Jump to content

AoS28 - The Dark Age of Sigmar


Ben

Recommended Posts

1 minute ago, curnow said:

Yeah sure its pretty simple legs/body/left arm are standard crypt horror but with the spikes trimmed off . Right arm is crypt horror cut and rotated at the elbow and giant bone in its hand cut away and the hand drilled .  tail is from one of the everchosen steeds . Head is from the a.o.s box set flesh hound with the ruff removed . Horns are the ones from the slaughter priest with the 2 handed axe . Weapon haft is from a everchosen spear and the axe is from the everchosen as well .

Thanks! I was actually referring to the painted dude in red, though... :D Could possibly have been clearer on that. Both minis are amazing, but the energy and pose of that warrior just got me.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Ah lol no worries . Yeah harry is the legs of forgeworld fulgrim . Torso of forgeworld angron . Helmet os from the everchosen.  both arms are from the skullcrusher kit .shield and hammer . Colar is g.s oh and belt skull is from harlequin jet bike

Edited by curnow
.
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Glad I took the time to go through this thread - it's all tremendously inspiring. I have a question for you guys - feel free to answer regardless of your level: How do you get into the converting? Is it years of accruing bitz for your hobby box, or do you break down uneeded infantry that you have lying around, or are you all serial over buyers and just have tons of boxes of figures? I only ask because there's just so much great work in here that I'd never be able to achieve with my brand new but minimal boxes of stuff.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Personally, it's all three. The first conversions I ever did were of old metal models that had been miscast: it was either convert them or don't use them at all. I also really like converting models: it's more satisfying that painting, I find, and feels more creative. I do have a lot of bits, but quite a few were given to me by friends who built an army in a very regular way and then gave me the remaining sprues, especially where one body can have several arm builds.

When I used to play whole armies, I would sometimes find that I liked most of the army but not some units, so would try to add bits or use alternate models, which resulted in a lot of conversions and leftover pieces. I ended up doing a couple of Dark Eldar and Sisters of Battle units like that. A lot of it is just having a mental image of some kind of person and trying to find the parts that suits it best rather than buying a miniature for a specific force, especially in skirmish games where you don't need loads of idential soldiers.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

9 hours ago, DynamicCalories said:

Glad I took the time to go through this thread - it's all tremendously inspiring. I have a question for you guys - feel free to answer regardless of your level: How do you get into the converting? Is it years of accruing bitz for your hobby box, or do you break down uneeded infantry that you have lying around, or are you all serial over buyers and just have tons of boxes of figures? I only ask because there's just so much great work in here that I'd never be able to achieve with my brand new but minimal boxes of stuff.

Hi DynamicCalories, this is an interesting question... I personally belong to the serial buyers group, having acquired literally thousands of pounds of unused plastic kits that I hide in my closet as the proverbial skeleton... I have to say though that although I have a vast, almost endless bits box, for almost every conversion I plan I end up needing to buy a new kit or two, maybe just to use a small component and throw the rest in the bits pile.

Of course, none of that is necessary or even recommendable! It is close to an addiction and I would not say it is the only way to end up with great results.

So, how can you achieve great conversions with a limited bits box? The answer I think is simple: plan ahead of starting.

It normally all start when you look at a mini and you suddenly think: mmmhh... this would look great as a Mordheim henchman/Inquisitor follower/etc...

Then it's time to start planning. I use sketches to do this as I find it incredibly useful to firm up my ideas and clarify what components I might need. For instance, if I know I am converting a miniature to resemble some sort of priest I might add some priestly robes, maybe a stole, and then start looking at different miniatures from the range to see whether some of them include a stole and how feasible it would be to use it. This is the point when you start preparing your shopping list. It can normally break down into three main cathegories:

