So my new job has me working some rather odd hours, all over the gaffe, short, long, late and early. nothing set and its getting to me. I need a more predictable scedule to function properly and this is my excuse for not getting much painted of late.
still the construction/converting continues here and there when i find the time and I've a few WIP's to show for my sleep deprived efforts;
I decided, although a good model, I did not like the beret wearing guy in my company command squad after all.
I think its that he takes too much away from the Major, who is, himself rather understated.
So I figured rather than do anything to it (as I say, it's a good model in its own right) I'd simply make a couple of optionals that can be fielded as and if I fancy some more specialist firepower other than lasguns in the commander's retinue. leaving him as an optional rifleman should I want a team of just lasguns...
anyway, I decided on first modelling a plasmagun:
Rather than use the standard sized plasmagun that most guard models used (based on the second/third edition marine weapon model) I'd cook up something that looks more appropriately sized for a guardsman to carry.
Now, I loved the metal cadian specialists that held the plasmas and meltas like mini versions of the marine devastators, little backpacks, carry handles and hoses, yes, I could have used the anvil stuff to replicate this look but I fancied something rather portable and less movement restrictive for my commandos.
I figured on the primaris plasma pistol as that's easy to come by and bigger than a standard plas pistol but not too small to be a 'full' plasma-gun.
The simple addition of the 'classic' plasma stock was vital to make it look big enough.
I used a metal one as its somewhat slimmer than the new plastic ones and as such fits the pistol perfectly and also helps keep the overly weighty look to a minimum.
for ammo and kit I decided on the sniper pellet/capsule thingys from the sniper scouts as stand-ins for plas capsules and the big-slung-bag from the arms-master as care-kit or batteries and all that jazz...
the trigger-finger at-ease and low-slung pose keeps a sense of menace and 'tacti-cool' the rest o the squad has. lovely.
next up is a sniper commando.
This was a deliberate attempt to recreate the sniper rifles seen on guard mini's of the third edition era. (seen most prominently on the catachan snipers, last-chancer's 'scope' model and the fw tank commander sniper)
they had their own thing that was, cleary based on a lasgun, but still different from the scout sniper rifle that allt he modern ones look more like these days. they had an extended stock, the top-sight removed and a large scope in its stead and an incorporated silencer/muzzle.
the magazines were not even modelled on, and were simple left blank. suggesting at an internal mag or single-load setup.
many of the minis they featured on were modelled with bullets about their person on bandoliers and belts, thus, they were also not actually las weapons, but solid slug munition rifles.
sorry, history lesson over...
So, to replicate the look I used a kantrael (cadian) las and removed the barrel and top sight.
the eagle was shaved off, and the stock trimmed to the shape shown in the pic.
the barrel design was replicated with brass and ali tube and the scope is lifted from a primaris stalker rifle assembly lengthened with plasicard rod.
the las-mag was removed and the bottom slap-plate (flat part) of the bolter-mag glued stright on, suggesting at a small capacity internal mag.
to enhance this look, I used a small bolt-mag stowage from the 30k marine range as part of his kit.
the skull on the stock is shaved off a marine backpack I believe (cant honestly remember for sure but any will do)
this is actually not vital in any way but I feel it helps makes it look more like an actual sniper-rifle mini and not the butchered lasgun it really is;) LOL
the finishing touch was the greenstuff over the skeletal stock that anvil fatigue arms always feature in order to make it look like the solid-lump stocks of the plastic catachan lasguns that the 3rd edition sniper rifles also had.
I did the trigger finger thing again and added the infiltrator pockets as a backpack and the chain/rope detail, again from the arms-master kit to suggest at some climbing gear or whatever so he can get 'up-high' where snipers operate best at...
again, as with the plasma, I'm rather pleased with the work on the gun on this one. although a bit shorter its still very faithfull to the source material its based on.
As you've no-doubt noticed, I'm rather nostalgic of third edition guardsmen. the best era for guard in my opinion. just look how many regiments we had then and how many special units like the last-chancers and good charecters there were. not to mention the steel legion. without those back in 99/2000 we'd never have got to the dkok we got this year...
It all went wrong with the pastic cadians IMHO... never undertood why they went for the starship trooper look over the theme of the classic ones.
but thats another story...
This got my dander up for the whole sniper thing.
Although the modern design rifle is fine on this commando amongst his friends with the fancy bullpup rifles, I now fancied doing something a little more obviously a sniper thats more in theme with the whole trenchy theme the main part of the force.
that meant all of the 'lone sniper' tropes, cape, long rifle, looking cool somewhere high with the wind in their hair... you know the GW standard for snipers these days. purest cheese but a lot of fun to model.
keeping the whole 'enemy at the gates' mythos in mind this guy is much more diesel-punk than the commando sniper.
His massive rifle is from the whf imperial handgunners and as such is simply absurdly huge.
I mean theres no way you could fire this thing without laying down is there?
The simple inclusion of a las-muzzle and mag made it clearly a long-las and the scope is from a bolt-rifle, deliberately
not the stalker variant to keep the rifle looking longer than it is. the small scope helps to do this.
The cape is a pennant from the ravenwing sprue grafted onto the 'poncho' torso from the irregulars from anvil.
I chose a head without a mask, for more character that seeing his eyes gives, but scuplted a scarf over his face for the whole 'stranger in this town' look that the whole poncho and mask thing create when used together.
espescially with the brodie helmet that also helps as its rather reminisent to a cowboy hat with the above context in mind...
anyway, I hope to get some time to slap some paint on more of these badboys soon.
I did get round to one thing, though.
I took the two crouching guys from the riflemen I've done so far and removed the 3rd ed tactical-squad pockets off them and replaced them with more infiltrator leg-pockets so the squad matches properly.
looking at them just the other day I felt the tactical squad pockets looked so crude against those nice leg-pocket backpacks I've used throughout the force they just had to go.
I only used them as I'd ran out of infiltrator pockets at the time.
I think they just show their age these days. I mean even the mkiv version of these pockets from the 30k plastics are a much crisper, slimmer and cleaner sculpt than the old third ed pastics and as asuch are a much better match for the infiltrator pockets I've been using.
even still, I won't be using too many of those either as I managed to get a load more infiltrator ones from craig over at bitzbox and a further bunch from ebay too so I'm all stocked up now.
I
have used other stuff true, a pair of marine 'triplet' pockets of the same sprue still makes a nice alternative, true but is nowhere near as ugly as the large double pocket...
The heavy intercessor and standard intercessor pockets are of course a perfect match but then they would be
funny aint it. I bet most of the rest of you didn't even give them a second thought, have you? but its been bugging me since i firs painted them... LOL
