White Metal Games

Getting the most out of your plastic spares, or, increase your army size on a budget!

2012-02-21T07:28:00.003-08:00

Wait, those Crypt Horrors don't look quite . . . . right . . . what's going on here!

If you're like me, you are always looking for ways to increase the size of your wargaming army and hopefully, without blowing your wallet. Fortunately with the latest trend from GW of including multiple options in your newest plastic kits, this is more possible than ever before! Part of the high price of these kits is the 'options' and in my opinion, the extras. Rather than banishing these bits to the shadowy depths of your bits box . . . use em' and build an entirely new unit with them!

As those of you who follow my blog know, I've been slowly building a Vampire Counts army over the past few months. Building my army on a budget was paramount to the project, however, when the new GW plastics came out, such as the Hexwraiths, Mortis Engine, and Vargheists, I was pretty enamoured and wanted to get a few to add to my swelling army.

As with most of GW's most recent kits, they give you a 2 for 1 deal: ie, you buy a single kit that can become one of two different ships, units, or monsters. A good example of this is the aforementioned Vargheists, which also doubles as a crypt horror kit. The lower legs, base size, and torso front remains the same with either model, but everything else is different depending on which option you wish to choose.

For some of the larger models, such as the Thundertusk from the Ogre Kingdoms Line, you can magnetize the model so that either option can be utilized. This would probably work with the Black Knight/Hexwraith dilema too, since really all you'd have to do would be swap the riders. However, as a long term converter I can tell you I'm not a fan of magnets. Inevitably you run into problems of storage when the magnets attract to each other and rip each other apart through thin walls of case foam. With these breaks you get chipping, damage, and worse.

Whether you agree with me or not isn't really the point of this article, however. What is relevant is that some of the smaller kits, such as Vargheists, are impractical to magnetize in this way. But after you assemble your models, you still have a ton of extras left over, almost enough to build another model or unit if you just had one or two little components.

That's where someone like me steps in and gets creative.

In the case of the Vargheists, after assembly I still had nearly enough leftover to build a unit of crypt horrors . . . if only I had something that was about the same size and thematic build to use as a torso and legs.

If you are a d&d player, or played the D&D miniatures game in it's hayday, you may have a few of these lying around. These devourers stand about the same height as a vargheist and are certainly in the same motiff as crypt horrors. So digging through my mini's box I found three of them. Being an uncommon you probably have a few lying around.

The assembly for these is pretty simple. First, use a pair of clippers to remove the model from the base. It's plastic, so it's easy, but try to avoid snipping off the toes, as these will be an important part in selling the finished model as authentic.

Next, clip off the head and arms. Set thes aside in your bitz box for future projects . . maybe the head of a vile Night Lords Daemon Prince!!!

Now, add the bits you have left over from assembling your vargheists. You can probably pick these up as spares on ebay for very little if you are interested in doing this as a solo project. Since you are going to later use some grey stuff or green stuff to cover in the gaps you don't have to be perfect here. Just glue the arms, back, and heads where you feel like they fit the best. You can mix and match as you see fit. You could even skip the back piece entirely, but I like the hunchback look of these figure so I did it anyway.

Now, use some 2 part epoxy such as green stuff (or in my case Apoxie Sculpt) and fill in the gaps. Once you get the general shape filled, then add a few details such as sinew or muscle or the like. Don't worry about getting it perfect, but try to get it smooth at least. If you dont' like the 'spirit cavity' on the front of the model, now is a good time to fill that in too. Personally, I though it fit, so I kept it. But a little green stuff could have filled that in as well.

Finally, glue the models down to some spare 40mm square bases. If you don't have any spares, then try checking with friends or you FLGS. They probably have a few spares or at least they sell them.

All told, I pulled of this project for about 15 bucks, or less than half of what a new box would have cost me. And I used almost the entire kit! Now . . is it tournament legal . . . eh, it's iffy. But I bet once painted most people won't be able to tell the difference unless they REALLY know what they're looking for.

On the same token, I recently assembled a unit of Hexwraiths and had almost an entire unit of Black Knights left over, just minus the mounts. So, on ebay I found some old Skeletal Steeds from the old Black Knight unit. These are getting harder and harder to find as folks catch onto this idea. The new barding and rider fit almost perfectly over the old horses! Check it out below!

I had some spare cavalry bases lying around from another project and so mounted them up. While the newer horses are nicer, this was a great way to build a whole another unit from the same box for about half the price.

So in the end, I built 4 units for the price of 3, or about 25% off my total budget spent. Not bad for a days work.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to set up a project or get a quote for a commissioned model, unit, or an entire army!

Until then, remember to put your mini's where your mouth is!

Caleb
WMG

Kali-Ma!!!! As well as Abyssal Terrors, Eldar Bright Stallion and more!

2012-02-07T05:30:00.000-08:00

Kali-Ma! Kali ma... Kali ma... Kali ma, shakthi deh! Kali ma... Kali ma... Kali ma, shakthi deh!

Er . . I mean greetings! Welcome back! If you're wondering what all that chanting is about, it's about my latest commission for client JJ, for his Army of Kali. Without getting into tons of bravado, Kali is a Hindu Goddess of both Creation and Destruction. She is revered as a deity of great power, and is sometimes known as that big blue Indian chick with the six arms.

So JJ has an interested in Indian culture that borders on zealotry and has been talking about a army based around Kali for some time now. We were both in agreeance that Kali would have to be the focal point for the army, and that was the figure to start with. JJ read up and ultimately decided to base his army of Kali on the Chaos Daemons Codex Army Book, but his army would use 'avatars and aasimars' in place of daemons, just using the same rules. We're still conceptualizing the army itself, but to start with JJ wanted a Kali figure that would 'count as' a greater daemon. We liked the idea of having her slaughtering a daemon of some sort, and since Eldar Avatar's are technically daemons I hoped on the chance to use one for a scenic base.

Kali herself is bashed together from several kits, including Reaper Sophies, some High Elf bits, Beastmen bits, Daemon Princes bits, ghoul bits from K.o.W., as well as some weapons from a Reaper Weapons pack. She is standing over the body of her fallen foe, holding his own sword!

I've taken some liberties with the model itself. The traditional Kali is a bit more how to say it . . . matronly . . .? She wears a bunch of big robes and looks a little uninteresting. This Kali is a bit more Fantasy based and I definitely feel like she could vanquish an army of daemonic filth!

Kali was a lot of fun to build, and I'll be painting her up this month.

There's plenty of other stuff going on at the studio this week.

The Tarrasque is pretty much done and now we're going to try a dry fit to make sure everything matches up. Assuming this works, then we should be working on the mold as early as this spring! Molding this bad bod is going to be an endeavor of patience, so bear with us.

I did another 'Golem of Morr' base for my VC army and did a third 'counts as Corpse Cart' on chariot base using this mini Necromancer raiding crypt diorama, that counts just the same. It's a narrative interpretation of the Corpse Cart, but I think a fun one, chock full of details.

I painted up Ku'Gath the Unclean (the jabba on sled figure) and am shipping him off to my friend Heath, a chaos player up North.

I had a few left over Banshees from a recent Coven Throne project, so decided to find a way to make them a playable part of my army. Since they are normally designed to be flying around the Mortis Engine, I have to come up with something clever to get them to stand upright. Using these spare Gravestones from the Garden of Morr, I attached them in such a way to make it appear they were rising out of the graves themselves. A little grey stuff to seal over the joins and I was in business! A great way to add three banshee's to your army on a budget!

This larger model towards the bottom of the page is a Eldar Bright Stallion converson I did on a lark over the past few months, using spare bits around the workshop. He's in the same vain as Ku'Gath. He wont' be a fan favorite, because of all the non-GW bits used, but for someone who really wants to field on in their next Apoc game, he'll be a good find on ebay!

(Note, in the time it took me to write this post, he already sold!)

I added a new Objective Marker to my box of Objectives. This circle of Runic Stones is great for Marking Holy Ground for Space Wolves or Circle Orboros players or the like.

I built another Tyranid swarmlord for ebay and he's currently up for sale. Might be the last one I ever build, so get yours while you can!

We've made a few custom Tyranid Warrior Boneswords for ebay buyers. You can get them here if you are interested. You can also buy whips for the same here.

Last but certainly not least I've been working on some more Vampire Counts on Abyssal Terrors.

I only have enough to build 2 more, so get them while you can! Now with custom fitted base.

If you're wondering why I haven't been posting on youtube recently I've been working on a few video projects but haven't had time to get them posted yet. One is a terrain tutorial and the other a painting tutorial, both for Space Wolves/Icy Tundra style armies and terrain boards.

WHEW!!! Looking back it's been a really busy few days!

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer custom models and miniatures for wargaming enthusiasts like you. If you are intersted in having a model custom built, contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services. We offer terrain building, consignments (for those wishing to off load their old mini's without all the hassle of doing it themselves), and painting as well!

That's it for now. Try to get in a game this week and remember . . .

PUT YOUR MINI'S WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

Caleb
WMG

Illuminor Szeras for Necrons, Tri-arch stalker pattern

2012-02-01T08:31:00.000-08:00

So . . . we met at last . . . for the first time . . . for the last time . . .

Hopefully not! I completely forgot about this guy! So for a while now I've been selling an Illuminor Szeras figure. It's had mostly positive results. You can check it out here!

I like this figure a lot, and I've sold a bunch of him, but the issue is the legs. They are INCREDIBLY fragile. I almost wouldn't call it plastic. And when you ship them, no matter what you do, there is a risk of damaging the model. So I've had about 2 negative feedbacks left for me on ebay for just this figure. That's huge for me, and not in a good way.

So, seeking out a model base to work from that wasn't quite as easily damaged I ran across an alternate lower torso that really worked out better in my opinion and these are the results.

This newer figure is much more durable but . . the problem is folks still seem to like the first figure better. I offer both, but buyer be warned, I don't know how the first figure would take a tumble. The second figure I know would at least be okay with a little table roughage. You know how boys like to play.

For those just tuning into this blog my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire! Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to arrange a quote, and until next time, remember, keep on rolling . . 6's that is!

PUT YOUR MINI'S WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

Caleb
WMG

Miniatures on a Budget, and More Necron Conversions for Alternate Necron Army

2012-02-01T07:38:00.000-08:00

Time to get out geek on! That's right, I said it!

This week I've got a small menagerie to show you, so let's just dive right in.

Gaming is an expensive hobby. Now to be fair, just about any hobby is once you really get into it. But with the price of books being anywhere between 10-50 bucks, and model kits ranging from anywhere between 14-70 dollars for a single kit, it's no wonder the hobby is such a niche . . . most of us can't afford to buy all we'd like.

Fortunately, that's why most of us were blessed with a vivid imagination. They say necessity is the mother of all great invention. I couldn't agree more.

On that note, this first pic shows a Huge Earth Elemental we came up with for our games of D&D. Reaper puts out a HUGE Elder Earth Elemental, and to be fair it's very cool (check out the fossil on it's shoulder!!) But at 40 bucks, it's a bit out of my price range for . . . let's face it, a monster with limited shelf life. You can use this guy maybe once or twice every year in a good campaign, or some variation of it.

So what we come up with was this 'hulk' elemental. We found an action figure, in this case the hulk. If you look close enough you can see the green skin and purple pants. Then we layered on grey stuff and cut it in stone shapes. Once you get the hang of it the process goes pretty fast. Then we glued it down to a spare 65mm base and PRESTO, instant Earth Elemental. Wait til you see it all painted up!

On the same note, we are expanding our Vampire Counts army for Warhammer Fantasy and wanted to include some characters such as Krell, Isabella Von Carstein and Count Manfred on skeletal steed. Rather than drop the 60 bucks for all of those at GW, we picked up some figures from reaper and just made a few changes. For "Krell", we used a Death Knight and gave him a ridiculous axe. In face, it may be a little TOO big and we may hem it down, just a bit. It's kinda ridiculous.

For Isabella, we used a female necromancer fig and gave her a chalice from the Dreadfleet box set, a treasure token. We applied some grey stuff to simulate blood running out of it, which will look stunning once painted up. Finally, for Manfred we used this Bloodseeker vampire from Reaper and a skeletal steed from Ral Partha. Took a little bending, but eventually we got him on there. Check out all of Reapers undead line here!

The client from a few weeks ago with the Necron army requested a few more figures, another Cryptek conversion and some 'Deathmarks'. We agreed to use the deathmarks faces for the weapon nozzles. He's running an adeptus mechanicus variant list and it fits right in with the AM. Talk about a real kiss of death! I took a little leeway and added these cloaks to them. They kinda remind me of ghosts or wraiths, which I guess he could count them as, technically (Necron Wraiths STILL don't have a figure!)

For those just tuning into this blog my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire! Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you'd like to arrange a quote for services, want some advice, or just wish to shoot the breeze!

Until then, be sure to get your geek on this week, and remember . . .

PUT YOUR MINIS WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

Caleb
WMG

Golems of Morr, Necron Crypteks, Custom Necron Matched Army, Harpies, and more!

2012-01-24T07:16:00.000-08:00

Well, it turns out I'm a liar. A big fat dirty liar.