  • Base models: the vast majority of the mini is done with bits from this kits, legs and torsos for example. To continue with the priest example, let's say that you previously collected an Empire army for warhammer and you happen to have a lot of bits left over from the Empire archers kit. The legs and torsos are covered in robes, and you decide that you will use them as base models to convert your priest.
  • Bits swaps: the parts of the original mini that you intend to change, like arms, head, weapons etc. In case of our priest, now that you have the base model (Empire Archer) you will need to make it a bit more war like... Bows and arrows are not really a priest first choice of weapons, so you decide that he will have to be armed with an Hammer and a book and you start looking for suitable bits, first of all in your bits box. While looking for them, you notice that you do not have any hammers but you find an ineresting bald head that you did not iniitally consider but would suit the model nicely you think. Always be open to suggestions from you bits themselves! Then, since you miss the hammer start surfing online for it. First of all look at the GW website. Look at every mini range, both fantasy and 40k, as it is not uncommon to use sci-fi bits for fantasy conversion or vice-versa. When you find the kit containing the item you want stop and think again: do I need to purchese te whole kit? Will I ever need the rest of the bits or just the hammer this one time? No easy answer to this one and you have three choices at this point: 1- you buy the whole kit from gw and toss in the bits box the items that you do not need. This might sound expansive (it is) and borderline idiot BUT it's the only way to build a wonderful bits box that will make the envy of all your fellow hobbists. 2- "****** it, I am not paying ££/$$/€€ for a tiny hammer." Then go to ebay or one of the many bits resellers online and look for bits from the same kit. This work especially better for the small details as they are normally non repetitive and you will just need one of each, so no real point in buying a box with 20 of them. This way you will save a lot of cash but you'll have to wait up to two weeks to get the bits for your conversion while the shipping is processed (by which time you might have shifted your interest to a new project) and you won't improve your bits box, meaning next time you will probably have to do the same again. 3- you buy the whole kit from gw and you sell the rest of the items on ebay. Never tried it personally but I know being a regular customer that it could become a quite successful business! It takes time though and a lot of energies and ultimately you asked about how to make a conversion not how to make money out of it.

- Small details: these are the final touches to give your model a cohesive look. They normally include parchments, gemstones, relics, trophies etc... It follows the same steps as the Bits swaps,  but it's worth remembering that these details are probably going to be single items. You will just need one relic hanging from the priest belt, so it normally becomes more sensible to buy it on ebay than purchasing a whole kit just for that single small bit (though you might want to do it anyway because of time or to increase the size of your bits box).

This is all I can tell you about the bits but there is another fundamental aspect of conversion that every hobbist will have to deal with in their career: sculpting with Green Stuff!

I won't say anything in detail about this, as it's kind of next level of complexity and not really easy to explain or give tricks, but I would recommend every hobbist of every age to just buy some Green Stuff and have it available just in case... Many times your bits from different kits will not fit together perfectly and you'll be required to resculpt some parts or hide the joints behind carefully placed detail (parchments are great at that).

Here, sorry for the text-wall, I hope this can be useful.

Hagen

Edited by Hagen
  • Like 4
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Even if you only ever buy the kits you need for models you need right now, you will over time start to accrue bits as most of the kits will have spares of some kind on the sprues. The great thing about plastic is that it's so easy to cut up and glue, with a little imagination almost any kit can provide bits for something completely different (for example I've got the spares from Harlequin jetbikes and Dire Avengers, I won't be doing any 40k anytime soon but I'm sure some of the bits will come in handy!). 

Sometimes I find it helps to just look at the bits you do have and let your imagination run free a little, you start thinking things like 'oh this blade almost looks like some sort of stylized headpiece' and so you can come up with some conversion ideas by looking at the available parts rather than starting with an image of what you want and then looking for the parts.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hagen, when you do a sketch of what you want it to look like, are you basing your sketch on possible parts you could use. For example, do you think " well i could use this bit so i will sketch that onto it" or do you think after youve done the sketch what bits could be used. Another example. Your lovely priest that you drew. Did you think as you sketched it "i'll add these bits from ahriman, or did you look at the sketch after and think "well those bits look a bit like ahrimans tassels, so ill get him"

Edited by MegabossChompa
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Still not sure if I have nailed down this 'AoS28' aesthetic yet but really tried to embrace the 'aesthetic of the pathetic' with this miniature.

I usually go for big, bold, typical Hero archetypes (grew up on Conan the Barbarian and Groo the wanderer I can't help it!). Even while playing 8th edition I am drawn to Ogres and Imperial forces so this is quite a departure for me.

Not really sure of the fluff but feel it is a step in the right direction.

P1140433.JPG.3a8d3304c9297c8b0bcbb1784d7c61f5.JPG

 

P1140436.JPG.5f2dadc38f508cc8f8cc131e782c7c36.JPG

 

P1140434.JPG.dc0b65c6da803ffe9189836ae0f8bf90.JPG

 

P1140435.JPG.75c7d4fb0b2fc2e5324068ec2defafeb.JPG

 

P1140442.JPG.d8019e1a849a93bbaa636cafbe8efd44.JPG

 

P1140442.JPG

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

1 hour ago, Hagen said:
  • Base models: the vast majority of the mini is done with bits from this kits, legs and torsos for example. To continue with the priest example, let's say that you previously collected an Empire army for warhammer and you happen to have a lot of bits left over from the Empire archers kit. The legs and torsos are covered in robes, and you decide that you will use them as base models to convert your priest.

