At lunchtime today I received some bits and bobs in the post, namely some empire flagellant pieces. The flagellant kit is one of those utility kits, like the ghoul or forsaken kit. It's full of useful stuff that can be applied to a myriad of modelling projects. I wanted to make a couple of test models to see these parts would work for hybrid/brood brothers for my genestealer coven, so I spent the rest of my lunch hour digging in bits boxes. Here's the original concept I did a while ago.
The heads (from the witch elf kit) sat well on the neck, so first obstacle passed. The old eldar power fist is a nice scale and reinforces the mechanicus connection. I did find I am desperately short on 40k plastics though. I have container after container of fantasy bits, but not so much for 40k, so I'll need to acquire some guns, and hands to hold them. I had thought maybe the flagellant arms would be too beefy, but nope, they look fine. (Does anyone know if Catachan Imperial guard arms are much bigger than empire flagellant arms?) I'll also need to find some company that does human scale bionics. Most seem to be designed for orks or space marines. Lastly, the old hybrid arms looks massive on this lad. The new plastic genestealer arms look even bigger, which means I may have to sculpt some hybrid arms to fit ordinary human size models.
Originally, this was going to be a chaos-worshipping coven, masquerading as a mechanicus cult. That might be a bit to many themes, so I may drop he chaos angle, I'm still mulling it over.
Still though, first model!
I believe the Catachan arms are a little bulkier compared to the Flegellant arms. they're about the same scale as the chaos marauder arms if that's any help.
ReplyDeleteI think these figures will be amazing hybrids/cultists.
The Eldar power fist is a beautiful bit of kit for human scale figures. I have about 3 or 4 left and I really don't want to use them up.
Catahchan arms wont fit those models Id say Like Stygian heart says, they are more like the ugly, 'roided up Marauder arms. I have a small number of those Eldar weapon sprues, but I tend to be very protective of them too :)
ReplyDeleteI dont really know the more recent Dark Elf plastics. As a concept the bronze masked face works very well here, like the modern 40K cultist leaders or the Immortals from "300". Did you ever read the Dan Abnett "Titanicus" book? I quite enjoyed it and its full of Ad Mech types with varying sorts of bronze masks IIRC. "Mechanicum" is essential reading for that sort of thing too.
I won a copy of Jez Goodwins sketchbook compilation a long time ago. I enjoyed his notes on the Mechanicum models that never got made. They are probably available somewhere online I guess.
Im very interested in seeing how you approach the more bestial hybrids.
I haven't read those books, but I'm happy to hear the masks are already in the canon. I wanted to use them for the brood brothers as bronze representation of a purestrains face, but equally to add the inhuman mechanicus feel. In the same way I want to add third or fourth mechanical arms to those trying to emulate their purestrain relatives.
ReplyDeleteHappily I have a pile of the eldar fists, but that'll only get me so far. The biggest problem is still bare arms that look in scale, especially ones carrying lasguns. The search continues. I did find a good source for cabling and connectors though. http://www.zinge.co.uk/
The bigger hybrids in the units will be bases on the plague models from Deadzone (cheers Paul) carrying the special or heavy weapons. They take stealer parts better, and they are so deformed that a slightly out of scale claw won't look weird. I discovered they take the masks great too, as the original heads are so small. For truly huge hybrids, the crypt horror kit will supply the base models, but that's a ways down the road yet.
If I remember correctly the AdMech masks are mainly used to give a presentable face to those senior members that have largely transcended to the digital for when they meet regular humans who get creeped out. Its like the sentinels from The Matrix having a set of comedy and tragedy masks on the ends of tentacles to whip out when the neighbours call.
DeleteI recently got some power cable type bits from Dragon Forge: http://www.dragonforge.com/
Dave I'm not sure on this but would beastman arms work ?
ReplyDeleteThe model you done for the test is great btw.
Cheers Frank. The beastman arms are too big I'm afraid. Eldar arms seem to work the best.
ReplyDeleteMaybe some of the Empire state troops and free company arms might come in useful. The only problem being that they are clothed. They are closer in scale to the Flagellant arms though.
ReplyDeleteMight be a couple of useful arms there. Thing I'm looking at right now are wych arms from the dark eldar range.
Delete