Lead Adventure Forum
Miniatures Adventure => Future Wars => Topic started by: Scarper on February 11, 2023, 10:38:59 PM
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Hey folks!
Had a hobby break for a few years after my kids were born. Kind of a time sink - who knew? I'm slowly getting back into things and thought I'd make a place to share my progress.
I'm mostly making minis that would fit in a backwater planet on the Rim of civilisation - scavengers, survivors, a few corpo squads and some NPCs / creatures too. The intent is to have a large variety of minis for some story driven scenarios.
If you're interested in my older stuff, there's a thread here (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=40643.210).
First up is a wasteland mechanic. No particular backstory for this fella, but I'm hoping he'd work well in a variety of scenarios.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/2/11/1159870_sm-Dorden%2C%20Gaunt%2C%20Ghosts%2C%20Tanith.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1159870-Dorden%2C%20Gaunt%2C%20Ghosts%2C%20Tanith.html)
The mini is Dorden from the old GW Gaunt's Ghosts set with a few little aesthetic changes. I'm a little rusty, but hope you enjoy anyway. Maybe don't zoom in!
C&C welcome, and thanks for checking him out.
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I don't think you've got any problems, miniature painting-wise ;D
There is emotion in that guy's face. I am getting caution at a minimum. Or weariness. Given Dorden's character, maybe the figure helps with the latter a little also.
Good job anyway.
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I don't think you've got any problems, miniature painting-wise ;D
There is emotion in that guy's face. I am getting caution at a minimum. Or weariness. Given Dorden's character, maybe the figure helps with the latter a little also.
Good job anyway.
Thank you! That's really kind.
The original is a beautiful mini, minus the giant pistol. The forward hunch, the hand on the bag, the expression - there's loads there to work with, and he just looks like he's having a rough day. lol
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Looks great! Lots of character. 👍
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Very cool, great colour choices.
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I like him. A very generic useful figure
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As a weary, bald headed, bearded bloke...I love him! Well done. ;)
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Looks great! Lots of character. 👍
Very cool, great colour choices.
I like him. A very generic useful figure
As a weary, bald headed, bearded bloke...I love him! Well done. ;)
Thanks a bunch for the kind words, guys!
Next up are a couple of quick and dirty paint jobs on some walkers I put together a long time ago. They're slow, but dangerous in numbers, and a fun random event in skirmishes happening in old abandoned bits of the city.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/2/14/1160220_sm-Plague%20Zombies.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1160220-Plague%20Zombies.html)
Once again - zooming is prohibited lol. I am kicking myself for the mould line on the helmeted guy, but a little late to change. Hope you like them, and I'd love any C&C.
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Very atmospheric and inspirational, I like them! :)
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Very atmospheric and inspirational, I like them! :)
Thank you very much! You might like today's update then:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/2/20/1160812_sm-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1160812-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.html)
A growing pack! Managed some better pictures with a slightly improved photo set-up. I've tried to give each of them something that might be useful to someone who encounters one, be it for scrap value or something salvageable. They're kitbashed from various 28mm kits, with a little sculpting on occasion.
Hope you like them, and please let me know what you think :D
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The band is growing nicely.
Any thoughts on scatter scenery?
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Nice zombies.
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The band is growing nicely.
Any thoughts on scatter scenery?
Nice zombies.
Thanks guys!
@has.been -
I've got a bunch of scatter scenery to paint, but I'm trying to knock out some more figures first. A couple of things I made in the pre-kid wonder-era though:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2013/12/13/564688_mb-.JPG) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/564688-.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2017/6/5/881869_mb-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/881869-.html)
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I like your socks.
And the pre-kid era has a great deal to answer for lol lol lol
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I've got a bunch of scatter scenery to paint, but I'm trying to knock out some more figures first. A couple of things I made in the pre-kid wonder-era though:
Like what you've done so far, keep it up.
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Thank you, guys!
A quick one today - a spear-armed scavenger made from mostly Victoria Minis bits with some FW Vraks traitor guard and a fair bit of green stuff. I was trying to give him a sense of motion, which I hope comes across.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/2/26/1161207_sm-Spear-armed%20scavenger.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1161207-Spear-armed%20scavenger.html)
I'd love any feedback you have, positive or negative. Thanks!
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Nice one, but good luck against the zombies with a single spear :)
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Nice one, but good luck against the zombies with a single spear :)
Cheers, Freddy! He is probably not the best equipped, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm.
Today marks the last two additions to my wee walker pack. I think the medic gent in the centre front with the individual bite to his arm is probably my favourite.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/2/1161590_sm-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1161590-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.html)
I did the converting and sculpting on these shortly after uni, and @Ragsta has pointed out that it has taken me more than 10 years to paint them. The bastard. I'd love any feedback people are keen to share - minis get better with time, right?
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Cheers, Freddy! He is probably not the best equipped, but he makes up for it in enthusiasm.
Today marks the last two additions to my wee walker pack. I think the surgeon gent in the centre front with the individual bite to his arm is probably my favourite.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/2/1161590_sm-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1161590-Necromunda%2C%20Plague%2C%20Walker%2C%20Zombie.html)
I did the converting and sculpting on these shortly after uni, and @Ragsta has pointed out that it has taken me more than 10 years to paint them. The bastard. I'd love any feedback people are keen to share - minis get better with time, right?
Are they all made from Cata chans??? love them...
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I did the converting and sculpting on these shortly after uni, and @Ragsta has pointed out that it has taken me more than 10 years to paint them. The bastard.
lol lol lol lol lol
The completed group looks awesome, mate. I like that they have a recurring colour in the ochre fatigues too. Really great work.
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Are they all made from Cata chans??? love them...
Thanks very much, pal! I'm really glad you like them.
You've got a good eye - there's definitely some catachan in there. They're kitbashes with a bit of sculpting too - mostly carved up GW catachan and cadian Imperial Guard kits, with parts from the Flagellants box. There's also some Pig Iron kolony rebel bits, a bionic arm from Anvil Industries, parts from the FW Vraks traitor guard, and maybe a few other parts I don't remember. Tied together with some green stuff! I was pretty much just raiding my bits box for parts I wasn't using.
lol lol lol lol lol
The completed group looks awesome, mate. I like that they have a recurring colour in the ochre fatigues too. Really great work.
Thanks very much, bud! I'm glad a little cohesion comes across - I was trying to keep them individual but linked.
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Nice ones! That guy might give you the zombie virus, but surely not the Covid!
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great sounding project, with an atmospheric setting.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing more. Nice work on the minis so far.
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Nice ones! That guy might give you the zombie virus, but surely not the Covid!
Thanks! I'd prefer neither.
great sounding project, with an atmospheric setting.
Looking forward to seeing and hearing more. Nice work on the minis so far.
Thank you Bloggard! Glad you like what you're seeing so far.
Today is a group of minis that were commissioned by a guy who used to be on Lead Adventure, but I think had some kind of falling out? All his stuff seems to have been purged during my hiatus, but anyway.
A bit messy, but here's a finished wasteland sports team!
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/9/1162115_sm-Blood%2C%20Hero%2C%20Jugger%2C%20Salute.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162115-Blood%2C%20Hero%2C%20Jugger%2C%20Salute.html)
The minis are obviously based off Salute of the Jugger / Blood of Heroes, and are absolutely beautiful. I think they'll be useful as general bruiser types, or for a scenario involving a local village challenging the group to play their blood sport of choice! I reckon even in the worst environments, humans will always find ways to entertain themselves, so these guys fit the bill.
