Van Saar Brood Brothers Kill Team WIP A Grim Industrial Force

Hey everyone! I'm super stoked to share my Work-In-Progress (WIP) on my Van Saar (Brood Brothers) Kill Team. This project is a real labor of love, and I'm excited to document the journey and get your feedback along the way. So, let's dive right into the gritty underhive and see what these guys are all about!

The Vision: A Grimy, Industrial Force

My primary vision for this Kill Team centers around a dark, gritty, and industrial aesthetic, perfectly capturing the essence of the Van Saar gang from Necromunda. Van Saar, as you might know, are known for their advanced technology and dependence on radiation-leaking suits. I really want to emphasize this in my models, creating a sense of danger and desperation.

Think rusted metal, flickering lights, and hazardous materials spills – that's the vibe I'm aiming for. To achieve this, I'm focusing on a few key elements in my painting and basing:

• Color Palette: I'm leaning towards a muted color scheme with lots of grays, browns, and dark metallics. Pops of color will come from glowing lights, hazard stripes, and perhaps some sickly greens to represent toxic spills. The idea is to create a desaturated look that feels realistic and grim.

• Weathering: Heavy weathering is crucial! I'm planning on using techniques like dry brushing, washes, and pigment powders to create a sense of wear and tear. Think chipped paint, rust stains, and general grime. These guys live in the underhive, and their gear should definitely reflect that.

• Basing: The bases will be an extension of the industrial environment. I'm using a mix of cork, plasticard, and texture paints to create a cluttered, uneven surface. Details like pipes, wires, and scrap metal will add to the realism. I'm also considering adding some puddles of toxic goo using resin or gloss varnish for that extra touch of ick-factor. Choosing the right basing materials and techniques is so important for conveying the narrative of your Kill Team and tying them to their environment. By carefully selecting elements like cork, plasticard, and texture paints, you can create a compelling and immersive base that tells a story. Imagine the uneven, debris-strewn floors of the underhive – that’s the kind of atmosphere we’re trying to capture. Detailing the bases with bits of pipes, wires, and scrap metal further enhances this industrial feel, making each model feel like it truly belongs in this harsh environment. And for that extra touch of grim realism, adding puddles of toxic goo with resin or gloss varnish can really sell the hazardous nature of the Van Saar's world. Think about how these details contribute to the overall visual impact of your Kill Team and help them stand out on the tabletop.

• Conversions: To further individualize the Kill Team and give them a unique look, I'm planning some minor conversions. This might involve swapping heads, adding extra armor plates, or incorporating bits from other kits. The goal is to create a sense of individuality within the team while still maintaining a cohesive aesthetic. Conversions are a fantastic way to inject personality and uniqueness into your miniatures, making them truly your own. Simple head swaps can drastically alter the character of a model, while adding extra armor plates or incorporating bits from other kits can create a more customized and battle-worn look. The key is to maintain a cohesive aesthetic across the team so that they still look like they belong together, even with individual modifications. Think about the narrative you want to tell with your conversions – are these warriors scavenging for parts to repair their gear? Are they adding extra layers of protection against the dangers of the underhive? These small details can add a lot of depth and character to your Kill Team, making them a more engaging and rewarding project.

The Models: A Closer Look

So far, I've made good progress on a few key members of the team. Let's take a closer look at some of the models I've been working on:

The Leader: A Veteran Scavenger

This guy is the heart and soul of the Kill Team. I've chosen a model with a commanding pose, wielding a heavily modified lasgun. The model features extra armor plating scavenged from various sources, emphasizing his resourcefulness and experience. I'm thinking of giving him a particularly grimy paint job, with lots of battle damage and weathering to reflect his countless skirmishes in the underhive. The leader is the linchpin of any Kill Team, and choosing a model with a strong presence is crucial for conveying their authority and experience. A commanding pose, like one wielding a heavily modified weapon, instantly establishes this character's role as a veteran fighter. The addition of scavenged armor plating not only adds to the model's visual interest but also tells a story of resourcefulness and survival in the harsh environment of the underhive. When painting the leader, focusing on battle damage and weathering can further emphasize their history and the trials they've endured. Think about how the paint would chip and wear away from constant use, how rust and grime would accumulate in the crevices, and how these details can contribute to the overall narrative of your Kill Team.

The Heavy Gunner: A Walking Arsenal

Every Kill Team needs some serious firepower, and this guy delivers! I've equipped him with a heavy stubber and plenty of extra ammo. The model is bulkier and more heavily armored than the other members of the team, reflecting his role as a walking arsenal. I'm planning on using a lot of metallic paints and washes on this model to give his armor a worn and industrial look. The heavy gunner is the muscle of the Kill Team, providing the firepower needed to suppress enemies and breach defenses. A bulkier, heavily armored model immediately conveys this sense of resilience and destructive potential. Equipping the model with a formidable weapon like a heavy stubber and adding details like extra ammunition pouches reinforces their role as a walking arsenal. When it comes to painting, using metallic paints and washes can create a realistic and industrial look for the armor, highlighting the wear and tear that comes with heavy combat. Think about how the metal would be scratched and dented, how grease and grime would accumulate around the moving parts, and how these details can make your heavy gunner look like a truly imposing force on the battlefield.

The Grenadier: Explosive Expert

This model specializes in demolitions and area denial. He's armed with a grenade launcher and several frag grenades, ready to unleash a hail of explosives on the enemy. I'm considering adding some extra pouches and bandoliers to this model to emphasize his role as an explosives expert. The paint scheme will be similar to the rest of the team, but with some brighter colors on the grenades to make them stand out. The grenadier brings a crucial element of area control and explosive firepower to the Kill Team. Arming the model with a grenade launcher and adding details like extra pouches and bandoliers clearly signals their role as an explosives specialist. When painting the grenadier, maintaining a cohesive color scheme with the rest of the team is important for visual unity, but using brighter colors on the grenades can make them stand out and draw attention to their explosive potential. Think about how the different types of grenades might be color-coded, how the launcher would show signs of wear and use, and how these details can add to the character and functionality of your model.

Challenges and Next Steps

Of course, there have been some challenges along the way. One of the biggest has been achieving the right balance between the Van Saar aesthetic and the Brood Brothers theme. I want the models to feel like they belong to both factions, without leaning too heavily in one direction. This has required some careful planning and experimentation with color schemes and conversions.

My next steps for this project include:

• Completing the remaining models: I still have a few more members to build and paint, including some specialists with unique weapons and abilities.
• Refining the basing: I want to add more details to the bases to make them even more immersive.
• Experimenting with weathering techniques: I'm always looking for new ways to add realism and grime to my models.
• Taking better photos: My current photos don't really do the models justice, so I need to work on my photography skills.

Call to Action

So, that's where I'm at with my Van Saar Brood Brothers Kill Team! I'm really excited about this project, and I can't wait to see how it turns out. What do you guys think so far? Any suggestions or feedback are always welcome. Let me know in the comments below! And stay tuned for more updates as I continue to work on these guys. Thanks for following along!