Tuesday 6 June 2017

The Bratts - Modern nobility of the upper hive


Bratts are a real funny bit of the Necromunda lore from ages ago. I won't bore you again with all the stories about them so if you fill like you could need directions about who they are, I suggest to read a sum up post I wrote that compiles most of what I know about them.


Sometimes, projects just emerge from the void and although, this one hasn't entirely, it's known a weird path towards completion. I've had a few inspirations for the bratts and I've always had a vague idea if what I ideally want to do with them.
You might probably remember Axiom's most excellent Brat gang from some time ago :

Check Magpie and Old lead for more Bratts and awesome of all kinds
Then last year, I read Evo's excellent post with a wonderful bratt and felt I had to follow a similar path :

Follow Port Imperiale for more awesome stuff. Really.
Now Evo was very kind to send me a fistful of those old puff arms to do something similar. Only thing being I'm a lazy idiot and it took me way too much time to get anything done with them. I think I was kind of waiting to have more models to do a more sizable gang but I wast just postponing with no reason. Oh and I had no idea about the colour scheme of course.

Once again, Evo had the answer. I suggested to him doing something in the vein of Adam Ant but was unsure, his response to the idea made it clear I had to do it.
A few google searches later, I realised I had the answer right under my nose (They were stored in cases but you get the idea) !
The colour scheme I had for the Helmawr gangers was perfect and Helmawr gangers are Nobles to begin with (or they are associated with nobility at least). That's where I had the idea to make my Bratts (meaning spoiled noble kids) linked to the Helmawr family ! They could be the wild youngs who would later join the Helmawr gangs as leaders or executives.

I had to make them stand from the others so opted for outrageous hair colours !

Now enough talking, let's let the picture do the talking.



It's actually quite late in teh project that one of the wipsters suggested the idea of using Mad Donna Ulanti as a Bratt. While I hadn't thought about it myself, the idea of having a female bratt ganger was too good to let go ! 
Obviously, I was ver wary of having her looking too close to Harley Quinn and in a way she does. I just didn't try to force nor avoid the resemblance. 

Now probably the most simple but effective build of the crew, the sniper. I think this guy really works despite the simplicity of the conversion.


Here's a "before" pic to help you see the parts used (before putty work) :


Here's a model I already knew since I had painted one earlier, the build was much simpler though this time. Arms from the skitari box set (what a blessing) and a few licks of paints et voilà !


Here's a pic before painting, you can notice despite hating that, I didn't drill this gun. It's making me nervous just to think about it now.


Here's an interesting conversion since it's entirely made of metal parts, something I hadn't done in years (decades) ! 
I knew one of my bratts had to have an exotic weapon to fit the background.


Here he is without his make up !


Now from the first picture, you might have noticed one peculiar character trying to hide, terrified by what's happening around...
I must have got that scared villager from the old giant kit in a joblot and wanted to convert it. How it ended as a scared bratt ? I don't know but here he is without any paint :


Now since Shadow Wars is all around the place, I'd really like to use my journey to UK this summer to play a bit with my friends so thought an oldschool band would be fun. I'll most likely build something from the Inquisition list and use the guys below :


Now here's our Noble leaders with their wild offspring, hoping some natural leader will emerge from all that hairy mess !


Of course, I had to show you the new bratts with their old pal who's decided the hive wasnt big enough for him and who decided to go roam the ash wastes...


Honestly, I'm very happy to have that gang ticked off of the list. I really should focus for next BOYL now. There's no room for failure when you have games planned with such excellent company really !

39 comments:

  1. Bratts sum up everything that is best about Confrontation. The idea of bored youngsters looking for kicks, wearing ridiculous outfits designed by Jes Goodwin is a dream combination. You've done these proud! The puffed sleeves work perfectly, as do the colours. The electric blue does a great job in making them stand out from their elders and betters. Wonderful!

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    1. That's exactly what they are to me too, just the right level of silly and impressive with awesome sculpts, I really wish I had some other sculpts now...
      Thanks a lot !

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  2. I was going to point out the gun barrel, but I didn't want to be pedantic :) I wouldn't fret though mate, It'd be pretty easy to do even with the mini completed. If your stuck with how to do it without screwing up your paint job then here's a tip: Use a thumb tack or pin to mark a centre point, then just drill it out.

    I really like the blue hair man, it's a very bright, vibrant blue. Success!

    I love painting up puffy arms, the detail makes them very easy to paint and the effect is cool.

