Its always a great feeling being inspired about a project and these Dark Harlequins have done just that!
I own more than a few Harlequins from my time in the hobby, with some 60 odd models from the heady days of Rogue Trader. When the new metal models came out in – 4th edition I think? – I immediately picked up another full unit and set about converting them with Harlequins Kiss from extra models I bought. Then the most common thing that happens with Harlequins happened to me – I got cold feet in regards to painting them.
Spin forward to the finecast days of 6th edition and we had the metal models replaced with the questionable resin products of finecast. Again, I picked up some extra models but this time with a goal – to convert a full force of Harlequins using the allies rules and ‘counts as’ with the Eldar and Dark Eldar codex. It was during the planning stages of this I decided to suck up the nerves and paint my 4th edition unit of Harlequins to match up with my Dark Eldar army.
The reason for this was pretty simple – I wanted a bold look to the converted models, with them all heavily converted, and the aesthetic of these models would not work with what I had in mind. It took literally months to gather most of the parts (like the old Jet Bike canopies) and so we saw 7th edition before my project got completely underway.
Here is the troupe (minus the Death Jester and Shadow Seer – which you will see later). The colours selected were meant to harken back to my Dark Eldar (also in green primarily) but I added vibrant yellow and blue to make them stand out.
Shortly after I did this paint job, we got the new Dark Eldar book for 7th edition – minus the Harlequins entry. This pointed to a couple of options – they would be Eldar only or they would be a stand alone force. We got the later and that suited me fine!
I started collecting the new plastic models in earnest! Troupes, Sky Weavers, Star Weavers, characters – everything!
But I now find myself in a position – I wanted to complete a bold and detailed colour scheme for this new plastic range and I extensively started converting the characters and troupes. With less than 6 weeks till the event its very clear I won’t get the scheme I want completed. That’s when it hit me.
Expand my Dark Harlequins into a full masque!
I elected to not roll my converted Shadow Seers and Death Jesters into the masque for the Dark Harlequins which left me in a situation of not having the models to complete the Revenge formation as I intended. Lets grab my bits box!
Here you will see my 3 Shadow Seers. The painted one in the middle is from the original metal troupe. I had grabbed 2 of the finecast versions to convert into a Hemlock Pilot and farseer and after the new plastics became available – these finecast models had languished in the bits box. The primary flaw in this model lies in how the weapons cast. Both staves were ruined and the shuriken pistols were mangled. I replaced both hands on the model least miscast while the worse of the 2 got whole new arms. I went with the glaive style weapon to them to add some menace – more in line with the Dark Eldar.
Here are my 3 Death jesters. Again the middle model is from my original unit. The model on the left is made from the gunner of a Starweaver with splinter cannon kabalite arms and a cut down shuriken cannon barrel. The model on the right uses the plastic troupe leader torso, finecast legs from the older models and the same splinter cannon/shuriken cannon combo for the weapon and arms. The heads are made up of the spare heads you get from the troupes combined with the extra masks you get in the new plastic death jester and a little green stuff and trimming. I think they look the part and add some dynamism to these killers.
Lastly we have my solitaire. He is only mildly converted with a reposition of the harlequins kiss – nothing to interesting I admit!
I have 2 troupes of 6 built as well as 4 sky weavers jet bikes and a single void weaver and star weaver. I also have 2 more star weavers on sprue I am building to try and bring the force up to points. I will probably need another void weaver but we will see.
For my next post – I am hoping to have a bunch of Harlequin characters painted to show off!