As always, I'd love to hear what you think.
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Great to see the completed team, mate, they mesh together really nicely!
I really enjoyed that film, great entertainment.
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Great to see the completed team, mate, they mesh together really nicely!
I really enjoyed that film, great entertainment.
Thanks, pal! I'm glad they fit together. It's some unabashed 80s shlock, but super characterful. What's not to love?!
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Some (non-painted) stuff for you today - I've finished the modelling on the crew of the Fisher King, my Stargrave crew.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/19/1162788_sm-Cyborg%2C%20Mystic%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162788-Cyborg%2C%20Mystic%2C%20Stargrave.html)
Liyana (L4YAN37), is a cyborg and the captain of the group. Pascha the Runt is her second in command and is technically a 'mystic,' though she answers a lot of fundamental questions on the universe with heavy firepower.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/19/1162789_sm-Stargrave%2C%20Stargrave%20specialists%20-%20a%20casecracker%2C%20sniper%20and%20a%20pathfinder.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162789-Stargrave%2C%20Stargrave%20specialists%20-%20a%20casecracker%2C%20sniper%20and%20a%20pathfinder.html)
These guys are the specialists - Jacobi, Gray and Winter are a casecracker, a sniper and a pathfinder, respectively.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/19/1162790_sm-Stargrave%2C%20Stargrave%20non-specialists.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162790-Stargrave%2C%20Stargrave%20non-specialists.html)
These folks are the poor bloody infantry - Cooke is a Hacker, Otu and Obi are Chiselers, Hope is a trooper. The wee thing in the front is Gyoza, the team 'guard dog'.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/19/1162787_sm-Crew%2C%20Cyborg%2C%20Mystic%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1162787-Crew%2C%20Cyborg%2C%20Mystic%2C%20Stargrave.html)
And finally a shot of everyone together.
You can probably tell that there are minis from a lot of sources in the crew - the breadth of options to work with is one of my favourite things about Stargrave. Several minis are from folks here on the LAF (apologies regarding the ones I've butchered).
I'd love any feedback on the models or the kitbash stuff. Do they look cohesive? Would you change anything? I've got a background in mind for what the crew does, but I'd love to hear what they look like - what kind of work do you reckon these fellas would do? Hope you enjoy, and I'll post more once I've got a few painted.
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I think your kitbashing looks great. A nicely diverse, yet also still cohesive looking group.
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I like that chap with the spear a lot, very atmospheric.
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Successfully mixing and kitbashing various manufacturers like you've done it always give a singular personality to a group. Your crew looks very cohesive, well done! :)
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Great kitbashes!
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I think your kitbashing looks great. A nicely diverse, yet also still cohesive looking group.
Thanks, Gnome! I'm hoping I can pull it all together with the colour scheme.
I like that chap with the spear a lot, very atmospheric.
Thank you, Hubbabubba. He's been sitting in my painting pile for literal years cause I was really pleased with the sculpt and worried I'd ruin it with the paintjob. I'm fairly happy with how he turned out in the end lol
Successfully mixing and kitbashing various manufacturers like you've done it always give a singular personality to a group. Your crew looks very cohesive, well done! :)
Thanks so much! That's really kind to say.
Great kitbashes!
Thanks, Freddy!
Today's update is a test scheme for the Fisher King crew. This is Hope Rochon, the ship security officer:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/30/1163494_sm-Gas%20Mask%2C%20Stargrave%2C%20Trooper.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1163494-Gas%20Mask%2C%20Stargrave%2C%20Trooper.html)
She's almost vanilla from the Mercenary II Northstar box, just with a Statuesque gas mask. I'd love any feedback on the scheme - the crew have seen better days, hence the sponging and the oil wash. C&C welcome!
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Nice work 8)
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Great figure
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The helmet/ gasmask head is actually from Westwind: https://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=195_198
:D
That figure looks very nice indeed. I like the colour combo and the weathering. Are you oiling straight over the paint job or pre varnishing? Burnt umber?
I like the name Fisher King too..
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Loving the battered 'white' armour & helmet.
More details about the 'oil wash' technique please.
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Great model, light colours are always nice choice to show some weathering.
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Nice work 8)
Great figure
Thanks, guys!
The helmet/ gasmask head is actually from Westwind: https://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/index.php?route=product/category&path=195_198
:D
That figure looks very nice indeed. I like the colour combo and the weathering. Are you oiling straight over the paint job or pre varnishing? Burnt umber?
I like the name Fisher King too..
As you know, I will die on this hill. That's a pretty solid alternative though, nice find! Cheers for the kind words.
I'm using oil directly over the acrylics, and it doesn't seem to bother them too much.
'Burnt umber' is for proper oil paints, my cheapo set just lists it as 'dark brown' lol
Loving the battered 'white' armour & helmet.
More details about the 'oil wash' technique please.
Thank you! The weathering is surprisingly easy. I sponged on browns or metal acrylics depending on the material to give some nice random patterns in areas that would be corroded. I then touched these up with the original colour when it was a bit too much. I then made a wash with a little brown and orange oil paint and a lot white spirit, then spread that unevenly in a few areas. Once it's dry, you can use a white spirit-soaked Q-tip to get rid of the pigment in spots that it's over-saturated, but still leave a gradient. It looks good without requiring too much skill, which I love in a technique!
There's a simple tutorial covering it here (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K3ki1nzH5zQ&list=LL&index=3) if you're more of a visual kind of guy.
Great model, light colours are always nice choice to show some weathering.
Thanks again, Freddy! Weathering is definitely my favourite stage of painting a mini. I often feel like I just tolerate the rest to do a face and some weathering.
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Thanks Scarper, I'll have to give it a try.
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Great work, especially the distressing of the helmet.
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Awesome mini! Thanks for the info on oil weathering, very inspiring.
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Thanks Scarper, I'll have to give it a try.
No worries! I've picked up a ton of tips here, so it's nice to pass something on lol
Great work, especially the distressing of the helmet.
Thanks again, Gnome! Kind to say.
Awesome mini! Thanks for the info on oil weathering, very inspiring.
Thanks Raedwald! And no worries on the oil info - Just trying it is the biggest step. Based on your painting in your own thread, I'm sure you'll have no trouble at all.
Today's update is Morag Cooke, the Fisher King's shuttle pilot and a bit of a cybersecurity hobbyist. In-game, she's a hacker.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/8/1164356_sm-Stargrave%20Hacker.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164356-Stargrave%20Hacker.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/8/1164355_sm-Stargrave%20Hacker.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164355-Stargrave%20Hacker.html)
Morag tries to stay on-ship whenever the opportunity allows, but hey, sometimes you need all hands, and an extra pistol is better than nothing. The model you'll probably recognise - she's one of two 'pilots', from the Crooked Dice Colony 87 line (https://crooked-dice.co.uk/product/pilots/)
And she's here with her beefier colleague:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/8/1164357_sm-Stargrave%20Hacker%20and%20Trooper.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164357-Stargrave%20Hacker%20and%20Trooper.html)
Thanks for all the kind words on Hope - they were really inspiring. I'd love any feedback on Morag too, good or bad. I'm enjoying how this crew is coming together, and looking forward to getting a game in some time soon.
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Best version of that mini I’ve seen! Love the realism, and the shaved head effect and weathered helmet and visor are superb.
I almost painted this figure recently, before it got bumped down the queue. I’m so glad it did, as this has persuaded me to go for a far most natural scheme than the clichéd Star Wars jumpsuit I’d had in mind.
