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Community Challenge: Build a member of a minor Xenos race

Started by Van Helser, July 01, 2016, 08:43:32 AM

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Van Helser

Hi everybody,

I am wondering if some of you would be up for joining me in a model building challenge, namely making some original Xenos miniatures? There's a few reasons for this - I think aliens are an untapped resource in Inquisitor; the modelling possibilities are endless, if more challenging than building a human; I intend to have an Ordo Xenos section when I write the Monodominant sourcebook and would love some collaborative entries; and there's been a bit of a drop off in production round here (myself very much included).

I would like to propose a final date of 1/10/16, three months from now, as I feel this would spur us on, much like last year's A Storm of Brushes challenge.

One models is all that's required, though a group of aliens would be super cool to see.

Ideally, I'd want to see races that haven't had models at any scale produced before. If there's a race mentioned in the fluff somewhere that's not got a figure yet then that would be nice to see too.

A bit of background for the character and its race would be nice too, for inclusion in the sourcebook and for the Carthax Wiki.

For base miniatures, trawling the alternative 54mm manufacturers, especially those that have fantasy and sci fi ranges would be a good place to start. As always, GW produces plenty of "monsters" for their games that could be used as base models.

Of course, the skilled amongst you might be able to sculpt something from scratch, or use 3D modelling software to create a 3D print.

For inspiration on creating a model, especially if you love letting the dice decide, you could use the Alien Bounty Hunter creation rules from Exterminatus 2004 (which should be in Marco Skoll's archive if I remember rightly).

Anyone up for this? Does anyone have any more suggestions for the creative process?

Ruaridh

Radu Lykan

i am committed to quite a few projects at the moment but i will try to get in on this. I have had an alien race slowly coalescing in the back of my mind for a while, even have the parts i need :)
if i can find the time i would love to get them into a source book :)

MarcoSkoll

I can't hang around long enough for a proper post, but I am potentially interested.


Quote from: Van Helser on July 01, 2016, 08:43:32 AMthe Alien Bounty Hunter creation rules from Exterminatus 2004 (which should be in Marco Skoll's archive if I remember rightly).
All the 2004 Annual articles are on the archive, but not under that name. When it came to the time to digitise it, I found all the articles were already in the Exterminatus magazine section or the Specialist Games section, so I saw no point in replicating them.
S.Sgt Silva Birgen: "Good evening, we're here from the Adeptus Defenestratus."
Captain L. Rollin: "Nonsense. Never heard of it."
Birgen: "Pick a window. I'll demonstrate".

GW's =I= articles

greenstuff_gav

i'll try to give it a go but only just started my community sculpt too :lol:

also +10 points for getting some movement (something the crazy amount of hours i'm putting in at work hasn't left me the energy to do!)
i make no apologies, i warned you my ability to roll ones was infectious...

Build Your Imagination

Radu Lykan

Despite other projects having a closer deadline I have started playing with bits for this project :)
I have more than one idea for alien races, one of which worship chaos, would they also be suitable? Or are you aiming for "pure" xenos?

Van Helser

Glad there is some interest.

Chaos-worshipping xenos are a-okay in my book. I don't want to stifle creativity!


Ruaridh

Radu Lykan

Are you mainly thinking 54mm?

Jeff Vader on the ammobunker came up with the skadiir
http://s3.zetaboards.com/The_Ammobunker/single/?p=8341062&t=7623097

Kendoka then took it a bit further, showing the larger male and a few more females
http://s3.zetaboards.com/The_Ammobunker/single/?p=8349616&t=7836720
Could be worth contacting them if inq28 will be included?

Van Helser

#7
They look pretty cool. I will certainly be doing 54mm, but again, I'll be happy for anyone to produce whatever they want.

Ruaridh

EDIT: Let's get the ball rolling then.

I decided to use the character creation tables in the article Dead or Alive, You're Coming With Me... in Exterminatus 2004 to give me a kickstart in creating a brand new race. Anyone who has used tables to create characters in any game must know that contradictions and nonsense are commonplace. I kind of felt this way when the dust settled on my dice rolls. Both had two arms and two legs, which was fine enough, and their stats were rolled without much excitement. My first character was to have Elastic Limbs and Chitinous Hide, which didn't compute in my head, so I swapped out the bendy limbs for razor sharp claws. It rolled a fairly generic mix of weapons. Fortunately the hard shell makes up for the lack of armour. The second was to have Tentacles, psychic powers (Detection and Distraction), Force of Will, Lightning Reflexes, a Med Skull, 2 points of ablative armour, an Implant Weapon in place of his right hand, and rare and common basic weapons.