One advantage in carefully selecting your base kits & doing some planning in advance, is that it will keep your warband consistent. While you do want some variation in size, anatomy & gear, it really helps tie everything together if most of your base models, or at least the grunts, come from only one ( or maybe two closely related) basic boxes.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I like him, Riot! No idea what he is but he looks good.

Hagan's tips are really good. The only thing I would add is that I've found it helpful to look at the shape of a model rather than its game function or army when deciding what bits to use. A Chaos body might be a good basis for a heroic knight because once you've removed the spikes, it's got the right armoured shape, or a high elf's legs might be good for a cultist because they've got robes and so on.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

@MegabossChompaHow about the genestealer magus or the chaos sorceror for the main body? They've both plastic, and they've got long robes and those droopy scarf-type things that hang down from the collar. They're both tall, though: in real life they'd both be well over average height. Then again, tall and thin might suit the style you're thinking of.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Alright, here goes. I've never shared minis online before, so please me gentle. :)

I have decided to build a warband around a pair of apprentice wizards from the Realm of Life. The apprentices lived out in the wilds in a tower with their master. When their master was killed by a rival (probably a nasty Tzeentch champion or somesuch), the apprentices were barely saved by a Knight Questor.

I have completed one apprentice and his strange familiar owl. This guy was mostly made from the Empire Wizard kit. The pictures don't show it, but he is missing a finger on his left hand, probably as a result of his master's killer.

20170220091800.jpg.435e4df65b880c91e71d27a98c50d301.jpg

20170220091912.jpg.2c7d5636928bab6f54bbed8c093758e1.jpg

Below is the Knight Questor who managed to save the two foolish apprentices after the death of their master. One of my reasons for working on this project is to fully engage with the AoS, and there is nothing more AoS than a Stormcast. I don't enjoy most of their models, but have always quite liked the Knight Questor from Silver Tower. I did a quick swap of his shield and shoulder pad, then nabbed the hooded head. I intend to paint the bit of his face quite pale and his cloak a black or dark grey. In my head, the Stormcast are quite funerary; they are, after all, undead of a sort.

20170220092342.jpg.847cc0714225e4b66f0ab77aeed83a5a.jpg

20170220092359.jpg.1bd696ff3f23d52e5fb6690c6b5c069d.jpg

20170220092421.jpg.bf696d3313b0247f025aead800c2a668.jpg

The new gryph hound box is too good to pass up, so I built a trusty companion for my Questor. No real conversion work here.

20170220092738.jpg.1dcb84169528ef16cfa4e5961d6ae3b7.jpg

Given that I had several bits left from the shield pack I bought for the Knight Questor, I decided the make his "squire." This young man has attached himself to the Questor, following him all about the Realm of Life. The Questor barely speaks to him, but did grant him his shield after the "squire" saved him from an ambush by a Nurgle warband.

20170220095956.jpg.85cfc2b736b252b7386e5653ad9ff0c8.jpg

20170220093250.jpg.445ced971ac9b0c096015c0d0790370f.jpg20170220093236.jpg.0e484035c0fb63c6c1cd27e2e477750f.jpg

 

The Questor and his friends, all together:

20170220095220.jpg.066f24acd42a585c9002c9c2b6e8e4a9.jpg

I've got one more apprentice to do, and then another mortal follower or two, before wrapping the project. Tell me what you think.

 

 

Edited by ArcheiosAggelos
  • Like 8
Link to comment
Share on other sites

I've started painting but this is the final WIP post for the Court of Spades:

20170218_155852_zpsyuaceboz.jpg

 

The Court of Spades

The Mordants of Hunger Woods are wretched creatures that dwell in the vast dark and twisted forests that surround Wortbad in the Harrowmark. The Kyng of Spades and his court are just as twisted as their home. In their madness they see themselves as a dynasty of “The Blood Royale” - a warrior-king and his retinue. They see the dark forest as their castle and it’s surrounding lands. The mad king of a hidden court; Mudshroud, The Kyng of Spades is an Abhorrant Ghoul King who sees the dark and twisted forest as his mighty castle and it's surrounding lands. His rotted retinue seen through his eyes are a band of mighty heroes and fair maidens, wise and just and pure of heart. The truth is dark and unpleasant.

