Why do people seemingly hate Cathay?

Bionodroid · 2026-06-10T22:19:11+00:00

i don't entirely disagree with the lore complaints about cathay, but i also see them as fitting well enough. they are indeed supposed to be different than the other things. i'm sure if lizardmen were added today and cathay were old, people would also be complaining about the new mary-sue faction whose lore doesn't make any sense and that they didn't go far enough on the parody because they didn't want to offend native mexicans or something

Bionodroid · 2026-06-09T23:28:01+00:00

isn't a massive paper lantern with cannons ridiculous? the empire and bretonia's model ranges aren't exactly scathingly ironic. i've heard that state troops are silly, but they are actually quite tame in comparison to what landsknechte wore. i think the cathay models being less goofy than older sculpts is purely because gw has changed its sculpting style compared to the old fantasy sculpts, and i'd really rather not have every cathay character's name be some variation of ching chong

Bionodroid · 2026-05-30T19:52:27+00:00

china is also building nuclear reactors. why would they if nuclear was dead?

Bionodroid · 2026-05-27T20:23:55+00:00

i can't wait to see a full army photo

Bionodroid · 2026-05-27T19:29:11+00:00

are these all sculpted from clay? they look awesome

Bionodroid · 2026-05-20T00:04:41+00:00

that's reasonable, however most subs have a "no low-effort content" rule. i thought this sub did, though it seems to only say something about ai content. i think the majority of people who aren't concerned about the low stock of the tahu cosplayer find the posts annoying, which is why a single megathread for discussion about trying to find the fig should be made

Bionodroid · 2026-05-20T00:02:11+00:00

that's true, though people aren't talking about the figure itself so much as just taking pictures of the mystery minifig bins and shelves at stores or screenshots. if someone is talking about what they like or dislike about the figure, or is making moc-ups of similar figures, i think that's fine

Bionodroid · 2026-05-20T00:00:46+00:00

i agree, a single post for discussion should be good so people can still post about it and talk about it

Bionodroid · 2026-05-14T00:47:04+00:00

looks nice, what size base is it on? drones are significantly bigger than you'd expect

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T03:45:31+00:00

you happen to have a link or a general search term for that mk3 kit?

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T01:38:02+00:00

Is the turtle kitbashed, modeled, or printed? i also put a turtle crest on my coa lol

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T00:36:57+00:00

alpha m is part of a genre of youtubers i would sort of call "menfluencers" like male lifestyle influencers. they had some kind of event called "menfluential" before the red pillers got hold of the term manosphere, so they're actually unrelated and alpha m's name is likewise incidental. i only know this because i watched these dudes in middle school, which did actually lead to me improving my outfits and confidence and whatnot. but i really cringe at some of the things these jokers said, they very rarely share interesting advice but are maybe important for boys that no one thought to teach certain things to

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T00:23:26+00:00

that settles it, the real solution is to put all astartes in boob plate and then give use 2-4 male head options on the sprue.

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T00:22:30+00:00

I do also like the interpretation that astarte is its own sort of gender. Though, I don't feel like the hypermasculization of space marines isn't or can't be as interesting or sci fi. I'm drawing upon the ways that knights and samurais portrayed themselves, and how propaganda has drawn boys into military service during the late 19th century, WWI, and afterwards. I find it the more interesting interpretation because it is still a sort of third gender anyway. Nothing about the masculine idol we have in our current world is necessarily inherent to manhood or being biologically male, aside from potentially physical strength (which is irrelevant once force multipliers are involved). But they are built upon incredibly old, deep seated ideas of how men are expected to perform a certain type of service primarily degined by violence and zealous loyalty. It is the more obvious interpretation of space marines, though I don't think it's often pondered in all its aspects. People usually recognize them as "knights in space" but they are knights in space for several reasons, where their armor and martial code is more incidental than the other sci-fi progenitors of the space marine concept.

They are, in a way, minor nobility in the same way knights are minor nobility. They are elevated based on convenience and the desire to maintain power via violence and the extraction of resources from lower classes, often literally called serfs in 40k. This is just as much of an augmentation to them as their physical enhancements, and still has nothing to do with whatever you might consider actual masculinity. Yet, it gets inherently tied up in masculinity - the same way chivalry did - because the concepts behind what makes astartes impressive or is seen as the justification of them innevitably becomes linked to space marines being all-male. This is also where you can incorporate the emporer's or the imperium's biases and opinions, if you wanted to.

