BCK's Thread of Stuff: Maybe not eldar...

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I should have tried my idea on some scrap plastic before going straight to the axe and the only explanation I can some up with for not doing that is I haven't been sleeping well the past week. 

[Sagentus]

Shame that the axe didnt work out. Hopefully the new axe works better :) 

 

really looking forward to what you have planned for Khârn!!!

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

So far, Khârn has been a disaster and everything I've been trying hasn't worked out at all, but that's not such a bad thing because I need to get my focus back on my eldar. To that end, I made new metal blades for my custom Jain Zar and Karandras conversions today using the thicker 16 gauge wire instead of the 18 so that they're a little easier to work with - the extra mass gives me more wiggle room for accidents and also makes the blades stronger and less prone to bending.

 

http://i.imgur.com/wSgJwy7.png

 

The smaller blade at the bottom is the one that was previously on Karandras, pictured below. The new one is a bit wider, longer and a lot more sturdy.

 

http://i.imgur.com/Z5IPeSP.png

Edited August 5, 2017 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

The above pic will be a good 'before' pic to this next one. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/Druj2QZ.png

 

I did the sculpting just before bed last night and I didn't look at it until I got home from my usual Sunday gaming group about an hour ago. I'm not sure I like it, and not because I think the sculpting is bad, but that it doesn't look different enough from the normal dark eldar armor. Note that the hole in the center of the chest is where his soul stone will go if it stays this way. I definitely like the new sword better. 

[The Traitor]

How did you make that swords??? Also it is true that it looks a bit too dark eldarish, maybe you should add the top knot scorpions usually have?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

The sword is made out of steel wire that I hammer flat and then use various grinding bits on my Dremel to shape the blade and get as even a finish as I can with them. After that, I wet sand the blades with 280, 400, and 600 grit sandpaper to really smooth them out and clean up any imperfections.

 

Initially I used large paperclips because I had several at hand, but once those ran out I couldn't find any more the same size that didn't have patterns cut them into them or were chromed, etc. Paperclip blade #1:

 

http://i.imgur.com/IVUq3FM.png

 

A better look at it in comparison to some official blades in plastic, and at the time I was experimenting with hammering out brass rod as a possible material, which was much less sturdy and broke very easily.

 

http://i.imgur.com/KWCQxdB.png 

 

This one I had to bend before hammering:

 

http://i.imgur.com/1ZNrLwC.png

 

Making the change to 18 gauge steel wire:

 

http://i.imgur.com/R1I16aR.png

 

Eldar Diresword:

 

http://i.imgur.com/5QylGyw.png

 

On the Exarch:

 

http://i.imgur.com/17HcFnH.png

 

Lightning claws:

 

http://i.imgur.com/xUbcOQS.png

 

Then getting 16 gauge wire to attempt some Astartes blades. The test blade next to some plastic ones for comparison, and then some spare bits of the wire to show how they begin life. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/5xh1DHp.png

 

First astartes blade. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/g2LkBQU.png

 

And caught up the current ones!

 

Why did I bother? Because the plastic blades were always too thick and chunky for my liking (especially in plastic), though I do realize it's done that way because they would be far too spindly if they were cast much thinner. It's purely an aesthetics thing for me. If you want to try it yourself, I'd say some sort of rotary tool like a Dremel is mandatory because my first go at a hammered paperclip with my hobby files did all but nothing to the steel. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[MikhalLeNoir]

Fantastic work.

[The Traitor]

Defenitely going to have to try that, you've gotten some awesome results there! Fortunately I've just started using a dremel, so no problem in that.

[ElDuderino]

That's a cool technique with impressive results, although I can't even imagine the amount of fiddly work that mustve gone into making those lightning claws:)

 

As for the striking scorpion, maybe get rid of the blade that extends from his knee armor? It'll likely read less as a dark eldar that way, especially combined with a a soul stone and dreadlocks(if you're adding those?)

[apologist]

I did the sculpting just before bed last night and I didn't look at it until I got home from my usual Sunday gaming group about an hour ago. I'm not sure I like it, and not because I think the sculpting is bad, but that it doesn't look different enough from the normal dark eldar armor. Note that the hole in the center of the chest is where his soul stone will go if it stays this way. I definitely like the new sword better. 

