Marco does something

[MarcoSkoll]

MODERATION EDIT: From this point, I've merged my 54mm and 28mm threads. Posts originally in the INQ28 thread will be titled "Marco does something small".

ORIGINAL POST:
I know that just about all of my modelling has gone into the "Marco does something" thread, but I'm making a separate thread for the 28mm Inquisitor stuff I'm working on so it can be kept separate.
I've already been running this thread for a short while on Ammobunker, but much as I dislike trying to run threads on multiple forums, I've decided to put it here as well.

Anyway, as I said, this is Inq28. I started writing an article for Carthax a while back discussing the pros and cons of each scale (and I still intend to finish it) but what I realised quickly was that most of my assessment of INQ28 was somewhat secondhand, extrapolated from other 28mm work and my experiences with 54mm Inquisitor.

So, after a while, I have now actually got around to earning my own perspective. As a plus, it gives me an opportunity to buy some models I've long wanted to, as well as opens up the possibility of playing Inquisitor at 28mm events too. (As and when there's actually one I'm allowed to, dangerous 54mm dissenter that I am).

So, moving on. At this point I should point out that a lot of these ideas are only half formed, which isn't my normal method for making characters or warbands, but this is all about trying new approaches. In Marco language, I'm winging it.*

~~~~~

Alyx Paige:


Left, Rear & Right

Originally started to represent my assassin for PO's Dark Heresy adventure, this Lelith Hesperax conversion was sidelined by a transfer to Skype. However, I still want to finish her - and as the character I originally envisioned.

However, I'm not planning on nicking everyone else's characters from the RPG, so the plan to give her a home is to put together another one of Inquisitor Rhodes' acolyte teams, which she can be assigned to as the mood takes me.

~~~~~

An as of yet unnamed Daemonhost:

Right View
Close-up of hands

Converted from the Heresy Miniatures Tunnel Priest, this guy was a natural Chaos nasty. However, I bought him with plans for him to become a Sorcerer, but quickly decided upon his arrival in the mail that he'd be a better 'host. Aside from anything else, there aren't enough warbands lead by daemonhosts.

The base of the Priest's staff looked much like an incense burner, and that's what inspired what we have here. The idea of a daemon sculpting smoke into weapons, animals and other nasties was too irresistible, so that's what I've started. There will ultimately be a snake lunging out of the smoke, but that's a little fiddly until I get my hand back in.

The host itself will be able to vaporise into smoke, allowing it to pass through air vents, keyholes and the like (although not completely solid matter), as well as having a defence not entirely unlike the "Ghost Twins" from Matrix:Reloaded.

~~~~~

This is the most intact idea at present. The plan here is to make a warband that can be used at WHW if needs me (i.e. GW models or scratchbuilds), so I started with a list of GW models I liked and tried to see which could be found second-hand on eBay.

So, in keeping with the winging it, I found the Wood Elf Highborn with Great weapon, Brettonian Damsel/Sorceress and Escher with shotgun, and shamelessly nicking the core of an idea Kaled's proposed...

The Highborn is a noble from a medieval world (an icy/snowy region, because I saw one very nicely done up in a snow colour scheme) who was recruited about 30 years ago by an Inquisitor.
Bringing along his manservant/squire (model TBA), an off-worlder who had been sold into labour for a trivial debt, and one of the many Sisters Famulous who had their part in the standing of his family (the Damsel), the expected dynamic between the three continued for sometime.

However, over time, the manservant's more technologically advanced upbringing, wider experience and hard working attitude proved him far more valuable to the Inquisition, eventually earning promotion to Explicator, then Interrogator and was finally sponsored to full Inquisitorial rank.
Taking his former master and the Sororita as the start of his organisation, the former squire has been growing his reputation and allies for the last decade.

That's the start of the plan, and it allows me to use quite a wide range of technologies in the warband, with characters like the Highborn alongside more tech-savvy characters.

The original idea has already twisted slightly. I had planned to use the Escher with shotgun** as the warband's tough guy girl, but I quickly decided I really wanted to get this one with a Lasgun** as well, so the plan quickly changed to twin sisters who had grown up constantly looking after each other. Cohesive and tough, the pair were excellent hired help for the (relatively) new Inquisitor.
It sounds like a good enough reason for two similar models in a warband to me, at least.

(**Sorry for the outside links, the models are bought, but still in the post ATM.)

Modelling progress on this so far has been giving the Damsel a haircut:

Additional photos: Left & Right

It seems I have a habit of giving metal models radical haircuts (which may well continue with the Eschers).

