Before Christmas I asked Graham at Grimsforge to work on another couple of projects for me to round out the variety of buildings in my fringe-world setting. Along with some bigger pieces (more on those at a future date), I wanted a selection of smaller sheds and shacks that I could use as scatter or butt up against a larger structure to change its footprint.
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| Grouped together the sheds make a nice little homestead. |
I'm bookending my hobby output quite nicely by finishing off the year with the last 3 squat pirates from the crew that I started in January. I'm really pleased to have got this iconic set of 10 squat pirate sculpts painted with a couple of additions (a squat adventurer, the dwarf pirate and of course the big ugly ogryn). I do have some transport planned for the crew, but for now they'll just have to put their boots on the ground!
The last 3 additions are a nice selection. There's a Time Bandit-esque squat in retro pilot gear, a classicly styled crewman with headscarf and eye-patch, and the frankly maxed out fella with the braided beard, hook and horned hat.
Trouble traditionally comes in threes, and this kind of trouble is the shortest, hairiest kind! Latest off the workbench is another trio of squat pirates (leaving just three more to try and finish before the end of the year).
Part of the reason that there's been such a gap between my last squat pirates and these is related to arms. The metal bodies were intended for use with the plastic squat arms, but unfortunately the plastic arms fit poorly, cover nice sculpted details and don't match aesthetically. As a result, I've spent a long time trying to work up the arm right solution for every squat pirate using bits donated from other models.
Back in 2016 Michael Anderson sculpted me a fantastic set of sci-fi civilians for my fledgling Colony 87 range (now available through Crooked Dice). One of my very favourite figures from the range was High Priestess Cardinia. On a completely unrelated matter, in July 2017 Warlord released a limited edition alien mercenary for their Gates of Antares range. The figure is now freely available to purchase through the Warlord website, but in 2017 the only way to pick the figure up was to attend the Antares open day in person. Both figures have been sat in my boxes for years, just waiting for some paint!
I decided that the two unrelated figures might work nicely as an astropath and her enigmatic xenos bodyguard. With complimentary paint schemes, I think it's worked out, in spite of the completely different styles.
Back in January 2020, it seemed that Bring Out Your Lead might still take place that August. A commemorative figure was needed, and we were lucky enough to get Bob Naismith on board. The obvious choice for Bob was to sculpt a pirate captain to lead the scurvy-ridden sculpts that made up the original Rogue Trader pirate range.
And what a fine figure of a captain Bob sculpted for us!
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| Captain Quirke and some of his terrifying crew. |
