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Hopefully you get all those head pieces back in roughly the right order.....

That circular ammo connection is a great idea, very neat.

 Subtle Discord wrote:
Up front I want to say just how impressed I am with how the Kastelan kits assemble, using small hidden locking pins and tabs to make it easy for those who want to build them as-is; but if you remove the pins and tabs the model becomes adjustable at the ankles, knees, and hips, providing a more ambitious builder the option to change the pose however they’d like. Even the toe caps on the feet have a simple rocking mechanism to provide a little bit of added flexibility to the pose of the feet. Whoever designed this kit had the right idea, that’s for sure.

It sure wasn't the person who designed the Questoris Knights - I swear the lack of pose-ability in their legs is due to them being non-functional... rant over - I love this blog - I wanted to do this five years ago...

Thanks all. I'm happy with what I've come up with so far and I should have prints in hand to show soon enough, along with the new Vehicle Accessories.

And, YES! The design of the stock knight kit with mono-pose legs has to be one of the strangest decisions I've seen GW make. Even with the hydraulics, I can conceive of two or three different ways to make the Knight's legs swappable. Thankfully they seem to have learned their lesson and have changed their ways.

*Half of Subtle's head suddenly falls to pieces and scatters across his desk*

Damn it!

*Subtle returns to the task of reassembling his head*

I’m sorry up front if this turns into a bit of a ramble. I’ve been trying to work several things out and it’s got me thinking about lots of stuff at once, and rather than agonizing over ‘presentation’ I’m just going to try and get it all down. For those seriously interested in seeing The Dark Works grow I ask you to please read (or skip) to the end.

I really wanted to reply sooner, but the delay illustrates the catch-33 (a mutated evolution of a catch-22) that I’m now in and why I was saying in my last post that things might be a bit scattered. I’m trying to do several things on different fronts so it’s hard to talk about them all and keep them distinct. While it is a joke, some days I really do think my head is going to explode as ideas, goals, expectations, and plans keep bouncing around inside my skull. I really enjoy writing these updates aiming to make them closer to small written articles than just a typical W.I.P. post and they’re very intentionally meant to be an extension of the studio. I’ll get to why I think this is important later, but the point I’m making here is that these updates are work that takes away from my studio time and that’s really been pulling at me as I try to reconcile everything right now.

With regards to studio work, I’m progressing, but I keep underestimating the time things will take; I keep thinking that once I’ve got the moulds done I’m finally good-to-go for the new kit/s, and that’s true, buuut only after I take a few kits and assemble them very cleanly, carefully take photos, tweak and edit the photos, set up the shop for the new product, and do a casting run for the kit/s. Yeah, just get the mould done and you’re good-to-go… after all that other stuff. And that’s just the basics to take the prototype and get it into production so while I’m doing that I’m also trying to juggle everything else. I’ve said it before, I’m starting to completely sympathize with a Tech Priest who suddenly realizes that an extra arm might not be such a bad idea. Servitor Solus is truly a gift of the Omnissiah, but a servo-harness sure could come in handy right about now.

So, with only two hands and one brainpan to work with, time and multitasking are naturally my biggest barriers right now. However, I’ve been really pondering as I work and with the success of this first round of kits, I think it may be time to find my can opener and let some worms out. I’m making good progress but it’s not quite enough as I start to really push to gain momentum, and I need to accept the reality that I need some extra breathing room.


When I first devised the solution to split the missiles from the tube they were sitting in I had no idea if it would really work or be practical.


Now that I’ve got the proof-of-concept in my grubby fingers and in front of a camera, I think the results speak for themselves.

First up, a final look at the Interitus Missile Launchers to showcase the various missiles types and how they look in grey resin. These have turned out so well that I’m really looking forward to exploring the concept in future projects, large and small. You can expect to see a selection of ordinance to choose from in all future missile based weapons, but I might need to space them out a bit as making the moulds for the missile components does slow down the overall completion of the kit.

Sharp-eyed viewers might notice a few lines and/or some layering showing up in a few spots thanks to the strong lighting I’m using. Rest assured that while you can see them in the images because of the lighting they are so fine (20µ or less) that I’m all but positive they will disappear under a layer of primer and paint. I’m going to be priming my next round of Mechanicus models for painting soon so I’ll be sure to do a few of the new kits as well so I can get some paint on them and see how they look with some colour. However, as with everything, I’m rather strapped for time and it will happen when it can happen; the Dragoons are all but begging to get some paint so it’s getting very hard to ignore them.


The moulds for the lower profile ‘B’ variant are also complete and they’re looking great but I’ve only just started to cast them.

