"SA&B 15MM Chig WIP Preview" Topic

Hail fellow 15mm Sci-Fi Advocates. I have discovered that I am no photographer…lol.

I used a buddies camera, and snapped 10 pictures of what I have done on the Master Chig sculpture. Only 2 images turned out. I am going to try again this weekend, to get final images of this piece for you to review.

I was not sure about what to do for the back of this sculpture, until CC and I chatted it out here this past weekend. Now that I know what to do to finish this one up, I will be working on that this week.

I hope this preview is satisfactory until then. I wanted to post something so that you good people will know that it IS being worked on.
Here you go.
link

My plans for this Chig are as follows:

Black Autumn Productions
30 Apr 2009 6:16 p.m. PST

Okay CC here is what I am planing to do with these.
After I have these last minute details sculpted up, and I preview the Base Sculpture here, I am going to convert a Head Chig with the Option to have him with helm or bare headed.
link
There will be 3 Troop poses done.
Then I was going to do a Heavy Chig with a gun like the one they use for their rifle. This would be a larger shoulder mounted affair and this type of Chig would have a targeter on his helm.
The way I am sculpting these allows you to take the 3 leg sets (which I will convert with nice bases), and then glue on the torso/head/and arms. This will give you a kind of GW Marine thing, so you can turn waste, heads and so on, to get a lot of pose in the figures.
Do not worry about them being easy to break, because I have sculpted deep male/female plugs, so you have a good mounting place for each part, that will hold the glue.
The Chig is very large, because Chigs ARE Large…lol. I see them as being like a 7 foot tall muscle man. Just look at their suites, they are not weak little things.
This first sculpt is about 22mm. Since most all 15mm have grown to around 18mm now a days, I wanted our Chigs to look like Big Bad A's. So they will stand a full head taller than regulare 15mm humans.
How is that working for you fellows?
Michael

Thank you for looking, and please feel free to comment.

Michael

Sounds good on the size, and the poses. I like being able to adjust them, especially if the poses are limited in numbers, in order to get more variety out of them (not playing clone wars here). Hopefully, at least one figure will be in an advancing pose, e.g. leaning forward slightly, and legs posed, as if walking/advancing quickly.

I thought all of the Chigs carried rifles, so presume the heavy weapon you are proposing will be larger.

An anti-tank rocket launcher option would be nice too – possibly with a kneeling Chig. Standing would work as well, if necessary.

Don't forget that the 15mm figures are measured to where their eyes are/should be (for helmeted figs), so an 18mm figure is really about 20mm's tall, from their boot soles to the top of their head (GZG astronaut figures).

Here's a couple of closeups of the Chig armor, in green, so you can see the detailing:

brianbero.com/chig.html

Here's a nice side view of the helmet.

picture

I have a nice side view of a Chig as well, but can't recall the link. It shows the Chig from the top of his head, to about mid-thigh level, in gray armor, facing to the right – he appears to be using some sort of control panel. I can send it to you as an attachment, if you provide your e-mail address, if you don't have it already.

I have also inquired with the prop rental company to see if we can get a photo of the back of the suit, but haven't heard back on that. Not sure if that will pan out, or not.

Alternatively, if someone has a photo of the resin Chig model, that would work well instead.

I hope that helps.

Looking forward to seeing these in production.

Sincerely,

Rob

Well, I know it may not look like much right now, but it is at least a peek into what will soon be. I had real issues with getting the pictures done, but I will try harder next time around.
Yes there will be some good pose options, like for the leaning forward or to the side for example. You will be able to twist and turn the torso, and glue it how you like.

Think GW Plastic Space Marines, and that is how I am going to have these sets. Based posed legs, then you put on the torso/arms/head.

For the Heavy Weapons, I am doing a large version of the Chig Plasma gun, and a Missle weapon.

If you would like to keep up with my other work, for The WSW, and this Chig, please feel free to join us at my little Yahoo group. This is where I post news and images first.
Also Mark at DH will preview completed figures.

