GZG New Trooper: Zod Commando

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Quick but effective paint job on Jon's new 15mm Sci Fi Trooper to represent my Zod Commandos.

Step 1. Painted the figure with black ink.

Step 2. Removed ink from all exposed surfaces.

Step 3. Washed with Citadel OOP Waaarg Green.

Step 4. Vallejo 'bright' Gold visor.

Step 5. Rifle painted black - grey highlights and then quick drybrush of Boltgun Metal.

Step 6. Sight recticle painted Scab Red, then White/Scab Red reflection highlight.

I tried to paint very light blue/green 'power' streams in the recesses on the barrel but was defeated by my ageing eyes :-(

I'm tempted to remove the paint from the knee pads, paint them steel or maybe yellow/black 'hazard' stripes (but I have to remember this is 15mm!). He definitely needs badges on his shoulder plates for a bit of colour though. So I've designed this Zod Commando Shield to be suitable for a 15mm figure.

I also intend placing him and his buddies on bases represents ship's/space station decking. Markings on the decking will add additional colour to the piece.

The shield is the unit badge of the Zod Double Epsilon Deep Strike Commando Company. They are chosen for hazardous missions of high strategic importance but with correspondingly lower probabilities of survival. The Company motto is:

"mev brord min alder skjelme"
My Brother is my Shield

Cheers
Mark
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In the Pipe.......Khurasan Miniatures 15mm Chewks

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I'm pleased to introduce a significant new range sculpted by a talented and proven sculptor, coming from Khurasan this Spring:

The Chewks are indigenous to the deserts of Sepulveda 7. They can best be likened to small shrimp-like humanoids, perhaps 3.5 to 4 feet tall. Clothing is simple but adequate for protection from the desert elements - a heavy hooded cloak from whihc only their face apears . They are an ancient and noble race, but like the human Bedouin they can be honourable or devious depending upon the potential for reward.

Thus they have a reputation as desert raiders, travelling under the sands in huge drill-like craft which suddenly emerge from the ground to spill out Chewk raiding parties.

Whilst their weapons appear primitive they are incredibly effective. They use single shot, bolt action rifles which are muzzle-loaded but triggered by a breech held reaction, and whilst slow to
fire, this weapon has an extremely powerful fusion round.

They also use machine gun type weapons of the same type, mortars, and a large tube fired
round for anti-armour work, the 'Chewkzooka'. For heavy firepower they rely on the
fusion cannons mounted on the drill, but sometimes these can be found on wheeled carriages
pulled around the battlefield by Cheekamels, basically huge sand fleas.

The Chewk range consists of 29 different poses! The miniatures are approximately 12mm tall and are being sculpted by the same sculptor as the Karks!

- Four shooting, four advancing, four prone,
- Four Chewkbomber poses (two mortar teams),
- Four Chewkzooka bugs (two missile launcher teams),
- Four Chewkgunners (two heavy blaster teams),
- Two commanders (one advancing one semi-prone),
- Two Chewkcannon gunners (artillery gun crew),
- One Chewkamel attendant (bug holding reins of large beast of burden that pulls the chewkcannon).

Cheers
Mark
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Painting Those Damn Crusties

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Like many of you I'd been scratching my head on how to paint GZGs 'Crusties'. Oh I know what colour schemes I want to paint them - think Lobster Thermidor! - but it's how to get that effect without spending hours of effort detailing each figure.

Playing with my 'feral' Hammerhead Space Demons last night, it came to me..... take a look at my post of 25th April (here). Perfect!

Step 1: Citadel Bleached Bone basecoat

Step 2: Citadel OOP Flesh Wash over all of the model.

Step 3: Very very light Citadel Devlan Mudd wash in joints only

Step 4: Much watered down Asurmen Blue, again in joints. Better to repeat than to swamp your Crustie in blue. Add the blue to other areas to taste.

Step5: Highlight edges of exoskeleton with Bleached Bone. A very very light drybrush works best as you want that 'mottled' look.

Step6: OPTIONAL - A quick zip along the tips of all major edges with the edge of the smallest brush you've got.