The success of the fit and assembly is also encouraging. I’ve mentioned in the past that I want to create a Modular Assemble System in my kits providing unique assembly options, modular inserts, and ranges of kits that are designed to be compatible and interchangeable. This small series of kits illustrates the concept perfectly. It’s not just a single missile rack kit intended to primarily be a counts-as Havoc Launcher; choose the style, the loadout, how you assemble it, where you want to mount it, and magnets will always be included to aid in that flexibility further. Better miniatures for better builds.™

So, I’ve been slowly casting in the background, while I try to work on all the other facets of the studio, while also wanting to create some content, while… slowly… going… crazy. Yup, I have to accept that I need to get some crowdfunding support started. I’m happy with my results and I know that the momentum is starting but it’s not going to happen fast enough. I’m starting to bounce on the breaking even line but I need some proper positive flow if this is going to start taking off at any kind of serious pace and that’s what I need right now in order to cover expenses, invest in lots of the less glamorous things that the studio needs in the background, and ultimately expand outside of the basement, hire more staff, and/or find the right partner/s. I’ve hesitated because I know that it’s going to require me to split my attention even further as I figure out how to set it up and in turn since it will also require that I start actually marketing the studio on a larger scale than I am currently; I’m not that keen on the added task/s in the juggling act but reality doesn’t care about my feelings and it’s inevitable so why not now?

Thing is, most reasonably comparable crowdfunding drives I’ve been looking at for inspiration involve a small group of people and they can illustrate with images and/or 3D models what they have planned in order to create a series of funding goals. I’m not really in a position to do that; I have a huge list of future projects, and I like to think my work so far shows that I’m up to the task of making them real, but I don’t have the funds or the time to create the illustrations and/or 3D models to showcase a large body of kits that I want to create. I know I have a good body of work I can present to show I’m capable, but I’m worried about a lack of visual aids to really illustrate my ideas for kits going forward. Additionally, because I’m in complete control of the entire manufacturing process, unlike other studios I don’t really need a large block of money to outsource the manufacturing that is the core of the business; I need some extra capital flowing in to help with general month-to-month costs, strategic investment in equipment over time, and help in building up some reserve in preparation to really expand. Finally, how the heck do I keep the content creation as part of this? I love doing it and really want to expand/evolve/improve it over time, but quite frankly it is work that I’m doing, that does create value (if the feedback is any indication), and right now I’m doing it for free. If I had my way I would gladly keep doing it completely for free but I can’t ignore the reality that it takes away from my very valuable studio time so I need to tie it in if I’m going make it work.

Still with me? Wow, really? I appreciate your putting up with my rambling attempts to describe some of what I’m trying to sort out. If I can write all of this, just imagine what it’s like inside my brain, because this is just a fraction of it all. And then there’s ‘the voices from the warp’ constantly giving me more ideas and plans and laughing/daring/taunting me all the time and well, it gets a bit noisy sometimes… errr… Where was I?

So, what I’m going to do is set up a Patreon account and another conventional crowdfunding source like GoFundMe. The GoFundMe will be for those who want to invest a larger single amount in exchange for future product. To keep things straightforward I think I’ll make it a flat % bonus on every dollar invested; for example, invest $30 and when the selection of kits you’re interested in is available receive $40 in product of your choice; I’m still contemplating just what % is generous without shooting myself in the foot. I’ll provide an itemized list of planned kits and work at them as I see fit providing previews and updates as often as I can manage for transparency sake. However, one of the rewards I will offer people who are interested in funding me at higher levels will be to pick what kit the studio will focus on; it will need to be on a first-come-first-serve basis but if someone is willing to offer a ‘tip’ and enough up front to buy several of an elaborate kit, then yes, The Dark Works would be happy to attend to your wargear needs more promptly.

For those who would like to support the studio through its content creation and might be interested in seeing it improve and evolve to video I’ll offer Patreon for support. For now, if I can get even a modest number of people to donate $1 a month I can better justify taking a day off to write up an article and if it gains enough momentum they can be more frequent, larger, and more involved; more in-depth how-to articles and additional fiction, for example. In the future, I’ll be expanding the studio outside of the basement but I don’t want to move the entire studio, only the casting equipment, mould library, and stock, which take up the most room, make the most noise, and create the most mess. With the extra room and all of the digital design equipment remaining I’ll turn the space into a proper set to shoot video on so I can elevate the content to the next level. I’ll be doing all of these processes anyhow, so I’m sure there are people who would like to get some insight by watching over my shoulder. I’d be happy to make tutorials and document the process for those who might be interested; mould making, casting, scratch building, painting, 3D modeling, and anything else people might like to see and hear me ramble on about.

Please keep in mind that this is a 3-5 year plan, so it’s not like I’m trying or expecting to be doing anything too ambitious for some time, but I need to set the goalposts somewhere as I work to build momentum. It’s like I’m putting together a jig-saw puzzle and I’ve got the outer edge done. I’ve got all the piece here, I just need to put them together and see what the picture looks like.

