Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Minion on March 08, 2012, 10:07:16 PM
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Hi everyone. I'm new to the forums, and figured that a good way to introduce myself might be to show what I'm currently working on. I recently moved cities, and found some people in the new town who still play 2nd edition 40k. I always loved that game, and figured I'd join in. What better way to do that than with an army that hasn't existed since 2nd edition?
Inspired by Inso (http://grymnoutthere.blogspot.com.au/) and Brandlin (http://brandlin.blogspot.com.au/search/label/Grymn), I decided to use Hasslefree Grymn for the basic troopers, and Old Crow for the vehicles. I picked up some test models, which looked like this:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/squats1.jpg)
You might recognise some AT-43 Kolossus models in the middle there; I had plans for those! I also did a test paint job:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/2_1.jpg)
I thought it worked out pretty well, so I decided to go ahead! Lots of assembly and conversion later, and here's what I've got. I'm using a Squat army list that was published in Inquisitor magazine #15, which allows a few more options than the standard Black (paper) Codex list. So far I've painted two squads of Longbeards (veterans, basically) in power armour with boltguns:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/squad_1.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/beta_front.jpg)
No Squat army is complete without Mole Mortars. I built mine from Forgeworld Elysian Drop Trooper mortars and a bit of plastic rod:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/molemortar.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/molemortars2.jpg)
Squats also need Hearthguard (champions, basically) in Exo-Armour, and that's where those AT-43 Kolossus figures came in. With a bit of conversion work, this was the result, three with storm bolters and one with a lascannon:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/hearthguard_guns.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/hearthguard_front.jpg)
That's probably enough pictures for an introduction. Hi everybody! I'll come back later and show you my Warlord and my Ancestor Lord, as well as the jeeps with turrets that I'm using as Squat Attack Trikes. I've also got some photos taken from the first three games I've played with this army.
Comments are very welcome!
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Very nice work. I like the paint schemes and the mole mortars look very nice. Aren't the Hearthguard a bit big though for what is essentially a squat in terminator armour? They have a good style to them that works though.
Duncan
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Way to make an entrance :-* !
Excellent stuff. The bright paint-scheme really suits your troops and the Kolossus are perfect for your little army (they are what I would have gone for if I didn't have the Vulkans and could find those in decent amounts).
I never let things like existing fluff get in the way of using cool models/miniatures so Kollossus as Exo Squats works for me. The mole-mortars are great and really look the part.
I am watching this one :o !
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Nice... always liked Squats, still have the old plastic Squats of the '80s.
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Wow! Welcome to LAF. You're eye candy is very welcome here!
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Saw this army on WGAU, great to see it here as well.
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Love it. This is going to be a very cool army
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Beautiful painting on those Grymn - looking forward to the vehicles, and whatever else is on the way!
Welcome to the forum, by the way!
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Very nice!! :o
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You're all so welcoming -- thanks everyone!
Very nice work. I like the paint schemes and the mole mortars look very nice. Aren't the Hearthguard a bit big though for what is essentially a squat in terminator armour? They have a good style to them that works though.
Duncan
Cheers Duncan! You're probably right that the Hearthguard are a bit big, but the way I see it the Squats feel like they've got a bit to compensate for! I think of them more as Hearthguard inside little walkers, rather than Hearthguard wearing suits of armour. Plus, like Inso says, I'm mostly about what looks cool! We're pretty casual around here with things like model sizes, so we haven't had any issues in play. We've got a Grey Knights player using a Dreadknight as a Dreadnought, and there's quite a hefty size difference going on there!
Saw this army on WGAU, great to see it here as well.
A fellow Australian! Yup, I've been posting quite a bit about this on WargamerAU. Folks over there have been very helpful!
Alright, how about some more pictures? I picked up some heavy support, in the form of a Predator substitute and a Whirlwind substitute, from Old Crow. They're not hugely exciting, because I've basically assembled them as they came, with minimal modifications. Here's the Whirlwind, with a bit of stowage on the side and a celtic plate from Scibor on the front:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/whirlwind.jpg)
For something a bit quicker, I decided to use Old Crow jeeps as substitutes for Attack Trikes. Obviously they needed turret-mounted heavy weapons, and after some messing around (and lots of suggestions fro WargamerAU!) this is what I ended up with:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/jeep1-1.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/jeep3.jpg)
There are two of them:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/jeeptwo2.jpg)
And the weapons are magnetised:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/plasma.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/flamer.jpg)
Which leaves me with basically one thing to show you: my Warlord in Exo Armour. This was a pretty hefty conversion for me (with lots of helpful advice from one of the local 2nd ed players). I added height to the AT-43 Kolossus, to make it more imposing. It's got pieces from Scibor miniatures, the Kaeris figure from Malifaux, a Khador warjack kit from Privateer Press, and a GW Imperial Guard sentinel. I give you the Winged Warlord:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ulord4.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ulord3.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ulord2.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ulord1.jpg)
Thanks for taking the time to look!