Last post I promised that the harpy I showed off was the last harpy I would ever build . . . I was wrong.

A few days ago I sold a few more Tervigons with Egg Sacs based on a Starship Plasma bug. Whenever I build one of these, I have a carnifex torso left over. And there's nothing better to build with a spare carnifex torso that a Harpy!

So I built two and put them up on ebay! The price may drop in a week or so, but I'm pretty sure these 'will' be the last of these I ever build. Unless of course if I sell more tervigons.

The Necron Crypteks have been selling well too, so I introduced a few new variants. I have four varieties now, plenty of selection. The older version with the tuning fork I have to stop making because I need the tuning fork for my tombblades, which are sold out . . . again. Hopefully I'll be able to relist soon if I can just find a few of those struts on ebay.

My vampire counts army has expanded a bit. I didn't have any corpse carts and I've been struggling cause I don't really like the corpse cart mini. Since my army is a little off the beaten path, I decided to find a new solution for this problem.

When the rumors for VC's started flying a few months ago, I was really excited about the idea of Flesh Golems joining the VC army. Even though they weren't technically undead, they fit the theme of the army. I wanted me some Frankensteins! So I came up with this idea to use Flesh Golems to count as a Flesh Cart. I got these Golems off ebay for a steal. I just mounted the two of them on a chariot base with some suitable gothic style crypt ruins (from LOTR) and presto, instant Corpse Cart, or as I like to call the, the golems of Morr!

Since the cart does 2d6 attacks, I figure it makes sense that each mad Golem does a random 1d6 of these. I also reposed on of their arms to help them look a little different. I plan to add some sort of Balefire or Lodestone to their bases, probably as a rock they are throwing or a burning brazier on the base. Not sure entirely yet.

Having sold out of my Necron Wraith conversions with whip coils, and being unable to build more due to a lack of parts on hand (and on ebay) I had to come up with a low cost altnerative. These new wraiths aren't quite as snazy as the old ones, but they certainly make a good proxy in the mean time. And I think they're actually pretty close to the codex pics.

I had some spare bits left over from all my barges so I built three of these Stargates! For objective markers or scenery or the like. They sold in a hurry, but I may build another in a few weeks if I can wrangle up enough bits.

Finally, these last images show some unusual Necron conversions for a 'counts as' army. A new client contacted me and asked me to match work from a previous converter. This is always a tricky task. For one thing you need a large working knowledge of bits to look over a painted model and attempt to reverse engineer it. The client may have been in love with the original project, so matching it can be critical! And if you want to get paid for your work, you'd better hope you get it right.

This gallery of images shows both my work and the original converts models, which the client has since painted.

Mine are the first batch of pics in the sequence, and are unpainted. Scroll through his gallery. It's a cool project and I was glad that I got pretty close to the originals in question.

Matching work is just one of the things we do at WMG. For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in creating custom models for your wargaming needs. We paint, convert, build terrain, you name it. We also offer consignment sevices. I just got a HUGE BOX in from a client and I'll be listing all the contents over the next week on ebay. Be sure to check out my store for all the goodness.

Feel free to contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you'd like a quote for a private commission, or if you just want to shoot the breeze.

Until then, get in a game this week! And for God's sake . . . PUT YOUR MINIS WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!!

Caleb
WMG

Out with the old, in with the new. The final march of the Necron and Tyranid conversions . . . .

2012-01-19T08:09:00.000-08:00

Well, the times they are a changing.

Just a few weeks ago BOLS announced a pretty devastating rumor about the Tyranid and Necron 2nd wave both being released in Mid-February. I've heard rumors like this before, but I can't ever afford to ignore them.

So, along those lines, I've been marking down prices on all my Necron and Tyranid conversions on ebay. Items that once went for 70-80 bucks were marked down to break even prices for me, just so I wouldnt' end up in the red. Necron Wraiths, spiders, stalkers, scythes, as well as Nid Parasites, Doom, t-fex, and tervigons, all marked down, all ready to roll out!

The good news is I've sold out of just about everything! The bad news is I've sold out of just about everything. Business boomed and I'm exhausted!

Realizing I had a very narrow window of opportunity for the Necron release between 1st and 2nd wave, I converted and sold faster than I ever have before! While the iron was hot, I sold about 12 Spyders, 10 wraiths, 50 Stalkers, 20 Scythes, 30 Tombblades, 12 Illuminor Szeras models, and about 20 cryteks!

Over the past few years with Nid, I've sold over 80 harpies, 100 tervigons, 40 tyrannofexes, 80 Parasites of Mortrex and over 50 doom of malantai's! I've also sold about 100 spore pods of one sort or another! It's been a good few years!

This is not the end for me . .. . oh, no. I hope to get into much more painting in the near future, and attract more business that way. And I'll still be pumping out custom conversions as per client request and for my own personal satisfaction. But it's safe to say my cash crops are drying up. GW would be wise not to leave too many openings for people like myself again, because I'll jump on board every time.

This week, I've got pics of some of my latest creations.

This Crytek conversion with 'stave' could count as just about any of the newest special weapons options. I'm hoping this will continue to sell well, in spite of the 2nd wave of Necrons.

This is the last harpy I will likely ever build, so I made sure it was a good one! With alien wings and everything! It's up on ebay right now.

Also featured is the last Tyrannofex I ever built! This model sold in less than 12 hours on ebay, and I was grateful for the quick turnaround!

As a VC player, I was very excited by the newest release of the rules for my pale patrons . . .. but not for the FC model of the Abyssal Horror. I didn't really like the look of the flying dinosaur . . . so I decided to come up with my own take on it. I'll be building a few more of these once the first sells. I like this model, even though it's a bit larger than the other official Abyssal Terror. Think of it as a baby Zombie Dragon, or the like.

A friend of mine requested a custom miniature of a motorcycle gang leader riding a bear for a post-apoctalyptic type game. In the future, real men ride bears and carry a big gun!

I also put together this new slate base with bullet casings for sale in my ebay store, and finally these Necron Objective markers, using left over from the 20 or so Command barges I hacked apart for the stalkers!

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer conversion services, painting, terrain building, consignnment, you name it! Our website is just a few weeks away from launching, so be sure to follow this blog for all the most recent updates!

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com for more info or to obtain a quote for services!

Necrons, Thunderwolves, Tyranids, and more! Back to business as usual!

2012-01-12T10:21:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Now that the holidays are behind us, it's back to business as usual. Most of the parts I ordered over the holiday have arrived by now and I'm back into full converting mode swing! Never one to sit on my laurels, this is what I've been up to lately.

A client requested 3 Triarch stalkers on 60mm bases instead of 90x120mm ovals. I was eager to please. He also requested magnetized weapons options, so we came up with a simple solution to both, and the first few pics show the fruits of the project.

Speaking of Necrons, they are selling like hotcakes! If you havent' been to my ebay store then you should really check it out. I sell everything from Tomb Blades to Canoptek Wraiths to Doom Scythes! I've sold dozens of each. The stalkers are the fan favorite having sold more than 40 now. I couldn't be more pleased they are such a hit.

Here's a Canoptek Wraith I came up with that is currently for sale on ebay. The whip-coil variant seems to be more popular, so those are moving a bit more quickly.

I also came up with this poor man's Scarab base using adrenal glands. Once painted up with some green OSL on the back, it'll look very mechanical. Maybe I'll paint one up this weekend to show what I mean.

Since GW still hasn't released a Thunderwolf, and I get requests for them from time to time, I thought it was about time I released a few variants on my ebay store that I could sell as they were requested. I've sold five of the largest variety so far, with plenty of watchers on all three! It really is dealers choice. I've tried to make them as affordable as possible, so hopefully Space Wolf players will snatch them up.

For you Nid players out there, I haven't forgotten about you. I am running short on my old T-fex model, so I had to come up with a new variant. This model is similiar to my Tervigion I sell through ebay, but incorporates a massive chest cannon on it's lower abdomen. It hasn't caught on yet, but I'm hopeful it'll find a buyer before too long.

This Brood Nest is a custom creation, intended to be used in place of the FW model by the same name. It's so hard to get Brood nests now that they're out of production, so we offer this as a low cost alternative.

In a similar vein this Tyranid Lash whip is great for Nid players wishing to field units of warriors (or Primes) with lash whips who don't have the patience to convert them themselves. I've sold a few of the other kind, but have yet to break ground on these newer, sleeker variants.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, great communication, and reasonable rates. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in obtaining a quote for services.

On the web page news, I'm almost ready to launch. When it goes live, it'll still have lots to do, but at least it's a start.

The Tarasque project is nearing completion. I'm sorry I haven't snapped any pics of it yet, I just keep forgetting. Bad Caleb. I'll get them up soon, I promise.

I haven't uploaded a video in a bit because I've basically just been building Necrons around the clock for the past 2 weeks. Hopefully once it slows down again, I'll be able to try something a bit more ambitious.

Until next time, remember to put your mini's where your mouth is, and happy wargaming!

Caleb
WMG

Necron Canoptek Wraiths with whip coils, Scarab Pattern Spider, and Dooms! Happy 2012!

2012-01-03T12:54:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers! Hope you had a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year! I was in Northern WV visiting with my family, but I managed to squeeze in a little time to model while I was there.

First up, this new Scarab Pattern Spyder. I borrowed the 'scarab' idea from an image on the web. Someone had built some really neat spiders with these scarab wings and I thought it was really neat! I changed the design by adding my own legs and these different heads. So far, I've had a few of these selling, but they're taking off slowly.

I've sold every Doom Scythe, Tomb Blade, and Stalker I've been able to build, meanwhile, so my Necron Sales were good over the holiday. Getting those orders out over the next day or so.

I came up with this new variant of Canoptek Wraith. Not sure how many of these I can build, due to the fact that these bits are hard to scrounge up. But I build them until I run out of parts to build any more (or until GW releases their own, whichever comes first).

Finally, since Doom sales have crawled to a standstill, I came up with a new pattern of Doom of Malan'tai. Nid sales are down these days. I guess everyone who wants a Doom, Parasite, or Tervigon, has one at this point (partially thanks to yours truly). Still, I need some new blood out there to buy me out of stock again!

Work on the website continues. I was hoping to be done over Christmas, but with the travel (over 1200 miles) I was so wiped at the end of every day I couldn't get it published. Soon though, hopefully.

The Tarasque is nearly done, maybe another few weeks. Once it's done we get to cast it up and then see how it does. Eager to get a mold built for this bad boy. I think my assistant Nick did a great job on this and can't wait to show you guys some pics, once it's ready.

Will be building some Thunderwolves over the next week or so. Got a good deal on some D&D dire wolves that I'm eager to convert.

Tried Blood Bowl over the break. Many, I thought 40k was complex! I just couldn't seem to wrap my mind around the turnover or dodge aspect of the game, and my brother Jeremy walked all over me! Still, it was fun to play.

I was hoping January would see the new VC army book arrive, but it looks like that's being delayed until July. Too bad, I could use some new projects to work on before summer.

That's where you come in . . . that's right . . YOU. Got some extra Christmas cash burning a hole in your pocket? Why not turn it into a commission?

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. If you are interested in having a model produced for a very reasonable price then contact me. My prices are low, my turnaround is fast, and I am always eager to work with new clients.

Until next post, Happy New Year, Happy Wargaming, and remember . .

PUT YOUR MINI'S WHERE YOUR MOUTH IS!

Caleb
WMG

Orc Squiggoth conversions, Alien Queen Tervigon, Tyranid 'Brood Nest', New Necron conversions for Wraith, Spider, Orc conversions, and more!

2011-12-20T07:09:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

It's been another busy week here, with plenty on the conversion table. Let's dive right in.

First up are a pair of Squiggoth conversions for a potential client. I say potential because this particular client has bought from me before. The client contacted me to express interest, but not til January. I was a little ancy and wanted to get a jump on them. So I dove right in. Now if the original client doesn't come through, I'll have to sell these off on ebay, but I think I can find them a good home.

The Forgeworld versions of these models would easily cost a buyer over $400 bucks! I did these for a fraction of that with plenty of time and bits from my bits box. The main squiggoths are from a Star Wars Reek toy and a Revell Trike, respectively. These figures formed the foundation of these models. The trikes horns were repurposed as lower jaws. I used an entire Aegis defense line kit plus for the leg barding and the cannon bases. The cannons alone took several hours each! This was a massive undertaking, that I would be foolish to undertake again . . . but for the right client I might consider it. =)

Next up are some Ork conversions. I had some spares from the Battle Wagon kit I butchered for the Squiggoths, so I used them to good purpose to build this Grot Tank and Deff Dread with leftovers from my shop. Not bad in a pinch and for a fraction of the price (the Grot Tank sold the day after I listed it, lol)

A new client requested a Alien Tervigion based on a Queen figure from Aliens the movie. Not an uncommon request. They also wanted it to be tournament okay. This is just over 51% GW bits, so I think it'll fit the bill nicely. I also had a moment to paint this example of the new Tyranid Brood Nest conversion I am selling on ebay. This model is cast from resin and sold in my ebay store, calebfilm

With the anticipated release of the Necron 2nd wave in 1st quarter 2012, my Canoptek Spider and Wraith conversion may be too little too late, but you can't rush inspiration I guess. Still, if they are popular I will definitely build a few more to sate Necron players in the mean time.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. You can contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services or to just pick my brain.

