Friday, January 25, 2019

Moab Militia

Here's another project that didn't get the attention it deserved last year: a guard unit for my desert world. It's a diverse sector of space that recruits from all strata of society, so there's more than just your average four-limbed ten-toed two-meter hairless Homie (sapiens) grade stock here. That said, the "normies" form the backbone of the group: the 1st Logansport Guard. IG clearly doesn't stand for "Not Going" but maybe it doesn't quite equal "I'm Gonna (Regret This.)" . . . (Probably close, though.) This unit, though local, looks pretty experienced and maybe even fit for its environment.



There's not really a whole lot to say here. The models are unmodified Rogue Trader era Imperial Army and Guard troopers. I went with something of a desert camo, which was even rather popular in the US at the time, what with recent memory of quick and uncontroversial military excursions to khaki coloured environments. I batch painted them after a fashion, which allowed me to work more quickly than usual. For uniformed projects it's truly the way to go. It's really hard to argue with these lovely old models. I'm glad to have added them to my collection, and I think I ought to find my way to more of them.

Next up I'd like to spend a second talking about a repaint. The fellow below was one of my original Rogue Trader models acquired and painted in the late eighties. He is labeled "scout," but I don't recall if it's clear a scout for whom, precisely. I'm taking him to be a scout for the local guard unit. I loved the Lawrence of Arabia vibe the fellow gave, and who better to serve in a desert militia than a deeply desertified scout. But the paint was not quite to contemporary standards and I'd once previously given him the repairative treatment and found it wanting. So it was time for a dip in the green waters and a new coat of colors. Here's a last look at what he once was.


And here he is after repaint with an equally veteran friend. The new colors are fairly reminiscent of the old, save for his khefiya. I considered giving him a more traditional black and white pattern, but I think the blue stands out well at this scale and stripes are perhaps clearer than checks. Blue is, in fact, something of a theme. I don't usually paint eye colors, but for him I made an exception.



And while neither of them is quite in the standard contemporary uniform, well . . . they've been out campaigning a long time in a lot of places. And I gather it's best to be at least tolerant of the snarfy looking veterans and maybe even to listen to what they say.

Our next batch of militia are two ogre brothers joining the previous pair. Ten toes maybe, but quite a bit more than two meters. Probably three to the chin.


In keeping the tradition of naming them after my grandfather's brothers these two are John and Rudy. (The blonde ogre and the fellow in the breastplate.) They join George and "Little" Milton. (I suppose now this means I need to craft a couple of female ogres somehow.)


Here you see them out hunting bugs. (One of their favorite activities. Kill your enemies and put food on the table at the same time!)


That should about wrap up the local militia expansion. (There were previously several with fewer than ten toes and quite a lot more fur. And the shorties are mostly not local and not in the guard.) As always, thanks for looking.

Sincerely,
The Composer


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