Drive it like you stole it Pt 2

The most potent of the Wargear options you can add to the Looted Wagon is the Kill Kannon.  No need to make one of those with this kit - but what if you don't want one (I can't think of why, but, what if).  Similar to the front gun, I built a transition piece that could replace the turret.  I then added a hatch, also from Kromlech.  

Then I got a little obsessive with the magnets.  So, the transition piece is magnetized to the tank, the hatch is magnetized to the transition piece, the lid is is magnetized to the hatch and then the lid then has tiny magnets in the hinge so it can open and close (not completed in pic below).

And with one of Kromlech's tank crew added.

One of the pitfalls (and awesomeness) of so many magnets, is you can just keeping adding and combining pieces.  So Kromlech's turrets (and associated guns) can also be added as an alternate.

And now we loose all pretense of useful wargear conversions.  Without the turret and the steep angle of the front armour made me think this could be an an awesome tank destroyer.  So built a gun, added a magnet and viola, an Ork StuG - but really just another Kill Kannon option.

And the last and most pointless conversion, I swapped out the engine plant in the back for a set of doors. The idea was that if the Looted Wagon was carrying troops, there should be an Access Point.

Finally, a shot of (most of) the pieces laid out.  I did build a few additional options - Deff Rolla, a few more Big Shoota and Rokkit options, etc.

Hope you're liking this look at a, now fairly modular, scrap tank/looted wagon!  Next post we get some paint on this bad boy.

Drive it like you stole it Pt 1

Lets move from infantry models to something with a little more umf - tanks!

With the 7th Ed codex, many of the Ork vehicles got kick-ass new kits.  Sadly, the Looted Wagon wasn't one of them and, in fact, would eventually be removed entirely by the time we got to the 8th Ed book - fortunately, it did reappear in White Dwarf a few months later.

So I was super excited when I found this on MaxMini  - the Scrap Tank (this was long before it was re-purposed as part of their Green Alliance Kickstarter).

It's roughly the same size as a Leman Russ and is a beautifully detailed resin kit that works just perfectly with the new Ork look (as if it was designed too).  Its super easy to build, consisting of a just an handful of parts but still has a fantastic level of detail.

Now, as awesome as this kit is, it did need a little work to allow for all the Looted Wagon wargear (e.g. Big Shootas/Rokkits, with and without a Kill Kannon, Deff Rolla, etc).

I started with the Big Shoota options.  Instead of using the assault cannon that came with the kit, I magnetized a Big Shoota in its place.

I also added another magnet on top on the turret.  It has my 'Longteef' banner to identify it as part of my Blood Axe clan, but it can be replaced with a cupola mounted Big Shoota (not pictured).   That gave me two Big Shoots but I needed a third.  So I used the big flat area on the front armour, added a third magnet and built a mounting bracket out of plasticard.  I then magnatized that and added the Big Shoot from Kromlech.

Given the mounting point and the guns are all magnetized they can be removed/swapped, so I naturally added the other Kromlech guns (Skortcha, Rokkits, Kannon, plus Big Shoota) - just to have options :)

I now needed three Rokkit options.  I used 2 of the existing magnets and added one more magnet in the smoke launcher (on the other size of the Kill Kannon).

But just to keep things interesting, what it the Rokkits were firing!

The Rokkits where made using the old Forgeworld Ork vehicle weapons kit.  The Rokkits were cut free of their launchers.  I took a wire and bent into a somewhat haphazard flight path and put one end into the Rokkit and puttied a magnet to the other.  I then rolled a ton of green stuff balls of varying sizes to represent smoke blooms and built up a smoke trail, starting with the larger ones at the end working up to the smallest.  The 'bubble' effect gets mitigated when they are painted and the cracks get filled up.

Next post the conversions deviate from just wargear and go slightly off the rails.

Some Like it Hot Pt 4

Ok, here is the final post for the Ork Burna unit with the inclusion of the leader, Mekboy Gear'ead Gazlugg.  Gazlugg, like all of his ilk, has a desire to construct and deconstruct in equal measure.

 

He's really just the old stock plastic Mekboy with a bit of a fancy base.  I've put him on 32mm to help distinguish him as the squad leader (that and his big shinny gun!)

 

And finally, here is the shot of entire 11 man squad.  Not bad given 60% of the squad is based off 2 models.

Some Like it Hot Pt 3

A few years ago, in an effort to use up some long ignored minis, I found I still had two of the original metal Burnas.  Having only 8 in my Burna squad it seemed like a good time to boost their numbers.  