You 15mm Sci-Fi people are invited:
link

Thank you for the reply TGA!

Michael

Nice work, Mike. This shows promise.

Keith F.

This looks like a very good start Micheal. Just keep in mind that some people love multiple parts while other hate them. I like them myself, but you will find that if the minis get too fiddly to assemble, especially since they are 15mm, some people will not buy them. Not meant as a criticism, just wanted to point it out. Looking forward to seeing all your new stuff!

Jeff

I'll take a platoon blister… (30-ish figures).

Ooooo, looking nice! I really like what you've done so far. Excellent start. I think it is different enough to bypass any IP issues, without losing the basic look and feel to them. Make sure to always call them non-Chigs, to be on the safe side.

Just remember that Chigs should tower over mere mortal humans. :)

By the way, one of these might the be image Top Gun was talking about:

link

CC

Yep, that's it.

Top row, and third photo, counting from the left.

Thank You for the comments my Bros of 15mm!!!!

Not to try and brag, but my real goal here is to make my little 15mm NotChig look as good as this large scale kit.
BIG Kit:
link
LIL Sculpt:
link

I might pull it off…lol.

I will dang sure try.

I should have this DONE this week.

CC
He will be 7 feet tall, in scale of course.

Lion in the Stars
I will send you some free goodies, if you like…dare I say it…"Sexy Girls"…lol, so your Rebel Mini EF Troopers
can save the hapless Colony Ladies.

Chignots always liked to kill colony people, according to a show from the 90's.

Michael

I like the sculpt so far a lot, enough to be tempted when i didnt think i would be. but, i have a problem with relatively larger humanoid figures. I'm not sure i can get past the discrepancy in size even when the Chigs should be larger than the humans. Discrepancies in humanoid size of that order just seem to clash with the scale bit of my brain even though i know the figures are in scale to what they are supposed to represent. A bit of a problem for me…

Michael,

What do you plan to call them?

CC

Oh, let's not forget loaders/pack mules for the missile troops at least.

Let's see here: a 'Platoon' would need 3-4 missile troopers, plus another 3-4 SAW troopers, depending on build. Oh, I just remembered that the colony-removal teams liked flamethrowers, so there's 3 of them in a platoon, replacing 3 rifles.

Let's assume squads of 8 (what I remember from that show), plus a command squad (maybe only 4) with some HW support, so there's a SAW and missile trooper in each squad, with a SAW in the HQ, and two more missile troopers in the AT section, for 5 missile troopers (and 5 loaders) and 4 SAWs. That leaves 18 grunts and 3 boss grunts in the squads, plus a LT, boss grunt and two grunts in the HQ. Oh, I just remembered that the colony-removal teams liked flamethrowers, so there's 3 of them in a platoon, replacing 3 rifles.

That makes a 'platoon' 32 figures, with a lot of flexibility in what they can handle.

Black Autumn: I'm just waiting for Uncle Sam to drop the tax return in my lap.

I remember those flamethrowers too!

I seem to recall that they really disliked the smell of human blood, plus the Vesta colony was on one of their sacred moons. To them, the human colony needed to be "cleansed".

"Chigs don't like the smell of our blood. This has been brought in two episodes Choice or Chance and Who Monitors the Birds. According to the AIs, the Chigs call us Red Stink Creatures."
link

However, I don't recall them ever using the flamethrowers again. But I may be wrong. I need to finish watching all the episodes (again).

link

One more thing, the Chigs and the AIs apparently worked together (enemy of my enemy . . .). So it would be good to have options for the AI types, though it is anyone's guess what figures might be best to represent them.

I'm not sure how credible these sources are, but they have interesting observations and possible scenario ideas nonetheless:

link
link
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saab.epguides.info/?ID=1194
saab.epguides.info/?ID=1188
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wapedia.mobi/en/Chigs
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link

CC

I'm sculpting guys…lol.
Just waiting for the recent bits to cure under my lamp.
Okay, I was going to surprise you fellows, but as we all love SA&B and have been watching it, I will tell you this.
I saw the FT in E1 at the very start, so I will do 1 for these Chignots.
Also since Terminator is out again…lol…and because there are some great uses for A.I.'s I am doing a little unit of them also.
SA&B…Terminator…Near Future…A.I.'s are great fun in general.
When they look like a Muscle-Monster/Zombie/Biker/Rock Star/with BIG Guns…yeah!

