Infinity Escalation League keeps on trucking and we’ve passed through Block 3. The final block, where we take our lists all the way to 300 points, is upon us. For this block I’m hoping to get through some of the last pieces of the Dahshat army. There is a special remote in Haqqislam that Dahshat gets to take, the Rafiq remote, that I wanted to make some the special for. I’d seen someone else somewhere do it and decided I’d take a crack at it.
To the uninitiated, this may seem like another Infinity remote but this is what the actual Rafiq looks like.
This looks much like my Fanous remote I did earlier
You have the telltale “wings in the back and the raised fin ridge. Again, I wasn’t the first to do this conversion but unfortunately I don’t remember where it was. Such is the limitation of infinite scrolling Facebook and Discord feeds.
First up, that fin ridge had to go. I used a razor saw (careful of those fingers!) and saved as much as I could. There is a very easy last ridge to really hook into and cut it up.
Next, I took two pieces of piano wire, bent them into the approximate gumby-arm flex and wrapped in in greenstuff. I left a good quarte inch of the wire out so I could drill pin holes and mount the whole assembly.
I then let that assembly dry overnight. I need the structure to be solid before really sculpting the rest of the real work.
I added a bit more to the structure, let that cure and then cut it down more. The lighter green is where I did more cutting and filing. The darker green is where I added in the final sculpting of the sides. I purposely mixed the greenstuff with more “blue” to get it more rigid. Using metal sculpting tools, I shaped and smoothed the sides to carry that side flare piece and allow for more room to follow the ridge patterns up the top and bottom of the new tail.
Letting things cure in stages (left flare, then right flare, then bottom ridges, finally top ridges), I got to the point where the bulk of the tail was sculpted and ready. I then took a spare square of greenstuff I let cure earlier and pinned the two weapon systems through the hardpoint proxy. I then pinned that through the end of the top tail piece.
When working with greenstuff, I find parchment paper or baking paper to be helpful. Greenstuff sticks very easily and the metal tool helps (pictured need the red handle of my exacto knife). But, even that smooth tool isn’t enough so water can help but honestly, the oils in my skin actually work amazingly well. It was an old photographer trick that reminded me- used to help fill in white spots in traditional black and white gelatin prints- something I used to do quite a bit of in a former life. The light oil that collects behind the ears near the base of the skull or on the forehead. It isn’t sweat though that can work too. I find a quick swipe of the tool against one of these spots leaves the tool able to smooth things out and not stick to the substance. I’ve seen videos where someone licked the tool like some painters lick their brushes. I don’t recommend it but to each their own.
Next, I sculpted the hardpoint connection into something usable for the tail tip. In the background is also the true inspiration, the Maghariba Guard TAG.
Baby and Momma are getting ready for their imminent first day out.
Some definite size differences here. Technically, the Rafiq is a Red Fury gun or Rifle/Light Shotgun combo (which is the weapon that comes in the set) but looking at Maggie (as the TAG is affectionately known as) and her big HMG and Missile rack, I decided to copy it and stack both the missile pod and HMG on the tail to better match mommy.
A quick primer and then base coloring plus shading with the airbrush and little Raffy is ready for some detailing.
And with that, the Rafiq is done! My paint job is kind of in line with the “not-quite-straight” job I did in sculpting so it seems to work, coming together for this final finish. A close view reveals that it is definitely not a real Corvus Belli sculpt but the paint hides things pretty well and I’m really enjoying the cool-factor of the conversion.