SOAR-SWIFT IV

SOAR-SWIFT IV is, despite cool Roman number four, the second part on a trilogy of creations that began with RADIANT-EXTERT IV. This was not intentional, but I was happy with that one and the theme with slick black-and-red colour scheme and Clickits-based energy weapons felt it had still something to offer. This is also the first creation posted here to utilize parts from this year's LUGBULK, specifically those macaroni tube pieces in red and black and red 1x1 rounded corner tiles.

While RE-IV was sort of a knight-themed, sporting a longsword and shield and bulky leg armour, SOAR-SWIFT is more modern and faster hit-and-run type unit. This is reflected in sleeker armour, short-range rocket pack, tactical head-mounted computer system and elegant twin swords. Some details, like hair-embedded sense-enhancing units and bird wings in the boots are preserved, and the colour blocks have similarities. I wanted to make a character of same culture but different task.

The build began with the boots. There are some more dark red, which was limited to some cheese slopes in RE-IV. I didn't have the pieces that made its knee pads so I altered the boots design altogether; the shin part is thinner, as is logical for swifter unit, and the knees have armour shells conneted to the tigh. The knee double joint, a sturdy TECHNIC holes into studs of 2x2 round plate type, is between the 4x4 dishes, and the little wings on armour parts (modified studless slopes, excellent pieces) on both sides of the joint touch in very pleasant way when the legs are straight; this little detail made me very happy.

The skirt uses both very new and old pieces. The part on the front is from my father's childhood collection, it's a part from old freight train wagon, and the sides use new macaroni tubes, straight from LUGBULK. The back of the dress has an another container half with the same measurements but more extending shape. The whole thing is vefy sturdy.

The upper torso uses organically-shaped red pieces that stand out on the black frame; the stomach area uses again "Wedge 4 x 2 Sloped" pieces that are well-shaped for such use; I like these odd parts a lot. The chest has also a printed round tile, probably from Harley Quinn's hammer, and some black sausages (moro) from LUGBULK. The thin shoulder armour is similar (but not exactly) than on RE-IV, but the upper arms itself are a lot sturdier. While RE-IV used a design with central TECHIC axis and tyre pieces around it, these are more logical brick-and-plate connection that, in my opinion, is no less elegant, doesn't fall apart and enables some details work; a wheel hub is used as a sigil. The lower arms are almost identical, except for the use of 1x1 round corner plate that makes it more flowing.

The hair is brown. There is no actual reason for it. I didn't want to use black nor anything too unrealistic, so brown it was. It took some pondering about, and I wanted some side bangs, as RE-IV had (and they are one of my favourite aspects of it). They are angled 1x4 "double-baby-bows" and work nicely angled like that. There was also bound to be some head equipments. I found those Chima ultrabuild axe blades from Pii Poo's tables some months ago and their striking shape made a cool ribbon/fin/weapon. It was accompanied by some red Bionicle blades that are somewhat mobile. To enhance the sci-fi-feel of the character, and its specialization on fast scout missions, I added a red earphones, one with an antenna and one with a little screen. The design of it dates back to May 2012 and Liberta-Multiarm mech, a surprisingly good build for its time.

RE-IV had a longsword and a shield, and I wanted something different for this one. I though some flamethrowers and cannons, but they felt rather brutal. Another idea was a crossbow that used a Clickits cable as the string but it didn't fly. In the end I returned to bladed weapons, this time with a single Clickits blade, and an elegantly organic black frame evolved around it. It went through several phases, and in the end I was so happy with it that I gave it a twin. The posture seems to suggest that the black side it used for hitting, but who knows what sort of mad fencing technique does SOAR-SWIFT IV use.

-Eero.
 

 

Slimefoot, the Stoaway

Here's the promised Fungus. This is Slimefoot, another creation from Magic the Gathering card game. He's one of the uncommon legendaries of this year's Dominaria set, a mushroom that grew in airship Weatherlight's hold and became it's janitor. As a card, Slimefoot gives player life and damages the opponents when Saproling tokens die, and can create aforementioned tokens with relatively high cost. I've got four Commander decks as the moment and Slimefoot is certainly most amusing of them.

This creation was built mostly during last summer and finished for Pii Poo's exhibit in Helsinki in September (I have still four unposted builds). I also built four Saprolings to accompany him. The building began with face, beard (beards being an important factor of my creative work) and hat; the dark tan ruff was also an early design that helped to define character. I like how it sticks out below the beard, which is build using battle droid arms and skeleton legs in tan. The torso and the legs are compilation of smooth tan and studded dark tan and olive green patterns, and the profile of the character lies on long, strong arms and small, stubby legs.

Slimefoot's card art is pleasantly colourful if gloomy. I wanted to capture it by using bright medium azure on the exotic fungal growths in his shoulders and back. The blue areas on the art might actually be just reflections of the blue lamp on Slimefoot's slimy surfaces, but I don't regret them. The colour scheme also made it possible to use Hero Factory's Invasion from Below (I checked that name) subline's cocoon pieces. They're cool and interesting and work nicely with olive green sprout pieces and transparent dark green seaweed parts. Poisonous mushrooms often have bright colours on them, and Slimefoot, a being of both green and black mana, doesn't seem very edible indeed.

The shoulders have the most usual T-bar joint, and the elbows use T-bar with axle hole piece that is rarer in my builds (but I'm studying its possibilities). They aren't that poseable, honestly, but capture the position of the card art sufficiently well. I'm particularly happy with the pattern of sprout pieces in the right lower arm. The hands use most of my dark purple curved slopes; fortunately I had that many. Slimefoot has also his staff, a rather basic construction.

One of the Saprolings (left in the main picture) is based on one of Dominaria tokens, the other (middle in the main picture) is loosely based on one of Slimefoot's card, and the last one is just based on using those binocular pieces on travis bricks to connect viking horns in moustache-like way, a technique I discovered with this little build five years ago.

-Eero