Thanks so much for more inspiration.
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Lovely work on the pilot. ;D
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Best version of that mini I’ve seen! Love the realism, and the shaved head effect and weathered helmet and visor are superb.
I almost painted this figure recently, before it got bumped down the queue. I’m so glad it did, as this has persuaded me to go for a far most natural scheme than the clichéd Star Wars jumpsuit I’d had in mind.
Thanks so much for more inspiration.
Honestly, that's really high praise. Thank you so much! The visor / gemstone effect is fairly new to me, so thanks especially for that. I've previously abused inks and gloss varnish for goggles and the like, but I didn't think I'd be able to get away with it for such a large surface.
Nothing wrong with a bit of rebel pilot orange if you do decide to go that way on your version of her, though - the NASA crew escape suits will never go out of fashion!
Lovely work on the pilot. ;D
Thanks again, Malamute! Your kind words are much appreciated.
Today's update is small in size - it's Gyoza, one of the Fisher King guard 'dogs' trained by Pascha the Runt.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/10/1164502_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164502-.html)
In game, he's 10 credits worth of disposable ankle-biting. He's another Crooked Dice model, this time a Colony 87 'Alien Pet' (https://crooked-dice.co.uk/product/alien-pets/), though I sculpted a wee bandana to give him a splash of the crew colours.
He was a relatively quick paintjob, but I had some fun with organic textures on the shell, his tail and his skin.
He's really pretty small, shown here with a WiP alien trooper using mostly GW T'au parts:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/10/1164503_mb-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164503-.html)
I'm really enjoying working on the Fisher King guys. I hope you like him, and as always, I'd really appreciate any C&C.
Thanks for looking!
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More great stuff, I quite like Gyoza and look forward to seeing that brilliant Tau kitbash figure painted up.
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More great stuff, I quite like Gyoza and look forward to seeing that brilliant Tau kitbash figure painted up.
Thanks, Gnome! The not-T'au guy is the bottom of the list at the mo - he's a replacement crewman in case of casualties. Will get round to him eventually though!
Today's update is another older GW model. This one is Larkin, from the same OOP Gaunt's Ghosts kit as Dorden, who started the thread. He's had a wee bit of GS modificiation in terms of the beard and the glasses. In game, he's Elijah Gray, a sniper for the Fisher King crew who thinks he's a lot better than he actually is. I'm pretty pleased with his half-smile - in hand, he looks like a real prick lol
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/13/1164632_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164632-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/13/1164633_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164633-.html)
The grey snow / urban camo is new to me - I hope it comes off okay! I'm trying to branch out a little with gear and colours while keeping the crew cohesive.
As always, I'd love any thoughts or criticism, so please fire away. Thanks for looking.
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Excellent paint job! He’s definitely an amateur, though. After an hour out in the snow with a sleeveless shirt and no gloves, he’ll be hard pressed to keep his hands steady as shivering sets in and he’s waiting to make his shot... Like you say, not as good as he thinks he is!
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He looks good, I like his back story . lol
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Good looking figure. I like him. :)
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I especially like how his white stuff became dirty in the melting snow.
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Nice work on those.
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Excellent paint job! He’s definitely an amateur, though. After an hour out in the snow with a sleeveless shirt and no gloves, he’ll be hard pressed to keep his hands steady as shivering sets in and he’s waiting to make his shot... Like you say, not as good as he thinks he is!
Thanks a bunch! Gray insists that his upbringing on the frozen moon of Whitereef means he doesn't feel the cold. He tends to leave out the part where his entire childhood was spent in an insulated environment dome.
He looks good, I like his back story . lol
Thanks hubbabubba! It's very in-depth lol
Good looking figure. I like him. :)
Thank you!
I especially like how his white stuff became dirty in the melting snow.
Thanks Freddy! It's mostly just weathering powder. Gives a nice effect without too much effort.
Nice work on those.
Thank you UVS! Really kind to say.
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(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/17/1164800_sm-Half%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King%20Crew.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164800-Half%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King%20Crew.html)
Halfway done on the crew!
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/17/1164801_sm-Otu%20Vance%2C%20Stargrave%20chiseler.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164801-Otu%20Vance%2C%20Stargrave%20chiseler.html)
Latest gent (Otu Vance, a chiseler) proved pretty frustrating - I was struggling with straps and details on the Anvil boilersuit, and had to stop and start a few times. Decided to call it done when I wasn't enjoying it. He's not perfect, but I'm happy with how he looks with the group anyway. I like his retro-style laser pistol in particular.
Hope you like, and as always, I'd appreciate any C&C, good or bad.
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Quick one today - Winter is a pathfinder, latest figure for the Fisher King guys.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/23/1165170_sm-Winter%2C%20a%20pathfinder%20for%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165170-Winter%2C%20a%20pathfinder%20for%20Stargrave.html)
I'm remaking Cpt Liyana - I wasn't a fan of her pose, and I'm going for something in the same theme, but a little different. Hopefully should have that to post in a day or two! In the meantime, I've been committing blasphemy with some early 00s (?) GW metals -
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/23/1165172_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165172-.html)
He may end up getting drafted as a back-up codebreaker for the Fisher King guys later in the campaign, or I may just paint him up for something else entirely.
Thanks for the interest so far, and I'd love any C&C, constructive or otherwise.
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Nice job, they work well as a coherent group :)
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Nice job, they work well as a coherent group :)
Thanks a bunch, AKULA!
Just a quick add on to the above post -
I've written a wee engagement report about some small crews I put together to learn the game. They're shrunk-down teams put together from minis I had to hand, but they are at least painted! You can have a look here (https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=141094.0)if you're interested.
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Liking the crew very much. :)
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Cool, I like how the colour scheme brings them together. The guy with the googles looks like an early Delaque, not that adding a moustache to those would be a lesser blasphemy than chopping up Shaeffers boys :)
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Awesome looking crew. Nice variety and unique characters. Love the tache!
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Liking the crew very much. :)
Thank you! I'm really glad you like them.
Cool, I like how the colour scheme brings them together. The guy with the googles looks like an early Delaque, not that adding a moustache to those would be a lesser blasphemy than chopping up Shaeffers boys :)
I think I might actually have some of those lying around too, in various states of chopped up. Does it still count as blasphemy if I found them in a job lot on eBay? I'd consider it more public service lol
Awesome looking crew. Nice variety and unique characters. Love the tache!
Thank you so much! Your Magpie blog is a pretty consistent source of inspiration, so that means a lot.
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(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/25/1165430_sm-.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165430-.html) (https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/25/1165431_sm-.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165431-.html)
Made a new version of the crew's cyborg Captain as I wasn't too happy with the old one. Hopefully the pose is a little more natural!
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Latest Fisher King crewman - Jacobi Penn!
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/28/1165597_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165597-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/28/1165596_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165596-.html)
An aging, alcoholic, myopic offworlder who never stops grumbling about Josuelo's extended cold seasons, he is nonetheless the most advanced vehicle mechanic in Pico Azul, and a dab hand at disassembling security containers.
Jacobi serves as a casecracker in-game.
He's a little different from the rest of the crew, but hopefully the shared colour scheme brings him into the fold. The figure is from the now defunct Scavenge Skirmish Survive line, with a Victoria Minis arm and head and a bit of greenstuff work to bring it all together. Hope you enjoy, and C&C is welcome!
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Really like him, he has so much character!