Ok, I think I’ve mused quite enough for one sitting, but I’d be happy to hear feedback, ideas, and any suggestions that might provide some perspective or any other insight. As I mentioned, with this will also arise a need for more exposure and marketing, so I’m happy to entertain input anyone might think would be helpful. Feel free to reply here, by PM, or by email via The Dark Works depending on how directly you’d like to talk. I’m still considering so much, I’m happy to get some perspective from outside of my self-made bubble.

Some real legit goal you've got in mind.

Personally I'm a big fan of Kickstarters over Patreon, however having both options should provide you with the income you need.

I'll be backing once I get a link

I would definitely put something towards that miniature Kickstarter scheme on GoFundMe.

As for now, I think you should focus on easy targets for products. While Mechanicus is a cool focus, I don't know how well they'll sell. Right now you need to be making money rather than making what you want to make, as sad as that is.

Even though I'm biased because of loving truescale, I'd say Primaris-type bitz could be useful for that. Particularly for the big Chapters/Legions and/or in the style of classic power armour marks (particularly MkIII, IV, VII and Chaosy ones). There's also the possibility of trying for products within enough of a niche to be unique, but with wide enough appeal to sell well. That's why I suggest Primaris parts, because there aren't very many at the moment, not to mention the recycled monoposes of the GW kits. Regardless, you'd need some solid market research.

I still think the best start would be terrain pieces and generic 'addon' kits- stuff that's not specially designed for single model kits, but things that could be used all over- icon packs, general curved armour plates of various designs, loose weapons or ammo dumps or pouches... that sort of thing. Stuff that's multipurpose, that someone might buy more than one of in order to add bits to both vehicles, and to scenery, and to models.

Also- Where's the Ork stuff?

Thanks for the support and input all, I appreciate it. I should note that the Mechanics components are one part tests to see if Servitor Solus can produce the types of details I want to make, one part personal project because I'm building and painting Mechanicus right now, and one part a future kit for the studio to stock. I'm not going to produce them yet, but I've already got enough interest in them that I'm confident that they'll be well received when I get to making them.

For now, I'm confident that I can create a good 'foundation' of kits by hopping on GW's coattails; they're seeing a large surge in popularity (read: sales) and I was having no problems selling practically anything I was making even before that started. So I will be continuing with the conversion kits and things like armour and weapons that can 'bolt-on' to an existing model. That's not to say that complete standalone kits won't be happening, I have lots of plans, but there's a good niche that my ideas can fill with kits that few other studios can compare to. It will become clearer in the future what some of my ideas are once I can get some 3D models done to show the concept, but modular, interchangeable, and customizable are all features that will be found in most of my designs.

I've had several suggestions/request for 'gubbins' that can be used in various ways and I really like the idea. When I start completing the redesign of my current line I'll be sure to sit down and do a big brainstorming session and then maybe do a survey or something to see what ones would rise tot he top. I can think of all manner of doors, hatches, vents, sensors, turbines, panels, and so on, just off the top of my head, so I'm sure there's a ton of potential. A wide range of weapons systems in a wide range of shapes, sizes, and configurations is definitely something I've got brewing; they'll be designed to work as-is for adding to kits like Dreads, tanks, and anywhere you like it, but I also want to do compatible turrets with a selection of plates for mounting on vehicles, and possible other connectin components for variety.

At some point, I do want to get to Primaris and see what I can come up with, but I'll need to work towards them. To do it properly I need the GW kit in the studio to do proper test fits and ensure quality, and right now I don't have anything Primaris at my disposal so it'll need to wait until I can make that happen. The larger scale terrain pieces are also something that I'm going to be working up to, but their scale is barrier until I can afford to do them. Big kits need large moulds and they consume lots of materials to produce, so that's a future goal. I really want to produce a large enough line of terrain kits to let people build complete tables, so yeah, they are in the plan.

And Xenos, yeah, I'll get there, I promise. At some point... Too many good ideas, too little time!

 Subtle Discord wrote:

For now, I'm confident that I can create a good 'foundation' of kits by hopping on GW's coattails

Yeah, that's exactly what I mean. I'm certainly interested in every and any thing that you'd make, but what you need as a business is something that'll sell a lot. Targeting GW's current trends seems like a good idea.

Who says terrain has to be large? Fences are less than man-height, most cargo containers are man-sized... Bushes, rocks, eldritch sacrifice tables... Nothing much larger than your vehicle edge kits, I'd imagine.

Oooohhh... I see, said the blind man as he picked up his hammer and saw.

Ok, I get what you're saying. Yeah, that's something I can do, for sure. Thanks for clarifying your suggestion.

With regards to terrain and "GW coattails"
How about a series of appliques, similar in principle to your armour add ons, but for buildings ?

