This aerial unit is my first completed miniatures sub-project of 2014 . The miniatures are plastic “Deffkopta” (thats “Deathcopter” to you English speakers) kits from the now out of production “Assault on Black Reach” Warhammer 40000 starter set released in 2008.
There are only six components in each kit if I remember correctly, which is very impressive considering the detail level.
“Wheeee!”
The models are as you might expect from modern GW plastics: they are very well designed kits. Well, technically speaking at least. As for whether a small helicopter with tiny rotors being piloted by a green, hairless, space-barbarian gorilla-man is a good design aesthetically, well thats another matter. Let your id and superego duke it out over the issue and then report back.
The Deffkoptas are undeniably goofy. They are more like the sort of ridiculous ork item that appeared back in the old Rogue Trader days of 40K in some respects, than the just as ridiculous for different reasons modern era ork items.
Insert Coin
I have conjured up a few different pseudo-science reasons why a design as daft as the deffkopta one might work in context (I find that I have to find some sort of vague nod to in-context justification to enjoy the extra-implausible things in a book or a movie or a game. Thats why the Dark Knight movies are rubbish), but mostly my justifications are nonsense.
Despite that and despite the fact that the ‘koptas look like something for children under eight to nag their parents into putting money into outside the supermarket, I still enjoyed painting them and I will definitely enjoy including them in a few games.
So Im a hypocrite. Not exactly news.
“But Dad, can I pleeeease have a go when the big boy is finished?”
The ‘koptas were painted to look like battle-tested, post-apocalyptic style vehicles rather than rusty, barely holding together conglomerations of junk. While the choppers dont look as high-tech as the equally ridiculous Marauder Ripper suits from a couple of weeks ago, they follow the same been-around-the-block-but-not-falling-to-pieces aesthetic, in terms of painting at least. Believe it or not, I find that makes these absurd things seem more “realistic”. Im not kidding anyone really, especially myself.
Hrud Hunting
The three deffkoptas have their rotors held on with magnets and they are not glued to their flying bases. Jetbike type models like this tend to hook on to sleeves, get lifted slightly above the table and then crash down, damaging the minature, the painting and inevitably breaking the flying bases (as an aside, why hasnt some manufacturer made flying stands out of polycarbonate or similar? Durable things that last longer than one game would surely have a market). The rotors would exacerbate that phenomenon by being exceptionally likely to snag on sleeves and then highly likely to break on impact, so the application of magnet technology was a no brainer.
I like these screwy models, I cant help myself. Getting the Deffkoptas finished lifts the self-imposed moratorium on ork bike purchases too, which I am looking forward to getting painted at some stage, for similar chunky, plastic, miniature toy reasons.
Filed under: Miniatures | Tagged: 2014, 40K, Bigdogz, Orks, Sci-fi |
sho3box 
Nice paint jobs! They remind me of the Goffs scheme when done like that. They are a nice kit with a bit of variation in the parts which is nice.
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I railed against the Goff scheme when I was younger: I felt that they were the conformists clan of choice. My preference was for the heavily mechanised Evil Sunz.
A couple of years ago I spent a week or two trying out different colour schemes to see which of my techniques worked best for painting orks to a decent standard with minimal effort: I want edto be able to churn out a mob or two here and there as the years go by without it being a big headache. After lots of experimentation, black and red outfits to contrast with the green skin was what I settled on.
Adding the white elements to the rockets on these ‘koptas didnt disrupt the scheme, but also made the Bigdogz colour scheme transition from “quite Goff” to “undeniably Goff”. I have conformed in my old age 😉
The kopta kits are solid, although the integrated pilot makes the painting a little more difficult if you are the type who likes to paint the rider separately. Individual deffkoptas can be picked up online for less than the price of a current ork warbike. Did you ever pick up the AoBR box?
Thanks for the feedback!
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lol you big aul Goff conformist – not that my Blood Axe tendencies are any better. I quite like the white detailing, I think it adds extra dimension to the Bigdogz scheme. They could do with some “Kil Kil Kil” style graffiti.
I like that top part of the rider is detachable so you can at least paint that part separate if you so desire.
I ended up with 6 of the buggers as far as I remember. So far I have 2 of them assembled into triplane’s and painted “Da Red Barun” red. No room for helicopters in this Orks army as there weren’t any during the 2nd World Waaaagh and I am trying to keep it strictly historical ;)!
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I railed against the Blood Axes at the time too, as they were obviously just a way for GW to sell Imperial vehicles to ork players. Now I quite like the pragmatic, mercenary and militaristic aspects of that faction. I have a human advisor planned for the Bigdogz for that reason, even though it bugged me at the time. Then again, I was a teenager then so, y’know.
I like the idea of the Second World Waaagh! That has scenario potential…
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Space Skaven? You just blew my goddamned mind.
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The space skaven were conceptualised by Jes Goodwin years ago and the images were shown in his “The Gothic and the Eldritch” art book about a decade ago. They never made it to production, but that didnt stop GW from putting a small image of a cloaked figure with a rodent like tail and clawed hands grasping a “fusil” in the 3rd edition rulebook. The xeno was called a Hrud and they lived in “warrens” and the “infest” rather than occupy areas.
GW have since decided that the Hrud look like a sort of Clayface-like humanoid, but they are ratmen as far as I am concerned.
The miniatures shown are Mantic Veer-myn. I painted a squad in 2012 that are visible HERE. I also painted a DreadBall team of Veer-myn visible HERE. They are fun models and the b-movie rat-man aesthetic appeals to me. I have a few more lined up for inclusion when the mood takes me.
Thanks for the feedback!
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The good thing with the magnetised Propeller is that you can remove it and levae it aside. I’m pretty sure it looks better without the propeller. If orks manage to go in space and have shock attack guns, why wouldn’t they have some antigrav bikes, this way the model would look even better.
Anyway, these are nice models and well painted. Details like “realistic enouh” “oldhammer enough” and things of the sort should be left to hobby aiatollahs, we’re just here to enjoy… 😉
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Hi Asslessman 🙂
Im a fan of the way the vehicles look with the rotors actually, even though they dont look like they could actually provide sufficient lift to the vehicle. I assume that some sort of high-tech, anti-gravity unit negates the mass of the vehicle and that the rotors direct and propel it. Not that it really matters of course, but its fun to speculate 🙂
I do think that an ork jetbike is entirely feasible in the context too, but that there might be logistical or cultural reasons why the orks would use gyrocopters in this particular instance. Again, it doesnt really matter, but the context of the games is important and heavily related to game enjoyment levels (for me anyway), so speculation about that enriches the experience for me.
Does that make me an ayotollah? 😉 lol
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you have very good reasons , one of the best being fun, that makes you the exact opposite.
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I thought it was called a deffcopter because they were so close to the engine it made them deaf. I honestly never connected it to being a deathcopter. Doh!
I do sometimes forget that GW aim this stuff at eight year olds and not their true market of adult gamers.
Kit
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I only just saw this comment, sorry.
That’s pretty funny though 🙂 Thanks for the feedback Kit
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