“Darn kids and their noisy starships cluttering up the place…”
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I like the new guy too, the scarf is a great addition. So many half-naked barbarians in snowy scenes, I am always like "wtf, do those guys not feel the temperature?"
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Really like him, he has so much character!
“Darn kids and their noisy starships cluttering up the place…”
I mean, do they really need to park them right in front of the store?
Thanks, mate!
I like the new guy too, the scarf is a great addition. So many half-naked barbarians in snowy scenes, I am always like "wtf, do those guys not feel the temperature?"
Cheers, Freddy! A personal bugbear of mine too. Frostbite sucks!
Today's update is the ship captain - I think I'm going with 'Gazelle.' She used to be a corporate bagman for Jackson-Song, but she's nice now, honest. Nothing to do with the Fall cutting her off from contact with her corp.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/21/1167385_sm-.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167385-.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/21/1167386_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167386-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/21/1167387_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167387-.html)
Ingame, she's a cyborg, with the 'toxic claws' power, among some others.
Hope you like her, and would love any feedback. Cheers for reading!
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I like her, where is this figure from?
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It's a really interesting take on your cyborg captain - the non-humanoid leg configuration gives a very different feel to the chunky but anatomical bionic implants I'm used to seeing. She definitely feels enhanced, rather than just having limb replacements.
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I like her, where is this figure from?
Thanks, Freddy! She's a bit of a mishmash - torso and right arm are Stargrave kits (maybe mercs II?), with the head, left arm and legs come from Anvil Industries. The legs are these ones (https://www.anvilindustry.co.uk/regiments-automata-robotic-legs-5) from their robot 'automata' line. They do work, but the hip joint is pretty wide for human sized models. It took some carving and a lot of finagling with green stuff to get it to fit!
It's a really interesting take on your cyborg captain - the non-humanoid leg configuration gives a very different feel to the chunky but anatomical bionic implants I'm used to seeing. She definitely feels enhanced, rather than just having limb replacements.
Thanks for the kind words, Axiom! I imagine Jackson-Song operatives would not be allowed much life outside their work, and I was hoping her augs would reflect that. I was going for something that looked a little inhuman and 'function over form.' I'm glad that came across :)
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Thanks for the info, those legs remind me a little bit of the ones from Wargame Exclusive.
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And now for something slightly different - I made some low-level scatter terrain as a break from the Fisher King guys. A pallet cleanser, if you will...
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/27/1167892_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167892-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/27/1167890_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167890-.html)
They're pretty simple, but use some techniques which are new to me.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/27/1167891_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167891-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/27/1167894_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167894-.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/5/27/1167893_sm-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1167893-.html)
The tarps are baby-wipes left to dry out then soaked in watered-down PVA to shape. The pallets are coffee stirrers that I grabbed a handful of from Costa, plus some square wooden dowel. I also used up a few old wheels and barrels that have been in my bits box forever. No idea where they're from!
Hope you like them, and please let me know what you think. I'd love any comments or constructive feedback. Next week I should be back to the Fisher King.
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I like them, the blue canvas might need another layer of drybrush to match the abandoned look.
Might be a good objective in a scenario were you shall protect the pallets from mad hipsters who want to make DIY coffee tables out of them.
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I like them, the blue canvas might need another layer of drybrush to match the abandoned look.
Might be a good objective in a scenario were you shall protect the pallets from mad hipsters who want to make DIY coffee tables out of them.
That's fair! I'll head back and go over them when I get a chance.
Your comment made me snort air from my nose. lol
Today's update is the Fisher King's first mate, Pascha the Runt.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168642_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168642-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168643_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168643-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168644_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168644-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)
And with Gazelle, her (much smaller) captain:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168641_sm-Captain%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168641-Captain%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)
Pascha is made from bits from the GW kroot farstalkers kit, with some green stuff work and carving to try and make her look a little more professional and a little less savage. I've not painted a lot of non-humans, so the skin tone and keratin bits were a lot of fun. I'm hoping the blues and greys are enough to tie her in with the rest of the crew!
Thanks, as always for any comments or feedback. I've got some great advice from the LAF in the past, so I honestly do value any ideas. Thanks for looking!
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Another characterful conversion, cracking.
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Bags of character ... particularly the last couple 8)
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I like the Tau too, the painting of the skin is very good.
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I’ve got a real taste for your painting style Scarper, and this alien is an awesome addition to the crew; the cloak pattern, oil weathering, and skin tones all come together wonderfully. Fab.
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Another characterful conversion, cracking.
Thanks so much! I'm trying to work out if that's an intentional egg pun lol
Bags of character ... particularly the last couple 8)
Cheers, AKULA! I'm really happy with how the last two in particular have come out.
I like the Tau too, the painting of the skin is very good.
Thanks again, Freddy. I've been really enjoying organic textures on this type of thing - you can do a lot of fun things with them, and it's pretty forgiving because there's so much natural variation.
I’ve got a real taste for your painting style Scarper, and this alien is an awesome addition to the crew; the cloak pattern, oil weathering, and skin tones all come together wonderfully. Fab.
That really means a lot, thank you. It's funny how you kind of collapse into a style over time. I'm glad it's working!
And just a quick quote to keep things on the same page:
That's fair! I'll head back and go over them when I get a chance.
Your comment made me snort air from my nose. lol
Today's update is the Fisher King's first mate, Pascha the Runt.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168642_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168642-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168643_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168643-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168644_sm-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168644-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)
And with Gazelle, her (much smaller) captain:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168641_sm-Captain%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168641-Captain%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)
Pascha is made from bits from the GW kroot farstalkers kit, with some green stuff work and carving to try and make her look a little more professional and a little less savage. I've not painted a lot of non-humans, so the skin tone and keratin bits were a lot of fun. I'm hoping the blues and greys are enough to tie her in with the rest of the crew!
Thanks, as always for any comments or feedback. I've got some great advice from the LAF in the past, so I honestly do value any ideas. Thanks for looking!
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Thanks so much! I'm trying to work out if that's an intentional egg pun lol
...maybe... ;D
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(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/15/1169244_sm-Stargrave%20crew%20-%20the%20crew%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1169244-Stargrave%20crew%20-%20the%20crew%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King.html)
They're done! Gonna post some bios for each guy at some point in the next few days, but for now:
These folks run the Fisher King, a very out-dated Helios-class survey vessel that they have heavily adapted to try as best as possible to fly under the radar. Captain Liyana ('Gazelle') and First Mate Pascha the Runt work out of Pico Azul, a mining / farming commune on the planet of Josuelo, formerly under the yoke of the Jackson-Song corporation. As their only operating spacecraft capable of jump flight, the crew's primary role is to acquire (through any means necessary) the essential gear and equipment that the outpost needs to run atmo regulators, grow crops, and continue its independent existence.
That being said, several of the crew were heavily augmented before the Last War, and augs are expensive to maintain. Liyana also runs some salvage and bounty operations on the side - got to pick up those extra operating costs somewhere, right?
Here's Obi, a chiseler, and the last crewman I needed to paint up.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/13/1169183_sm-Obi%2C%20a%20Stargrave%20chiseler.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1169183-Obi%2C%20a%20Stargrave%20chiseler.html)
I hope you like them - they've been a bit of a labour of love. As always, I'd love any comments or criticism, positive or constructive. Thanks for reading!
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Nice work.
I'm looking forward to reading their back stories.
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They look great and work well together. Criticisms? Well my only one is that you haven't completed the set with the Fisher King itself.