If you don't hear from me again, have a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year! Get in a game, and for God's sake, put your minis where your mouth is!

Take care,

Caleb

Chaos Chirgueons, Dark Angels Achilles and Venerable Dreadnought, Tyranid Shrikes, Gargantuan Wyvern, and more!

2011-12-13T06:52:00.000-08:00

Greetings Fellow Wargamers!

Well, it's either feast or famine with me. I went from having no commissions to 5 or 6 in like a few days of each other. Folks really seem to like the new Necrons, and they're keeping me busy. I'm a little confused why no one else has attempted any major conversions so far. I've seen the occasional stalker out there, and one or two scythes, but not a lot of models out there. I guess most folks are waiting til January to see if GW releases the 2nd wave of Necrons. Well, I guess that's good for me, then, undisputed market. Although, usually competition breeds a better marker. Does anyone have a Necron conversion they are willing to share, I'd be curious to see what others are doing.

Meanwhile, client JJ has been at it again with all his armies. JJ asked me to build him a land raider Achilles on a budget. This is what I came up with. It's not an exact match, but it's not bad, and we met in the middle of the road on price, so it was a win win.

He also had me build him a custom Venerable Dark Angels Dreadnought, fully decked out with weaponry. I also built him 2 Chaos Apothecaries for his Blood Angels 'Word Bearers' Chaos army. I really wanted to use that chirgueon backpack at some point, and this was a great chance to do it.

I also worked on some Tyranid Shrikes, which are posted on ebay. A new client requested this strange looking 'venomthrope' because he liked my worked and hated the GW model. So this is what I came up with. A little bigger than the normal model, but this sucker is sturdy and those sting-whips won't be breaking, that's for sure.

Finally, I developed this gargantuan wyvern/dragon for D&D miniatures. It comes with a 130mm round base and flight stand, and is up on ebay currently.

In other news, the ebay store topped $20,000 over the past 4 months, a new record! And we're still growing!

The website design is . . . .slow . . . slower than expected with this spike in business. But don't worry, it's still on my agenda.

For those new to this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in setting up a commission.

Until next time, remember . . . put your mini's where your mouth is! Happy wargaming!

Caleb

Vampire Counts of Sartosa Army for Warhammer Fantasy Battles with display Board 'Isla De Muerta"

2011-12-05T07:40:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers:

This has been a long term project I finally finished up! It's a custom Vampire Counts of Sartosa army I put together to sell. I always liked the Vampire Count of Sartosa storyline, and the figure, but was dismayed by the lack of models for the line. Over the last few months, I started to put this army together, and now it is finally finished. It includes:

Display Board, 1/4" MDF backing with wooden trim. Temple of Skulls and several polystyrene islands form the 'Isla de Muerta' board. Spackling compound has been used to create waves, that ripple towards the islands, creating a sense of a roiling tide. The chaos symbol has been covered and a treasure chest has been partially unearthed towards the rear of the temple. NOTE: One of the original skull monuments was lost and thus had to be replaced with a suitable alternative skull. There is a brass Compass in the bottom right corner of the board, mounted.

27 Zombies and 20 Skeletons. Each unit comes with a standard bearer and musician. These units are kit bashed with Empire Free Company to make a true unit of undead sea dogs and scalliwags.

1 unit of Cadaver Crabs (count as Corpse cart) on 50x100mm MDF chariot style base.

2 Dark Maidens, Count as Varghulfs. These ghostly mastheads float around the board on wings of sterncastles.

3 Units of Spirit Hosts, each unit is different. One depicts 'Sea Hags', the next 'Undead Spectres' and finally a unit of 'Sirens'

1 Jolly Roger row boat, counts as Black Coach, with 3 pirates, and buckaneer flag in white metal. The wave has been sculpted from spackling compound and clay.

4 Characters, includes a Vampire Count of Sartosa (the official GW model), a Vampire Pirate with pistol, a 'Mind Flayer' pirate (could count as a Necromancer), Clarissa the Razig (vampire or count as Necromancer)

5 Undead Pirates (count as Grave Guard or Cairn Wraiths)

1 Undead Pirate Captain (count as Wight King or Tomb Banshee)

skull and crossbones dice bag with 2 nautical star dice

All told with a few magic items, around 2000 points. A great army with a great display board.

Let me know what you think of it! It's up for sale on ebay now!

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in fast turnaround, custom models, and competitive rates. Email me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in obtaining a quote.

I'll be posting again this week regarding my other weekend exploits, and expect a new video by the end of the week on my youtube channel. I had a busy weekend, especially with the new Necron models doing so well on ebay!

Get in a game this week and remember, put your minis where your mouth is!

Later,

Caleb

Is this a joke? GW glue . . . really? Also, Necron Doom Scythe/Night Scythe conversion, Smoke plumes, Harpy and Tervigon

2011-12-01T08:36:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers! Sorry for my absence but like most of your I was busy and away visiting with family over the week of Thanksgiving. That didn't stop me from working on some projects, though, just posting.

First up, a brief comparison. Is this a joke? I was out of glue the other day and my supplier was out of my brand (I dally between revell plastic glue, p3 and GF9 glue, my fav's) and had to buy some GW glue. I was dismayed over the cost of the glue vs the size of the bottle. Really? Did I just pay 6 bucks plus tax for this? Yikes. I mean, compared to a brand like GF9 and P3, it's really pound for pound no comparison. I'm not even that impressed with the actual glue. The applicator brush is smart, but is there any way I can keep the brush moist and use it with other glues? Probably not. Anyway, does anyone else feel this way? Are there hardcore GW glue users out there that think it's the best glue there is? Shout out if so.

Lately I've been working on a few old and some new models.

First up, and Tyranid Harpy. Since no one but me seems to be making these anymore, I crank one out every week or so and put it on ebay. Since my last three sold about a week ago, I needed to post a new one. He's a bit more than my last ones, but he's a bit nicer too. Check out that custom elongated head!

Next up is a Tervigon conversion. This is a middle of the road conversion, for someone who wants something more that just a carnifex, but less than my other tervigons. For a reasonable price you get a decent tervigon that could arguably play at a tournament. It has more GW bits than non, by number of bits, not by volume. Those are back up for sale now and ready to go.

This smoke plume is also for sale on ebay. I cast it in resin and it can be pained just like seen here for only three bucks extra! Just three bucks! It is a great way to flag a vehicle as destroyed. To the right painter, it could easily be painted to look like a large ooze and put on a chariot base. Maybe could it as an Epedimius in Chaos Armies, but instead of the big guy it's more like the great old one Azathoth, or at least his avatar. Or maybe a huge water elemental! Get creative!

Finally, I recently finished up my first attempt at a Night/Doom Scythe. Here it is. It's up on ebay too. My personal feeling is that this is a decent 'proxy' until GW releases the offical model. The real model will probably be bigger, like around wave serpent size or maybe bigger, but until this, I think this is at least as good as anything else I've seen out there so far.

The tarrasque project continues, and we have all the pieces assembled now. We are adding scales and texture to the body and will have the finished prototype in a few weeks.

In other news, I sold the last Dominatrix the other day. But fear not! We have plans to create our own custom Giant Bio-Beast very much like a Dominatrix and begin casting it, probably by the spring! Look for updates on that project.

BTW, estimates for cost of these to the consumer: Tarasque will be somewhere between 50-100 bucks, probably around $75 ish. The Not-A-Dominatrix will be around $300-500 I think, perhaps more depending on the amount of resin it takes to cast. But it'll be about the size of a reaver titan, so it may come in closer to 500, not sure yet. We'll have to do a few test runs to see how it works out.

Work on the website continues, and content is being added daily. Look for site launch by New Years. Sorry for the delay. If you are looking at this post after Jan 2012, then check out: http://whitemetalgames.com

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in creating custom models at reasonable rates for your wargaming needs. We also offer painting, terrain building, and more!

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in possibly setting up a commission. We'd love to hear from you!

Until next time, remember, put your minis where your mouth is!

Caleb

Necron Illuminor Szeras, Tomb Blade, and Triarch Stalker conversions, up on ebay!

2011-11-17T05:22:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

This week I have some Necrons for you. Although I don't play Necrons myself, when I saw the new models I knew there'd be plenty of folks like yourselves out there eager to test out some of the new models in a game or two before GW releases another wave in a few months. That's why I built this low cost conversions and listed them on ebay. Here' s a link to my listings, just load it in your browser:

http://stores.ebay.com/White-Metal-Games

I know everyone would love me to divulge into how I built these monstrosities, but it won't be long before someone out there reverse engineers them and has their own out there on the internet. And for that, I salute you! I did the same thing when I was starting out. So I say have it!

I plan on releasing some more of these in the future if they pan out, so if you like them, let me know!

I am also in the process of designing White Metal Games first official website. Since I never found someone to help me out, I decided to have a go at it myself using a template builder. It's a lot of work, but I should have a few pages up in a week or so.

check out the new page: http://whitemetalgames.com and check out all our work.

As always, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if interested in obtaining a quote for services.

Until next time, happy wargaming!

Caleb

Tyranid Dominatrix, painted pics (I didn't pain this one!)

2011-11-15T05:57:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Just a quick update today. About six months ago I created a custom Tyranid Dominatrix for a client. The client wants a dominatrix without the back cannon, but instead a massive fin that ran the length of it's body.

After receiving the model, the client had the crew over at bluemoonminiatures.com paint it up and man, did it turn out great! Check out these pics!

I really love the way the artist choose such vibrant contrasting colors and how they blend seamlessly together! Neon orange and bright blues like that aren't easy to pull off, but Blue Moon Miniatures proved how it can be done and done with style! Well done guys!

I still have parts to build one Dominatrix left in stock and once it's gone, I'm done building these for the time being (maybe forever . . . )

For those who are new to my blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services if you are interested.

Until then, happy wargaming!

Caleb

Zarakynal redux, Massive Doom of Malantai, and Pathfinder Xacarba

2011-11-09T09:58:00.000-08:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

First up this week is a Zarakynal model that I had to butcher to bring back to life. A long time ago, several years, I had the idea to do a Kerrigan style Hive Tyrant. FW had just released the Daemon Lord of Slaanesh Zarakynal at the time and I thought 'perfect!' So I snatched her up.

As a Kerrigan conversion, I wanted to cover her body in a layer of bio-armor, like a think scaly skin. So I came up with this green stuff approach of smearing a thin layer of green stuff, and then carving it up like muscle sinew. A simple approach, not too stylish, but effective I think. I made sure her butt and breasts were a little smoother, and I didn't mind the 6 boob effect since she was a Tyranid Hive Queen after all and Nids tend to do everything in sixes.

I also gave her a set of wings to count her as winged, but otherwise left her pretty untouched.

Years passed and as projects do, I never got around to painting her. Finally, the Swarmlord stats were released and I decided to redo my Hive Tyrant as a Swarmlord 'hive queen' instead. So now the problem was, what to do with this lady?

I tried to sell her on ebay and finally after halving my asking price did, but a few weeks later the client returned her to me for a full refund citing he was dissatisfied. I wasn't pleased at the return, thinking she was out of my hair forever, but what can you do?

So, when she got back to me I had the idea 'well, the body is done, but I bet I can salvage the rest of this'. So, using a Teela action figure I got on ebay for about 5 bucks I sit about salvaging the bits I could harvest an attaching them to this new figure. She's not done yet, there's still plenty of grey stuff work and gap filling to be done, but the basic figure it there and I must say, I'm not displeased at all. Now, she's not as nice as the new figure, but since this was my desperate attempt to salvage a figure I had effectively ruined, I think she will see the gaming table again! Or mayhaps the ebay market again. Who knows. Bottom line, we breathed new life into her!

Also up this week is this Pathfinder Xacarba conversion, which I built just for fun using spare bits around my workshop. I really like this strange looking outsider in the Pathfinder Bestiary, and I wanted to use one in game. He's not a perfect representation, but I think you get the jist of what I was trying to accomplish here.

Finally, I'm working on a massive Doom of Malantai conversion on a 60mm base because a 40 just wouldn't hold him. Check out the Krang Brain on the back of this thing. I like to think of him as the Doom that is at 10 wounds, having recently fed!

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer painting and conversion services, terrain building, and consignment for clients used goods. You can reach me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services.

Also, WMG is looking for a web designer (experienced or even a graduate/student) in the Raleigh area with a passion for gaming and flash and javascript experience to join our team. If you are in the area and are interested, please submit a resume or links to sites you can verify you have built in the past to the same email address above.

Until next time, happy wargaming!

Caleb

Until next time, happy wargaming!

Space Wolf Dreadnought, Tyranid Harpy, Draconic Parasite of Mortrex, Nid Aegis Defense Line, Vampire Countess on Hellsteed

2011-11-03T07:52:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!!!

