When people think about Rogue trader robots, they often think about the imperial set of robots :
This range and the rules that accompanied them in WD are well renowned, especially for that "robot phase" where the Robot's behavior was decribed by a set of "Goto" commands which made it VERY long to play.
But this time I'm going back a little further and will be considering robots as portrayed in Rogue trader.
Here is how they're described in that sacred book :
I really like the freedom offered by this small description, you can make anything sentient from a lascannon to ... let's say :
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| The missing link between Dark Future and rogue trader |
I think there's a goldmine in that auto-system thing and I'll see if wilder concepts can come to life with it.
Roaming through the rules, the entries offered are quite complete and the first of them seems one of interest...
Tracked robots feel like Déjà-vu :
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| ABC Warriors Mek-quake |
Walkers too :
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| 2000 AD's ABC Warriors |
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| Walkers in RT |
Wheeled robots ?
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| 2000 AD Ro-jaws from ABC warriors |
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| Wheeled and tracked robots as portrayed in Rogue trader |
Yeah sounds familiar too.
So far you must have noticed I've ilustrated most examples with ABC warriors. I did that because it is no secret 2000AD publication and early Rogue trader share the same DNA. They are however very characterful and I may prefer soul-less robots or at least ones with very cold logic and weird behaviour to include in my games. The reason behind it is I want to make something not too anthropomorphic. I do plan on making more antropomorphic and characterful robots in a mildly distant future.
So now I now I want a not to antropomorphic hover robot... I hear you say "HEY JB, Hover robots have been around for ages ! ", and you're right as always :
Huum, so basically robots in the future are like food portions ? I'll go with a large robot then. there is no specification about the actual size of the model but I'll assume the medium size must be around that of a human or slightly bigger while the smaller may be the size of a pet. the large size will be the size of the imparial robots and anything clearly bigger than humans. I also notice that the bigger the robot, the dumbest he gets... that fits how I wanted my robot, that also means if I want to make intelligent robots, I'll probably make them smaller...
I've opted for a body twice the size of a human but as he's hovering , he will actually be far much higher than humans (hence the fact he's looking down).
This is the basic build, it still requires some refinements and bits of Green Stuff here and there but you get the general idea. A flying robot with tentacles, a huge gun and a big head full of sensors and antennas.
The main body (in white) is an IKEA coloring pen I kinda took to my daughter (it as nearly dry anyway, and I...needed it).
Most of the other bits were salvaged at my local hobby shop where they offered to fill plastic bags from boxes full of bits. I picked loads of mechanical parts in hope to find a use for them and I just did here.
Painting wise I'm not sure which way I want to go between a martial grey or green but there will be heavy weathering on that one.
Once he's good I'll probably play with the custom rules and make him a nice silly program. For now he'll just be my large Rogue trader robot.
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| One last pic just because I'm a nice guy. |
Uber brilliant. Great use of bits, especially on the head. He very much reminds me of a cross between the Short Circuit robot and the weird octopi techno-creatures in the Matrix. Love, love, love this.
ReplyDeleteThanks ! The head was real fun to do, it's made of missile launcher packs with missile launcher parts and a smoke launcher with added antennas and guitar strings !
DeleteCan't wait to paint this baby !
He looks awesome JB!
ReplyDeleteAlmost as if a "War of the Worlds" tripod had sex with a Sentinel from "The Matrix".........in the most horrific way possible :)
Now here's a few rambling questions a comments for you;
It can stand on it's own with the tentacles yeah?
Just the one cannon? I think it looks good being lopsided, even robots imply careful/engineered construction, not really in the vein of proper RT to my mind.
That's a wonderful wargaming club you've got there by the sound of it, wish I was there to pilfer a few of those kitbash grab bags.
There's so many creative illustrations crammed into RT that you could spend your whole life kitbashing off their ideas & never get through them all......I think that's why it'll always be my goto tome when I feel like making sci-fi inspired paraphernalia.
I could go on forever on this subject Jean, but this is your blog, not mine :)
So I'll finish my mini essay by saying, I can't wait to see him completed, well done!
It can't stand on its own actually but I've made him a base with junk and rubble to cheat, I just hope th eone tentacle on which he'll b estanding will be strong enough, otherwise I'll just cheat so that he stands on 2 of them.
DeleteJust one cannon yes, He could have more I reckon but just like my squat warband had 2 unarmed models out of 7 I don't want to make this one fully lethal, his 10 wounds are enough I suppose !
My local Hobby shop is indeed wonderful, the staff are top blokes and there are GD winners amongst them. They are oldschool lovers but generally love the fun of every game which seems a rather sane mindset to me.
I'll soon show other bits I used from the salvage I made by the way...
