Reaper Bones Kaladrax Reborn WIP Part 2

It's been a little over a month since the first post in this series. I haven't gotten as much done on this project as I hoped. Life outside of my hobbies has been more active than I expected. On the upside, slow and steady progress is better than no progress.

The hip and remaining leg pieces.

I was pleased with the color scheme I tested previously, so I'm using the same combination of paints and techniques on the rest of the skeleton. The hip and remaining leg pieces were done within a couple of weeks. I noticed that the initial pair of legs doesn't quite match the color of the later work. There's just a shade of difference - not even enough to really show up on camera - so it shouldn't be too much of an issue. I'm planning on applying a final layer of wash after assembling and highlighting the whole figure. The additional layers of color should cover up any small inconsistencies.

The tail pieces. I estimate that's enough plastic for at least a dozen regular 28mm miniatures.

Next came the incredibly long tail. I wanted to get the lower extremities done while I pondered my options for the rest of the figure. The assembled tail pieces combine to a length of about twenty inches. The only difference in materials or techniques from the leg and hip pieces was the amount of paint/medium mix I had to make. The colors match the second batch of leg and hip pieces, so I've got the formula consistent at this point.

Starting the main body means making a decision - use the green, necrotic glow effect that inspired me to start this project or go with painting the fleshy parts of Kaladrax Reborn as rotting carcass. The necrotic glow is more of a challenge - I've never painted a glow effect on this scale and my past attempts have been hit and miss. The rotting flesh approach should be quicker and easier.

On the other hand, Kaladrax Reborn is going to end up as a centerpiece of my miniatures collection. The piece is going into the display case when completed. The reason is purely practical - I have no other place to store it. Why not go for the more ambitious version? Figuring out how to paint a necrotic glow will expand my skills and come in handy for future projects. Progress may slow even more, but I've got time before my self-imposed deadline of Halloween. Besides, I always have the rotting flesh approach as a backup plan. One of the things about this hobby is that it is forgiving of mistakes. Paint goes over a failed color scheme as easily as it goes over primer.

Kaladrax Reborn's backstory.

As a little bonus content for this post, I noticed that Reaper printed a backstory for the figure on one of the inside flaps of the box. Kaladrax Reborn is basically the boss monster of a vast graveyard full of other undead creatures. Just the kind of thing to use as a highlight for a F20 campaign. Now I'm tempted to use Kaladrax Reborn in my next 13th Age game. The connection to the Lich King is obvious. Maybe Kaladrax Reborn could be the campaign's big bad guy?