuilt - so very different to Alpharius and Alpharius. I've built him two alternate left hands. A power fist and a Faulx similar to the first. I'll be likely to go with the latter, as it just fits the idea of a silent sand storm better. As a small touch, he has a belt buckle with a similar symbol to a symbol on his bolter. "Pirate heraldry"...just so happens that was also sculpted on the fist, so that's a consideration. I think the Twists might carry a rugged banner with the same symbol.




The second pic is of the bases for the Renor Raging Bulldons command squad. They will be on the move and include an advisor - tattooed I would assume




Good night!

Ah the tease!

I suppose what I like most about this log (aside from the theme and the magnificant modelling marvels of course ) is the deep thought process behind what you're doing, and it's most certainly an inspiration to me at least (another one who spends more time pondering about models than actually painting them).

Concering your plans, oddly enough the other day I was persuing a similar train of thought but with the idea of incorporating some of the FW Tallarn stuff into my own renegade collection, so I look forward to the shawls and goggle-clad fiends that you'll conjure up. (Tuskan Raiders anyway )

Anyway, keep it coming migsula!

Looks amazing, and thats what I thought, that another Alpharius would lead the Tacit. I'm very excited to see where the Twists go, as I had a similar idea about a dust shawled marine. Good Luck!

migsula wrote:

CMDante wrote: Not a fan of marines in non-chapter colours and scheme so hope your not planning on going the usual "desert camo marines" route that has been done to death?

Mate, do you know me at all ??

Just making sure!

Those bases are, once again, very cool. I think they are one of my favourite bits about your work because while there is clearly a lot of thought and effort put into them, they are understated and don't overpower the mini but still convey a perfect context.

Now we demand models on those bases!

Cheers,

Dante

Migsula, I think you've made true-scaling one's marines the new black.

Thanks lads, some more work tonight pics tomorrow night the latest

How bizarre.. I made a post almost directly after you posted the latest images Migsula. It's just.. gone...

Well.. mutter.. to reiterate..

I like the ideas behind the Twist and the whole desert 'Lawrence of Arabia' theme of the bases. The idea of bringing out the 'humanity' of the Alpharius by carrying a wounded Twist sounds a great modelling idea wise. Let alone the whole shrouded, desert scheme concept.

Look forward to these follow up images you mention.

~ Tael.

16/April/09 Stealth Armor

I made really good progress yesterday and a few hours more tonight that's not in the pic yet. Alpharius is even more massive than his two brothers, his bulk nicely emphasized by the skinny twists. I used GS to and leg cutting to pose the ghouls more interestingly and clearly more upright. I’ll leave some crouched too for a nice collection of different poses and stages of back problems.

The Legion Agent (penal legion squad enforcer) is also shaping up nicely. I used a flagellant body, with gs and a Wood Elf hooded head that gave him a nice, somewhat young and noble, “assassin, complexion. He’s also tiny in comparison to Alpharius. Alpharius got Bedouin style shawl, but while sculpt wise the first layer came out great, I’m still undecided how it integrates with the rest of the mini. I’ll dry-fit it tonight and if it works, glue it and then sculpt the rest of the layer.

He might end up with black stealth armor after all, with some coatings of dust and earth and faded symbols. I quite like how that might look with the head wear.

I also sculpted some extra ground/sand to go under the vallejo sand paste and to make the bases more 3d and organic. Less like bases really.

This squad is flirting with a lot of our own historical references, so I need to make sure it transfers into something more in its 40k context.

(edit) here's a pic, done some more work on them tonight:

Got to admit, when you first mentioned the shawl on the marine I thought "cool...but how is he going to make that work?"

I thought you might have done a marine out of armour "undercover" like in Legion. IIRC they wore chainmail with tunic and shawl over the top? Would be cool to see but I guess it would be a lot of sculpt work since you would have to basically create a marine sized human figure. One for the future maybe?

Looking forward to seeing how you take the real world references and "40kify" them.

Cheers,

Dante

Wait, I'm off for a week and I come back and there's all this to trawl through?

*Orders Pizza*

*Unhooks the phone*

Thanks Migs.

sA

smiling Assassin wrote:Wait, I'm off for a week and I come back and there's all this to trawl through?

*Orders Pizza*

*Unhooks the phone*

Thanks Migs.

sA

thanks mate! That's gotta be the best bit of praise a blog can get.

That's awesome! I am looking forward to the finished Alpharius (by the way, are they going to get some secret in-legion names, too?).