I decided that the second sounded more interesting for now, and in my head excused the very Imperial Med Skull as some kind of symbiotic creature that heals the alien. Tentacles don't allow the use of guns (can't pull the trigger), so rolling the implant weapon was just as well. The race clearly sacrifices one of their limbs for ranged attacks. Not quite sure how I'll model ablative armour only at the moment.

I dug around my bits box and found some old Greater Daemon bits. Think I have Keeper of Secret legs and a Bloodthirster torso here. The left arm is the tentacle from the Chaos Booster pack that I have had for well over ten years and never put to good use. Not sure where the upper right arm comes from, but it was already cut so that was handy. There's a Space Crusade conversion beamer attached at the moment, but that looked like it fit the best for the time being. I have two head options - the Bloodthirster head, or one of the Alien Bounty Hunter heads. I need to sculpt a pelvis, and the symbiote med skull will be sculpted over the skull pendant.




Any other input or ideas folk? Which head is best? How can I represent ablative armour?

Cortez

Ok. I'm willing to give this a go, although I've not got much time at the moment and still haven't finished the inquisitor I was working on for the community sculpting project.

Now what kind of alien should I create? I'm not a fan of random tables so I'm not going to use the alien bounty hunter creator as I usually find you end up with weird combos and end up changing everything anyway. Instead I  think I'll be drawing my inspiration from various sci-fi classsics and wookiepedia.

After a bit of thought I decided that I'll base my alien on the Falleen race from Star Wars (including the mind altering pheremones) and the various races found on Edgar Rice Burroughs Barsoom. So my alien race will be a sort of cross between a reptile and a mammal, probably cold blooded, will reproduce by laying eggs, be bipedal and probably have two arms (I'm not sure how best to sculpt four armed creatures as they always look odd to me). Weapons wise I'm not sure yet and despite my earlier statement I may use the random tables for those.

Now just to find time to sculpt it.

Alyster Wick

Man, this sounds fun. I may try and hop on this after August rolls around, though I should really finish my scratch sculpt piece (as it was a similar "contest"). I also have a drawer full of alien concept pieces.

I know I've been rather absent from the Clave recently. In a positive development, I finally got a solid gaming group together. The downside is that now I'm DMing a 2E D&D game (the first game on the docket) and that's been eating a bulk of my nerd-time the last few months.

Aurelius

I'm in! Can't post much at the moment or read full thread, but love this idea.

TallulahBelle

@greenstuff_gav Gav, you could enter Dimi the abhuman you sculpted for me XD im interested in seeing this idea evolve though im nowhere near good enough to contribute good luck guys

Aurelius

Aaaand a perfect excuse to move this guy along a bit! Obviously there is a 28mm model, but not seen one in 54mm. I wanted him to have a few bits and pieces on him, the front bandolier still needs some pouches or even better a bunch of techno-junk for him to use in his creations. Thinking Kroot ammo bandolier as a start here. A backpack gives him some more pieces, I don't love the idea of these guys creating something out of nothing, they should still have raw components to work with. His right hand is some kind of gun hand, from those awful old obliterator models.... hmmm character hook there maybe?Jokaero infected by the Obliterator virus? Making more and more weapons?...

Anyway some WIP shots. Gah mould lines very obvious here, so hard to pick on furry models. Will rectify.


Easier to see his hand attachment here, I still need to GS the gap and maybe provide a bit of a shield plate to the forearm to balance it a remove the flatness when viewed from other side.


Great idea on a challenge ruaridh, good to fire the imagination.
Cheers, Aurelius

greenstuff_gav

Quote from: jediknight129 on July 13, 2016, 12:58:40 AM
@greenstuff_gav Gav, you could enter Dimi the abhuman you sculpted for me XD
kinda bypasses the idea of making a new character :)
(i made This Lass on commission!)
of course, you could write / sketch a character if you don't feel upto the conversion side!

i havea couplea ideas but time is my main constraint :(
i make no apologies, i warned you my ability to roll ones was infectious...

Build Your Imagination

TallulahBelle

I left a message/question for you in annother post @greenstuff_gav btw dunno if you've seen it?

I dont have the talent to sketch I have a few ideas though and im currently working on a weapon pack for the archetypes community project. Working on some sort of conversion pack for the victrix 54mm cannon. (think heavy weapons of various types) currently have a Rotary Cannon, a Las Weapon, a mortar a low calibre automatic a Webber/anti riot weapon and some hi tech evilness on the bench.

Dimi is currently being painted so..  If you want painted shots for advertising your commission stuff I think il be able to supply then soon.

Once again Gav you are an amazing sculpter EVERYONE iv shown her too has been just as in love with her as I am as a sculpt. Also would you mind PMing me at somepoint iv got annother oroject I want ready for the next event