Using the Necromunda or Kill Team buildings as a base have add ons for a Tyranid infestation ?

Likewise Nurgle or Tzenech?

That would really break up the Imperial looking buildings and would add real flavour for a kill team mission.

Seconded on fences and small crates or containers.

Definitely chaos and imperial fences. I had to use the ladders in my Sector Mechanicus terrain for railings, which I really don't like doing tbh. I'd buy mechanicus, imperial, or chaos fence (if I could remove the gubbins,) any time.

Awww... that's such a great idea. Thank you, yes I think that might just work out.

I have every plan to do mutated/possessed upgrades in the near'ish future for vehicles. First I'll get the 'clean' styles done, then using those 3D models as a base I can make them Dark.

I also want to do terrain kits that are compatible with GWs new Mechanicus Sector kits so more elaborate constructions can be made, but I don't have any of the kits yet to use for reference to ensure the fit. I'm hoping to be able to include things like lighting elements and maybe even small smoke generators (like the ones used in model trains) but I'll start with more mundane components.

Yup, I think these ideas could merge nicely.

Automatically Appended Next Post:

Is that your own little elbow doohickey?

The elbow isn't anything too complex; it's just three concentric disks of 0.4mm styrene to taper the upper arm down to the lower arm creating a really basic rotation joint. I did also add a small bit of a styrene shim to the lower arm to alter the 'tilt' a bit, but again, nothing really complex, just fiddley.

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This is more of a partial business plan than a refined pitch for a crowdfunding drive, and a work in progress, but all of the information overlaps and it will be a matter of presentation really; forever the over-thinker, I’d rather overdo this for now and I’ll work to slim down the text and add in many images to illustrate what has been done in the past and what the studio is capable of today. I don’t have the ability to do concept sketches for future ideas for now but I think I can make a good pitch with my body of work so far.

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The Dark Works

“We like the dark... Dark for dark business! There are many hours before dawn.” ~ J.R.R. Tolkien ~ The Hobbit

Hello there, my name is Peter Lindblad (Aka: Subtle Discord) and welcome to my hobby, my muse, my obsession, and some might say my insanity, but I promise it’s only in the best possible way. I’ve been a scale model builder all my life and that’s a big reason why I quickly became hooked on tabletop gaming and Warhammer 40,000 in particular after picking up a copy of Rogue Trader many years ago. Build and paint amazing models and miniatures that can then be used in a strategy game? Now that’s my kind of hobby! I completely respect that it’s not for everyone but for someone like me it’s a perfect fit.

As I became more skilled at scratch building and combining it with my hobby builds I started showing my personal projects online back in 2011. What started with a hobby building, converting, and painting plastic toy soldiers gradually evolved and changed into a very modest miniature design and manufacturing studio while I attended college studying Industrial Design. During the school year the studio would go dormant and during the summer months, I would produce what I could to cover costs and make careful investments in materials and equipment. As I improved my understand and execution of the production process what seemed like an interesting part-time side project grew to become something I’m now determined to turn into a full-time model and miniature design and manufacturing studio. I have the foundation in place but now I need some help to continue to build upon what I have started.

S.W.O.T. Analysis:

Strengths (Internal)
- I hold a Bachelor’s Degree (with honours) in Industrial Design; I know how to make ideas a reality while also understand the real challenges involved
- Over 25 years involved in tabletop gaming, building, painting, and playing
- Over 15 years experience practical model building (scratch building) for gaming
- Over 5 years experience with digital 3D modeling
- Over 5 years refining and perfecting the studio’s entire production process
- The Dark Works has complete control over the entire production process; concept creation, 3D modeling, 3D printing, mould creation, and resin casting are all done in-studio and currently, there are no plans to outsource any part of the process unless strict quality control can be maintained
- The studio is dedicated to creating only the highest quality model kits at a small-to-medium scale of production, the studio will always strive for quality before quantity

Weaknesses (Internal)
- The Dark Works is currently the creation of one person limiting available labour
- Somewhat limited space for expansion will require a solution at a future date
- While the studio currently possesses all of the equipment needed for full production, from concept to casting, it is still limited in its production capacity
- Although most kinks and potential problems have been worked out of the manufacturing process the studio is certain that there will be unknown production challenges in the future that will need to be solved

Opportunities (External)
- Located in the suburbs of Toronto Canada (4th largest city in North America) the studio enjoys access to a huge population of talent for future growth
- The Dark Works firmly believes that the studio can produce some of the highest quality resin model kits on the market; with thoughtful and unique designs, top quality casting master prototypes, precision two-part moulds, and attention to detail during the casting process, the studio is confident in the quality that can be achieved for the customer
- The studio currently creates casually written articles that showcase personal projects, studio projects, and tutorials for fellow hobbyists; in the interest of transparency and communication the studio plans on continuing to improve and expanding on this kind of content creation in an effort to be informative, instructive, and entertaining for customers and the entire hobby community