Step7: OPTIONAL - Again using your smallest brush add 'camo' spots of Devlan Mud and or Flesh Wash (to taste) to the major limbs. Alternatively, for a lighter effect, watered down Bleach Bone spots.

UPDATE:

Ther figure isn't quite finished yet but following a bit of trial and error I've settled on this simpler and far quicker scheme:

1) Vallejo Elfric Flesh Base
2) Citadel Baal Red Wash
3) Citadel Devlan Mud Wash
4) Citadel Asurmen Blue Wash

You only want a thin coat of each wash. The Baal Red will turn very pink, don't worry, the Devlan Mud will give it more depth. Put the Devlan Mud on before the Baal Red dries fully, that way it will 'lift' some of the red leaving the Efric Flesh with just a pinkish tinge.

The Asurmen Blue provides the Crustie with a more mottled and translucent appearance - just like prawns! Don't let the lue wash pool too heavily in folds and creases - use a dry brush to remove any excess.

More Photos Later...... coughing fits and tight chest returned, so can't finish the fine detail tonight. Actual colour of the model is better than you see here, IMO. The camera flash has bleached the 'pink' and lost much of the colour gradation.

Cheers
Mark
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IN THE PIPE... whats coming in 2010 from Khurasan Miniatures

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Happy New Year to everyone from Jon at Khurasan Miniatures!

Jon has sent me a snapshot of what's going on at the Khurasan foundrywerkz in order that I don't commit to making rash New Year resolutions before knowing what's on the way in 2010!

1) Mantis Stalkers are to be released NEXT, painter to work on them this week

2) Felid second batch (two line troops, two Heavy Weapons) are sculpted and on their way to
Jon.

3) Space Demon Colossus and Nymphs are at painters.

4) Alien Hunter is having final details sculpted - Billy:"There's something out there waiting for us, and it ain't no man. We're all gonna die".

5) Sculptor working on the basic troops for the Sepulvedan (Human) Resistance. Think Eastern Europe - woolly hats, chest rigs - that sort of thing.

6) The Sepulvedan 'Technical' (armed truck) crew is being cast.

7) The castings of the Evil Warbots have just arrived and about to go to painter.

8) Corporate Marine L-HAC is sculpted and printed and on its way to the caster

9) Corporate Marine APC, an anti-grav/wheeled hybrid, will be sculpted this
month, I'm pretty sure

10) Orca Assault Troopers you know about ...

11) JBR has finished the Garn Battle Barge, both the Alligator
Class Combat Transport and the Crocodile Class Heavy Escort. (These are Federation designations, the Garn call them something completely indecipherable.) One Croc accompanies two Gators in assaults. The Croc has three turrets!

12) Mike Broadbent is making the Vespulids

13) Corporate Marine Power Armour variants being sculpted from dollies.

14) Chewks being sculpted -- More about the Chewks in a separate post, where I'll introduce them fully as it is quite a substantial range.

Cracking! 2010 is going to be a fun year for Sci Fi from Khurasan Miniatures and I haven't got round to telling you about the Cinematic Sci Fi releases....

Whilst Jon would like to provide some sort of release schedule, he is quite rightly saying, look this is what's in the pipe and I don't want to disappoint people if timescales slip and projects need to be pushed back or reprioritised.

Plenty to look forward to! The Mantis Stalkers and Felids are at the top of my list.

Thanks for the headsup Jon!

Cheers
Mark

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Khurasan Orcid Assault Troops

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Have you signed up to Jon at Khurasan's blog?

Well, he has announced the next phase of the Pelagic Dominate will be the heavy power armoured elites - Orcid Assault Warriors. Basically, evolved Killer Whales around 24mm tall!

Go read all about it here: KHURASAN MINIATURES


Cheers
Mark
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Big Badabooom, Big Damn Cough!

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It gets better. Not just a 狒狒的屁眼 狒狒的屁眼 of a "donkey cough, but "VIRAL donkey cough!" to boot. So my doctor has suggested that I remain away from work for a couple of days to let the antibiotics do their stuff.

Back to bed, then perhaps later prep some infantry to paint.

Euuuuggh!

Mark