Slithak, Clal-Chk Scavenger

 

This is one of my favorite sculpts that I have ever made! It was done for the game Shadowsea, on commission, many years ago. It took me much longer to make than it should have, but it is one of the pieces I am most happy with after all these years. Slithak is still available today and is now sold by Dark Sword Miniatures. 

I went with a very vibrant paint job here, in my favorite color palate. While I love lush green and bright colorful environments, they aren't something I often paint. It took, YEARS to finish it, but to be fair it sat 95% complete for most of that time on the shelf o' shame. I find that I have a really hard time finishing models that I sculpted - I have some self imposed pressure to make the models as "good" as possible, which ironically makes them underrepresented in my collection. This year I am actively trying to complete my sculpted WIPs. Slithak was finished in a single session after I picked it up again - after seeing things with fresh eyes it wasn't such a challenge. 

The only remaining images I have of the original sculpture are below - I apologize for their poor quality, but they are what they are!

The sculpt was based on this excellent concept art (below), though I adjusted the pose significantly so that casting would be less complex (at least, in my opinion!). I wish I knew who to credit  for the art - I think it was an Olley? I'll have to find out, because I really enjoy the style. Obviously my own paint job is very different from this one, but I really appreciate the mood it sets. These Shadowsea bug folk are very different from virtually every other representation I have seen - they're wearing clothes and using unusual, but clearly advanced equipment. It gives them a definite personality that other insect folk don't usually have.

 

 Just for fun, here is an additional photo set with a slightly different angle. I couldn't decide which I preferred, so why not both!

Princess Leia With Blaster

None other than the iconic princess Leia, hero of the rebellion! Leia is definitely at the top of my list of my favorite Star Wars characters. I had planned on painting her some time ago, but I stalled out because I was really worried about doing her justice. These "25mm"  minis are so small that painting her face was an intimidating challenge, and painting white is always difficult. A recent SW marathon with my son of the original trilogy inspired me to complete Leia, no matter the odds. Her character is definitely fearless and implacable, doing whatever she can for her people. In the end, I am very happy with how she turned out. 

 This version of Leia is from the West End Games A New Hope box set, "Leia W/ Blaster" - SW31. She is better represented in the line than the other heroes, with four total versions. There is even another of her in the classic white dress without a weapon, but this version seemed like a better staring point for use in gaming. She is mounted on a 25mm base.

In memoriam, Carrie Fisher.

Jawa

Another little guy from my WEG Star Wars collection. This tiny jawa is from the "A New Hope" boxed set (model # SW35) and was added to my collection many years ago. As with my other WEG models, I kept the paint-job simple, partially out of necessity due to its small size (pictured here on a 20mm base), but also because it fits with the style and feel of these old minis. I think the end result is really effective, and instantly transports me back in time to my childhood. I always found the jawas to be a mysterious and interesting part of the SW universe. In many ways, they were our first introduction to how alien things could really be. I love that they have remained that way, with no official disclosure of what they look like under those robes, even now. 

Yoda

 

Yoda himself! This time of year I like to post some of my West End Games Star Wars collection, and this tiny model is one of the biggest characters I have posted to date (excluding Lord Vader, of course). When I say tiny, I mean tiny - Yoda is a shorty in 25mm "scale" and is small even on a 20mm base. The details are really great for a model made in 1989, which tracks given that the The Empire Strikes Back box insert credits either Bob Charrette or Julie Guthrie for the sculpting work (model SW45). I really enjoy this whole line; the sculpts really capture the character of the original trilogy in a way that more contemporary versions don't. They take paint really well, push my skills with the fine details, and take me to a simpler time, a long time ago, in a galaxy far, far away...

Kobold Archers (2)

In the interests of keeping things moving along, here are two more diminutive representatives of my kobold warband (see the "kobold" label for more). Despite being some of my oldest pieces, they still hold up pretty well. In fact,  I am considering adding to them in the near future to round out the force and make sure I have enough to run "The Sinless Citadel" module.  

 

These archers tend to be just behind the magic-users in terms of the threat they pose within the warband. Small, crafty, and fast, with the ability to pump out damage at impressive range, they are far more dangerous than they might seem at first. The kobolds are a unique and fun gaming option  because of how differently they play from other warbands; they are individually weak, but coordinated attacks and sacrificial plays can draw the opponent into an overwhelming kill-box. More often than not, it is these archers who end up playing a key role in those tactics.

 

 

 

Huge Snow Golem and Friends

The biggest of the bunch! This huge snow golem is truly a massive threat, and represents the apex of my current snow golem project from Schlossbauer. I really enjoy that it appears to be an amalgamation of the other forms - distinguishable heads of small golems cover its body, which mirrors the shape of the medium golems, and it has a crown of ice from the large golem. There was some fun discussion surrounding whether the other forms coalesced into the huge boss, or were shed from it, or both - no matter what it seems like a fun series of encounters to run. As with the other snow golems, I wasn't totally happy with my execution, but I'll look to improve in future cold themed monsters (e.g. the ones missing from this current series). The combined effect is pretty satisfying, though, for such a speedy project.