From DavidB: Part 2 The Wolf Spiders (195 points)

 

38 Van-saar gangers being the last big purchase of GW models. I am blaming them on both Hive secondus (space hulk like necromundia game) and my interest in some new cheap Sci-Fi skirmish games. They easily make a platoon so besides Necro, they will be great in 5150, Stargrave, and a score of other Sci-Fi games I have. they can easily be a cyberpunk spec ops team too.

My first try a few challenges ago was to make them a turquoise with bright orange optics, but the jade paints looked greener and suddenly I had the classic Van-saar look and lost a lot of my painting mojo working on them. Those models have done okay in the necromundia games, but not my favorite as I am not happy with the look of them. This time I decided since I wanted the weapons and lights to be the focus, I would aim for more neutral tones on the figures and decided a pale blue grey and black body suits would make the optics more noticeable. I really liked the look and with the pale blue-grey I now have the Wolf Spiders ready to rumble.

They came out rather well.

Van-saar are not known for close combat, but a plasma pistol and energy shield is their style.

I do not know my starting roster yet, but this one will be in the starting crew.

hand flamer weapons are a great weapon to give to the new fighters and level them up to ganger quick.

I really like their helmets and only used a few bare heads for flavor, but all have masks and helms on their person.

I have not decided on the leader yet, all four have nice weapon loadouts, but may change to get the troops in the roster.

I am leaning to the camo cloak leader with power knife and las as his cloak was purposefully painted purple for the look at me. either he will be targeted as a boss or left alone where I can use him to snipe targets. I figure him to be a vain leader using the cloak in a more flamboyant color shift than camouflage

The mainstays of the roster will be lasguns, las carbines, and the van-saar version of a shotgun being the suppression laser.

a multi melta, plasma cannon, and rad cannon being either an anchor for my gang or an anchor in depleting points better spent on something else.

I made sure to make at least one model for every special weapon available. I want choices for support weapons and will need something to take down high toughness and high wound targets.

The red target optics really pop with the blue lenses.

there were only nine skulls with this big gang, and all were on the knife sheaths or energy shields. they are more tech and less grim dark until we get to the medic from the hive Secundus set with the big honking servo arm needle and chainsaw bone saw.  The medic is accompanied by communication tech

A weaponsmith and sniper

a proper camo cloak for the sniper.

Two more hive secudus tech hunters and will be used in a game with my friends at Adepticon. I haven't played that particular game yet, but since necromundia and space hulk are favorite games, I will have fun.

some up armored heavy weapon gunners one with a rad gun and the other with something that is part flame weapon and part mancatcher...

Everything from the past few days off....

An ammo priest for trench crusade that somehow was with the Cawdor gangers, so I finished him up before typing this post and he is the last model for this challenge.

I was "Lucky" in I had a VA doc appointment and had a day off work since it was when I should've been sleeping for work. I will be off to work tonight so my brushes are now down for this winter. I will have a tally of the big stompy robots of death soon as I have vacation beginning on Monday. 

38 van-saar gangers and one trench crusade ammo monk for 195 points

squirrels- White Scars, Fantasy orcs, WW2 US, WW2 Germans, Battletech, wood elves, stormtoopers, Iron Snakes, Deathguard, Modern US inf, WW1 French, Trench Pilgrims, New Antioch, Carnevale Doctors, Van-Saar gangers.

skulls- 111 skulls adding the few not so grim dark gangers

stompy robots of death- 17 machines

________________________________

Wow, 38 Van-Saar gangers? In Necromunda terms this is not a 'gang', but a freakin' 'horde'! Lovely work David, and I really like your new re-dux colour scheme. They definitely look more hi-tek compared to the usual Necromunda offerings - quite patrician. As you say, the larger force will allow you to use them in a variety of rules systems. Very nice and a great conclusion to your Challenge this year. Bravo!

- Curt

From Barks: Rusty Necromunda terrain and scenery 40 pts.

I painted a bunch more rusty scenery, with my Emperor for scale. Mostly it is brown stippled orange then washed with a orangey-brown. Mostly.

I made this table from bitz, and I'm really
happy with the aces and eights.

The Emperor and his Golden Throne.

Market stalls.

Enjoy some "Meat" or see a "Doctor".