Mudshroud, The Kyng of Spades, an Abhorrant Ghoul King in tattered royal regalia.

20170218_155822_zpshxtge57q.jpg

 

20170218_155833_zpspevttpsh.jpg

Mordgrave, The Quene of Spades, a Crypt Ghast Courtier in the tattered remains of a blue dress.

20170217_215031_zps3i3kjtkm.jpg

 

20170217_215035_zpsegsgx8qw.jpg

 

Moldforth, The Joker of Spades, a capering Crypt Ghoul fool in motley.

 

20170218_155700_zpsrvdgrpt9.jpg

 

20170218_151459_zps0zlhapdq.jpg

 

20170218_151505_zpsgyxjsm4y.jpg

  • Like 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

2 hours ago, ArcheiosAggelos said:

Alright, here goes. I've never shared minis online before, so please me gentle. :)

I have decided to build a warband around a pair of apprentice wizards from the Realm of Life. The apprentices lived out in the wilds in a tower with their master. When their master was killed by a rival (probably a nasty Tzeentch champion or somesuch), the apprentices were barely saved by a Knight Questor.

I have completed one apprentice and his strange familiar owl. This guy was mostly made from the Empire Wizard kit. The pictures don't show it, but he is missing a finger on his left hand, probably as a result of his master's killer.

20170220091800.jpg.435e4df65b880c91e71d27a98c50d301.jpg

20170220091912.jpg.2c7d5636928bab6f54bbed8c093758e1.jpg

Below is the Knight Questor who managed to save the two foolish apprentices after the death of their master. One of my reasons for working on this project is to fully engage with the AoS, and there is nothing more AoS than a Stormcast. I don't enjoy most of their models, but have always quite liked the Knight Questor from Silver Tower. I did a quick swap of his shield and shoulder pad, then nabbed the hooded head. I intend to paint the bit of his face quite pale and his cloak a black or dark grey. In my head, the Stormcast are quite funerary; they are, after all, undead of a sort.

20170220092342.jpg.847cc0714225e4b66f0ab77aeed83a5a.jpg

20170220092359.jpg.1bd696ff3f23d52e5fb6690c6b5c069d.jpg

20170220092421.jpg.bf696d3313b0247f025aead800c2a668.jpg

The new gryph hound box is too good to pass up, so I built a trusty companion for my Questor. No real conversion work here.

20170220092738.jpg.1dcb84169528ef16cfa4e5961d6ae3b7.jpg

Given that I had several bits left from the shield pack I bought for the Knight Questor, I decided the make his "squire." This young man has attached himself to the Questor, following him all about the Realm of Life. The Questor barely speaks to him, but did grant him his shield after the "squire" saved him from an ambush by a Nurgle warband.

20170220095956.jpg.85cfc2b736b252b7386e5653ad9ff0c8.jpg

20170220093250.jpg.445ced971ac9b0c096015c0d0790370f.jpg20170220093236.jpg.0e484035c0fb63c6c1cd27e2e477750f.jpg

 

The Questor and his friends, all together:

20170220095220.jpg.066f24acd42a585c9002c9c2b6e8e4a9.jpg

I've got one more apprentice to do, and then another mortal follower or two, before wrapping the project. Tell me what you think.

 

 

might be your first to share online but hopefully wont be your last. Your conversions just ooze character! 

Edited by Kramer
  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

28 minutes ago, Kramer said:

might be your first to share online but hopefully wont be your last. Your conversions just ooze character! 

I agree with Kramer, really nice conversions, especially the Squire! It's unbelievable how nicely those Stormcasts round shields fit many different minis... I just bought 3 upgrade packs only to get more of them!

I would also agree with what you say about the Stormcasts having a funerary vibe, basically being revenants, and though my colour scheme for them is different from your idea I chose the marble for a similar reason (though I guess I was more after a Golem look rather than undead).

Hagen

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Awesome thread so far. I really like the contrast between the fantastical of AOS and the grimdark of what has to happen underneath it. 

I've recently created the start to a warband. I plan to use them for Mordheim games (as Witch Hunters) as well as Hammerhall campaigns, as a rival band that the group encounters.

