Thursday 21 November 2019

The Spire's Pride - Helmawr Gangers for Necromunda

In anticipation of a new Necromunda campaign in 2020, I've made a start with a new gang - Helmawr's own bodyguard. The White Dwarf Confrontation articles variously state that:
  • Helmawr has his own personal guard (from which tithes to the Imperial Guard are made).
  • Helmawr's troops control regulation of power to the spires
  • Helmawr's clan is "effectively the largest gang on Necromunda".

Happily the Confrontation range of figures includes a lovely sculpt by Jes Goodwin with 'Helmawr Clan' on it's tab, a limited edition hive ganger who shares many of the design features, and a group of four unreleased figures collectively referred to as Helmawr gangers. By bringing together these six figures, and adding in a couple of additional figures, I could make a nice new themed gang. Here are the first four figures:

L-R: LE Hive Ganger, Champion conversion, Ganger conversion, unreleased Ganger.

The Luxaranean Guard form part of the massive forces of Lord Helmawr's personal bodyguard. Based in the Palatine Spire and drawn exclusively from uphivers, predominantly the House of Helmawr itself. The Luxarean Guard inhabit palatial quarters with vast glazed windows providing breath-taking views of the Necromundan skies and the heavy Necromundan sun. Their sun-worshipping martial cult and use of Helmawr's personal arachnid badge means they are nicknamed 'The Solar Spiders'.


The champion was a pretty involved conversion based on a LOTR Abrakahn (actually the same base model I used for Silwon Fisk, my Helsreach Water Seller). I cut a wedge out of the neck and inserted the head, shoulders and chest plate of a Confrontation bounty hunter. I added a retro bolter and then oversculpted the boots, quilted flack armour and jacket.



In painting these guys up I wanted to give them a rich and opulent vibe, similar to residents of exclusive southern European locations like Monaco. So they got lots of white clothing, platinum blonde dyed hair, gold and lilac!




The limited edition hive ganger got the same treatment:



As did the unreleased ganger:

Alan Merrett believes the unreleased gangers were sculpted by Dave Andrews.


Finally, the ganger I converted to bulk out the ranks a little.

Three completely different sources/sculptors, but sharing enough similarities to look coherent (I hope!).

I took Demolition Man from the Last Chancers set because of his baggy trousers and waistcoat. I then replaced the lasgun with an autogun and added the head from a Roy Eastland Rogue Trader space marine scout.


He got some new sculpted sleeves, spider symbol and trademark hairdo.


As the details were a little different on this guy, he got a nice lilac shirt in place of the white jacket:



So that's four down, with another four needed for the starting gang, and at least a further four to come after that!

"Tread carefully broogs, you don't want to get your pantaloons dirty."

28 comments:

  1. Damn, every new gang is taking the place of the former in my favourites

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    1. Thanks! I certainly enjoy all the gangs as discrete projects. At this stage I couldn't tell you my favourite!!

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  2. Great work (as usual), but I particularly liked the conversion from Demolition man, which I noticed right away. DM has a very particular pose which is both very useful and open to conversion.

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    1. Demolition Man is ripe for conversion as you say. I also like the relatively non-military look he sports!

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  3. I think the Last Chancers conversion is so good because I immediately recognised the base model, but then doubted myself as it looked so natural finished!

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    1. Fantastic! That makes it worth the chopping :)

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  4. Flippin' cool mate! Conversions seemless as usual and I like the scheme. (You are VERY good at painting whites btw)

    Where does the black/charcoal skin come from?

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    1. Thanks Dai! I used to hate painting white, but since GW started selling Pallid Wych Flesh (the high-pigment off white) it's been much easier!

      I'm not sure if you were asking about the concept for the skin, or the paint recipe? I wanted these guys to stand out, and a different skin colour helps. The base colour is GW Dryad Bark, highlighted with flesh colours.

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  5. I must confess I didn't recognize the conversion at first. You made it look absolutely seamless. Impressive work on all of them!

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    1. Thanks Suber! The ultimate aim really is that you can't tell that a figure is converted, or where the parts come from. Sometimes I get close to that :)

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  6. Great concept and colours as always and the conversions based on completely unrelated backgrounds shows real creativity. Can't wait to see the rest.

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    1. Thanks! I tend to approach projects like this by scouring ranges for aesthetically similar figures, even if they're totally unrelated!

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  7. I love the look of the old stuff, it has a Dune feel to it.

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    1. Yeah, the older figures have a really different vibe to mainstream 40k.

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  8. I really love the look of the old models they have a Dune feel to them. Its not that I dislike the new models, although they're very tall; It's just that the old ones look so distinct. The entire aesthetic is different, the strange haircuts and clothing, its nothing we'd find fashionable, and that's why its works.

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    1. I think the ranges have reflected the time they were produced. I am very fond of the mid 1990s range, and love the new plastics. But these late 1980s/early 1990s sculpts have a bit of edge and oddity that makes them my favourites.

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    1. Thanks! I hugely enjoy making the conversions.

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  10. I don't get how you got the inspiration to go from obscure Last Chancer to Helmawr Ganger. You've got to be the first person to have made that leap.

    That unreleased ganger is such a chunky model, like early Warzone chunky. It really feels like a trainee piece rather than an abandoned release. Regardless, it's wonderful to see such rareties painted and photographed. Thanks for sharing!

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    1. The thought process in this case was - What do known Helmawr gangers look like? They have baggy trousers. Some have waistcoats. They have heavy set faces and tri-part Mohawks. What models meet those requirements (cue scouring catalogues for figures in baggy trousers)..

      In all honesty though, I don't know too many other people who've bothered to make Helmawr gangers (Asslessman being the notable exception!).

      The unreleased models are, in objective terms, ugly and crude. The sculpting is chunky and details are over-sized. They are not my favourite models by a long shot. That said, I did enjoy painting him up - he was pretty easy and forgiving because of his bulk!

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    2. Since yout've got baggy trousers, tempted to throw in any Madness references? Like flying saxophinists? https://youtu.be/Dc3AovUZgvo?t=119

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    3. I hadn't. I now feel I should!!

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