Go Go Liath Rangers

Apparently there's a World Cup on? I wouldn't know, I painted a box set in under a month.

Take that, Lead Pile! Although I guess I'm really just keeping my head above water, Necromunda wasn't exactly a planned purchase. Punting into the Done pile asap was really the only choice.

It's a really good kit, all in all. My favourite component is the box bottom, which is also terrain and floorplan all in one. This is a really sensible idea, and I'm amazed Kickstarty people aren't all over it. Miniature storage that also doubles as playable furniture? I'd shop. A hangar that opens up and stores your army, or a bunker lined with grey foam - easily made, I reckon (and I might yet).

I suppose the only thing putting people off is that if the outside is nicely painted and modelled, you'd need to put it in a second larger box for transport to tournaments.

I stuck in a couple of weapon swaps, mostly from Chaos Space Marine kit (right size and I've got tons). So the Flamer, bolt pistol, one of the plasma pistols and the chainsword are all from other homes. The hook up here is a Chaos Rhino piece.

The Goliaths were always my least favourite gang from the original kit. They looked rubbish! Big fat dudes with terrible 90s pseudopunk costumes, stodgy poses and outsize guns. I mean, okay, it's GW, the outsize guns is par for the course, but all the same. In our college Necromunda Campaign, Goliaths were woefully under-represented, and I think that was linked to the shittiness of the models. Never painted mine, never wanted to.

Not so now! These are good. The guns are still ludicrously buff, but at least their bearers are likeably outscale too. And they have motion and threat to them. I'd be much more interested in playing them, especially as their playstyle of straightforward bashing appeals to my Barbarian sympathies.

These are vaguely themed around Lesotho Basotho Blankets, after I saw Black Panther recently (visually brilliant, average otherwise). Somewhere on a forum I found a suggestion to use a dark purple wash on black skin, and that seems to work well, I'm pleased with how they turned out.

Painting Guide:

• Undercoat - Abaddon Black
• Armour - Shadow Grey, Drakenhof Nightshade, Lothern Blue with Abaddon Black and Wazdakka Red detailing. 
• Skin - Dryad Bark, Druchii Violet wash, Dryad Bark + Gorthor Brown layer up to Gorthor Brown
• Facepaint - Skull mask in Pallid Wych Flesh, Leader's stripes in Skrag Brown with Averland Sunset dots
• Metal - Leadbelcher, Gloss Nuln Oil, Stormcast Silver 
• Brass - Brass Scorpion, Gloss Agrax, Runelord Brass
• Leather - Skrag Brown, Tau Light Ochre highlight
• Pale Leather - Rakarth Flesh, Reikland Flesh Wash, Flayed One Flesh drybrush
• Reds - Got a final touch up with Wild Rider Red
• Bases - Heavy Leadbelcher drybrush, thick wash of very watered down Skrag Brown, Light Ironbreaker Drybrush. A couple of bits of Taurox undercarriage scattered about as extra details. Two guys got lights made from offcuts from the clear orange Templates sprue in the game, painted with black trim to look snazzier. I have saved that sprue for later use

Now I have to actually play the game, I suppose! Painting it made me think back to the old days, losing to the The Flumps (Orlocks) repeatedly or watching all the original gangs get scrubbed by the new release of Outlanders and the much better gangs therein. Wonder if Redemptionists, Scavvies et al will make it to the new game? No reason to think not. I'd love to see a modern sculpt of a Spyrer.

Get Down, Shep!