The Spiderbots are done!

[Germy]

Yes scratch building 100+ miniatures is probably a bit excessive. I seriously reached my limit with this project, but whatever period or scale you are into this hobby looks so much better "en masse".
But I also say with a little creative thinking any gamer can put a horde together and most importantly without it costing the earth.

For projects like this I turn to two sources. Ebay and my local pound/dollar store. For the robots I put in seraches to Ebay like "100pcs" and glanced through the results.
That's how the robots bodies ended up as 'plastic panel rivets' (or clips for the beetlebots) and the legs are 'jack plug dust covers' which is something I never knew existed!
While doing those searches I came across a number of other useful items, searches for 'party bags' brought up very cheap toys including spaceships, cars etc which could all be used in some form or another.
If you are willing to wait three to four weeks then a whole range of plastic bits and pieces can be got from Chinese suppliers for £0.99 including postage.

I think for next years project I will look to do something a bit different, no I won't be able to resist having lots! But I will try and avoid total scratchbuilds.

Thanks for all your comments. I am still planning on creating a little trailer for the game and of course will take pictures and report back on the game when it is played.
For those of you who would like to see it in the flesh it will be at the Maidstone Wargames Society open day, details here.

Cheers

[Michka]

Thanks for the search hints. I'll have to try that myself. I also like to have masses of troops, but usually only need them for the bad guys. Too much heroic fiction in my youth to ever think a straight up fight would look right. If the heroes aren't outnumbered three to one it isn't really a challenge, is it?

[Germy]

I was aiming more for 10 to 1 

[fred]

You might have managed it then!

[Daeothar]

I followed the scratchbuilding madness in your other thread and was alreadty impressed and inspired by the way you combined those real-life bits to such a great effect.

But now, with them all tarted up and based, I'm seriously gobsmacked! That colour choice is ace, and the original components are blended together by the paintjob so well...

Congratulations on a truly impressive project sir! 

[Germy]

Thank you, I was very pleased at how these came together in the end. I was worried the guns would still be very recognisable but I seem to have got away with that and it's funny how the
Beetlebots were an afterthought but everyone seems to prefer that design!
My ability to build things has always been better than my painting ability so there were a few worrying moments, I'm so glad I gave up on the 'paint them red' idea early on.
But I'm happy I gave the 'zenithal'? highlighting a go and just stuck to a simple highlight along the edges and some distressing/staining to break up the surfaces. Even opting for yellow
on the number transfers rather than white has worked well. 

When projects like this come together it can be very rewarding. Although it's typical that after completing the robots I'm now struggling to paint 14 human troopers as opponents!

[Germy]

Just finished the opposition to the spiderbots.
These are the poor sods facing the horde. It will be about 10-1   

Heresy Troopers, with some repainted AT43 mini's to act as support robots.

Close up of the troopers and repainted AT43 stuff.

[Gallahad]

Absolutely fantastic.  I've dreamed of building a horde of drones/robots for a number of years.  Great painting, great conversions, great tutorial on the blog.  Thanks for sharing.

[baldlea]

Great project!

[Germy]

Cheers everyone, I'll be sure to post up and report on the game.
So long as I get the rules done in time! 

[Inso]

Those Heresy troopers are great... and teh UNA suit goes really well with them.

Excellent work again 

[Germy]

Finally managed to play the Spiderbot game, battle report is posted Here