Topic: Modernizing Outcast Valkyrie's Agria-Tanoc Craftworlders [Pic Heavy]

[Dawnlight Avenger]

Long time no post. Some of the more veteran members here may remember my Guardian project, making a "lighter" looking base unit for my Craftworld's forces. For old time's sake, I've included a few pictures from this older project.


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/WIP4.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/WIP5.jpg

I originally got the idea for this crazy project when I was thinking about the representation of armour on Imperial Guardsmen. Their 5+ save is represented by a breastplate, some shoulder pads and often a plate covering the stomach area. Meanwhile, the Guardian's 5+ save is represented through a full suit of plate armour over what supposedly is mesh armour. Scratching my head, I pulled out my sketchbook and began brewing up some more fitting, and IMO, better-looking versions of a Guardian's kit.

With some skills that I've acquired from being a sculpture major at school, I'm setting out to create my own line of guardian models based on this "prototype" model. I mixed pre-existing bitz with a lot of hand-sculpted items in order to create the "pattern" models. To start out, I decided to build 8 base guardian models, each one only the torso and legs so I would still have a lot of custom-ability with my models once a begin casting them.

The initial models aren't done yet, but I've made some serious strides with them:

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian10.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian9.jpg

All the models shown above that have legs I decided to use Wood Elf legs, since they have a similar style as to what I want to make my models look like in the end. However, they still are going to need a lot of sculpting to get them to look less like the Wood Elf legs and more like my Guardian's legs. The torsos are all mostly the standard Eldar Guardian ones, but I've been working on resculpting a few details to add my own touch and a bit of variety to them.
The ones that are just torsos I'm going to be sculpting the legs entirely myself. My original idea for this project was to entirely sculpt my own legs but i decided to take a few shortcuts and also save myself some greenstuff. However, I'm still going to be sculpting some of the legs on the models, as I have a few ideas for poses that the Wood Elf legs doing already cover (crouching, other running poses, etc.)

As for the process that's going to allow me to turn these 8 models into my Guardian teams, the idea is to make a mold of the master models. This will allow me to produce resin copies of my models which then I can model as I wish to make up the bulk of my Guardians.

While working on my guardians, I got a bit distracted working on the gun crews for my weapons platforms as well. My host has gotten pretty big and the guardians I did have before this were in pretty shabby shape, and lets not forget that most of them I built and painted some 5 or 6 years ago when I was still in high school. However, I did have 2 or 3 weapons platforms and i managed to add another few this summer. I always preferred the older platforms to the new plastic ones. The shield design always seemed much sleeker to me on them.
While I was working on my new designs for the guardians, I realized that I would want my gun crews to match their companions. The end result is shown below:

Brightlance Team:

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian5.jpg

Starcannon Team:

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian7.jpg

Scatter Laser Team:

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian6.jpg

EML Team:

http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Guardian%20Conversions/Guardian4.jpg

I still have a few models to sculpt in this batch as well. The Starcannon team in particular has a lot of work that will be going into them. Most of the models I again got away with using the Wood Elf Legs, but I still want to sculpt a few legs myself (again, some poses that aren't possible with the WE legs)
I'm also going to be working on magnetizing the platforms. I have 250 rare earth magnets on my desk right now that I'll be using throughout my army. As part of re-emerging myself back into the hobby, I've decided to update many of my models to make them better painted and cleaner looking in general, as well as making certain elements interchangeable, such as heavy weapons across the board. With any luck, my new system will allow me to be able to move a starcannon between Anti-grav platforms, to my war walkers, to my wave serpents, all the way to my Vypers even.

My second project that I'm currently running concurrently to my Guardian project is working on my vehicles. I have 2 falcon/fire prisms and 3 wave serpents that I'm working through all at once (assembly lining them makes it faster to get them all set.) I also have a Phoenix and a Nightwing looming that I've been working on now and again while i'm playing with the grav-tanks.
I began my latest indulgence into the hobby with the crew for my vehicles. I again wanted a more modern take on the appearances of the crew and I thought that I could always do with a little practice sculpting so I set to work on sculpting new crew members for every vehicle of mine. I may work on making a few master models at some point and making molds of them if I end up adding more vehicles to my list (which I can see, as I have 3 fire prism turrets to make and i've been eying the new Deathspinner model )
In hindsight, these guys weren't exactly the best use of time since no-one really looks into the cockpits of Eldar vehicles but I figured it would be a nice touch to them.


