Malifaux: Avatar of Vengeance

Avatar of Vengeance

 

Continuing the tidy up of models that were started but never finished,  mostly due to packing up and moving house something like 14 times in the past 25 years... but also due to the occasional attack of  squirrel syndrome, I knocked out this old metal, 1st edition Malifaux, Avatar of Vengeance. Shown above with Kirai Ankoku for scale.

I haven't played 3rd edition... not sure I played 2nd either although I did get 2nd edition rules and some of the wonderful hard plastic kits. I think the Avatar type models have been retired from the game although there seems to be some cards available to allow these to be played as Emissaries.. whatever those are! Don't hate me I don't know these rules I'm just painting the pile!

The base is sculpted from green stuff.

Whole Model primed Krylon White.

The red robes are Blood Red (Reaper (R)), layer with Phoenix Red (R), whole robe wash with Drying Blood (Secret Weapon (SW)), target wash again with Drying Blood.

Green robe detail sash is German Luftwaffe Green (Vallejo Panzer Colors (VPC)) detail and edge highlights with Verdigris Pale Green (SW) wash with Sapphire (SW).

Ghostly Avatar painted Hexwraith Green (Games Workshop(GW) straight out of the bottle. Highlights are Splintered Bone (R) and a targeted re-application of Hexwraith Green for depth of color wraps it up.

Rug washed with Sapphire (SW) dry brush with Sky Blue (R) top dry brush with Ice Blue (GW). Fringe is Brass Casings (SW) Flesh Wash (SW)

Stone is Sky Gray (R) with a very diluted Sewer Water (SW) wash focused on edges and crevices.

I'm not sure what is up next... I found a pile of stuff to be repaired after the move so I may work on that.  There is also a Military Temporary Command Post from Antenocitis' Workshop in progress and I just got the new beefier Exemplar Sisters from Raging Heroes that I'd like to have a go at.

Back to the desk!

Claptrap, Dreadtober, and the Avatar of Vengeance.

 Minion!  WAKE UP MINION!

You may be here to see the INCREDIBLY handsome CL4PTRP but I'm here to help spread the word about DREADTOBER!

Its this very cool event where Bloggers around the verse build a Dreadnought in October!  

Sounds like a lot of fun and we get to see a lot of folks building and modding, and distressing big model war-machines.





 So if you are a Dread Head then head on over to Greggles Tabletop at Feed Your Nerd
and get in on ....








 While not really a Dreadnought class model... these little dreadfuls are clearing the path!  I'll be working on some kind of Dread class thing starting next week.

 Looka me I'm dancin' I'm dancin'!











These guys came from Armorcast and are pretty rough casts.  Fortunately the Claptrap is a pretty rough character anyway!  They capture the essence of the manic little bot that everyone loves to hate.











  Here are the little guys alongside some Reaper minis that I'm using as Solar Marines in a Sci Fi adventure setting.

And harassing Punky!  Better watch that robot! The Jailbirds won't put up with your shenanigans!

Actually I think I'll work these little bots into my Jailbird Army list... They have a junkyard scavenger tech thing going so it should fit right in.

... and some green-stuff work on the base for Kirai Avatar of Vengeance.  This is a 1e mini and metal... given the nature of the kit the hard plastic version is probably a huge improvement!

Kirai will be sprawled across the carpet as the Avatar of Vengeance rises out of her.

Spooky stuff!

Ok...  off to find a Dreadnought to build!

Santa Ork and a Street Level View of Greystone Village

 Orks were one of my two original 40k armies... a dubious honor also shared by the Harlequins. I'm such a Xenos fanboy!  At any rate... I had a Santa Ork character, actually a Madboy with a Santa hat/suit and a 'sleigh'... really the original plastic GW Battlewagon... dolled up with some christmas type decorations and some sacks full of toys

.





Santa Ork!  "He comes to TAKE DA TOYZ!  AHA!"

Although that venerable figure, sans the sleigh... which I gave to a friend and fellow Ork Warlord when I left for Japan in the mid 90's, remains in my collection it has been returned to the Madboy unit as a new Santa Ork emerges!

  This guy is from ArmorCast and is an old skool hunk o freakin metal... the detail took a bit to sort out but is full of character and will make a great commander for a new sleigh.... I'm still settling on what model the new sleigh will be based on but there is a lot of unbuilt plastic and resin in the "Projekt Ork" boxes... more on that later!
















