Pirate Progress

Just throwing on some updates of my pirate squad that's nearing completion.  Just need to fix a few mistakes, throw on some clearcoat, and get them onto some appropriate Zone Mortalis Bases.  Still short two pirates with grenade launchers.  I'm waiting on bits for those.

Female Kelshan Boarding Party

So, not that this has anything to do with the Heathen Stars campaign, but I'm quite proud of my burgeoning all-female Kelshan Boarding Party.  I have to admit, it's not super original in its conversion work, but work it was.  The designs for the suits and plasma cutters come from the prolific Sebastian Stuart (aka Shas'el Tael) of Eastern Empire whilst the female heads and torsos are the Kadesh female alien heads and torsos produced by Zealot Miniatures.  You can check out my review of these awesome conversion bits on the Advanced Tau Tactica Forums. 

To be named XV-81 Commander

Twin Linked Burst Cannons and Smart Missile System.  Would twin-linked plasma been better?  Yes.  Would they have looked as cool...not quite, but still pretty sweet looking which is why on...

 

XV-88 Broadside

While the Urban Assault Suit with the PAC system was not widely adopted by Sacean commanders, it found widespread use throughout the Kelshan cadres performing interdiction missions along the Perdus Rift.  Smaller than new marks of Broadsides, and with the more compact PAC, it was able to provide support to fire warrior teams in the tight corridors of starships.  Haven't decided whether the PAC will be a counts as railgun or high yield missile pod.

 Fire Warrior Team

Same ladies as in the review, although two were pulled apart and converted to carry plasma torches.  These will be used to represent the lascutters boarding stratagem (IA9) and come from Tael's Earth Caste Engineer.  

Pathfinder Team

Okay, this multipart plastic kit is sweet and a huge improvement over the old metal pathfinders.  Doubly so because I can incorporate the Zealot conversion bits.  I selected Ion Rifles for these ladies so they can overheat and take advantage of the blast marker rules in Zone Mortalis.  I may build the rail rifle variants though if I start facing Marines.

Not pictured.  XV-15 Stealth Team and the drones.  They're straight stock models.  Nothing exciting there, but I'll include them when they get painted up.

Painting Progress

In order to facilitate the upcoming campaign, I'm going to need two big things. The first and foremost, as mentioned in previous blogs, is a nicely painted Zone Mortalis board.  After a few failed attempts, I think I've got the right dark and decayed Imperial starship interior sort of look.  The second is of course Yan Marcuson's band of pirates. 

I wanted something suitably hi-tech and gothic without looking completely "Yaaarrrr!" as I could get with Empire free-company.  I settled on Delaque gangers with their goggles and long trenchcoats, as I seem to recall long brown trenchcoats being a signature item of another anti-imperial force in some other science fiction...

That said, here's my test pirate with an autogun, on my first nearly completed Zone Mortalis tile. 

What happened to my Corsairs?  Fear not, Neshani and Ielenia are waiting for the right opportunity to reveal themselves...