Major Henry Fortisque-Smyth
At this year’s Knavecon, sho3box ran a game of Dinoproof. He provided a table full of jungle terrain and crates of dinosaurs, and participants had to make a Warhammer 40,000 big game hunter. This was the excuse I needed to model someone wearing a pith helmet, much like the classic Mœbius character Major Grubert.
Un explorateur colonial un peu ridicule.
Just for this occasion I’d stashed away a Praetorian gunner torso. His hands, unhitched from a heavy weapon, look like they’re clutching binoculars – a conversion idea seen on countless 1990s tank commanders. The bottom half of the figure is a Dark Ages archer, as he was wearing a pair of shorts that would reinforce his British pomposity. (I challenge you to name a 40K human wearing shorts.)
“I, of course, do not have a British accent. That’s just how things sound when they’re properly pronounced.”
I sculpted the bottom of his tunic, then added a pouch and some frag grenades to distract from the Dark Age archer’s slightly narrower waist. The Plasma Gun is from a Forge World Elysian, which tucked under his arm nicely enough to not have to be carried by an attendant or modelled strapped across his back.
Initially I painted his clothes entirely in Death World Forest, as he’s trying to camouflage himself in a … death world forest. But the epaulettes bothered me – ceremonial affectations seem at odds with jungle stealth. Then I realised the initial vision of tropical fatigues was further undermined by the dress tunic. I threw in some more colours and re-imagined the uniform as regimental rather than camouflage.
“An air of superiority is the ultimate expression of military power.”
Major Henry Fortisque-Smyth fared badly in the tropical jungles, being eaten by a series of sho3box’s childhood plastic dinosaurs.
There’s a blog about the dinosaur skeletons here.
There’s a blog about sho3box’s DinoProof Ogryn here.
This is so on point. My gods, I feel the need to get me some dinosaur toys now.
Expansion idea: Eldar Exodites from the PETA colony, to form a third side trying to protect the dinos.
Buying dinosaur toys is seductively easy.
“Chap with big claws and teeth, five rounds rapid!”
Excellent stuff! :-)
Fanks Steve!
I didn’t know that you had approached the painting a different way initially. Fortisque-Smyth seemed to spring into being fully realised. It’s a lovely conversion and paint job. A satisfying microproject I expect.
Will Fortisque-Smyth be making any friends? Will he appear in a Rogue Traders entourage or something similar?
There he is. True story.
He’s probably not going to get any friends. He’s too 1990s to sit happily with any of my current Rogue Trader era projects, and if I did want to flesh out a small pith-hat force I’d want to do them in the classic red tunics.
Would you like to be referred to as sho3box or cheetor in posts?
Marvellous creation dear chap! I imagine he’s one of those excellent fellows who arrives back after a hard day’s dino hunting with his linen suit uncreased, just in time for a space-gin and astro-tonic!
As for the shorts, one of the Confrontation Bounty Hunters appears to be sporting Bermuda shorts…
Trust you to know that range inside out! Looks like there’s a Bratt ganger in shorts too.
Either sho3box or cheetor is fine, whatever you like.
I have that bermuda short wearing Bounty Hunter that Axiom mentions painted in fact, unintentionally as Bono.
https://sho3box.com/2014/01/21/confrontation-bounty-hunter-blood-axe-human-advisor/
This one is very cool. Has he seen any form of tabletop since then? (boardgame piece, etc?)
None! He’s a complete “wedding dress” of a miniature – in that he’s only had one special outing. Though I do fancy building up a small Praetorian Imperial Guard force every time I catch sight of him.