Eisenhorn vs. Glaw Limited Edition Black Library Diorama

Those following my blog for a while may recall that a little over two years ago I started painting all of the Games Workshop 28mm Inquisition miniatures. I set a goal of one per month for "Inq28th", a day celebrating the Inquisimunda/Inq28 community, on the 28th of each month. 

I ran into three or four snags along the way. The biggest setback was when I discovered my tally and collection of the models was not correct, and that I was missing a particularly hard-to-find set- the Black Library limited edition Eisenhorn vs. Glaw diorama. When I was reminded of the set, I also recalled having seen it on the website many years ago, and also recalled deciding to skip it because I wasn't a fan of the sculpts.

After realizing that I'd omitted it, I started the hunt immediately- stating my intention to buy a set on all the usual sites. Eventually I turned to a respected online acquaintance that posts rare figures fairly often (beautifully painted and converted I may add). He was able to provide me with the contact info of another collector, and after some discussion I was able to procure a set. All in all I was actively looking for well over a year!

Once in hand, I was struck by the similarities to the 54mm scale version of the character.

Anyway, long story short, here is my painted version of the Eisenhorn vs. Glaw set, limited to 500 sets, released around 2005. One of the last milestones in my quest!

Grimdark Citizens

When I saw that a 3D designer (Across the Realms) was releasing some 'Grimdark Citizens' I thought I would acquire them for the Imperial Sector project. I printed off five using my Mars2Pro, and they came out quite nice- although one had some issues with fine detail on the chains and I suggested the designer rework them. When that gets updated I'll print it again, and add the remaining four to the set.

Turnip28 - Critters

 

One of my ideas to mark dangerous terrain in games of Turnip28 was to use markers, in this case some potentially dangerous animals. I have some resin rat things from Uncle Mike's "Strange Aeons" game (shown previously). Some mutant toads (greenstuff modded Citadel toads from the olden days), a "Root lad" 3D printed thing from the Turnip28 Patreon, some 3D printed diseased rats from Schlossbauer, and lastly some spore boars printed from an STL I found online.

 

 

 

Turnip28 - Terrain and Miscellaneous Oddments

When I start a project I tend to dive in headfirst on terrain as I work on the miniatures. As a natural packrat, I had several things stashed away that would suit the Turnip28 project perfectly (and double for Rangers of Shadow Deep).

One of the elements are strange root funnels. These were dead easy to make, as I had bought some decorative driftwood that was already a weird pale blue. I glued these to some hardboard bases and used a latex window caulk called Alex Plus to make more organic roots and tendrils. Make sure to get the 'paintable' caulk.

 

 

I also made some unhealthy bushes, using cheapo plastic plants I found at a thrift store. I added a few little things here and there, statues, small driftwood pieces to tie them together.

A few dead trees using my standard methods.

 

I found some nice and really wretched hovels designed by Infinite Dimensions. These are printed on an FDM printer, and I have to say I was surprised at how well they came out. I ended up draping some thin tissue over the top to break up print lines on the tops. 

My most recent terrain items were made about two weeks ago. I needed some dangerous terrain, and while my plan was to mark dangerous areas with critters, I also wanted to have some dedicated patches. While pools of water and mud seem to be common, I opted to make some nice dry ground... which of course someone seeded with bear traps.

 

The traps are 3D printed from files I found online. They're a bit fragile and broke a few of the half-open ones fairly quickly. I have found a better, more robust file so I'll likely replace a few that are broken or in the 'half open' position.

This pig sty is from Infinite Dimensions as well, and can double as a defensible terrain, or a dangerous terrain if I place some boars in it.

Some gabions I had on hand, not quite sure why I originally bought them.

Lastly, a table surface. Its a rather bad piece of particle board I had, covered with a textured, gritty deck paint. I painted it, added some flocking here and there, and painted in some polyurethane in a few spots to create a glossy wet and muddy look. The final coat was a heavy spray seal of Plasti-Dip clear.

