Painted 28mm Combat Robots

[Hobby Services]

Latest project, a ten-model squad of Mantic's "Marionette" combat robots (or maybe drones - I think they're teleoperated in Deadzone):



Modular multipart models in hard plastic with a fair amount of posing options and different weaponry.



Not quite as impressive a kit as the average modern GW frame, but still vastly better than their older restic figs were.



They share the frame with the parts to build one of three variants of grav drones, although those are still in the works.



I'll give these an enthusiastic thumbs up, and I don't even play Warpath or the current version of Deadzone.



They definitely work as fairly generic scifi combots, with obvious uses in Rogue Stars, Void Pirates, Blasters & Bulkheads, and a bunch of roleplaying games.

[Bahir]

Those look great! Is that a metallic green?

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice.

A sprue photograph would have been useful.

[Hobby Services]

Those look great! Is that a metallic green?

Corellia Greenshade wash over three layers of metallic highlighting, actually.

A sprue photograph would have been useful.

Maybe next time I do a box.  Isn't there one on the Mantic site anyway, or aren't they imitating GW that accurately?  

Oh, and I finished one of the gun drones you can build with the kit.











Absurdly cute little death machine, isn't it?  Think it's best as a Riot Control Security Bot ala Traveller.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

They are neat. Thanks for highlighting them, hopefully there will be some at Colours next week, I see the release date is the 22nd.

I had not seen that Mantic were producing them in plastic rather than resin. The site does not have a sprue picture (PSC has stopped adding sprue pictures and the instructions on their site).

I find being able to see the sprues and the instructions reassuring.

[Duke Donald]

I like the robots. They look sleek and menacing, and your paintjob works very well on them. Though, I can't say I'm very impressed by the design of the drone.

[Inso]

These look cool... I hadn't noticed them before. You have done a nice job on them too

Here's the sprue pic from the website:



Site link:

http://www.manticgames.com/mantic-shop/deadzone/asterians/product/marionettes.html

[Hobby Services]

As you might guess from the sprue photo, the leg/torso pieces are separate - you get two baggies of them, each with five stances.  It's a shame there's no instruction sheet (something Wyrd does very well compared to Mantic) since I still haven't figured out all of the smaller bits.  The top row is extra cryptic:

Parts 1, 8, and 9 make up part of the camo drone
2 & 3 are the smaller gun drone weapons
4 is the flight post
5 is the foot of Marionette body 1
7 is part of the drone lower chasis
10 & 11 are the fins of the commo drone

But part 6?  No idea.  It's so tiny it could go almost anywhere, and doesn't appear to key into anything.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Thanks, I did look on the site but could not find the sprue.

Except I was looking at the Cypher figures not Marionettes. That would explain it.

Thanks again.

[Momotaro]

Cracking painting... and I do like the models!

[Hobby Services]

Thanks, I did look on the site but could not find the sprue.

Except I was looking at the Cypher figures not Marionettes. That would explain it.

Thanks again.

Yeah, the Cyphers are restic kits AFAIK.  Did a bunch of them a while ago, not as well made as the Marionettes.

Another gun drone, this time painted in a matching scheme to the trooper bots.  Figured it might help the Marionettes sell if I had at least one like this.

[Bahir]

Corellia Greenshade wash over three layers of metallic highlighting, actually

Is "metallic highlighting" a technique or the name of a painting product?

[Hobby Services]

Is "metallic highlighting" a technique or the name of a painting product?

Technique.  Not much to it, really.  Start with a  black base coat, highlight (or drybrush, although that'll be a little rougher looking usually) with successively lighter metallic paint shades, trying for a little less coverage each pass.  The Marionettes were IIRC a 3-stage job, starting with Privateer Pig Iron, then Cold Steel, then a Vallejo silver.  Follow that with a light greenshade wash and you're done except for detailing.

[Bahir]

Thank you, I'm going to give that a try after I finish the Forge Fathers that are on my desk!

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Thanks for details of the method.

They look great.