Another large critter from the D&D Mad Mage box today – this time it’s Scaladar. Or perhaps a Scaladar. We’re talking mechanical giant scorpion that shoots electricity from its tail. Or that’s what the model is telling me, anyway!
My uninformed assumption is that it’s probably a variation of the metal golems constructed by Trobriand the Metal Mage. Because.. well, it makes sense, right?
Paint was pretty straightforward. Black, Vallejo Game Colour Tinny Tin, Citadel Balthazar Gold, then a bit of silver mixed in for the final stages. Paint wash made from Vallejo Model Colour Black Green (you could use whatever dark green is in use for Dark Angels at the time). Contrast Aethermatic Blue over white for the lightning effects. It’s a decent looking sculpt and thankfully looks good with such a simple paintjob. Even if the lightning is a little goofy.
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
Excellent work on the metal effect, not a fan of the lightning, the painting is great but the sculpt is very clunky
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Yeah, the models in the board game reuse a lot of the old Hasbro sculpts (and with the newer games, a few of the newer Nolzur’s/Wizkids ones). I had a look and the scorpion originally had their translucent plastic for the lighting (blue, in this case). Shy of trimming it off (and I’m good with leaving it on because board game), this is about as good as it’s getting.
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I like the metal effect you’ve used here; might have to ‘steel’ that for myself!
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Thanks mate. I’m always a fan of simple and effective!
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That is bonkers mate – looks awesome! It’s gagging for some OSL from all that lightning 😉
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I think you’re right on the money there, Alex – in fact I think that’s what hurts the model the most and makes it look so odd. If I had any skill at all with an airbrush I might go back and fix it up. As it stands, I’ll file it away in the “to do MUCH later” category.
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It’s effective! Looks old, mechanical… And magical at it! I’m amazed of your stream of work!
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Thanks mate. Mostly simple models has been the key lately to getting a lot done…
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Looks great! 🙂 I’d have removed the lightning if it was mine, but that’s because I wouldn’t be able to paint it as well as you have!
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On reflection, I think if it were a “Wargames” model I would have, but since it’s a board game model I left it, especially as it needs to potentiually be able to “read” more easily for a less hardcore set of players.
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Yea, I was thinking along the same lines. If they had used the newer transparent acrylic, Azazel would have killed it. I don’t know how old this one is though, as I don’t think I have this set.
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If you buy the model as a prepaint (looks like they have a few variations available, too), the lightning is transparent and coloured, but the one in the board game box comes with the entire model in green plastic. There doesn’t seem to be an updated Wizkids/Nolzurs sculpt, though.
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Wonderful paintwork with the ‘metal’. I’m not enthralled by the lightning effect, but I really like the scorpion.
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Thanks Tarmor. I think Alex is right – if I were able to give it a subtle airbrush OSL glow on the carapace it would look a lot better. Of course, that’s beyond my current skills, so for now it stays as is 🙂
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HaHa of course it makes sense!! nice paint work !!
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The writing in a lot of this D&D stuff is really on a pulpy par with the old Star Wars stuff. Make sure you walk carefully because that bar is pretty low!
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As usual lovely painting, but as said above I not a fan of these “effects” they insist on putting on figures these days.
Cheers Roger.
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I’m in general agreement with you on that, Roger. On the original with the transparent-coloured plastic I don’t think it comes across quite as badly as it being (in this case) green opaque plastic!
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Nice work on the scorpion! That Tinny Tin reminds me of the old GW paint Tinbitz which was discontinued years ago now. I may pick some up.
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Very nice painting mate, I always struggle with built in magic effects, so well done on it.
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Thanks Maen. I’m finding that the Contrasts are really my best solution to most magical effects. At least so far!
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Yeah. It’s one of the Game Colour clones of the Citadel paints of the time. Nice deep coppery colour, though – and it flows and covers nicely. I do recommend it.
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Looking good there.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thank you, Pete! 🙂
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Very effective painting scheme. The lightning looks surprisingly right to me – I would not have thought of that color scheme, so hats off to ya.
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Thanks Mark. I just wanted something a bit more interesting than the standard Iron, and regular copper seemed to be too bright. This particular metallic paint gives a nice browny tone that sort-of fits in with the whole scorpion look.
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Good work. This scorpion is more than good enough for board-gaming. I suspect that I would have cut off the lightning effect so good on you for persevering on that part.
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I wouldn’t blame you for doing so, and I did consider it – but as I mentioned in my reply to Dave Stone up top, I gave it a sliightly different set of considerations than a wargames model due to being a board game piece.
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Great tones on that metal. Looks like I still have some Tinny Tin left, it’s a great metal and probably one of the few I still like from the VGC line. I sure wish I could make metal look that good. Will have to remember the VMC Black-Green sometime!
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Thanks Faust – honestly the main “talent” came straight from the dropper bottle of Tinny Tin and I’m sure you could do as good pretty easily using the stuff – as you say, it’s one of the best metallics from the Game Colour line as many of the others are basiclally trash. (Copper is good, though).
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The gold is definitely trash. Looks like I still have VGC Hammered Copper, and I think that was good.I basically used that and Tinny Tin on my first Deathroller, and it helped it a lot.
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Like others, I think going metallic gave the scorpion a really cool look and helps the lightning make some kind of sense. Honestly, it looks like something that would be on an old heavy metal album cover to me so in that sense, I enjoy the outlandishness of it. Your paint job is definitely metal and awesome on this guy.
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