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Very nice stuff all round 8)
The winged warlord is paticulary eye catching. What sort of colour scheme are you going to have for it (assuming it's not done yet :) ).
cheers
James
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Very cool looking toys. That warlord is freaking awesome.
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Very nice conversions. The trikes look especially well done. Squat were the first army I ever collected and so I still have a soft spot in my heart for them 20 years on.
After a little more thought since the Hearthguard are mounted on roughly 40mm bases, I'm guessing that height/bulk difference isn't too bad.
Duncan
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Beautiful work and welcome , love the colour scheme and the armour is cracking :-*
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Wow! Great job! :-*
All the bits work really well together, and your painting is superb! Loving it!
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:o :o :o
Wow!
What a fantastic project!
Great conversions, brilliant concept and very effective colour scheme.
I will be keeping a close eye on this project.
And welcome to the Forum, what an introduction.....
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Wow - great conversions; great colour scheme very well painted. I'll be watching with interest!
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Wonderful work all round. Must resist Grymm...
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Very nice! Battle walkers make much more sense than exo-armour, for squats. I always thought squats would be somewhat psychotic, and piloting an assault machine makes more sense than waddling around in cumbersome unpractical armour.
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Great conversion jobs, Minion. Welcome to the board! I love what you done to the Colossia (?) and the Winged Warlord is awsum. I am not a big fan of the Old Crow vehicles to be honest, but those gunners & weapons really bring them to life. Much better! And it's always nice to see people rooting for teh Squats, may GW burn in mall hell for droppign them. lol
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Fantastic looking force thus far
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There's a fair few Aussies on LAF. (many of us from the same gaming club!)
It's projects like these that make me want to do a Sci-fi army... maybe next year.
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Thanks everybody! I really appreciate all the kind comments. Way to make the new guy feel welcome! I'm particularly happy to hear that people like the colour scheme and paint jobs -- I'm trying to paint these guys much quicker than my usual (slow!) pace, and sometimes I get worried that they're looking a bit shabby. This is the sort of thing I like to do when I've got fewer models to paint:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/DSCN0899.jpg)
The winged warlord is paticulary eye catching. What sort of colour scheme are you going to have for it (assuming it's not done yet :) ).
Honestly, jimbibbly, I have no idea! Suggestions are welcome. The infantry so far have been painted very cleanly, so I was thinking about just doing the same sort of thing with the Exo-Armour. Same basic colours (GW Astronomican Grey, GW Hawk Turquoise and PP Coal Black as the base), and I'll probably use some stencils or transfers to put numbers on the jaw plates and the shoulders. Whaddya reckon?
After a little more thought since the Hearthguard are mounted on roughly 40mm bases, I'm guessing that height/bulk difference isn't too bad.
Yeah, they're mounted on 40mm bases. There's no doubt they look large next to the infantry, but not too large, I think:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/thegang.jpg)
(That's the Winged Warlord before the undercoat.) One of the things that helps is the local Ork player is actually using the same figures for his Ork Nobs in Mega Armour:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/megaarmour.jpg)
You can see more of his Orks on WargamerAU (link here (http://www.wargamerau.com/forum/index.php?s=a4d8b3e364d74a8595119a9a32938f10&showtopic=133003)). The story goes that the Orks stole some Exo-Armour from the Squats, stripped out the majority of the equipment so they could squeeze inside, and bolted on weapons and armour wherever they felt like it. Credit where it's due, it was actually that local guy who suggested I use the AT-43 Kolossi. He was planning to use them as Mega Armour long before I arrived, I just got the modelling done first! Which, in turn, inspired him...
And it's always nice to see people rooting for teh Squats, may GW burn in mall hell for droppign them. lol
Hear, hear! :)
I've got one more character who hasn't made an appearance yet. He's my Ancestor Lord. These guys are scary: high-level psykers, but also crazy good when it comes to combat (he almost, almost won us my second game by using Gate to teleport himself into combat with a squad of Grey Knight Terminators...). I figured the Warlord was all big and ostentatious, so for the old man I'd go for something a bit different:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/characters.jpg)
Partly it's that I love the model, and think it stands beautifully on its own. And partly it's because I love the idea of an old, bald man in a naval uniform going all kung-fu on everybody!
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Cracking work!!! I'm in Oz too,Goulburn......
