In this Insider, I’ll detail a bit of the visual development process for the Planet Eaters new core box. As with the G.U.A.R.D. models, we updated the visual designs for the Planet Eaters for the new edition of Monsterpocalypse.

The first of the models to tackle: Gorghadra.

My first round of adjustments (below) shrank the monster’s head, increased the detail density by 10–15%, and adjusted the anatomy of its neck and legs. This sketch also tackled the perspective on the shoulders where the old art could be misconstrued. One of our core directives is to always reference the concept art for details, not the model or the illustration.

When Matt Wilson told me we were going to re-launch Monsterpocalypse, I was excited about the possibilities of revisiting the existing designs and modifying them to become hobby game miniatures. In order to do this, we would need to add surface textures and increase the detail density to help emphasize scale. Any updates or changes would also have to take into consideration engineering issues that might limit a figure’s pose-ability or create problems production.

For Ghorghadra we explored different material types for the carapace and ended up landing on V3 that used smooth metallic surfaces broken up by glowing vents. This decision both updated the design and referenced the existing concept to help tie them together.

I then proceeded to scrub off layers of detail and some inset lines in order to create a nicer balance of detail density over the entire model. Check out the final result.

Now, with our updated design aesthetic established, it was time to give a similar treatment to the units and solo. In each of the attached exploration sheets, the clear winners in each category were Belcher #3 and Destroyer #7.

Once the line art had been finalized, it was time to establish their color schemes.

With that, the core box concepts were complete and ready to be illustrated!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this quick glimpse into the updated concept art for the Planet Eaters. I look forward to showing you additional concept revisions for future releases sometime soon!