 

 

Since I now had a wide enough table for a group shot... here it is.

Turnip28 - Empress Parsnip Guard - Waifish Artillery

With the line units and some cavalry done, I wanted to make use of the remaining figures from the Eureka 'Sandras' range, the artillery crew and cannon. I've always liked the word 'waif' and these petite ladies seemed to fit the term, so the artillery section became the Waifish artillery. First up was a 'Stump Gun'.

Lisette's is quite proud of her 'cape of parsnips'.

When I bought my Mars2Pro resin printer (pretty much just to print Turnip28 stuff) one of the first things I printed was a Congreve rocket apparatus and some little companions designed by the talented 'Saint Decent' for the game. I acquired another pack of artillery crew to match the Stump Gun.

The officer was provided a new head and telescope that I printed.

This battery will also get a 'Grand Bombard' and I have to say the Bombard project has turned a little insane, even for me.

Turnip28 - Empress Parsnip Guard - Fodder - Empress's Parsnip Fusiliers and Empress's Waifish Fusiliers

With some of the cavalry and the Empress done, I needed to move on to the spinless backbone of the army, the Fodder units. The base models are the excellent Wargames Atlantic Prussian Reserve with a few Perry heads for variety.

 

I started with a test paint scheme, then moved on to the painting the group.

 

The flags are made in Photoshop and printed on an inkjet printer.

 

 

A few years ago I bought some quirky and somewhat obscure miniatures from Eureka- female 1700s Age of Reason soldiers called the 'Sandras'. Some of them are on the cheesecake side, with exposed midriffs, so I covered most of those up with greenstuff. They also received some visors, root vegetables, and some slight turnipifications. Unlike most other people that make Turnip28 figures, I haven't made extensive use of grass tufts, just a little here and there.  

Too classically beautiful to find suitors in Cist, the Waifish have thrown their lot in with the Empress.

Turnip28 - Empress Parsnip Guard - Her Imperial Highness, the Empress of Cist

Shortly after I started kitbashing miniatures for the Turnip28 army I was working on, the concept I wanted to go with to unite the group began to coalesce. The primary root vegetable was always going to be parsnips (which are relatively new to me, having tried them for the first time a couple of years ago), which I thought would contrast well with the murky darkness that is characteristic of the Turnip28 look.

After considering a Toff (the army leader) sitting side saddle, but not being able to find a good example to use, I decided my Toff should be a woman carried on a sedan chair or litter. I knew I had a chaise lounge from Eureka stashed away that would be a good starting point. I'd done a similar character for a Darkest Africa army many years ago and returned to the concept.

My goal was to blend the stately grace of an Empire period neoclassical dress (as seen in the portrait of Josephine), the striking hat of the lovely Marianne de Morangias from Brotherhood of the Wolf, a mask as worn by Sylvia in the same film, and the weird root/silverfish tailed woman in the Temptation of Saint Anthony by Hieronymus Bosch. 

Finding a miniature to lounge on the chaise was not easy, so I searched around for while on 3D STL sites and finally came cross one I could use, and chopped it up in Meshmixer. At the time I didn't have a resin printer, so I really had to dial in my settings and printed the body on my Ender3. I found some arms from other plastic kits (I think I used Wargames Factory zombies) and a head from Statuesque Miniatures. Bearers would be Perry Zouaves mixed with Wargames Atlantic Afghans, to give the Orientalist flair a grandiose Empress might delight in.

 

The Empress needed a unit of dedicated guards, so more Zouaves were recruited to the cause. I designed and printed off some boxes for the unit to carry. The Toff needs to fight so she has some dueling pistols and a sabre bearer. There is also a mustache on a stick- one of the rules for a faction actually specifies certain models need mustaches, this was my way of circumventing that! She also has a pair or opera glasses and two boxes of the Empress's unmentionables.

 

 

If any other work in progress shots turn up I will add them, but for now it is on to painted models.

 

The Parsnip Empress of Cist is up there with some of my all time favorite projects.