Fuggit Khans Big Hats, Big Teeth n' Big Noses blog

[Fuggit_Khan]

Thank you gentlemen for the nice feedback, much appreciated
So I’m sorting through some more pics, and here is the second miserable hobgrot miniature that I converted…first I have to say he’s still not finished. The painting is just base coats and lacking detail and touch up (which is why I didn’t really have a pic solely of him for my GH entry).
And I will be the first to admit that the armor scales I sculpted for him are pretty sloppy…it was a rush job and with impending deadlines I just rushed through with him.
I’m also not happy with his overall proportions, he was very much a trial and error sculpt.
Nevertheless, I still think he’s better than the hobgrots.
Anyways, here he is :

Like the sculpt I made of the Sneaky Git, he was made from a chopped up hobgrot body, with a lengthened green stuff nose and chin added to the small hobgrot face

Next came making his arms. I really love the idea of the hobgrots having stick grenades…some of you may remember that I gave stick grenades to some of my old school CDs.
That being said, I do NOT like the look of the grenades that GW gave them. I still remember the initial pics of these guys hitting the internet, and the lengthy comments from people trying to figure out if they’re grenades or a club?
If people have to wonder WTF something is, then that’s a huge clue that it doesn’t visually work.
Damn GW, you suck.
So I opted to give him a more classic WW1 potato masher grenade. It was only later that it dawned on me that I forgot to cut off the firing pin…so since I want him to look like he’s getting ready to toss it at some filthy elves, I later cut off the pin.

Honestly I was really tempted to leave him pretty much just like this, without added sleeve armor. But for some reason that eludes me now, I went old school and gave him armored sleeves and an additional armor helmet bit on the backside of his helmet

And pretty much done

I’m still unhappy with certain parts of him, and definitely undecided if I will ever finish touching up the unfinished paintwork.
But all in all he was a good learning experience, and I will definitely make more of these guys later.
Cheers

[Loidrial]

I Wish i could complain about my sculpting skill like you do!
I can see your point tho, but I’d say you are over critic (like everyone with his own work)
Love to see how you turned them, and so curious to see the future work of your!!

[Fuggit_Khan]

@Loidrial
Thanks, and I have no doubt that I’m my own worst critic.
But as you said, we’re all guilty of that, right?
Anyways, here are pics of the third and final hobgrot that I converted for the GH.

The initial conversion steps are the same as the two other guys as before…but this dude gave me lots of grief. Again his armor that I sculpted is pretty sloppy, there’s no way I would do such sloppy work on my CDs for Admiralty Miniatures, but this guy isn’t for casting and deadlines were looming over me.

And us Hobgoblins are wary of anything looming in the background

So, first step was his legs and lower body, which I later cut down and adjusted to balance more for his waistline to be in proportion with the other two Hobgoblins (trial and error)

Next was the fun part, the Hobgoblin hat!
It’s all green stuff, here are step by step pics:

Next was attaching his head to the body…I later cut off the head and positioned it differently, but you get the idea

Next was his arms. The base “skeleton” is odd bits of plastic glued together…you’ll notice that I also sculpted a new green stuff wrist, this is because I cut off his stupid @ss 1980’s “Hot Topic” bangle bracelets.
(My usual disclaimer: these hobgrot sculpts look so lame).

Now he’s starting to look like a Khan!

Next was his wolf cape…lots of work was put into it, and it doesn’t even show in the GH pics.
Oh well.
It’s based on the armored cape of the 4th edition Hobgoblin Hero on the wolf (Fuggit!)
First I cut out its rough shape on thin plastic card

Next I sculpted green stuff wolf fur on the underside, and then armor scales on the topside

And his cape attached!
And his fifth toes added as well.
Now that miserable GW hobgrot looks like a righteous, proper and Noble Hobgoblin

Ah, but he needs a shield.
Back in the good old days of 4th and 5th edition Warhammer, I pretty much always gave my Hobgoblin Boss a magic shield…memory eludes me a bit after all these years, but I think I generally used a Spellshield.
Anyways, since my Hobgoblin lore is based on the “Eye of Hashut” , it seemed only proper to give him a magic shield with the Eye.
The frame was hand carved from plastic, I wanted it to have a stylized bulls horn shape

A small plastic bit glued to the center, and green stuff added to attempt a glowing, fiery Eye of Hashut.

The texture on the square bases (SQUARE dammit!) was made using a pack of Thai ground chili peppers
You know, when in Rome…

And he’s done

Hopefully you all enjoyed these pics, and kudos to each of you who, through one way or another, made conversions of these (lame) hobgrots.

And again, these unabashed comments of my loathsome disdain for the GW hobgrots is just my own personal grumpy opinion.
No worries if you love them, the spirit of the hobby is to have fun with whatever you like.
Well, except for elves and round bases.
No excuses there.

And finally, I want to sincerely Thank each of you again who voted for my entry (and putting up with my rants and raves)

Cheers!

[Jackswift]

These are all beautifully designed, sculpted, and executed. The build detail is always great to peruse, and you turned the hobgrot into something very different so that the original model is all but unrecognizable. Well deserving of the Golden Hat medal, and a massive improvement on the starting model!