Threats (External)
- The Dark Works will not be entering an empty marketplace and will need to prove itself against other studios with more experience and name recognition
- The studio understands that there is still much to learn about operating this business full-time, and most of it is still an unknown
- The studio produces a niche luxury product that has a limited market size and the purchasing power of this market is easily affected by larger economic factors
- Too many ideas and not enough time; a symptom of where the studio currently finds itself there is simply too much work to be done and not enough time to do it all without investment in more materials, equipment, and eventually skilled talent


Product Offering

While rather broad, this is meant to be a general starting overview and not necessarily an exhaustive list of every idea the studio would like to pursue; as work progresses the studio plans to have this list evolve and change as projects are completed and new ones added. Initial products will focus on Imperial, Renegade/Autonomous, and Chaos factions before expanding to Adeptus Mechanicus and Dark Mechanicus. Xenos and other outlying factions will then be considered at the appropriate time in the future.

It should be noted that the studio recognizes the reality of Intellectual Property rights, and while it will strive to make models and miniatures that emulate and blend with the design language of the Warhammer 40,000 setting, The Dark Works absolutely respects the legal rights of Games Workshop. The studio has no interest in creating blatant copies of anything produced by Games Workshop or any other independent studio and will strive to create unique, original, compelling kits that stand on their own merits.

Additionally, it should be reasonably obvious that each concept brings with it different challenges; put simply, some ideas will be more straightforward to design and produce compared to others. The Dark Works is committed to trying to make all of these and future ideas a reality, but some will be easier to create than others, and there is no absolute guarantee that every single one will be produced. Concepts that garner more public interest will take priority to be developed sooner/faster over ideas that don’t.

Where the opportunity presents itself, products are intended to be done in a range of styles:

Imperial – Clean lines, surfaces, and details suited to a wide range of traditional Imperial forces
Specialty – A ranging of more elaborate, elegant, and decorative styles for more unique units/forces
Renegade – Design style intended for autonomous, outcast, stranded, pirate, and renegade forces
Chaos – Overtly Chaos style, ranging from ornate/decorative to warp-touched and mutated/possessed

M.A.S. – Modular Assembly System; many kits will be created with modular components that will provide different assembly options; rather difficult to describe in words, the studio has some interesting ideas for this concept as time progresses they will soon start appearing

Terrain:

Battlefield Scenery and Debris (Smaller scale)
Barrels, Crates, Barbed Wire, Barricades, Defense Lines, Dragon’s Teeth, Markers, Objectives, Etc.

Battlefield Scenery (Medium-to-Large scale)
Bunkers, Buildings, Factories, Refineries, Cranes, Gantries, Defensive/Offensive Works, Etc. Intended to create stand-alone kits while also being compatible with Games Workshop Scenery models in appearance and fit; also, many opportunities to integrate light, smoke, and sound effects.

Terrain Detailing Kits
Armour Plates, Doors & Windows, Vents, Grates & Grills, Turbines & Fans, Pipes & Hoses, Valves, Stairs & Ladders, Railings, Etc.; build a simple structure and use these kits to add all manner of details to complete the creation

Vehicles:

Chimera, Taurox, Leman Russ, Baneblade, Goliath Truck, Rhino, Predator, Vindicator, Land Raider, Sicaran, Spartan, Repulsor, Etc.
General Kits: Tracks, Trims, Armour Plating, ‘Dozer Blades, Gear & Gubbins, Weapon Systems, Turrets, Sponsons, Etc.
Specialty Projects: Conversion kits to change Chimera/Baneblade/Rhino/Repulsor into Recovery Vehicles; conversion kits to change the Baneblade into a war shrine; conversion kits to change Goliath Truck into a Mobile Artillery Platform; potential additional ideas to be added…

Stormraven, Storm Eagle, Fire Raptor
General Kits: Trims, Armour Plating, Gear & Gubbins, Weapon Systems, Sponsons, Control Surfaces, Etc.
Specialty Projects: Conversion kit to extend the Stormraven hull and/or alter the tail; conversion kit to create an alternate counts-as Storm Eagle model; conversion kit to create an alternate counts-as Fire Raptor model; potential additional ideas to be added…

Armigers, Knights, & Castellan/Valiant
Design specifically for the range of Knight models produced by Games Workshop, this will include a selection of Heads, Armour Plates, Ranged Weapons, Combat Weapons, and alternative components to detail knights in a variety of themes and styles.