Of course I needed to convert them given I had already used these guys twice (so much for my original plan of no dupes!)  

Nothing too complicated here - head swaps from Spell Crow, weapon swaps from the plastic Burnas.

 Then came the hard part - cutting out parts of the metal back-packs and adding different fuel containers to each to change them up a little.  

Next up is the Mekboy, who technically was done ahead of these two, but seamed like a better mini to end on. 

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Some Like it Hot Pt 1

Some Orks just want to watch the world burn.  They are cleverly called Burnas.

During a Waaaah, these flame loving fellows are fearsome flamethrowers reducing all in their wake to molten slag or crumbling ash.  Because their weapon of choice is also a powerful torch, they often join boarding parties where they can cut through the thickest bulkheads to gain entry or assault large warmachines to slowly dismantle them.  In 'civilian' life, Burnas are often employed by Big Meks as welders in their construction projects or in scarp and salvage work.  

My Burnas originally started out as heavy weapon options for my boyz mobs (as was the option in the 3rd ed codex).  

I needed 4 Burnas for my 2 squads but GW only produced 2 single piece metal models (remember metal).  Never wanting dups, I built two others using 2 standard Ork boyz, Burna mask heads, Scortchas from the old (metal) dreadnought and a few Skaven Warpfire Thrower backpacks.

Next up: more Burnas and what happens when Burnas become a squad of their own!

Lowest of the Low Pt 4

We come to the last of our Grot posts - the command squad - in true IG fashion, the Grots of Da Longteef have cobbled together a command squad of sorts, including a Lieutenant, Kommisar and a few 'special' weapons.  These particularly intelligent, brave, ambitious or willing Grots bark orders (a few even correctly) and generally try to keep the squad moving in the right direction.

The Lieutenant is built in same fashion as the other grots, though this time with an officer cap (again from Basicks), a grot-sized chain sword and a las pistol - a fancier weapon, as befitting his rank, than the crude pistols the other grots use.  Finally, a fur half cloak from the Empire White Wolf upgrade sprue makes a nice cape and gives him just a little more 'authority'.

The one element of the IG  that remains an ongoing mystery to the Orks is why you would have two people in charge (the concept of morale being largely lost on a Ork mind).  Never the less, there must be a reason - in this case to mostly give contradictory orders and add to the general chaos that is an Ork battlefield.

The Kommissar is a goblin officer from Basicks with the most Commisar looking hat from their officer head sprue.

Finally, one of the special weapons.  This is one of the older pre-plastic GW grots, though I've sawed him in half to give him some pants and boots.  I think the blunderbuss works great a special weapon - like a crude, big blast shotgun 

Here is a shot of the entire command squad.  The dual pistols and Necromunda shotgun are really just place holders until I can find something a little more characterful.

And finally, the current squad all together.

Hope you're liking this look at the Orks.  Please comment and follow on facebook..
Next post we'll have a new squad!

 

 

Red ones go fasta! Pt 1

I'm starting our look at Da Longteef with the Big Mek, Gogstompa.  Gogstompa holds the rank of Kolonel and leads Grimtoof's walker warband - stompas, dreads, nauts and cans!

The fig is the old metal Big Mek GW miniature.  In keeping with the Blood Axe/IG theme, I figured the meks would take after the Adeptus Mechanicus so I painted him red and sculpted a hood with dags (instead of gears).  I really liked the idea that the Ad Mech are predominantly red and this somehow validates the Ork's belief that 'red ones go fasta!'

I also added a backpack with a little more horsepower - a old Killer Kan power plant.  I then fitted it with a couple of power claws from Kromlech, to help when building those big walkers.  Admit it, every 'converter' wishes they had three arms at some point.

And of course I magnetized the arms and head just in case I needed swap anything out down the road.  I have no real reason for doing this other than I'm afraid to commit to any one wargear option.

Of course, every mek has his grot oilers.  I figured the pit chief would try to emulate his boss, so used a Night Goblin for the red robes.  He's had a few less then well though-out upgrades. His assistants are a grot from the current plastic box (with custom blow torch) and a converted grot from Spell Crow with power hammer.

Finally, threw in an attack squig for good measure.  When I saw these mekano squigs from Wargame Exclusive, I knew they would work perfectly for a Big Mek.  They are painted up using the standard GW rust technique (Ryza Rust over Typhus Corrosion).  All my Ork robots have this super rusted look because, Orks.