It's been another busy week here at White Metal Games and they only get busier it seems! Sales are up up up, and here are just a few of the many projects we've been working on.

First up, a Venerable Space Wolf Dreadnought. This model is based off a normal SM dreadnought, then just kitbashed into oblivion. I particularly like the Dreadnought close combat weapon, which is a librarian weapon but works just as well under these circumstances a power glaive.

I also built a TL heavy flamer, just for fun. Not sure if I'll use it, but it was fun to make. I used a deflers TL heavy flamer and then added it to a dreadnought arm, adding a few bit of plasticard to hide the gaps.

Next up are a group of Tyranids, as usual, including a very nice harpy, a draconic parasite of mortrex for an individual client, and this Nid Aegis Defense Line for your games of Planetstrike. We'll have about 12 or so of these sets to sell, going up on ebay in the next few days.

Rounding up the mix, I built this Vampire Countess on Hellsteed for your games of Warhammer. I made four of these, and they'll all be up on ebay soon.

Finally there is this tiger-striped Shadowsword tank. This tank is part of a much larger army (several armies actually) that were given to me to consign for a client. His entire Space Marine army, consisting of over 5,000 point, most of which is painted, will be up on ebay soon. His army is a unique affair, that can count as Space Wolves, Dark Angels, Blood Angels, or Vanilla Marines. We don't have a name for the chapter, but Astral Hunters comes to my mind.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer conversion services, painting, consignment, and terrain building services. I am fast, friendly, and reliable. My pricing is very competitive.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if interested in obtaining a quote.

Until next time, get in a game this week and remember to put your minis where your mouth is!

Caleb

FW Swarmlord Painted, BOW Kitbash Competition, and more!

2011-10-24T08:01:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Swarmlords must be in season, because I've had 2 requests for painted models in the past 2 weeks. The first was for a Swarmlord using the FW Tyranid Hive Tyrant with custom boneswords. I had never used this kit before, so it was a real treat. The base size is a little weird, too bid for 60mm, too small for 120mm oval. Chariot base is a good inbetween, but this client wanted a small diorama depicting the Swarmlord battling some marines. So the oval base is used for display, and then you just slide the tyrant off the base for games.

The paint scheme was the client's own and I just had to match their work. The swords are my own variety which I'm hoping to start casting in a few weeks and I though they came out pretty well.

The same client always had me built them a tervigon along the same lines, also painted.

In other news, I've entered the Beasts of War October Kit bash competition, http://www.beastsofwar.com/sci-fi-wargaming/kitbash-competition-oct-2011/

Follow the link here and if you aren't already a member, join their site and cast a vote for your favorite. BOW is perhaps the best source for photos of unreleased models on the net. They have ALL the new Necron photo's up on their site and they look amazing!

My models include a Red Baron style Goblin plane, a Orx Marauder Battle Glider, and a Zz'or Bio-ship. Each pictured against a BOW background printout.

I've also featured a few new Doom and Harpy variants on this blog posting. They are recent additions to my ebay listings. I only have 2 of the harpies and about 7 of these dooms in stock, so get them before their gone. Once one sells, the rest usually go quite quickly. The Avalanche sales effect, as I like to think of it.

Finally, pictured are some custom Kraken tentacles that are going up for sale on ebay in the new few days. These are meant to be used for Ocean battles in Fantasy Rpg's like D&D or Pathfinder, or the like. The set includes 4 tentacles and 2 massive arms. Ready for your bids.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer competitive rates, fast turnaround, and friendly service. I offer conversion, painting, consignment, terrain building, the whole nine yards.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if interested in obtaining a quote. And until next time, put your minis where your mouth is! Happy wargaming!

Caleb

Rippers Gone Wild! Ripper Behaving Badly!

2011-10-13T06:35:00.000-07:00

If you thought it was a bad idea to feed gremlins after midnight, what til you get a load of these guys!

Greetings fellow wargamerswho you ask)

A long time ago BTP did a really neat conversion on some Tyranid Ripper which I really wanted to duplicate in my own style. Basically they thought of Rippers as the Tyranid equivilent of Grots (or Gretchen, depending on who you ask)

BTP's project involved rippers in all sorts of crazy situations. Attacking guardsmen on the toilet, breaking out of laboratory beakers, etc. Nothing shows admiration like duplication, so I set about building my own Rippers Gone Wild. These rippers are out of control! They're setting things on fire, playing with guns, defacing Imperial Shrines, the list goes on!

Many of them are mounted to 40mm bases instead of 60mm bases. They're just wasn't enough room on the 40's for all the hi-jinks I wanted to capture on these mini diorama's.

So whilst these may not be the most competitive bases, they're a lot more interesting to look at and will be sure to capture your opponents attention. Quick, while he's distracted . . fire Venom Cannons!

For those just tuning into this blog my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer reasonable rates, fast turnaround, and great customer care. I offer conversion services, painting services, terrain manufacture, and consignment.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if interested in setting up a commission. Until then, happy wargaming!

Caleb
WMG

New Tyrannofex, Harpies, and Arch-confessor on grav-dais!

2011-10-11T06:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

I've noticed on ebay a real lack of models for the Tyranid Harpy and Tyranid Tyrannofex. I think in both cases it's due to their lack of favor from Tyranid players. I should know! I am one.

I read a really good article about Harpies and making them work last week on BOLS. Here's a link to it: http://www.belloflostsouls.net/2011/10/40k-tyranid-harpy-in-balance.html

Now if I can only convince the author to do one about the T-fex! Also tough to use IMHO. I love that Assault 20 gun, but with 12" range . . . it's a little closer than I'd like it to be. Esp. since IG have a similiar weapon on one of their LR variants, but with better range!

Anyway, so I cooked up these three models for the Nids. The T-fex has a space jockey cannon mounted to his back, which is GINORMOUS, as it should be. It's on an aracharok body, which I think actually works pretty well.

The harpies are modified with some Dragonheart wings and some kenner alien tails. Once painted they'll blend quite well.

For your loyalists out there I came up with this Imperial Grav Dais for the Arch Confessor. Not sure what it should count as, but I saw one of these in the old SOB codex years ago and wanted to try my hand at building one. Perfect addition for a Cult army. Perhaps it could count as a Sorcerer of Tzeentch on Disc in a heretics army?

On another note we are FINALLY trying to launch a website, several years later. My friend Will is helping me out with design. It's still in it's early stages, but here is the direction we're headed, check it out: http://whitemetalgames.doodlekit.com/home

Of course, the DOODLE KIT is only temporary, lol.

For those just tuning into this blog my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer reasonable rates, fast turnaround, and great customer service. My services include conversion, painting, terrain, and consignment.

Email me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if interested in setting up a commission and until then remember . .. put your minis where your mouth is!

Caleb
WMG

Worst Converter Ever! And . . . on the origins of Vultureman

2011-10-06T08:15:00.000-07:00

It was the summer of 96'. The summer Olympics were being held in Atlanta! That was the year the 'WhatIzIt' Mascot surfaced. Remember that? Clinton was in the middle of his re-election campaign. And perhaps most importantly . . I had just gotten my license!

So I was a pretty geeky kid. I wouldn't say Emo, but I was in Chorus. I wouldn't say fat, but I didn't play any sports. I wouldn't say popular, but I was a social creature, down to earth and easy to get along with. So what does a chubby, emotional guy who isn't that popular do once he gets a license? Easy, he picks up a hobby! For me it was 40k. I'd been playing D&D for years since being introduced to it in Boy Scouts, but among my school friends who weren't Scouts, they introduced to this strange universe of Aliens and Heretics fighting a war that spanned forty thousand years into the past against an immortal Emperor, desperately trying to shelter mankind from the horrors of the galaxy!

It was the 2nd edition of the game at that point, when rules like Overwatch were still in effect, Characters were king!, Parry was a rule, marines had to roll dice every time they fired a bolter and risk suffereirng 'jams', and ork players literally had to pile their truck beds high with Ork bodies before moving (any that fell off were dead, those were the rules!). It was a golden age of gaming. I was sixteen.

Now, it goes without saying I'm a little nostalgic for my youth. And why not? I had no debts, no bills, thirty dollars in my pocket was a fortune and could buy gas for a month! And every Friday night, I was at the local hobby shop, playing 40k with my friends! Life was good! (Some time later I would discover girls and sex, but that's for another blog post)

In those days, minimum wage was about $5.25 an hour. Take into account taxes, gas, and working about 10 hours a week (I was still in high school after all), I just didn't have the money to keep up with the Johnson's. And 40k was, and has remained, a very EXPENSIVE hobby.

My first army was a Tyranid Army. 30 Genestealers and a Hive Tyrant. Suffice it to say I lost . . . a lot. This is the days before outflank, scout, deep strike, or infiltrate. They just ran across the board, screaming, and then died to bolter fire. I played with about as much strategy as a six year old playing Candyland. But you know what .. . we had fun!

Looking at some of the models in the range, particularly the Greater Daemon of Tzeentch, I couldn't help but think how much he looked like Vultureman from Thundercats! Being a geeky kid of the 80's, of COURSE I had the original Vultureman, albeit beat up. And we were broke, I mean BROKE . . do you see where this is going.

So we started substituting toys for models. Suddenly, we could field ANYTHING. Need a Rhino? I've got this little green army tank. Need a dreadnought? Use this transformer! Now, that's not all we did. Over time we bought REAL models. But our rule of thumb was to never say you couldn't field something because you didn't own it. Just find a substitute.

This kept up for a few years, until we could build armies out of actual models. I was never embarrassed about any of this. However recently I was sent 2 links to 2 different posts that basically said the same thing. Here are the links:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/400885.page

http://www.papanurgle.net/viewtopic.php?f=17&t=2115&start=90

I was surprised my these posts for lots of reasons.

To start with, I had no idea that many people were looking at my work! I mean, I put it out there, but I have less than 100 subscribers on my youtube channel and less than fifty on my blog, as well as only one regular buyer that is signed up for my ebay listings. So to all of you I say thank you! It's because of you that I just had my best month ever! I've finally climbed over $13,000 in sales in the last 4 months, a feat I previously thought impossible. Now, some of that is resales and consignment, but the vast part of that is original conversion! So thanks to all you who helped make that happen!

I guess with my work you either like it or hate it, which is probably true for most things in life. I mean, Worst Conversion Ever! I'd feel bad about that, but it's hard to feel bad when your the best at anything. So to all those folks who didn't win, better luck next year. Remember it's an honor just to be nominated. Or for those of you in the UK, it's an honour . . .

Gettimg back to the above posts, there was a bit in one of the posts where the author creatively told this very illustrative story about my finding some old toys in a Storage Unit and then turning to my metaphorical boy in this analogy and say to him 'Son . . . if we want to make some real money, we have work to do!'

Well, I don't have a son or a storage unit, but essentially that is what I do. This is a one man show. Realizing that the more things change the more they stay the same, I came to a realization a few years ago that more people want to play 40k and WFB than can afford to play! They can shell out fifty bucks for a new video game (then beat it in 2-3 days, lol), but that's hardly an effective use of their money since the resale value is so low even a few days later and it's hardly a good use of their time, since you only get 20-40 hours play time from the game (of course, that's not always true . . . but you get my drift)

I would say I have three major styles of conversion that I do.

The first is what I would call a Poor Man's Conversion. These are models that are less than 50% GW bits. A good examle of this is the Poor Man's Trygon. I cooked this model up on a whim a few weeks ago. If you think about the bits alone, three sets of scything talons, these alone retail for over $10 bucks on most second hand bits vendors listings (IE Hoard O'Bits, Spikey Bits, and the like). So you could just buy the model, cut off the scything talons, throw away the model, and still come out ahead.

Now, it's not a money maker for me really, but it's not much of a money loser either. I already have the bits from all the other conversion work I do. This is more like a break even prize. So why build it? Two reasons. One, to stay afloat. Running a business isn't cheap. Shipping supplies along run me nearly $500.00, not to mention thousands of dollars in kits, paints, labels, and the like! Whoever said you've got to have $ ot make $ wasn't kidding.

The other reason should be obvious at this point. . . . so broke teenagers can play 40k without spending their college tuition. This model may look rough now with all the harvested bits and green stuff, but throw a coat of primer on there and it wont' be bad looking at all really. And for $10 bucks each, you could buy 4-5 of these for the same price GW sells you one!

You won't be able to compete in a tournament with it, but I was never a tournament player anyway. I heard the following a while back and it's stuck with me ever since: Tournaments are an artificial environment, laying down restrictions and criteria to provide a competitive environment. Using your imagination and doing what you want with your toy soldiers is your choice, not the game developers. We'd like to see more in official publications such as White Dwarf and on the GW website reminding players that they are perfectly entitled to bend the rules as they see fit, so long as their opponents agree to them. Remember, it's only a game.

That's kinda my mantra. It's only a game. A great game, so long as we don't take it too seroiusly. Are there problems in the game? Sure there are. Are new codexes better than old ones? You bet your ass they are! Is Jaws of the World Wolf scary to play against? In a word . . . 'gulp'. But is the game fun?

