Drop Troops Inbound:9/12 Ogryn Tummy

[jaxom]

Apologies for the link-journey, but I posted the final Valkyrie pics in the Astra Militarum ETL thread. 

[jaxom]

L&T '20 has ended and the siren call of new Militarum Tempestus rules are calling. Now seems like a good time to work on the Scion Squads to go with the Tempestus Command Squads and Tempestors. One reason I like having threads for my projects (beyond motivation) is I can read through them and get my head back in the right mental state.

 

After converting everything in my last hobby project, I'm looking forward to not having to do any conversion work.

 

However the long arms weapons are not exactly compact or tactical when one thinks drop troops.

 

Dammit.

 

One good, long stare at the bits and a quick comparison revealed two truths. The core body of the HS lasgun actually is smaller than a normal lasgun's body and the scope and long barrel look like modular attachments. A little GIMP proof-of-concept magic later and I went forward with a proof-of-concept conversion on an extras HS lasgun from a Command Squad.

 

Before

 

After

 

I think the sight looks like a reflex sight, but my only exposure to that type of sight is in video games.

 

Overall proof-of-concept

Edited April 16, 2020 by jaxom

[Majkhel]

Nice CQB hot-shot gun with a holo-sight!

[jaxom]

Thank you!

 

I've another variant and am deciding between the two:

 

 

    

[Majkhel]

For me definitely the origonal variant is the most appropriate - bulky, solid, sturdy. Will also be easier to paint convincingly.

[jaxom]

Hearty-style it is!

 

I decided for the current squad to use the Scion kit's plasma gun in the interest of minimizing the amount of extra conversion work. Of course, it still requires conversion work, because two guys pointing seems excessive (and boring). 

 

Instead of using their super high-tech sun-in-a-gun to annihilate the enemy one is in the process of shanking and the other is laying down coordinates for a strafing run (inspired by the Tactical Air Control stratagem).

 

  

[Doghouse]

Excellent stuff, those hotshots look nice. :tu:

[noigrim]

No greenstuff

[MegaVolt87]

Oh wow, that hot shot conversion is very nice, the scope mod really tops it off well. Have you tried shaping the stock, maybe change the shape a bit by removing some material with a sharp hobby knife or a small drill to hollow out the middle on the side to make it look lighter ?

[jaxom]

@Doghouse, thank you!

 

@noigrim, these are all kitbashed. I'm a bit GS'ed out after L&T'20 at the moment. The shank arm is the grenade launcher/flamer off-arm with the dagger from the Tempestus Prime's hand. The airstrike-call-y-thing (I have not idea what it would actually be, I have a vague memory of something like from an FPS) is the Omnispex from the Skitarii kit on the HS-laspistol arm.

 

@MegaVolt87, I wasn't quite sure what you meant by "hollow out the middle," but I did do a GIMP proof-of-concept on a trimmed down stock.

 

Current

 

More trimmed down

[jaxom]

Third version of the HS lasgun, more trimmed down:

 

 

  

 

and chunky version for contrast

 

I can't really decide at the moment.

[Majkhel]

I'd go for the chunky :)

While the slim one is nice in terms of overall jump/drop-ness of the unit, the bulkier one balances better with the mass of the attached cables. For me personally it also has more of a 'carbine' feel, while the slim one goes in my mind closer to the uzi-style automatic pistol. Also less work? ;)

[Kolgrim DeathHowl]

Looking good, nice conversions and painting!!

[Metzombie]

I also prefer the chunkier version. Have you thought about removing the cabels from the magazine? With them they look really cumbersome.

[jaxom]

I hadn't thought of removing the cables. I think probably because the backpack-cable-gun has been a feature on all the variations of stormtroopers I've liked throughout the years. It's just so stormtrooper-y to me.

[OakRiver]

I also prefer the chunkier version. Have you thought about removing the cabels from the magazine? With them they look really cumbersome.

I would second the idea of doing something with the cable. The weapon itself looks great as a small, easily maneuverable weapon system suitable for CQB, but the cable looks too bulky by comparison. Perhaps a smaller cable?