And here is the group all together.

Hope you liked this first look at Da Longteef, my Blood Axe warband.  Lots more to come!

Job security

To give the retinue a little more punch in hand-to-hand, I added 3 Death Cult Assassins (again, when these were their own unit).  

Fortunately, both the Inquisition and Adeptus Sororitas books still allow you to take these guys, now as part of the retinue. 

I keep the general army colour scheme or gold, red and brown with a little green accent.  I may go back and add a little detailing on their skirts one day.

The models are the OOP Confrontation Clones of Dirz.  The original model came with a sword and axe, so did a weapon swap with the axe hand to add a second Power Sword.  I cut down a Catachan Power Sword by removing the back half of the blade to make it less bulky.  These models area little more 'true-scale' than the GW, but I think that works for a lean, agile assassin.

I was quite taken (as I suspect like many of us were) with Rackham's line of Confrontation miniatures.  If you've never heard of them, you can read the Wikipedia entry to learn about the company and the world, and this catalog site to see their line of figs.

And while I never played the game I certainly bought a good number of their figs - and a great deal more when the company eventually went under and stores started to dump inventory.  I still have a shoe box filled with unopened blisters.  Beyond the quality of the sculpts, the bizarre, fantastical (if slightly over the top) art style makes for some outstanding Inquisition figs.

You can still purchase some of the figs from Legacy Miniatures (ie. CMON) and a few other places (although not sure they are licensed or recasters so will avoid putting links)

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The Unwashed Masses

I've been talking about how I divided my Zealots into two types - the Acolytes, the low level members of the Imperial Church, and the members of the Congregation.  The last 3 posts dealt with the Acolytes.  This post will focus on the Congregation.  Largely made up of  raggedy men - unprepared, uninformed, under-equipped fodder - that answered the ecclesiastic call, left jobs, homes, and families to fight and die for the Emperor.

This first group is based mostly off the Empire Flagellants box - its really the go-to box for any robed humans and provides a great base for all kinds of conversions.  

There's also the odd Necromunda  Redemptionist thrown-in.  Either the original gang from 1997 or the early 2000s re-sculpts are another great source of 'priest' figs.  I'll eventually throw in other similar models to bolsters the ranks (e.g. more Redemptionists, Empire Warrior Priests, or even the new plastic Chaos Cultists).

The Congregation are differentiated from Acolytes (in red) by their more drab brown robes.  But I've tried to tie them in by using red as an accent colour, particularly on the chain weapons.  And, of course, the liberal application of purity seals.

I've also tried to make them look a little more haphazard in terms of equipment, adding a few bits of kit (like IG pouches, Kroot shoulder pads, even a Space Marine arm) and a mix of chainswords and glaives.  The guns are mostly from the Empire Outriders and help provide an outdated feel to their equipment.

Here is the entire Congregation with their cult issue brown robes and chainswords, in all their zealotry and righteous fury.

And the full 20 man Zealot squad  - Acolytes and their Congregation

Thats all the troops for now.  Next post we go back to the retinue for one quick addition.

Hope you're enjoying this army.  

Men of Faith - Part 3

This is the last batch of 'acolytes' - the low level members of the Imperial church, that will form the command, special/heavy weapons of my Zealot squads.

The second of my Eviscerater wielding 'heavys'.  This is an old Necromunda Redemptionist fig (with, once again, head swapped with a mounted Chaos Marauder head - they just make great angry priest heads, what can I say).  I also replaced his bare feat with some proper combat boots!

The 'leader' of the squad, until I can attached a proper priest to them, is a converted Inquisitorial Coteaz Acolyte.  I replaced his banner with a Sisters of Battle shrine and his plasma gun with a torch.  He caries with him a number of holy books with which to minister to the faithful.  Again, the purple denotes his seniority.  

The last miniature of the group is the GW Missionary with Plasma Gun.  Minimal conversion here:  Swapped his staff banner (as I had used it elsewhere) and put on a back banner.

And finally a group shot of all nine.

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Men of Faith - Part 2

Carrying on from last post, here are more zealots (aka random priestly models).  

I envisioned massive squads of raggedy imperial citizens, their faith bolstered by the presence of a few "official" members of the church - these acolytes would provide leadership, some military structure, and be responsible for the more powerful special/heavy weapons.

The next acolyte is the old Inquisitor Hierophant model, who works perfectly as a 'heavy' wielding an Eviserator.

