Necromunda House

I am rather pleased with this house I made for Necromunda. Having finished my ruined factory zone I thought I might make some terrain for a Necromunda settlement. I started with this house for a scavenger. I was inspired by an old Rhino I had sitting on my desk waiting for paint. 

As I was building it a back story emerged in my brain (the result of too much polystyrene cement fumes I expect) of the scavenger who lives here. He is a devout man, which explains the shrine and the eagle above the door. He found the Imperial Fist Rhino and built his house around it...it has expanded over the years. He even has a boiler and a balcony/patio area to relax. 

I genuinely think this is one of the best things I have ever made. 

Scum and Villainy: Mother Agnes

Mother Agnes is a wretched figure, typical of one of the countless billions of human refugees who fled the destruction of their home-world, Earth, during the Slythian War. She can be found living rough in a spaceport in the rim, eking a living by begging and steeling. Most travellers in the spaceport walk past the pitiful old woman without even registering her existence, which is a mistake, because the wiser traveller knows that Mother Agnes sees and hears many things, and is more than happy to divulge what she knows for a few creds or a shot of rum. 

Scum and Villainy: Halson Nax and Crew

Work continues apace on the 15mm zombies for my mini-hammer Vampire Counts army, but in the mean time here is a post of some figures I slapped some paint on last week. I painted these for my Scum and Villainy range. This is an ongoing and occasionally-added-to collection of Sci-Fi figures that I paint purely for fun. As with my Frostgrave collection, the Scum and Villainy collection features figures from many different manufactures and games: basically anything that I think fits with my image of my Sci-Fi setting. I haven't really got any hard and fast rules for what I can include in the collection, but if it helps you can imagine it as something of a cross between the inhabitant of Mos Eisley and the cast of Serenity. 

 Halson Nax is a well known face in the outer rim, where is plies his trade as a salvage on board his ship, Scuttlebucket. He has a reputation for taking risks in pursuit of the prize, savaging valuables from wrecks that even other salvages think are too dangerous to tackle. According to rumour he took the bejewelled Star-crown of Assislis from the wreck of the Assisli battle cruiser Fireheart just moments before the vessel was crushed in a black hole. Whether this is true or not remains a subject of much debate in the drinking holes of the rim, but what is certain is that the Empress of the Assisli has places a sizeable bounty on Nax and his ship.  

Nax is the only human crewman of the Scuttlebucket, and is assisted in his endeavours by a host of droids, many of which he has previously salvaged from wrecks. Droids have advantages over living crewmen because they use less life support, don't ask for a share of the profits and, perhaps most importantly, they are both expandable and easily replaceable. 

Yell-Oh-One is a standard Mechdroid, although he is a somewhat out-dated model. He has been serving on the Scuttlebucket for longer that any of the other droids and Nax tends to treat him as a favoured pet.

Nax uses Chompers to access parts of wrecks to dangerous for other droids. The use of Chompers has been outlawed in many civilised parts of the galaxy following the incident on board The Excelsior, but out in the rim such regulations are not enforced.

 Banquo is the latest droid to be added to Nax's crew. It is an old Lillian battle bot Nax 'rescued' from a Slythian pirate. Its heavy armour and EMP shielding makes it useful in the hazardous environment often found when exploring  wrecks, and Nax has retooled it to carry a quad-las cutting tool in place of it's usual weaponry, which makes more useful as a salvager, but still deadly at short range. 

Scum and Villainy: Landspeeder

Joe the Soleman has a bargain for the scum and the villains who live the space-port.  One vintage Landspeeder, one careful owner, who had to hastily leave the planet for reasons best not explored in too much detail. 

I bought this from Disney shop in Birmingham, it was on sale from £7 to just £3.50, which is a real bargain. I am still not sure what I am going to do with it, bit I think it needs a base to make it look like it's hovering. The weathering/distressed look is exactly how it comes in the box, which is great. The jet repair hatch opens and closes too. If you are quick you should get one as they had quite a few on the shelf. 

Scum and Villainy: Krug the Gellpling

I haven't painted much for my Scum and Villainy collection for a long time. In case you have forgotten, it is basically my own scifi collection inspired by the residence of Mos Eisely and the worlds of Fire Fly/Serenity. There are no particular rules as to what I will include, just anything I have hanging around that I think fits in with my own vision of what the dangerous hinterlands of civilised space would be like. If you like this click on the 'Scum and Villainy' tab on the right and see some of my older figures in the collection. 

