Thanquol Returns

So, was just quickly looking through some links when a little article with some leaked pics showed up featuring an old Skaven friend:

So this is what the new Thanquol and Boneripper miniature looks like. This is both what I imagined and yet not. Seems they've moved away from the old Skryre skeleton based design in favour of a new Moulder monster with Skryre arm modifications. Also, the image of Thanquol is blurry, so I can't tell for sure if they've kept his horns the same or they've modified them. If they have, I hope they can give an explanation on that one (even something as cheesy as 'The Horned Rat elevated him and his horns magically altered to reflect that status'. It'd be at least an attempt at it.

Damn. Now it seems I may actually have to get this model. Not only is it a great centrepiece for my Skaven collection (I guess so would a Verminlord, but then Thanquol is far better character then them), but I've always wanted a Thanquol and this miniature makes much more sense. Thing was, it's harder to use the old versions as the rules for two separate miniatures ment you needed them close at all times for Boneripper to work. Riding Boneripper is not only more sensible (given he can now hide behind the monster) but would be easier rule wise to be a single miniature. Given my financial situation, I now have to decide whats better to get first, the rules or this miniature?




Look at that beast! Me would so ride-stand tall on one of those.......but Rat Ogres treacherous. Each time I go near-close to them they try to kill-kill me. Ungrateful creatures.
~Grey Seer Skratchnsniff

New Skaven Minis?

So it was pointed out in the video on the Verminlords that one of the upcoming miniatures was seen, a Grey Seer on foot.

I admit it, I love the recent editions of adding small rats to the models.

 

While the miniature is a nice improvement over the old metal models of foot, it was a few blurred images in the background that got my attention.

What are those things. Clearly they could be the rumoured Armoured Rat Ogres, but that would make these ones mach larger then the original sized Rat Ogres. It might be the mounted character set, but there doesn't seem to be characters riding them. Given the tubes on the top ones but none on the bottom, if this was a set then it would have alternate options in the rules. I feel that they'll be tragically out of my price range and may have to skip. If the parts are good though, I may have to obtain some second hand leftover bitz and create a monster of my own for fun.

Grey Seer? Bah! I, the great-grand Skratchnsniff, am the only true Grey Seer that's needed.....unless mighty Thanquol is reading, then he's truly the great-grand Grey Seer needed.......please don't kill me most spectacular of Seers.

~Grey Seer Skratchnsniff

Character Ideas From Games

One of the best things about creating characters is the idea that creates them. For me, some of more villainous types come from bosses from video games. It doesn't have to be something particular about the boss or the fight itself, but rather elements that make up the fight that influences the creation.

One such boss that has influenced me into the creation of a character (or rather the creation of an alternate world version of a character) is the NME from both the original Rise of the Triad (a.k.a Rott) and the 2013 remake. NME (Nasty Metallic Enforcer) was a brilliant boss fight back in the day, a machine that chased you about firing all sorts of weapons that just seem to get harder the more damage you did to him. His death sequence involved his body exploding, sending his head into the air before it landed back down and then a second later it too exploded. Add to that the great boss music of the original Rott game had and it was easily one of my favourite bosses of all time (should really do a list on that). While the remake had a more menacing looking machine and the legs made more sense then the old versions wheels, it somehow failed to capture the feel of the original NME. Even it's death didn't seem as triumphant compared to the destruction of the original. Still, even that version still had some influence in the visual design of the character.

As it stands all I have is the head sketch and some background information on the character which is part of a collection needed for a commission I plan to get some great artist to do in the future, but I would like to finish the full body design and write a combat sequence in which he appears (although in that version his head would survive. Need him to return at some later point for another planned story).

Side villains usually only get one or two appearances in total before never being heard from again or a finally destroyed. Because of this, they should always do something that would impact on a character in a way that a primary/secondary villain could not. This is why game bosses are a great source of inspiration. They are usually nothing to note compared to the main villain, yet can still be a tough and memorable fight. Give it a shot. Find some of your favourite boss fights, find out what it is about them that you like (the design, their voice/personality, the music, etc) and then take those aspects and create a character from them.

You might be surprised by what you create.

Verminlords

Given we can now see much clearer versions of what the various Verminlords look like, I do like the look of them. They do appear to be more menacing looking versions of the original Verminlord model (which came out sometime in the late 90's I think).

I do like the look of the Warbringer (who looks like he needs to lead an army of Stormvermin), though my favourite one is a little harder. I'm stuck between the Warpseer and the Deciever. The Deciever has that real sneaky, killer look and his Eshin weapon was an ecellent touch, yet the Warpseen stance and the holding of his orb gives that look like he's about to unleash something nasty on the world. Shame they costs $129AU each, but the End Times seems heavly focused on selling large kits that will most likely never be used in 9th Edition.