This is another of the old GW metal Preachers.  Just a few simple conversions:

  • Mohawk hair was removed
  • Club was replaced with pistol from the Empire Free Company
  • Laspistol was replaced by a custom banner
  • Warhammer was added to his back

Similar to last post, this model is the same as the one above (yet another duplicate):

  • Removed both arms and replaced them with the Empire Solider captain arms and replaced the blade with a chainsword.  This also required a bit of reconstructive putty work on the cowl.
  • Swapped the head for another mounted Chaos Marauder head
  • The purple identifies him as a senior acolyte

Hope you like.

Men of Faith - Part 1

Issue 292 of White Dwarf included new rules to add units of Zealots to your Witch Hunter armies.  A stellar mob of raving adherents to the Imperial Cult, complete with unique weaponry (one use Handflamers and Evisterators) and led by a Demagogue or Priest - fantastic! 

This was the rock upon which my army would be based - Inquisitors and Priests as HQs, Stormtroppes as elites, Zealots as troops with all the Witch Hunter craziness filling in the gaps.  Ok, so never going to be a power army, but great fluff!

When I started modeling this unit I divided it into two types - actually low level functionaries of the church (initiates or acolytes training to one day to become confessors, missionaries or priests) and members of the congregation (imperial citizens who answered the crusade's call).

I'll start with the initiates/acolytes -  they would be made up of all the various priest (or priest-like) models GW had come up with over the years (including some Warrior Priests from the old WHFB range) .

As I mentioned in my last post, the rules for most of the non-Sister units are long gone, but I'll find these guys a home somewhere.

This is the stock Preacher model from Games Workshop.  I think these have some of the best facial expressions of any of the old GW metals.

Notice anything?  Over the years I accumulated quite a few priest models and inevitably some dupes.  This is the same model as above but with a little conversion work:

  • Removed the bell and replaced it with the parchment
  • Swapped the head with one from  the Empire Flagellants range
  • Replaced both hands with pistols from the Empire Outriders

Lastly, this is a converted GW Missionary.  Another duplicate (I used the original as part of another Inquisitor retinue):

  • Replaced both the arms with a blunderbuss from the Empire Free Company
  • Swapped the head with a Mounted Chaos Marauder (a set of truly great heads!)
  • Replaced the backpack with a old, old, old banner from a Necromunda Arch Zealot
  • Added a shoulder pad from Vampire Counts Grave Guard

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Absolution cometh

Here's the next addition to the Witch Hunters.  I felt they needed something a little heavier, so busted out an old Penitent Engine I got at a Games Day (remember those) long, long ago.

It's an excellent model and hard to find a more 40K concept, but there is one little problem with the design.  The flamers on the arms extend out past the spinning saw blades - so unless the raving lunatic piloting it makes some pretty ginger cuts, there are going to be issues.

So the first conversion was to loose the arm flamers and re-position them at the waist.  
The second was to give it a little more dynamic pose by having it climbing up over some rocks.
Finally, I wanted to bulk up the model a little, so my third conversion was to

  • put an oil drum at the back (to feed the flamers),
  • put a suitably religious banner on top (from the old metal Terminator Librarian) and
  • add some shoulder pads (plastic ork bits)

Hope you like and feel free to leave comments in the blog or by email.

No one expects the Inquisition...

Over the next few posts I'll be covering the HQ for my Witch Hunters - an Inquisitor and his retinue. Unfortunately no WIPs of these guys.

The truth is, while I rarely get a chance play miniature games (because life), I rarely paint figs just for the sake of painting them.  I almost always paint to add to my various armies.  Of course, that hasn't stop me from buying a vast number of very cool, but very random one off figs from wide range of manufactures. A big draw of the Inquisitorial warband, beyond the cool fluff, was the opportunity to use (and therefore paint) all of these orphan figs for 40K.

I decided that I'd paint each fig individually, picking the colour palette if that I felt worked best for that fig, without too much concern for the overall aesthetic of the warband.  While I knew this might lead to a more disjoint appearance on the table, I'd get more satisfaction out of painting (and frankly I figured I'd paint more figures that I'd ever field).

Inquisitor Kanis Sol

Born on the harsh winter planet on Fenris, Kanis shares the same icy demeanor and rugged pragmatism of his countrymen.  A member of the Ordo Herticus, Kanis casts his attention to the edges of the Imperium - those far flung realms where the Emperor’s light is perhaps more dimly felt.  He is a firm believer that if these regions are not monitored, the Administratum may come to find the Imperium is much smaller they once thought.

