Let's Paint - Mercenaries (RPG Mini Painting)

Mage Knight

Last week I gave a bit of a look into converting Mage Knight minis for other RPG use.  For a more in depth look check out how I turned a Mending Priestess into an Ice Witch.

If you didn't see last week's post, Mage Knight's are wonderfully cheap minis that can be pretty okay if you give them some love.


You have to cut them off their clunky bases and attach them to something nicer.  I tend to use my tried and true method of baking soda and super glue with a few aquarium stones thrown in for variety.  When you've done that you're left with something a bit more workable.


Underpainting

So for these guys as well as the Ice Witch, I tried a new method of painting.  With underpainting, the idea is to add shadow and highlight in monochrome where it's easier to see.  Then you go in with thin layers of color to add over your underpainting.  This is similar to the idea behind Zenithal priming but can be achieved with brushes instead of an airbrush.  I've also found that this steps helps to identify the sometimes confusing details on the model.

I start by priming my minis in grey as usual.


Following this I give them a wash.  This is also a great opportunity to add some unifying color to your minis.  For the Ice Witch I used a dark blue wash.  For these guys I used brown as I wanted more of an earthy tone for them.

After the wash you dry brush the model to pull out the highlights and highest peaks.  It can be useful to add this sparingly, trying to follow the highlights from an imagined light source.  Or you can use this step to bring out all the details to make painting easier.  This is really up to you and your needs.



At this point you can really see the models popping.  If you are going for a minimalist look you could be done.  These are infinitely better than an unpainted mini already.  This is also a great technique for making statues or other stone creatures.

Finishing the Minis

At this point you can paint as usual.  Being mindful to use thin layers of paint will show how useful this technique can be.  Too thick and you cover it all up completely, wasting the time you spent underpainting.



I wanted to go for a desert-like theme of bandits or mercenaries or guards.  The kind of grunts you can throw in for a variety of encounters.  As much as I love painting minis, it takes time, and I love when I make something that is multipurpose.



First up we have two Utem Crossbowman figures from the Mage Knight Rebellion line.  The lack of depth on these minis make their faces both difficult and freeing.  I let my painting chops take over to try and make a passable face on these two.



I think the yellow Crossbowman turned out much better.



Next up is the Amotep Gunner.  Mage Knight uses a lot of guns and rifles, which don't really fit in the kinds of games I run, but this mini was pretty cool and his armor was similar to the others so I wanted to use him anyway.  I thought of adding some glowing energy to the end of his weapon to make it look more like a magic item, but decided to keep it looking more like an odd mace instead.  I really like the eyes on this guy.



Next we have the Utem Guardsman.  I liked this guy.  He looks pretty cool.  He stands out from most of the others.  But he was looking a little dull so I added in the head tattoo to cut back on that baby-face look.



And finally we have the Altem Guardsman.  This guy is my personal favorite.  I think he just looks cool.  Clearly the heavy of the group, he's the guy they send in to rough you up.  I do need to try to get that sword straightened out again.  It just keeps wanting to bend.


This gang was super fun to paint up.  They've been in my mind for awhile and I am very happy with the result.  It's awesome to see something sub-par come to life with a bit of paint.  I guarantee they will see plenty of table-time in the future.

I hope you've enjoyed these Mage Knight conversions and let me know below if you'd like to see me do more.

Next week I've got some chilling creatures to add to your winter adventures.

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