More Skaven End Time Info

So apparently across various boards various Lore information has been popping up about the new Verminlords. Four are said to represent various aspects of The Great Horned Rat's personality while the fifth is the souls of the Council of Thirteen that existed during Nagash's defeat thanks to the Skaven Fellblade that a fused into a singular will. While it may just be me, I feel the reason for these creations is to have a counter point to the five other evil Gods that are playing the End Times. Think about it (info taken from warseer):

Warpseer: Desire to manipulate and control the paths of the future - sounds like Tzeentch, perhaps a counter to him.

Deceiver: Misdirection, sneakiness and deception - possibly Slaanesh?

Corruptor: Embodies the black plague and bubonix spread far and wide by the ratmen of Clan Pestilens. - Screams Nurgle.

Warbringer: Embody the most warlike aspects of the Horned Rat - And here we have the Khorne equivalent.

Verminking: Souls of the Council of Thirteen (Nagash Time) and stitched together into something far greater - A power designed to fight Nagash.

Given that thus far the main threats where the Chaos Gods and Nagash (Elves where too busy fighting themselves to count) it makes sense for the Horned Rat to create weapons to counter those powers to give his children a chance in obtaining the destiny he promised them.

Whether this is what was intended or not doesn't bother me, I just feel that it is a logical explanation for the reasoning behind creating these five monsters.

Plans for 2015 - What Happen's Now?

With a new year I've been doing some of thinking (let's face it, depression means we do a lot of it) and once again I feel like I've hit a brick wall. Perhaps it's the heat and humidity (did I mention I hate Summer) or perhaps it's just a feeling of being lost and lonely, but I can't seem to feel the energy to go forth and make this year better.

My plan is to continue studying, but in what I don't know. I had planned for Screen and Media (mostly focusing on film and TV) and yet have made little attempt to try it over the holiday period. While I may have passed my last course, I feel it was only just and attempting harder studies could backfire on me. Curse me and this depression.

Project wise things have been slow, though mostly due to the heat. My room heats up quickly and I can't use strong light because of it. Sadly, got no where else to do it so it's more of a slow game of patience and waiting for opportunities then anything else. However, with the planned release of some new Skaven goodies this year thanks to the End Times, I suspect I'll finally get some new Skaven miniatures painted up soon. The idea of a new Thanquol mini riding a giant Boneripper sounds like a dream project.

Character wise I will try to get more of them into sketch and note form so I can get more of them done through commissions. I still plan to get a few more for Storm Spear and Corrupticus including a large poster looking one for the Storm War, with different reality versions of Storm Spear on it. I've got a base sketch of the layout and heads of those versions (based on the way they are facing) and will probably scan them in and add colour through Photoshop when I get a chance. From that point on is trying to get enough money saved and to find a great pony artist willing to do it. Also plan to get a few of my Skaven characters done in commissioned art.

Photography is here and there. Was wanting to do some night work, but being close to the city means there's so much light pollution and sadly I have no car to go out west to find such beauty. Haven't got the hang of photo editing and still don't have my own style yet. Not sure on this one.

Will attempt to put paint to canvas in the near future, though when and how I still don't know.

 Perhaps I should try writing short story parts leading to particular articles on this Blog. Not sure how I'd go about doing that since I need to get these previous artistic projects done in order for that to work.

Finally, I should really get out or reach out more often. Being shy and insecure has done little to improve life and self-loathing isn't a healthy thing to do. Maybe get back into shape, that sort of thing. Well see.

Welcome 2015....

.....feels just like 2014 - Bloody humidity.

Again, just like Christmas, nothing happened. Well OK, that's not entirely true. I was flicking through digital radio stations looking for some comedy and stumbled across a show called 'Another Case of Milton Jones'. And here I thought radio comedy was dead. For those who don't know, back in high school a friend of mine got me into the Goon Show, a classic British comedy featuring Harry Secombe, Peter Sellers and Spike Milligan. I loved it and soon found a few Australian ones like 'Yes, What?' (a show about a classic Australian school classroom with a bunch of disruptive students) and the still current 'How Green Was My Cactus' (a show about Australian politicians).

Anyway, this one was from the second series and had Milton Jones becoming Mayor of London. Despite living in Australia and never having been overseas, I still got Nealy all the jokes and did enjoy the show quite a bit. I appreciate this style of humour as it usually involves good jokes as well as an imagination to visualise scenes. Comedy seems to focus on more crude, offensive humour or just plain swearing in modern times and while that may get a laugh or two, it gets repetitive after a while.

That said, I have yet to get bored of Clive Palmer jokes. Not sure why?