Black Scorpion Cowboy--Wild West Project part 1

Greetings all,
Ramping up work on terrain and figures for my wild west project, to be utilized in conjunction with Knuckleduster's 'Gunfighter's Ball' game system, and the first product of my efforts is this little fellow, whom my wife has affectionately named 'Jasper Jones.'

The figure is a Black Scorpion miniature from their 'Tombstone' range, from one of their 'Lawmen' packs, although I do not necessarily view this character as a lawman. I selected a monochromatic color scheme, which I am reasonably pleased with, from a tabletop view at least.

Recently, I upgraded to the latest iPhone, and the camera is every bit as stunning as advertised, but unfortunately shows every unflattering imperfection in my paintjob. I'm still reasonably pleased with this figure, but  it does give me the desire to do better next time.

Jones will be the first of many residents to my western town of 'Cemetery Summit' as I work on this project. Penny for your thoughts, Pilgrim?

-TBG

Optimus Prime--28mm

"I am Optimus Prime"
-Optimus Prime (duh)

Optimus is the best Transformer ever; the one character that is unarguably a pop-culture icon and tremendous character, and not just a toy. If I could pick a fictional character to be president, it would be Optimus.

Gushing concluded, then, let's look at the figure.

The figure chosen is the Optimus Prime figure I showed off last post.
As noted in that post, there wasn't a lot of modifications necessary to make the figure look like the iconic character: just some modifications to the sword, the faceplate, and then filling up the screw holes in the body.



The tones I chose were washed out to demonstrate Prime's age and experience. Prime has always struck me as a very old and very sad character, being the leader of the heros' never-ending grind against an unstoppable evil in a several-million year war. Thus, the reds are dark, the blues are greyed, and both are scratched up with silver.



Even the eyes turned out fairly sad looking... I feel like it caught the character I was going for.



His army card is here (excuse the pink markings on the left. You'd just cut that off when printed.)



Well, what do you think? Penny for your thoughts, Autobots?

-BG

28mm Aubot Project WIP 1

"Autobots, roll out."
-Optimus Prime, Every Transformers Iteration Ever.

Seeing as to how warmly my gaming group received by Bumblebee figure, I wanted to continue on with my transformers project. Knowing that some of my audience--on another platform--has requested WIP shots, I decided I would post some here as well. Enjoy!

I'm not what you would call a purist when it comes to Transformers. When you grow up on Simon Furmans's 'Armada' comics and TF Animated, you're a bit of an alien to both Bayformers and G1. As a result, you'll see a variety of Transformers styles in this project. For the most part, you will see a Bayformers aesthetic, this being because the Bayformers designs are most recognizable by the members of my group, with them being most familiar with the films and Transformers Prime.

But enough bloviation. A picture is worth a thousand words.



The first shot is of my figure for the Autobot Hound, a character I'm tackling for no reason other than the fact I love his actor and his aesthetic. Had I known how much greenstuff it would take to give him his signature beard, potbelly and belt, however, I wouldn't have tried it. It took about two inches to patch up the holes in this 'Bulkhead' happy meal, with Bumblebee for scale. The result is pretty nice though, so I can't complain too much.


Far less extensive has been my work on this Optimus Prime happy meal. I cut the sword off his ugly gun and put it on his knuckles, where it belongs. After that, I patched up some holes and gave him a new facemark, as I feel the facemask is the most prominent feature of Prime's face, and the original sculpt had it sunken in. It's a happy meal, so I didn't expect perfection, but that had to be fixed!

That's where I'm at with the modding. Painting time!

-BG

Captain Barbossa--32mm Black Scorpion Pirate

"Y'er off the edge of the map now, mate. Here there be monsters!"
-Barbossa, Curse of the Black Pearl

Objectively, Pirates of the Caribbean is not the best franchise in the world. Personally, however, it is one of the all time greats in cinema history, and Captain Hector Barbossa helps make it so. His arc from main antagonist to redeemed anti-hero is magnificent, and Rush's acting sells all the pirate stereotypes as an actual threatening character.

So, when I saw Black Scorpion sold an undead pirate with a huge hat, I knew Barbossa would be a must.



I had to make some modifications to the figure, namely in giving him hair and a beard, and sculpting a little Jack the monkey his shoulder.

One thing that worked really well is making the color palette totally washed out with the exception of the bright yellow rag hanging from his belt. It adds a nice pop to an otherwise grey character.



Not as clean as I'd like at the coattails, but I'm pretty pleased with how the caribbean beach baseplate turned out.

Not much, but a fun return to the world of piracy on the high seas... but a penny for your thoughts, mates?

