From Phil: A whistle-stop tour of Babylon5 and Vulcan (54 Points)

Is it even February yet..? 

Sad to say I've been very quiet during Challenge XII so far. Not for a lack of minis to paint, just busy, tired, juggling too many projects and a sharp shift in enthusiasm to a new project putting the brakes on all of sapping the enthusiasm for the half-finished. What I intended to be painting isn't what I want to be painting. But I follow the Brush where it leads me!

On a related bright side, I'm actually getting some regular games in for the first time in goodness knows how long.  

Still, I should tick off some more planets, and a galaxy far far away has plenty I can use on my journey.

So for Babylon 5 'operatic, low-budget fun'. Star Wars itself fits the bill as a Space Opera setting and I plucked this random mini from the pile of 3D prints. It's a rather grand and rotund Twi'lek, apparently named Orn Free Taa. He's a corrupt and self-serving senator from the prequel trilogy. As I focus on the original trilogy/Galactic Civil War for my collection, he can serve as some VIP or merchant NPC. A long-lost sibling or cousin, perhaps. 

He's a resin 3D print from RavenX Studios. As can be the case with prints, I found the detail on him to be a bit soft, and had to mostly freestyle the detailing his robes. I kept to the brownish palate of the character, though liked the orange contrast with his blue skin. 

Onward to Vulcan, and pointy ears. No elves about these parts, but what's this...? Yup, another rubber-faced Star Wars alien. One of my favourites in fact, yes it's the low-rent Rodian bounty hunter Greedo. Outrageously maligned by George Lucas revisionism, for me he categorically did not shoot at Han first. No, he was gunned down in cold blood by a complete scoundrel, and don't believe any other version of the story!

Another 3D print, coincidentally also from RavenX Studios, much better detailed and a nice gunslinging pose.

I'm pleased with how his skin and googly eyes came out. I did him from a zenithal prime, tried to highlight zenithally and added some texture to the leatherwork. As Greedo only features in one scene, I used this from the Battlefront video game as a painting reference. I didn't get close to the right shade for his jumpsuit, but whatever.

Two minis scaled for Star Wars Legion 35mm, and two planet bonuses makes me a tidy 54 points, if I maths'd correctly. Next up: the new project should make an appearance.

It seems that "leveraging" has spread to Tuesdays now, but with great style! Those two figures are cracking, Phil!

Tamsin