You have your own robot to tend to if I'm correct, don't you ?
Hope to see that soon ;)
And don't b eafraid to be lenghty my place is my friend's as well.
I've hit a bit of a modeling brick wall at the moment. Anecdotally -looking on forums/blogs- it looks to be occurring to quite a few others too. Not that that's a good enough excuse, just make me feel a bit better knowing I'm not the only lazy one :)
DeleteI'm currently converting a Nerf water machine gun into an electric vibrating machine gun for my sons Xmas present. So the siege dread well have to wait a bit more.
Lastly, that first robot, is one I'd like to find out if it was based on a model kit or just purely imagination. Coz I'd love to have me one of em :)
Bye bye
Oh, I just thought of something, have you thought about heating up the tentacles to bend them into a position so that it could stand on its own?
DeleteFood for thought.
I've thought about it but everytime I've tried that, I failed miserably, that has left me scared helpless of this technique I have to say...
DeleteIn the meantime, I'll try and have a look for cheap Battletech models, who knows?
Some holidays are ahead for most of us, let's use these to chareg up the batteries.
Looks AMAZING!! And you what ...? Now I want to sculpt one for my RT range!! :)
ReplyDelete......love the front guy at the "7 robots pic from 2000AD"......so....
Everybody loves robots no matter what seeting it is !
DeleteYou like Hammerstein? Well he's the hero-leader of the group, my favourite is Dedlock though, Simon Bisley just made him epic...
Check this out :
http://www.simonbisleyart.com/galleries/abc-warriors-2/
Absolutely awesome!! I love the originality of the whole concept, design and execution. You're my hero, JB!
ReplyDeleteSeriously, the work you did there is top notch, I'd love to see more of that!
You will, you will ! Just give me the time to paint it !
DeleteThanks a lot.
Nice work! have you considered a dirty yellow color? something like a chipped weathered dunkelgelb would be interesting.
ReplyDeleteI think he needs another arm on the left, maybe a pair of small manipulators... something to balance out his autocannon arm.
The picture is not clear but he does have a left arm ending with a manipulator (well sort of).
DeleteA weathered yellow might also work, I've been toying with tis colour lately, It will all depend on th emood I'm in the day I start with him !
Very nice, Mr. ALMan, but can you eat it? Can't wait for those recasts of classic models (and new robots) in chocolate!
ReplyDeleteTo be honest, I've already thought a little about those chocolate recasts and have some issues to get rid of but I am confident I can find a way ;).
Deleteor now we'll have food for thought...
If I were to eat a chocolate recast of a Jes Goodwin chaos champ I cannot be held responsible for the effect it may have - that much addiction condensed into one place may tear a hole right through this universe into one where people are trying to make lead recasts of Kit-Kats.
ReplyDeletebreaking the laws of physics while eating chocolate chaos champs... I have to make that happen.
Deleteyes, i'd forgotten all about the random gen robots. thanks for the remind! looking forward to seeing how it works out!
ReplyDeleteThanks ! I find these rules to be simple and elegant, the consistent strength and toughness while Intelligence and wounds vary depnding on th esize, those are great, as always the presence of random stats is also perfect if you want to base your build on the stats rather than the opposite.
DeleteGreat blogpost...not just the modeling, but a real in depth exploration of how and why robots are in RT.
ReplyDeleteI really have the urge to try and dig out some mechanical parts to make my own 'bot - your monster hover-bot is great!
Thanks, I knew robots had to have a place in my RT because nothing says "sci-fi" as aliens and robots, aliens, we ge a load of them with the different races in the game but Robots ahve to take a bigger part. There's a lot to play with so ince in a while, I'll enjoy the vast variety they have to offer !
DeleteCan't wait to see yours !
What an excellent dissection of the RT robots. I'm inspired!
ReplyDeleteMyself is a huge fan of SFD Giant Robots & Slocombe's Warbots.
Thx/HAns
I really hope to see new robots after that!
DeleteThanks !
Smashing idea JB! He is gonna be great for sure.
ReplyDeleteGood, now I've secured the positive response of talented critics I know this is heading right. Just need to figure which way to go with the painting but that shouldn't be an issue. Can't wait to play with this one !
DeleteThanks !
My gut feeling with it would be to follow the Star Wars Imperial probe droid battle damaged colour scheme, you have so many options here it is gonna be tough to pick one.
DeleteI had the same gut feeling, robots probably don't care about fancy paintjobs but just about something practical. Most robot sin Fallout are greyish, bender is greyish and Starwars sentries are greyish too. That won't stop me from painting some cool markings and battle damage as you say and will probably make me able to field the bot with any of my warbands.
DeleteLogical, flawlessly logical.
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