Yes. I can honestly say 15 years after I started playing this game is still fun. Just like 15 years later D&D is still fun. Some games come and go but 40k and WFB's . . . they have stood the test of time and come out on top. When they say on their website they are the most popular miniature game company in the world they have reason to be proud because they are. And we're all a part of that.

I'm not into sport, but I think this feeling is akin to what sports fanatics feel when they talk about their team. When they say 'We just got Manning! I can turn around and say 'Oh yeah, well we just got the Stormraven, eat it!'

But I digress . . .

This second sort of model I build is what I would call a 'Tournament' Conversion. This is a model that is over 50% GW bits. It' is 'legal' in all senses of the word. GW specifies that if you play in a tournament environment all models must be 'mostly' GW bits. I read mostly as over 50%. A good example of this could by my Parasite of Mortrex. This model is well over the 50% mark. It's basically a ravener, with some wings attached to the back, and some green stuff work to blend in the extra bits like the tail and such. It's been one of my best sellers. At at $20 bucks (well, $18 today, I'm having a sale!) it's a reasonable price. Most GW special characters run you about 20-25 for the blister, so I don't think this is outrageous.

In similar fashion I also have Tervigons, Dooms of Malantai, and Swarmlords, all legal GW models, all over half GW bits. The biggest difference here really is price. Those who dubbed me Worst Converter Ever didn't really look very deeply at my work. I have plenty of nicely made 'legal' models, they just cost more. Because they cost me more to build. I can build you a Tervigon from spare bits for $20 bucks, or I can build you one with a nice shiny new kit for $75. Really it comes down to YOUR budget, and what you are willing to pay for. After all, you get what you pay for.

Finally, there is what I might call the 'BIG MODEL' category. A good example of this would be the infamous Ku'Gath conversion I recently put up on ebay much to the chagrin of the aforementioned peanut gallery on DakkaDakka and Papa Nurgle's forums. Another example of this would be the Tomb Stalker Conversion. Let's break it down.

You can pick up a Spydor for about $25 bucks on ebay. No big deal. You can pick up a Matrix Sentinel for about the same, so now we're up to $50. So then the question becomes why am I asking $125.00 for it? Simple, supply and demand. I start a model higher than it usually sells for. I do this for several reasons. One is to get the best price I can for it. Another is to draw attention to it. Did I expect to get $200 for the Ku'Gath conversion? Of course not. But I have dozens of watchers now. And they're all waiting for it to drop in price. And it just did, to $175. When I drop down to $150 that number of watchers will double. And if it gets to $100, triple! Finally, someone will buy it. And you know what? Much like sixteen year old me did . . they'll love it! They bring it to the table, and after a snicker or two, they will proceed to unleash the plagues of Nurgle on their foe and they'll be grinning the whole time! After all, it's only a game.

The other thing you are paying for is aesthetic. You could buy the Spydor/Sentinel combo above for 50 bucks, spend another 10 on green stuff, and probably duplicate this. But do you have the time? Would it look this smooth? Would the transitions be even, or would the green stuff look like claydoh left out in the sun to bake? There is art to what we do. We call ourselves conversion artists for a reason. This is a creative outlet for us, but an art form nonetheless.

I get the question a lot 'why don't I prime the models before I list them on ebay?' I mean, the Spydor has orange legs . . . orange! I don't prime them for several reasons. The biggest reason is so you can see my work. If I prime it black, the pictures don't come out well, and you can't see all my hard work. I want you to know what you're paying for. If I prime it white, and then you prime over it black, you lose detail. On top of that, I like the expensive primers! I don't like the $1 cans of paint at Walmart that everyone uses for primer. I don't think they look very nice when you prime with them. I use the $15 GW primer. Why? Because it's the best. It has the most even tone, the clearest quality. It has the darkest black shade on the market, and it lays down evenly. Some primers leave a chalky residue, other clog. Paint isn't Primer. The point of primer is so that when you lay down your base coat it adheres to the primer. Paint does that too, but not as well. That's why there's a difference.

We call our little plastic men 'Models' but honestly there isn't a bunch of difference between a Model and a Toy. I use the terms interchangeably. For me, I never really grew up. Part of me always stayed a kid. And because of that part of me still wants to play with toys. So I do. I play with them, I buy them, and more importantly, I build with them!

Are my conversions out there? Yes, for sure. They're certainly not for everybody. But are they the worst ever?

YOU BET YOUR SWEET &^^=% THEY ARE! And I can't build them fast enough. To date I've sold over 60 Parasites and Mycetic Spores, more than 50 tervigons, 40 harpies and over 40 Dooms, and more than a dozen Swarmlords, not count over half a dozen bio-titans! If you play Tyranids, you've probably played against something I've built.

Lo, the Great Devourer has come, and we are legion!

So until next time, remember . . . PUT YOUR MINIS WHERE YOU MOUTH IS!

Caleb
White Metal Games

New Dominatrix, Tervigon, and Doom of Malan'tai, Frag Figure, and Painted Swarmlord! Whew . . .

2011-10-04T10:09:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Well, after a long hiatus finally another client contracted a custom made Tyranid Dominatrix. This beastie has long been know to the Epic 40k crowd, but gamers new to the 40k scene may not know what the heck I'm talking about! The Dominatrix is to the Tyranids what the Reaver Titan is to Chaos and Imperial Space Marines. It is a gargantuan creature larger than an hierophant. It more closely resembles a giant dinosaur than a giant insect the way the hierophant does, but it is every bit as menacing. The friendly folks over at BOLS created stats for it in their Lords of War II guide, which is available for download via their site as a PDF.

Basically, the Dominatrix is a fully stated 1750 point killing machine. It is a psyker as well as having a potent cannon, and of course, it is quite well suited for melee. I used one in an apocalypse game last summer and wreaked all kinds of havoc with it!

This model is a kit bash (of course) of several models, including a giant model T-Rex, and Giant Alien Queen, as well as a space jockey (increasingly hard to find), a star wars acklay, and plenty of grey stuff to bring it all together! Not at all an easy feat, but worth the effort. I only have parts to build 2 more of these and when that happens, I'm done! No more, unless someone REALLY wants one (and is willing to negotiate price), and then I'd be willing to chat.

Also up this week, I came up with a new/old Tervigon variant. This variant uses an Arachnarok body as it's primary piece, then three sets of scything talons supported by grey stuff to help it stand upright. I think this looks closer to the codex than any other variant I've constructed to date actually.

Finally, I hadn't had a new Doom of Malan'tai for sale since my old ones sold about a month ago. I cooked up 6 of these guys, which are all actually tournament legal since I only used 1 non-GW bit. They are up for sale now and will probably go fast. the rule is once one sales, the rest sell in about 1-2 weeks. Buy your nows because by the end of October, they'll be gone.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer good rates, fast turnaround, and great customer service.

I also offer painting, though I rarely get commissions for those. Here's a model I just finished painting! This swarmlord ran the client $100 bucks, and that's for the model, conversion, and painting combinned! Not bad. Now it's nothing fancy, but it was FAST. The paint job only took a few days, so the client got him onto the table that much faster!

In other news, my brothers home store, FTW Games in Midlothian Virginia (MBG on Bols, Man Boy Genius, owner and operator of Spikey Bits) is running a Frag League. Frag for those of you that don't know (and I didn't) is a Doom like game played on a game board. Think Doom meets Monopoly and you're on the right path. Just like in any FPS, players respawn after being killed and the person to get the first three kills, wins!

The game comes with it's own tokens, but his players have taken to creating their own unique 40k style Frag players. Jeremy told me to just go nuts, but that he wanted it to be based around a Necron. So, raiding my bits box, I envision a massive cannon, worth of Duke Nukem himself! This is what I came up with. I also gave him plenty of extra weapons in case his first cannon misfired, including a rocket launcher, power axe, and underslung flame thrower! This guy reminds me of the T-1000 more than a Necron, but that's the whole point!

If you are interested in having a model commissioned or painted, please contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com. Also, be sure to check out my ever expanding list of items for sale on ebay!

Until then, put your minis where you mouth is!

Caleb
WMG

Ku'Gath the Unclean, Nurgle Plaguereaper conversion, and Tomb Stalker Warmachine Titan, beta version

2011-09-29T05:57:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers! I have another update for you today, this time, Ku'Gath the Unclean and a Necron Tomb Stalker, Beta Version.

One of my favorite things about playing Apocalypse 40k is using BIG models. I mean, when you can run bio-titans like Hierphants or war altars like Warhound Titans, little toy men kinda take a back seat in the action. Sure, thousands of soldiers streaming across the table is cool, but destroying dozens of men in a single volley with a Warlords Plasma cannon is even cooler!

If you're like me, then you don't have $1500 bucks to drop on a Forgeworld Reaver titan or the like, but you still want to use them, right? Well, that's where someone like me steps in to fill the gap. I try to come up with fun, interesting ways to make these sorts of models happen for gamers on a budget.

Take Ku'Gath for example. Really this project started as a much smaller model. I always thought Jabba the Hutt and the older version of the Great Unclean One had a lot in common. So that started me on the idea of what I could do with that. . . . then the rules for Ku'Gath were presented without a model. The fluff for this daemonic overlord is fantasic, depicting him as blending science and magic in much Dr. Doom like fashion. I knew I wanted to try to build one. But as I formulated the idea for the model, I knew it'd be WAY too big for a standard daemon lord, like Angron or the like.

The plaguereaper, a Chaos Baneblade variant, is a great tank, but not a conversion I am often asked to do. So this seemed like a perfect chance to kill 2 birds with one stone. The dais Ku'Gath (Jabba) rests on is about the same size as a baneblade . . . I just added some treads from a Star Wars Tie Crawler (a ridiculous model if ever there was one . .. I was glad to butcher it)

For his lab I bashed quite a few Pegasus Chem Plant kits together and used some Dungeon Decor to add the sorcerer's flair I needed from the fluff.

I imagine as Ku'Gath vomiting forth a stream of vile putrescence, so that covers the main gun. For the sponsons I had a few spare defiler turrets hanging around. The addition of some chaos marines to the turrets and a few heavy bolters filled in the other weapons quite handily.

It's an out there conversion, but fun and interesting and it will certainly for a centerpiece to any Chaos or Daemons army.

The tomb stalker was a far simpler conversion. Before the days of the FW tomb stalker centipede, the tomb stalker was foretold to be a MASSIVE arachnid like warmachine the size of a Warhound. If you need a big spider, then the Heman Spydor model is the way to go. For the spider like design to really work, I need a face only an Arachnarok could love. I got just that from the Matrix sentinel by NECA. This figure is very well detailed and light weight, ripe for conversion.

Putting them together wasn't that hard, and then we just sculpted over the problem areas on the model, gaps and logos and such. Once painted, I think this will make a very handsome model on the tabletop and certainly had the right feel.

Both of these models are currently for sale on ebay.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer friendly service, competitive rates and fast turnaround. I offer a full range of services, including painting, conversion, terrain building, anything you can think of. No project too big or too small.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in obtaining a quote.

In other news, I have FINALLY found a web designed who is going to help me launch the WMG website in the new few months, which will have some only galleries, shop, links to my various portals, and more! Stay tuned.

Until then, remember to get a game in this week, and put your minis where your mouth is!

Caleb

Echidna, Swarmlord Conversion for a Tyranid Army

2011-09-28T11:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings Fellow Wargamers!

Instead of berating you with dozens on new items I currently have up for sale ebay this week, I thought perhaps I would instead focus on one model instead.

This is Echidna, named for the mythical mother of all monsters. I use her as a feminine embodiement of the Swarmlord (so I guess that makes her a Swarmlady . . Swarmqueen . . Lady of Blades for your Starcraft enthusiasts out there).

Creating a feminine version of a Swarmlord isn't simple. I didn't want to go the route of having mamory glands or other breasts or a shapely figure, or the like. I wasn't against the idea of having some sort of head tentacles like hair. As kit bashes go, this one is fairly simple.

I used a Red Terror tail and head/jaw coupled with the finecast Tyrant for the base model. Because the red terror's head needs a neck to fit onto, I clipped down a Mawloc tail to create an artificial neck, so that the head would have something to mount too.

The head tentacles are from a plastic jellfish toy and reminded me of the Alien/Predator hybrid (the predalien), which was what I was going for without wishing to pay $30.00 for a NECA Predalien toy!

The swords are the spines from a dragon toy, and were sort of discovered by accident. In order to use them, however, I needed some arms. The standard scything talons arm is a little cramped for me. These are trygon arms (notice the knuckles and fingers on the trygon arms, work really well for this purpose). In order to get them to fit, I used a heat gun from the elbow back, and warmed the plastic so that I could bend it straighter. Then I simply pinned the sabers to the arms, a little green stuff, and presto!

Those serrations are thorned spines from the carnifex kit and had to be cut down as well to fit.

Overall I was really pleased with the way the model came together and I think it serves as a nice centerpiece for my army.

What do you all think?

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer painting, conversion, consignment, and terrain building services. I offer fast turnaround, good customer service, and very competitive pricing.

