40k Imperial Objectives - Escape Pod

I've been working my way through the Imperial Objectives (and other assorted scatter terrain) and was planning to do a big photo dump all at once. I quite like the one I set up today for the escape pod objective so I thought I'd give it a show. 

Investigating the site is Iona Starkiller and her Piscean bodyguard. Steeped in utter hatred for humans, they are seeking to hunt down every last human escapee from a recently destroyed merchant ship. 

 

 

Eldar Light Spacecraft Build

I've been working on this project for quite some time. I first conceived using an Imaginext toy I commandeered from my child for a spacecraft several years ago. I originally intended to use it as a Retro-Raygun Valkeeri craft, but I changed my mind several months ago when working on some Rogue Trader Eldar. Acquiring a 3D printer had also opened up some possibilities and jumpstarted the process. 

The base model was an Imaginext "Freeco Bike".

I liked the way it looked rotated 180 degrees, and planned to add some fins and stuff in order to '1950' it up a bit. While working on the Rogue Trader Eldar I thought I wanted a flyer for them, and revisted the Imaginext toy. Once I committed to it I enlarged and printed off a sail from a Battlefleet Gothic Eldar model I found online. I applied some filler to hide print lines a bit, messed that up,pulled it off the model, and printed a second one. 

My son, who plays Eldar, hooked me up with some vehicle bits and some Scatter lasers. I added some more small organic shaped egg 'pods' to the ship to tie the look together. Milliput, combined with a lot of sanding, blends the sail into the fuselage.

I used an airbrush to get the base tones down and to apply the distinctive stripes found on Rogue Trader Eldar.

It stayed in this stage for about three months until I had time to apply the finishing touches.

 Thanks for looking!

Iona Starkiller and Piscean Warriors - Sarharduin

I've had these miniatures sitting half-finished on the desk for at least three months. "Iona Starkiller" from Hasslefree Miniatures, and two "Fishman" Warriors from Knightmare Miniatures. The first is obviously an Eldar psyker and the fishmen are modern versions of the fairly rare (if not rare, at least pricey) 1987 40k Piscean Warrior. Apparently the new name for the fishman faction is Sarharduin.

Usually, any significant delay in getting something painted is because I don't have a good color scheme picked out. I decided to try for a wolf eel look for the Pisceans, but the 'clothing' and gear eluded me for a long while. I decided to try a dark wetsuit vibe, with coral/shell colors for the backpacks and details.

Pretty happy with the result, I'm glad I didn't go in half-cocked. In my headcanon Iona is a vehemently anti-Terran Eldar corsair, and the Pisceans are a mated pair that owe her a life debt for saving their colony.

40K Rogue Trader Adventurers - Eldar Trader and Associates

Here's the next installment in my 40K Adventurers project- the Eldar Trader.

 

I've been enjoying painting the Adventurers as part of small groups, so I decided to paint up a female friend and a Bonesinger as well. Both are non-GW sculpts I acquired years ago through the old Yahoo Collecting Citadel Miniatures Group. I decided the female is a psyker, so she received a Gyrinx companion (a Rogue Trader era limited release). It made sense to add a couple bodyguards so I selected three RT era Eldar mercs. One has a headswap (Dark Elf) from the mixed race WHF army box.

I still have the Eldar Trader I painted around 1993, so I decided to take a side-by-side comparison photo. Next up, by request, is the pilot. I have an ornithopter for him too, which was a long project in the making.