I love a good kitbash. I seeminglycan’t build a miniature by its instructionsthese days, instead having to combine multiple kits and creatures to create something completely unique. It’s a problem, and means that everyWarhammermodel I build costs two or three times as much as it would have if I simply followed the instructions and made a regular Space Marine. But where’s the fun in that?
Before now, I’ve only ever kitbashed physically. I’ve dabbled in 3D printing, but tended to print models designed by someone else rather than masterminding my own creations in Blender. That sort of 3D sculpting software is beyond my skill level.
Kitbashing, the latest addition toHeroforge’scustom miniature-making software, is the perfect midway point between physical conversions and building your own digital models from scratch. Using Heroforge’s vast array of bits and pieces, Kitbashed allows you to manipulate them in nearly every possible way. You’re only limited by your imagination.
I decided to start simple. I had previously made a model of my currentD&Dcharacter, aFey Eladrin Bardcalled Moroz. He wears a theatrical mask, but also carries one everywhere with him (my group hasn’t worked out exactly why yet, but it’ll become clear). Unfortunately, the mask in question wasn’t available to hold in a character’s hand in regular HeroForge. But with Kitbashing, I could put it anywhere on the model – including clutched in Moroz’s icy grasp.
The most important thing to do when kitbashing is snapping. Every time you add a new piece (you can add up to 20 kitbashed extras onto any model), snap it to the area you’re attaching it to first. This ensures that all the pieces stay together if you change the model’s pose after the fact. This tech is still a little glitchy; on my troll who you’ll see later, changing his pose automatically doubled the size of his kitbashed leg for some reason that I could never fathom. To be safe, I would recommend finding your perfect posebeforestarting kitbashing, but I know that’s not always feasible.
After snapping your new piece in place, position it exactly how you want it, et voila. You’re kitbashing baby! For my next model, I wanted to go a little more complex. Seeing as Games Workshop seems to have forgotten about the Vostroyan Firstborn, I figured I’d make a similar snowy soldier without infringing on any IP.
After the greatcoat and breastplate were added by the usual means, I picked a suitably archaic rifle and stuck a dagger on the end. It’s quite a small part, but HeroForge assured me it would print okay. That’s a bayonet now. If I’d wanted to go all out, I would have attached it with some string or leather or something, but I was still very much learning, so I’ll clear that up in the paintjob.
Next, the shoulder and elbow armour. While HeroForge has some options for these armour plates, they didn’t quite work. When I switched the model to a shooting pose, the armour often clipped into other areas and didn’t look right. However, you can recreate this in Kitbashed easily enough, and manipulate the size and positioning to your heart’s content. I actually made a few faux-Vostroyans, and manually tweaked the armour panels on each so they fit perfectly. It’s an easy process that just involves tugging sliders.
Finally, I needed to create the hat. The Vostroyans’ iconic bearskins are as tall as they are fancy, but nothing on HeroForge fit the bill. I started with an Insulated Fur Hat, before piling multiple Raccoon Tail Hats on top of each other to get the height. This left unsightly seams between the hats, so I placed some Warm Fur Neck Wraps and Rugged Fur Shoulders to cover any gaps. The final result is quite impressive, if I do say so myself.
I also added some pouches and grenades to the model’s belt.
Then I moved onto my troll, where I’d really test everything that Kitbashed has to offer. Opting for another sci-fi model, I really wanted to create a mechanical leg. First, I resized the foot, ankle, and calf of the troll to be miniscule, so that the subsequent parts would completely cover them. Then, I added an oversized shotgun to be the basic leg – you can still see the grip as the heel. A welding mask became the toe, and all number of gadgets and gizmos were laid over each other to give the illusion of complex mechanisms. Finally, a knee pad (made out of an entire leg, again with the unnecessary parts downsized) finished the kitbash.
But I wasn’t done yet. The wrench in the troll’s hand is elongated – here is where you can see the limits of Kitbashing, as I think this item looks a little lower in quality to the rest of the model, thanks to the stretching. The shoulder pad is, again, kitbashed to allow for perfect positioning. I added a padlock to his toolbox, and reduced some kind of sci-fi device to make it into a watch. A leather strap sealed the deal. On his back I used two Data Jack Mohawks to create spinal augmentations, and I downsized a cloak to use as an oily rag tucked into his belt.
Then came the details. to get his hand to realistically grip the wrench, I manipulated each finger – and each knuckle of each finger – to make them look like they’re naturally holding the tool. On the rag, too, I could manipulate the fabric in so many ways to position it perfectly and make it look less like a cloak and more like a scrap of cloth. I’m not sure my final effort is completely perfect, but I’m happy with the result.
This is where Kitbashing excels. It gives you all the tools you need to create the perfect miniature, alongside HeroForge’s nigh limitless supply of bits. The effort put into the details like digit manipulation is the icing on the cake for the system, ensuring every model looks just like how you imagined. Whether you’re putting a Roman plumage on a helmet or building a robotic arm from scratch, Kitbashing has you covered. The only limit is your imagination.