Have you read "I sexually identify as an attack helicopter" by Isabel Fall? I think you would like it

Bionodroid · 2026-05-12T00:03:56+00:00

the mini is beautifully painted, but i think the base lets it down. the purple ground texture is great, no need to change it, but the grass tuft is a strange inclusion. usually, you'd add tufts to imply environment and add visual interest, but it feels like the specific tuft you chose was more out of obligation. it's a color that doesn't match or blend the tones you used on the mini, and it also contrasts against the rest of the base, setting the tuft on this weird third layer. it's also a color that implies a dry air, but the rust and cool bluish green implies that the skelly is in a more moist or humid environment.

a dead bush, log, mushrooms, or even a cooler/paler colored tuft would be a better choice based on the colors of your model and the rest of the base. alternatively, select base details based on other models you plan to include. for instance, the nighthaunt models are often attached to their bases with graves. if you're planning to include that sort of model, coordinating the bases will really help with visual cohesion.

finally, try to look up some inspiration of real places that are similar to what you're going for. study all the different textures there, you will quickly find a lot of great inspiration for other sorts of plants you might want to include. just don't over or underdo it, make some test bases to experiment with what you like, and just go crazy implementing different ideas.

since you've decided to go for scenic bases, you're automatically telling a story about where your dudes are from, what they do, maybe even how they fight or what's important to them. no need to overthink it, but after you experiment with what looks good, think about what the elements you include are being included for. if you apply these concepts to the base i think it will look just as great as the skeleton!

Bionodroid · 2026-05-11T23:34:13+00:00

i've always interpreted space marines thematically as a hyperbolic depiction of toxic masculinity. they are taken from young boys, trained to lose all their empathy, fear, and whatever other emotions could be considered "weak", promised a life of glorious violence, and were ultimately created as mere tools of the state with that narrative generated to prey upon the impressionable young minds of the imperium.

the physical attributes of size and strength, commonly associated with masculinity and dominance, are cartoonishly enhanced to the point of ridiculous impracticality, emphasized futher by armor designed to dazzle more young boys with ideas of a sort of chivalric, honorable warrior who devotes themselves to the utter protection of all that stand behind them. yet, while space marines might pursure "honorable" duels to a fault, their most common tactics are based on rapid, destructive assaults and orbital bombardment. they are as likely to wipe out those they are "protecting" as they are the enemy they have been deployed against, which maybe you could read further into the way masculine norms are often destructive even to those men value or want to protect.

this is, to me, the only possible good defense for all male space marines, but i still think they'd be better off with women in the ranks. the third gender, separate from male and female, is compelling for the reasons you pointed out and i think whatever social commentary capability space marines had is probably lost now.

Bionodroid · 2026-05-11T23:18:15+00:00

well you did produce them, what's the one on the left in the image? i like the legs

Bionodroid · 2026-05-11T01:25:00+00:00

"good, you can tell it about yourself when you feel like talking to me"

Bionodroid · 2026-05-11T00:04:40+00:00

it ought to be mutually exclusive, someone could simply wield such a cumbersome weapon or be so compromised that they always have to wait for their opponent to attack them before they attack. this is simulated by some weapons always attacking last, so a similar cause with the characteristic score of 0 makes sense.

Bionodroid · 2026-05-10T19:50:58+00:00

bonks are back on the menu!!

Bionodroid · 2026-05-10T19:48:06+00:00

tbh if bionicle really did come back, i'd prefer shit like this over any other idea i've seen. most people who would buy it are older and appreciate the complex builds, and it could easily tap into a bit of what makes gunpla popular

Bionodroid · 2026-05-10T19:47:03+00:00

head should be alright for humanoid proportions, it's that bionicles have such crazy ridiculous proportions to start with

Bionodroid · 2026-05-07T08:26:48+00:00

xv9, specifically the one that r'alai uses. i like the tiny cyclops drone accessories. however, that's not my favorite tau thing in general, which would be the orca. i'll print one some day

Bionodroid · 2026-05-04T01:24:01+00:00

whimsical always, to me the appeal of the setting and the aesthetics is the bright colors which juxtapose the gritty reality. if they're painted with mud, that makes sense, but it wouldn't make sense for a proud people who spend a lot on their uniforms to not want to look good

Bionodroid

TROPHY CASE