Friday 3 May 2019

Probe Droids

RIEEKAN
We've picked up something outside the base in zone twelve, moving east.
SENIOR CONTROLLER
It's metal.
 The Empire Strikes Back had me transfixed from its opening scene, as the adventures from a galaxy far, far away unfolded for a second instalment. Perhaps it was the fact that I was a little older or that the three year wait had whetted my appetite, but whatever the reason, ‘Empire’ has long been my favourite film of the Star Wars franchise.
So as my entry for the Reconnaissance Bonus Round in this year's 'Annual Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge', I presented three Imperial Probe Droids as seen in that opening sequence. Dispatched by the dark lord, Darth Vader to the far reaches of space, the probe droids were an efficient way to track down the remnants of the Rebel Alliance without committing troops on the ground, their findings beamed back in code to the Imperial Star Fleet.
My Imperial Droids are from the core set of Imperial Assault by Fantasy Flight Games and are 28mm scaled plastic models.  More recently Star Wars: Legion, again by Fantasy Flight Games, has demanded much of my time, but I have been revisiting my Imperial Assault models and looking at which ones could possibly be incorporated into a ‘Legion’ game. Much has been made of the scale discrepancies between the two systems and yes these are a tad small for 'Legion', but I am more forgiving than most and felt that these might be used, in some small way, as scenic elements.
Painting wise they were a relatively simple win, guided as I was by another of the excellent Sorastro YouTube tutorial. I have based two for the ice planet Hoth and one as for a more arid climate, in the vain hope that I might get round to devising my Jawa Scavenger game – don’t hold your breath! Thanks to Barks for the tip regarding LensFX used in the first photograph.

50 comments:

  1. Very nice. Not a massive star wars fan

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    1. Thank you Martin and you can't follow everything, although somehow I seem to be trying!😂

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  2. Those are the droids who are looking for you. As Sir Alec didn't say.

    Does that mean that 'leigion' are closer to GW scale ?

    Zzzzz

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    1. I can't say with any certainty, as I don't have any 40K, but the I would have thought so.

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  3. Great renditions Michael, and if you can use them in both systems that's a win in my book. Look forward to seeing more of your models from a galaxy far far away

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    1. Thank you Dave, I seem to be flitting from Star Wars to D-Day at the moment!

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  4. Aha! There are the droids I was looking for. They look great but I wouldn´t want them probing my droids!!!!

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    1. Not that I have droids btw..it just hurts when I cough

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    2. You be careful that doesn't turn into anything nasty!

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  5. Brr-ifgi-Pipijdeef-♫dg...
    Which means, as you know, in Alien langage, excellent job!

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  6. One of the few iconic movies scenes forever burned into my mind. And very nice work on bringing them from movie screen to painted minis. :)

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  7. Never understood why FF felt the need to gouge the market by releasing both systems in different scales. Just greed, plain and simple.

    Probe Droids are excellent. My fav rendition are the ones featured in Solo when Thandy Newton is fending off a pair (trio?) whilst the train heist is happening.

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    1. Thank you so much Dai and I agree, it just seemed an unnecessary step. I can. They must have had faith in their product. I wonder if Disney told them they had to have a different scales?

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  8. Always the A-Droid individual, you have done these models a wonderful service Michael!

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  9. Excellent addition to any self respecting imperial general's army! :)

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  10. Very nice work Michael!

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  11. Very nice! I think that non-human miniatures can cross scales between IA and Legion fine.

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    1. Thank you Barks and I agree, who is to say that these just weren't smaller Probe Droids.

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  12. Excellent work Michael!
    best regards

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  13. Awesome Michael! Always loved those wonky contraptions and you've done a terrific job to do them justice.

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    1. Thank you Nick, just seeing it emerge from the crater was such a great start to an iconic film.

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  14. The Probe Droids really add to any game of SW. I wouldn`t worry about scale differential, its only slight anyway. They`re nicely rendered.

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    1. Thank you Tarot, just having them floating around in the background lifts any scene, in my humble opinion.

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  15. Wonderful work on the droids!

    Christopher

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  16. The 'scale' of these things, like a lot of robots is immaterial in my mind and I'm sure they'll look great on the table.

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    1. That is a very good point Joe and they certainly add something.

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  17. A simple but highly effective paintjob!
    Very well done Sir

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    1. Certainly a quick win and very happy with them. Thank you.

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  18. Brilliant stuff Michael! Do you play both IA and Legion? Do you like one more than the other? I haven't played IA but the character figures look a lot better (so far anyway - though Jyn and Krennick are amazing!) than Legion's - like Han and Leia for instance. Though I guess big picture we're still early days on Legion 🙂

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  19. Great job as always. Particularly love the first photo.

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