[jaxom]

Update! I don't do many when I'm just painting with a pre-established scheme; I'm a serviceable painter, but nothing worth tracking over individual posts (unless it's a character  ). But, it's been a while and here's where I'm at:

 

   

 

Grey fatigues are done, carapace armour is done, sleep sacks are done. The guns need a drybrushing of metal, the boots and straps need Snakebite Leather, and then I need to do all the "glass" reds. Currently looking at eyes, holo-sights, and the backpack lenses for that. Then it's just the army group and squad markings.

 

 

[jaxom]

Whoof, I ended up repainting the heads three times. I eventually settled on a dead-eyed pseudo-skull pattern.

 

 

  

 

Holo-sight, close up and table top view:

 

  

 

Sergeant with magnetized close combat weapon options:

 

  

 

The three missing backpacks are because I'm waiting until I do the other squads to see which backpacks-and-arm combos I'll use and which backpacks will be left over. Similarly, I know I'll be doing the "regiment" red stripe on the left shoulder and knee, but I can't decide if I need to add a squad marking in addition to the helmet. I don't plan on painting more squads in this scheme so it seems like overkill.

Edited May 7, 2020 by jaxom

[hushrong]

Drop troops are looking good. Digging the amount of customization going into them and I love using the kasrkin-esque helms too.

[jaxom]

Thank you! Those were the last of those heads, however, so my next squad is going to be more Stoneburners. I do and an idea for an owl design on the normal Scion helmets that I think will work well.

[hushrong]

Owl design? Interested in seeing that.

[jaxom]

For reference because the Scion kit doesn't have the actual arm arrangements except for special weapons.

 

 

My love affair with the Scion kit is going through a rough patch after having to deal with converting more plasma gun options. I had to use the two (including the one from the current squad) to equip Skull Squad. I'm low on the old assault squad pistols so I did a little dirty mold making. It's not the best, but it's good enough.

 

 

You'll also notice I added the power cabling to the vox-caster pack because the Scions received an errata that vox-casters could be equipped with a HSLG.

 

I switched it up a bit for the second plasma gun because I was not in the mood to carve through another lasgun. Instead it's based on the grenade launcher.

 

 

And because I seem to like creating more work for myself I started on converting a chain halberd for the sergeant.

 

 

However, the proportions just weren't working for me. I took a look at some other options including just a lion topper.

 

 

There's also the incense ball from the servo-skull that will end up hanging off and the conversion work for the sergeant's shooting arm. All the pistol options are for the same arm that's holding the staff. Some careful cutting on the chainsword arm and one old assault marine pistol (see, they're just so useful!) and here's where I am:

 

 

I ended up going with a flame (made from a Dark Eldar mane) because the unit is going to be painted as Stoneburners and, well, burners... fire... yeah.

 

I'd like to get these guys primed sometime over the next two days. They're my vow for the Lockdown Challenge and it'd be nice not to spend most of the time on modeling and converting compared to my vow for L&T'20.

[hushrong]

Nice work making the molds and converting the scions up!

 

Have you thought about using greenstuff rollers to make power cord cabling from the backpacks to their weapons?

[jaxom]

I hadn't. In a lot of ways, I'm just kludging through the green stuff work as I go. I did pick up a set of shapers, but haven't really explored the other tools available. The release of Primaris marines threw off my expectations - I had only put my toe back into the hobby when GW announced 8th edition. My original plans included a much more ambitious set of converting (i.e. the original militia troops I made, tall scaling the MkIV marines, etc). But I actually ended up liking playing 8th and decided to work more on armies I could get playable. And yet, I stuck with Guard over Primaris... not the smartest move, but Drop Force! So cool! Seriously, I have an old notebook from 2010 with my ideas for a Stormtrooper list based on all the characters in Starship Troopers.

[jaxom]

The armour and undersuit grey is done; yea drybrushing!

 

The original owl design I sketched out wasn't feasible once I sat down and was faced with the way the chin and cheek accouterments break up the face. I experimented with three designs for the owl. These are just the base layer blocking:

 

 

 

 

My problem at the moment, is that I don't really like the chunkiness of the top option, the middle one looks like ET, and the bottom one may be too small to notice at a distance. Same order as above: