22/04/2022

Grav mules

 Some scratch building today!

Inspiration comes from the unexpected. That can be specially true when you have a deranged mine such as mine and you see things where normal people doesn't.

On a second read, that sentence sounds quite more terrible than I expected. I guess I'd better explain myself.

What do you mean 'it's not getting better?'
 
Dry Paw Patrol stamp thingie from the Suberlings. If you don't see how this can be used for miniature purposes maybe there's still hope for you. Well, it's too late for me. I envisioned two little cargo platforms, a couple of gravitational mules.
You still don't know what the hell I'm talking about. I can't blame you. Just stay with me for a few more minutes.

First mule: I used the upper piece. After removing the sticker, I glued some junk together...

A broken pencil sharpener, a piece from a ballpen...

...and some more random rubbish

As the shape of the vehicle was kind of crude, I thought I could improve it with lollipop sticks.

Patiently collected waiting for their time to come

They should be bars to be glued on both sides

Ugh. Big nope

This is one of those times when the execution reveals you didn't get the right idea. Having the bars like that it didn't look as I expected. Instead of the shape I was looking for, it looked like a weird sci-fi sleigh. Which of course is legit, but it simply wasn't the thing I was after this time. So I took the bars out.

This, however, looked much better to my eyes

Tubes and wires, final touch

This was the basic thing, a tiny platform to carry small goods. A kind of cargo land speeder commonly used on backwater settlemets, that kind of thing.

Let's have a look to what could be done with the other piece. Second mule:

Engine from a 40K Taurox that didn't need the piece anymore.

This time the piece had quite a more interesting shape, it looked more like the hull of some barge or anything, so I thought I should add less bits and leave it more open.

The pole is the rest of the lollipop stick I didn't use for the other mule

I added a light on the front, a holster on the pole, because you never know when you can need a gun on the Dark Millenium after all, and tiny details here and there.

Wires, wires everywhere

I declared myself happy with both and went on the next stage:

Paint time

I painted them at a time, so I could save some time when it came to inks, metallics and so.

For the first one I opted for yellow:

Yellow is always a bad choice, I know!

I used a brown/orange mix for the second one instead:

Luke's speeder colour indeed!

Let's get things dirty!


 Well, not that much! After the inks and dirt, I had to tidy them up a little:


Much better. Now the metallics:


We're almost there! Final touches and...

Ta-daaaa

Ready to take your goods wherever you need, sir

The bases were really simple. I used standard flyer bases, but couldn't use a mere standard transparent plastic rod, as it was too fragile for such a structure. I used a transparent cilinder (coming from a brush case!)

It's not stupid if it works

Here you have the final result:

They look battered, but they are like new

The LGC-576 mule is a popular choice all along the Eastern Fringe of the Galaxy

Simplicity, durabilty, efficiency. Get your own now!

The LGC-841 model is quite a good choice too

You'll want to take your goods through the ash wastes in one of these!

Just a few immersive (yet afwul) final pics:

Come on! We're stuck again! Move your damn pile of junk out of there!

Looks like no one's moving from there in a while

That's right, take that turn slowly...

Rush hour is dreadful on these streets

Can we finally drop the boxes and hit the local tavern?

As you can see I've deliberately kept them out of specific 40K flavour (no skulls, no purity seals...). I think they still work for my Rogue Trader kind of settings, but they can also be used for Firefly, Star Wars or any other kind of generic sci-fi ambientation.

I didn't sculpt or use any mini as a pilot, so I can use them in terms of game. I'm thinking of those narrative games in which you decide to steal a mule and flee from your pursuers, you know, that kind of thing ;)

Well, this is it. These have been enormously fun to build and paint, it was all just an impulse and I'm happy with the results. I hope I don't have these inspiration attacks too frequently, or else I'll keep the rest of my work at a standstill forever!

08/04/2022

Interlude: unexpected Secret Santa

 We keep a tradition in my group of usual suspects; we try to arrange a Secret Santa event every year. We more or less succeed at it, though participation goes up and down depending on the year.  We also keep a deadline for sending the anonymous mini to the lucky receiver. We totally and constantly fail at that. But as it happens every single time, we bother about it no more :D

You can have a look at previous iterations here: This was what happened back in 2016, 2017 and 2020 (which was supposed to be the 2019 event). Well, today I'm bringing the 2021 Secret Santa. Yeah, yeah, it's April 2022, who cares :P

This time I picked this set I painted like in the Second Age or so:

It needed a repaint anyway, so this was my chance

More or less our only rule is that we don't get to buy new models specifically for this. Well, it's OK if you want to, sure, but the point is just a little giveaway of something you already have and you think the pal you got assigned will like.

So here we go

I think I worked both skin and armour in a totally different way than the first time

Same here, though I had little freedom of colours and so

As angry as he was almost twenty years ago when I painted him for the first time

I used this old, worn coaster for the base

Some DAS clay...

Battle on the snow!

Battle on the desert!

It all turned into this:



So well, it was essentially the same thing, yet different! I at least can say I think I can see an evolution in my skills :P

 

What did I get this time? This fabulous beakie, in the Space Sharks colours:

I. F#%&ing. Love. This. Mini.

You know, I have my Space Sharks project in a hiatus, but I'm getting so excited by this mini I just want to take them back to my bench.

What did the other blokes get? You can see:

This reminds me I also have to get my BFG ships back to the bench!

Funniest mini of the whole bunch

Greenskin powah!

I really thought that "COVID protection" was a totally different thing

Alternative Eldar Avatar

Who doesn't love this mini? The vignette is awesome

I find this one particularly appealing. Love it!

This was the 2021 (2022?) Secret Santa. I guess we should start moving our fat lazy asses if we want to get the 202...3? edition in time!