Who are you calling Ratling?

The Ratling Snipers I converted for my Vraksian Militia required a bit more dark flavor than just waist-high cooks with hirsute feet...

In order to create a unit of sneaky snipers, I needed a model that was not only diminutive in stature, but also evil in intent.  I have always loved the Games Workshop Ghoul box, but I was never really a fan of the over-the-top heads and faces.  While sharp teeth and snarling lips have their place, my snipers needed to be a bit more focused on their work.  I found the Cadian Command sprue to contain an easily converted gas-mask, with which to cover the leering grins and slathering tongues of the original models.  This just left the weapons to be subbed-in.

Long ago, I had done a commission job for a friend that involved converting a large unit of Kroot.  I remembered that the arms had bone piercings and jewelry that would mesh well with the Ghoul kit, and that the Kroot rifles themselves had a sniper feel.  By removing the knives and excess bones from the rifles, and also by drilling out the barrels, I found the Kroot bits to be a perfect match.  With the addition of the required lasgun packs, my conversions were complete.

I have yet to take this 10 man squad to a game, but I am very excited about the prospect.  The hunched posture and sneaky looking heads just beg to be infiltrated into some ruins.  While it is true that these models have quite a bit of flesh showing, I think that the color palette and treatment helps to unify them with the rest of the collection.  It's pretty easy to envision this group of naked, degenerate man-things creeping through the mud with rifles, in hopes of picking-off the enemy HQ before the battle really gets underway.


As always, I hope you enjoy seeing my work.  With the holiday season quickly approaching, many of us are looking to use the down-time we have available to get to work on projects for the upcoming tournament season.  I wish you all the best of luck, and if I can be of any assistance, feel free to drop me a line.  As for me, I am currently trying to decide the best color of flock to accent an army's worth of cobblestone and sewer bases....