Last weekend we nipped over to Foundry and took advantage of their sale to pick up a few odds and ends, (but trying not to add too much to lead pile). Obviously while we were there, we took a look through the cabinets, and I noticed these interesting models. Nothing is labelled, so what follows is purely my speculation.
For a start, they definitely look like John Blanche paint jobs – the choice of colours, the fine black detailing and the heavy gloss varnish – I’d be amazed if they had been painted by anyone else.
First up is some gangers with a strong ‘low-life’ feel. Tattoos, stubble, and the one front right is still wearing his prison uniform, judging by the arrows. I don’t recognise the base models of any of these. Initially I thought the front right one was one from the Rogue Trader pirate range, but closer inspection revealed that he wasn’t that similar at all.
Moving a bit further along are what look like two religions cultists. The red symbol looks like a variant on the Orthodox Christian cross, and the red on white also contributes to the pilgrim/crusade feel. Don’t recognise these either. I note that back right and front left are both wielding the same pistol, and it looks a bit like the bolt pistol from the original Space Crusade.
Into more familiar territory here. These are on conventional slotter bases and a slightly different style. Back left looks like Link from the Angel Gang and front left appears to be a converted junior. I’ve got the two models on the right myself. I don’t what back right is, but this one has a few pouches that mine doesn’t have, and to round it off at the front right, we have Space Santa.
Judging by the styling and the use of base figures, these are later than 1986 and probably before the end of the eighties as the style was shifting towards big battles and bright colours. I don’t recall ever seeing them in White Dwarf, and I’m guessing these were prototypes for Confrontation. The ‘criminal’ and ‘religious cult’ themes seem to point towards it, and Blanche was definitely involved in the concept art for that. They could have been done for the original Rogue Trader release, but they aren’t pictured in the rule book and I think they would have been.
What does everyone else think? Can anyone recognise any of the base figures – I’ve done pretty badly (unless they are unreleased).
Just more than four years late to this, but just in case …
The two right-hand base figures in the first shot are Aly Morrison half-orcs. The foremost one is one of the Slave Ogre’s handlers and the one at the back is from the C19 range. You can see him in the August 1984 flyer here (on the right with axe): http://www.solegends.com/citc/c010halforcs/index.htm
In the second photo are two Aly Morrison hobgoblins at the back (the discipline master and the archer shown in the July 1984 drawing here: http://www.solegends.com/citc/c036hobgoblins/index.htm). The ones at the front are half-orcs: a C10 chap and the musician from Mudak’s Mercenary Maniacs: http://www.solegends.com/citrr/1rr09mudats/index.htm.