The fig is the stock special edition Inquisitor mini from Games Workshop .  I did up a slightly scenic base to reinforce his 'rural' nature.

Two Chiurgeons: Dr. Mannheim Gaust and his assistant Verlin

Gaust and Verlin serve as both the retinue's medical staff and information extractors - for in the Imperium there is no Hippocratic Oath and the role of healer and torturer often overlap.

These are 2 of the old metal Malifaux figs, McMourning and Sebastian, from Wyrd Miniatures.  

I enjoy the themes and, well, weirdness of Wyrd Miniatures and their quasi Gothic nature can fit well into the 40K universe.  I do feel they can veer into the cartoon/caricature realm, so I've only picked up a few minis so far (though, to be fair, many of the new plastics are far better at avoiding this).

For the Emperor!

Last post I showed you the Inquisitorial Chimeras - this time its their owners:  2 squads of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers.

These guys were painted prior to the new Scions minis (which are fantastic!) and even before the Cadian Kardashians...er... Kasrkins.  So, you know, old school.

Painted them in the traditional Inquisitorial colours but opted to make the masks and cloth a cream colour to give them a slightly different look than the more typical red and black.

They were also built back when the codex had Stormtroopers.  Much of this army is now in limbo, rules wise.  With the old Witch Hunter codex being replaced by the digital Adeptus Sororitas dex, many of the non-Sisters units have faded away (which, unfortunately, is largely what this army consists of).  Perhaps they will be reconstituted as Inquisitor henchmen, or as part of an IG army or perhaps maybe even a new Sisters dex (however unlikely).

The minis are mostly stock - its always a little harder to converted old single-piece metals, but did give the Sergeants new heads, banners and weapons.  

The banners were my first attempt as designing something in Photoshop, printing to a clear decal sheet and putting on a hand-made banner (this was also back before GW was making sculpted, plastic army banners).  Not 100% successful so always had it in mind to redo them at some point.

I also wanted everyone to have gas masks, so sculpted masks onto any of the open faced men.



Here come the minis!

While some of these posts will cover whatever I'm currently working on, they'll also server to show off some of my existing armies, in the form of a project log.

First up are Witch Hunters/Sisters of Battle.  I started this army at the time the first Inquisition codex came out and has been the slowest of slow burn projects.  I was originally going to do Deamonhunters but a friend of mine jumped on the Grey Knights (of which, many years later, he has a very nice 4000pt force).  I really had no interest in either Grey Knights or Sisters, I just wanted to do Inquisitors, so I switched.  It seemed like a fantastic opportunity to

  1. bring in some of the more esoteric concepts around 40K into the game - all those fluff elements that really sell the 40K background
  2. use (and therefore to buy) a wide range of minis from various manufactures as count-as 'agents of the Imperium'

To start the army I painted up an Inquisitor, a small warband (which I'll feature later), two units of Inquisitorial Stormtroopers (back when they were a thing) and a couple of Chimera's for their ride.  Here are a couple of WIP shots of those Chimeras:

I had three concepts when I started

  1. I wanted them to have more bling that a traditional Guard Chimera (this was the Inquisition after all).  I did a little green stuff casting of some Forgeworld bits using Super Sculpty - a stick and bake putty.  Not a super sophisticated technique but with a little practice can yield some decent results.  Over the years I've amassed quite a few of these molds
  2. I needed to get rid of the side lasguns (which always struck me as the most ridiculous part of an otherwise very nice kit).  I removed the guns, puttied over the lasgun hatches and replaced them with a few cast eagles
  3. I wanted a more substantial turret (the original seems a little weedy).  I subbed in a Space Marine Predator turret, modifying its autocannon option to be the Chimera's multi-laser.  This just makes it feel a little more 'tank like'

The turret is fully magnetized (you’ll find out how much I love magnets!), so you can remove the turret, the gun, the hatch, the power pack (and there's a hard point next to the hatch to add a hunter-killer, spotlight, radar, etc).

In terms of colour I went for the classic Inquisitor colour scheme of red and black.  Its a dramatic combination and ties in very well with my Flesh Tearers Space Marine army.

THE FINISHED PAIR

DETAIL OF TURRET and FRONT

'360 VIEWS' OF BOTH TANKS

If you have any questions or comments, please feel free to leave a comment or contact me at mechanicusrexminiatures@gmail.com.