Krug is a mercenary from the planet Gellp III. Like all Gellplings he is exceptionally tough and strong, and possessed a stone-like carapace that serves him well as armour. Krug is a gun for hire and can be found adding muscle to pirate crews, scavenging expeditions or in the employ of local crime bosses. He has no morals, and is only loyal to his paymaster (and then only until someone else offers him a better deal). He is, however, very good at what he does. 

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This figure was a freebie from Warlord Games at Salute last year. It is from the Gates of Antares. I have no particular desire to start a Gates of Antares force, but this figure makes a great alien mercenary for my Scum and Villainy range. 

I took this with my new Cannon S120 camera- it's wonderful for macro photography. 

AtDE: Rag Market Trader (Gameboy the Grey)

Gameboy is a trader in the Rag Market (formally known as Birmingham). He buys and sells computer components and electrical goods looted from the ruins of the shops and offices around the Rag Market. 

Many consider him a wizard of sorts,and some jokingly call him Gameboy the Grey. He knows much of the Lore of Computers that has been lost since the war. He is old...perhaps one of the oldest of all the rag market residence, and he has the wisdom which only comes with age. his sagely advice is much sought after by the younger generations. 

Gameboy doesn't collect his own computers any more- he is too old and frail for that. Instead he hires young gangers to go out into the city ruins and fetch it back foir him. Its dangerous work, but Gamboy always pays well for their loot. 

Gameboy is a Lead Adventure Miniature figure, one of a small collection of post-apocalypse traders. He was a pleasure to paint. the resin base is from Fenris Games. I think he will work equally well as part of my my occasional scifi Scum and Villainy collection. 

Scum and Villainy: (Part 5) Scavangers

Since the destruction of Terra humanity has been scattered through the depths of space, surviving in colonies, refugee fleets or on the peripheries of the galaxies other societies. One of the traits that make humanity such an enduring race is the way they can adapt rapidly to changes in circumstances, find niches and start to thrive. Harrison Huck is an example of such a man.

Huck grew up an orphan in the Hope refugee fleet, but found distinction as the owner-captain of a scavenger ship named Pretty Girl. The Pretty Girl is an old decommissioned asteroid mining vessel Huck found in a scrap yard. He and his motley crew now ply the shipways, searching for space junk, worn out satellites and shipwrecks to strip and salvage. Their activity is only semi-legal, and many take exception to what they see as grave robbing, but Huck knows he can rely on Pretty Girl to get him out of a tight spot. She may look like a pile of junk roughly welded together, but the thick armour of an asteroid ship, coupled with a few surprise weapons Huck has scavenged over the years, means Pretty Girl is far from defenceless.

Harrison Huck- a born survivor!

Huck’s first mate is Catha Ray’al, or Cat for short. She is an Illtahi, a race of shape shifters. The Illtahi are universally despised for being untrustworthy and devious, but Cat seems to be something of an exception. After Huck rescued her from a Callian slaver she has been his loyal companion, and his enforcer. Her quick reflexes and the natural paranoia of the Illtahi have saved Huck’s life more than once.

Cat the shape-shifter

Huck is a Games Workshop Tank Crew. I love his helmet and shifty look- he just looks like a scavenger! I am not sure who makes Cat- I got her of my mate Leon, so perhaps he can enlighten me. I like her because she is clearly morphing her hand into some sort of spiky weapons- a pretty cool look.

Scum and Villainy (Part 4) Two More SciFi Rogues

In the shady parts of the galaxy, like seedy bars and dark ally ways, there are always those men who survive by their own wits, who use their skill and skulduggery to earn a credit or two.

Handle Rex and Emilio Smith are good examples of just such men.

Handle Rex is a ruffian and a thief. He has a reputation for getting the job done; wither that is steeling a cargo ship or collecting an unpaid debt. Working as a freelancer, he has hired himself out to a number of criminal organisations that find his particular skill set an asset to their operations. 

Emilio Smith is a drifter and a gambler, who is often found frequenting the drinking holes and chance-dens on the outer rim worlds. He is quick witted, but is equally quick with his gold plated pistol, and many a fool who has mistaken him for some over -dressed dandy, has found that was the last mistake they made.

