OK, here's the latest from the sculpting desk...

I'm still working on the last of the Amazons and the Automaton Bull, but we've run into a bit of a log-jam. The sculpting has currently gotten ahead of the moldmaking, which means I'm still waiting on the greens to come back to complete the Amazon Herald and Musician. But I can't stop the train on their account, so I just started the Atheneans a few weeks early! (Don't be alarmed at this, I usually have about 6 models on the sculpting table at any one time... you have to let the putty cure every so often or you'll mess up the work that you've done! The answer to this is to work on several sculpts at once, and each bit cure as you work on the next model in the line.)

Anyhow... Atheneans! Here are the first 2 complete models, and armature for a third. The 1/2 completed green will be molded as-is, like I did with the Amazon Archers and Peltasts, so I have a bunch of bodies to work from to complete all 4 of the Front-Rank models and the Captain.

These are shown with the Athena shield, the finished models will have several other shields (depending on their Battle Honors), but all of the same basic shape as the one shown here.

Hope you guys like them!

A pic showing them in file, with the 1/2 completed Front Rank sculpt in front:

Spoiler:

Here's a pic showing them in file, with the 1/2 completed Front Rank sculpt in front:

Ok, here's the latest mechanical menace from Hephaestus' forge... the Bronze Bull!

I am still wrapping up the sculpting, and may add a few more rivets, and still have to cut him apart. He'll end up being at least 4 pieces - 2 body halves, head/horns, and tail. I may also change the horns to make it easier to cast (horns going to the side, rather than sloping forward.) We shall see...

Hope you guys like him, he was a lot more complicated than I had anticipated, I should have known better with multi-part models.

 Azazelx wrote:
That bull is brilliant. Anyone know if anyone in the UK stocks Croc Games' stuff?

OK, time to show off another round of sculpts, these wrap up them Amazons.

First up are the Amazon command figures, the Herald and Musician. The Herald carries a standard that suggests the changing phases of them moon, as well as the tripart aspect of the goddess Hecate. The Musician carries a lyre, based on an actual ancient greek design - made from the shell of a tortoise, and the arms of the harp are made from the horns of a bull. I thought the use of natural elements appropriate to the Amazons!




Next is the Amazon queen, Penthesilea. Penny was a real struggle to sculpt, I ended up starting and restarting the model several times, before I got a pose I was happy with. She's one of those miniatures that is very difficult to photograph because she does not lie on a flat 2d plane... I tried to get a coupe different angles to show, but I should probably have taken a couple more. Her axe arm comes off at the shoulder, and her shield arm comes off at the elbow. I included another pic of Des' excellent concept design too...





These are the last of the Amazons in their first wave, and they are at our moldmaker now! Fingers crossed that the molds come out OK, if so we should have production molds in our hands very soon!

 BobtheInquisitor wrote:
Going like a tectonic plate out of hell!

OK, as requested, here are some images of the Automaton variations - now in metal! Sorry for the delay on these, we've had our hands full with Amazon production the last week.

First up is the Automation Hoplite Captain. This is basically a separate arm/head sprue, this one with a sculpted human 'mask' helmet and a sword. If you order the Automaton set, you'll get the parts to make either option.


Next up is the Bronze Minotaur, he comes with a hand/weapon sprue with 2 options: either an pole-axe or a hooked spear. Put him together with the one you like best!




Last is a picture with the whole line-up, to show their size in comparison to one another. The Minoton is on a 40x40mm base, the Bull is on a 25x50mm base, the Dog and Hoplite are both on 25x25mm bases, and the Owl is shown on a 20x20mm base (although he does not come with a base, I just mounted him on one to photograph. The idea with him is that he can be glued on a model's arm or shoulder, as a pet.)

 Azazelx wrote:
...you've lost that lovin' feeling...

Ok, time for another sculpting update... progress has been a bit slower than hoped, as I've been helping with packing orders and last-minute-casting, but I have managed to finish off all of the Athenian hoplites. Woohoo!

Still a few to go, including Theseus, his guards, the Hero, and the archer and peltast captains. I'm also working on a bunch of new shields for them too... one with a ship (for the Companions of Theseus), one with a Trident (for the Poseidon's Faithful) and one a laurel wreath (for the Chosen of Nike).



The Captain is about 95% complete, I still need to do a sword arm, which will be a separate piece and interchangeable with the spear arm. He has a scroll, educated in the Athenian Academies, of course. I may add a few more details and decorations to his armor, grieves, etc. He'll get his own shield as well.



Here are the other 2 Middle/Rear rank Athenians. I tried to make the Athenians a mix of young and old men, to suggest their citizen army... men of all walks of life put on their armor in times of war.