Rogue Trader: Choose You Own Adventurers

[Curis]

Presenting…



A Rogue Trader group project between [url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/]axiom[/url], [url=https://sho3box.com/]cheetor[/url] and [url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk]me[/url].

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Choose Your Own Adventurers - Episode 1: Inquisitor Clousseau

Do you fancy painting a specific set of the weird spacemen that we have been drooling over for quarter of a century?" Cheetor said to Curis and myself. "As a group paint along?"

But which weird spacemen? Why the late 1980s Citadel Rogue Trader Adventurers range of course.

The iconic full-colour advert for the RT Adventurers range.

As with all paint along projects I've participated in, cheetor, Curis and myself are aiming for a mutually supportive approach which will result in actual figures being painted. Actual figures that for some cases have been on our wish lists or in our collections for literally decades.

Q. How will the process work?
A. We take it in turns to paint up an Adventurer, tagging the next in painter in a circular chain until we either paint up every single Adventurer model ever, or we get bored and decided to do something else.

Q. What figures are 'valid'?
A. After some discussion, we included some figures and eliminated others. Unreleased figures and the recently released Foundry Emperical Absolution and Liquidation Squad for example are not included. Squat Adventurers are. The definitive selection of permitted figures is covered by the catalogue pages below:

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

You have to admit that's a pretty iconic selection - some of the most characterful figures ever produced by Citadel, including some of my absolute favourites.

[Curis]

Introducing Inquisitor Clousseau

The hardest part to this project has been where to start and working out which models to select. I approached it from the perspective of trying to make a coherent group, and where better for my first selection of figures, than an Imperial Inquisitor and his retinue. Happily, our list of approved figures included a necessary Inquisitor model, masquerading under the catalogue title of 'Lasgun 1'.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

But who is this enigmatic character? We simply need to look at the pages of Rogue Trader to find out. He is none other than Inquisitor Obiwan Sherlock Clousseau.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

Rogue Trader illustration by Martin McKenna.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

The text actually appears overleaf from the illustration, but it clearly refers to this illustration rather than the illustration of the power-armoured Inquisitor which actually appears on the same page. After all, the Martin McKenna illustration is definitely sporting civilian head-wear! The figure itself is based on the Rogue Trooper Major Magnum figure, with significant oversculpting of coat, hat, facial features, gloves, boots and weapons:

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

Rogue Trooper Major Magnum. Image from CCM Wiki.

The resulting figure oozes character with a strong Western vibe. He's the lawman taking down grox rustlers. He's the lone gunman coming to the aid of isolated promethium miners. He's the defender of townships against the warpaint-daubed Kroot. He's the voice of the Imperium in the wild fringes of settled space.


[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

I decided to play up to the Western look with a tan overcoat and drab greys, blues, black and brown. There is a little yin and yang symbol on his medallion which reflects the chest icon from Martin McKenna's illustration.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

Similarly I added a some cheques to the trim of his coat, again the reflect the illustration.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

The sculpt seems a little older and more grizzled than the wild-bearded illustration, so I gave him a greying beard and slightly sallow skin tone.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

As for his, um, 'lasgun' - I'm not entirely sure what it's supposed to be. A shotgun perhaps? Or some kind of advanced close combat weapon? On cheetor's suggestion I painted it up as a Tau-esque pulse weapon (which seems fitting for an Inquisitor, who I suspect is from the Ordo Xenos).

On that note, the sculpting on the figure leaves a lot to be desired. There are lots of details which are unclear, poorly executed or blend into each other. I'd go so far to say that this sculpt is more crudely executed than pretty much any other Rogue Trader figure I've painted...and that says something!

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

But for all his faults, Inquisitor Clousseau is a prime example of character being distilled into a figure. Does it matter that he's carrying a stupid block of a weapon? Does it matter that his left leg must go through a hole in his coat lining? Not really, because the resulting figure just oozes John Wayne or Clint Eastwood.

[url=http://magpieandoldlead.blogspot.co.uk/2017/05/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-1.html][/url]

In the distance, a lone bell tolls...

[Cactus]

Nice, I can't wait for more of these!

[Curis]

Choose Your Own Adventurers – Episode 2: Captain Paradox Zeeman

"Let's all paint Adventurers!" cried sho3box. "I have almost all thirty-two of those rare expensive miniatures!"

"Yeah!" axiom responded. "I have all of that overly-fetishised and as such difficult-to-collect range."

"Yay!" Curis said, getting caught up in the enthusiasm of the group project. "I have … er … maybe … one? But I'll do a cool retro-mimic logo!"

As I had practically no Adventurers, sho3box generously jump-started my collection with the donation of a Pirate Captain.