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They look great as a team! Like the new guy too.
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That’s a great looking crew. Lots of character and the back story welds them all together into a varied yet plausible group! I hope we get to see some pics of their adventures!
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Thank you so much guys! Really appreciate the kind words.
Well my only one is that you haven't completed the set with the Fisher King itself.
lol
Could be a board all by itself! Tempting though...
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Great stuff, Love the chiseler. :)
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Great stuff, Love the chiseler. :)
Thank you, Malamute!
I did promise I'd post some backstories. As always, I've gone waaay overboard with the campaign planning / setting, but I'm posting it here in case anyone is interested!
First up is a little campaign background. I like the general 'Last War' and pirate fleet vibes from the vanilla Stargrave setting, but I wanted to do something to explain the change a little.
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The Charter
The Charter were a mercenary company that used new technology to bring a novel solution to dwindling numbers applying for military service amongst the Inner Planets. Young men and women could sign up to be fitted with a 'Frame' - essentially a complex brain implant and an extra-enteral nutrition system in a single package that could be easily fitted and removed. Once active, the Frame 'took over' an individual's consciousness and free will for a set duration, with their mental state returning to normal when deactivated.
Charter troops would rent out their bodies for the duration of their contract, seen as a win-win for both the individuals and the hiring company.
Activated Charter troops were more automatons than humans. They would retain some useful intelligence to act independently towards completing a single goal, but would also fulfil orders without question. A provably loyal non-Charter 'handler' could manage tens to hundreds of Chartered troops. A Chartered troop could communicate - a vital skill for a soldier - but they were also emotionless and task-focussed, with no worries about corruption, bribery or sympathy interfering with their instructions. When their service was complete, Chartered troops would be 'deactivated', the Frame removed, and would retain no memory of their work. Ideal for keeping company secrets.
Most Charters were for five years of service, during which troops would fulfil a role peace-keeping, policing shipping lanes or scouting the outer rims. Very occasional wars drew in Chartered troops, but these were few and far between. The system was fair and very popular - young people would instantaneously gain five years of wages with no expenditure in return for the low risk of 'deactivating' with unexpected injuries or cybernetics. There was no risk of legal consequences for their actions given their lack of autonomy, and no worries of PTSD with no memory of what they'd done. A few, of course, would not survive to deactivation at all, but this was the gamble of service.
By the time of the Fall, the Charter had spread across hundreds of Solar Systems, and been operating for the better part of a century.
--------------------------------------------
The start of the Last War came with what would eventually be known as the Tether.
With the breakdown of ordered communication between solar systems, the exact details of the fall are unclear. It's thought that the Tether affected about half of individuals that had ever been fitted with a Frame. Some died outright, but most were 'reactivated,' their consciousness 'switched off' and their bodies and minds used for a new goal.
The intent and actions of those newly Tethered varied widely. There was widespread destruction but also theft and seized control, with certain areas seemingly protected or valued. Most larger settlements were glassed, with defence systems turned on those they defended by simultaneous action from individuals who had activation codes. Tethered in these areas had little value for their own lives, happy to destroy themselves in the cataclysm as long as their goals were completed. Other population centres were overtaken, with their surviving citizens enslaved or forced to work in factories. Many spacecraft, both military and civilian, were taken over by newly Tethered individuals in their crew.
It's hard to overestimate the damage done by the activation of the Tether - trusted friends, loyal soldiers and loved ones all turned simultaneously, and there was no defence against such an unexpected mass betrayal. Many Tethered showed no signs of their loss of control until they were in a position to commit huge damage. Whilst some of the smaller outposts and population centres managed to fight off the Tethered among them, there were few human settlements in Erskine-Gamma, if any, that did not experience some form of loss that day.
In the years that have passed since 'Activation Day,' the survivors have begun new lives. Systematic intergalactic trade and order have fallen, with only small ships travelling safely between different systems. Surviving settlements fend for themselves, or trade in small quantities for the things they cannot produce locally. A few of the larger surviving populations have established themselves as local trade centres of set out to control others. Many outposts died out, having lost the lifelines they relied on for atmo control or growing crops in hostile regions. Piracy and violence is a constant threat.
The Tethered still operate, though their controllers, and their overarching goal, is unclear. Almost all space elevators and off-world shipyards were destroyed in the early days of the war, and some settlements are still attacked. Tether-controlled supply routes and manufactorums continue to work, and they seem to capture some individuals alive. There is a pattern to their activities, but the isolated survivors cannot step far back enough to see it.
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Next up is some info on the formation of the crew itself:
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/15/1169244_sm-Stargrave%20crew%20-%20the%20crew%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1169244-Stargrave%20crew%20-%20the%20crew%20of%20the%20Fisher%20King.html)
Captain Liyana (codenamed 'Gazelle') was working for the Jackson-Song Corporation at the time of the Last War. A trans-gov with interests in mining, manufacture and cybernetics, Jackson-Song had been having significant problems with armed uprising amongst their workforce on what they considered 'higher risk' planets. Their safety record and apparent disregard for worker life had been a regular news topic despite their media division attempting to bury the story, and rival corporations were happily arming rebels on the sly. Liyana led 'Cell 7' - part of a new task force ostensibly protecting J-S workers from terrorists attempting to subvert them. In effect, they were corporate bagmen.
When the Tether was activated and the Last War began, Liyana and her crew were on the rocky moon of Josuelo, a recently independent mining colony formerly under Jackson-Song control. In the solar year since the workers there overthrew their foremen, the mines had been reopened, and the lithium and noson below the crust were now entering the common market, wrecking the J-S monopoly. Obviously, this wouldn't stand.
Cell 7 had been inserted via a lander, had captured their target - a hulking Huqari woman leading some of the local rebels in Pico Azul - and were awaiting extraction. Only, it never came.
In the chaos that followed the activation of the Tether, Jackson-Song as an entity simply ceased to exist. Along with it went a huge number of population centres throughout the galaxy, including Josuelo Prime. The Cemetery Girl, waiting in orbit for Cell 7's signal, had fallen to the Tethered in its own crew within minutes of their activation. For Cell 7, hours turned to days with no contact from their handlers, and news began to filter in from other sectors. The team had to consider their options.
The eventual agreement with the Pico Azul commune was brokered between Liyana and Pascha. The exchange was surprisingly cordial, with both putting forward offers almost simultaneously.
The augmented soldiers among Cell 7 would not last long without maintenance and repair, and had no way off-planet. They were on a barren outpost world, surrounded by their enemies. Pico Azul had both a ripperdoc and a ship - the Fisher King, a beaten-down trading vessel previously used for shuttle runs, but technically jump-capable.
Essential operating equipment for the hydroponic farms and atmosphere regulators of Pico Azul could not be produced locally - if they were now cut off from the other communes in the Halcyon network, the group would need to risk the new pirate fleets to fulfil these needs elsewhere.
With Jackson-Song gone, the two groups need no longer be enemies. The commune would keep Liyana and her colleagues running indefinitely in exchange for their help in making runs for essential supplies. It made the most sense to pool their resources.
The first few runs of the Fisher King, with a mixed crew of Pico Azul and J-S staff, were tense affairs. The Cell 7 soldiers had nowhere else to turn, though, and held true to their deal. As weeks turned to months and experience strengthened their bonds, the separation began to fade away. Liyana and her crew returned time and again with essential equipment and spoils, and eventually the people of Pico Azul came to value their unexpected protectors.
