Diablo Jon's occasional sci-fi side project - Inquisitor Thrax

[Diablo Jon]

Hi all normal I hang out on the colonial board with my long running Darkest Africa project. Over the Christmas holidays I decided I wanted a break from painting Arabs and tribesmen and paint up some sci-fi. Unfortunately in early January I caught Covid which wiped me out for several weeks. I'm pretty much back to normal now and, in the last few days, I finally finished my first group. I have a few small groups of sci-fi miniatures assembled with the idea of using them to fight small games of 1st edition 40K.

1st edition 40k was, in my opinion, always a small skirmish game closer to modern day Necromunda or Kill Team than recent editions of 40K. It was a game that encouraged narrative play rather than line’em up and kill everything games. Inspired by the two page spread of Helsreach in the original rule book. I thought I’d paint up a few small factions for a hive world some where on the distant eastern frontier of the Imperium of Man. Rather than concentrating on space marines and imperial guard my factions will be traders, settlers, mercenaries and cannibal waste landers.

Speaking of cannibals here is my first group. Hivers have various names for them Cannibal Cutters, Fleshers or Skinners. Legends say their ancestors where folk left behind in the wastelands when most of the planet’s human population retreated to the great hive cities generations ago.it is said they worship dark, unnatural gods, and eat those that fall into their hands. They live in close knit clans and survive in the wastelands as nomadic scavengers and raiders.

Most of the miniatures are Pig Iron Ferals, with some Lead Adventure miniatures and a few Black Cat Bases cultists thrown in. There are a few weapon and head swap conversions among the miniatures as well.

[OSHIROmodels]

They look great 

[Diablo Jon]

They look great 

Cheers mate.

[Genghis]

Nice work.  I like the idea for your setting and the factions therein, I find the prospects offered by the non-military factions to be where the fun is at.

[Diablo Jon]

Nice work.  I like the idea for your setting and the factions therein, I find the prospects offered by the non-military factions to be where the fun is at.

Thanks I've painted plenty of space marines and such like over the years I just fancied something a little different. The next group I'm working on are a wasteland caravan company luckily 1st edition 40K is pretty flexible.

[Diablo Jon]

I’ve started another small sci-fi warband for 1st edition 40K this time a rogue Adeptus Mechanicus and his scavenged robots.

The rough background I’ve come up with is that Tyr Cruze was a talented but young and overlooked member of the Adeptus Mechanicus. After being seconded to the Bourst Wurst pig factory-farm, as head technician, Tyr was convinced his superiors hated him. In his frustration he choose to flee primus hive into the wastelands. Somehow he survived long enough to stumble across an old research facility with it’s old defunct security robots. Tyr got the robots working again and has since scavenged many more but living in an old facility with nothing but robots for company has unhinged him somewhat he has taken to calling himself the Mechanist and has a plan to save the planet with an army of robot minions.

Here we have the Mechanist a conversion using a GW plastic flagellant and bits from spares box interestingly in the description of the Adeptus Mechanicus in 1st edition 40k they where white robes so that’s what I went for.





Next we DF302-47 designation “Boomer”. This robot was missing an arm when the mechanist scavenged him from the wasteland luckily the mechanist had an old tank gun lying around. Boomer is called upon when the mechanist is expecting heavy opposition.





 

ZF680-33 designation “Shocker” this Robot has had a power maul with inbuilt neuro disruptor added for when the Mechanist needs a prisoner taken alive.







KK37-37 designation ” Dead eye”. This robot is armed with a long range needle rifle and extensive targeting array to fulfil the role of sniper.





78H1-T35 Designation “Gunslinger”. this robot is armed with two stub guns and a combat shotgun for close quarters firefights.





and finally a group shot I have several more robot models I hope to add to this little warband in the future but that’s it for now.

[spacecowsmith]

Lovely work on the mechs!

The rust effect is really effective and the chipped paintwork is awesome too!

[Spinal Tap]

That rust and chipping is amazing - would it be possible to describe how it's done?

[Diablo Jon]

Thanks guys.

Painting wise during the prep stage I stipple on liquid green stuff  to give the models some rough texture. The models are first painted with army painter gun metal. Then washed with a rust coloured weathering powder mixed with water. Once that is dried the model is sealed with spray varnish. Then army painter rust wash is applied to the recesses  after that I give everything a light dry brush in black. Coloured paint is added after that some large patches and then dots around the edges then I go back and add more dots in a red brown to break up the edges of the coloured paint. Hope that helps.

[Genghis]

The rust and weathering on those robots is amazing.

[Spinal Tap]

Thanks guys.

Painting wise during the prep stage I stipple on liquid green stuff  to give the models some rough texture. The models are first painted with army painter gun metal. Then washed with a rust coloured weathering powder mixed with water. Once that is dried the model is sealed with spray varnish. Then army painter rust wash is applied to the recesses  after that I give everything a light dry brush in black. Coloured paint is added after that some large patches and then dots around the edges then I go back and add more dots in a red brown to break up the edges of the coloured paint. Hope that helps.

Much appreciated.

I'm going to have a play on a couple of old minis this weekend.

[Bullshott]

Lovely work on both the robots (great rust and weathering effects) and on the cannibals. I have some of those Pig Iron ferals waiting to be painted. Maybe this will inspire me to do something with them!

[Diablo Jon]

Another bunch of rusty junkbots painted for the Mechanist to use against his enemies.

ADDD302 and ADDD303 designation “Deathbots”. These two old service droids have had new skull heads added, by the mechanist, and are equipped with melta-guns. The combination of the terrifying visage and the ability to melt foes into gloop is used by the mechanist when he wants to terrify his opponents.



ADDD304 designation “Firebug”. Sometimes you just need to burn something down when those times come the mechanist deploys the Firebug





ARCH888 designation “Spyder”. Spyder has an in built jump pack between his legs that allows him to be very mobile with his autogun with auxiliary grenade launcher attachment





CROM66A designation “Cleo” When the Mechanist found Cleo she had a female voiced AI. Those who have met the Mechanist , and survived, say the Mechanist is particularly attached to Cleo and it’s sometimes difficult to work out who is master of who. In a fight Cleo has a built in plasma gun to lay down covering fire.





KFZ472LL designation ” Mask” . Mask is a close assault robot armed with a boltgun, power sword and grenades if the mechanist needs a building cleared Mask is his robot of choice.





Unknown designation “Ghost”. The Mechanist found this robot in a crashed space craft and believes it is of alien origin. Ghost is equipped with advanced stealth technology, advanced servos for high speed movement and programmed with highly skilled close combat abilities. All of which makes Ghost the near perfect robot assassin

[BZ]

Wow, very cool! My I ask where the Boomer and the Shocker miniatures are from?

[Diablo Jon]

Wow, very cool! My I ask where the Boomer and the Shocker miniatures are from?

 Not really sure they are resin models  that I picked up from eBay, from the packaging, they seem to have come from Poland. The robot with the big gun uses parts from the old plastic Dreamforge  sci-fi German range ,whose name escapes me, for the cannon and the head. The other one uses a GW weapon and the head from
a wargames factory sci-fi soldier from my bits box.

That probably wasn't much help was it