Each time I attend a convention I look for that one unique game that I can bring home and introduce to all my friends. In 2012 that game was Dungeon Twister, a competitive dungeon crawl board game where the gameplay literally turns on the tiles of the board itself. This game had such unique characters that I couldn't help but put my brush to them.
All miniatures were painted and photographed by me.
All miniatures were painted and photographed by me.
The mechanork is the most memorable of all the Dungeon Twister characters for me. With a tool belt to rival that of the most prepared mechanic, this orc replaces the stereotypical brutish ferocity with the skill to turn clockworks to his advantage. I used a dark brown wash to accent the folds in the canvas tunic and silver mixed with yellows and browns to get the brass-like tone of the clockworks.
Since these characters were crawling around in dungeons all the time, I figured their clothes and skin would pick up a lot of dirt and grime. As each of the players had access to identical figures, I used red as a color theme for all of the characters from one side. Here, the wizard naturally weilds a ruby staff.
The most challenging bit of paint on the backstabber was the lip color, which had to read not only as accurate, but believable for a woman's lips. Now I can say I have applied women's makeup, I suppose.
The naga was the most fun for me to paint as it had so many color combination opportunities. I chose a traditional approach, laying down a darker green to the snake tail before dry-brushing the lighter green over it, letting the details of this excellent sculpt really pop.
With a name like "colossus," this mini was begging to take a page from Marvel Comics' erstwhile X-Man of the same name. Colossus' skin can transform into living steel, and his classic costume used reds and yellows, which I interpreted into gold and applied to the chains. With a touch of short black hair, this character is a spitting image of the raging ruski from some post-apocalyptic future.
For the blue player's version of the colossus I went for a more gladiatorial theme. As a performer, the bright color separates him from the other contenders. Because the leather boots and loin cloth are made from different materials, I wanted to show this by varying the color slightly.