If you are interested in having a model(s) commissioned, please contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com

Until next time, remember to put your minis where your mouth is! Happy gaming!

Daemon Princes, Khemri Terrain, Alternate Bikers, and more!

2011-09-14T06:36:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Recently I've been trying to finish up some old projects and get them out of my workshop (and by out I mean sold), so what follows are a hodgepodge of projects with no discernible rhyme or reason.

Daemon Prince and Princess: This models are kit bashed from a variety of left over sources. The Princess is based on a Slaanesh mount for a Warhammer fantasy army, using a few daemone tte bits as well.

Khemri terrain: This terrain set is mostly aquarium terrain, with some jungle trees. The pillar is a wedding cake pillar, and all of the terrain was mounted to hardboard, then based with grit.

Scarab Swarms: These swarms are on 65mm bases. They are meant to serve as objective markers in a Necron Army, but could also serve as unusually large scarab swarms for a bold player.

Dreadnoughts, preheresy and penitent engine: These dreadnought began life as Epic Warlord titans for the Epic 40k game. I use them as pre-heresy dreadnoughts (which I deemed to be a little smaller than current dreadnoughts). They have a more 'humanoid' feel to them as well, which kind of is in line with what Forgeworld is currently doing with their newer (or should I say 'older') dreadnought designs.

The penitent engine was a gift, but it was missing a few pieces (the leg and an arm), so I used some old bits to build it back up. The original owner was using it as a Chaos Dreadnought. It would certainly serve as an alternate Imperial Dreadnought with it's current weapon options. Or perhaps using it as an alternate model in Apocalypse games.

Chaos bikers: These bikers came about as an experiment to put some Chaos models on a more 'Harley' like bike. These hogs are real road machines, and the bikers sit back a little further than traditional bikers. Think of them as a hell's angels chapter for the Chaos Cultist.

Deathwing bikers: These bikers came about as an experiment to create a more sleek looking biker variant. These bikes are diecast model from Hot Wheels or Mattel (not sure which). They are modified with actual biker bits and mounted to 25x50mm oval MDF laser cut bases, which are the actual size of biker bases.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer conversion services, painting commission, terrain building, casting, and consignment services for those wishing to offload old models.

I am known for fast turnaround, great customer service, and competitive pricing.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in having a project commissioned. Until then, put your mini's where your mouth is! And happy wargaming!

Caleb

Space Wolf Bear Lord, Tyranid Shrikes, Sky Slasher Broods, and more!

2011-09-06T08:54:00.000-07:00

Hello again fellow wargamers!

Back again with yet more conversion work, from my workshop, to your monitor!

In this installment, I've been working on some Tyranid flyers, specicially Shrikes and Sky Slashers! Both units make for great quick insertion, and the Sky Slashers esp. can really chew through something like a Daemon Prince in just a few rounds, if you can get them in there with some Hive Mind back up.

Also included in this blog post are some Imperial units. This Rhino variation is intended as a centerpiece for your 40k army! The pylons and gothic archietecture will be sure to catch the eye of your opponents, despite being just a rhino!

This Bear Lord is made from a combination or a reaper bear and some space wolf bits. He doesn't have limbs yet, because I wasn't for sure what to outfit him with!

Finally, another Frost Giants army variation here. This Sabertooth tiger is meant to count as a Whirlwind in my Frost Giants army. It serves that purpose pretty well overall I think, though it may be a bit out there for most tournament players, as usual.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is a Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, competitive rates, painting, conversion, consignment, terrain building, and custom casting. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you'd like to obtain a quote for services! Until then, happy wargaming!

Caleb

Nurgle Plague Tower, Space Wolf Snowmobile Riders, and more!

2011-09-06T07:46:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers! I hope you all had a wonderful Labor day weekend. I myself spent it with family and friends in the mountains surronding Lynchburg, Va. Nothing like mountain air to get your wargaming mojo working! So, since commissions continue to be slow currently, I have been working diligently to get caught up on old projects. Many of these are for sale (some already sold) on ebay, and others are just for fun or my personal collection. Without going into too much detail: The Plague Tower was a labor or love and is up for sale on ebay. Add it to your apocalpse force today! It uses parts from over a dozen kis, almost all GW bits and would look great on any apocalypse roster. These Space Wolf Snowmobiles count as bikers in a space wolf army. Only slightly larger than the traditional bikers, and way more interesting. Don't worry, I also came up with some regular space wolf bikers for those of you whom are more conservative. The Scouts are also for a Space Wolf themed army, specifically they are Viking themed and use bikes from the Chaos Marauders sprues. This Snowspeeder is a Counts As Landspeeder for a Wolf army. I couldn't resist the chance to modify a Star Wars Landspeeder. As you can see, it's slightly larger, but every bit as fun. If I build more of these, I'll probably model them closer to the ground. But for these models, I really liked they idea of them flying high, zooming around the board. These thunderwolves are from the Mr. Dandy line of wolves, and I simply modified them using some bits on hand to give them that Nordic feel. They form a nasty Deathstar unit for any Space Wolf army,. packing a thunder hammer, and 5 storm shields! Yikes! This Chimera was intended for an Imperial Guard Cult army that never really saw the light of day. Still, it was a fun conversion to build, and I was glad to try my hand at the kit bash spectacular. That has, sadly, already sold, and is bound for greener pasture. God speed little tank! For those just tuning into this blog, my name is a Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer very reasonable rates, quick turnaround, and very friendly services. I offer painting, converting, building, some terrain, resin casting, and consignment services. You can contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com Try to get in a game this week and remember to put your mini's where your mouth is! Next week, if I blog in, I'll be on my honeymoon in sunny (hurricanes withstanding) Myrtle Beach! So I'll have to snap some pics from the beach! Caleb

When the commissions are away, the converters will play!

2011-08-23T10:37:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Well, what can I say. Commissions have been light, so I've had some time to catch up on some older projects, many of which I put up for sale on ebay.

As my interests wax and wane, I tend to dabble in lots of different things. This weeks post is a tribute to just that.

First off is a Wooly Mammoth that I am counting as a predator in my space wolves 'Frost Giants' army. It's a friendly conversion for friendly games. I've got a few other variations on this army, including some massive 'Armored Bear Vindicators' and some snowspeeder bikes. I'll post some pics of those in the next few weeks.

Next up is this 2 headed Chaos Dragon conversion. I had a few extra heads from a Nazghul kit I used on a parasite about a year ago, so I wanted to do something with them. Fitting them to this Heroscape green dragon was easy enough, and I blended it together with some grey stuff. There is a multi-headed creature template on the WOTC website that would make this 2 headed dragon a perfect challenge for a mid-level D&D or Pathfinder game!

These two mounted Nazghul, you guess it, are from the same kit. I used them to create some simple, inexpensive poor man's Chaos Lords of steeds. They are a nice easy way to get a Chaos Lord on the table without blowing 30 bucks on citadel finecast (which is very nice, but not easy on the ole' wallet).

This walking brain is actually a conversion of a Thoon Elder Brain for my weekly Ravenloft game. They don't know it yet, but the PC's are about to dip into the Thoughts of Darkness adventure, where they delve into the blasted domain of Bluetspur and the cthonic horrors that occupy it's winding mazes! Beware of Thoon! This brain was cast using resin from a Halloween candy mold (the kind with eyeballs and fingers and stuff). I cast it twice, glued them together, grey stuffed it up to make it cohesive, then added these tentalces from my bitz box.

This piece of 40k Terrain is actually a kit bash from leftovers from my Tyranid Dominatrix projects (well, the cannon at the very least) and a cast of the Adeptus Mechanicus symbol. They are for sale on ebay and in short order. Get them while you can!

These two 3rd Edition Hive Tyrants with Dragonfly wings are also for sale on ebay. I'm trying to get rid of some of my older models. Although I've been a loyal Nid player for almost 20 years, I'm trying to make a little more room in my life (and my garage) for other things. So I've sadly got to part with some older models. Hope they find a good home.

The poor man's Trygons are done and up for sale on ebay too. Get 2 for the price of one GW trygon, and the same scale! Great for hobbyists on a budget.

These Sisters of Battles are a recent commission. I put them together for a friend of mine that wanted the squad painted in a hurry. This is my basic tabletop standard and runs the same cost as the minis themselves, so a box for $30 cost the client the same amount to get them painted. I offer half price specials for 2 color down, and double pricing for nicely detailed models, the whole gambit.

This Carcass Crab is a conversion for an Eberron D&D game, and fits on a 60mm huge base. It's not quite as bulky as I would like, but for a nice simple poor man's conversion, it's not bad. The crab skulks around battlefields, adding debris to hit's adhesive shell. The model itself started shelf life as a Tomb Kings model, then transitioned with the help of some GW curshing claws and other bits from my bitz box.

This Necron Tomb Stalker conversion is up for sale with his 4 brothers on ebay right now. Like most of my other models, its a cheaper rendition of the FW model for a portion of the cost of the newer model. It's is tournament friendly, being composed of 90% GW bits (with the exception of the head) and based appropriately on a 90x120mm oval base.

Finally, this massive slithering Tyrannofex model is ready and on it's way to the client. The client requested a longer than usual tail wrapped around a Romanic pillar with some dead (or in this case struggling) Marines on the base as well. The cannon is a custom fusion of 3 Venom Cannons and the upper portion of a spare Trygon tail (the lower portion went to extend the tail of this beastie). The claws are from FW (wrecker claws) and they had to be extended to fit on tthe Trygon torso.

More details on many of these models can be seen on my youtube channel.

So, looking back, it has been busy, just not in the way I'd hoped. I want some new commissions, but in the mean time, I'll occupy myself with other endeavors.

Coming up next . .. a Nurgle Plague Tower for sale on ebay, 4 winged Hive Tyrants with Resin Mcfarlane Wings, a custom Swarmlord with 4 pewter boneswords, some custom Space Marine bikes and Space Wolf snowspeeders, and finally a Ku'gath Conversion that will counts as a Plaguereaper for your Apocalypse army! Stay runed for more in the coming weeks!

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer conversion, painting, and consignment services for all your miniature gaming needs.

contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are intersted in obtaining a quote.

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your mini's where your mouth is! Happy wargmaing!

Caleb

Tyrannofex and D&D miniatures

2011-08-14T17:11:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

I started up on a new Tyrannofex conversion for a client this week. The client wants the model to use a Trygon kit as the base model, wanting it to be more of a slithering Tyrannofex than a massive carnifex. The client requested the tail be wrapped around the pillar of an Imperial palace for stability. in order to facilitate this I had to extend the tail considerably. fortunately I had a few extra trygon tails lying around from past projects. Using green stuff and some brass rod, I managed to match up the tails closely enough to make it believable.

the cannon is fused together by combining three venom cannons and them using some green stuff to seal in the gaps. The double arm mottiff will be continued with a pair of Forgeworld wrecker claws for the upper limbs.

since I had a little time to burn this week, I worked on some D&D miniature for our ongoing Ravenloft game. This first miniature is Azenwrath, a unique wood golem from the Ravenloft setting. Azenwrath has a very cool backstory, and anyone interested in the Ravenloft setting should definately consider looking into his history on Mistipedia.

This figure was composed mostly from a Lotr treeman miniature. We used toothpicks to create the 'shoulders' and 'beak face' look, then used thin bandages dipped in glue to wrap the body, not unlike making palm trees for a desert terrain board. Then we added a few odds and ends like these parchment scrolls from the 40k line and a vodoo doll that is included the the Wyrd miniatures hag.

Next up is a Scylla conversion. Scylla is a sea monster, named for the Greek monster of legend, from the Pathfinder RPG. Her stats are in Bestiary 2, and her picture is about what you would see here (a squid with wolf heads around her abdomen area and a beautiful woman on top). We used a Safari octopus for the lower half, some WFB wolf heads from Hoard O' Bits (specificall from the Goblin Wolf Riders line from WFB) and then a Succubus from Reaper miniatures for the upper half. A little green stuff to blend it all together and voila.

For those just tuning into this blog my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer painting, converting, terrain building, and consignment services. I guarantee fast turnaround, first class customer service, and very competitive rates.

Speaking of consignment, the same client who had so much to sell before sent me another 2 giant boxes of models to be consigned. They are currently for sale on Ebay. Included are several Regiments of Renown from the WFB line and plenty of Skaven, Lizardmen, and Empire figures.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you have any interest in commissioning a model for painting, or to be built. I am always happy to speak with a prospective client.

Plea to previous game store owners and recent conversions

2011-08-05T17:21:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Well, it's been a slow week commission wise, but I always try to put up whatever I've been working on.

This week a few things: First off a Tyranid Wyvern. This beastie was a figure we were using for our Apocalypse games that we never got around to painting (except for the base). Think of it as a Tyranid equivilent of an Imperial Lighting, but far more points. As a gargantuan creature, it has some heft, and a hefty (but fair) price tag at 500pts. It's in the same family as the Harpy and the Harridan, but somewhere in the middle.

