"Ventauran/Khiff army with a Mech (lots of pics...)" Topic

Here's my Ventauran army. These are figs from Denizen Miniatures. Observe the fine detail (where not obscured by my base-block-dip-spray paintjob) and marvel that these sculpts are 25 years old, and may predate Rogue Trader!

Ventaurans
Armored Aliens, proabably based/influenced on Traveler Zhodani.
I have two squads of 8 troopers.

Squad with Laser rifles

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Sgt

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Heavy Laser rifle

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Missile Launcher

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Coms Officer. I can't figure out how they got the indent for the head-in helmet so precise. This is the kind of detail that usually destroy's molds and mars figures.

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Officer. That's not a boogey, I forgot to check for dust and some of the flock from the FLGS table ended up on the minis. Sorry.

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All Ventaurans have separate backpacks. They are about the size of a Space Marine holster

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Khiff
These Dog/Croc men were intended as opponents for the Ventaurans, but I've included them as lower-tech scout mercenaries. Sort of like the relationship between Tau and Kroot.

Group with Carbines and Grendade Launcher
theminiaturespage.com‌

Sniper, Leader and Missile Launcher

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Khiff with Grendade Launcher and Shotgun

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Rear of same
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Khiff with Carbine

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Rear of Same
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Khiff with long rifle

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Battlemech!
This is a Gasaraki Shinden Armor 1/35 kit from Bandi. I picked it up a couple years back in Chinatown and have finally found just the right project for it. It is completely articulated at all joints except for the hands which I shortened and glued in place.

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Matching isignia from shoulders to back of hand

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Asside from the cockpit, here's the other deviation from stock. I modified and reversed the RPG'ish weapon in his left hand to be an underslung Anti-Tank Cannon.

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Cockpit opens at front and back. I'm going to order a Federation (Denizen's Human armored faction) grav bike rider and do a head swap to make a Driver, but for now the cockpit is empty.

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The whole force together

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About the figs.
These figures are True Scale (not heroic in proportion) and measure 27mm from sole to eye. They are still avaialble from Denizen Minaitures denizenminiatures.co.uk and Stone Mountain link and are only $1.50 USD each!

Here's how they compare to a Ground Zero games trooper and a GW Guardsman. (Ventaurans are on the far right and left)

Thanks to Saxon dog who posted this for me along with some other Ventauran pics and comparisons
link
and convinced me to buy the Ventaurans.

Process
The figs have thin integral octagon bases. These were left on to add a touch of height and glued to slottas with the join disguised with drywall spackle.

painting process for the figs was:
-Prime/basecoat with Krylon ultra flat camo green, touched up with Polyscale german green
-Block colors
-Brush on "dip" of Minwax Polyshades Tudor Satin
-Base with Magic Mud (My mix of heavily textured brown paint), drybrush tan and a bit of foiliage.
-Spray with Matte sealer

Mech Was primed black, brush painted, washed with black and slightly dry brushed with grey in a few places.

Final Thoughts
This entire force (26 figs and a mech) took me about 3 weeks to finish and only about 55-60 bucks invested including shipping! It was quite a depature from the heroic 30-32mm figs by GW and others that make up most of my painting. A few mm shorter and more "true" proportions results in a much smaller figure. Also, the detailing is alot smaller and finer than I'm used to, yet even with a bit of overspray maring some of the khiff details, I'm pleased with the results. My only regret is that there aren't more Khiff and Ventaurans to collect.

Hope you enjoyed them, questions, feedback, etc are appreciated.

Wow, they look great! I have a bunch of mid tech forces from them. I really like the Ventaurans. I hadn't thought about using the Khiff but as a Kroot like ally that makes sense. Good idea.

I own loads of true 25mm scifi figs. Grenadier, Heritage, Starguard, Star Wars, Gzg, Starcorps, Partha and Denizen. Recently picked up 4 of the Gzg 'Aliens' style APC's Matakshi recently worked on for them. It;s a great scale and has a lot to offer.

Please post more stuff as you do it.

****EDIT

Wow, I didn't realize my EM-4 figs will also work. Saxon dog's pics are excellent showing sizes.

Thanks,

John

Glad you like them! I must disapoint you though in that unelss I find another cheap 25mm alien race that really appeals to me, these will likely be the last 25'ish figs for a while.

I picked them because they were a bargain and slightly larger than most 25's. Equally important, as aliens they don't have to be as tall as the 28's around which the rest of my collection is built.

I will post the Mech Pilot conversion when it is finshed though.

Thanks for sharing your pics. They look great!

I love the Ventaurans, and the Feds.

I concur on wishing they had more poses available, but the ones that are in production are superb, and as good as any minis out there.

Very very nice! Those Ventaurans were great sculpts in their day, and still are years on. 'Hope to get some of the 15mm ones from Eureka sometime.

By the way, the helmet-less chap with the "boogey", I thought he was chewing on a bit of straw at first glance. 'Could catch on!

Anyway, good work.

Regards, TC.

Really nice work. Chub is one of the greatest sculptors in this hobby. And a real gentleman.

Dave
Stone Mountain Miniatures

See here to lobby Denizen and Eureka Minis to produce more poses of these in both 15mm and 25mm/28mm scales:

TMP link

We need to get the 15mm Federation troops sculpted and produced, and to lobby for more poses of the larger figs as well.

nice force.

Have always liked the Denzien figs--crsip clean sculpts.

Love 'em all.

Ventaurans as the West Riding Yeomanry:

Mid Tech Troopers as Thunderbolt Division:

Khiff as pesk local indigs:

Feds as Anders Legion:

I have always loved Chub Pearson's work at Denizen (and Leon Locke who did the Khiff for that matter). Both very decent chaps and major contributors to the hobby. And both missed in 25mm work.

If anyone can get them adding figures to those two ranges in 25mm without taking hostages I'd be both astonished and grateful! It's just staggering that they are 25 years old and great that they are being recognised for what they are (ie awesome). And I will have to buy some in 15mm when I've finished with my current Salute Project

John Treadaway
hammers-slammers.com

John,
Those are excellent! I had seen your work with the Fed and Ventaurans, but not the Khiff. They look excellent in the light colored robes. Is that a scene from "The tank Lords"?

John,

I am past the not taking hostages stage with those two fellows and well on my way to the *Hunt Their Asses Down and Make 'Em Do It Or Else! stage, as my K'Hiff and Mid-Techies need dedicated support weapon teams, dammit!!

Leland R. Erickson

Thanks ordinary bass. I set those shots up for the scenario I did for the (original) story (by Drake) "Under the Hammer". I'd had the khiff for over ten years (painted by my mate Mick) who painted them up as "Dervisher" types (sub the battle of Omdurman). Whilst tyhe opponents in the story are certainly humanoid they are very probably regular human, but I really wanted to use them in some pics!

John T

Surely someone has intel on their whereabouts, or the ability to target assets to get that, and express our desires for more miniatures poses, which will help add to their retirement funds.