~~~~~

I've also got Autumn, Kaylee and Si'Rene from the Spyglass range around, as well as Heresy's Jessica Rae (bought for something I later abandoned).

I'm not sure on Autumn, Kaylee or Jessica yet, but Si'Rene is settling in my mind as a tribal swordswoman - a chief's daughter whose father traded valuable ores for some of the finer examples of technology such as mono-weaponry, digi-lasers and conversion fields. The anachronism seems more fun than sticking firmly to the normal assumptions about simple technology being more "noble" - and quite justifiable, all in all.
I'm thinking that perhaps she'll be one of Rhodes' acolytes.

~~~~~

Anyway, I'm not expecting much input, but I'm putting this here for the sake of it.

*Fortunately though, I'm very, very good at winging it.

[Dolnikan]

The models look very good, I especially like the damsel so far, it's a lovely model. And I really like the subversion of the old noble becomes an inquisitor and takes his old squire with him.

[MarcoSkoll]

I can't take much credit for that, as it's largely nicked from Kaled's post here, but I'd like to think I can conjure up a way to make it my own.

~~~~~

Also, new post: (This was mostly written for Ammobunker, so if anything seems slightly out of place, that may be why.)

Today's news is that more stuff has arrived from eBay.

The two Escher:

As you can probably see, there has already been a bit of cutting and filing. (Amongst other things, I much prefer that shotguns don't look like the magazine is another barrel, which is one of GW's regular faux-pas)
Definitely more to come though. Possibly more of the hairdressing.

And the Highborn (again, a bit of cutting and filing):

Based on the amount of superglue I had to clean off around the hand joints, I'm not surprised the previous owner had lost the sword (hence getting it cheaper) - it can't have been glued at all properly!

So, the branch (mostly) and plant life removed, this guy is going to be the noble. He's going to need a sword (or quite possibly swords plural, as I did quite like the dual wielding look when I broke out the bits box and the blu-tac) of course, but the big question is whether I want to keep the bow that's slung across the model's back.
It'd be nice to give him a bit of an opportunity for ranged combat, but I worry if this would risk leaving the model "too fantasy".

Beyond that, various changes are needed to make the model a bit less elven. Obviously the ears, but body shape, boots and (perhaps) some of the armour design need changing.

~~~~~

Beyond that, I'm looking for at least one more warband member, and a psyker seems tempting. I already have an idea for that model, as I have a Mordheim Elf Mage (an easy psyker) who I bought years ago for my High Elf army - but these days I can see he doesn't really fit with the aesthetic of the army, so I want to replace with an Avatar of War figure.

However, the big question of the Inquisitor remains... and it wouldn't be a proper warband of mine without at least one model made from the ground up.
It happens that I was reading the Radical's Handbook the other day and got rather attached to the Lady Inquisitrix here.

This may require a bit of fudging around with the initial concept, as it's not the normal thing for a Lord's chief servant to be a woman, but then again it's a big galaxy and it could add an interesting level to the whole relationship.

1) If we assume the noble brought the servant along out of some sense of superiority, believing that it was his place to be waited upon (and perhaps he had even chosen a woman servant for the sense of misogynistic power?), then it's an opportunity for extra conflict - not only has he been bested by his servant, he was usurped by a woman!

2) Alternatively, perhaps the servant came along with the noble because the two were lovers (secretly or otherwise). Maybe they still are, maybe they aren't. I quite like the idea of two ex-partners still working together as friends (perhaps with occasional old fights bubbling up) even if they are no longer "together together".

Again, more intra-warband relationships. (This is the kind of thing I love about Inquisitor, the fact the multiple character format gives you all that extra creative freedom.) I think option 2b (former lovers) appeals best, as for one thing I've done both option 1 and 2a in some form before and, for another, the grudge in option 1 seems like it could be too extreme to work - too unstable and dangerous to last. Mind you, all options to be considered, and opinions welcomed.

(You can probably also tell why I'm working on different models a bit at a time, rather than just flying through them one by one - I'm developing their characters bit by bit as well.)

