Tuesday 23 July 2019

Deep Space Salvage Crew - Carrying and Squeezing Into Tight Spaces

If you thought that a turtle alien or a squat were going to be the most exotic members of my deep space salvage crew, you might have been wrong! And that's because every salvage crew needs something to carry all their gear/loot, and somebody small to squeeze into all the vents and crawl spaces. So my latest additions to the crew fill these gaps.



The robot baggage lugger is Anvil Industry's 'Big Dog'. He's based on the real life robot of the same name made by Boston Dynamics, but fits in nicely. The model is completely unmodified and painted up to match the rest of the crew. This was my first Anvil Industry kit, and it was a very nice clean resin cast.




You can't really see it, but I did attempt to paint a scanner on the little central screen!


The little guy was made from an old Citadel armoured mite familiar:


I cut off his helmet spike and replaced his dagger with an old plastic Confrontation autopistol. His backpack is a spare leg thruster from the Forgeworld Thallax (the big robot in the crew). After that, I greenstuffed a new faceplace over the existing helmet, blended in the backpack, and approximated a hand around the pistol.



I'm pretty pleased with the 'R' on his backpack (cut in situ with a sharp craft knife), intended to evoke the 'P, A' on the LE10 power armour troopers, and the 'M' on Irn Bonce the squat. It could be 'R' for Ratling, or perhaps Rebel, or even Runt. He is probably a little on the small side even for a ratling, so could easily be a snotling under that helmet.





Painting wise, it's the same recipe as the rest of the crew, right down to the glossy black faceplate. I think it says a lot about my model preferences that this silly little guy is one of my favourite models I've made this year!

Small crew members are ideal for searching out the best loot in junkyards.

I have it in mind to add perhaps another one or two models to the group and then I'll draw a line under it. I wouldn't want to get distracted by thoughts of making their spaceship after all...!

+ Available to hire + Salvage & reclamation + Reasonable Rates +



35 comments:

  1. I can totally understand why the little fella is your favourite!

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    1. Something about fun little vicious guys really appeals!

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  2. That's a very clever use of that familiar mini there Jon. He looks very cute and a fun mini to play with in games :)

    Great job once again!

    Oh, and the spaceship that you subtly eluded to.....that's not the one that we discussed earlier in the year is it?

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    1. Cheers Shane! A little cute guy who may well be incredibly ugly underneath that helmet.

      As for the spaceship, that would be telling ;)

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  3. That little fella reminds me of this clip.Say no more.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8ITqS2uTPD4

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    1. He would definitely shoot you in the ass!!

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  4. Cool robot may have to investigate it, and I'm with you the little guy is the star of the show,I'd think he's a snotling. Great project brilliantly executed.

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    1. The robot is a fun, but pretty useful little piece. But yeah, I really do like the little guy! :)

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  5. Love it, and I love to see how the band organically grew from an old project then from a gaming opportunity, a basing mistake up to a full project !

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    1. Funny how these things evolve isn't it? A month ago I had no intention of making these figures, and yet here they are!!

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  6. Brilliant. Just brilliant!

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  7. Where are you getting all these old minis? Did you knock over a GW delivery truck in the 80s and bury it for 20 years?
    Seriously though, great work.

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    1. Thanks!

      The chaos familiar was also available from GW in metal until relatively recently, and is in fact on sale currently in resin. The reality is that I've had some figures since the 1980s, picked up a lot in the late 1990s/early 2000s when there was minimal interest in older figures, and have continued to buy and trade since then :)

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  8. Charming. I love the work you did here and how boldly you decided to include the litle fella. You really integrated him into the crew, amazing job!

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    1. If I could, I'd include a funky little guy into every project. Something about working on a 15mm tall 28mm scale figure really presses my buttons! Cheers Suber.

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  9. I love the little familiar conversion, there are some great potential RT conversions amongst them. I made one as a break from working on big stuff a while ago, they're fun to work with!

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    1. I remember your little guy in the spacesuit. I did actually consider using that self-same model intially.

      Cheers Evo!

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  10. Unique addition and looks good to boot.

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    1. That's the boxes ticked then ;) Thanks!

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  11. That little guy is great, but I particularly appreciate how the orange paint of the big dog pushes it from "near future" to "retro-scifi" so easily.

    And please tell us more about this space ship ;)

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    1. Ah, well...the spaceship...

      A stalled project really. I want a big lander - one that could easily fit a large cargo or a vehicle. I have the right element for the main structure. The task will be to adapt it effectively.

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  12. William - Aino26 July 2019 at 13:59

    That futuristic armoured mite is brilliant !

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    1. I think tiny little space creatures have pretty much universal appeal! Thanks :)

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  13. Replies
    1. It's a very cool little piece, thanks!

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  14. I dunno... the story really isn't telling it's self without a spaceship to REALLY underline their uniqueness and coolness. :P

    Am loving the idea that there's a wee Snotling inside this little tyke. Or some tiny mutant Little Person human Mini-Me type character.

    Great addition mate.

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    1. Noted [adds spaceship to hobby list]!

      Glad you like the wee fella :)

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