I dont play a lot of fantasy games, with most of my toy soldiers and interests being sci-fi (science fantasy/pulp sci-fi really). Gates to other dimensions are a standard trope in fantasy, horror and sci-fi though, and the recently released GW Realmgates fit my requirements nicely, so I picked up a pair of the kits as soon as I was able.
Judge Anderson passes through a dimensional gateway to defend Mega City One.
I really was immediately keen on the Realmgate models. They are easy to assemble and entertainingly large, ideal for representing the sorts of places where entities such as Gozer the Destructor might enter the human realm…
…and start shooting pink lightning around.
The gates are sold in pairs, so that their quantum entanglement or some such can be represented in game, allowing a character to step from one gate to another. I decided to paint the ectoplasmic, 1980s music video, dry ice stuff green on one gate and blue on the other just in case an in-game need to distinguish between the two ever comes up.
The gate models are identical, which is a bit disappointing, but as they will rarely be next to each other on the table, its not much of an issue. The two faces of the gates are different too, so there is enough going on visually to deflect any cookie cutter feelings I reckon.
Of course dimensional gates require Keymasters and Gatekeepers to breach the walls of reality…
Dana Barrett/Zuul/The Gatekeeper
Louis Tully/Vinz Clortho/The Keymaster
..by performing lewd acts…
…which can in turn lead to transmogrification…
…and demonification…
…and sometimes exorcism via total protonic reversal…
…all of which is exactly the sort of stuff that I want to represent in my toy soldier games, so I painted up this pair of Harbingers from Crooked Dice.
“Many Shuvs and Zuuls knew what it was to be roasted in the depths of the Slor that day, I can tell you!”
The figures are great representations of the characters. The pose on the male figure is absolutely perfect, as is the memorable colander/Aura Video Analyser headgear. They were loads of fun to paint.
Im looking forward to getting a few games in with the lot of these pretty soon I hope 🙂
“Gozer the Traveler. He will come in one of the pre-chosen forms.”
“Greetingsss… prepare to be judged!”
Filed under: Miniatures, Terrain | Tagged: 2015, Exactamundo, Ghostbusters, Realmgate, Sci-fi |
sho3box 
I forsee that chap giving the lads in the Black Ships pause and no mistake. Lovely work there.
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Thanks Conrad, you get where I am coming from I think 🙂
Constant pop culture mashup isnt something that I initially set out to do with my toy soldiers, but the obvious crossovers keep on coming, with no sign of stopping.
Thanks for the feedback!
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Very nice work, as always Cheetor. The shot of Gozer through the gateway behind Zuul is fantastic. Small bit of trivia: Zuul was to be named something or other else, but it turned out to be the name of a famous person, so one of the folks working on the set volunteered his name. This fellow was the brother of an acquaintance of mine, Becky Zuul. And growing up I knew several Gosers. Wrong spelling, but same pronunciation. Thus, perhaps, I am at least somewhat entangled with this film. Slightly. Distantly. No gateways in my refrigerator though.
“I am your father’s brother’s nephew’s cousin’s former roommate.” “What’s that make us?” “Absolutely nothing . . .”
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No gateways in your fridge is definitely something to be thankful about.
That is an interesting snippet of trivia, I had no idea that “Zuul” is an honest-to-Gozer surname. Im slightly envious of the Zuul clan now.
It would have been pretty straightforward to composite a shot of the Destructor into the gateway, but both the toy soldier and old special effects movie enthusiast in me wanted to try to get it to work in camera. Just dont look at Mr Stay-Pufts feet 😀
Thanks for the feedback David!
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A lovely bit of work Paul, I loved ghostbusters & why am I not surprised you got a model of the Stay Puff Marshmallow Man LOL
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Ghostbusters is a genuinely classic movie, released when I was about nine years old, possibly the perfect age to first see it at. I love it for many reasons.
As for Mr Stay-Puft, its a second hand toy that I picked up about a decade ago for some Ghostbuster gaming plans that didnt manifest.
Yet.
Thanks for the feedback Frank!
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Wonderful! This has made my day! Funny enough, I’ve had my eye on the Harbingers for a while, though I didn’t really see how they might ‘fit in’ other than being generic non-coms… you’ve certainly given me some inspiration on that score mate, and all beautifully painted of course 🙂
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As long as you dont sweat the 1980s fashions (and really, at 28mm, its not that big a deal) then they could be used as a lot of things I guess.
Those two will certainly be me go-to models when I need to represent a possessed miniature in an Ordo Malleus themed game for example.
Im glad that you liked it Alex.
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So gorgeous! But there are no gates… there is only Zuul!
Both minis are great, and the warp gates (whatever are they called) look really interesting, you made quite a nice work there!
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The gates are straightforward to assemble and satisfyingly large and imposing models. They are suitable for gaming pulp, horror, fantasy, Hellboy, Ghostbusters, grimdark science fantasy, all sorts of themes.
All four of the pieces shown were fun to paint, thanks for the feedback Suber!
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I love that the wildest of crossovers are being made possible with your collection, Dan Aykroyid and Bill Murray chasing the Dark Judges ? Yes please.
Brilliant painting is only icing on the cake now.
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At this point in my lifelong hobby odyssey I feel that trying to get various sub-genres of games played is close to impossible due to the various terrain/painted miniature/opponent requirements. My solution to this is to try to mash pirates or cowboys or ghostbusters or whatever other genres turn my crank into the ubiquitous sci-fi themes that will always be present.
So yes, the Ghostbusters will end up in pursuit of the Dark Judges at some point reasonably soon I hope 🙂
Thansk for the feedback A-Man!
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It’s a Judge Death / Ghost buster mash up! I must be reading sho3box!
Brill stuff.
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Thanks Riot!
When there’s somethin’ strange, in Ivan Reitman block, who ya gonna call? Nobody coz the inhabitants will be dead via the attentions of transdimensional alien super-fiends.
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I think the one question on everyone’s mind is, do you have a cranky face for that Mr Stay Puft, and are you planning to roast marshmallows during play to properly simulate the correct realism needed for this enterprise?
Alright maybe that was two questions.
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Unfortunately I don’t have a cranky face for Gozer, my own cranky face will have to do to generate a hostile, otherworldly atmosphere.
I won’t be using naked flame in the war room as that would be an egregious and frankly ridiculous breach of health & safety protocols. Instead I will take a my cue from the movie and empty refuse sacks full of shaving foam over all parties involved in the game. Except me, I will just have a token squirt of foam on my left shoulder, as I like to think of myself as the Bill Murray of the piece.
There, that answers your questions I think Captain.
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Excellent work on those gates. These terrain pieces by GW are actually pretty nice. The MOAR SKULLZ! factor is very low and the gate forming is nicely rendered and emphasized by your contrasting colour choices. The overall weathered look of your portals fits well and the scenes on top of the portals stand out nicely.
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Thanks daggerandbrush!
There are some miniature human crania on the base of the piece and there are two single skulls toward the top of the gateway. The top two could easily be removed or covered if desired.
There are skull motifs here and there on the model, but as you say, it’s relatively low compared to, for example the (also lovely) Garden of Morr graveyard kit.
The reliefs of the various magical symbols and the even nicer human vs skeleton battle are nice details that were fun to paint.
The Realmgates won’t be to everyone’s tastes, but I am very pleased with them 🙂
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