Choose Your Own Adventurers #17, #18, #19: Infiltrators 03/01/19

[cheetor]

In a world before the internet and access to boutique, offbeat science fiction ranges like Colony 87 and Astropolis, there was only one source of oddball sci-fi figures worth talking about: the Warhammer 40,000: Rogue Trader Adventurers.
 

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Suggestive of all sorts of environments and antics beyond those seen on the blood strewn golf-course-with-a-church-in-it 40k battlefields, the images of the range (and a couple of elements of similar ranges) were pored over in isolation by Axiom, Curis and me back in the early nineties.  I expect many of you reading this did similar.  Pre-internet, those pages in the blue 1991 Citadel Catalogue were a big deal to a certain sort of hobbyist.
 

^{(image from www.solegends.com)}

The problem is, despite having made the effort to gather the models together over the years, regardless of the fact that the range is one of of our very favourites ever, each of us has only painted a handful of the RT Adventurers that we own.  Their nature as one-off figures rather than parts of larger projects has meant that they have not received the attention that they deserved, historically often getting bumped from the queue in favour of the next project.
 

^{(image from www.solegends.com)}

In an effort to structure the process of getting these lovable, slightly shonky old models table ready Axiom, Curis and I have decided to rotate between us, with each of us painting a Rogue Trader Adventurer, blogging about it and posting it here in sequence.  The aim is roughly one Adventurer from one of us, once a week (so one every three weeks per person).  Its not a huge commitment, but with various other real life things going on for all of us, the structure is what we want, not more stressful deadlines.

Im certainly already getting a kick out of seeing the work of the other contributors gradually appear, so hopefully some of you will enjoy following along. 

We have three posted so far, one each, as can be seen below.  The titles link to the associated blog posts, which feature more information, pictures and general waffle from each of us about the model and the process.
 
 

Choose Your Own Adventurers - Episode 1: Inquisitor Clousseau by axiom.

Choose Your Own Adventurers – Episode 2: Captain Paradox Zeeman by curis.

Choose Your Own Adventurers - Episode 3: Garnier Wangst, Eldar Trader by cheetor.

More to come soon, all going well.  Comments, criticisms and all the usual are all very welcome. 

Thanks for looking!

[axiom]

For me this project really is a long-time ambition made manifest. A communal motivation and encouragement to get some of these delicious, characterful and venerable sculpts painted and gamed with is something to be cherished!

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Excellent.

After the night of the Long Knives (and associated P45s) I lost interest in Games Workshop, and stopped buying White Dwarf at issue 97 so these are all new to me.

It is good to see the older figures getting painted.

[Dr. Zombie]

What a great project. I am following this with keen interest.

I love those old figs. Sadly I do not own any of them myself and ebay prices, when they show up there, will likely keep me from ever owning any.
So I will content myself to watch you guys paint these fellas up.

[OSHIROmodels]

Cracking idea chaps 

cheers

James

[Jagannath]

I love these group projects you guys do - this is brill!

[Ockman]

I love these group projects you guys do - this is brill!

I concur!

[cheetor]

Thanks for the encouragement everyone.

Sadly I do not own any of them myself and ebay prices, when they show up there, will likely keep me from ever owning any.

Ebay prices for a number of those figures shown can be high Dr. Zombie, but I have found that picking them up via Facebook groups and by trading/buying on forums like this keeps them lower in cost than the... optimistic... prices asked for on Ebay.

Its is difficult to track the entire ranges down, but sometimes the secondary heart wants what the secondary heart wants.  Nostalgia is a powerful thing, gotta be wary of it, but this old range in particular represents over thirty years of hobby coming full circle for me, so it generates a unique sense of satisfaction.

At least, that's how I justified buying them to myself anyway 

I love these group projects you guys do - this is brill!

Thanks Jagannath!
Group projects are great for motivation.  If any of your mates are reliable sorts then I thoroughly recommend trying it with them.

[dijit]

fantastic start to a fascinating project - will be keeping a close eye on this! As you say they are some of the most characterful models to come from GW in the 90's.

[axiom]

With cheetor and Curis having completed models #2 and #3, it's back to me for #4. I'm selecting my initial figures as an Inquisitorial retinue, so the obvious first pic to accompany an Inquisitor is clearly a short and grumpy looking cook!

Introducing Short Jern Silvo:

[Curis]

Dr. Zombie – with patience anything is possible, even reasonable prices on obscure miniatures.  I'm slowly getting my hands on these figures, and luckily acquiring them at a speed about the same as I can paint at.  The last few in the set will be a challenge.

*********

I've painted number five!  Nebuli Tsar, the Ventolin Pirate.

He's got a number of design similarities with the LE02 Space Marine.  I wonder if he was a rejected design.

Full write up here.

[Mason]

What a great idea, chaps!
 

Some wonderful nostalgia-riddled offerings of eye candy already offered up and plenty more to come, I reckon.
 

I can sympathise with this idea having fallen for this range in a big way when they were first released.
I have picked up a few over the yeras but have only painted a couple, I think, that Inquisitor being one.
I must look away now before you distract me from what I should be painting.....

[Jagannath]

Nicely done, he's great - I see what you mean about the design similarities... I love that era of kneepads/ribbing/fur lined boots. Really iconic.

[cheetor]

Lovely work on Silvo and Tsar lads!

Each one makes me want to paint that sculpt, which is exactly the point really.

I must look away now before you distract me from what I should be painting.....

I struggle with precisely that too, yet what are these things that I should be painting? 

Toy soldier painting scheduling is an arcane process, based on all sorts of weirdness

I think that this thread is pretty much right up your street Mason.  I hope that you will enjoy it.

[Mason]

I struggle with precisely that too, yet what are these things that I should be painting? 

Toy soldier painting scheduling is an arcane process, based on all sorts of weirdness

At the moment I SHOULD be painting the rest of the Hydra Crew for the latest Blind Beggar KS....
 

I think that this thread is pretty much right up your street Mason.  I hope that you will enjoy it.

It is and I am sure that I will.
Oh, yes!