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Aren't they just like Terminator suits. The size suits them IMO :D
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Yeah, they're mounted on 40mm bases. There's no doubt they look large next to the infantry, but not too large, I think:
Yeah I think you've got me as a convert.
And stunning paintingon the infinity mini - we demand more!
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Absolutely stunning work. I will be watching this thread with great interest. I think you have really captured the "feel" of a 2nd edition army, too; I've always felt like many of the old GW squats didn't really fit in with the universe as it was imagined at the time (I am thinking about all the dirty, smoky John Blance images that accompanied that version of the rules); many of the squat figs looked too cute for my tastes, so I never got into them at the time.
You've changed my mind, and definitely made me long for those days again! Thanks and keep it up!
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Nice idea with the living ancestor... a killing machine in an un-assuming shape.
The Warlord is cool too... I am looking forward to seeing more painted soon :) .
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Inspiring stuff!
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Ask, Inso and dijit, and ye shall receive: pictures of my painted Ancestor Lord, finished just minutes ago.
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ancestor_front.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ancestor_left.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ancestor_right.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/ancestor_rear.jpg)
This figure was heaps of fun to paint. I didn't take him in my last game (an epic Tyranid Attack; remind me to tell you about it!), but you can bet I'll be taking him in the game I'm playing this Friday night!
Thanks for the kind words, everyone. Your comments are certainly appreciated. They help keep the enthusiasm up! I haven't painted anything larger than a skirmish force in, oh, 13 years?
Cracking work!!! I'm in Oz too,Goulburn......
Silly of me to assume that the .de meant there wouldn't be any Aussies here -- we get around! :)
Absolutely stunning work. I will be watching this thread with great interest. I think you have really captured the "feel" of a 2nd edition army, too; I've always felt like many of the old GW squats didn't really fit in with the universe as it was imagined at the time (I am thinking about all the dirty, smoky John Blance images that accompanied that version of the rules); many of the squat figs looked too cute for my tastes, so I never got into them at the time.
VeronaKid, I'm right there with you. Nostalgia has made the classic Squat range look a little less silly to me, but I could still never get into the fantasy biker with guns thing they had going on. Much as I loved the idea of the army, if there weren't alternates like the Hasslefree Grymn, I would never have started the Squats. Glad I did, though!
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Beautiful!
May we see more please ;D
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Thanks MadMö! I am, unfortunately, a slow painter. But I'll try to give you new things to look at!
We're currently in the middle of a 2nd ed campaign, and our next game is tomorrow night. We were originally scheduled to play 1500 point games, but one of the players is going to have to leave early. Rather than exclude him, we decided to try something different -- 500 point armies, alternating activation, and a race to secure some valuable intel!
We're allowed 1 character (up to 100 points, no wargear over 15 points), and no vehicles or support options of any kind. Here's the army I'm taking:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/500pts.jpg)
It's lead by an Ancestor, right in the middle. Behind him is the fire support: a squad of Warriors with two Heavy Bolters. To his left is the mobile attack: a squad of Warriors with a Plasma Gun. In front is the advanced element: a Recon Squad (infiltrators) armed with Needle Sniper Rifles. And to his right, the shock troopers: a squad of Berserkers (frenzied, furious charging, power-weapon wielding Squats).
I just assembled the Berserkers today:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/berserkers.jpg)
I toyed with just using ordinary Hasslefree close combat troopers to represent Berserkers, but somehow it didn't seem right. These are my next attempt, and I'm not sure they fit. The come with 5+ invulnerable saves (represented by their bulky, rune-encrusted armour) and twin power axes (represented by their massive fists). I imagine they're some sort of unusual adjunct to the regular Squat army; an obscure death cult, or perhaps a throwback tribe.
Anyway, I just love the models, so it would be great to have a use for them!
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Lovely. :-*
The berserkers look great! What range are they from? I can see them doing double duty as updated Hearthguard in exo-suits (never really could get away with the egg on legs look of the originals).
I love your colour scheme too, it reminds me of the old Action Force Space Force figures for some reason:
(http://www.retroactionfigures.com/images/aCIMG8624.JPG)
And y'know, that's cool...
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Fantastic use of colour on these guys, both in choice and application. They have a very Saturday morning, pulp sci-fi look rarely seen with space dwarfs.
Great stuff.
Where are the berserker miniatures from?
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Fantastic use of colour on these guys, both in choice and application. They have a very Saturday morning, pulp sci-fi look rarely seen with space dwarfs.
Great stuff.
Where are the berserker miniatures from?
They have a rackham feel to them but not sure
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yes, Rackham Confrontation Tir na Bor Dwarves i believe ???
