New Grim Dark Arrivals

Arriving fresh from the Kirton Games 3d printing service are a selection of characters and a Rifle squad printed up from the stls I purchased. Now in addition to what is shown here, I've also ordered a couple of the squad options from Redbeard's Forge shop on etsy.

RedbeardsForgeShop - Etsy UK

They purchased the retail stl option and have a fair selection that can be ordered as physical prints. Delivery is potentially slow with an estimated date of 30 Oct - 11 Dec  but for £17 for a squad, I can wait.

It wouldn't be a Victorian Grimdark campaign from Victoria Miniatures without a Captain Caine. New, improved and I've gone for the pith helmet option.

Note that this model and the next two haven't had glue applied yet. The plug and socket system allows some good dry fitting first.

An addition mid-campaign was some not-Sharpe's Rifles. Below we have Lt Sean Blackthorn and, again, I've gone for the headgear version.

At the bottom is a not-Harper with a six barrelled autogun or lasrifle, whichever one prefers.

Bits and bobs for the Rifles squad including Sergeant parts and the vox torso. I think I've ended up with more than I thought I ordered but I'm covered for some breakages.

Time is tight and I'm living in two places again (work and home) so I have no idea when gluing, undercoating and painting will take place but hopefully soon.



 

Col Kilmore

In advance of my first Grimdark print order arriving from Kirton Games, I painted the Adepticon print I ordered along with the physical Tannenburg models.

I've tried Talassar Blue for the trousers and that Mordian/ US Cavalry look.

I also have the stls for the non-Adepticon version but that's a future job.

Trial Bearskin Victorian Guard Squad Progress

Finally, now that I'm back at my weekday work-enforced home from home, I've been able to progress the first of the revamped Victoria Miniatures Victorian/ Tannenburg models from the Kickstarter.

The background is courtesy of my new A3 Jon Hodgson's SciFi Cityscapes book, also from a Kickstarter. 

Fantastic models. I just need to finish off the fine detail on some of the grand facial hair and chinstraps. Looking forward to receiving the stls.

Grimdark Empire - Paint Test

Doh!

My Contrast paints are 170 miles away. Oh the joys of living and working in two separate places.

One shopping trip and five colours later and the bedrock for these Guardsmen is laid out.

Ball Red, Black Templar, Ironjawz Yellow, Admistratum Grey and Guilliman Flesh.

I'll use white for the the webbing and some shade if green for the cuffs. Possibly black. I'm not sure yet. More to follow.
 

Grimdark Empire - Squad Complete

That's the squad glued and complete. Nice, crisp prints and fully modular. No single build like the current GW plastics.

The squad has a full set of options including comms and a variety of special weapons.

What's left over?

A fair few sets of arms and rifles. The plasma, melta and grenade launcher equivalent special weapons. Two standard torsoes as I've used the Sergeant and Vox operatorv torsoes. A swagger cane, various pistols and a power fist arm.

What does this mean going forward? I assume that once the stl files come out, gamers can choose to print individual parts rather than a snap tray. This could mean that printing the snap tray plus two sets of legs will give you twelve models going forward.

Because I used the separate Bearskin heads, I now have spare pith helmet and caps heads along with some bare and the very US military inspired 'Smokey Bear' cap.

Bits for the Bits God. 

 

Grimdark Empire - First Dry Fits

Once I was able to get the pieces off the frame, I was able to do the first dry fits of the models.

Of note, and it is one the points referred to in the Kickstarter, these models have not yet had glue applied. The socket arrangement of the parts allows for dry fitting before applying glue.

One of my favourite parts is the 'power indicating' hand. No pointing, this is full on 'pay attention that way' power of command. Nice for a Sergeant. 

 

Grimdark Empire Kickstarter - The First Physical Prints Arrive

Fortunately, I'm just starting three weeks off and this set of Bad Boys arrives.

I ordered a test squad of the Tannenburg Firing Line from Victoria Miniatures just to see what the eventual stls will look like.

Every part arrives as part of this snap tray so the box that contains them is quite small. For the UK types, it's Large Letter size.

First of all, some really good news. Although this is the Tannenburg set with dress uniforms, the snap tray comes with both peaked cap AND pith helmet heads. Personally, to grab the Praetorian vibe, I do want to put pith helmets on the dress uniform rather than the Victoria Miniatures' more utilitarian Victorian Guard torso. For me, this is very good news.

I will receive the stls as part of the core pledge but I also went for a pack of the bearskin heads to maybe go for more of a Guard Guardsman

Not sure where I will use this model but it also comes with the stl for an alternate Col Kilgore so that figure will not have to have the 7th Cavalry style stetson.

Finally, not sure if this was intentional but the snaptray comes with vertical supports which, as you can see in the photo below, presents us with I-beams for some scenic base kitbashing.

More once I've done some construction.