Mechanical/Bio-mechanical Construct Kits & Dreadnaughts
As an extension of the Knight design concepts; biped, tri-ped, quadruped, leg conversion kits. Unique arms and other appendages. Heads, torsos, and power plants. Ranged weapon systems, close-combat weapons, sensors, gubbins, and other gear. Intended to be done in a range of sizes, these kits will overlap with some of the Knight offerings; however, these components will be able to be used with existing Game Workshop models as conversion kits, as well as being assembled together independently to create completely unique Mechanical Constructs. Bio-mechanical

Bikes and Jet-bikes
The Dark Works can make something Standalone kits to provide a range of alternative Bikes, Half-tracks, Jet-bikes, and potentially other more exotic mounts, that are mechanical, biological, and perhaps a fusion of both. Kits will include mounted legs and hands gripping controls to aid in the building/converting process.

Weapon Platforms
A range of self-propelled Weapon Platforms that will include tracked, walking, and anti-gravity model concepts. These should include self-contained kits that will build complete models and conversion kits intended for use with existing Games Workshop models.

It is planned to have these kits be a precursor to larger complete armoured vehicle models. Due to their smaller size, it will be more reasonable to start with these kits before moving to larger model designs that will require more time and resources to take the concepts to full production.

General Purpose Trim Kits & Detailing
Not every Games Workshop model lends itself to custom-made Trim Kits that will be a range of signature products produced by The Dark Works. For builders who want to add such detailing to models that won’t receive custom kits, the studio will be producing Bulk Trim Kits and other Detailing Kits that will provide a selection of long lengths of trim and other detailing packages.

This will begin with trims of metal banding and rivets in various styles to suit different themes and styles, but the studio plans to expand the selection to include a range of other detailing options; such as, strips of tentacles, rows of spines and teeth, lengths of pelts or skins, totems, runes and arcane symbols, trinkets, bones and skulls, tabards, banners and relics of campaigns past, etc. etc.. Packs of loose components will also be added to provide builders control over placement. The studio already has plans forming for a large selection and there is no doubt more ideas will arise as time progresses.


Infantry:

While many studios are producing a wide range of alternative weapons, heads, torsos, arms, legs, and complete models, The Dark Works recognizes an opportunity to produce unique versions of these kinds of components that can fill gaps in the selection that’s currently available. While the starting focus will be on vehicle and terrain kits, future efforts of the studio will explore Infantry scale components and complete model kits. Because this area of the market is already quite competitive the studio wants to focus on the selection outlined before turning attention towards infantry.

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So, this is a rough draft of me trying to spitball an overview of my short-to-medium term goals for the studio, but I can tell right now that this list is huge and it’s likely going to take much longer than I expect. I still need to figure out just how I want to structure the crowdfunding, the compensation for those willing to invest, and several other things I’m sure. I just wanted to post it up for anyone willing to read it, and perhaps those who may be more business savvy could offer any input or insight that might serve me well.

Ugh… I hate writing stuff like this. It’s like a damn resume on steroids, and this still lacks any proper market research. *sigh* Yeah, I prefer to make things, not write about how I’m confident in my ability to make things. I’m happy to write a tutorial or a process overview, but it’s so different to try to sell the process to a reader.

Oh well, thanks for reading (If you’ve actually made it this far), feedback and input are welcome, but I understand totally if it’s not the most reply-worthy post. Some writing from the workbench, with pictures, will be returning soon enough. Cheers!

While you may dislike writing this kind of thing, you do have a knack for it. I personally like the list of your plans/goals and does give me something to look forward to and support.

+++ External Vox ∙ "The fault in your motivation impulses is obvious; you have far too much grey matter for your required duties. Unnecessary compulsions for self-preservation can easily be alleviated with the correct procedure." +++

At last, the Magos Dominus assumes command over the mighty foundry-pits of Forge Samsung.

^ haha !

That’s a long list of resiney goodness in your post Subtle Discord, what timeframe would you be looking at to bring that lot out ? I suspect it will be a while longer than my wallet would like !?!

I think the list is a good start but in all honesty it is pretty endless in my opinion, all the larger GW kits lend themselves to some sort of convertion kits. Things like Spawn and Forge/ maulerfiends all look the same and are crying out for bits.
The Lord of Skulls, legs for the body but what about the neglected chassis ? It could make an awesome Dark *insert scary name here*
Drop pods ?
Heldrakes ?
There must be somebody else wants a assault ramp, chaos- ified Stormlord / Baneblade ?
The list of interesting convertion stuff for big kits like Baneblades and Land Raiders is probably endless. And that’s probably not helpful !

All in all tho, I for one would love to see some of what you propose and will most likely drop you some cash when it happens.

Big flashy stuff might be good front-page fodder, but I think it's gonna be the little stuff that's the real money-maker. The under-$20 stuff- icon packs, small terrain features, vehicle bric-a-brac like lights and hubcaps and spikey bits... Chapterhouse had it right with their shoulderpad sets, honestly. And Kromlech's WWII-style Orc bits are popular as well.

