Monday 24 September 2018

"Let Them Try And Deal With The Banshee."

"She would be their doom..."
This 28mm scale Banshee is one of the "twenty six detailed and fully assembled miniatures in coloured plastic" found inside the "Dungeon Saga: The Dwarf King`s Quest" boxed game by "Mantic Games", and is sculpted to represent the "restless spirit of Elshara". Bound by the Necromancer Mortibris to the confines of an underground room "dominated by a huge stone pillar", the spirit is the four heroes' main adversary in the rule-set's third adventure "Restless Guardian".

Undercoated with a double-layer of "Vallejo" Dead White, I actually decided to step away from the Undead creature's 'official' all-blue palette and instead rather mercenarily used the figure as a test-piece for an upcoming "Games Workshop" Nighthaunt faction for "Age Of Sigmar". Resultantly, she was shaded using some "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green and dry-brushed with more "Vallejo" Dead White.
Goliath WIPs - The ganger is slowly being painted using "Vallejo" Heavy Blue and "Citadel" Ironbreaker
Finally, as I wanted the Banshee's unruly flowing hair to stand out somewhat from the rest of her ethereal form I subsequently washed it with a spot of "Citadel" Reikland Fleshade and Agrax Earthshade, before trying to 'blend' these areas in with even more delicate "Vallejo" Dead White dry-brushing. The model's square cobbled stand was treated to a combination of "Citadel" Doombull Brown, Rakarth Flesh and "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade so as to better fit in with all my other basing, but I'm not convinced it really works all that well to be honest and may therefore re-base all my "Dungeon Saga" figures for "Kings Of War" should I ever decide to use them for that mass combat tabletop game.

With a few more "Mantic Games" Undead figures just needing to be varnished and flocked before being posted, I have turned my attention towards pigmenting the first of my Goliaths for a huge “Necromunda” project I plan to take through until the end of the year. I've already had a delivery of more MDF scenery from "Blotz" to go with the few pieces of their "28mm scale sci-fi style wall sections” I purchased at "Colours", and hope to quite quickly get a number of these structures painted in order to represent the corridors of Arrakis.
Goliaths WIPs - Baron Harkonnen, Feyd-Rautha and Glossu Rabban have all been assembled and primed
I'm probably one of the few who thoroughly enjoys repeated viewings of David Lynch's 1984 American epic science fiction film “Dune”, and therefore thought that setting my "underworld of corrosion" on Frank Herbert's desert planet would be a great way of blending two passions together. For now I'm simply going to focus on painting my "hulking brutes" up as House Harkonnen, so have decided upon a predominantly black and metal colour scheme, with some flashes of blue for the basic troops and perhaps a little red for their leader Baron Vladimir Harkonnen, as well as champions Glossu Rabban and Feyd-Rautha. 

Currently I have assembled all three of my gang's central characters, and dished out a number of the rule-sets' status weapons amongst them. This means my corpulent planetary governor will wield a power hammer and Plasma combi-stubber, his sadistic eldest nephew a two-handed 'Krumper' rivet cannon, and the ruthless Feyd a Renderizer. Of course, the "Games Workshop" models themselves require some 'willing suspension of disbelief' to resemble the noble family I have in my mind, but if this project grows any legs then I may well dive into my bitz box and possibly produce some more appropriate-looking figures in the future...

32 comments:

  1. Nice job on the banshee model Simon, good start on your Goliath models.
    Your not the only one who likes that rendition of Dune, I do too and own the extended version, and wish they would release the 8 hour version, as I'd get it straight away

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    1. Thanks very much, Dave. Yes, I too own the 4 hour extended version. Tbh I have three versions of the film, as a more recent one came with a 45-minute documentary extra. It's funny as I was aware of the film's release as a child but didn't really pay it much attention, a bit like the animated "Lord Of The Rings", and then as a young man thought it was awesome. How I wish I'd bought all the action figures etc from it... Still "Necromunda" should help scratch that itch until an official miniatures line is released.

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    2. Saw the original in the cinema, and loved it ever since. There was an unofficial line done by MJ Figures, in 20 mm, I sculpted their worms for them. the original Van Saar were perfect for Fremen

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    3. Ah good old "M.J. Figures", I think I own some of their not-"Stargate" range, and a fair few Falklands War models too. Never saw their "Dune" stuff, as I'd have snapped up a worm or too on the spot! As you say, the Van Saar are great for the Fremen, and that's what I'll be painting mine as once the Harkonnen are finished.

