After really quite enjoying the process of plucking unpainted models out of the tub of unpainted survivors and just getting them from based to completed quickly, I decided I’d like to paint up a couple more of my Imperial Guard Schaeffer’s Last Chancers box that came out way back in 1999. I painted Warrior Woman back in Febuary, and I figure it’d be nice to paint the entire box of models before the end of this year, especially as they’re nice characterful models and would probably work in games like Kill Team, or even Stargrave, etc.
So I plucked this pair. For painting reference, I checked out the official box art to see what GW had done, and then took liberties from there. Shiv’s outfit seemed fine enough, so I didn’t deviate a whole lot, though I wanted to give his skin a pale, somewhat sickly pallor – because, you know, just look at him! It hasn’t come out all that well in the photos, unfortunately, but it’s there.
Shiv, on the other hand clearly has a Native American inspiration, given his outfit and the box art so I went with a more tanned skin tone, though I skipped most of the colourful aspects of the original – figuring that one bracelet was enough colourful bling for an outdoorsy Imperial Guard Regiment
Amusingly/Depressingly, while doing my googling to figure out what the names of these models were, I found myself on Reddit where a person who identified themselves as Native American who wrote about how he likes this model since he felt it was clear representation for his culture was roundly put in his place by some (presumably white guy) who told him in no uncertain terms that the model is an unacceptable and offensive caricature. (following that guy, I found he also posts on /sigmarxism, so there ya go…) I mean, there’s your white entitlement – having the arrogance and gall to tell other people how they should think about their own representation… and I’m a “fucking leftie”. Just one with a brain and an understanding of irony and nuance…
So anyway, I’m not going to speak for anyone but myself, but this model seems pretty tame, as really only the hair and fringes/tassels potentially mark him as descended from any particular culture. He’s not wearing a long feathered headdress or sculpted in a “war dance” pose, and the headband has cultural overtones while also being pretty IG-generic over the years. Aside from the whole “Dirty Dozen” thing, I think the model’s sculpt was most influenced by the Perry Twins’ love of History and Historical miniatures – something that became even more apparent since then with some other LC models I’m still painting…
Anyway, people on the internet being offended by everything aside, this was really an enjoyable pair of models to pluck out of the leadpile and work on from start to finish – a nice break from all the Zombicide Survivors, but also models that I would not have just grabbed to paint if I wasn’t on such a roll of getting interesting and different models painted due to those same Zombicide models.
Azazel's Bitz Box. 