A Rough Future Skirmish Project - Another space gnoll 2/8/18

[dinohunterpoa]

This is an AWESOME and VERY INSPIRING project! 

[Scarper]

@moonshado -   I'm glad my timing has worked well for you! I hope you enjoy what you find - feel free to ask anything about older models, and I can hopefully still help out!

@dinohunterpoa - That's very kind to say, thank you. I've taken tons of inspiration from various projects on here, so I'm really pleased you've found something inspiring in what I'm doing.

Something a bit different today - expanding on some Caitiff wildlife with a new creature, the basilisk. I've been trying to produce more creatures to use as NPCs in various games on Caitiff and it's surrounding planets, and it's a lot of fun trying to base them in your setting! This is something I've finished in the past few days, rather than from the backlog I'm working through.



He's a fairly big fella, as you can see here


Big, naturally armoured and cold-blooded, basilisks adapted for life in the Savannah areas of Caitiff, before the large-scale industrialisation that came with the hives. 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 found on the plains of Caitiff. When the time is right, the basilisk can move with frightening speed with a burst of adrenaline from a specialised gland, taking down prey and gorging on enough meat to sustain itself for a further week of patient waiting.
Basilisks have adapted well to the deeper depths of the underhive, 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 travelling hiver - they have little interest in humans and will rarely attack unless provoked. Even their name was coined by hivers 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.

The model itself is a basilisk from reaper's bones line. I love the sculpt, but am really not a fan of the material. I lost a lot of detail before I started painting due to problems with the paint adhering, despite a thorough wash to get rid of mould release agent. Ended up needing a coat of primer and a matt spray before any paint would stick to it. Some spiders that I have painted from the same line also reacted strangely, with the paint becoming sticky and flaking off a few weeks after painting. Managed to rescue them with a few coats of a different varnish, but the material definitely seems to have caused me a few issues. Anyone else had similar problems with them?

I'd also love to hear your thoughts on the paint job or fluff for the basilisk. Thanks for looking!

[Scarper]

I like the idea that humans adapt to anything, and even in fairly dire situations, folks will find a way to entertain themselves. These are some Salute of the Jugger-style models created by Scurv on this site - they can be used to represent a team for one of a variety of aggressive games played between differenet settlements on Caitiff. One more to go before the whole team is painted!

[von Lucky]

Lovely updates.

Question on the basilisk (I like the highlights)- I assume the meat is not much of an option (assuming you can kill one)? And the use of the powdered gland as a stimulant? (I'm only thinking as a hiver would.)

[dinohunterpoa]

I like the idea that humans adapt to anything, and even in fairly dire situations, folks will find a way to entertain themselves. These are some Salute of the Jugger-style models created by Scurv on this site - they can be used to represent a team for one of a variety of aggressive games played between differenet settlements on Caitiff. One more to go before the whole team is painted!

Scarper, take a look at this 1989 movie starring Rutger Hauer:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Blood_of_Heroes

 

[Dr Mathias]

Great job on the Juggers!

Scarper, take a look at this 1989 movie starring Rutger Hauer:

I'm guessing he knows about it, Blood of Heroes is the alternate name for Salute of the Jugger which he mentioned . The latter has some extra footage that doesn't contribute anything positive to the film, in my opinion. I had only watched the American version for a very long time and picked up the Australian version a couple years ago. Love that movie!!!!

I have four sets of Scurv's minis, my intention was to paint two teams stock, and do two teams with Jugger weapons

[Dr Mathias]

the aussie version makes more sense in my opinion. Especially the ending.

What do you think about the encounter with the City security while Sallow's team is traveling on the surface?

[Dr Mathias]

Interesting, I can get behind that. I think maybe I just don't like their vehicle. I'll have to give it another watch

Sorry about the thread tangent Scarper- I got all excited to see the post-apoc athletes

Great work on the lizard by the way, I forgot to comment on that miniature.

[Scarper]

Wow, thanks for the interest, folks!

@Von Lucky - Cheers! I was quite please with how the bony plates came out. You read my mind on the gland - I was planning on having a survivalist-type check to see how well an attempting character could harvest the right organ, probably rolled in secret by a GM. Then you may have some surprising effects if it's used in game!
The meat is sour and acidic, but if spiced right and cooked for long enough, makes a local delicacy of a stew 

@Scurv - They're really lovely sculpts, kudos again. Thanks for the compliment! I actually wasn't aware there were differences between the two titled versions of Blood of Heroes?! Looks like I've got some rewatching to do!

@dinohunterpoa - Thanks for the heads up, but as Dr. Mathias mentioned, I think they're the same movie! Or possibly very similar versions, at any rate. Who doesn't love a good Rutger Hauer B movie?

@Dr Mathias - Not at all, I'm pretty sure that's how these blogs are supposed to work. Thank you for the kind words!

[Ragsta]

Really good to see you dredging up all your old stuff, mate (a dredger conjures up unfortunate connotations but you know what I mean!). The basilisk came out well, did you just zap another undercoat on it after I saw it last?

All this talk of that film makes me want to watch it now, I'll go a-hunting for it..

[Scarper]

@Ragsta - Cheers man! Nope, this is more of a 'before' photo. I'm worried it might be going the way the spiders did, with the sticky, shiny finish. May have to hit it with a brush coat of gloss and then matte spray again - seemed to work for them.

@scurv - That sounds pretty awesome! Did you get a chance to see any of them?

Today's update is a couple of wastelander civilians. Originally made them for a specific scenario in which they were adopted father and son, but will be able to fill a fair few roles as NPCs in future games.


The lad is tiny, but I had some fun doing a little childish freehand on his pack.


The older gent is an em4 scavenger (Ł1.50 model!!) with a little greenstuff work. Some of the older em4 models have a little bit of clown foot syndrome, and this guy was fairly short too. I ended up cropping off his legs below the jacket and resculpting them.
The kid is an unconverted model from some awful site I'd never heard of.

As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts!

[Scarper]

Mourners are known by different names in the various settlements found within Skew spire - some call them 'howlers', 'hunters', 'blanks' or even 'banshees'. However they are labelled, mourners are almost universally feared by colonists in the deeper sections of the hive.
Evolving in some of the deeper cavern systems below Bolne, these beasts are well adapted to the darkness of the underhive. 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 even as the group flees. When a pack is upon you, a sudden silence falls as the packs' 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 course, 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.

Mourners are Hasslefree mawes with a little filing and greenstuff work on the smaller ones. Beautiful models, and pretty scary to look at!

I hope you're enjoying the mini bestiary tour, and please let me know what you think of the words or the models. Thanks for looking!

[AWu]

Dino on the backpack is just perfect but I love his jacket color - I think it singularly make this model into realistic piece.

[Jagannath]

Love this thread - the 'griminess' of the wee lad is really good, looks great.

[Scarper]

Thanks folks! Glad you like the weathering - I'm sometimes a little worried that I don't know when to stop!