And today we have my final models for Swordmaster’s Monster March painting challenge, though there remain a few more to come for Ann’s “Neglected But Not Forgotten” challenges (2 more posts, to be precise). Also, one more Monster March model from Marouda to (hopefully) be posted up tomorrow.
I. AM. GROOT.
“But Azazel!” you theoretically argue. “Rocket and Groot aren’t monsters! They’re heroes, and Rocket is sooo cuuuute! And Groot is soooo adorable!” Well, sure. I’m not going to argue the latter of those points. They are both heroes, of course, but in wargame terms, just take a look at the pair of them. Even if you really want to disqualfy the triangle-faced monkey because it’s small, the other one is basically a Treeman/Ent/Huorn/etc, and we know that those qualify for this sort of thing!
Anyway, the painting of these two took months. Even though one is a small figure and the other one is theoretically very simple (what with the wood and all) the assembly on Rocket was pretty crappy, as FFG/Atomic Mass use way too many parts for their models, but even when I was past that, I ended up agonising for ages on them. Groot was actually “finished” at one point, but I was still unhappy with him, so I brought him back inside and did some more until I was satisfied enough to call him done.
I did add a bunch of extra detail to their bases, mostly slate shards and some sand in order to really mess up the sidewalk where it’s been smashed in and smashed through by Groot’s extended arm (just look at what Rocket’s standing on up there!) The little debris on both of their bases just looked too clean, so I added the slate so we could have some more shattered concrete!
It’s another case where the challenges literally were the things that got me motivated to finiosh this pair off. Especially the Monster March one, since I knew I could double-dip with Ann’s challenge for Groot. In the end, I still had to force myself to wade through Rocket, but he came out ok in the end.
And yeah, I realise that starting my Crisis Protocol heroes and villains by sidestepping the core set models and going right for an expansion maybe isn’t the usual way to do it, but I was sucked in by the prospect of painting Groot quickly. And failed at that. I’ve got another two CP models on the desk that I’m honestly not looking forward to moving on with as well. I’d love to play the game, but painting these models is a real drag, unfortunately.
I’ll get a Monster March round-up post together in the next couple of days, and then finish up my final other models from March, and then a Monthly round-up, so at this rate I’ll be finished with March posts in about a week. I should hopefully have something painted from April by then…
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
100% they ARE monsters: A Beastman and a Treeman.
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That’s exactly how I see it. Rocket being tiny means he doesn’t necessarily fit the Wargaming definition even if he fits the D&D definition – but I couldn’t post one without the other! 🙂
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Cracking job mate, I think they would look perfect on any movie set, or in the pages of a comic book
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Thank you Dave – now I need to get a bunch more of these things painted so I can actually try playing the game in 2021!
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I think the wood is especially well done. The bases are simple , but tell a story and finally that gentle blue glow in Rocket’s plasma cannon is a nice touch. So while the process was painful, the results were worth it I’d say.
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Thank you! The pair of them fit pretty squarely into that sub-category of models I like but hated painting but am pretty happy with now that I don’t need to worry about painting them anymore.
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Definitely very nice! 🙂
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Cheers, John! 🙂
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I love these two, the painting is great, the extra base work really sells the combo! I will have to remember the slate trick if/when I get these models – I’m way behind the curve and slogging through the terrain!
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Thanks Eric. I know the feeling – these are the first tow heroes I’ve finished and I’ve got a whole bunch of the terrain sitting around in various states of neglect. The sad thing is it wouldn’t really take *that* much to sit down and make myself finish each piece off.
Except for the newsstand. I’m not keen on painting that one…
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Awesome work mate.
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Thank you! 😀
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It sucks that these weren’t fun to paint mate – if it’s any consolation, they look amazeballs to me dude 👍
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It’s all good, Alex. With Groot I was overthinking it too much, and then it turned out crap anyway until I came back looser. More importantly, they’re done and now I can get on with feeling bad about all of the rest of them being unpainted so I can’t play yet another TT Wargame I’ve bought! 😉
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Very cool – loved Groot’s colors, just perfect. And the slate stuff is genius. It might have taken you a couple of months, but the end results are stunningly beautiful Az.
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Thanks Mark. I’ll certainly be using slate shards on the rest of the shattered concrete bases in this range – and there seems to be an awful lot of them as well!
Also, my little bag of Hamster Sand arrived today, so that’s another took for this sort of thing in my arsenal!
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Ooh, that is cool news!
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These are absolutely monsters in my book. Rocket (in the movies anyway) is some kind of genetic experiment gone wrong which is a monster in my book! They both came out really nicely and it is a shame that assembly sucked. I like that the sculpts are based of their comic book designs and not trying to follow the movies as well. The matching bases look great too. I’ve thought about painting up a Marvel sculpt of a character I really like but if many of the minis are like Rocket, that might scare me away.
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Thanks Kuribo! I have to admit, even though I read a LOT of Marvel comics in my teens and early adulthood, I was never into the Cosmic aspect of their lore, and the Guardians hadn’t even been created at that time, so it was surprising to me how much I enjoyed them in the films. I’ll be happy to straddle the line between comic designs/schemes and MCU in these models as I paint them without worrying about either the film or the comic canon – as long as they’re recognisable and look good will be all that matters!
The models are pretty good once assembled. Just unnecessarily fiddly to put together. Details are a touch soft compared to GW’s top-tier plastic models, but I think that also works with spandex-clad characters.
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I’m right there with you, mate. I tried to read some of their comics before the first Guardians movie came out and I wasn’t that impressed by them even though they are well regarded. The movies made them funnier and more likable I think. I like your painting approach with these too. No reason you can’t blend the two styles a bit. Many of these characters are versatile and have had tons of costumes/designs over the years so you’ve got plenty of freedom/flexibility.
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Very nicely painted.
Cheers,
Pete.
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Thank you Pete! 🙂
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Pingback: Azazel’s Monster March 2021 Round-Up #Monstermarch5 | Azazel's Bitz Box.
Too right that Rocket was a pain to put together, especially that its-bitsy jaw!
Love what you’ve done with the bases mate, I’m tempted to redo all mine to look like that now, but bases have never been my forte!
Excellent work; keep at it because I want to see your take on the rest of them.
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Thanks so much for the kind words here! Especially since your Crisis Protocol work has been really inspiring – you’re one of the couple of people who convinced me to buy in and start on this range with your own blog posts!
The bases were pretty easy really seeing your finioshed models they’d be a doddle for you, though they might well be a pain on otherwise-complete models. I’ll try and take some WIP pics as I go on the next one that has a smashed-rubble base.
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Thanks Azazel it would be great to see the process you follow.
Bases are a bit of a blind spot for me, I’m not creative in that way and can’t visualise how they will turn out, so I either stick to what I know of find something to copy 😁
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Good work. Groot is a tricky one to paint as the whole body is pretty much the same colour all over. I’m really impressed with the detail work you’ve done on Rocket’s tiny face.
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Thanks! Groot really didn’t “click” for me due to that until I went back and added the green tones and then the little bits of cut-down tuft. I’m struggling a little on my next pair, but hopefully I can get motivated and back onto them soon.
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