To account for it's name (Wyvern), we gave it a poisonous attack. We also gave it some bio-bombs not unlike a harpy or the lightning. Another special rule we incorporated was the 'dogfighter' rule, which allows for the Wyvern to assault flyers. Now, like any vehicle that moves that fast, the Wyvern still needs a 6 to hit, but that's better chance than not at all. We like to think of the final scene in Avatar, when the Banshee's are attacking the hover planes.

Here are some rules for the Wyvern that we created.

Wyvern
POINTS: 500

Wyverns are Tyranid birds of prey, avian hunters of unmatched terror and beauty, thought extinct since the time of Horus Heresy. They patrol the skies, silent sentries that strike seemingly without warning. Much faster than the larger Harridan, which is more akin to a Tyranid drop ship, the Wyvern is bio-engineered for agility and maneuverability. It carried a payload of bio-bombs, which it would use to soften up its prey before dropping in for the kill.

WS BS S T W I A LD SV
4 3 8 7 5 3 3 10 3+

UNIT: 1 Wyvern

TYPE: Gargantuan Creature

1-3 Wyverns are an additional detachment for a Tyranid Army.

WEAPONS AND BIOMORPHS:
-2 bio-cannons

Range S AP Type
Bio-cannon 48” 8 3 Assault 4, Anti-aircraft mount
Bio-bombs Bomb 6 4 Apocalypse Barrage (1)*, One shot

OPTIONS:
Bio-bombs:
The Wyvern may carry up to 4 bio-bombs for +40 pts.

*You can elect to have the Wyvern drop as many bombs as you wish in a single bombing run-for each bomb dropped, roll once on the Apocalyptic Barrage template. But remember, each bomb can only be dropped once-when they’re gone, they’re gone!

SPECIAL RULES:
FLYER: The Wyvern can fly up to 24” per turn.

Agile: In the Shooting phase the Wyvern may choose to either:
-Fire its bio-cannon and move an extra D6” (as per Fleet of Wing)
-Move an extra 2D6” (as per Fleet of Wing)

Dogfighter: Unlike a Harridan, which is more akin to a Tyranid drop ship, the Wyvern is designed to seek and destroy enemy flyers. The Wyvern may assault flyers.

Anaphylactic Shock: The Wyverns tail sac contains extremely virulent venom. Any to wound rolls of 6 from a Wyvern cause Instant Death. This does not affect Daemons, including the C’Tan and the Eldar Avatar.

Okay, back to business as usual:

The Dark Eldar client requested a head swap after the initial model was completed. This was a simple enough change and I certainly wanted the client to be pleased with the final product, so the client selected an alternate head from a dozen or so selections.

On a final note, White Metal Games is interested in opening a retail Game and Hobby store in the next year or so (the pictures of the shopping center is our prospective development space for the shop). We have been putting together a business plan for this, but are running into the trouble of not having much concrete data in the form of sales data to input into our business plan.

If there are any store managers out there, former owners of game stores, or the like, we are interested in the following information:

Average sales per week, month, and year, for up to the last five years
Average age of clients
Average number of clients per week day, and on the weekends
Most profitable game systems, and any sales information broken down by sales (IE, MTG, vs. D&D vs 40k sales, etc)
Any other general advice or information you can provide to us that would be equally beneficial

We will be operating in Raleigh area, NC, so please don't be concerned about our business being in direct competition with yours.

We are hoping some helpful members of the community reach out to us. If that's you, please contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, competitive pricing, and excellent customer service.

Please contact me if you have any interest in having a model commissioned.

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your mini's where your mouth is, and happy wargaming.

Caleb

Dark Eldar finsihed, new Doom, and consignment army!

2011-08-01T10:05:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

After several long weeks, I have finally finished the Dark Eldar project I started for a client several weeks ago. Dark Eldar, for those who haven't painted them before, are NOT like painting space marines. I've been spoiled for space on marines and even nids, who have tons of flat, even plating to paint. Dark Eldar are smaller, lithe, and their details are much, much smaller. In a nutshell, this project was tougher than I thought it was going to be and for all those players out there thinking about playing Dark Eldar, just start by painting one squad and THEN tell me how you feel about it.

The client in this case wanted me to match their existing color scheme. I think overall it's pretty sharp on the table, the purple/magenta/brass/black look appeals to me, and I tried to offset that with the orange hair (which, for Dark Eldar, isn't THAT extreme).

The Dais of Destruction is basically a modified Ravager. I added some blades, extra bits from the Dark Elf line, some adorments and extra chains, etc.

Vecht is based on an old Dark Eldar Incubi model. His lower torso is from an Archon, and his staff is from a Reaper Reptus figure. The head is from an Chaos Marauder. I was trying to get something close to the picture on the front of the DE codex and I feel like in spirit, I got close.

Sliscus is based on the Yriel Eldar figure, modified to be more of a corsair. The Serpent Duke has a custom banner pole and blades from Dark Elf WFB kits.

Aside from the Dark Eldar, I also cooked up a new Doom variant, since I finally ran out of the Kenner Alien Crab heads I had been using for months. This model is for sale on ebay along with my other listings.

Finally, a third client has contacted me regarding a consignment army. They mailed me over 2 giant boxes of unopened blisters and boxes from the WFB line. Many of these are older models, out of production for some time, and many are up to 50% off their original retail value! A complete listing on their models can be found here. They are all for sale, and yes, of course, we combine shipping.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a commission artist for hire. I offer conversion, painting, and consignment services. You can contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interested in obtaining a quote for services.

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your minis where your mouth is! Happy wargaming!

Caleb

Rock Band Orc Squiggoth

2011-07-31T06:04:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Once in a while a project comes along that I think is really out there, but really fun to work on and visionary in scope. This is certainly one of those.

The client in this case contacted me and wanted a custom Orc Squiggoth (like those I have made many times before using a Star Wars Reek, Pegasus kits, and a GW Orc Battlewagon Sprue), but with a Rock Concert stage on it's back. The inspiration for this project I think came from the Goff Rockers, a GW collectors blister which features 3 Orcs with guitars and a singer with a microphone.

For the stage itself, I basically took several Pegasus kits and bashed them together to form the stage. I used a large glob of Grey stuff to even out the ridged back. The Speakers on the side of the Howdah are actual car speakers. I drilled a 1" hole in the back of the plastic plate to allow the speaker to recess inside of it.

The rear amp is part of a Barbie Dream house speaker actually. I bought 2 on these on ebay, and meant to use the entire speakers, but they were just too large and would have taken away from the model too much. I was able to use part of it, though, and save the other parts for some future project.

I added Havoc and smoke launchers on the grid because they reminded me of stage lights. Although normally they'd be pointing at the stage, I felt that in order to really enjoy them and paint them up with bright colors, they needed to be facing outward.

The searchlight on the top of the stage is an Imperial Guard Spotlight, and works well as an actual spotlight for the stage. I used a few Grots for stage crew, and even added some smoke machines off on the wings. The green smoke is Halloween spider webbing that I keep around for stuff like this.

Overall I think the project came out really well and the client was particularly pleased.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, competitive rates, and excellent customer service. I do my best to please every client, every time.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you have any interest in having a model painted, commissioned, or just want some advice on a project. I'm always available to speak with clients. I also offer consignment services. If you have an old army you want to off load, you can send it to me and I'll sell it on your behalf. You don't have to worry about shipping supplies, ebay tracking or any of that. You just have to send it to me and wait for me to send you a check. Generally, after fees, you profit about 75% of the price of the auction. If an item sells for 100 bucks you end up pocketing about 75 of that without fail. Not bad for something just gathering dust in your closet.

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your minis where your mouth is!

Happy wargaming!

Caleb

Tyranid Madness, Thunderwolves, Blood Angels, Dark Elf Nobles, and more!

2011-07-25T07:22:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

As July draws to a close, I am looking back over the projects from the last few weeks and was surprised to find out just how much had been accomplished. July was probably my best month for commission sales to date, and the ebay business is thriving as well. I have to thank all of YOU for my increase in sales. So thank you world. Keep the commissions coming.

In no particular order, let me tell you a little bit about the following images.

A client that is quickly becoming a regular of mine requested a few new 'nids' for her army. This client works on a budget. I can admire that, and she isn't against negotiating, which I can also admire. In her quest to find good figures for a good deal, she often wheels and deals with me until we come to a mutally beneficial arrangement. For example, I sell Harpies on ebay for about $65 bucks each. A fair bargain, in my opinion. But if she wants one for half that, and doesn't need me to stick to a kit or codex pic, then I am free to use my ole' nogging and try to find a cheaper way to build her a decent proxy to use.

This striving between budget and aesthetic lead us to several conversion. The first is this Tyrannofex conversion, which I've actually done for many clients in the past. This t-fex is more of a sleek model, almost panther like, with a cannon mounted to it's back and a chest mounted stinger salvo (or cluster spines). The harpy is based on a kenner alien (several in fact) and is sort of a poor man's harpy. It works well, looks sharp, is about the right size, and was quick to build. A win win for all involved.

This same client also like the thundewolves I built for her so much that she requested three more. i was eager to please, so I cooked up a few more, trying to make sure they were different that the first four I built. They also give her a few extra options for her squad, including a frost axe, a thunderhammer stormshield combo, and stormbolter.

Dante on the other hand was for an entirely different client. This long term client is building a World Eaters CSM army, and they are using Blood Angels as their codex for it. It's a 'counts as' army. Dante is going to be a commander for the army. I found these great old vulture wings, mottled and torn up, and used them to build up his backpack a little. To really sell the vulture man image, I used this pewter Aquilla head from GW, and used it like a helmet. I think it works well, sort of like he is the head raptor for the army.

This is the same client that requistioned the Dark Elf Nobles by the way, here presented in their completed form. I particuraly like the Sorceress on steed. The Reptus weapon pack from Reaper was a good investment for her stave.

I've had two requests for Squiggoths recently, after months without a single request. This is the first, and probably my best to date. I think it really blends well for a poor man's model.

The other squiggoth is going to be a little 'off the beaten path.' The client wants to use Goff Rockers to create a traveling stage for the battlefield, complete with giant speakers! This is going to blow your mind. I want to throw in a few Grot roadies if I can, lol. Get ready for this!

Finally, I have pics (albeit dark pics) of a Fantasy RPG character and his hawk familiar I did for a friend of mine for his b-day. His figure was painted up with a dark color scheme in mind, with a slight reddish hue to the skin that contrasts nicely with the eldritch looking green witch blades he carries. His hawk has the same reddish hue to his wings so that they blend nicely.

Despite all these commissions, I spent 90% of the weekend painting on the DE project, and it is 95% done, thank God. Those raiders are tough to paint, so hard to get to so many places, and the kabalites themselves are so small . .. . I've really been spoiled painting nids and marines. I didn't realize how much surface area I was working with until it was gone, lol.

Pics for the DE project forthcoming. And I know the client will be glad to finally get his models.

On a side note, there are also pics of a redux Tervigon variant, back by popular demand. The model was such a hit the first time around, that I had to build some more. Get em while you can. I've been selling about 6 tervigons a week, it's hard to keep them in stock.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a commission artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, competitive rates, and great customer service. contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you have any interest in commissioning a model. I paint, build, convert, I'm a one man show! Well, I do have an assistant now, so I can't take all the credit, lol.

Until next time, remember to put your minis where your mouth is . . and take care.

Caleb

Thunderwolf cavalry, new Harpy, Parasite, and spare wings for sale!

2011-07-21T05:55:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

Things have been busy as usual. So here is what I have been working on recently, in no particular order.

I did 2 new Parasite of Mortrex models for ebay. I had a few leftover claws of an unusual variety (from the Starship troopers line) that I wanted to use up and this seemed like a good opportunity. They are currently for sale on ebay.

I have created a new Harpy variant. I am down to only 2 sets of Dragon Wings that I have been using for my harpies for so long. I came up with this new variant using mostly GW bits, including Balrog wings, and a Kenner alien tail. These models are 100% tournament friendly for you tournies out there, and it is available to be purchased here.

I've already sold three to a client! I'll be posting some pics in my next update.

The nature of conversion work is to use a particular model and then to cut it into bits for other projects. As such, from time to time I have parts left over that I just don't have need for. As such as I have 10 or so sets of these plastic dragon wings. They are a great size for Winged Hive Tyrants, Daemon Princes, or the like. They are also for sale.

At half the price other bits vendors sale wings for, it's hard to pass up.

Finally, I put together a squad of Space Wolf cavalry for another regular. This client wanted to base them on Vampire Dire Wolves. The 'slate' basing is actually smoothed down dollar store glass, like the kinda you'd find on a beach. Sort of a poor man's slate. Works well, too, but hefty.

I cut off some of the heads and repositioned them to make the models look different. I also turned one into a cyber-thunderwolf to change it up and keep it interesting. The squad is functional and aesthetic.

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire.

I specialize in fast turnaround, friendly service, and competitive rates. I offer conversion, painting, and consignment as regular services.

My next few projects include finishing up the painting on the Dark Eldar HQ project from a week or so ago, and I just got in an order of S.o.B to paint up for a client. I finished up work on some Dark Eldar nobles and a Sorceress on horseback, as well as assembled a new Squiggoth conversion. But all of that is forthcoming in my next post.

Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com if you are interesting in obtaining a quote, or simply talking to me about a potential project. I'm always available to speak with you.

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your mini's where your mouth is!

Happy wargaming,

Caleb

Golgotha, Annual Apocalypse Game, July 8-9 2011

2011-07-14T05:20:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

This week a slight departure. Yes, I will be posting a blog with the models I've been working on this week, but fore now, I wanted to do a quick post on my annual apocalypse game.

When Apoc first hit the market some 5-6 years ago, I had the idea to throw a really BIG game. The first year it was 4 players with 4k a player. Over the years the game has grown, at one point being 8 players with 5k a player on 2 tables . . . but over time I've learned that 4 players with 10k each is a pretty good weekend game. you can play it in about 12 hours or so, and it's exciting, as well as exhausting.

Though I have many friends in the area that play 40k, Wynn is a solid player that I rarely get to play with, so I always look forward to having him over for a game. He's not too competitive, he has a good sense of the rules, and he plays fair. Jeremy and Heath are the same way. They are both a bit more competitive, but who can blame them. Jeremy blames a solid game, using mathhammer and firm tactics to command his armies to victory. Heath is a veteran player of 15 years, so most of the time his tactics are tried and tested from years of play. I was glad to have Heath on my sad, and nevous about facing Wynn and my brother's combined might.

As the day wore on, I learned I was right to be worried.

I've also posted several videos about this game. You can find the videos on my youtube channel, here.

We played a total of 3 and a 1/2 turns, because by the bottom of turn three, it was clear Heath and I weren't going to muster our troops to a come back.

Unlike normal game of Apoc, we based this game on Kill Points. Teams scored one point for each unit they eliminated. To be clear, a unit could be a a brood of gaunt, or a titan, or anything in between. Legendary formations of mutliple creatures were also 1 kill point. So for example, my 1300 point unit of 7 carnifexes . . . one kill point.

There was some debate over the course of the game about me taking 10 tervigons, pumping out squad after squad and effectively supplying the enemy with easy kill points. If I had known we were going to do kill points going in, I might have made other choices. But maybe not. I'm a pretty stubborn guy, and 10 tervigons on the table is a lot of fun. That's one good thing about building models to sell, you always have some extra models laying around, ready to be used.

It was a great game with some great guys and I very much look forward to next year's game.

Until next post, this is Caleb from White Metal Games reminding you to put your mini's where your mouth is. And until then, happy wargaming!

Caleb

Soul Drinkers Sarpedon and Sgt. Telion

2011-07-08T05:27:00.000-07:00

Good morning fellow wargamers!

I've been trying to get caught up on posting, and it usually ends with me posting three of four posts back to back, (such as now).

This project revolved around a client who wanted a few Soul Drinkers figures. This particular client took their time finding passages in the Soul Drinkers novels describing these particular characters in detail. For Sarpedon, we went with a larger spider abdomen than most conversion artists usually use. The client really wanted Sarpedon on a 60mm base, so I went with a D&D Draegloth from the Drow range. The biomechanical leg comes from an AT-43 miniature, peppered in with plenty of 40k marine bits. I tried to find a few icons with the Soul Drinkers custom grail, and I have ordered some custom Chapter House shoulder pads for this purpose.

For Telion, we went with two models. The first is a marine version, before his fall. Telion fights with a sword and knife, stands on a mound of dead bodies (a corpse pile from the WFB Corpse Cart, diced up and filled with extra parts from the Zombie regiment sprue).

The second model is a kit bash from a Chaos Marauder body with a marine head and legs. The 'fan blades' are sword blades, meant to look as though Telion has had blades from a massive fan shoved into the bloody stumps of his arms, wrapped with bandages.

After having seen the first pics, the client made a few requests for changes, so I'll be posting updated pics in a few days.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in fast turnaround, excellent customer service, and competitive rates. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services.

Until next time, happy wargaming!!!

Caleb

Chaos Warhound Titan complete, finished pics

2011-07-07T19:08:00.000-07:00

Greetings again (and probably for the last time tonight) fellow wargamers!

This Chaos Warhound titan I have previously discussed in several blog posts. I really just wanted to post some final pictures on the completed model. This was before flocking and varnishing, of course, and now, this model is bound for Germany!!!

It was every bit as time consuming to paint as I imaged it would be. This bad boy is just thriving in detail. Every inch of the model is detailed, and it looks great once finished up.

The cockpit and crew compartment are hard to paint when fully assembled, but I still don't know if I would have changed it from thhe way I did it. I guess I'll have to build another one and test the theory.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer fast turnaround, reasonable rates (very competitive), and excellent customer service. I will work wit you on a budget to try and make your model dreams become a reality.

If intersted in obtaining a quote, contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com. I am always eager to speak with a potential new client.

Until next time, good luck, and happy converting!

Caleb

Dark Eldar Asdrubael Vect and Duke Sliscus, plus Dais of Destruction

2011-07-07T18:15:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers:

I'll be honest, I don't get many chances to do custom Dark Eldar. Most of my work is in Tyranids or Chaos Mutations of some sort, such as Daemons and Princes and such. So when I get the chance to do something a little out of the ordinary for myself, I like to jump on it.

A client requested a custom Vecht, Sliscus, and Dais of Destruction a few weeks ago. He left me free to conceive them as I saw fit, but requested I stick to the descriptions in the codex. I was happy to comply.

For the Dais, I based it on a Ravager, since the Dais comes with three Dark Lances (and they must all presumably be manned by gunners). I embellished the Ravager with plenty of extra bits, blades, and chains, a few bits from the Dark Elf range from WFB, as well as somem extra older Dark Eldar bladed fins that I had lying around in my bits box.

For Vecht, I was really inspired by the image on the front of the DE codex, and wanted to try to mimic that imagery if I could. I used an old Incubi model for the basic figure, adding a lower body from an archon I had from another conversion a few months back (let nothing go to waste I say!). I added a head from a Chaos warrior (also WFB). The staff tip is from a Reaper range of minis called Dark Spawn (I think . . . ) and he's mounted on a spare ram from the Ravager kit.

For Sliscus, i really wanted to embellish the Pirate aspect of his description. I've always been a fan of the Yriel Eldar model, and like the eye patch (bionic lens) he had going on. I used the arms from a guardian and the crossed blades from a Dark Elf kit. The cape is from the same kit.

I am still waiting to hear back from the client in this case (why do clients go MIA once I have their models ready?) These models are scheduled to be painted as well, so once I get final approval from the client, I'll be painting them up in the next few weeks.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in fast turnaround, competitive rates, and excellent customer service. Contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote, or just to talk about a project you are interested in having commissioned. I'm always happy to speak with a new client, and to figure out how to make their next project become a reality.

Until that time, happy wargaming!

Space Wolf Thunderwolf Cavalry for client

2011-07-07T17:58:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

I had a staycation this week, which was good because sales have been up up up!!!

As such, I've had a lot of new commissions. To start them off, these are some thunderwolf cavalry I created for a client. I had made some of these for myself a few months back and then turned them around and sold them on ebay. The client who bought them contacted me to request a 2nd squad, and left it up to me to decide the composition. I went with a standard squad of five, three with standard armament, 1 with thunder hammer and storm shield, 1 with plasma pistol. It's a nice, balanced squad, not a death star unit, but not too expensive either.

These are based on an Everquest stalker figure. The models themselves are just regular Wolf Pack. The only real problem in converting these is the legs, that don't fit on the the models without modification. I have to cut the legs around the groin area, then to cover up the gap I used green stuff to sculpt these fur loin cloths, that blend nicely with the Space Wolf motif once painted up.

It's a nice easy conversion, based on 60mm bases. Not as large as say the Juggernaut conversions that are popular, or the Mr. Dandy Battle wolves, but for a fraction of the price you can't beat em.

For those just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I specialize in fast turnaround, excellent customer service and very competitive rates. If interested in commissioning a model, contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com

Until next time, happy wargaming!

Warhound titan update pics, consignment army, Zerg Ultralisk conversion, and bargain basement tervigons!

2011-06-30T04:38:00.000-07:00

Greetings fellow wargamers!

I didn't realize I hadn't posted recently, but it's been very busy. I've been working hard on this titan, trying to get it finished up. The client has been happy with the work thus far, and now I'm on to the final stages of fine detailing. This is what separates the men from the boys. The titan is MASSIVE, there are hundreds of tiny areas to detail. I'm trying to hit as many as I can, I want the client to be pleased. So far so good.

For those wondering what the titan is standing on in a few of these pictures, I'm calling these his 'shoes'. They are small half-moon bases that rest beneath the titans front toes to help elevate him.

Having never built a titan before, I made the mistake of leaning him a bit too far over, and now the model likes to tip. Despite my best efforts to counterbalance it with weights, the model wants to lay do somersaults. So these little 'shoes' help give him that extra few inches he needs to stand up. A simple solution for an irritating problem that everyone can live with.

Learn from my mistake. Titans need to stand upright!

Tervigons: There are quite a few Tervigons up for sale in my ebay store right now. They range from 15-75.00 USD. The lower priced ones are really what I like to think of as 'bargain basement' models, in that I composed them from spare bits around my workshop, smoothed them out with epoxy putty to make everything cohesive. They are the right size, on the right bases, and for 15.00 a pop. you can buy 3 for the price of one carnifex! Try to beat that!

The more expensive variations are slightly nicer. Some have more work put into them. There are also the 'cockroach' variant as I like to call them. These are based on the old Tanker Bugs from the Starship Troopers line. They are wide and long, but don't stand terribly tall. They scuttle along the battlefield, releasing termagants as they go. I like them and use them in my regular games (or at least I did until I put them up for sale). The older tanker bugs like this are almost impossible to find, making these models equally rare. Snatch them up while they're around!

Consignment:
There a few pictures of a Tyranid army that I did not paint or build, but that I am consigning for a client. This particular client has lost interest in 40k (or at least in his Tyranid army), but didn't want to take the time to sell it on ebay. The fees, the shipping, the pictures . . . who wants to do all that? Well, the answer is I do!

Consigning a great option for people that want to collect some $$$ for their loot, but don't want to take the trouble to organize it, photograph it, then pack it up to sell it.

This client sent me their army. My seller status on ebay means I have fewer fees than the average seller. That's right, ebay will actually charge you more on a sale than me because of the amount of volume of sales I do. They give me a discount, which translates into savings for you!

I create a custom spreadsheet for every client with a summary of their auctions. I email them updates on their listings, and I can even advise them about how best to sell their army to get the best (or fastest) profit. I also offer repairs on armies that arrive at my doorstep that have been damaged or broken. We want your army to look it's best when it goes up for sale, don't we?

Once all sales are finalized, I sent the seller a summary page. Now, of course I take a percentage of the profit, and that percentage is 13%. While that may sound high at first glance, this is the same fee that NC Auctioneers assign to their auctions. Combined with your ebay fees, that means you may end up losing about 25% of your total profit from sales. But think about it this way: You send me some models. They sell for $200.00 USD. That means you end up pocketing about $150.00 of. That's $150.00 in your pocket and you didn't have to do anything other than put them in a box and ship them to me. Assuming they arrive in reasonable condition, they I can organize them, list them, and sell them on your behalf. Isn't 25% worth your time. Do you really want to take hours to list your models, borrow a buddies camera to shoot them, upload them to your PC, organize them, type up the listings, getting the shipping supplies and boxes and tape, etc, and then worry about the sales all week? Or would you rather just get a check?

You can also use the money you would get as credit for my work. For example, this particular client wants to commission a few projects. Great! We just take his $150.00 and apply it to his next commission. It's like trading your old models for nice new ones!

Consigning isn't a great option for everyone, but it might be a good option for you.

If you are interested in consigning your army, contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to discuss your particular army and how you wish it consigned.

Zerg Ultralisk:
Finally there are some pictures of a Zerg Ultralisk conversion I was working on for a client overseas. The client requested a model like this and I had never built one of these before. The client decided he didn't like the direction I had gone with the model and that was his right. Rather than disappoint the client, I offered to refund his purchase completely. Though it pained me to lose the commission, and the materials. In this case I used up a good kit and many hours on a model that ultimately didn't deliver for this particular client. It doesn't mean the model isn't nice . . it just isn't waht the client had in mind. Though we tried to come to a consensual agreement about how to move forward with the project, in the end the client decided his and my views about the model were just too different. And again, up until now this has been a right I have reserved for clients. In the future, I am going to have to reassess how I handle cancelled projects, as I am usually left holding the short end of the stick.

Perhaps a non-refundable deposit and some sort of waiver. I'm not entirely sure, but if any conversion artists out there have any ideas, forward them to me. I want to maintain a policy that is fair to both parties.

If you are just tuning into this blog, my name is Caleb and I am a conversion artist for hire. I offer outstanding customer service, fast turnaround, and competitive rates. If you have any interest in having a model commissions or even just want some advice on a project, contact me at caleb@whitemetalgames.com to obtain a quote for services.

I am always happy to speak with a new client!

Until next time, this is Caleb reminding you to put your minis where your mouth is! Happy wargaming!

Caleb