Alternate Genre stuff, too, might be big. Steampunk options for various weapons or armours (personally I'd LOVE if someone had high-quality, detailed iron lacework stuff, or things like tiny boilers, smokestacks and valves), or Magiteck options (Crystal powerpacks, tech-y palanquins for leaders to stand on, portal-doors for vehicles) could be cool. Or Weird War II, Atompunk, Cattlepunk, lizard-themed, Crazy 80's, etc. etc... Things that people can use to customize their armies, or make minis for entire other games and systems, or add that little bit of character to a, well, Character.

That's where the market is.

Frozen Ocean wrote:At last, the Magos Dominus assumes command over the mighty foundry-pits of Forge Samsung.

Ha! I was wondering if someone was going to notice that; it looked like a nametag over an avatar in a video game to me, so I'm kinda' tempted to call him Sam'sung or something.

Big H wrote:^ haha !

That’s a long list of resiney goodness in your post Subtle Discord, what timeframe would you be looking at to bring that lot out ? I suspect it will be a while longer than my wallet would like !?!

I think the list is a good start but in all honesty it is pretty endless in my opinion, all the larger GW kits lend themselves to some sort of convertion kits. Things like Spawn and Forge/ maulerfiends all look the same and are crying out for bits.
The Lord of Skulls, legs for the body but what about the neglected chassis ? It could make an awesome Dark *insert scary name here*
Drop pods ?
Heldrakes ?
There must be somebody else wants a assault ramp, chaos- ified Stormlord / Baneblade ?
The list of interesting convertion stuff for big kits like Baneblades and Land Raiders is probably endless. And that’s probably not helpful !

All in all tho, I for one would love to see some of what you propose and will most likely drop you some cash when it happens.

Thanks! it's meant to be a very large and broad list just to really cover many/most of the ideas and concepts that have passed through my mind or been brought up - it is not set in stone and will change and grow as time passes. Right now I don't expect to accelerate too quickly, so expect slow-and-steady progress once I've got the crowdfunding setup and other background thigns sorted out. That said, if funding combined with improved sales as I gain more exposure becomes significant enough, the faster I'll need to consider how I expand next. Once I expand the casting studio out to its own space that will include extra labour and that will further accelerate things significantly. It all depends on how quickly I can build up to a point where I feel comfortable to take that step. Right now I need to generate enough numbers to prove to myself and others that yes, this is profitable; so much has changed with my setup recently even I can say how well things are until I've got a few more months behind me.

Right now I'm focusing a lot of design to updating my current line and that has me focusing on lost of the kits that overlap the two factions and where I think GW simply doesn't have the ability to produce as much variety as there's demand for. I will be moving to possed and bio-mechanical creation in the future and that will open the door to playing with some of the newer Chaos exclusive kits. By then I'm hoping GW will have shown more of their hand with regards to their plans for Chaos, and I have plenty to keep me occupied until then. I promise that I still have ideas I just don't share because they're not fully formed or I just don't want to get too much ahead of myself. I'm quite erious about thie endeavour and inveite everyone to follow along as I start growing this. So much to come in the weeks, months, and years ahead!

Anvildude wrote:Big flashy stuff might be good front-page fodder, but I think it's gonna be the little stuff that's the real money-maker. The under-$20 stuff- icon packs, small terrain features, vehicle bric-a-brac like lights and hubcaps and spikey bits... Chapterhouse had it right with their shoulderpad sets, honestly. And Kromlech's WWII-style Orc bits are popular as well.

Alternate Genre stuff, too, might be big. Steampunk options for various weapons or armours (personally I'd LOVE if someone had high-quality, detailed iron lacework stuff, or things like tiny boilers, smokestacks and valves), or Magiteck options (Crystal powerpacks, tech-y palanquins for leaders to stand on, portal-doors for vehicles) could be cool. Or Weird War II, Atompunk, Cattlepunk, lizard-themed, Crazy 80's, etc. etc... Things that people can use to customize their armies, or make minis for entire other games and systems, or add that little bit of character to a, well, Character.

That's where the market is.

Actually, it's a pretty even split so far with regards to profit; bigger kits perform just as well as the smaller kits, and they tend to work off each other - pick up some armour, and get a set of tracks and/or some accessories and/or some other weapons. But just as often as I have someone pick up a selection of small stuff, I'll have someone get 2-3 armour kits and nothing else. Small kits only work if they can be produced in larger numbers per batch, so now that 3D printing is an option its more realistic and I'll do more smaller stuff, but that market is also more saturated and a bit harder to break in to. On the other hand, my larger kits tend to be more unique and well done (if I do say so myself) that people like them and there aren't as many who can pull off what I'm doing. I guess what I'm saying is neither is right or wrong and I'm just going to keep trying to put out interesting kits and are top-notch quality and the other studios can try to keep up; I'm completely confident that there are some things that I'm doing that simply make superior kits.

