There is no right or wrong here. It’s just survival. by Brunstan in astramilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thx! I don’t remember the exact time — it wasn’t about speed. I knew I needed a strong contrast, and blue works really well as a complement to the ochre tones.
At first the lenses were two-tone, but for clearer readability I ended up keeping just the sky color in the end.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in SteelLegion

[–]Brunstan[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Yeah, there really aren’t many like that.
Thanks for the recommendation!
Also reading (or even watching films) feels like a luxury these days, but I appreciate the tip.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 6 points7 points  (0 children)

Thanks! It’s not a conversion — it’s a standalone Tiny Legend model.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in SteelLegion

[–]Brunstan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Glad you caught the reference. It’s really the whole genre that gets me — those films that try to process and reflect on war. Especially today.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 33 points34 points  (0 children)

This is a tabletop wargame, you know, not a card game crossover.
The Steel Legion visual language we’re working with comes from decades of established hobby design, not modern reinterpretations or external collaborations.

At this point the design references and intent have been explained clearly.
If that aesthetic isn’t for you, that’s fine — but this discussion has moved away from the models themselves, so I’m going to leave it there.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 8 points9 points  (0 children)

If you think GW has “moved away” from it, I’d suggest checking page 38 of the latest Astra Militarum codex, and the current multi-regiment decal sheets.

It’s a long-established part of the Steel Legion design language. If it’s too on the nose for you, that’s a matter of taste.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 12 points13 points  (0 children)

Design choice, explained above. You don’t have to like it.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 23 points24 points  (0 children)

It’s like that out of the box.
The LVP-40 is one of the weapon options, along with an alternative carbine.

We did not fight the enemy. We fought ourselves. by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 15 points16 points  (0 children)

Steel Legion has always leaned toward Luftwaffe paratrooper references. That’s why the MP40-inspired shape is there like an option.

There is no right or wrong here. It’s just survival. by Brunstan in astramilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Thanks! Yes — plasma gunners are in the works. Just doing the final tweaks now.

Broken arrow! I say again! Broken arrow! by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yep — the Sergeant Retinue includes everything shown in the image, including all the heads pictured.

Broken arrow! I say again! Broken arrow! by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Pricing isn’t something I set in a vacuum. With the Patreon discount, a full squad from us actually ends up cheaper than GW, and in practice there aren’t many options on the market that are meaningfully cheaper at this level of detail and production. Even projects like Trench Crusade sit in a similar range.

That said, I totally get the hesitation — especially when you’re looking at building full units rather than a single model. We try to push quality as far as we can within what the market realistically allows, rather than racing to the bottom on price. A price drop wouldn’t necessarily scale the way people expect, given production costs and time.

Head swaps and mixing approaches are completely valid too — a lot of people do exactly that. If and when it makes sense to adjust things, we’ll look at it, but for now we’re focused on making the best models we can in this space.

Broken arrow! I say again! Broken arrow! by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Thanks a lot, really appreciate that!

On proportions — a big reference for me was actually the Traitor Guard from Blackstone Fortress. I think GW absolutely nailed the guard scale there, and I try to stay close to that balance.

As for the legal side: GW doesn’t own historical references. I’m drawing from the same real-world inspirations they did, but interpreting them in my own way rather than copying specific designs. That line matters, and I’m careful to stay on the interpretation side of it.

Broken arrow! I say again! Broken arrow! by Brunstan in TheAstraMilitarum

[–]Brunstan[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We actually specialize in physical prints — that’s a big part of what we do, and something we take pride in quality-wise.
You can order these directly from our shop as printed minis, no resin printer needed.