And the flagellant with a wood elves head looks like he will soon be seen roaming my renegade crew, too

Great progress Migs!

I really like the pose you did for the third Alpharius. The rest of the squad is looking mighty fine as well, I really like what you did with the bases!
On a gaming side note; seeing that you're using the new IG rules for this army - what would the Alpharius' count as?

Keep them Alpharius' coming, I really need some idea's for arms for my own art-scale Deathwatch Marine!

Not much to comment yet because they're just bare bases. Though the rail-line going through all of the bases is a nice unifying theme.

The rag covered head, from what I can see, looks nice already. Looks like he will be posed to shoot to the side (the straight arm with the bolter). Nice, actiony pose.

The ghoul kit is excellent source for muties in 40K.

Pfreck wrote:
On a gaming side note; seeing that you're using the new IG rules for this army - what would the Alpharius' count as?

Keep them Alpharius' coming, I really need some idea's for arms for my own art-scale Deathwatch Marine!

I will use house rules - our gaming group is coolness first. They will get vet sgt. stats, and a few legion specific special rules. One of them is going to be a captain level warrior...or even more

For tournaments, I will keep the Alphariu's going to the extent that I can have a small squad of allied Grey Knights. That's the current plan atleast.


Hammer,
Yes, real action pose, shooting right, falx just swinging back to left. Head will be tilted heavily to right and chin down.

As always Migs, your WIP shots leave me wanting more (in a good way).

This Alpharius looks like it will be the most imposing yet! Have you come any closer to deciding if you'll roll with the shawl or not? (I'm in favor of it)

Can't wait for an update!

All Alpharius still be carrying a fallen mutant?

Malika2 wrote:All Alpharius still be carrying a fallen mutant?

Still considering it, the mutant would be thrown over his shoulder.

17/April/09 Sculpting tools and Progress

Quite happy now (Yes, Bottle, the shawl's in!), I think I managed to give a nice sense of material to the shawl, so it doesn't look limb and unnaturally smooth like GW fabric often and take into consideration the marine head gear, not just the head underneath. I used Alpharus' and a Beduin pic as reference. The heavy "rope" like band gives an aura or "regalness" that fits the model IMO.

Also pictured is the Legion Agent, which I'm starting to like quite a bit. And at the foreground the shapers that really are a god send for GS work.

I think this project is insane, if I have an army done to this level of detail and love, I hope in a good way. It's definitely a true labor of love.

I find myself using 2/3s fantasy components for my =I=munda and now legion projects. I think the fantasy range is a true treasure that people should utilize more for their 40k projects. I'm really dying to get my hands on those new Empire Plastics: great swords and the huntsmen. The latter will be prolific conversion fodder for the army.

I'm just wondering when I see the amount of detail and dedication you put in this...what will happen to the vehicles? It will become truly insane I think!

migsula wrote:This squad is flirting with a lot of our own historical references, so I need to make sure it transfers into something more in its 40k context.

So skulls and rivets it is then......
How about Chainswords? For me nothing is as archetypically 40K as a Chainsword.

I love the Agent. He brings back memories of the old fashioned Dark Emissaries, and the wispy, forgotten and dark background they inhabit.

I also think the way that you themed the bases with the track is excellent. It ties them together in an obvious, unifying way.

Happy hunting.

sA

Migs I think this latest group might be my favorite of your work. I can't wait to see your mutants take shape.

Ah, paint-shapers.....I have been looking everywhere for them....no luck yet but I'm going shopping tomorrow.

I know you've probably been asked this before, but I've not been able to find it in your posts....What are the yellow components you use for your bases?

Looking forward to more!

Man..before I can even post a "Ooooohhh...Ahhhh.." reply, you add the next stage of WiP chuckle..

Great stuff Migsula, but I think I will start reserving my adjectives about your work so I can ensure you know I mean it when something blows me away. There's a consistent level present, which is easy to acknowledge, so this will explain future nonchalant comments.

The agent concept adds a nice flavour to the unit, which in itself is shaping up very well. Speaking of which, the not-so-obvious plug of your new tools certainly shows the work they can effect.

My patience is well deserved for two updates and some concept ideas from you.

I spied the helm, that will be a nice touch, for a couple of my Scythes I intend to slap one on their utility belt to match their standard 40k scale miniature variants of old, none of this "I'm a Sargent I don't need head gear" non-sense.

Look forward to further progress.

~ Tael.