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Let's face it, minions are generally unreliable. Either they are bumbling idiots, easily tricked into looking the wrong direction by a tossed pebble or they are distracted by the buxom heroine, allowing the heroes to sneak into your lair and foil your best laid plans.What you need are totally dependent servant of your will. What you need are clanks!
I am generally not a comic reader, but I started following Girl Genius on the web. It is a smashing tale of "adventure, romance, and mad science" set it a neat VSF setting. Highly recommended reading.
Anyway, the main ruler of central Europe, the wonderfully named Baron Klaus Wulfenbach, uses automaton soldiers called clanks that would work great in any VSF game. I saw a version on the great VSF site Articulated Rot and Steam Launched Drivel (scroll down) but lacking modeling skills cast about for an alternative.
I had purchased a big bag of Mage Knight figures off of eBay last year, thinking they might be of use. Inside I found figures called "Submersible Golems" that looked like they might do the trick. here is what they look like out of the bag (click to enlarge).
Using my exacto knife, I pried them loose from their clicky bases (and cut my finger in the process.) I also cut off the fin on top of their heads and glued on shakos liberated from some HaT 1/72 scale Napoleonic figures. A bit more glue to attach them to a washer, and here's what I have...
The
next step was to primer them black and then set to with the paint. I
used "old gold" for the body and gun metal for the joints. Here they
are:
And here they are in action.Dr Lacklove:"Seize her!"
Major Shaftsbury:"Stand back! None shall harm the Queen!"
I
have 16 more on order to make two 10 figure units. They are coming in
at ~75 cents a pop, now I just need to make up rules for them. They
will work nicely for my mad scientist faction for our VSF games.