Table Ready: Escher Gang

I have been at least mildly interested in Necromunda since around the time I learned to play 40K. I quite liked the idea of a small gang combat system. This may or may not have been due to the fact that I was getting burnt out from setting up, playing, and picking up my Orks. Which numbered about 100 models at the time. So the thought of a complete army(gang) of only five or six models, was kind(really) of appealing. I only ended up playing Necromunda a couple of times with Tyson, using some unpainted core-set Goliaths, however. I found the system to be quite difficult and a bit off-putting. But all of that was okay, as I never played it again.

I think it was around 2020, or 2021, when I decided to put together an Escher gang. I had such a great time putting together my Order of the Bloody Rose sisters that I decided to continue working on some more badass ladies. However, whereas the Sororitas are wearing solid colored power armor, the Escher gals are showing a lot more flesh and have vibrant colors here and there. I admittedly have issues with painting flesh tones, particularly on faces, so this project would prove to be at least partially challenging.


A Custom House of Blades Faction

A Queen and her Phyrr Cat

When I sat down at my desk to paint these models, I had trouble trying to nail down what colors I wanted to use. Escher are quite often painted with yellow as their dominant color, which looks great, but I knew early that I didn’t want that. As I am not the biggest fan of yellow. What I did want, was to paint a custom faction. Initially, I was leaning towards a purple theme. But I walked that thought back. Seeing as my Slaanesh models, which included a complete Knight house, were all themed around the color purple. My favorite color.

What I settled on for my Escher gang was a red theme that used darker reds and pinks. In doing that, I ended up being quite happy that I did not go with purple as the dominant color. I did, however, end up incorporating some purples in the hair of some of the models.

I primarily stuck to layer and base paints for these girls, but when it came to the doggo’s I turned to contrast paints. I have said it before, but contrast paints were made for models such as this. Small models with a lot of recesses.

What Came Next

When all was said and done, I had painted a gang that I was quite happy with. My endeavor to paint flesh tones well is progressing, but it is still not there. I get lucky with a few instances, but I still need more practice.

I realized halfway through the painting process that when I was building the models I primarily used the “school of cool” method of building. So I ended up building a bunch of models that were carrying weapons that they…well… technically cannot take in the game. Oops. Thats why I have so many matriarchs at the moment. It is what it is. I won’t be actually playing the game much, or at all.

Thinking I was done, I snapped some pics to show Tyson. To which he asked, “what are their names?”

Names? I had put zero thought into names. The only model I had ever named was my titan, Hammers Ruin. But it made sense that they would need names. Like in Kill Team, these models grow as you play more. So names help keep track better. These are also, pretty much, all characters. So I sat at my desk for a lot longer than I would like to admit, just staring at the models. A pen in one hand poised to write. Nothing really manifested.

Historically, I have shit naming-sense. I never change the names of characters when given the option in video games. It took forever to choose my TTRPG names back in the day. And don’t get me started on my World of Warcraft toons… The names for my Escher finally came however, and when I finally started getting that creative flow, I didn’t stop there. 

If they have names, then they have to have a story, right? Right!  If the gang has a name, then it has a history, right? Right!

Much like when I named my Titan, and crafted its diorama, I had to write a backstory. So the same night that I came up with the names, I began typing the gangs history furiously on my iPad while in bed, as someone’s Twitch stream was playing and my wife was asleep. It took almost a year to complete the whole thing.

In my coming posts I will introduce you to my custom Escher gang and their backstory. This will be the first time in a very very long time that I have written fiction. I hope you enjoy it.



Click here for more Table Ready posts

Robert

All of these are true except for one:

Robert is: a Hobbyist, a Music Lover, an RPG Gamer, a Mustard Lover, Chaotic Neutral, a Japanese Speaker, a Veteran, an Otaku, a Table Tennis Player, an Anime Fan, an Aviation Professional, a New York Rangers Fan, a Chaos Lover With Loyalist Tendencies.

More about Robert | Robert’s contributions