Daicarota

Hey Internet,

Bit of a weird one today - a giant mutant carrot.

I have no who this miniature is made by or where I got it from (or I would have even contemplated buying it!), but I think it is just perfect for this project.

With the exception of Exseletor, everything that I have done to date for this project leans towards the more serious side of the 'silly rubber-suited monsters' genre. This model makes a nice break from that; being far more Mighty Morphin Power Rangers than Neon Genesis Evangelion.

The model is very simple (because its a carrot) but it has a real goofy charm. Painting was easy-peasy^1. I went for nice bold colours, as subtlety felt a little out of place. Purple lips, green 'arms' and a bright orange body. In all it only took a few hours, including me doing other things while layers dried.

I'll keep my eye out of any more 'mutant fruit and veg' models that are out there, with the vague hope that one day I can put on an 'Attack of the GM Vegetables' scenario.

MM.

Footnotes

^1: I apologise for this pun.

* * *

Just a few inspirational images from around the 'web

The Lead Tally - 2014

Acquired: +31       Painted: +9          Total: -24

Exoskeletor

I had intended to get this model ready to post up over the weekend, but being the clever sorta' guy that I am I managed to explode a bottle of silver paint all over him when he was 90% complete.

Feeling like a proper twonk, I decided to painstakingly repaint this model as penance.

Exoskeletor is a rather strange model that I've had sitting around for years. I'm not totally sure where and when I got it, although I have the vague notion that the model is from Ral Partha UK. He's on a 50mm washer for working out how big he is - hes around ~60mm to the top of the head.

Its a nice sculpt with plenty of detail and was cast with only a few simple mold likes to worry about. However, the concept, for want of a better word, of the model is a little kooky. A giant lobster with a battle axe? If I was not looking out for outlandishly daft models for my Kaiju project I have no idea what I'd use it for. The pose it a little off too; really quite flat for a model with so many flailing appendages.

I've left off the wiggly lobster face antenna as they were made of very thin metal and were rather heavy. I couldn't see them lasting very long at all, and I really don't it when a model breaks. It's left two big holes in the face, but I've incorporated them into Exoskeletor's rules, so I'm okay with it.

I did a Google search for 'lobster monsters' and found these two fine examples. I decided that the colours were perfect for my own creature.

Frustrations over going though the exact same painting process twice within three days aside, it was a rather easy colour scheme to do. I used some very big brushes and plenty of ink washes and dry-brushing to build up the red colour.

That done, it was a fairly simple matter to pick out all the barnacles in a creamy karki colour and fill in the belly area in a yellowy cream colour. I'm not totally sure about the axe at the moment.

I might go back and add some rust effects or verdigris to the blade to make it look a little more like he's been carrying under the sea for a while.

So, like him?

MM.

The Lead Tally - 2014

Acquired: +4       Painted: +2          Total: -2

Land-Sharks

Hey Internet,

This week I've got my Sandalphon's little friends - four 'Land-Sharks'.

I had these models ready and waiting on my painting table for a few weeks before mustering up the enthusiasm to put brush to undercoat. I've no idea why - they are really nice models, and now that I've finally got round to getting them done I'm really rather happy with the end result.

As with my last 'Hordes' model, I plan on using these little fellas in both my Savage Worlds campaign and for games of WarmaHordes.

Land-Shark: Orange

The Models
The models are more from Privateer Press' 'Hordes' range - 'Shredders' from their 'Legion of Everblight' faction.

They are really nice little things. The sculpts really are tip-top quality and the design is really fun - they're just teeth with legs!

They are based on ~30mm washers for the purposes of working out how big they are. Each one is about 20mm tall and, depending on how you pose the legs, 20mm - 35mm long.

Like their Bigger Brother, they are cast in Privateer Press' weird plastic/resin stuff. It captures the details fine, but is a bit of a pain in the arse to clean up.

I'm starting to get the hang of working with the stuff now. After much trial and error I have come to the realisation that files will make the plastic crumble and splinter. Using a scalpel with a cutting motion works far better, only resorting to using files on areas that a blade will not work on.

I've found that a stiff toothbrush is really handy too. A good hard scrub appears to be the best way to clean off the scraggly bits of plastic that filing leaves behind.

Land-Shark: Blue

Painting

When I finally got round to painting them it, was really rather easy. I just used the same black and bone colours that I used on the big shark.

I painted each Shark's bony carapace bits a different colour so that I could differentiate them on the battlefield.  

It was all drybrushing, ink washes and filling in the details with a small brush, so in all it took me two short evening painting sessions to get them done - perhaps 3 or 4 hours in total. 

They are not the best paint-jobs in the world, and these these super close-ups make them look a bit 'rough', but I am quite happy with them.

Land-Shark: Khaki

Basing

I've based the figures on washers that exactly match the dimensions of the 'official' Warmachine/Hordes bases. In Warmachine/Hordes bases sizes are a big 'thing', so I made sure to get them right. 

If anyone's interested, 25mm Lipped Basses are exactly the same size as 'M6 Mudguard Repair' washers. 

Land-Shark: Green

Kaiju One: Sandalphon, The Angel of Music

Hey Internet,

Been looking forward to this one - my first Kaiju. Its been a very long time since I last tackled a model of this size, but I've had a really good time getting it done. Do tell me what you think.

"Hey....you dont play Warmachines/Hordes...and your not supposed to start any new projects this year!?!" I hear you say...

Ha! I've not! (On a technicality)

I have stumbled into Warmachine and Hordes by accident more than anything. After much shopping around, I decided that I wanted some of elves for my 'Of Gods and Mortals' project, and that I would rather fancy some land-shark Kaiju for my 6mm 'Kill the Kaiju' games.

When I went to buy them I did not actually know both were made by Privateer Press. In fact, it turned out that they were both in the same faction, 'The Legion of Everblight'!

A fair few of my friends from my local gaming club play Warmachine/Hordes, so I thought I may as well join in as I had the models...

The Model...
The model itself is a 'Legion of Everblight ' made by Privateer Press for there 'Hordes' game.

I've never had a model from Priveteer Press before, but I must admit that I am most impressed. I got the model as part of the two player starter set that I split with a friend, meaning that I ended up paying only £30 for this big beasty, four smaller land-sharks, an eleven lady with a bow and five really nice trolls. By whatever metric you use, that has to go down as great value for money.

The models are made of plastic, and as anyone who has read my blog before will know, I'm not all too fond of plastic. However, I have to admit that I'd have rather have had everything in metal, but given the price and quality I'm not going to grumble on any further on the matter.

The castings are really crisp, sharp and have plenty of detail, but also have plenty in the way of flash that you have to clean up (like all plastic kits....).

However, the model went together without any bother whatsoever. In fact, PP deserve a commendation for the put-together-ability of their kit. Each component has an individually matched male and female joint that made construction a breeze. I had to do a little filling to plug some small gaps, but pinning together a metal model of this size would have taken hours, whereas in all I must have got this one ready for priming in less than an three hours, including gap-filling and cleaning up the flash and mould lines, without breaking a sweat (or swearing loudly, gluing my figures together, drawing blood....ect)

Painting...
I've decided to paint up each of my Kaiju in different colours rather than do them all with a single palate.

I went with a blue and black with pink bits for this one, and am rather happy with how it turned out. I approached this model with far more hesitation than usual on account of its size, but once I got round to it I painted the thing in just one evening.

I've done the base in the same way that I do my 6mm bases as it will primarily be used for 'Kill the Kaiju games.