-BG

Dr. J.H. Watson and Mycroft Holmes 32mm Miniatures

"I hear of Sherlock everywhere since the publication of your stories."
-Mycroft Holmes

Sherlock and his world captivates me, and seeing that he is the single most adapted character in history last I checked, I have no shortage of renditions of the character and his world to enjoy. From Cumberbatch to Downey to the time a mouse named Basil lived under 221b Baker Street, the character and his world delights me in nearly every form.

An observant reader, however, may have noted how I keep stating that the character AND HIS WORLD excite me so. The reason for this is that my Sherlock Holmes miniature--the last one for me to receive in the mail--isn't quite ready for me to show you. So, allow me to begin by rounding out the supporting cast of Holmes' world with Dr. Watson and Mycroft Holmes!



32mm Victorian Era miniatures are a pain to find, but I found that certain Black Scorpion Tombstone figures fit the bill just fine, which is what both of these are: Watson on the left, Mycroft on the right.



These figures are based entirely off of how I imagined the characters reading Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's novels (which I have read most of if I am not mistaking.)

I wanted to go with bright but plausible colors that popped from the board, but still looked authentic to a certain extent.



Mycroft took a little bit of modification. He had a little holster and a little sheriff badge which I cut off and sculpted over. The shotgun was sculpted onto to be an umbrella with a dangerous British surprise packed within.

Historically, Victorian Era London was filthy, and I wanted to catch that on the baseplate with bits of old British ads on the bases. One ad is for cigarettes, proudly proclaiming that they cure cancer. I couldn't stop laughing.

So there you have it! Tuppence for your thoughts, good British gentlemen?

-BG

Bumblebee--28mm Conversion

"My name... is... Bumblebee,"
-B-127, Bumblebee Movie

Bumblebee reignited my interest in the Transformers franchise. While I have always had some interest or other in the franchise, having owned comics and toys as a boy, I always steered clear of the films despite my interest in them due to their rancid reputation and contradictory lore.

All of that changed with this new prequel/reboot however, which has become one of my favorite films this year, being just loaded with heart.

As a result, while I'll no doubt eventually do a Bumblebee as a Camaro in a more classic look, I wanted a figure that really caught my emotions coming out of that film the second time.



The figure converted was a broken Major Q-10 on a custom 40mm baseplate. I used greenstuff to sculpt on wheels, fenders, and the face mask as well as other small details. Charlie on the other hand is a SceneARama civilian modified to look more like the character from the film and to stand just a liiiiiiitle bit shorter (she was kinda in Bumblebee's spotlight before.)

The film was so motivating to me--after coming out of a flu that really sapped the energy out of my hobby--that I just NEEDED to make a figure, but I couldn't find a cake topper or happy meal that got the gist across (which is what I've done for my other attempts at transformers characters.) I feel like America is in trouble when a movie about the most marketable toy in a line of marketable toys doesn't have enough merch for me to buy!

I've never had a problem converting figures with beards and hair and fur and even robes via green stuff in the past, but metal is a whole other animal. I've only recently felt comfortable making swords for a separate project. Thus, it was truly daunting to add these metallic bits. However, with a whole lot of water (and some plastic bits for the front bumper piece) I created some panels that look like the belong on the character.

I've gotten mixed reviews from the guys in my gaming group about Charlie's inclusion on the baseplate, so I figured I'd have to explain my logic a bit.

Bumblebee since his inception has been the humans' friend on a personal level. From Spike to Sam to Sari to Charlie, Bumblebee has always been the personal pal of the humans, and that's the element of the character that Bumblebee zeroes in on. Thus, in a game, I get the complaint that it looks awkward for Bumblebee to be hovering over this human girl. However, to me that relationship was what made the movie work, and if I wanted to capture that feeling, I had to have Charlie incorporated.

Also, here is his Army Card.



And that's Bumblebee! What do you think of the little guy and also, what do you think of this post, as it is more in depth than what I'd normally do for a figure?

-BG

Bass Reeves--Black Scorpion Tombstone Miniature

Bass Reeves, to me, represents the greatest traits about the American west. If you're not familiar with this historic law marshall, I'd say his story is well worth a Google search, and it is that story that convinced me to make him the first lawman I painted.


The figure is from Black Scorpion's Tombstone range, a lovely range of 32mm Wild West miniatures.

Overall, I'm fairly pleased with the result, but a penny for your thoughts?

-BG

Logan--Heroclix Repaint

"I'm the best there is at what I do."
-Wolverine

Wolverine is not a superhero that I grew up with, but is one that is fast becoming a favorite of mine. After binging Wolverine: The Long Night, I cracked out my paints and snatched my favorite Wolverine heroclix sculpt for some miniature action! I'm more than a little bit pleased with the result.



