Nicky P Gardiner recently answered the call to arms and posted in with a fantastic bit of work on the new Outcasts box set and a Ghar battlesuit conversion:
Nicky: After choosing the Ghar to base my project on. I wanted to go for Purple armour inspired by the Invid battlesuits from Robotech. My centre piece would be a downed Ghar armour suit based on a 60mm base. I intended to build it as if the pilot was struggling to free himself through the blast hole, but the suit still hardwired would be mirroring his movements.
Components I used were; A Ghar armour suit, the Ghar Outcast with lugger gun overhead model, and a small drill bit. I started by building the Battlesuit’s body.
Then I cut and drilled to create the damage – I cut small bits off from the bottom of the outcast until I was happy he’d fit in the hole.
(Note the drill hole is on the other side of the suit to the large exit hole, to look like the penetrating shot was a neat laser hole.)
The drill bit was turned just by hand. Note the clipped and much larger exit hole was cut with snips, which is easier to do before gluing the Ghar armour suit. Easy to work out how as this kit slides together so perfectly you can assemble the chassis without gluing.
It fitted together thus (see above). The hand was then created using modelling putty. I cheated at this a bit. I made a mould with the putty of one of the other model’s hands (the Ammo holder for the big Disruptor gun) then once dried used it to make this hand by pressing in more putty.
Finally the model resembled something like this. Note the hand was not on yet.
I made the legs look like they were partly crippled, and that it was dragging itself along. Note the pilot’s hand is mirrored by the battlesuit’s claw. I also made sure the dragging leg left a furrow in the dirt when applying the sand. I also added an oil trail on later…
Painting my Outcasts
I added the sand to the bases and then gave them a couple of thin coats of black spray. Then set to with a variety of colours from the Citadel and Vallejo ranges.
Skin:
The skin was painted with Citadel Kommando Khaki (this took 2 coats to cover the black).
Then a Citadel Reikland Fleshade was liberally added. After which more Kommando Khaki was added to pick out the raised areas of skin.
Eyes:
Painted Vallejo Japan uniform colour 923.
Reikland wash applied and then more Vallejo 923 applied. Later the pupils were added, with Vallejo black 950.
Bases:
Painted with a 50/50 mix of Vallejo Flat Brown 984 and Army Painter Pure Red.
Reikland Wash was then added.
I then dry brushed the base with the same mix but gradually adding more Pure Red. I was aiming for a Mars inspired surface.
Armour and Weapons:
All the Armour was painted Citadel Naggoroth Night.
The Metal parts, Citadel Ironbreaker.
Again a Wash of Reikland was added to the Ironbreaker areas, before picking out the highlighted areas. At this time, chips were added to the Purple areas.
The green energy orbs were painted with Citadel Warpstone Glow, lightly brushing with Citadel Moot Green, this was then given a Citadel Thraka Wash, before a few highlights of Moot Green and Vallejo White 951.
Final touches were added, oil spills, blood on our hapless pilot, And tidying up, blacklining any areas the washes had discoloured with more Vallejo Black 950. I have to say that the Ghar Armour suit is a really great kit with so many conversion opportunities!
I finished the damage off with some cotton (that I gave a puff of black spray to the end of), the added smoke bringing some urgency to the pilot’s escape.
So on to my next project and see you all soon!
Nicky P Gardiner
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Sam Phillips
Dan Hewitson