~~~~~

As a curious aside, that combination for the warband would mean that none of the characters were based off a WH40K model. Not exactly important, although it does play into my "thing" for showing GW that their less popular games/ranges are still appreciated.

In other news, I've got a smallish order coming in from Maelstrom, probably tomorrow (and by tomorrow, I mean "Today, but I haven't been to bed yet") with various models in it that should be of use. Privateer Press (Rutger Shaw, a good desperado type), Corvus Belli (Reverend Custodier, looks like a potential Techpriestess) and a couple of Wyrd (Sonnia Criid and Viktoria - both potential Interrogators, perhaps even an Inquisitor in Sonnia's case). I know some of those have been used by other INQ28ers, but they're nice anyway. I will, however, try to avoid bothering you with too many of those yet and actually instead get on with what I'm already working on first!

[Dolnikan]

Ah, the wood elf with great weapon, mine loses the sword all the time, it somehow never holds for long when it is transported.
I like the idea of former lovers, especially when one of them used to have power overthe other and that aspect of their relationship was overthrown, perhaps he couldn;t stand her superior position and that lead to a breakup?

[MarcoSkoll]

No, I think that I'd like them to have had a healthier relationship and less selfish breakup than that.
There should definitely be the potential for the two to have their differences, but they can't be so serious as to get back to the question of why the two are actually still around each other.
If he actually resented her that strongly for it, then even an Inquisitor in love would eventually have to concede buying him a ticket back home.

Instead, I think it's perhaps best to go for the simple ideas - an Inquisitor having such an obvious weakness as a lover is an incredible risk, so perhaps it was the work that forced them to break up.
I can still build in the ideas about how her success affected him, but I wonder if he necessarily needs to be entirely negative about it... after all, if they genuinely loved each other (as opposed to some flimsy "relationship"), perhaps he's even glad to have seen her succeed?

Not sure on that though. It would be a mix-up of the original concept, but it could still include various factors about how it has affected their perceptions and interactions with each other - and, of course, I did want to put my own twist on the idea!

[MarcoSkoll]

After Molotov asked about what I was going to "do to differentiate them from everybody else's Escher models",
I've parted Ms Shotgun from her hair (Ms Lasgun is going to be more work), and arranged blu-tac on her head in various styles. You'll have to phorgive the fotography, as it was only a quick test, but here we go:



In normal reading order, we've got a bobcut, free hanging long hair, long hair over the shoulder, and a less crazy ponytail than she had before. (Or maybe a braid instead, although that might be what I do for the Famulous.)

I think I'm most keen on the two on the bottom line (it'll be down to the personality I want to go with) and least happy with the top right, but if anyone has their own opinions or different suggestions, I'll take them.

[Dolnikan]

I think that the ponytail looks very good, it even seems a bit practical and the flow fits well with the head.

[Prasmatis]

I agree with Dolnikan, go with the ponytail.

[Keravin]

Ponytail as well for me.  I think it frames her face better as well.

[Herald]

To buck the trend I prefer the loose, long hair as it seems the most feminine and therefore differentiates the model most from the original Escher. The ponytail is my second favourite though if you decide to go with the majority.

[MarcoSkoll]

My own opinion was mostly towards the ponytail, and it seems most people agree. It's got a practical side but is still reasonably feminine, so it fits with the "tough girl" personality that's probably appropriate.