Teenage-era sho3box had modified the Captain by adding an uzi-style magazine to the pistol and a pouch to the thigh. He'd also removed the sword, as the lumpen sculpting and lead's tendency to droop made it "look like a floppy *****". This did give me the opportunity to do some conversion work to ham up the pirate angle – a hook hand.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-2-captain-paradox-zeeman/][/url]

The first attempt at a replacement was a "split hook" prostheses, made from two paperclips filed to points and bent into curves. It didn't sit well with the chunky 1980s sculpting, so I added a big goofy Lego claw.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-2-captain-paradox-zeeman/][/url]
"Hello. I like money."

The other pirate cliche I went with was stripey trews. Disappointingly I realised after I'd painted Zeeman that the Studio paintjob also had stripey trews, so I wasn't doing anything new or edgy.

A lot of the early Rogue Trader figures incorporate anachronistic fantasy elements (either as a deliberate juxtaposition with the science fiction setting, or sculptors falling back on their established bags of tricks) – leather pouches, medieval boots, landsknecht sleeves, et cetera. It's interesting that the Pirate Captain's boots are anachronistic, but aren't the cliché thigh-high pirate boots of your 17th Century Caribbean pirate; no no no, instead, they're boring ankle-high medieval boots. Makes me wonder if he was sculpted as a generic 40K guy and later designated a pirate. But anyway, to get the boots away from the medieval leather look I painted them gleaming ice-white, imagining Paradox Zeeman as a space-chav displaying his wealth with immaculate footwear. (I may have also been thinking of the glorious Spacego cover.)

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-2-captain-paradox-zeeman/][/url]
"Oi, innit blud. Hit the legs, this is well waffle."

I am thinking about adding freehand insignia to the back of his jacket, possibly the Crab Claw Nebula symbol. It'd tie in nicely with his claw. But that's a finishing touch for another day, when I've collected the other Space Pirates in the range and rounded them out to a little trio/squad/army/formation/Apocalypse detachment.

[url=http://www.ninjabread.co.uk/choose-your-own-adventurers-episode-2-captain-paradox-zeeman/][/url]
"Feds have landed up, wiv me in charge. You're merked."

[Curis]

Handing over to cheetor/sho3box, for episode 3…

Choose Your Own Adventurer pt 3: Eldar Trader


After all of my talk about catalogues and long term projects, I didn’t even know this figure existed until about five years ago as it didn’t appear in the 1991 catalogue. Being the one civilian Eldar model ever sold, I went out of my way to get one when I found out that it existed.

[url=https://sho3box.com/2017/06/19/choose-your-own-adventurers-3-garnier-wangst-eldar-trader/#more-13335][/url]



L’Oréal Wangst introduces his ally Ramirez to his kinsman Garnier.

I'm not certain that the Eldar Trader sculpt is a repurposed fantasy figure, but it certainly looks like one. The Trader carries a holstered pistol, but beyond that he looks like a disdainful wood elf to me.

With that in mind I thought it was best to steer clear of the earthy colours that are often associated with fantasy elves and to place the model firmly in an eighties sci-fi environment, so I went with the lurid, 1980s Miami Strip neon vibe that I first used on L’Oréal Wangst.

[url=https://sho3box.com/2017/06/19/choose-your-own-adventurers-3-garnier-wangst-eldar-trader/#more-13335][/url]

L’Oréal and Garnier display the colours of the Wangst clan.

It worked out nicely I think. The figure looks like the sort of recurring character that would have shown up in Buck Rogers in the 25th Century back in the day… if the budget had been four times larger. I quite like the expression on the figures face: he looks haughty, proud and vain.

[url=https://sho3box.com/2017/06/19/choose-your-own-adventurers-3-garnier-wangst-eldar-trader/#more-13335][/url]

My next CYOA figure isn’t one that I had expected to tackle this early in the project, but I had an idea that bumped it to the top of the queue. Axiom and Curis’ submissions are due before then however and they will be worth a look.

Thanks for the comments guys! It's an interesting era of Warhammer 40K certainly, before a lot of the universe and IP and design aesthetic was nailed down.

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Back to axiom for our thrilling fourth episode!

Choose Your Own Adventurers #4: Short Jern Silvo, Ratling Cook

My second contribution is a shorter, nastier piece of work. And that pretty much sums up a ratling cook - a greasy low-life responsible for acquiring supplies needed to feed his crew. I suspect those supplies may not always be of the highest quality!

I elected to give Short Jern Silvo traditional chef whites and stripy trousers, which kept the paint job pretty simple. Like many Rogue Trader sculpts, the figure is all about the character, rather than the execution of the sculpt. Which leaves some rather tricky areas to navigate - just what is the thing hanging from his cravat? What about the blobby stuff on the spoon? I rendered them as a sort of brooch / tie-pin and...blobby stuff on the spoon!

My approach to selecting my first mini-set from the Adventurers range is to create an Inquisitor with his personal retinue. Short Jern Silvo is therefore the first recruit to Inquisitor Clousseau's team. I'm looking forward to revealing which of the other Adventurers will make the cut!

Emerging from a remote hick bar, it seems that some of the locals want a word. "What did you say to them this time Silvo?"

[Manu Miniatures]

Cool stuff.
Old minis are ugly and awesome at the same time.