ASTROPUNK™ concept art feedback solicitation

[Zhu Bajie]

For your solicitation, rough as a badgers nadgers concept art for some...Sci-fi Gothic Futurism, ASTROPUNK™ Dead Tree Miniatures™

The idea would be for the initial release to contain two opposing sides and consist of 10 (or so) 30mm troops for a skirmish-y type games, possibly with an outline scenario. These would be released as PDFs so more troops can be easily printed out to make larger forces if desired.

Beyond the basic infantry types, there would be things such as Deathsquad troops on riding lizards, neo-primitive heavy-assault space-suits, and battle-tanks are definitely on the cards. You know the kind of thing.

Basically looking to gauge if there is any interest and get some feedback on the designs. As mentioned, these are concepts, not final art, so bear that in mind. NB. ASTROPUNK™ may well end up as a 'for-sale' product (pdf download), although limited review copies will of course be made available to you lovely people. Be interested to hear your thoughts!

 

[Jonas]

Yes it looks really good. I especially like the Deathsquad X guy.

I have no need for paper miniatures currently. I would gladly buy 28mm metal miniature versions though

 

[James Holloway]

Paper miniatures are fun, although as a rule I usually try to find them for subjects where metal or plastic minis are hard to find, or where I'm only going to need them once (so Space Orks are the reverse of what I'd want paper minis of, since they are ubiquitous).

However, I love the art for those guys. If that was the cover of a wargame, comic or RPG I would buy it in a minute. And heck, I might get the paper minis too; I just probably wouldn't use them. I could always write them up for my blog to recommend them to all my painting-shy friends.

 

[Fimm McCool]

I like them, although Orks vs not-space-marines is a bit of a cliché in sci-fi gaming. Again, I wouldn't go for paper minis. I'd use the rules and find metal (or placcy) miniatures. On the other hand, these would be concepts I'd like to have a crack at sculpting...

 

[8rad]

Looking good, keeping a nice old skool feel to them. 30mm is a nice size and the most popular for sure. Have you knocked up any prototypes . In my experience vector is king for inking up, look so much crisper when sized down.

8rad

 

[area23]

I love the deathsquad guy. Less keen on the ork. Too generic I suppose, needs more character.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Thanks so much for the feedback guys, it's really helpful.

Well, Sgt. Gertcha isn't really an Ork he's a Junkdog - a race of genetically engineered infantry-men, canines crossbred with ape, and gone feral over a few thousand years - more like AD&D Gnolls in spaaaaace really. A tribe or gang of Junkdogs are a Junkpack. Gertcha is just a bit of fattie as he's the boss of the Junkpack and gets all the grub.

Deathsquad aren't really Marines, they're a completely amoral, heavy armoured mercenary legion


This is a typical Junkerpack trooper - holding a stub electro gun and a Khem-Kan (spray-can type chemical warfare deployment device and grenade). Currently plan to do 10 unique poses of these (and 10 Deathsquaders)


These are the Junkerpack fast cavalry. lol. Extreme sports fanatics roped into the defence of their shanty homes against the hostile takeover carried out by Deathsquad. 5 of these


Deathsquad Lizard riders - heavy cavalry - giant lizard riding murder hobos for hire but 3 of these, and 10 standard troops.

The scenario growing into a series of linked smaller scenarios, and there will be some background explaining the story up to the point the game starts and a bit of the background of the universe. I'm also considering integrating some lightweight rules (action points, task resolution / combat, D6 based) - although it's entirely Rogue Trader, and some solo-play rules, so you can play just the Junkdogs or Deathsquad. The more complex it gets the less likely I am to finish it! The comic book analogy is a good one, I want ASTROPUNK™ #1* to be as completely self-contained as possible - a comic-book you play through rather than read. Then each one after to be stand-alone, but add more options into the larger game, assuming it's popular enough to warrant it.

*yes got a big universe to explore!

@8rad - cheers for the tip, these will probably be hand drawn at least 3 up, scanned at 1200dpi and resized, with the final output being 600dpi black and white Tiffs in a PDF wrapper.

 

[Asslessman]

Really like those new additions, definitelt want to try those as soon as they're released.
I can already think of scenarii and pissions for those which shows these are quite an appetizer !

I prefer the helmet of the mounted deathsquad because it's slightly less "beakie" and the junkerpack troopers have an excellent design. really original

 

[Fimm McCool]

The new Junkdog art I like, influenced by Gorrilaz at all?

 

[cheetor]

Im always interested in pulpy sci-fi miniatures and all the more so if they have a retro grimdark vibe. I am interested in seeing an ork range that corresponds conceptually with the early RT power armoured orks in particular: a dirty and uncivilised but technologically capable culture.

The concept artwork is nice and the concepts themselves appeal to me.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Yeah, Cheetor, the Junkdogs are very technologically capable, but are rather slack. Not sure they will get powered armour, but they'd certainly be capable of using it, Gertcha could get suited up. Yes Fimm, massive fan of Jamie Hewlett, so not surprised there's some influence showing though, there's some other major nods to comic book artists, as well as the GW crew. JB good spot, I wasn't quite happy with the original helmet, think I've settled more or less on this one.

Some more roughwork:

Junkdog:

Just another one in a different pose really, I think the 10 basic poses will be Shoot, Load, Point, Aim, Chem-grenade-throw, Chem-spray, shout, recoil, poser, swearing.
Costume wise they're all going to be reasonably similar, might do some without helmets and some with pulled up pants.

Grav-tank

Deathsquad vehicle, might not make it into the first set, not sure if they'll really need the heavy artillery on this mission.

Giant Shroomcrab

Will do at least two non-afilliated wandering monster. Maybe he's a hermit crab, or maybe he breeds through releasing spores, who knows, who cares? killi t! before it..., aarrgh!!!

Spidernaut VX

Potentially the second wandering monster, note to self: "it's PSYCHOBOTS, dummy!" lol.

 

[Asslessman]

Excellent, the psychobot is really good and the grav-tank, well... it smells fresh and clean really looking forward to more.

 

[Zhu Bajie]

Yeah, I think the gravtank offers supurb 24 hour protection, leaving no white marks

Bit of rough background scenario text...

...dressed up as a GUI for a Type-4 PSICOM lo-bandwidth backstream narrowcast PSITEXT interface (used for subspace comms) there's also a [**CLASSIFIED**] Deathsquad X insignia in there.

 

[Asslessman]

God I love that. Superb scenario sheet, I really like how the pixelised font takes us to a slightly more cyberpunkish setting than RT. Really really good stuff.

I really like the neurocorp idea, the idea of a company that plagues the entire galaxy is really intersting and full of ressource. We'll probably need some recurent characters as well (all sorts of not- Abdul Goldbergs)

When do we ge the pdfs now?