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    4. Small world as I sculpted the Argentinians for his Falklands range ! LOL still available if you look through the 20 mm sci fi and a guild navigator as well

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    5. LOL... I might have bought a sandworm thanks Dave, just a small specimen you understand ;-)

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    6. Of course, wouldn't have thought any different ! LOL

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    7. Looking forward to seeing your work in the flesh, so to speak, Dave :-)

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  2. I am an anti Goliath faction. So no matter what it would be painted like Orlocks are in my blood so Boo to Goliaths. Iron
    house Orlocks are just so much better than meat head Goliaths.

    That aside the Banshee is very nice.

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    1. Glad you like the Banshee, Clint. I've no particular understanding of the "Necromunda" factions currently, so haven't got much experience of the Goliaths or Orlocks in-game. I simply picked the Goliaths as I thought they resembled the Harkonnens :-)

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  3. Nice job on the banshee and as somebody who thinks Necromunda is awesome glad to see your lovely, I mean brutish, Goliaths. The Dune tie in is interesting, but as an avid reader of the books I don't think that film did it justice. But, to be fair, it is a book that is difficult to translate to film and be good. Fingers crossed for the new version!

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    1. Thanks Undercoat. I always like to combine interests whenever possible, to keep the paint-brush mojo flowing, and the "Dune"/"Necromunda" combination has certainly done that.

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  4. Nice work on the screaming angry person!

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  5. The more I see of your Dungeon Saga minis, the more I like them - they're the equal of a lot of minis n the market. The banshee has an otherwolrd look to it, really helped by your psuperb paint job!

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    1. Thanks Joe. I must confess that the "Dungeon Saga" stuff simply isn't doing it for me currently; albeit I usually find a game or two works wonders for the motivation.

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  6. Nice work on the Banshee. I am pondering some gribblies for the paranormal cast myself.will be taking notes on paints used quite like the scheme

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    1. Cheers Simon. Simple stuff tbh, as there's an awful lot of Nighthaunts to be painted if I do go for their "Age of Sigmar" army, so I wanted something straightforward.

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  7. I think the black wash to the banshee's hair is a great idea, would look lazy otherwise ;)

    The Goliaths are going to look very interesting, a depart from the standard and alltoocommon red/metallic that seems to be around the bloggoverse for this faction.

    I liked Lynch's Dune. It's weird and slow and allows the viewer to appreciate all those wonderful details all the more. I also liked the mini series from 2002 or whenever, which I felt was a little more true to the novel.

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    1. Thanks Dai. Hopefully the “Dune” vibe will help to keep me enthused with the project - planning on getting a few gangs done before the end of the year.

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  8. I like the banshee very much. Your paint job makes it look very ethereal.

    Goliaths and Eschers were the two gangs I played when I ran my "Necromunda" campaign in the mid 1990's so obviously, I'm pleased to see you collecting them. I plan on painting up a second set of the new Goliath figures later on, using some of the alternative Forge World weapons for greater variety.

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    1. Cheers Bryan. I’m tempted by the “Forge World” stuff myself, so might pick up some additional weaponry for a few gangs when I next pay “Warhammer World” a visit.

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  9. I was a big Goliaths fan back in my Necromunda days so look forward to seeing these painted. I loved the original Dune film back in the day and still occasionally watch it even now.

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    1. Thanks Andy. Hopefully this project will live up to expectations :-)

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  10. Very engaging title to the post and the Banshee lives up to it, ethereal is a good description of your painting of her, looks good.

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    1. Cheers Vagabond - I do try and catch the eye with the title :-)

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  11. That banshee looks fab Simon! That would be a perfect model for an old Ghostbusters project I've been sitting on forever :)

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    1. Thanks Ivor. The Banshee would indeed make a corking ghost; arguably the Library Lady from the first film or the lady from the latest reboot?

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  12. Nice work on the Banshee Simon, I can full understand not going with the official colours (the figure doesn't look that much like the illustration anyway!).

    Nice start on the Goliaths too, though I have to say I'm not that keen in the figures (didn't like the original ones much either TBH)

    Cheers Roger.

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    1. Cheers Roger. The closer I look at the "Dungeon Saga" minis I'm afraid the more I'm disliking them. Shame really as the Undead "Kings Of War" models, which predates them, are excellent imho.

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  13. Great job on the banshee. Also, an interesting use for Necromunda models...I can definitely appreciate a House Harkonnen vibe to them.

    Now all you need is a slender Goliath n a space speedo and you've got your Sting Feyd-Rautha.

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    1. Thanks Angry Piper. I may well do some heavy conversions for my Harkonnen at some poin. But for now, Feyd-Rautha will be just as beefy as his colleagues, albeit as a Champion.

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