  

I was rummaging around in a box of old figures, looking for something to paint for the blog, when I came across a few likely candidates for my scifi campaign. The theme for my campaign is ‘Scum and Villainy’ and is inspired by the many oddball residents of Mos Eisley, and of the scifi/western setting of Firefly and Serenity.

Handle Rex is a Games Workshop Necromunda gang member, and Emilio Smith is a cowboy form Artizan Designs. I have already painted on of these cowboys for my western campaign, and rather than convert him or paint a duplicate, I thought I would rebase him and use him for my scifi collection. As usual the bases are resin and made by Fenris Games. 

Scum and Villany (Part 3): Trench

Life in the darker pats of the universe are often brutal and short. A man like Trench can make good money hiring themselves out as bodyguards, bounty hunters, or just hired killers. When times are hard, Trench is not above resorting to piracy too.
Trench never leaves his squalid little den without being armed to the teeth, and his favored weapon is an over sized Vallian Shotgun, capable of stopping the most determined attacker. Trench particularly likes the variable power setting, which means that it is still effective, even on high gravity worlds, unlike most conventional solid slug weapons.

Trench is an old Necomunda ganger I had floating about in the garage. His gun is ludicrously big, but I think it's kind of fun, and will make him useful for AE bounty too. I am quite pleased with the way he turned out.

Scum and Villainy (Part 2): Asteroid Miners

Asteroid mining is a dangerous profession, but one where the rewards can be immense. More than one intergalactic tycoon served their time strapped to the sides of a frozen chunk of rock, hurtling through space. Small wonder then that humans are constantly drawn to the dangerous profession, given their in built, gene-driven desire for self-improvement.

Dirk Sallee is just one such prospector, risking everything to work his claim. Although Dirk has yet to strike it rich, he has a good claim and has made enough money to make a living. He knows he must defend his claim against the bandits, pirates and claim jumpers who would seek to take from him what he has risked his life for.

Dirk is wearing a Mars-pattern environment suit, a protective garment favoured by the asteroid miners. Although the Mars-pattern is considered obsolete by most nowadays, it is still the suit of choice for most miners, who admire its ruggedness and the simplicity of its self repair systems.

Dirk is assisted in his endeavoured by Rustbucket, and EVA robot Dirk picked up at auction on Gallead IV. Rustbucket is practically an antique, having seen service on numerous mining colonies and asteroid mines, and its experience is invaluable to Dirk. As is it's tough polarised titanium shell.

Dirk is a Necomunda figure from Games Workshop. I am not sure when or where I got it, but I found it kicking around in a box of bits and thought it would fit the bill as a miner. Most of my other SciFi figures are lightly armed, as I wanted a sort of Serenity/Firefly look, but the rules for AE Bounty kind of dictate that most crewmen models need a rifle of some sort, so Dirk might well see service in my pirate crew too.

Rustbucket is one of a collection of robots made by Black Cat Bases. Its obvious (and purely coincidental, I am sure) similarity to a certain robot in a certain SciFi film about a Black Hole did it for me. Just too cute!

Scum and Villainy (Part 1): Pirate Captain

The universe is a big place, and one it it easy to hide a warship in. Little wonder then that some former Naval officers, when they fall out of favour with their respective governments, take to piracy to earn a living. Hal'ethar is one such individual.
Having fallen foul of the complex political machinations of Ethak high society, the warship captain Hal'ethar was sentenced to death in his absence. His loyal crew helped him evade the Death-hunters sent to 'terminate his command' and now they lurk amongst the Elysium Nebular, praying on free traders and sometimes even navy patrols. He is particular vicious when ever he comes across a Ethak ship.

There is a bit of a story to this miniature. It is one I have had in my collection for at least 20 years, but for some reason never got around to painting. Eldar was one of the first 40k armies I started with, back in the days of the oddly idiosyncratic 'Rogue Trader' version of the rules.
I found this miniature in a tin in my mum and dad's loft and thought it would make good eBay fodder. Oddly enough, when I listed it it did not sell, despite a low listing price, and being a very collectible model. I wasn't too sad, because I think I had already made my mind up that I wanted to paint it.
The sculpting and casting on this miniature is first class, especially given its age. It was a pleasure to paint. I chose a paint scheme reminiscent of Storm Trooper armour, because it contrasted nicely with the plate/chain mail look. I opted to give him blue skin and white hair to make him look more alien (and also in a nod to 2000AD's Rogue Trooper and Star Trek's Andorrans)