While I'm completely open to doing standalone kits that I hope can find their way on to a wide range of tables or into collections that aren't Warhammer 40k, for me, it's really the only game universe that has a visual design style that I really like. I don't hate the look of everything else but they simply don't appeal to me like the dark gritty gothic macabre design language of the 40k setting and my work will aim to blend with it. If that fits with a table someone is building for another game system and my terrain fits the bill, all the power to the builder! If I do end up producing a line of actual Troop models and accessories they will nod heavily to their inspiration and the setting I want to really blend with. GW really is the leader of the industry and practically created the genera of wargaming hobby as it exists today. They're by far not a perfect company but are improving in many ways, and they do produce the best models on the planet of an ever-expanding line for a range of games that are seeing their profits rise very impressively over the last few years. Despite them being that successful there all sorts of gaps and oversights that they can't cover because what they've created is just so vast. There's so much potential that it has to be a good place to start and from there I'll see where my path leads me. With the right talent to supplement mine, there might be any number of outcomes to happen in the future.

Now, that's also not to stay that I can't do more generic conversion bits that could easily be sued by any builder for a range of lines. In general that's the plan, with those kinds of kits mixed in with conversion kits intended to be used with a specific base model. But over time I've seen people using some of my kits in completely unintended ways, so I'm game if the people who are building are. But this is just talking in cirlces at this point.

Thanks for the input and feedback all. I really am taking things to heart and will make efforts to respond to people. I really have found that this engagement with the community has kept me thinking openly as I work out my plan that will start taking its first steps soon. Even if you're just lurking, I hope it will be of interest for people to watch as this becomes a reality. It just feels right to be transparent and authentic for a studio that's going to supporting this kind of community-based hobby.

OH! A note: If you DO ever get another employee, you're going to want to make sure your whole process and supply chain is properly organized and inventoried.

I'm talking labels, spreadsheets, racks for molds and equipment... Rent a little engraver to put serial numbers in all your tools- paint your pressure chambers different colors so you can tell at-a-glance which top goes to which bottom, serial numbers on your mold halves (0001-A goes to 0001-B, etc) and all that. Spreadsheet out how valuable each thing is- list it off. Print out a list of value for all your equipment, for insurance purposes (fire or whatnot).

You gotta be prepared, man.

While I'm always sincere when I say thank you, seriously, thanks for the input. See, this is why I'm being open and public about my plans and progress while I get things going; sure I want to entertain and I hope people simply find it interesting, but it's also input and insight like this that is extra useful. In the back of my brain I already know this kind of thing, but will so many things to consider it's things like this that I might overlook. I'm already coding my pressure chambers with a colour and letter system just to aid in the casting process, so I guess I'm on the right track. It's not 'if' but 'when' I need to move the casting out of the basement, so input like this is well received.

Bases are easy to cast and can be churned out quickly. There is a low risk to anyone suing you as they can be used for any manufactures models and the precedent is already set with many others making bases as well. You could go one step beyond to differentiate yours with mixed resin such as clear and opaque in one mold for such things as water/land or windows etc. Perhaps built in LED's where only a battery is needed in the base.

A drop-in cockpit for Knights.

Female torsos and legs.

Yeah, I'm starting to accept that I might need to try my hand at some bases; they're a super simple base shape and easy to mould for casting. But, there's a lot of solid competition in that space, so I'm focusing on my niche for now to establish more recognition and then I'll consider how I want to evolve and expand. It's ideas like adding translucent components that light up with LEDs that pushed the idea into the kind of space I want to venture to; the really tricky part of that concept is the battery solution so it fits but doesn't make the base taller than an official/standard base. That's an actual design and manufacturing challenge, and will you look at that, I'm actually an Industrial Designer so this is something I think I can pull off by either finding the right outsourced component or just designing something from scratch myself.

The cockpit, however, is something I have been considering seriously since it's been suggested a few times, so I suspect I'll have no choice but to try my hand at it. And now that you specifically mention it, female stature models that aren't over-the-top is a segment that is very under-represented, that's the kind of niche I'm always looking for. That settles it when it comes time to start considering infantry models and accessories, everything will be done 'equal opportunity' and I'll be sure to do both sexes in my designs.

Thanks, as always, for the input. *Nom nom nom* Data and feedback is always tasty.

Button cells would be good for light up bases.

Also, yeah, two-part bases seem like exactly the sort of high-precision objects that others wouldn't want to tackle- even if not lit up, having a base design with a drop-in puddle or rivulet could be a BIG DEAL for some people's armies.