Kit Bashing Fun - Wolf Lord

So...

I'm not that skilled at sculpting green stuff or 'proper' converting (whatever that may be), but kit bashing is something I thoroughly enjoy and can achieve some pretty decent results from. Now that GW are releasing more and more better quality plastic kits, kit bashing is even easier than it ever has been (anyone else old enough to remember trying to whittle the head from a metal miniature?!). The removal of superglue from the hobby equation can only be a good thing (never stuck my finger to my tongue with plastic glue...).

What I wanted to do was share my latest kit bash with you, along with some tips, to show you just how easy it is to do.

First, take a bunch of bits. Start with a big bunch of bits, play around with them and try and imagine the look of the miniature you are going for. The pose, the bits you want to use. Sometimes I get an idea in my head based on just a single bit that I have seen and want to use. And sometimes you'll have a solid idea only for the end result to look completely different, because once you start assembling the pieces they might not quite go together the way you wanted them to. This isn't Lego after all...

 

Choose the bits you think you want to use.

 

Then start assembling. Start with the base and other big bits. Remember that plastic glue takes a while, probably 20 minutes, before the pieces are solidly stuck together (do you want me to start talking about the chemical reaction that welds the plastic together? Thought not...).

 

For this guy I wanted to use a destroyed tank door as my base. I got some wire cutters and started 'destroying' the door from a Storm Raven. Then used a scalpel to add chips

 

A quick head swap to make my unit unique

 

Some bits I didn't get to use, such as the wolf cloak (because this guy already has a cloak... and double cloaking, that's madness I tell you!)

 

And there you go, one kit bashed Wolf Lord in under 1 hour!

 

This is my favourite kit bash of all time (to date). Made especially difficult as it's based on the metal Gabriel Seth (he's resin these days, which would have made this so much easier!)

 

 

Some tips (in no particular order)

• Don't forget to drill those gun barrels. GW's hobby drill has never let me down.
• Two points of contact. Always aim for two points of contact with fiddly or delicate pieces. Especially with gaming miniatures (as opposed to display-only miniatures). They'll snap off real quickly, sometimes before you even finish painting, which just leads to unnecessary anguish.
• Don't try and do too much too quickly. You'll get frustrated as one piece you thought was stuck falls off just as you are holding another piece in position. Take your time, leave it over night if you have to, it's not going anywhere!
• Don't use too much plastic glue, it can and will melt the plastic, ruining some of that lovely moulded detail
• Don't be afraid to use 'green stuff'. Even for kit bashes it's good for smoothing areas, filling joints and even bonding pieces together.
• Clean every part before you start sticking. You might find it very difficult to reach some mould lines once the miniature is stuck together.
• Dry fit before sticking. Sometimes you'll find things don't quite fit and need filing or cutting to fit snugly. Once that glue is applied you have to wait for it to dry before you can continue progress. 

 

Happy hobbying!

 

Dave