There is an episode of SA&B that got me thinking about it.
It was number 4.
At the 8 minute mark.
YouTube link

Anyhow it shows Vans kid sisters playing with a future version of a fresbie, the toy lands at the booted feet of a pair of A.I.'s and they pick it up…the camera pans up and we see a large and impressive male and a very sexy-scary female, both of which are decked out in cool gear.

Bet that they will both be sculpted…because it is to cool.

CC…How about Chignots?
Star Lion…cool my 15mm brother in space.

Michael

"Chignots"?

What about a separate poll or questionnaire for the name?

CC

Sure…

…..or Chignauts.

I like that.

Michael

Chignaut Leaders need a Plasma pistol, to go with their sword…I think.
It will look like their biger gun.
I am thinking that this army needs more than the main gun and heavy/special weapons.

What do you guys think?

Michael

Good idea.

As long as you keep the general lines and "alien" style and don't make them look like aliens that stole human weapons, I think it will be awesome!

CC

I shall make it so.

Michael

If you're talking about some vehicles, then YES. Any modern/scifi force must have vehicles.

CC posted a link to an image of 1, but it was hard to see.
I am rewatching all of the SA&B series now, as I finish off this Chignaut sculpt/unit.

I am not going to be abel to produce any big stuff at first, just figures.

The idea has come up to make conversion kits however.

Michael

Aaaaaahhhh……

I'm getting Chig withdrawals, since I can't wait to purchase some of these!

Less watching, and more sculpting please. ;-)

A mortar team, and tripod mounted machine gun, or plasma/laser weapon would be nice too, with crouching figures manning (Chigging) them. Possibly a multi-barreled rocket launcher too, like a high-tech nebelwerfer would be useful as well.

I don't know about a mortar unit: sure they're relatively cheap to produce, but can't missiles potentially do the same job, from a dual-purpose launcher?

I'll second heavy support weapons, however. A tripod 'MG' or energy weapon would be a good addition.

Yes, but missile rounds are a lot more expensive than mortar rounds, due to their need for guidance.

Rockets could be substituted though.

Hey I just read that multi-barreled rocket post…what a cool idea.

I had to draw it up (in about a minute…lol!) and share this with you guys.

link

How would this be for 1 of our Chignauts Heavy Weapons?

Michael

I like it!

How many of you want the head bare on these Chignauts?

I am wondering so when I sprue it up, do I do a helm and head, or do all helms for the base Chignaut, and just have the Bare Head as a part of the Commander sprue (which will have his Pistol & Sword also)?

Michael

I don't need any bare heads. Didn't they melt when exposed to air or something?

But something else in their armor (however slight) should distinguish their leaders.

Of course, that's just my opinion.

Thanks.

Dan

I don't think I will want many bare-headed figs either, although one or two might be okay.

They are really ugly though.

Maybe you should include one or two per pack, or sell them as a separate option.

I think I'll just include 1 then, with the other extras for the leader type.

Michael

Frankly, a Chignaut waving a sword and pistol will work pretty well for the leader. Look at what Battlefront did for their 'leader' poses: It's mostly a guy waving. NCOs have a rifle or SMG, officers have a pistol.

As long as the head is a separate piece, I'm not going to sweat it. I'm not doing bare heads.

As far as the rocket launcher goes, I like it. Still think you should have loader figures, though.

Right Lion, but I need to save some room for the A.I.'s!

Michael

Gotta have some AIs!!!

Even without the "Chigs", a humans/"tanks" war with the AIs seems interesting.

CC

Yup A.I.'s are on my desk right beside these Chignauts and all of the White Star War Alien Armies.

Michael