Category Archives: Painting Challenges

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen & Marcus (Squad: March ’18)

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DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen, Marcus

Yesterday, in my Ape-X post, I mentioned that I had been painting some Gorillas for DUST. These were actually started quite some time ago. Following on from the successful speedpainting of 30 Axis Zombies from DUST in January 2014, I rolled straight into the boxes of Axis Gorillas that I had sitting around. After all – the zombies were easy to do, so how could gorillas (almost entirely furred) be anything different? Fur’s easy to paint, after all!

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen

Alas, It didn’t work out. I got a mental block on two of the aspects of these models – gorilla skin and the “silverbacks”. So they sat there, then got pushed to the side, and eventually ended up in a tub of half-painted models, forgotten forever.

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen

Until this month’s challenge, obviously. They’ve not been a priority to get out and paint at any stage in the interim, since DUST isn’t a game that has gotten much gameplay here, despite it looking like fun. While I’ve been aware that they’re sitting there, even to the point of naming them in the “things I should try to get done this year” post from January, I’d even forgotten about that. So yeah, while rooting around in the tubs, I saw them, and basically had one of those “fuck it, I’m getting these done so I can get them out of here” moments.

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen, Marcus

At some point, I’d also cracked open the Operation “SeeLöwe” box and added the Kampfaffen hero, Marcus to the horde, as well as Reaper’s Ape-X, which I’d gotten in one of their Bones Kickstarters. Because why not? Marcus isn’t technically part of the squad, but I think he fits in just fine with the overall post as he’s supposed to be used with the grunts. Ape-X just makes for a thematic extra, though he obviously doesn’t have any rules in DUST (there’s probably some homebrew ones out there, though!)

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen, Marcus

Anyhow, I did my usual thing of checking some photo references for animal skin and hides and then just made myself do what was needed to finish them off. It wasn’t a lot of fun, but it wasn’t that hard. Now they’re done, and if I ever need a cohort of cyber-gorillas for anything, they’re right there and waiting. Marcus had a little bit of extra detailing, so I tried to make him a little more visually interesting by picking them out with some colour in what is otherwise a very drab set of figures.

DUST Tactics: Axis Gorilla Kampfaffen, Marcus, Reaper Bones 80001 Ape-X

To finish up, I thought I’d throw in a shot of all the DUST Kampfaffen  Gorillas with their buddy, Ape-X thrown in for good measure. 🙂

Reaper Bones 80001: Ape-X (Monster March ’18)

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Reaper Bones 80001: Ape-X

Here’s a figure that at first seems to be an odd entry. It’s a model that came with one of the Bones Kickstarters that I’ve backed, and is now available at retail as Ape-X over on Reaper’s webstore. As with many of the models released in Bones, Ape-X is a reworking of one of their previous models, in this case, Ape-X: Supervillan from their Chronoscope line. Original, metal Ape-X also has a drill attachment for his right arm as well as the gatling gun. I think I may actually have the metal version around somewhere in a tub filled with Reaper models.

Reaper Bones 80001: Ape-X

In any case, this model has been part-painted for a couple of years now – and when I started trying to get some other, similar figures completed for Squad: March, I decided to work on him at the same time in the hopes of also getting him painted to completion. He’s far from my most awesome paintwork, but Bones isn’t the world’s best material to work with (look at the “straight” lines on the power pack on his back!) and so it’s certainly good enough for tabletop – and I’m happy to leave it at that!

Reaper Bones 80001: Ape-X, Necromunda Escher.

He’s not gigantic, but at least Troll or Ogre-sized. That counts, right?

Since he’s a big guy, I thought I’d throw him in here as a small, extra entry for Monster March as well. I’m still fully intending to try and get the proper big guys done (though this weekend was wiped out since I’ve had a throat infection that just killed my painting off) – but think of this guy as something like a Stretch Goal. Just upfront rather than later.