Being inspired by The Long Night, I wanted to go for a more natural 'Logan' look rather than a superhuman 'Wolverine' look.



I'm very pleased with the blood effects on the shirt/claws. I usually avoid blood effects on minis. Something about it just feels sort of tacky and gory. However, I think it suggests the savagery of Logan,  as well as his stamina, and I think the finished product still maintains a decently natural look.



I also added a little log on the baseplate, to accentuate Logan's connection with the natural world and with the world of animals.

So there you have it! Personally, this might be my favorite Super Hero repaint that I've done, but what do you guys think?

Indiana Jones 32mm

"For fortune and glory,"
-Indiana Jones, Temple of Doom

If adventure has a name, it must be Indiana Jones, and as a huge fan of the adventure genre, Indiana had to be a character I'd handle. However, finding a specific miniature for the character proved to be a hassle, seeing as though I wanted him to be in scale with the other Heroclix figures that I've repainted rather than in a strict 28mm scale. After some digging, however, I figured the best place to find a fedora is on a cowboy! This figure is a western figure from Black Scorpion, with a few modifications that made him turn out pretty Indiana-ish if you ask me.
Here is is, front and back, on some raiding adventure. Note the R2-D2 hieroglyphics on the base...


Not happy with the bullets on his belt, but I guess you can't win them all, Otherwise, a little greenstuff made for a pretty convincing whip and satchel.

And that's Indiana! Sound off in the comments if you like the choice in mini or if you've found a better one that fits the scale!

Wild West Terrain Gunsmith

Here is the gunsmith's shop, all painted and pretty! I decided red would be a sufficiently aggressive color for the birthplace of every firearm in town!

The shop is simply 'Dziubek and Sons,' a nod to my and my brother's surname. I'm also very pleased with the oxidation details on the copper sign.

Not at all happy with the windows, but it has given me an idea of what to do better in the future.

A few wanted posters adorn the back. It looks a little like barn from the back.

Oh look! The circus is in town!

And a shot of the corrugated metal roof. You can't see it well in the picture, but there is a little picture of a wild west gunsmith on the inside so you're not looking into an abyss when you look through the door.

Penny for your thoughts, pilgrim.

Wild West Terrain WIP

Going back to some Heroscape stuff, I wanted to get started on an old west town along the lines of my pirate town made last year. Here's some wip shots of the Gunsmith shop.

The structure is a simple arts and craft style build: popsicle sticks on cardboard.

The sign is made out of cereal box cardboard, but honestly it looks so rough I've already covered it during the painting process with a new sign.

The corrugated sheet metal of the roof is just corrugated cardboard with the surface removed and some wet paint to smooth down rough edges.

A penny for your thoughts, pilgrim?

Topper the Cave Troll--SBG Paint Job

"They have a Cave Troll."
-Boromir, Fellowship of the Ring

I figured it would make good sense for Goblin Town to ally with Moria for some muscle... namely a gigantic cave troll!

The blending on this figure was a bit of a challenge, and I'm still not totally happy with how he turned out. However, as someone who loves some trolls and already had one from the Mines of Moria box set, I figured he would be easy enough to throw onto the team. The picture doesn't quite do justice...

But one thing I'm certain you're asking: why the name Topper? Why not Az-Glorf Flayer of your Skin or something more.... trollish? I feel like I'm staying more true to Tolkien by giving my trolls more british sounding names. After all, the only troll names we have are Tom Bert and William (I can't help but wonder if there's some sort of symbolism in that.) At any rate, I figured I'd keep on with that trend and name my trolls names like Topper, Harry, Dick, Syd, etc. and so forth.

But what do you all think? Sound off in the comments!

-BG

Boromir--SBG Paint Job

"The mightiest Man may be slain by one arrow. Boromir was pierced by many."
-Pippin

A break from my Goblin Town force, here is Boromir, son of Denethor!

The miniature is a little plastic figure from the Mines of Moria box set. I got that miniature when I was still in middle school!

And here he is from the back, showcasing his shield and the Horn of Gondor.

I'm not planning a Gondor force obviously, but the Fellowship of the Ring are a must paint.

Penny for your thoughts, sons of Gondor?

-BG

Grinnah the Goblin and Army List--SBG Paint and List

"Dwarves your malevolence! Found 'em on the front porch!"
-Grinnah, An Unexpected Journey

Here's Grinnah for my aforementioned Goblin Town army.

The baseplates are still rough... sorry about that still. I continued on with the idea of colored cloth as opposed to brown. Being one of the Great Goblin's chief officers, I figured he would also have some very nice, bright pieces. It made him a load of fun to paint.