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Next up are the individual crew bios:
LIYANA, 'GAZELLE'
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/27/1170037_mb-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1170037-.html)
Liyana is the Fisher King's captain, and a cyborg in-game.
Originally a member of the Jackson-Song 'Green and Greys' mercenary core, Liyana was badly wounded in the line of duty. The corp saved her life, fitting her in a military hospital with extensive cybernetic augmentations that allowed her to truly excel in her role. The debt for the parts also ensured that she'd be working for J-S for the rest of her newly extended lifespan.
In her new role within Pico Azul, Liyana has developed a reputation for being approachable, making a point to really get to know her crew, and having a wicked sense of humour. She is popular, and widely viewed as a great captain to work for.
She is also a cold-blooded killer, and will do whatever it takes to keep her friends alive.
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PASCHA THE RUNT
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/6/1168643_mb-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1168643-Crew%2C%20First%20Mate%2C%20Stargrave.html)
Pascha is Liyana's XO, and a mystic in-game.
She is a Huqari - a member of a species with natural psionic empathy. As such, Pascha is aware constantly of the emotions and surface thoughts of other living things around her. With practice, Huqari can influence these thoughts, though this is more difficult the more extreme the emotion.
Pascha is a 'true believer' in the cause. She has worked with Halcyon for many years, throwing off the yoke of corporate oppressors on six different planets. Big, tough, and technically-minded, she has found grunt work in corporate outposts with ease. Rebellion tends to follow her as she travels. Through Pascha's gentle guidance and subtle intervention, unions, foremen and low-level bosses have found the confidence and drive to grasp for independence. She's sure they'd have come to the same conclusions by themselves eventually.
Pascha stayed longer than planned on Josuelo after being injured in the mine collapse that finally led to the uprising. Her augments are ill-fitting, having been cobbled together to fit her frame.
In person, she is predictably kind and empathetic, though slow and methodical in her communication. Pascha is the steady hand on the tiller - a sensible, calm presence in the direst of circumstances. In her off-time, she focusses on simple comforts, as well as caring for a menagerie of small animals that only grows in number as she travels.
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MORAG COOKE
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/8/1164356_mb-Stargrave%20Hacker.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164356-Stargrave%20Hacker.html)
Morag acts as the Fisher King's shuttle pilot and does some simple computer work on the ground. In-game, she is a hacker.
Morag was part of Jackson-Song's Cell 7, with Liyana. Her job was to insert and extract the team without drawing attention, usually using discrete local vehicles. She also falsified transponder codes and transport documentation, and is familiar with some simple aspects of cybersecurity. Morag viewed her role largely as a source of income, and felt comfortably separated from their questionable work by her 'passive' role in the jobs.
Since being absorbed into the residents of Pico Azul, Morag has integrated most effectively. She's open and self-deprecating, and rapidly built friendship with a few of the new crew. She has particularly enjoyed access to Josuelo cuisine, and has been trying to stomach the spiciest foods available.
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WINTER
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/23/1165170_mb-Winter%2C%20a%20pathfinder%20for%20Stargrave.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165170-Winter%2C%20a%20pathfinder%20for%20Stargrave.html)
Winter is the navigator aboard the Fisher King, and serves as a pathfinder in-game.
Winter served with Liyana as an operative in Cell 7, and shares her background in the 'Green and Grays.' Her role was primarily fire support.
Whilst she chose to stay in Pico Azul, Winter has been cold and stand-offish with her new allies. She rarely interacts with the others, keeping to herself outside of operations. She keeps a variety of plants, both aesthetic and medicinal, in her quarters; Morag swears up and down that she can hear Winter singing to them at night through her bunk walls.
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HOPE ROCHON
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/3/30/1163494_mb-Gas%20Mask%2C%20Stargrave%2C%20Trooper.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1163494-Gas%20Mask%2C%20Stargrave%2C%20Trooper.html)
Hope is the security officer for the Fisher King, and maintains the ship armoury. In-game, she's a trooper.
Hope served with the Charter, and stayed on after her service to continue in a leadership role, serving a total of six years. During the second part of her service, she picked up a few tics and relics - trinkets she carries, or repetitions and rituals that she repeats unthinkingly, particularly when she is nervous.
Hope was unaffected by the Tether, and puts her good fortune down to her rituals and actions.
Hope and Morag are the ship's impromptu chef team, searching for new ingredients in each location they visit. Her enthusiasm does not often make up for her lack of skill.
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JACOBI PENN
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/28/1165597_mb-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1165597-.html)
Jacobi is the Fisher King's chief engineer, and acts as a casecracker in-game.
Jacobi is an aging, alcoholic, myopic offworlder who never stops grumbling about Josuelo's extended cold seasons. Despite this, he is well-loved among the crew, who see him as a reluctant grandfatherly figure. Jacobi is relatively cagey about his past - he has previously been involved in a fist-fight with Obi after he leaned a little too hard on suggesting his Tryptan accent marked him as an organised criminal.
Jacobi is the most advanced vehicle mechanic in Pico Azul, and a dab hand at disassembling security containers.
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ELIJAH GRAY
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/13/1164632_mb-Snipers.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164632-Snipers.html)
Elijah acts as a communications officer aboard the Fisher King, and a sharpshooter during operations. In-game, he's a sniper.
Elijah is arrogant and abrasive, masking deep insecurity with false confidence. He's a reasonable shot, but exaggerates and inflates, leaving him open to ridicule when he does fail. He has a problem with gambling, and has lost a great deal of credits to Otu and Jacobi at dice games. He is very close to Hope, and loses some of the bravado when they are alone together.
Elijah was born in climate-controlled dome on the frozen moon of Whitereef, where spending longer than a few minutes on the surface would cause rapid death from exposure. He insists that this grants him a genetic resistance to cold.
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OBI VANCE
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/6/13/1169183_mb-Obi%2C%20a%20Stargrave%20chiseler.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1169183-Obi%2C%20a%20Stargrave%20chiseler.html)
Obi is a chiseler in-game, and serves as an engineer, 2nd class aboard the Fisher King.
Obi and his brother were born on Patnagar, an engineered ocean world, where they spent their childhood on floating settlements harvesting krill. They took on work with Jackson-Song to escape, and were caught up in the revolution on Josuelo almost by mistake. Obi was badly injured in the mine collapse that marked the final straw to rebellion, and he has cybernetic replacements to both arms and a significant part of his chest wall.
Joining the Fisher King crew was an obvious choice - Obi has an almost fanatical interest in the workings of spacecraft. Even when the mines were operating, he took every available opportunity to work in the hangars, even during his own downtime. He would badger Jacobi endlessly as he went about his work, and the older man was furious when he found that Obi had been accepted to join the flight crew.
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OTU VANCE
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/17/1164801_mb-Otu%20Vance%2C%20Stargrave%20chiseler.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164801-Otu%20Vance%2C%20Stargrave%20chiseler.html)
Otu is a systems technician, and is run as a chiseler in-game.
Otu is Obi's older brother, and came aboard the Fisher King with great reluctance. He is a homebird, and would much rather be working on his beloved hydroponics systems back in Pico Azul. He has been protective of his younger sibling ever since Obi was badly injured in a mine collapse, and insisted on accompanying him.
Otu considers himself sensibly risk-averse, and usually urges caution amongst the team. He has developed a reputation as a bit of a spoilsport, but also has a knack for spotting ambushes and dangerous situations well ahead of time.
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GYOZA
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/4/10/1164502_mb-.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1164502-.html)
Gyoza serves as a guard dog in game.