There are a couple of people (including Ammobunker) who said the bottom left option, but the "most different" reasoning seems to have factored in that - and while I want her to look different, I don't want that to be the deciding factor in any choice. While covering her from head to toe in static grass would make her very different, but that doesn't mean looking like a green wookie would be a good option.

Now I need to check what works for the other twin and decide whether I want to tie them together with the same style or differentiate them with different ones.

[Draco Ferox]

While covering her from head to toe in static grass would make her very different, but that doesn't mean looking like a green wookie would be a good option.

^ This would save enormously on painting time ^

On the models, I think I prefer the long hair over the shoulder, but if you sculpt one with the ponytail, why not give the other one the hair over the shoulder? In the pictures, it looks like the ponytail goes over her shoulder, so this would tie the models together without being too similar.

[MarcoSkoll]

Man, it's been ages since I updated this thread.

Anyway, working on stuff for the IGT. Redoing some of Katlien's warband (yes, again...) in the hopes of improved P&M scores.

As it always is though, the problems only ever come out when it's been photographed, so...



... which looks really rubbish up on the screen. Lots of scruffy areas, the chin needs straightening, I'm not happy with the right eye (although, as this is Katlien's head v2 and I'll be fitting a bionic over that eye, I'm debating whether I'm just going to accept that or whether I think it's going to upset the balance of the face) and she looks too cheerful.

Mind you, as this is 7mm rather than the 8mm heads I've done before (which was perhaps a mite large, even at the slightly larger 1:30th scale I use), there's perhaps one victory to be counted there.

[MarcoSkoll]

Finally got on with some 28mm work in between 54mm work and Infinity, and still forgetting that I need to mix a lot less putty for 28mm than 54mm, particularly if I'm not sculpting the whole damn thing from scratch. Mind you, there's always an armature or two around that needs bulking out.

~~~~~

The shotgun twin.


(Sorry about the focus in the bottom right picture.)

Eventually settled on the ponytail. It generally came out on top in the voting, and it seemed the right mix of feminity/practicality for the character. Sure, she had a ponytail before, but it was whackier and came with a mohawk.

Other than that, remodelled shotgun, various detailing and a slight resculpt on her chest (some of the Escher do look like they've got oddly shaped breasts. Seems even Jes can make the odd mistake now and again.)

There's more to do though. Not sure exactly how much, as like I said before (or think I said) I don't want to completely mess with the model, because I don't want to risk losing what I liked about it.

I'm still planning on that sling for the shotgun, maybe a few more trinkets and depending on whether I decide it's a pump or a semi-auto shotgun, maybe an ejecting shell - as, being a bit of a firearms geek, I can't help but notice that the pump would be at the bolt rear position.
[small](Before anyone mentions shotguns like the NS2000/RMB-93 and their forward-back action, the design here is all wrong to be a fixed breech shotgun , which usually have the barrel underneath the magazine - firmly fixed to the pump - and wouldn't have a conventional ejection port like this.)[/small]

That said, I think she's already got a feel rather different to the original model.

~~~~~

The lasgun twin has had the basics of a haircut:



She's sporting something of a Phantom of the Opera look at the moment, the early stages of an attempt to re-sculpt the face underneath the removed hair. I find 54mm faces fiddly enough, so this might be a bit of work...

You can also see how much repair is needed here - there were three ponytails to remove, including one between her arm/lasgun/body, which is going to need her entire left flank and upper arm resculpted. Fortunately though, there was a good angle to cut between the lasgun and the body to minimise the repair elsewhere.

~~~~~

I'm still looking for their names. The combo attack of trying to satisfy my habits for mythological/themed/meaningful names by looking for mythlogical twins only turns up one pair of female twins, Helen and Clytemnestra (strictly quadruplets to Castor and Pollux). Not sure how I feel about those. Maybe.

[Dolnikan]

The ponytail came out looking very good. The rest of the work looks good as well, it makes the model look nice.