Tuesday 26 May 2020

Conga Blue & Imperator Build Progress

Conga Blue


In my last post, I hinted that Conga Blue was nearing completion.  Well, he's finally done and I'm really pleased with the finished result!  Conga Blue is a heavily converted Knight based on the Questoris Preceptor with Forgeworld Knight Magaera carapace and shoulder plates.

More than any other Knight in the Court of the Fisher King, Conga Blue has a very specific purpose on the oceanic world of Corbenic.  He is clearly designed for underwater mining operations, with a huge las impulsor, a giant anchor shaped pick axe, twin las cutters extending from under the carapace and a gaping grinder maw which even houses an inner rubble disintegrator.  The shoulder mounted torpedo launchers provide this already formidable engine with the power to demolish bedrock with targeted explosive force.

To provide Conga Blue with increased manoeuvrability, his main engines have been modified to power two huge propellers, allowing his streamlined carapace to cut through water like a submarine!

My intent was to create a solid looking mechanical beast that's striding through waves to reach deeper waters
The Las Impulsor was used 'out of the box' with the minor addition of some hanging mines
From this angle, you can see the propellers and rudder array which help Conga Blue move quickly through the ocean depths.  I removed the main exhausts and a large chunk of armour so that I could install them into the rear of the Knight
Once I'd finished the transparent resin water casting, I added some heavily textured paint to the water to simulate frothing water swirling around Conga Blue's legs as the water churns in his wake
Conga Blue even sports a pneumatic cutter where his crotch plate would normally be located...
As with my other Fisher King Knights, Conga Blue is heavily weathered and chipped; you can also see seaweed tangled on the Knight here and there - I think it adds to the feeling that he spends a lot of time submerged, picking up bits of detritus along the way!
It may appear simple, but this pick axe took a considerable amount of time to carve and sculpt from scratch.  I did quite a few sketches before building it as it needed to look imposing rather than comical.  I was pleased with the final heavily rusted look, along with the barnacle shells which are attached to the tip
You can't go wrong with a precision drill mounted on a mechadendrite for those hard to reach places!
Conga Blue's iconography includes two black bone tentacles on his left shoulder plate - this could represent family heraldry, or a very specific kill marking; maybe even both...
Adding tiny decals to maintenance hatches is fiddly, but I think it makes the miniature look more grounded in reality
The shoulder mounted torpedo launchers will function as a carapace weapon in game terms
Eat your heart out Pacific Rim!
Deep inside his grinding maw, you can see a rubble disintegration device at the back of Conga Blue's throat

 Imperator Progress

Just a quick update on the Imperator build this week - I've been sketching out some ideas for designs such as the legs and the Starshatter Plasma Annihilator.  I've built the main structure of the feet and am now working on the basic shin stricture.  I'm building the leg superstructure then will sculpt the main leg armour separately as this will allow me more freedom when I get the the detailing stage.

Early Starshatter Plasma Annihilator sketches - I'm trying to incorporate elements of the original Imperator Plasma Annihilator and the newer Sunfury design.  This will be one of the final elements of the build, so it's still really just at the planning stage while I work out how I want it to look
These leg sketches give an idea of how I want the legs to looks and how they will function.  It's important that I can actually pose them rather than build them in a really static pose, so I'm planning to build the core components then add the mechanical elements such as pistons once I'm happy with the final assemby
This was my first mock-up of the feet - as they're supporting the rest of the miniature, the bottom layer is 10mm MDF, which will prevent it from becoming too top-heavy and unbalanced.  The feet will be screwed into a base for the final assembly for extra support
Multiple layers of foamex were screwed and glued onto the MDF foot plates.  Next, I will be constructing the rest of the shin structure then it will be on to the thighs, pelvis and hip joints while I wait for some heavy duty filler to be delivered!
I'll post updates on the Imperator as frequently as I can, but expect them to come only when I've reached a significant milestone.  I'm always happy to hear from you guys - let me know what you think of the build so far in the comments :)

4 comments:

  1. Man, such Conga Blue is such an amazing knight! I love the face. I only ever noticed the sawblades - until now: you added the small helmet/faceplate that gives him some semblance of a human face that makes him much creepier that if he were a faceless menace.

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    1. Thanks matey - the aim was to have him looking like a shark with a smooth top surface and a horrific mouth full of sharp pseudo-teeth! I think it worked out perfectly! Hope you're staying safe and creative through lockdown :)

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  2. Really love how Conga Blue turned out. The water effect really is spectacular. I get a very strong Pacific Rim vibe from this knight. As for the Imperator it will be interesting to see how you do the legs. I never really understood the original design with the two trashcans for lower legs and thin thighs. It does not look like it could have walked at all. And the idea of having troops in the legs is something I probably will never understand how it is supposed to work. But then again, I think the Imperator was not designed in the same spirit as the other titans, it was never intended to be realistic.

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  3. Thanks matey - the base of Conga Blue took as much effort as the rest of the Knight, so I'm glad it worked out in the end!

    I think the original Imperator was supposed to be a bit over the top - I always thought of it as a walking city or bastion rather than a battle titan. I imagine it moving very slowly! I think I have spent more time designing the foot and leg mechanisms than anything else so far. I've settled on a single entry into each foot with a sort of bunker sized section forming the 'foot' while the rest of the leg from the ankle upwards is purely mechanical in nature. It's given me a lot of headaches trying to make it look like it could work in real life! More pictures to follow next week :)

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