Reaper Miniatures :: Craft Section

Differentiating Non-Unique Sergeants by Way of Conversion

by Lanse Tryon aka Froggy the Great

So you finally get to play that huge Warlord game you've been talking about for months! Now, how to fill out that huge roster? I find it very easy to field three or four of the same non-unique sergeant in the same fighting company in large games. If you are like me, using multiples of the same character model is second in sin only to fielding them unpainted. Fortunately, I find conversion easier than painting, and so attacked the task of differentiating these sergeants from each other with all the gusto of a ferret with both power tools and a sugar-high.

Materials Needed:

Sergeants Used:

14095: Neek
14197: Gakalath
14091: Corvus

Materials Used:

14056 : Warlord Weapon Pack
14125D : Bondslave: head and weapon sprue
02189A : Weapons: shield, double axe, shield
02638 : Adventuring Accessories (lantern sprue)
02003b : War Spear
02664B : Phase Cat: tentacles
14061B : Kharg: sprue
14054b : Ogre Weapon
75003 : Kneadatite Blue / Yellow Epoxy Putty

Procedure:

Neek, Left to right:

Swapped the punch dagger for the sword off one of the Malcolms, made a hat out of putty, added a lantern. This is for the Wormbait Goblin clan.
Made a poncho and sombrero out of putty. This is merely because I couln't stop giggling.
Swapped the punch dagger for two of the tentacles from the Phase Cat.

Gakalath, Left to right:

Swapped the haft of the sword for the swordblade from the center Gakalath. Twisted the wrist to better fit the pose.
Swapped the left arm for Kharg's. Opened right hand and added a spear, with a putty ribbon.
Swapped the weapon for a shortened version of Gurm's spear.

Corvus, Left to Right:

Swapped the head of the spear with an axe-head.
Swapped heads with a Bondslave
Swapped weapons with a Bondslave, added wings from one of the dragon familiars.

The minis were painted to the loving standard of "I have HOW many minis to paint by WHEN?" Here you see the results ready to kick over their enemies, jump up and down on their spines, and/or run off with their wallets.

Notice how similarly each model is painted. With a little conversion, you can make distinct models even with the same uniforms, and even if you're a formulaic painting hack like me.

You can also do this with unique sergeants. Simple head and weapon swaps give you three distinct Sirs Malcolm, but this would be most appropriate when an alliance of at least three Crusader players takes the field and each of them fields one.