[GhraskDragh]

Incredible

Nothing else to say, incredible

[MichaelX]

Hot Spicy bases for hot spicy models. That shield is awsome. I mean it all is. But the shield…

[Uther.the.unhinged]

Truly the shield is awesome!

Also do not despair Great Khan. The malformed hobgrots are clearly a devolved form of the wondrous hobgoblins. Probably separated from the wide open steppes and ashen plains of their heyday. Forced to live in foetid swamps, they have degenerated. This fact has clearly been recognised by GW and they have been classified appropriately as ‘hobgrots’! I am sure that somewhere on the wide plains of Ghur majestic khans atop their wild wolves still roam, seeking slaves for themselves or their bearded masters.

Do not hate the hobgrots… pity them!

On another note… and considering evolution… I can’t help wondering what Kruelboyz would look like with long sharp noses and pointy chins… mounted on thunderwolf 40k steeds…

[Fuggit_Khan]

Thank you everyone
and @Uther.the.unhinged , I like your take on the hobgrots, I guess they’re the Falmer of Warhammer

[Bassman]

Amazing thread for amazing conversion job.
Waaaay better than the ugly hobgrots.
Well, so good maybe it was easier to re-sculpt them from scratch

My highlight is the Khan hat. Beautiful and smooth sculpting. So goood! Do you use rubber tipped sculpting tools?

And his cape…sooo nice

[Fuggit_Khan]

@Bassman
Thank you for the nice compliments, and yes I agree with you, just about anything looks better than those ugly hobgrots.
As for sculpting tools, I don’t use any rubber tipped tools (although I do have some that Admiral sent to me a few years ago, but I feel guilty that I’ve never used any of them at all).
I only use one tool, my hobby pocket knife:

As for smoothing the green stuff, I lick my fingertip and smooth it out that way.
Yeah, it’s gross.
But there’s something about the viscosity of spit that works better than anything else, it makes a super smooth surface.
So I guess all of my sculpts are imbedded with Nurgle covid…

[MichaelX]

The knife is aptly named.

This does really demonstrate that the tools don’t make the master! I’m even more impressed now fugit!

And… everyone uses spit… my DNA in on and on each paintjob I ever did… #brushlickers ( bad autocorrect… it’s BRUSH… not BUSH… bad bad autocorrect)

[Admiral]

Excellent conversions! That shield is something spectacular.

You can make almost everything in green stuff with a sculpting tool or hobby knife, and your Mk. I fingers. Stuff like ball-point dentist tools, rubber tipped sculpting tools and needles can be handy and save some time for specific steps, but are not at all necessary.

Don’t feel bad about not using something from the care package. I included a bunch of stuff just in case anything would be practical. At least you have the rubber tipped tools held in reserve in case you lose all your fingers.

Oh, wait…

[Jackswift]

I have that exact model knife. Was given it as a gift when I was 15. Your results make it look like the perfect tool. Perhaps I should try sculpting with it. I haven’t tried my hand at anything significant with green stuff in over 20 years. Perhaps it is time.

[MichaelX]

It most definitely is my friend!

[Bassman]

@Fuggit_Khan oh gosh, now I feel even more miserable

I hoped your ability was linked to some crazy tool or trick

I have to admit you are an uber cool sculptor

Yes, I do agree, spit is an amazing medium. I do not want even to imagine what my wife is thinking when she watches me licking my miniatures

[Fuggit_Khan]

@MichaelX
Yes, my pocket knife is definitely aptly named…and auto-correct or Freudian slip?

@Bassman
I’m guessing that your wife is thinking the exact same thing my girlfriend thinks, everytime she sees me licking my finger (and bushes, no wait! Damn you auto-correct, meant to say brushes)

@Jackswift
That’s SO cool that you have the same knife!
Do you happen to know what year yours was made?
Early models are valuable collectibles, worth a small fortune to collectors.
Shrade “Old Timer” knives date back to 1904…mine is from 1944, originally belonged to my grandfather who used it in WW2, he was a PT Boat mechanic in the Pacific Theater and used it for all kinds of work on the engines

He later passed it on to his son (dad), who later gave it to me when I was 7 years old.
It’s one of my most prized possessions, and still razor sharp (I’ve never once sharpened it).
You should definitely give a go at sculpting!

[MichaelX]

@Fuggit_Khan

and auto-correct or Freudian slip?

Defenitly auto correct

[MichaelX]

@Fuggit_Khan

mine is from 1944, originally belonged to my grandfather who used it in WW2, he was a PT Boat mechanic in the Pacific Theater and used it for all kinds of work on the engines, he later passed it on to his son (dad), who later gave it to me when I was 7 years old.
It’s one of my most prized possessions, and still razor sharp (I’ve never once sharpened it).

thats so heartwarming! and a cool bit of history!

[Bassman]

Ok @Fuggit_Khan you are making your awesome sculpts from a WW2 knife that helped kick fascist butts?
You are on the road of uber coolness

[Admiral]

Great piece of family heirloom history, and impressive quality if it is still perfectly sharp. To think that you have imbued your sculpts with the spirit of your clan, now that is both a heart-warmingly personal touch and highly appropriate for a shot at modelling immortality!

Quality is timeless. That applies to both your sculpts and your knife.