Sci-fi Soldiers

I've been continuing with m BPRE-related sci-fi kick, bring more units to fill my forces. My good friend Rob really outdid himself this time around, spending hours fixing and rescaling the STLs before printing them in resin. Apparently, the files weren't optimised for 3D printing - maybe they were for a digital game? - so there were lots of voids that needed to be filled, and the final print's detail was a little shallow compared to some other models I've seen. Rob printed them out, and once I had cleared up and based them, they really looked good - so I got to painting!

Backtracking a little, I did have to clean up the prints some. Resin STL prints include supports and some of the skill associated with designing and printing them involves determining their density and thickness. They largely snap off post printing, however there are always still some nubs that need cleaning up - something a small file and sharp hobby blade can address pretty easily. These days I tend to base my miniatures prior to painting (it's easier that way). This time around I used a tried-and-true material using dry-wall sanding pads that resemble a metal grate floor for the bases. The pads' textured surface adds a realistic touch to the overall appearance of the soldiers, making them stand out on the tabletop. On about half of them, I also added some bits and pieces to look like rubble, metal canisters, and bricks - the usual stuff you'd find around modern urban battlefields.

 

A cool feature of these models were their cloaks but getting their colour just right proved to be something of a challenge for me. After some experimentation and mixing of different paint schemes, I finally found the perfect color that brought out the details of the cloaks and added depth to the overall look of the soldiers. As for the bodies, I applied my usual combinations of darker base colours with some lighter dry brushes and some darker washes, including blacklining between the armour and cloaks (thanks for the suggestion, Ross). I recently asked for some advice with respect to dealing with weapons from an Infinity Facebook Group and stuck with their suggestion: Black with some Dark Reaper or grey/silver edges. I think it worked out pretty well.

As I had mentioned earlier, the detail in the minis was a little shallow, so I wasn't able to make individual units as distinctive as I'd normally attempt. That said, with them all together as a group they look great. The time and effort I put into each soldier was worth the effort as they make a great addition to my collection. Finally, I put a huge amount of varnish on these units as they're going to get a lot of handling at Axes & Ales as incorporate them into my games of Black Powder Red Earth.

By the way, while taking these photos, I pulled out some of my old terrain pieces as backdrops - I had forgotten how much fun it was making those trash boards, what with combining resin and melted plastics. I'd like to try getting them into a game or two again in the future.