Inquisitor (54mm): the first Squat (of many) at a new scale

The Middling has a fondness for squats that transcends scale and size–from epic to Battlefleet Gothic. No official model was ever released for a Squat in 54mm for GW’s Inquisitor range; inspite of this many hobbyists have attempted their own versions to greater and lesser success. There are over a dozen or so models in the 54mm squat queue, at present, in various stages of the modeling process: unassembled (a squat engineer), assembled but not-bearded-with-greenstuff-yet (Squat arbites), in the process of greenstuffing (living ancestor and warlord in exo-armour), basecoated (hearthguard), and some a few highlights from completion (brother warriors and mercenaries). But, to avoid digression, more specifics on the squat queue will be offered in a future post.

Because no models were ever released, the Middling has scoured a great many product lines of both 28mm ogres or space ogres, 54mm and 72mm Dwarves, all to attempt to create a variety of interesting and useful stunties in the Inquisitor scale.  The earliest models attempted were simple conversions from Scibor Monstrous Miniatures‘ 28mm space ogre product line. They are of various heights and offer a sort of weird World War character to the models, that fits fairly well with the eclectic style and environment of the grimdark 41st millennium.

Gunnar ” Long Haft” Nillson (featured above), was the first squat created in 54mm, from a scibor model, Ulrik Von Oktoberfest, with only two minor conversions. To keep the squats as short as possible, the legs and shoes were cut down a bit, and a greenstuff beard was added. If you compare Gunnar to the Scibor model, you will see that the mere edition of a beard really transforms him in to a squat, from the original and appropriately ugly ogre. Because the model was painted under time-pressure (for the Con of the North 2012 event), and the Scibor paint scheme was effective, Gunnar’s paint job is not the Middling’s most original. In terms of scale, Gunnar stands a little tall for a squat, but he is larger than all but one of the other 54mm squats in the collection, and as abhumans evolved from normal human stock, wide variations in height would be common (a scale shot below gives some perspective).

Here are earlier work-in-progress shots: On the left we have Gunnar with green-stuffed beard, pre-priming. On the right we have a late-stage photo of Gunnar before beard, skin and eyes are completed.

Gunnar has been a favorite (and popular presence) in the few Inquisitor scale conflicts that the Middling has enjoined in the 2+ years that 54mm has been one of the primary hobby and gaming pursuits.

His first appearance was at Con of the North 2012, in an invite only Inquisitor game with the gentleman from Terrain Specialties.  Here we see him attempting to run down a mysterious Dark Angel space marine to share his displeasure with the Astartes’ sudden appearance that knocked Gunnar’s favorite flask from his hand. Being a drunkard (like all of the stuntie race) he spent much of this battle trying to find this missing flask… it was an amusing change to roleplay a weakness that the gamesmaster and the Middling had devised for the character.

The stuntie’s next appearance was  during a linked multi-system (40k, BFG, Inquisitor, Akula Zombies at 54mm, Killteam/Killzone) campaign event run over a weekend home-event dubbed Zach Con 2012.

During this campaign, as the Middling was gamemaster/narrator to the whole affair, Gunnar fulfilled an NPC role as a bodyguard to an Imperial Noble, always remaining at his side ready to throw down whether in a seedy tavern (left photo), or to usher his ward to safety during an outbreak of plague zombies.

 

Gunnar’s last featured appearance was at Casual Con 2013 with the gentleman from Terrain Specialties, at a house-event, in a 2-part inquisitor event.. Here he can be seen searching through an underground complex as a merc in an Inquisitorial Warband (it is a fare shot for scale). Already, gunnar had narrowly escaped an ambush by zombies and soon he would be facing down a chaos sorcerer and his minions. A flashback! battlereport (someday in the future) may account this battle in greater detail.