 |
| The Data Kings conduct tense negotiations with Ash Waste Nomads in an abandoned settlement outside the hive. |
Grogan and Fischer are a pair of basic lasgun-armed Tech gangers, built using nothing more than a pair of torsos and period plastic arms and lasguns. Why do I need more gangers with lasguns? Why haven't I used short-barrelled lasguns that match the previous gangers? Because I'll be using these Techs to represent House Van Saar. And in the recently published Gang War 3, House Van Saar get cool new lascarbines as well as lasguns. Lascarbines effectively fill the same niche as autoguns do for other houses - slightly less accurate but with a higher rate of fire than a lasgun. In order to visually distinguish between the two weapons, my long-barrelled lasguns are lasguns, and the short-barrelled ones will be lascarbines. I should have taken a comparison picture, but I forgot. I'll just have to remember to do it another time. Perhaps when I add a long-las!
It's interesting to compare these two sculpts side by side. To me they represent differing aspects of the Tech gangers. The Mark Copplestone sculpt on the left is a sort of Tech skinhead thug, with his steel toecaps, braces and shades. The Roy Eastland sculpt is a more techie Tech, complete with data pad and more extensive cranial implants. Both are great of course, and it's nice to have a mix in the gang.
I forgot to take pictures of the figures before I undercoated them, but I did spend quite a bit of time carving the plastic arms to bring them into the bodies more, as well as altering angles and repositioning the hands. I think that it's worth the effort and avoids the awkward 'not quite fitting' and 'badly stuck on' look that is sometimes the downfall with the metal body/plastic arm hybrids.
Next on the list for the Techs is a plasma cannon, and a new leader. Perhaps after those two I might start working on something else!
I really should start building bands with at least a vague idea of what is what gaming wise to make my life and my opponent's easier...
ReplyDeleteThose 2 are simpler than the others but they're after all the very essence of oldschool techs and hence 100% mandatory.
I do a bit of both - I start with the models which have fixed weaponry and try to get those into the list as priorities. I then try and built the rest of the band around them using the rules I plan to use them with.
DeleteYou're right - this pair are pretty much the defining image of period Techs for most people!
By "torsos", I assume you mean torso, head and legs?
ReplyDeleteYes - the 'torso' element is the metal body minus the arms and guns, which were separate plastic pieces - this was a common configuration for early 1990s figures including Imperial Guard, Orks, Eldar and Space Marines.
DeleteThought so, just confused for a moment by referring to a mini with everything save the arms as a "torso"!
DeleteI thought there might be an even rarer strain of Confrontation minis that were just a torso and head!
Now there would be a thing! A whole range of previously undiscovered figures?! The thought of it would send me giddy :)
DeleteThe arms fit great. I'm struggling with tidying up my son's Orlock gang for Kublacon. The figures I have for him don't match his list exactly.
ReplyDeleteMatching figures to the rules is tricky when you're approximating or using older figures not designed for current systems. I sympathise!
DeleteGreat work getting the arms to the natural-looking point. It's really fiddly, especially when the arms both have to hold on to a weapon. I like your use of the classic lasguns to represent the new weapons. You doing any of the other funky Van Saar bits like the energy shields?
ReplyDeleteThanks Curis. I do plan a figure with a shock stave and shield, probably with a lower tech look in keeping with the Tech gangers.
DeleteNice work as always, although I think those old-school lasguns need a stock to be used properly... I guess that might account for the low BS of a ganger?
ReplyDeleteWith the lack of a stock I can imagine the barrels waving all over the place! They might not be functional, but they do hit the right retro vibe ;)
DeleteLooks great. I do love the style of the old lasguns.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the old lasguns, they hit the spot for me!
DeleteI don't know how you make it. Monochromatic bald guys, a whole bunch of them... and yet you manage to make them enormously interesting and different. This is art.
ReplyDeleteThanks very much Suber! All the different sculpts have helped me a bit ;)
DeleteNice work!
ReplyDeleteThanks Kym!
DeleteNice! I have a tonne of those old lasguns and I love 'em. Simple design that I think far embodies the idea of the cheap mass produced Imperium's weapon o' choice.
ReplyDeleteSeeing these and JB's own Necromunda adventures is making me want to add some new members to my own Chaos team so it'll have enough members to be a viable "gang". Not that I play, but, ya know...
I suspect the mould making and plastic limitations informed the design and resulted in the simple configuration, but it lends itself to the mass produced feel as you said.
DeleteJust have a viable team gives you a nice project and the possibility of a future game. Go go it!
Personally I prefer the techie tech version.
ReplyDeleteI think I do too :)
Delete