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Yup, Lowtardog and Dr. Falkenhayn have it! The Berserkers are old Confrontation metals: Tir Na Bor Meteors of the Aegis. The one launching on the jetpack is a special character Meteor called Fulgor. Only three of the four in the box are usable for me. The fourth has his helmet off, and his head is in a very different scale to the Grymn figures.
The berserkers look great! What range are they from? I can see them doing double duty as updated Hearthguard in exo-suits (never really could get away with the egg on legs look of the originals).
Thanks JollyBob! If circumstances had been different, and I'd learnt about these Meteors sooner (I saw them for the first time last Thursday), they might very well have ended up as my Hearthguard! As it is, I've got the Kolossi for that job, standing in the background looking huge:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/party.jpg)
Fantastic use of colour on these guys, both in choice and application. They have a very Saturday morning, pulp sci-fi look rarely seen with space dwarfs.
You're very kind cheater, cheers! I actually think a big part of what gives them the Saturday-morning-pulp-sci-fi feel is the way I paint them. First everything gets basecoated, and then I wash the entire model with black. That gives a sort of black-line effect that reminds me very much of cartoons. And it's quite deliberate! :)
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Some cool stuff here very inspiring. I've just dug out all my 1st edition 40k books and am thinking about doing some 1000pt armies for 1st edition there are some nice ideas for squats here....I may have to eh... erm..... borrow ;)
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Ok, who has been hiding this thread from me? Why did I not see it before???
But first up.... I'm an inspiration!!! It must be true it's on the Internet!!
Fabulous painting and imagining of the army. A bit of a quibble but squats were dumb comedy, whereas Grymn are cool and gritty, they're not interchangeable lol
I must admit i love your colour scheme, the dark turquoise with whites and greys is great... But then that's how I did mine! (I nicked it from Jenova). I think the visors and the yellow on the gun really make the image pop, but I can't get my head round why you'd paint a military weapon yellow lol..
Great job so far!
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Stunning work :)
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Hi all! Been a while since I posted here -- took a bit of a break from the 2nd edition 40k. But now: I'm back! Let's see, what haven't I posted...
Well, I've got a couple of the Berserkers painted up, heading towards a squad. Only photographed one, but here he is:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/berserker_front.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/berserker_left.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/berserker_rear.jpg)(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/berserker_right.jpg)
And just yesterday, I finished up my first ever tank! Never painted one before, so I'm pretty pleased with the results. Not perfect, but it'll do!
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/apc2.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/apc1.jpg)
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/apc_group.jpg)
Thanks for the kind words, Mutant Jon. Did you ever get those 1000pt armies together?
But first up.... I'm an inspiration!!! It must be true it's on the Internet!!
You are, and I'm happy to tell anyone who asks! :) Cheers for the comments, and for getting me started on this whole crazy thing in the first place!
Fabulous painting and imagining of the army. A bit of a quibble but squats were dumb comedy, whereas Grymn are cool and gritty, they're not interchangeable lol
Exactly! I wouldn't be building this army if I had to do it with classic Squats -- too silly. But the Grymn: serious enough to look the business, and just cartoony enough for my colour scheme to work!
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Nice crisp painting, really shows off the minis to their best.
Well done, that man!
:-*
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Superb. Loving the old crow vehicle...
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Inspiring thread! And the Grymms keep growing as a "I should probably get these for a project in the future" way too fast!
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I absolutely LOVE those berserkers. They looked good unpainted but the paintjob shows off just how amazing the sculpt is. Top drawer stuff Minion, loving it.
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Wow! Superb - cracking colour scheme!
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I love the converted AT-43 suits...all brilliant work.
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First I've seen this. :o
Excellent figs, gorgeous brushwork. Hats off to you, sir.
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Wow, thanks everybody! I appreciate the kind words! Great for keeping my enthusiasm up. Next on the painting table is a Wolverine Tank, which I've been finding very useful on the tabletop:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/wolf_base.jpg)
Inspiring thread! And the Grymms keep growing as a "I should probably get these for a project in the future" way too fast!
Joooooin us! o_o
I absolutely LOVE those berserkers. They looked good unpainted but the paintjob shows off just how amazing the sculpt is. Top drawer stuff Minion, loving it.
Thanks Tacgnol! For you, I've taken a quick photo of the second Berserker I've got painted up:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/two_berserker.jpg)
I love the converted AT-43 suits...all brilliant work.
Cheers! I'm pretty happy with how they turned out -- they took forever to build! I've also been thinking about using this other AT-43 Red Blok figure as an allied Dreadnought:
(http://i973.photobucket.com/albums/ae213/niddelry/Squats/dread.jpg)
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:o
Just caught sight of this thread! :-*
Nice color schemes and conversions. You have an awesome brush!
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Whow! :o
The choice of miniatures is great.
Please keep the photos coming! :D