My approach to the gang was to try and recreate the look and feel of the classic Marauder Confrontation Venators - check out these wonderful painted examples by Asslessman over at Leadplague. The classic look includes hoods, masks and a prevalence of nooses - something I wanted to replicate using current plastic GW kits.
I started off by creating a 1,000 cred gang, theming weaponry and wargear choices around the idea of capturing and restraining other fighters. I also knew that I wanted to include a female Hunt Leader, and a large bulky ex-Goliath.
My 6-strong list was as follows:
- Aisha (Hunt Leader) - Stiletto sword, shock baton, mesh armour, laspistol, smoke grenades (210)
- Ulgar (Hunt Champion) - web pistol, axe, laspistol, flak armour (175)
- Corrys (Hunt Champion) - webber, laspistol, flak armour (225)
- Grax (Hunter) - Goliath legacy, renderiser, bolt pistol, furnace plate (165)
- Ilchak (Hunter) - autogun, stub gun, bio-scanner, photo flash flares (110)
- Kort (Hunter) - lasgun, hotshot pack, stub gun, frag grenades (115)
With the list set, I attacked my bits box, pulling in Necromunda, Genestealer hybrid, Empire, Imperial Guard, Space Marine, Chaos Cultist, Adeptus Mechanicus and Harlequin kits.
The distinctive masks and hoods were made from splicing Harlequin masks onto Adeptus Mechanicus Skitarii ranger heads. It was as fiddly as it sounds!
Aisha is made from an Escher ganger with a Harlequin head. The cloak comes from Empire outriders, and the shock baton is from the Dark Eldar range. I wanted to use pretty neutral colours - off-white, grey and brown, with khaki for the cloaks and hoods. I envisage the orange sashes and markings as the colour of the Venator lodge (perhaps other Venator bands would have a different colour?).
Ulgar is made from a chaos cultist heavy. I cut down his back and added another cloak from an Empire outrider, and carefully sliced the chaos mask from the front of his head to replace it with the Harlequin mask. All the masks were given a wash with a blue/brown wash and given a bright metal highlight to try and make them look more ceremonial. Ulgar's web pistol is from the Genestealer hybrid kits, and his axe is from a chaos warrior.
Grax is my favourite model from the group, and is essentially just a Goliath ganger with head and weapon swaps. The bolt pistol comes from a Space Marine scout, and I replaced the hammer head with an ork choppa blade to represent the renderiser. I chose the sternest Harlequin mask to fit his mean and brooding look!
Kort came about because I wanted a Hunter with a more militaristic look. He's made from another chaos cultist. I was able to keep the hood from the original model and carved away the face to insert the Harlequin mask. The arms are from a Tempestus Scion and he also got an ork whip on his belt.
I gave Ilchak a bio-scanner to help seek out hiding quarry. The figure is made from an Empire hand gunner with replacement arms and head. She also got a noose slung from her belt as a nod to the older metal figures.
I was adamant that a Venator band should include a webber, so Corrys was built to fulfil that desire! He's built from Genestealer cultist leads and arms, with an Imperial Guard tank commander torso.
Hope you like this group! I've painted up a couple of the Marauder figures in the same scheme to increase the numbers a little. I'll get them photographed for a future post.
Sorry to hear you didn't get into White Dwarf with these! They're hands down better executed and more creative than the majority of stuff that gets into the Blanchitsu articles. Ulgar's noose works really well – I tried doing a noose on my own Squat Venator and gave up! Is it string or putty as the starting point?
ReplyDeleteIt was disappointing, but that's what being a slave to the page count is all about I guess! Ulgar's noose is actually a plastic part from the flagellant kit. I also tried to sculpt one with several abject failures!
Delete"They're hands down better executed and more creative than the majority of stuff that gets into the Blanchitsu articles."
DeleteWeird point to make there, Chris.
These are fantastic Jon! I really enjoyed getting a chance to play a game with the giant axe dude! Agreed with Curis sucks these didnt make it into publication.
ReplyDeleteHe was quite the executioner, irrespective of the evidence to hand! Sometimes cool stuff happens, sometimes it doesn't - c'est la vie!
DeleteWell ... what can I say. Really good, really really good !!!!!
ReplyDeleteThanks Phil! I ought to get them on the table really.
DeleteIt's a shame to brand this gang as anything but a roaring success. Showing up in White Dwarf would have been gravy, but it's still a top class, unique gang using the huge variety of components available in a clever, unprecedented way.
ReplyDeletePlenty of people are able to glue bits together, paint them brown and blend into the crowd. Far fewer can do something like this.
The Goliath is easily my fave.
Thanks cheetor. I didn't really set out to start with a negative, more just to give context as to how the group came together. I'm actually very pleased with the figures. The sheer variety of components currently available from GW's plastic kits makes creating figures that match the originals thematically a breeze. Ten years ago it would have been nigh on impossible!
DeleteClass work and brilliant use of a wide range of parts.
ReplyDeleteThanks John! It really was a case of scouring different kits to find the right pieces.
DeleteAbsolutely awesome. They all look fantastic as individuals, but the group is much more than the mere addition of minis. I'm stunned.
ReplyDeleteThanks Suber. I think I managed to capture the look of sinister and lethal bounty hunters!
DeleteExcellent work! I particularly appreciate that they have no old lead or significant green stuff work, because it shows that an artistic eye and careful figure work are really the key to a great figure, not skills or access to old lead. ;)
ReplyDeleteYou're right - it's all about the right assembly of components. Greenstuff is if course invaluable to blend or modify parts, but it's not essential!
DeleteSquire, White Dwarf or no White Dwarf, I think your work stands on its own merits as truly exceptional. Very well done.
ReplyDeleteThanks Conrad! White Dwarf would have been a cherry on top of a project that was already a lot of fun.
DeleteVery cool kitbashes. They make a fab looking warband.
ReplyDeleteThanks! Hopefully they'll blend in OK with the metal ones.
DeleteMy favourite is actually Corrys, simply on account of the way that the coat-tails on the GSC legs marry up with the IG torso and AM head to make a cohesive kind of heavy-duty military coat. That's a combination that I think I have kicking around the bits box, so I'll most likely be stealing that as soon as I have the chance to get back to the hobby desk.
ReplyDeleteCorrys is definitely a no-nonsense steady guy I reckon. Tough as old boots and highly efficient! I'd love to see your take on him.
DeleteThat's a beautiful looking group of hunters. I think I like Ilchak the most, she is a wonderful blend of fantasy and sci-fi elements and really captures the classic Venator aesthetic.
ReplyDeleteThere's something about the mediaeval influences that the original Venators had that translates across best with Ilchak perhaps? Glad you like them :)
DeleteThey are absolutely amazing; much cooler than the gangs GW offers.
ReplyDeleteGlad you like them! I actually like the new Necromunda gang designs - they're all distinct and interesting. It's fun to make something unique though :)
DeleteLate to the party on this one, but these are amazing. The harlequin masks on the Skitarii heads really works. I'm glad you had the patience and nimble fingers to pull it off.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sean! Lots of delicate carving to hollow out the hoods - that was the real pain. Worth persevering with though!
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