A while back I put up a thread on my Vipress Squad, the Baroness' Praetorian Gaurd. Since then I have been working with some casting, and refining my painting techniques (instead of atrocius, they are now just horrible). I still consider these (and my skill level) at the LBC level, maybe the upper LBC portion, but it helps to build and refine my abilites. Plus it is fun, which is point of the hobby.

Here is a group shot of my current squad of 8:



From Left to right:

Bonnie/Electronics (Alley Viper II upper torso married to a Baroness lower torso, Ponytail from Chap Mei Pirate)

In blue is Big Red/Praetorian Commander (ponytail is from JvC Scarlett)

In the Turret - Sabot/Armor and Vehicular weaponry (pistol belt from SW Luke (comic pack) Hair from Baroness)

Joules: Explosives and Directed Energy Weapons (Single Pack Ace torso, it narrows at the waist to accentuate the female form and marries up nicley with the baroness body parts) She is a big Anime fan, hence the purple hair

Classified/Sniper (Sand Viper legs, Alley Viper II arms with forearms sanded down, hair from Baroness)

Classified/Assault (Alley Viper II legs, hair from Baroness)

Classified/Infiltration (Straight Baroness, with trimmed and painted pistol belt)

"The Old Lady"/Heavy Weapons (Single pack Dusty upper torso, married to a Baroness lower torso, cut a bit higher so it looks like her chest is swelling up into the armor) The torso really gives her a height advantage. Her hair is long (mid back, and white (European TF Outback style). She is the oldest of the bunch, plus here white hair gives her the nickname


I wanted to try and do Female Vipers with body armor/vests/web gear, and not the Reno 911 style. If anybody has ever seen a Soldier/Marine downrange with Interceptor Body Armor on, they end up being formless up top. But, while losing the upper portion of the hourglass, I wanted to retain the waist/hips for the figures. The Baroness figure really accentuates and projects femininity(sp?) so I kept the waist and used upper halves of torsos, with the exception of the Ace torso which, as I commented on above, narrows nicely.

I am still working on names, suggestions are welcome. I have another half dozen or so bodies, and will problaby round out the force with a dozen or so. Some of my heads need to be recast, and two repainted (I used gloss) so I am still working on a few issues. Plus I want to do a brunette, blue anime hair (like the chick from the 6th Day movie) and a dirty blonde or two.

Close ups of the modded bodies


Some hair pics

_________________

Wow, I really like these. That VvV Viper head was always underscaled IMO, but works perfectly for female Vipers. Great idea!

This idea's got me working on something too. I keep bouncingfrom one custom to the next and never finishing any, haha. This one should be simple enough though and I hope to get something online soon. It's a cool idea that you've brough out!

_________________

Dammit, I remember when you last posted these, I'd had the exact same idea that very day...then I came to JC and found out someone had the same idea...

In conclusion great minds think alike.

Awesome stuff man, I'm just keeping it to the Single Pack Baroness though I'm thinking of using the original New Mold Baroness torso since it looks a little sharper, I want to keep the feminine profile.

Like I said, nice work thus far, the base models look like carbon copies of what I'm doing; down to the hair.

_________________

The one in the middle of the group shot of three. That torso isn't good, seems to robotic...if that is what you going for it looks fine though. The one on the right of it is super and the one on the left is good to.

You are exactly right, the Alley Viper II torso did not quite come off how I wanted it, too much overhang on the chest to the waist ratio. The Ace torso works really well, but we lose her upper feminine proportions and shape with it. the Dusty melded well with the waist of the Baroness, and gave her a height advantage over the rest. I think of her as the "Vasquez" of the group.

_________________

I think your casts came out great, I need to figure that out.

Great idea, still good. I like the team idea as opposed to facelss vipers., errr, nameless vipers,

_________________