"Bit of a non-humanoid alien sculpt" Topic

Dave, thanks for the link…lots of great ideas to be found there.

The Homomda sound like a fun one, for being in a book, but without "arms" it would be a tough sell for tabletop miniatures games…but the Idiran sound like a winner, they are on the list.

I have a handful of trilateral types already, but this one is different and I like that.

I think a combined alien, using elements from both you mentioned would be fun and avoid any IP issue as they would be different.

Thanks again for the link I will have to pick up the books.

I do like Banks' stuff – 'Consider Phlebas', set against the Idiran War, is probably the most "wargameable" of his stories and Horza the Changer and his mission to the Planet of the Dead is just so Firefly/Traveller. Banks has lots of big ideas, and is a great source for inspiration on how AI might function, but a lot of his stories just seem to run out of puff, IMHO, which can be a bit frustrating. 'Player of Games', 'Excession', and 'The Algebraist' are all good starts, though, if you want good stories and big ideas.

And I would be very interested in a trilateral alien with a BFG, as no-one makes one :)

Banks has a bit of thing for tripedal aliens, it looks like…

Defiance: Vital Ground has the Altai that are tripedal but not trilaterally symmetric. With them, Mr. Rose et al. have managed both alien and kinda disturbing without making still more "bugs", "lizards" or "octopoids" (well, the Altai do have tentacles but only small ones). A crying shame there's likely never going to be minis from them either.

I will have to find a pic of that alien…sounds good :)

Found this on the soon to be released from Otherworld miniatures, it is a fantasy monster but with the recent trilateral types mentioned it stuck me interesting link

I assume you mean DM22 – Otyugh? Looks weird enough to be sure, as do several other Otherworld minis.

If you want I can send you a pic or two of the Altai. Unofficially under the counter of course, in a nondescript brown e-mail.

rgiugliano at yahoo dot com

Yes please and thank you!

Ok I have been working on a series of original non-humanoid aliens. I have done a series of body positions and equipment use drawings.

A quick rundown of the motley crew:

orchid + spider…plant based lifeform (or plant looking)

45* symmetry…two legs, one huge arm (push limb for movement), one smaller limb, offset head (aligned opposite with the big shoulder), ring of eyes (side to side)…the two legs and the big arm act as three feet, the head leads the body in a side step at 45* with the big arm pushing the body forward…sounds odd but looks so very cool (pics follow)

organic version of the Matrix squid…like this picture this one is fun

kangaroo + pacman frog + scallop…a real chimera but looks good…big lower legs a heavy tail, globe body, pacman frog upper, scallop eyes (side to side)

protoplasmic nudibranch + broad leaf ivy…lower body is a primitive lifeform the plant upper controls…the eyes look like berries within the leaves

octopus + pony (headless)…simple lifeform (pony) with four legs, the octopus upper is linked with the node where a head would be on the pony…pony is more goat/antelope

pineapple + spider…I know "what the frak"…but trust me this one is so much fun…a 360* belly utility belt looks great…short crab legs circle the lower end…the upper end has a ring of eyes 360*

cluster of grapes + two kinds of seaweed…tall cone shaped with heavy "petals" as draping legs and thinner "petals" as draping arms…topped off with sensory cluster of grapes (eyes, ears, noses, etc.)

vampire squid + long tentacle + rubber ball…I really like the Barlowe's Guide Polarian, but out of IP respect and the lack of manipulators I came up with this…rubber (organic resin) ball on the ground, hundreds of membrane fingers under the tentacle hood of the vampire squid bottom stuck right on top of the ball, cluster of eyes forward, and a single top tentacle that normally lays behind the back (this one actually looks great, very happy with it)

trilateral bullet head plant type…tall, eyes under the lip of the head bullet, three arm tentacles, three leg tentacles

and back to this one :) picture

I also have on the table my planned mantis shrimp/squat crab alien…three stages…a large "tank" type, a mid-range warrior type, a small leader type…leaders ride behind the "tank" types and a few warriors 1:5 ratio

I have changed gears a bit…I will shoot for an alien legion rather than one alien with tons of poses, at first.

A series of the alien legion, most likely out of the 60 planned miniatures I will really like 30 for this leaving the other 30 or so as rare types for fun filler.

Second series will be the favored 30 in other poses and/or special/heavy weapons.

And during the process try and keep a schedule of 1 new alien in 3 poses…2 and a special/heavy.

It is a huge undertaking but without goals we tend to get lost.

Ok, I have thirteen non-humanoid aliens in the WIP process, with another dozen wired up into armatures.

I found myself hitting a rut of tentacles and a certain form so I took a break the other day to work on designs…for the better.

When I was looking at the field of cork, copper wire, and green stuff I ended my gaze on the pineapple-spider guy; as much as I liked it there was a certain element missing and I needed to layer the leaf/tendril arms but that stage required that the equipment belt be built first. So I did that.

And it really made the alien pop…I was energized by the look with the gear but my eyes are popping out of my head at this point from eye strain.

So I made fifty or so pieces of gear…pouches, packs, canteens, etc. Once these dry I will go back to the miniatures that are ready (most of the remaining twelve) for gear and add the common Legion elements…then more pics.

During this process I came to the point of considering IP aliens, the Puppeteer for example, and I took the idea rather than the established form, so I can include them in the mold.

It has been a blast, finally hitting a stride and knocking out these guys four to five at a time (allowing me to move from piece to piece and avoid the fresh green stuff) and by that time, after working on the line my eyes are worn for a couple hours anyway so the timing works out.

The range of sizes is pleasing also…based upon a 15mm human world the ranges of height (not length/weight) ranges from 11mm-20mm…once completed, even if I stopped now, would be sweet in vision due to the range of sizes…the up and down the line catching the heads and eyes…keeps the creative juices flowing.

I just send you an e-mail with a zip of Altai pix. Enjoy!

Thanks Jouni!

That is a fun design and I do agree about the fore leg being centered.

Good stuff.

I am adding equipment to the other aliens I have in the WIP cue…looking better with each bit added :)

Latest update with some equipment bits, a few new aliens, and a size comparison to a great 15mm from Khurasans' Lhurgg line link

I have a handful of other aliens in armature with some green, but I want more progress before I post pics…soon.