The whip on this figure is so dynamic and really sets Grinnah apart from the grunts, even without the extra bright colors.

I also tried layering the skin tones with a lot less washing than the previous troops... it worked really well and will probably polish up the rest of the infantry using this same method.

So what do y'all think? A fine addition to the force?

Also, since we finally have two commanding officers, allow me to show off  my lineup for this faction at 500 pts:

Warband 1

Great Goblin (Goblin King)

-13 Goblin Warriors w. Hand Picks and Axes

Warband 2

Grinnah the Goblin

-10 Goblin Warriors w. Hand Picks and Axes

Warband 3

Wild Warg Chieftain

-2 Cave Trolls w. Chain and Hammers

The first two war bands are standard issue Goblintown stuff, but for painting and fielding purposes, I wanted more than what the faction had to offer pure. Moria seemed to be the best place to ally with, and since I have a special place in my heart for trolls, a quick war band with them and a Wild Warg Chief should round off the force. it was a pity I couldn't fit the Scribe and the Captain in the 500 pt. force, since they're such delightful little models... but, perhaps in an alternate lineup!

The thing that will keep this force from winning is, of course, the gaping, vacuous lack of any kind of bows... but that is the great flaw with Goblin Town as Goblin Town. It won't win tournaments this way, but it should rough up the enemy if it gets close enough (I'm hoping the trolls will be arrow-spongey enough to aid in that goal.)

But what do you think of Grinnah and his men?

-BG

The Great Goblin--SBG Conversion and Paint Job

"Clap snap! The black crack!"
-Over Hill and Under Hill, The Hobbit

So, since you got a shot of my Goblin infantry fighting Gandalf, I figure my efforts would be better spent showing off my first Goblin hero: The Great Goblin himself!

Look at that bulbous dirtbag! The miniature is the standard plastic mini from the Escape from Goblin Town box set.

One thing I wanted to do to set my Goblin Town force apart from the rest is, instead of cladding them in orange/brown material (the color it appears on screen when in orange/brown light) I wanted to make it look like mismatched colorful pieces of fabric. The Great Goblin, as the leader then, would get best picks of these fabrics!

Here he is fighting my Rivendell Elves force... and, since I love making things personal, note the rivendell elf cape hanging across the Great Goblin's buttcheak... it's getting real up in here now!

Hopefully you haven't noticed how he is a conversion... this is because that, since I got this model when I was only 14, things have happened to him since then... namely, the skull on the top of his scepter got lost! I sculpted a new one--made to look broken like where he smashes it fighting Gandalf--and hopefully nobody will notice...

Also, note... I'm not sure if I like the grey of the Goblintown baseplates currently... but that will be updated soon as well.

So, what do you think of our overweight, off key, denizen monarch?

-BG

Gandalf the Grey--SBG Conversion

"Why should I welcome you, Gandalf Stormcrow?"
-Theoden, The Two Towers

Finally onto some more legitimate--although perhaps less colorful--wargaming in the world of Middle Earth!

As someone who has had bits and pieces of the LoTR SBG lying around since Middle School, I've always wanted to play and figured that now would be as good a time as any, and Gandalf would be the absolute best place to start!

First, a shot of him on our new tabletop board while my brother created a magical dry ice effect.

And now we have an actual shot of the paint job and conversion job as he dukes it out with some goblins. He is a plastic from the Escape From Goblin Town set, with the minor conversion of him holding a little blue flame like from Out of the Frying Pan and Into the Fire. The reason for this conversion was really a necessity... the model was second-hand and missing his second hand! So, a little green stuff, and we see Gandalf revealing himself as the powerful being he truly is.

So, what do you think of the Grey Pilgrim? I'll show some shots of the Goblin Town force I'm cooking up next time! 

-BG

The Pirate Project 4--The Black Pearl

"Strike yer colors, ya bloomin cockroaches!"
-Barbossa, Curse of the Black Pearl

What good are pirates without a ship, ay mates? Welcome aboard the Black Pearl mates!

Here's a basic shot of this. Black hulls, died sales and twine rigging! The hull of the ship is made of soft cardstock and foamboard, using a template that was originally for 10mm scale, which I blew up 250% and away I worked!

Here's one of me wee mates taking shots off the bulwark (is that what you call it?)

Shiver me timbers! Mr. Cotton walks the plank!

The purple jacket fellow shoots over the rails.

 The captain at his station. Wait! Is that ole Barbossa at the helm? XD

The colors fly over the pearl! The flag is that of Barbossa. Also, as my sister told me, that is historically the flag of Callico Jack Rackham!

So what do you think!? Does the Pearl look ship shape to ye? Sound off in the comments below!+