Big centrepiece tower.

Simple platforms. I accentuated the ladders in yellow.

I'm going to see if I can get another post in before the end.

Skullz 36 (total 228)

From DaveD , jumping in for Byron. I saw this and thought I will take a look . We have been doing some Necromunda last year and it’s always nice to see some suitable tired terrain . I really like the market stalls area . No doubt there will trouble there soon. You may say it’s all relatively some browny orange and orange brown , but it’s effective . Love .it . And a title reminder for my mob to get another game in ! 

I’m gonna give ya 40 , because there is a lot of volume there to stipple and wash etc . 

Yes and crack on the finish line is still in sight 

Cheers

D

From Barks: More Underhive denizens (30 points)

My painting time has really stalled out this Challenge, but I forced myself to get some figures done. These are a variety of beings you may find in the Underhive.

The malstrain is a corrupted genestealer. I slightly trimmed back and toned down the excess spikes of the original sculpt, as I thought they were a bit much even for me. I've got more of these to paint but its a slow fiddly process. He's a big boy on a 40mm base. I've gone for a severe cataract eye. The pustules remind me of the original plastic 'stealers.

With an untrimmed figure

Next, I have some winged figures- two caryatids and a cherub. Caryatids are nearly mythical figures to underhivers, and are associated with good luck. The smaller metal figure is a very limited sculpt associated with Colony 87- read more here. He's on a 20mm base, and is definitely a 'he'.

This cherub had a goatee and hair
but I trimmed it back to be more Churchillian.

Somewhere in this medic servoskull is a skull!

I really like this underseer sculpt. It nails the bizarre bodies and mechadendrites of the tech-priests.

Postscript: I was bullied/peer-pressured into painting some patches onto flight suits and trying to get a mirrorshades effect onto Ferro's aviators. Are you happy now?

Six figures of varying sizes... 25 points?

+1 skull for the skull challenge (total 45)

From Millsy:

Any submission that makes use of the term "denizen" is a winner in my books! These are all superb mate but I am particularly impressed and at the same time a bit disturbed by the underseer. I have little idea what mechadendrites are but I suspect I'm better off that way.

Kudos for your efforts on the mirrrorshades and patches. I've awarded a bonus five points because I resist every temptation to revisit something so if you can be bothered it should pay off.

Cracking stuff Barks. 30 more underhive credits for you.

Cheers,

Millsy

From Barks: Underhive denizens (65 points)

I have really misunderestimated how much painting time I have this Challenge, and am well off the pace. Anyway, here are some figures I've been keen to get some paint on.

The first batch are malstrain cultists- mutated genestealer cultists, what's not to like? They're all kitbashed and greenstuffed, which makes them nicely unique. The bodies are Stargrave Scavengers I & II, which are my favourite Stargrave kits. Speedpaints Noble Skin, Brownish Decay and Desolate Brown make up most of the khaki browns. By sitting the heads low with no neck you get this pleasing hunchback appearance. I've left two with empty hands so they can more easily pass as harmless civilians in my Guards of Traitors Toll reskin.

The next is a Delaque informant, also from the Scavenger box. I liked this hand pose that looks like he's using a wrist communicator. I carved off pockets and extra webbing straps to give more of a Matrix trenchcoat look.

These two are based on 30K Mechanicum Thralls, which is a fun kit. I was inspired by Kill Sample Process's cyberpunk malfunctioning murderous cleaning bots, and used some peasant bits for the arms. The cleaning rag is a ponytail. Servitors are shaved during the servitorisation process, but I thought the braided hair on the sweeper added to the body horror.

I have no mouth and I must clean

13x 28mm figures (65 points)

3x skullz (total 44)

Big Stompy Robots +2 (Three lies in one!)

From Millsy:

Wow, these are just wonderful mate! I'd not considered making 40K-esqe stuff from Stargrave kits but it really, really works! Your cultists aren't just cool, they have a real old skool vibe which is just brilliant. I've got some metal tech gangers and I'm now imagining how I might give them arms and weapons without selling a kidney, plus building some mates to support them. Brilliant!

Your skin tones, saturated blues and pinks/purples are the perfect counterpoint to the muted greys and metallics. They just feel right.

Wonderful stuff Barks. More please!

Cheers,
Millsy