Today is also an experiment in video... a street level flyby of the Greystone Village.   I blame Greggles for that and you can too! :)




In spite of my one true talent... technology destruction... I managed to get a video on the page.. woot!  Of course I completely failed at any sort of editing but... a challenge for another day!  Thanks for the push Greg!  More videos in future.

There is a lot on the table at the moment. 

Another Townhouse III is built in Greystone Village plus Yagas vs Death Marshals?

This is my second iteration of TTW's Townhouse III.  I took a different tack on the exterior weathering on this one.

It's a bit more yellow.  I'm not sure if I like it as well as the more white plaster effect... or maybe I just need to add some more cream highlights in the yellow... hmmm...

 The roof is also a study in low contrast.  It looks a bit rotten or wet.  Overall this house just feels more decayed that the others.

 Of course its not quite a haunted house... but it could play one in a pinch!  Just add some suitably scary denizens and some tombstones.... maybe some fog!  ok ok... maybe just a whole herd of cats and a cantankerous robot!

The interior process is the same as the earlier version.  I added a picture of the newly expanded village. I found some scale picture frames and paintings, as well as some rugs to add to the interior scatter. 

A couple more houses and the village will start to be convincing.

I was attempting to do a street level view video... which I'll eventually get figured out... when, in the interest of providing some scale reference, a fight mysteriously broke out.

The Yaga Sisters Tarja and Shashenka, accompanied by their mascot Charlie, were assaulted by Lady Justice and the Death Marshals!

  Tarja was doing some shopping when she came to the attention of Lady Justice and The Scales of Justice...  They're in for a chilly reception!

The Judge assaults Charlie!?!  Now ITS ON!

Shashenka levels her fiery wrath at one of the leaping Death Marshals!

But seriously... I did a couple of passes with the video thing and then realized I have no idea how to edit the video... after fidgeting around with it for a bit I've decided to ask a few folks to help with that... Hopefully I'll get something together next week on it.

Back to the painting table!

The Guild's Justice! (aka OMG Plastics!) Malifaux 2e.

Ok... I admit it... I'm slow!

Seriously!  I've heard a lot of people glowing about hard plastic minis but I hadn't really looked at one outside of a starter set, or a giant creature kit, in modern times.


I now see what I've been missing!

 First... and most important... you can do insane stuff with figure design in hard plastic.  There is no way you could produce these Death Marshals ,doing their acrobatics and coffin-fu, in white metal or even resin.  Not only do they defy gravity but, with the exception of the extrememly delicate sword of Lady Justice... yeah I snapped THAT right in two just getting it off the sprue... but the things are durable and take paint exceptionally well!

The set itself is done in the lavish Wyrd style with great art on the package, good assembly instructions, truly dynamic posing, and game rules (unit cards) all in one box.

I picked this up... because flaming coffins!... and because I hadn't done Wyrd plastics yet.  I have a couple of factions from Malifaux 1e. in metal and they were very awesome although the designs were sometimes a bit ambitious for the material.  With their obvious mastery of the hard plastic medium I'm expecting to be amazed right regular like!




 While I'm a fan of Lady Justice and The Judge the real show stoppers, mini wise, are the Death Marshals! 

 Now I must wander back to the table and get back to work!

Raging Heroes Jailbirds - Mimi the Radio

I'm picking up the pace a bit in anticipation of a new round of  Raging Heroes arrivals!  No date yet but seems like I'd better clear the deck while I can!  So... post 2 this week!

Mimi the Radio for the Jailbirds faction. 

I like how the flesh turned out here and might have to use this combo more often.  The head is also wonderfully detailed with enormous hoop earrings, big sun glasses, and a headset.

The color density on these is improving as I get a handle on the Secret Weapon Washes.  I've moved most of the GW washes into glaze and light shadow duty while big shading and tinting is being done with Secret Weapon. 















I seem to have overlooked the face on the little Beanie Baby hanging from the back!  oops... amazing the things you miss until the photo is staring back at you.

 This model is posed in a way that makes it easier to use very busy bases.  the right leg can also be angled to give a couple of 'control' effects to the run over the terrain.





 The informal uniforms continue.  The plan is to incorporate several common elements in different ways to end up with a force that looks ragtag and haphazard... but also cohesive... at least to the extent that they all should look like they belong together... the anti uniform.

The Death Marshals for Malifaux 2e are starting with a base texture that will hopefully blend well with all the Tabletop World terrain that they will most likely be spending their game time inhabiting.

Speaking of Tabletop World... a sneak peek of the 'Building of the Week'  next week will be the furniture for use in the Coaching Inn that was this week's 'Tabletop World Building of the Week'.  Perfectly clean as usual!  Primed up and ready to paint.

