BattleTech: Flashfire

GunjiNoKanrei

GunjiNoKanrei

New member
I would like to here your thoughts about my latest submission, a Flashfire BattleMech from Ironwind Metals. This is my ... um ... third miniature for the year ... being a father is the most awesome thing to ever happen to me (my first son was born in March 2010), but this really messes up my painting time ... ;)

The miniature has been slightly modified. Originally the Flashfire is a Solaris VII design for arena combat, but I decided to create a variant which could be used by mercenaries or house regulars. To do this I filed off the spikes on the left arm and shoulder. I also repositioned the legs into a walking pose making the miniature more dynamic.

To show the scale I used an infantry trooper and a road sign on the base. The trooper is from Ground Zero Games and stands exactly 6mm tall. The road sign was scratchbuild using a needle for the pole and thin plasticard (a blister) for the sign.

img4c7bceb4e4b22.jpg


And if you feel like voting: >> Voting Link <<

Let me know what you think :)
 
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funnymouth

Active member
love it. great weathering and the non-obnoxious color palate works well. ive always been a fan of scaling mechs, so the soldier and the sign is a nice touch.
 
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supervike

Super Moderator
Oh! That's nice. I like it quite a bit. Love the scene you created as well. Kudos all around, most of all for being a Dad. Best thing that's ever happened to me as well!
 
TheDrescher

TheDrescher

New member
Very nicely done. I'm also not a huge fan of mechs, but this is a well painted figure. The scaling really helps sell the whole piece. Congrats on the new addition! I'm about 5 weeks from being in the same boat myself.
 
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Empchild

Guest
I almost didn't look at this thread as battletech paintjobs are often sooooo basic, but I am really glad I did.
 
GunjiNoKanrei

GunjiNoKanrei

New member
Thanks for the kind words and feedback :)

But here is a question: This is not meant to be a rant about the score and that's why I wanted to wait for the Flashfire to reach 50 votes before bringing this up. Right now the score stands at 7.7 after 52 votes. My question is: What is needed to score 8+ with a BattleTech miniature? The obvious answer would be to claim the manufacturer is GW, submit just one or two views, make the pictures super small and state that this is the new "SpaceAngelsAssassinDreadBot", but seriously ... I felt I had a decent shot. In my opionion the painting is good (ok-ish if you ask me, but the overall feedback I received was positive), I show pictures that are big enough to actually see the miniature, show close-ups, show different angles. Honestly, I don't know what else to do :question: Do I need to improve painting-vise? Add more details? Are the pictures crap? Or do people just dislike Mechs that much?

Again I want to make it clear that this is not meant as a rant. I accept the scores. But I want to improve and I want to score 8+ with a BattleTech (Mech) miniature. Help me please :)

Empchild said:
I almost didn't look at this thread as battletech paintjobs are often sooooo basic, but I am really glad I did.
Click to expand...
Yes, that is true (unfortunately ... though this is true for many Space Marines too). But if you look closely, you can discover some real gems in my opinion.
 
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Empchild

Guest
Honestly a lot of people don't really have a clue in how to judge models. I have had to judge at indy GT's for actual painting contests and people get pissed. It comes down to the oo shinny method sad to say or just having a name that is well known. This does not imply that great work gets overlooked by your peers and that people without demons don't have great paint scores, but it does mean that the average painter see's something and just says "OO THATS AWSOME". YOu have a great piece there so honestly I wouldn't worry about your common score. Theirs a lot of great amazing details on it like that little road sign and the battle damage but most people saddly won't see that as they don't take the time to fully look at the mini.
 
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funnymouth

Active member
if this doesnt get you an 8+, im at a loss. honestly cmon voting is a bit of a mystery to me. my favorite models hang out in the 7's, and a lucky few make it to 8 land. 8 is a big jump in cmon terms. if you really want to push it though, you gotta go cheese. research the "coolest" model for ages - pick something canonical. maurader / mad cat / vulture is a good start as those mechs are recognizable. go to town on the base too, little guys, wrecks of vehicles, cracked cement w/ re-bar. all the little details that will drive you crazy. and the most important thing you can do is make the fig more dynamic. i dont mean walking, but full on crazy gun battle status running/jumping/crouching, sculpted missiles, smoke & fire & laser-beams with OSL and whatever techniques the kids a clamoring about these days (sky-earth on the cocpit, etc); the works. over the top small vignette status (no bigger than the base you used for this model, just build it up). hell, even toss in a helicopter mini in the background.

oh, and call it a mk II "terminator" lol.
if that doesnt please the fanboys i dont know if anything will.
kinda makes me want to do it myself....
see you on the wamp ladder maybe?
 
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freakinacage

freakinacage

Well-known member
well i can't speak for everyone else but i really hate the mini. the pj really brings it up (despite the mkVII battlethong!) but you can't polish a turd... it's a shame because the base is cool and so is the paint
 
Dragonsreach

Dragonsreach

Super Moderator
Staff member
funnymouth said:
if this doesnt get you an 8+, im at a loss.
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You shouldn't be.
Don't forget that despite the forums being heavily used by people who take model painting as a serious hobby, it's still the galleries which attract the "kiddies".
So if its not:-
A:- the latest GW pocket ripping price lump of plastic/lead
B:- amongst a certain crowd of back patting self adulators
Then I'm sorry to say you are on a loser.
freakinacage said:
well i can't speak for everyone else..... but you can't polish a turd...
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Sorry Tim but it's been proved that you can polish a Turd, Mythbusters did it here:- http://dsc.discovery.com/videos/mythbusters-polishing-a-turd.html

And while I don't think it's turd It's not a model that elicits any real enthusiasm for me. Damn fine paint job on it and deserving of an 8. Which is what I've given it.
Well after careful consideration slightly more than an 8.
 
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GunjiNoKanrei

GunjiNoKanrei

New member
Thank you for the honest and valuable feedback :)

While the Flashfire certainly isn't one of the more iconic Mechs and most definitely isn't to everyone's taste I think it is one of the better sculpts by Iron Wind Metals (if I didn't like the design I wouldn't have spent hours painting it :wink: ). A subjective factor which of course plays a huge part in voting. But I always thought everyone likes big stompy robots ... *shrug* :wink:

I do have an (probably cheesy or over-the-top) idea for a Marauder or MadCat (arguably the two most iconic Mech designs) which I will try to realise soon-ish. If and when I can find the time necessary ...

Thanks again!

ps: funnymouth, you know you want to paint a Mech :smile: Go for it! I always enjoy seeing what others do with Mechs.
 
BPI

BPI

New member
Never cared for the robots particularly myself Gunji. Pages of fantasy miniatures in White Dwarf I would spend ages looking at as a kid, full page adverts for brightly painted Mechs in Dragon (I think) I just skipped straight past.

It's refreshing not to be looking at yet another 40K Dreadnaught though, or even worse one of those giant hemispherical orc things (which in turn are nowhere near as diabolical as the Necron pyramid) ;)

Cheers, B.

PS Nice paint by the way :good:
 
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