First, some "whys".
Why "Mini of the Fortnight"? Because we've got people talking about the "of the Week" for 'Mechs, vehicles, battle armour, ASF, Alpha Strike, characters, and quite possibly several other topics. But we don't have people talking about minis. We also tend to emphasise our new work. Here's a chance to pull out older minis we've poured love and attention on, and share them with other forumites.
Why "of the Fortnight"? Because it takes time to get photos organised & uploaded. Two weeks seems about right; but this can be adjusted as we go along.
Why the Hunchback? Well, a bunch of reasons. This is the first, trial "Mini of the Week", so it seemed sensible to go for a mini which was in lots of people's collections. This meant one that was:
- in production almost since day one
- easily available, via both IWM & box sets
- used by pretty much all factions, across lots of periods.
This way we're embracing the largest possible set of mini owners. Later selections can be more specific if people want, or showcase rarer minis. But let's open this up.
It also doesn't hurt that I think most people have a deep affection for the Hunchback. It's - well, it is optimised for short-range brutality. But it's not optimised in the "world beater" sense. Fellow grognards will remember the deep shock and fear of the Hunchback's "bubble-o-doom" effect when TRO 3025 came out. We've all worked out what the Hunchback's strengths and weaknesses are over time, but there's still a trace of that primal awe.
(And it doesn't hurt that there's such a variety of Hunchback models either.)
So that's the reasoning. The floor is open for suggestions for the next "Mini of the Fortnight", to go up in two weeks time; please post your suggestions
here, not in this thread.
So with the preamble done ... let the parade of Hunchbacks begin!
The Hunchback. Iconic medium brawler. AFAIK, it's existed in metal as the same sculpt for 30+ years. If they resculpted it, they did it so well we didn't notice!
That doesn't mean it doesn't exist in different forms. To my knowledge, we have, all in one piece:
- Original, in lead and Ralladium
- Citytech plastic
- Metal IIC version, again lead and Ralladium
- 1st edition slightly weedy intro set plastic
- 2nd edition near-metal-quality plastic, in intro boxes & lance packs
No recollection of any blue resin versions, and there may be a "Beginners mini" version - same mini, slightly different base, but I've never had one of them.
I love the Hunchie because it's so easy to paint. I believe it's more or less impossible for one to turn out badly. It's simple - yes, a slightly more dynamic pose would be good, but it's not a runner normally ;) It's covered in details. And it does have the boom stick box.
Let's have a slightly closer look at my lineup here.
I've set them up in sculpt age sequence, not when I painted them. From the left ... First up is my first Hunchback. Bought not long after the minis started appearing in the orange blisters, and lead. Painted in my version of a "dazzle" scheme - meant to blend into city environments, where magsense & IR were of less use, and trying to upset imaging systems. I whacked a base on it and gave it a coat of varnish a few years ago; otherwise unchanged over the decades.
Next up - a HBK-5SG. This was the second mini I ever drybrushed, and it came out really well given my skills at the time. The paintjob is a "generic merc", owing more than a little to Redfield's Renegades IIRC (or one of the units from Lawyers, Guns and Money, at any rate).
Third, and in Ralladium, a Hunchback IIC 2. The mini's beefier, and the opportunity to deploy a good Crusader unit in Jade Falcon Omega Galaxy colours couldn't be bypassed.
Now we come to the first intro pack plastic. Yes, they're a little weedy, but the level of detail on the Hunchbacks came out, IMHO, consistently better than most other of that set. First up is a HBK-6N in woodland camo colours of the BattleCorps merc unit (which I had some small involvement in). Note how adding a small piece of tubing in the otherwise gaping maw of the Boom Box improves the look of the weapon - at least I feel so. Simple paintjob - base tan, splashed with green and brown, and then washed all over with brown ink. The Hunchback's many panel lines produce really good results from this apprach.
Next the HBK-4J, with its pair of LRM-10s. In Waco Ranger colours - tan base, maroon detailing, brown ink. I'd not have approached this level of mod with a metal mini - but with the plastics, it's easy.
Last of the 1st Intro minis is my take on a HBK-7X-4. An early leg repose, to match the art from XTRO:Corps. Green and red drybrushing on a black base - again, the plethora of details show up nicely.
Then, two second intro box plastics. An HBK-5N in generic camo for my Hansen's Roughriders unit - again, muzzle augumentation - and lastly a speedy HBK-7R serving in the Sky Republic Standing Guard. The fastest Hunchback, with a running pose chosen to highlight this. Inks and drybrushing, respectively.
In short, a mini I've always loved to paint, and which has given me consistently pleasing results.
So, now over to you! Post your Hunchies, talk about other people's Hunchies, go Hunchie wild!
And in conclusion ...
What Hunch? :D
W.