Dark Eldar Medusae and more Spirits of Vengeance

 The Court of the Archon is proceeding at a good pace now with the addition of these two Medusae and the impeding arrival of the Sslyth.  The entire Court is mounted on Blasted Swampland bases from Secret Weapon.  I'm liking the water effects more as I get more accustomed to them.  The large shrinkage that occurs as the effect cures and clears requires the the central areas of the bases be refilled several times to avoid a concave shiny situation where the shiny effect rides up the retaining walls and the sides of artifacts that are only partly submerged.  This could be adjusted with paint as well but I'm currently favoring the adding of actual depth.

 This shot shows the bases pretty well.  The effect around the log, just below waterline is the best bit.

 Finally getting close to wrapping up the Spirits of Vengeance!  The Datsue Ba and the second batch of Seishin complete the basic selection of all the models.  Just as I finished these though.... the Avatar of Vengeance arrived!  The concept for the model is really good and its an ambitious sculpt.  Unfortunately the arm pins seem to be very much out of position and will have to be shorn and replaced.  The spirit rises from the collapsed body of Kirai Ankoku and the join is also a bit ambiguous.  In pinning it I may actually not lower the body completely so it could actually appear to levitate over the fallen Kirai.  I'm anxious to see how that goes so its already in the construction pile.

Batch 2 of the Seishin brings this element up to its likely potential.

Shikome and Ur-Ghul on swamp bases

 The Spirits of Vengeance crew is getting close to finished now with the addition of the Shikome.  Its some sort of Kabuki Harpy and a spirit to boot with a dark evil look offset by the incongruous spray of wild flowers in the industrial rubble.

 A bit farther out of town the Ur-Ghul are mucking about in the swamps.  They will be accompanied by the rest of the Court of the Archon as the aliens which comprise the Court seem to be a bit less fashion, and a LOT less dirt/mud, conscious.  The painting has been done for the entire Court's bases but the water effect can't be added until the completed figures are mounted and all top sprays are completed.

 Here are some close detail views of the swamp painting prior to filling the bases with water effect. 

 These were achieved by layering washes of Thrakka Green with Devlan Mud and over a white primer base and a final layer of Ogre flesh in the very low, and quite flat, recesses at the bottom of the pool.The highest points were then finished up with a light dry brush of Buckskin Pale from Reaper.

  This final wash really added some depth to the effect and I would have been happy to leave them in this state except for the pesky idea that this was actually supposed to be a water effects experiment!


Here is a look at the base with the effect in  and dried.  The depth at the deepest point is about 2mm.  The water effect does contract a bit as it dries so applied depth is always significantly less than achieved depth and layers are requires to make up the difference.  In the next batch some of the figures will be standing, essentially, in pools of the water so I will attempt to get the depth of the water up to the top of the lip.

Finally, just for the amusement of my nephew, I'm starting the wash-up of the next bit of Orky madness... a pair of Big Squiggoths!  Together with the previously completed Gargantuan Squiggoth this will complete the minimum requirements for the Apocalypse formation... and, more importantly, give the Boyz some monstrous support in regular games.

Secret Weapon bases and a pair of Gaki

 Its been a mad couple of days doing house chores and otherwise submersing myself in real world activities....bleah!  I did find a few moments to finish up this pair of Gaki as well as make some good progress on bases for the Court of the Archon. 

The bases are from Secret Weapon and are very nice for getting some depth to water effects on standard sized beveled edge 25mm bases.  I's like to get some of these that are recessed but otherwise blank so I could more easily fill them with artifacts of my choosing.

Back to the real world for a couple of days but more working on cool toys soon!

Malifaux Kirai Ankoku and a pair of Onryo

OK... Crazy ladies with hedge trimmers that unknowingly summon hordes of angry spirits to take revenge on her oppressors are fun to paint... or maybe its just the blood?  For this Kirai Ankoku I bloodied both the trimmer and the floor using the Reaper Blood Triad and some spot gloss varnish from Vallejo.  I really like the effect, especially on the flooring. 

 For the Onryo I again reached into the reaper pile for the skin tones which are made up from the Olive Green Triad.  Very ghoulish! 

Due to the very Asian nature of these models I've gone into some colors like the GW Scaly Green top coats and a lot of touches of pink like the fan and some medallions.

The hair is another experiment.  Its simply P3 Armor wash over white primer.  I wanted the Asian black hair but kind of shiny and otherworldly.  

Next up... I think... are a pair of Gaki, a Datsue Ba, and some thing from the Court of the Archon.