Mechanized Mercs

I've decided to go with the orange/white color combo for my mercenary force.  Here's a reminder of the color scheme...

I got frustrated as I contemplated doing a size-able force of FW Elysian models.  Why?  Because a great deal of the poses look rather silly, to be honest.  Before going that route, I decided to try a pack of the new Corporation Rangers from Mantic.  Although I wasn't greatly impressed by the previews I saw, I decided to give them a chance.

I shouldn't have bothered...the models are awkwardly posed, very strange.  The legs are too long for the body and the head is too squat.  What follows is a comparison pic, low quality because of my phone.  The old camera gave out so it's the phone for now.

From the left:  Mantic, Altered-Mantic, Mantic, DKoK, Cadian

Funny enough, the issues with the Mantic Corp. Rangers were eased with the addition of an Elysian Head and arms.  In my opinion, it totally changed the feel of the model and made it worth my attention.  Here is a side comparison to illustrate some of the Mantic shortcomings.

Another negative for me is the general soft details, especially compared to the FW Elysian.  I suppose I should expect there to be that kind of difference, I just hoped they would work out better.

So...I guess it's time to re-consider my rejection of the Elysian models, maybe I'll try toying with some Cadians.

Anyways, thanks for reading.  Feel free to offer up any experiences you've had with these Mantic figures.  I'm anxious to see what others think of them.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Drop Troops Test Mini

Assembly on my 2nd squad of troops is finished and I have completed the test mini for my new drop troops. Here's a pic to get things going...

I have used Pig Iron Heads, but gone with a lesser used style...they all have a bulkier helmet with mouth pieces. The grav-chutes are from Hasslefree. Legs, torso, and arms are Tau and the Las Carbine is a modified Catachan weapon.

I went with Tau components for several reasons. They suggest a slighter physical build than the Cadian models; this fits in perfectly with the fluff for this unit. The poses seem to convey a sense of alert, which is how one would be when dropping through the sky into the middle of a battlefield. The leg and shoulder "pads" represent a lighter version of flak armor, something that airborne/drop troops would favor.

I did some minor surgery on the Tau scanner and added some wire to make it more Imperial...at the very least, less Tau.

And, as an added bonus on this fabulous Friday the 13th, I received 3 Cadian Command Squad kits. These will be put through some serious paces this weekend...I intend to finish my infantry platoon and possibly start to work on some other unfinished elements of my army, namely more tanks.

That's it for now, everyone have a smashing weekend.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Mini Test : Pig Iron

This time I have tinkered with the Kolony Rebels from Pig Iron. The first thing that appealed to me was the "greatcoat" look of the figures. To date, these are the best non-GW option for a 40K greatcoat army. As you can see in the pictures below, the detail is great.


In order to give these an acceptable level of 40K'ness, I have snipped off the front 1/4 inch of the gun and replaced it with the barrel portion of a IG lasgun. On the left I have used a Catachan barrel and the right sports the Cadian barrel. I can think of no better IG icon than the trusty lasgun, it really makes the figures seem easier to accept.


Also I have swapped out the heads with the Pig Iron Kolony Winter heads. These guys are primed and ready to get in the painting line (good lord, that line is getting long).

All in all, I give these a thumbs up. At some point in the distant future I will be making a full army from these, as they have officers, assault weapons, and heavy weapons figures that match up rather nicely with IG loadouts. But that will all have to wait for now.

If you have any comments or questions about these minis, please feel free to let me know.

The war goes on,
Hessler

Mini Test : Wargames Factory

In my never ending quest for cool looking minis and potential IG regiments, I am willing to experiment with anything. This first mini test looks at the British Firing Line from the Zulu War range by Wargames Factory. The hint at the Praetorian Guard is obvious but how easily can one "40K" it?

Below I have assembled one of the figures in question. The main challenge from a modelling perspective, is that weapon swaps are rather difficult. The positioning of the hands doesn't allow form any "pistol grip" type weapons, like the standard IG lasgun. I added a lasgun from the FW Kreig Weapon pack and it fits rather nicely. The tricky part there is to be mindful of where you make your cuts on both the weapon and the figure.

A pack from the FW Cadian Squad upgrade kit fits in very well with the overall style of the figure and bulks it out a little so it can stand up to a GW guardsman. However, while it might be as wide as the real thing, it is not as tall. A side by side comparison proved our stand-in to be noticebly shorter.

All in all, these are a reasonable route to go if you are looking to field Praetorian Guard. Another option this kit offers is snipping off the heads and doing a head swap on a Cadian figure. It might be worth a try but I think it may be a little too small. If you go with at least a full squad or two, the numbers may offer some distraction from the shortness. And who can't use a few extra IG squads? I know I love 'em!

If you have any questions about these minis, feel free to comment or send me an email. I'll answer everything to the best of my ability.

The war goes on,
Hessler