The Hounding Guild, created recently to combat the spreading evil creeping into the inner cities across the realms. Self-proclaimed protectors of the citizens, they rarely manage to do good without burning sections of cities down to catch their prey. The Guildleader, Racta the Brute, formed the guild out of what seems to be madmen and criminals. His Lieutenants are malicious twins of a noble family, House Capet, who found their place in the guild by funding it's endeavors, while a blind eye is turned to their bloody antics. But the entire warband focuses on a wild priest originally found in the middle of twelve block city fire. Unknown to the band if his powers of flame are priestly or arcane, the truth is they care not. The wild priest uses his powers to heal and harm, increasing in power he witnesses wrongs against the common population. The Guild provides for the priest, who in turn provides the means to burn out cults, thieves, and all manner of evils skulking in the shadows. A following of flagellants and other undesirables have fallen in with the Guild, rounded out by the kennels of Capet Estate.

Rumor tells of another Capet brother who owes a life debt to the Guildleader. Once cast out of the house, he became a ferocious creature of shadow. None have witnessed his hand in the guild affairs first hand, but his handiwork has been noted in their greatest achievements, piles of bodies eviscerated in the deepest shadows of the city. Legend tells of a hooded hunched figure, with a mane of unkempt hair and a savage snarl on his face as he brings his axes to bear. He is the Beast of Capet.

 

Warband so far. The conversions are just simple kitbashing due to my skill level, but I plan to get more extravagant as I get more comfortable.

 

IMAG3619.jpg

IMAG3620.jpg

IMAG3617.jpg

  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

This thread has quickly become my favorite thread on TGA. To think two weeks ago I didn't realise it existed:D

I often think of conversions with a clear idea of which parts to use. But this time I came up with the story first and now I have to figure out how to create the characters. I'm having a great time getting inspired by this thread, but also with lots of concept art on pinterest. I'm currently thinking about creating some elves (surprise!) running a house of pleasure. I love the long coats of the skitarii for them, but it seems parts are hard to get right now. Maybe I should buy a complete box and build that amazing bits box Hagen seems to have.

Speaking of the bits box, how do you arrange your bits. Do you keep numerous boxes or split them up. What is your system? I have a decent amount of bits and I think it will get to a point I won't be able to remember every part I have and in which box or bag it is kept...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

He found himself all at once alone, as though the world had been eclipsed and plunged into shadow. 

The ancient reliquary pulsing with an inner light.

A voice echoed as though from everywhere and yet nowhere. 

"In Ravenshollow, your quarry lies. Do not fail me."

At that the darkness withdrew, and the glow faded from the pitted sockets of the seers skull in his grasp. 

The message was clear. His master would not be denied. 

After a long hobby hiatus I'm glad to see this thread pulling such wonderful work together to inspire others (myself included). 

I've just started my realm of death roaming slaves to darkness with my chosen. And having finally snagged a certain model, hope to soon add a very....themed beast.

20170227_202524-1.jpg

20170227_202725-1-1.jpg

  • Like 3
Link to comment
Share on other sites

21 minutes ago, elfhead said:

Speaking of the bits box, how do you arrange your bits. Do you keep numerous boxes or split them up. What is your system? I have a decent amount of bits and I think it will get to a point I won't be able to remember every part I have and in which box or bag it is kept...

Personally I don't.  My bits Bix is a veritable treasure trove of loose madness. That way I'm constantly surprised or discovering bits that can spawn an entire conversion. 

Though I'm sure there are those here who would balk at such sloppy organisation (or rather lack there of)

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hey guys, I've been lurking around the forums for a while, and saw this thread and fell in love with the idea. I pretty much made my own avatar, which I call the Storyteller.

When travelling through the Mortal Realms, you could run into all kinds of strange sights. The Storyteller is one of the stranger sights to run into. The Storyteller is a traveler who is more than happy to share a tale or two with those he passes, looking at the world through his wondrous eyes, though he wears a mask to conceal his identity. He is a skilled illusionist, preferring to bluff or fool his way out of the various troublesome situations he finds himself in, which he does more often than not.  The Witch Hunters have been after him for years, wanting access to his excessive knowledge of the Realms, not to mention his excellent use of Illusionary magic. But he has evaded them every time. He always lends a helping hand if there is a good story in it for him, and is never one to shy away from an adventure.

He has seldom been seen travelling alone, and is often seen in the company of anyone from Freeguild, Duardin, and Aelf Adventurers to Knight Questors. Although one thing has been made clear, no one seems to know where his loyalties lie, and that's a risk the Witch Hunters of Azyr cannot allow to let standing for long...

Hope you guys like him. This is kinda a version 1 of him. If something better comes along then I'll definatly make use of it. For now this is the mini I'm using now.

The Storyteller.jpg

  • Like 7
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
×
  • Create New...