 

The dark eldar-esque look is fairly inevitable, I reckon, as the look of the Striking Scorpion aspect is so similar anyway. To soften it, perhaps you could add a military-style sash, samurai-esque belt or similar across the chest or waist? That's something that rarely appears on dark eldar miniatures, but is common to Craftworld stuff.

 

Alternatively, perhaps you could make the armour still more segmented, to take it past the dark eldar feel to something more?

 

Looks lovely, anyway!

Edited August 7, 2017 by Apologist

[jaxom]

Maybe add some filigree (not sure if that's the right word; I mean the raised lines in curling patterns) like the Visarch model has? It might help offset the hard planes and lines. What's naggling me is the arm holding the sword; the studded glove and what looks like bare muscle makes me think Wych which makes me think Dark Eldar. However, I think the focal points for any Scorpion are the mandiblasters and for big K the Scorpion's Claw. Those will probably help identify the character beyond anything else. I see the head you've got there and there's no doubt it's a Striking Scorpion.

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

The arm is not going to stay bare, trust me. It was a wych arm in the right pose I needed without having to chop something up and pin it so I used it. I sometimes forget to tell you guys what I'm planning in my head for details like that. 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work on the blades. I also like the revolvers in certain models' hands- where did you get the parts?

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

The pistol and four-fingered bionic hand on the female Inquisitor are both from the skitarii box set, though I did do some modification to the pistol. The other pistol on her acolyte is a dark eldar splinter pistol with a lot of the detail shaved down. 

Edited August 7, 2017 by Brother Chaplain Kage

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Had a go at an idea for his claw, partly inspired by the the dark eldar scissorhand, and partly by the creature that was the basis of the Striking Scorpions - the Predator (or yautja for those in the know) with the two fingers of the claw resembling their curved wrist blades. This is just an early test and if I go with it, there will be more material built up around the hand. Since this was much easier and faster than trying to sculpt the claw, I tried it first. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/6zSoxvR.png

[The Traitor]

I think it could work once bulked out, I would try overlapping plates on it to fit the rest of the model better

[Bryan Blaire]

I don't think you should really be concerned with the armor appearing too Dark Eldar like - I figure that the Phoenix Lords would have armor similar to the Visarch, encompassing multiple stylings of "Aeldari" armor.

 

Really digging the claw though! I think it could do with some serrations, but it looks really awesome.

[Vairocanum]

That claw is looking really cool! Can't imagine the control needed to make metal blades like that, very impressed!

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I tore off the GS for the first go at the chest and tried again, going back to a similar aesthetic I used on my Jain Zar. 

 

http://i.imgur.com/o9jT327.png

 

The wasp waist will be filled in with more armor later but I'm much happier with this. 

 

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

Almost finished with the Bloodthirster, and 7 days to the deadline! Ahhhhhhhhhh!

 

http://i.imgur.com/M9PfKf4.png

 

Head and back are finished. I'm not 100% happy with how the back muscles turned out, but it's too late to undo that much work now. Forearms are almost ready to be attached to the upper arms and the join greenstuffed over - the left arm isn't here because it's covered in wet GS. And I still haven't come up with a concrete idea for the base yet. >_<

 

[Sagentus]

That bloodthirster is looking great! cant wait to see some paint on it :) 

[The Traitor]

Looking awesome, I really like how the head looks now with the scales. As for the base, I liked a lot the "blood Nile" idea suggested before, think that it would be prefect for him.

[Daemon2027]

I need to visit B&C more often. I completely agree on the whole wing and muscles. In fact I have a forgeworld dragon which I decided to convert to just having 4 limbs because I hated the lack of muscles that would make flight possible. I'm glad you've addressed it (more because I was questioning my sanity wth the dragon so it's nice to see someone else consider it)

 

Everything else is amazing to, but that's just what I expect from you!

[Spiritual Liege]

That Karandras and his sword is glorious 

[Gordon Shumway]

I think the back muscles look ace, just lacking in muscle stiration. Easily fixed with more gs or in painting!