Not a lizard

One of my favorite Cryx warcasters -- perhaps my favorite after Goreshade -- is Skarre Ravenmane. In the original version of the game, she was not only a kick-ass lady, but her "Skarre bomb," as her Sacrificial Strike became known, was one of the early game's signature powerful abilities. However, there was one problem -- her model was terrible.

(Stolen from Privateer Press)

It's very awkward and 2-dimensional. Even that gorgeous paint job and picture taken from the miniature's "good side" can't hide how bad the design is. I sucked it up because Skarre was my go-to girl, but kept my eye out for a replacement miniature. I'd get my chance soon enough.

(Also stolen from Privateer Press)

A few years down the line, Privateer Press released a series of Iron Kingdom role-playing game minis. I ignored most of them, but one of the models in the set was a gun-toting, sword-wielding Satyxis. Color me sold. There were a few immediate problems: that gun and holster on her left hip would have to go -- Skarre wouldn't learn to use a gun until "Superiority"; she'd need a ritual dagger in her left hand; and I'd need warcaster armor on her back.

This is the first go. The gun was clipped off and the area sanded down. In a fit of impatience that I'm going to regret later, I didn't green stuff in the missing portions of her holster's belt, as you can see. I then clipped off a scythe head from an ancient Warhammer Fantasy skeleton arm and pinned it on a paperclip. Next, I twisted her arm out with a pair of pliers and then glued the scythe blade into her hand.

Yes, it's a large blade. It's a miniature game and it's a ritual implement, so you'll have to forgive me.

The base, as you can see, is miserable. It's going to need a major overhaul. Just what I'm going to do, though, I'm not sure yet.

This is the warcaster armor. It's an old Space Marine backpack -- possibly Chaos flavor, but don't quote me on that -- with the vents clipped off and the top trimmed back and sanded down. Green stuff replaced some of the trimmed areas. The vents are skulls from the same Warhammer Fantasy skeleton set. Some green stuff was used to cover up the paperclips.

That's the warcaster armor on the back now. I also put a few green stuff bindings on the dagger, but it's not done yet -- not by a long shot. That blade is way too long to not get some kind of ornamentation; it's also the source of Skarre's signature ability, so it needs to stick out.

I didn't get a good shot of the back. Here's more of the front.

Finally, here's the work I've done so far on the dagger. I'm forcing myself to experiment with green stuff, including different levels of cures; the bindings were sculpted from green stuff that was near the end of its workability. They're not perfect; next time I do something like that, I'm going to make sure the green stuff still has some tack.