Gyoza is a stonebeak - a hardy foraging species native to the jungle moon of Amarok, trained by settlers there to protect herds of acidjacks from skitters and larger predators. Their chitinous shell and rough, calloused skin makes them largely immune to the acidjack's defensive corrosive spray.
Stonebeaks were imported to Josuelo by the Halcyon Co-operative to protect settlements and herds from Magmites released by historic J-S mining operations.
Gyoza is one of Pascha's favourite animals, and a near constant companion. She has a tendency to chew on anything that shares the particular hue of orange of her chew ball, once almost causing a catastrophic spike drive failure by inadvertently disconnecting the engine's retro encabulator. Jacobi has since banned her from the engine compartments.
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And that's the lot. Going to be very, very impressed if anyone can be bothered reading all that, but now it's all in one place and I feel better about it. Hope you enjoy!
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Like them, especially the little turtle-bird-wtf-dog.
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I like the whole works, figures and story.
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I really enjoy the background you produce. The finished crew look really good.
For the Fisher King, you can always find yourself a 6mm version of whatever ship you think is closest to your idea of their home vessel. That way you have a nice wee tie in to the story without having to scratchbuild the 28mm version :P :P
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Ragsta, Pattus Magnus and Freddy - thanks so much for the kind words. A big motivation to keep going!
A few bitty updates today.
I'm working on filling out the Stargrave bestiary. There's a big focus in the rulebook on using minis you already have, so I'm using it as an excuse to try and paint some new minis from my pile of shame, as well as repurposing older ones.
First up are 'ferrox' -
These are described as big and vicious wolf-fox type creatures which tend to show up whenever humans start colony worlds with plentiful livestock. I dug out a couple of 15mm 'giant wolves' that I painted waaay back when I was starting out, and added a few more dog minis I have from various sources but haven't got around to painting up.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/7/14/1171116_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Ferrox.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1171116-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Ferrox.html)
In a post-Fall setting like Stargrave, I reckon even once-owned dogs would be a sizable threat to settlements. Hope you like the variety in furs!
Next are some loot markers. These are the physical ones; big, heavy and valuable.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/7/19/1171445_sm-Stargrave%20physical%20loot%20tokens.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1171445-Stargrave%20physical%20loot%20tokens.html)
The briefcase is an old Forge World cadian ammo crate with a Stargrave crew handheld tablet shaved down and attached. It was also a bit of a Fargo reference! I have no idea where the big orange crate came from, and the cylindrical container is a 3D printed piece that someone on Reddit kindly gifted me.
Finally, some ruffians.
These guys are described as local thugs, enforcers or simply rough types who might stumble into a Stargrave skirmish and feel the need to defend themselves. They're supposed to be armed with pistols, but I figured their variety of shoddy and badly maintained weaponry just doesn't pack the punch it once did.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/7/14/1171118_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Ruffian.jpg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1171118-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Ruffian.html)
They're all old paintjobs, with the fella in the middle being the most recent, which I've rebased for the setting. I believe they are mostly Copplestone scavengers, apart from the central gent who is mostly Victoria minis parts and green stuff.
Hope you enjoy, and thanks again for reading.
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A WiP today for my ongoing attempts to fill out the Stargrave Bestiary - Bileworms!
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/7/24/1171712_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20WiP%20Bileworms.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1171712-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20WiP%20Bileworms.html)
These lovely fellas are featureless, toxic worms that can grow up to 20ft, and tend to squeeze into the warm internals of ship structures. They can spit toxic juices a short distance, and have a good fight stat - in my book, a mean bite! My versions will mostly leach heat from human structures (or natural steam vents) for most of their lifetimes, but need meat when it's time to reproduce. I'm hoping to paint up the toothier one like a cross between a lamprey and a Dune worm.
Hope you like / hate them. Is anyone else working on a similar project? There are so many weird creatures to work on - I've been enjoying digging existing things out of my painting piles and sculpting a few simple ones.
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They are cool...and kinda yucky. Great job.
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Great looking worms!
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Great looking worms!
They are cool...and kinda yucky. Great job.
Thank you, guys! I'm glad you like them.
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Some more updates for my Stargrave bestiary!
First up is a Dedfurd. It's described in the bestiary as being like a big bloated frog, but I didn't really like that image. I looked at the main features:
- Tough armour
- Slow
- Short ranged acid attack
- Amphibious
- Large
After hunting through my minis, I decided to go with a Basilisk, from the Reaper Bones line. It's a creature I've thankfully painted before, but now I rebased him for my snowy setting. I picture these guys as being crocodilian and tanky, and I hope he fits the bill pretty well.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/12/1172863_sm-A%20Basilisk%20%252F%20Dedfurd%20for%20Stargrave.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1172863-A%20Basilisk%20%252F%20Dedfurd%20for%20Stargrave.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/12/1172862_sm-A%20Basilisk%20%252F%20Dedfurd%20for%20Stargrave.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1172862-A%20Basilisk%20%252F%20Dedfurd%20for%20Stargrave.html)
Big, naturally armoured and cold-blooded, basilisks are adapted for life in the swampier areas of Shale and Josuelo. With an incredibly low metabolic rate and little to fear from predators, these creatures will remain perfectly motionless for days at a time waiting for prey to pass by. Their main food source used to be the herds of large grazing creatures that wandered the swampland, but increasing industrialisation has made them more aggressive. When the time is right, the basilisk can move with frightening speed with a burst of adrenaline from a specialised gland, taking down prey with an acidic spray and its powerful jaws. The basilisk can then gorge on enough meat to sustain itself for a further week of patient waiting.
Basilisks have adapted well to the deeper depths of some industrial ruins, feeding on spiders, rats and occasionally unwitting humans. They are uncommon nonetheless, being solitary animals that react viciously to a rival within their large territories. Should it have fed recently, an encounter with a basilisk is harmless to a traveller - they have little interest in humans and will rarely attack unless provoked. Even their name was coined by Josuelo locals based on the statuesque stillness of the creatures, a spin on a half-remembered Terran legend. Despite this, many tales are told around campfires and watering holes of the terrible ferocity of these ancient reptiles that spring from the darkness where they have lain unseen, and it is not uncommon for them to be blamed for anything from missing children to vanished caravans.
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I also finished up the Bileworms I sculpted! They're pretty simple, but they were fun to do.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/12/1172860_sm-Bileworms%20for%20Stargrave.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1172860-Bileworms%20for%20Stargrave.html)
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/12/1172861_sm-Bileworms%20for%20Stargrave.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1172861-Bileworms%20for%20Stargrave.html)
You got some bileworms on the ship? That's great news, pal!
Well, kind of.
They're like a... mixed blessing. Double-edged sword. That kind of thing.
See, most of the time, they're just - there. They leach heat, and survive off that. Planetside it would have been from underground vents and that - geothermal shit, you understand? But a life support system or an engine's just as good. And once they're in your ship, they're staying. Nothing short of a deconstruction and deep clean will clear 'em out.
They're quiet for the most part. But when they get big enough, like - twenty, thirty feet - then they need to split, reproduce, you know. And then - they want meat.
Suddenly, the fuckers are a lot more dangerous. They burst up out of the panels, all teeth and foul smelling green shit. They're not trying to kill you, mind - I don't think they're smart enough to even get the concept that you're alive - but they want bits of you. They'll grab on, suck onto you like a lamprey, and try and drag you into their holes, all the while pouring that acidic shite all over you. You're too big to fit in their burrow, for sure, but they'll shred whatever part of you they've grabbed on the way back in, and they'll take all that meat and blood with them.