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian22.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian20.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian18.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian17.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian16.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian15.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian14.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian13.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian12.jpg


http://i912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/Engines%20of%20Vaul/Guardian11.jpg

some of proportions between the bodies i've sculpted and the hands from the existing models are wonky, so I might try fixing some of them. The first pilot I cut out the arm so I could position it interacting with the main console. I may do this with more of the pilots, I'm not sure yet.

A lot of the silly-ness happening at my desk I've also put into my photobucket albums, so feel free to browse through them as well!
http://s912.photobucket.com/albums/ac325/outcastvalkyrie/Warhammer/

I've got a bunch of concept sketches of what i'm working on, I'm gonna try to get 'em up in the next post.

For now though, I need some sleep!
-Valkyrie

[Dawnlight Avenger]

Ouch, no replies yet...

Alright, so I've gotten a good deal more work done... need to be a bit better at updating this thread.

Male Crouching Guardian:

Link

Nearly done with this model. Got a few more little details to add and some areas I'd like to sand smoother.

Male Running Guardian:

Link

I smoothed out the different sections on the tunic cloth to make it all one section that goes all the way around the figure. I wanted to add a little distinction between this and the female runner.

Male Walking Guardian:

Link

Wanted a classic walking pose, as you'd see on the weapons crews and such. Unfortunately, the forward leg isn't as clearly taking a step as i'd like. I dunno if I'm going to bother to fix it, however, since I still like the pose. Also having some trouble getting the feet and the shin-guards to look right.

Male Standing Guardian:

Link


Link

This is another figure i'm nearly done with. Changed it up a little and gave him a rope sash rather than the normal belts on the other figures.

Female Standing Guardian:

Link

This figure is ready for casting. I've been considering modifying her tunic but i don't think I will. I'm fairly satisfied with her.

Female Lookout Guardian:

Link

This particular figure is barely started. I put my green stuff core onto the armature and even added the suggestion of her feet, but I've got a ways to go with her.

Female Trenchcoat Guardian:

Link


Link

One of my favorite models. I wanted some more variety between the models so on this particular one I made her tunic much longer to be more like a trenchcoat. I may consider making another "trench coat" model among the males.

Female Running Guardian:

Link

Another runner, this time female. Again, just trying to make sure my base models have a lot of diversity to them.

I'm predicting these models should be done by the end of the week.

I've also put some work into one of the Gunner models:

Link

This model is done on the lower half. I'm considering doing some work to the arms on this figure as well, but that might have to wait for when I made the arms for the other models.

Also, did some work on magnetizing the grav platforms while waiting for the GS to cure. After a little time with a dremel cut-off wheel and my jeweler's saw, here's the end result:

All four of them:

Link

Detail on the magnet mount:

Link

And how I mounted the magnet on the heavy weapon (in this case a brightlance):

Link

I'll need to use some GS to blend the magnets into the platforms and the weapons a little better.

That's all for now. C&C is very welcome!

-Valkyrie

[m3talh3llth]

I really like the concept and the models look great! Keep up the good work!

The only criticism i have is that the "Male Walking Guardian" looks as though his legs are a bit too short. That may however just be because of the angel or the vents on his back adding to the height of the torso.

Otherwise though, I REALLY like the conversions and I look forward to seeing more of your work!

[Dawnlight Avenger]

Thanks for the feedback! This thread's been going a bit slow, though maybe that's because i haven't been keeping up with it as well as i could!

I've been staring at that model for awhile. His legs just seem off to me. I've been trying to fix things a bit, i filed out the lump on the figure's left hip to make his hips a little thinner. The feet on my sculpts are a bit big too, which doesn't help at all. That particular shot makes him look even shorter, but he still is a bit on the short side. Considering resculpting his legs.

I also had a go at the other figure's legs and I'm not too happy with them either. This is a bit of a learning experience because I never have sculpted this much at this small a scale before.

I'm working a local convention this weekend but I should have some down time to work on stuff. New pics Mon night with any luck!

-Valkyrie