Pre-slotta Greenskins...

A few pre-slotta lead pieces that were resurrected from heavy enamel finishes…
I dig the savage look of the Fantasy Tribes Orc from ’82- the sculpt seems to have been a starting point for Bagrash from Orc’s Drift.
I’ve always loved the C13 Goblin ball and chain wielders since seeing them in Kev Adam’s army from the Armies book.
The Mummy is a Citadel Fiend Factory piece from around 1980 which is probably the oldest Citadel piece in the collection aside from a couple of Ral Partha wizards that are stamped 1979.

Deep Space Mercenaries...

My recently completed deep space mercenary Commander from Heroes for Wargames and of course the Rogue Trader Rulebook.

From beyond Black Fire Pass...

Some old lead and some recent acquisitions-
Diving into the boxes and bags in the farthest corners of the cupboard I found a few pieces that I hadn't seen for decades and finished them up over the last few days. These Orc, Goblins and Undead are a mix of white metal miniatures from various years but all hold up well when together. The Fanatic was always a favourite of mine after seeing it in the old Armies book in Kev Adams' army- it is a solid base (pre-slotta) from 1984. The peg legged orc is old piece from 1988 sculpted by Kev Adams- I've added one of my recently produced grotesque shields to his back. The Goblin champion is another Kev Adams sculpt but was released recently by Crooked Claw.

These undead are all North Star range bar the central figure which is an old 1983 solid base Zombie from Citadel's Dungeon Monsters Starter Set. It needed a lot of love after being painted in thick enamels.

Old lead, new resin...

The printed backpacks cleaned up and drilled to mount on the Rogue Trader marines...

Printing...

I am working away on a bunch of old Rogue Trader pieces- Marines and Renegades. After digging out the old lead and purchasing a few additions to the collection online I've found I am short on backpacks. The old lead packs are great but with some loose details and the expensive prices they now fetch on the second-hand market I thought I'd print my own based on the old design. Rough modeling in Maya and some work in ZBrush and the .stl files were ready to go. I've done a few variants...

Also here are an array of mines I designed to use in a terrain piece and some other bits I will be adding. More to come as I prime these and put them to use.

Oldhammering...

Oldhammer... a revolt against the plastic mass produced sprues of contemporary fantasy and science fiction wargaming? A sentimental attitude harking back to the time of blister packed white metal/lead figures of our childhood? A bit of both... but its more than that.

The old lead still has a lot to give- it's hand sculpted details may be softer than the modern digital sculpted, dynamic models but it has a certain charm with the sometimes wild designs and exaggerated shapes. A lot of the sculpts seem to rely on- from what I understand- the rtv molding and spin-casting process that limits the dynamism to a degree while trying to achieve a single piece figure cast.

Artists/sculptors seemed to imbue more of their own ideas into the pieces that hinted at a much more varied universe and made for a range of interesting, diverse characters and creatures before an amalgamated style was settled upon.

There are some great blogs showcasing these old classic pieces...
http://realmofchaos80s.blogspot.co.uk/
http://realmofcitadel.blogspot.com.au/

In addition here is a great interview with Rick Priestly with a lot of tidbits on the conception of 40K and the 'old days'...
http://talesfromthemaelstrom.blogspot.co.uk/2011/09/rick-priestley-interview.html

And in the meantime here are a few Undead pieces of mine- old and new. A mix of 80's Citadel metal, contemporary plastic from Games Workshop and Mantic and some models from the metal Lord of the Rings range.

Death Korps of Krieg Mortar Team...

To add to the growing army of muddy trench warriors I have recently finished this two man mortar team. A lot fiddlier than the larger, heavy siege mortar but a lot quicker to paint. Finished with AK Interactive and Mig enamels and powders over Games Workshop acrylics.
Melbourne Museum currently has a quite somber exhibition from the Imperial War Museum on the Great War. Worth a look if you are in town for some first hand references...

 

Heroes for Wargames...

Hidden in the boxes from a recent move I rediscovered this book. It's a gem of references, photographs and information from the early days of Citadel published in 1988. Great shots of the sculptor's and illustrator's workspaces and you cant go past that cover painting. Now I just wish I could find my early Citadel Journals with the Kaleb Daark storyline.

Old School Metal...

Always a fan of old Rogue Trader era sculpts. Here are 3 white metal oldies that I think still stand as great sculpts amidst the new range of Games Workshop releases.
The first is a marine in Crusade Armour from 1991. The next is a Plague Marine from 1993 and the far right is a Space Adventurer from 1988.