Inq et nunc - The Ancient Slann

Back in the early 2000s I planned a space slann army for 40k. The project never got off the ground as I moved towards smaller skirmish games, and most of the slann have long since been passed on. I did however keep the slann leader that I had planned to use - this was a conversion that was done for me by sculptor and Golden Demon winner Jeff Wilhelm. 20 years on, I have finally got round to painting up this long-neglected slann!

Originally intended for 28mm gaming, this slann will also see use in 54mm.

Inq et nunc - Inquisitor Janez Belec

Inquisitors come in all shapes and sizes. I've always been fond of those in the Eisenhorn mould - radical-leaning and a bit world weary. Those with a more subtle nature rather than being god-like warriors.

One of John Blanches concept sketches for a veteran Inquisitor from The Inquisitor Sketchbook really stands out to me:

Here is an imposing character in a commanding pose. He carries a cane almost as a mark of office. I love the echoes of Don Quixote and that slender bionic arm.

Inq et nunc - Rask Dogar, 54mm Ratling

(One of the) glaring omissions in the 54mm Inquisitor range were abhumans. Where are the ratlings, beastmen and ogryns? OK, maybe ogryns might have been a bit unsubtle and overpowered, but I'd have loved to have seen a ratling. Rask Dogar is my attempt at filling that gap. He's not actually my first attempt at a ratling (more on that in a future post), but is the one I'm most pleased with.

Inq et nunc - 54mm Castellan Robot

The robots that Citadel released for Rogue Trader are some of my favourite 40k miniatures. They are big (for 28mm scale), fun and interesting sculpts that really do draw on the sci-fi artwork of the era. A few years ago I picked up an upscaled resin version of the one of the RT robot designs (the Castellan) that was available from the short-lived Troll Soup Miniatures. I'm not entirely sure what the rationale was behind the enlargement, but to all intents and purposes the sculpts were carbon copies of the originals, but bigger. Much bigger! In the event, I decided the larger Castellan was too big for 28mm gaming, but I put it aside with my 54mm Inquisitor figures for a rainy day!

Dick Slevlan suddenly looks pretty brave with his tough-guy associates!

Inq et nunc - Soemon, Gun for Hire

My latest model is an attempt to use a suitably-sized miniature from the current Games Workshop range and adapt it for 54mm-scale gaming. Soemon is a gun for hire (another desperado character) who will get used as a nice bit of supporting firepower (and muscle!).

Look out behind you!

Inq et nunc - Jutta Gyldentheld, Rogue Trader

Although every Rogue Trader's authority is set down in their Warrant of Trade and Letters of Marque, in truth every individual's approach to exploring and exploiting the galaxy on behalf of the Imperium is different. Some Rogue Traders control battlefleets and large personal armies to overwhelm and conquer. Others seek lost secrets with just a few hand-picked companions.

The leader of my first completed 54mm Inquisitor warband is Jutta Gyldentheld - a Rogue Trader firmly in the low-key camp!

Rogue Trader Gyldentheld & companions exit their shuttle in search of new opportunities.

Inq et nunc - Wurmbi, Jokaero

One of the fun things about shifting scale is that figures can take on a different feel. A large hulking figure can become small and nimble or vice versa. I plan to use a few figures in 54mm for Inquisitor that were originally intended for use in 28mm games. My new jokaero character, Wurmbi is available from L72's Miniatures Musings and was designed as a leader / alpha for a group of techno space apes. That said, he's large enough to be a credible jokaero in 54mm gaming!

Wurmbi points out some interesting tech to Dick Slevlan.