Thursday, April 21, 2011

A to Z: Robots

I can not even imagine what it would be like to not like robots.

They are Robots.

End of explanation.


So of course it is fun to build robots!
This then is a tutorial on how to convert a robot, actually two robots, that I built for my VSF Quar army.

The rules we're using for the campaign allow for both regular clockwork infantry as well as heavy infantry automatons. I had an idea for the heavies, and in making them discovered I had the left-overs that would work as light infantry too! Bonus!

This is what I started with: two different types of Mage Knight steam golems: 8 each.

The ones on the left have a more cute & pulpy look to them, but I wanted them to have legs: they're far too top heavy. I like the legs of the ones on the right, so I'd just swap them.

This is the type of set-up that is the stuff of C3P0's nightmares.

Blurry picture of our victi...volunteers for enhancement.

Cut!     He didn't feel a thing.

Cut the legs off the other fellow, and get a paperclip for his hip replacement surgery, a.k.a. 'pinning'.
Note: after I built them I decided I wanted those nobby bits off the knees & toes.  It was possible, but it'd have been a lot easier to do at this stage.

Drill into the body & the top of legs, sink the pin, glue and pose into a walking stance.
The walking pose is already much more dynamic than either of the other two robots, so I'm already pleased.

Some variety in poses here.  I added an antennae to the side of the head.

These 4 were given guns from the 40k Ork sprue. I figured some variety would be nice:
some with guns, some without, so unarmed ones could be used as labor-bots in city/outpost scenario gaming.

I even think they'd work in 15mm.  Quite an imposing fellow in this scale, but I think it works, what do you think?

At this point I went back and looked at these left over parts.... look how cute! Like he's smiling at me...
clearly he wants to be made into something useful too...

Be cautious... it is healthy to see this object and think it looks like it is smiling at you.. it's when a lamp or the wall starts smiling at you that you might want to seek help.

Add a gun and a simple exhaust stack and fill in the hole, and I now have an equal number of clockwork light infantry amd they'd work in 15mm scale too!

I haven't had much time for personal painting lately- they're still in a half-painted state:
Quarbots001.jpg
8 of each are at this stage: just need some clean-up, details like eyes and bases painted.

A Word of Warning:  
While robots are seemingly helpful tools, and some are even cute, they do maintain a sinister agenda...

Watch this important instructional video for more information: it could save your life.





3 comments:

Unknown said...

I really like what you have done with those robots! Have you looked at Impacts! contraptions, they are fun for conversions and just building in general.

Also how goes the otherworldly quar campaigns?

Lobo said...

Fantastic conversions and full of imagination!!

Laughing Ferret said...

Thank you both! :)

I've seen the impact gnome machines on the site, but never seen them in person. I'd be tempted to cut the gnomes off, give them a dome with some radials and run them as 15mm sci-fi attack-walkers :)

The Venus campaign is still pretty early days, so a lot of exploring still, with resource accumulation & investing. The Phobosians are allied to the anti-imperialist league, and we've got a solid infrastructure growing. Can't say too much about what might happen because those Imperialist Earth spies are everywhere ;)

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