    A great gang JB, I look forward to splattering their innards all over the Underhive walls in July :P

    Cheers mate :)

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    1. We're on the same page mate, I'll fix that ASAP.
      Puffy sleeves are fun to paint indeed, it's like they're telling you where to put colours !
      I'll be more than thrilled to wipe the floor with eldar buttskin while combing my electric blue hair. ^^

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  3. Headbanging goodness! They can double up as heavy metal/punk rock/glam rock band members to boot. :) Awesome, awesome work!

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    1. They sure can, those guys are the definition of 11 in a dictionary.

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  4. "There's no room for failure when you have games planned with such excellent company really !"

    Yikes!

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    1. *brofist*
      You're part of that excellent company James. ^^

      Delete
  5. Beautiful work. As usual your choice of models, unique conversions and customary paint jobs make an excellent group of models. The scared Bratt is my favourite, what a great idea to use that model (and make him fit in).

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    1. Honestly, he's probably my fave as well and although he will probably not get as much games as his mates, he'll definitely be used as an objective or NPC.

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  6. Great work on the bratts, they are a painter's dream really. The guy with the rifle over his shoulder is far and away my favourite. The Skitarii weapons are absolutely perfect for bratts, the baroque style fits snugly into the aesthetic. Extra points for using the shuriken pistol. Forbidden xenos tech is so decadent.

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    1. I really like him and I'll make sure he's fully kitted to snipe the shit out of the other bands with disdain.

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  7. Love the conversion of the frightened brat ! And the blue-white hair is sooo decadent :)

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    1. I considered giving them different hair colours but it would have looked too much liek a carnival of some kind. ^^

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    2. Nice move, this also distinguishes them from their elder kin in a nice way.

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    3. Yeah, I sometimes scare myself ^^

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  8. Lovely! This group is fantastic; from concept to conversion to painting. They're bursting with Rogue Trader flavour, and really capture the decaying opulence of the universe. Fantastic :)

    Don't suppose it's the weekend of the 15th July that you're heading up to Warhammer World, is it? I'm up there myself then – would love to meet and say hello.

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    1. That would have been a delight but unfortunately no, it's the last week end of July prior to the Oldhammer BOYL event !
      Thanks a lot !

      Delete
  9. I love the green tinted flesh in several of them. It's subtle, but reminds you these people live in a toxic hell hole (spire?); breathing smog and other toxins all day, every day.

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    1. It's more yellowish because I'm used to highliting with ushabti. I don't like pinkish skins so force them on this side really.

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  10. A masterpiece mate. You've got it right with keeping hair and uniform err...uniform! Thus avoiding, as you rightfully put it, a carnival.

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    1. It's a tricky choice but harlequins are the proof ut can lead to silly places fast !
      Thanks Ed !

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  11. Very well done! I like the puffy arms particularly, it really works! The old Confrontation gangs are among my favorite bits of 40k lore (and they are tough to find, making them exotic as well) and I was always annoyed that they got left behind when the Necromunda game was released.

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  12. Lovely work, both the conversions and the paint. That scared guy would be a perfect objective marker, or pin marker.

    Those Skitarii arms work so well with the figures, it is as if they were designed around a sensible scale... imagine that.

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    1. The scale is perfect indeed !
      The scared guy will find its use as an objective I reckon. ^^
      Thanks !

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  13. Clap clap clap clap clap!!
    The visual impact on the first pic is striking, but when you get to see each individual mini you get a real idea of the work behind them. Absolutely gorgeous.

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    1. Cheers amigo !
      It was nie coming back to good old Goodwin goodness really ! Everything about his sculpts feels familiar and right. No brainers for me, just painting pleasure.

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  14. Gorgeous JB, a lovely little side piece of Grimdark history to have finished.

    I really am going to have to get some of those puffy sleeved arms. They just work so well with those figs.

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    1. There are plenty of options from metal to plastics in all kinds, you won't struggle finding the right ones.
      Thanks !

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  15. Man, beautiful work! Love the magpie-ing of unrelated bits. They come together very nicely. Lovely painting too, of course!

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    1. Thanks ! Now I want to grow this band a little more !

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  16. Whilst the Scavvies were always my fav gang from the Confrontation rules, the Brats were a close second fav. Love your colour-scheme on your gang mate. Really stands out and is different to boot.

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    1. With the bratts and scavvies fone, the ash waste nomads and techs do have a lot of appeal right now !

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