So, uh... Don't let that happen. It's not pretty.
But how are they a good thing? Well. My friend. You're in for a treat, because they are fucking delicious.
Bait a trap with some protein once they hit breeding season and it's pretty easy to hack off a length of them. Three, maybe four foot of meat, a foot and a half in diameter. A feast. If you've been eating protein blocks and nutrient paste for weeks, there's nothing better.
Do it once or twice, and they'll be short enough to quit their breeding violence. Kinda, resets them for a month or two as they grow that length back.
Course, you need to boil them before you eat them - their mouths are filthy, and that's the part you're bound to catch. Eating it raw will kill you, so boil it well. Like, an hour well. Once the skin starts to flake, you want to cut them up, pull out any teeth, cut out the acid glands. You don't want to find one of them in your worm suate. Any type of fruit juice can reduce some of the acidity, but you want to keep a little - for flavour. Done just right, it'll make your tongue tingle.
So yeah! Good and bad. Good luck with them, friend. I - uhhh - I think I have some spices in the back, if you're interested.
As always, I'd love any feedback or questions. Which of these fellas would you rather meet in a ruined facility?
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One more member of the Fisher King crew for you today.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/16/1173004_sm-Stargrave%20trooper%20bug%20man.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173004-Stargrave%20trooper%20bug%20man.html)
Akna is a soldier, willing to fulfil many roles to support his allies on the Fisher King. Currently, he serves as a rearguard, protecting Pellam, the Fisher King's lander, while the rest of the ground crew operate. Akna doesn't have a specific role in game right now, but he'll likely end up as a commando or a soldier if there's a casualty among the A-listers.
Akna is a drone-caste Andelvaxen, assigned from birth to serve a protective role within their complicated hive systems. Unfortunately, humans have a long history of killing Andelvaxen matriarchs to steal the developing workers - their hormone-driven loyalty is relatively pliable at a young age. Jackson-Song are no different, and Akna is now one of many Andelvaxen guards found within Jackson-Song facilities.
Akna was undergoing a procedure in the infirmary when the rebellion started - with the death of his Jackson-Song overseer, he was suddenly purposeless on coming to. Pascha insists that she encouraged him to join the 'cause' with Pico Azul through discourse using her psionic empathy. Akna doesn't speak Lac standard, and is unwilling or unable to write. As far as the others are concerned, he obeys her commands with unbreakable loyalty - the reasons why perhaps don't bear thinking about.
Every hard surface of Akna's dorm in the Fisher King is covered by intricately carved patterns depicting star systems, swirling shapes and insectoid limbs. He adds to it every night.
I hope you like him! He's made with T'au parts, some greenstuff and the Stargrave mercs kit. I'd love any feedback, good or bad.
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Great painting and fascinating character backgrounds. You have a flair for world building.
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Brill, love the lenses on the goggles 8)
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The poor guys story made me sad. A good write up then.
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I think those are his actual eyes, not goggles! In any case, that’s a great figure and back story.
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Plus one for the goggles, & the sad backstory.
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Very kewl, really like the latest chap. :-*
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Thanks so much for all the kind words, everyone. I really do appreciate it.
I love writing little sections of background for the minis I've made - it really helps to fill out the world in my mind and gives a little more weight to games. I'm really pleased Akna's horrible background has gone down well. I'm never really sure if anyone reads it!
The red is indeed his eyes, though they would work either way.
A few sort of new things today. I'm still working on having something to hand for every item on the Stargrave bestiary, and I've been repurposing some of my old figures to fit the bill.
First up is a big one: the SEWER DRAGON
These guys are scary. Big, tough, never stunned, and with a powerful attack, the sewer dragon appears at the very end of the random encounters list.
The book describes them residing in dark, damp areas beneath human habs - real boogeymen for crews delving into older places.
I went with a Hasslefree 'Maw' to represent this creature - it seems suitably big, strong and intimidating to fit the bill.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173096_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Sewer%20dragon%20%252F%20maw.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173096-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Sewer%20dragon%20%252F%20maw.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173099_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Sewer%20dragon%20%252F%20maw.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173099-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Sewer%20dragon%20%252F%20maw.html)
I've cheated a little for the next ones. SHENGRYLLA are described in the bestiary as primates half the height of a man with three glowing eyes (with a 'crazed' expression) and two prehensile tails. This is remarkably specific, and I struggled to find a mini to match. Instead, I figured I'd look at the stat block and use something that could fit the bill. Shengrylla are fast, able to traverse terrain easily, and have a strong bite.
I cracked out some 'Lesser Mawes' from Hasslefree that I had lying around. I think they fulfil the stat block needs, even if they don't look like monkeys! I did a little green stuff work before painting them to cover the eyes or nostrils they had on top of their heads and match the bigger model. I love the models - they're simultaneously scary and cute.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173094_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Shengrylla%20%252F%20lesser%20mawes.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173094-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Shengrylla%20%252F%20lesser%20mawes.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173095_sm-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Shengrylla%20%252F%20lesser%20mawes.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173095-Stargrave%20bestiary%3A%20Shengrylla%20%252F%20lesser%20mawes.html)
Storywise, all of these creatures are 'Mourners' - they're part of a matriarchal pack. I wrote a little fluff for them a long time ago, but here it is adapted for the setting:
Mourners are known by many different names in the settlements around Kombayn - some call them 'howlers', 'hunters', 'blanks,' even 'banshees'. Whatever the term, mourners are spoken of in hushed, reverent tones.
Evolving in some of the deeper cavern systems below Bolne, these beasts are well adapted to the darkness of the undercity. Pack hunters that time and evolution have left completely blind, mourners instead use a complex form of echolocation to tail their prey. From a distance, a pack of mourners emit long, low vocalisations that deeply penetrate the area around them, like a cross between a dirge and a growl. As the pack approaches their target, the sound climbs to a higher pitch as the frequency of the calls rise and the detail of the image returned improves. Yips and squeaks from the excited pack join the crescendo. Settlers who have survived attacks by a hunting pack describe a chorus of mournful screams and wails, rising in intensity as the group tries to flee. When a pack is upon you, a sudden silence falls as the calls rise above the frequency of human hearing. Respite from these nightmarish wails, however, will be sadly brief.
Some particularly brave settlers have hunted mourners for meat and leather. Their hides are dry and coarse, making sturdy footwear, and their meat is sweet and slow to spoil. With most packs moving in matriarchal groups with at least 4 members, however, picking off a single target without drawing the ire of its brethren is difficult.
The final bit of today's update falls in the 'boring but necessary' category - some DATA LOOT tokens.
(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173100_sm-Stargrave%20data%20loot%20tokens.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173100-Stargrave%20data%20loot%20tokens.html)(https://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2023/8/19/1173097_sm-Stargrave%20data%20loot%20tokens.jpeg) (https://www.dakkadakka.com/gallery/1173097-Stargrave%20data%20loot%20tokens.html)
Not the most exciting part, but used in pretty much every game,
Hope there's something here you like! Thanks for reading, and I really do appreciate the feedback.
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Lovely paint job, and wonderful writing, you really make the world come to life
The way you merged the maw miniatures with stats blocks and background is inspiring
keep it up!
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All looking great! 👍
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Nice work, both models and background.
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love those bile worms you make space travel sound very.....yucky :)
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I like the new models, especially the sewer dragon.