Hobby Showcase – Secure the Future by Community Members

Since the Secure the Future Squad Pack arrived earlier this year, we’ve seen some fantastic interpretations of Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati from painters throughout the community. It’s really been great to see how hobbyists have found plenty of ways to capture the distinct presence of this unlikely duo.

For today’s Hobby Showcase, we welcome back two talented friends of the studio to share how they approached the characters in this squad pack. Each of them brings a dramatically different approach to the mercenary Baylan Skoll and his eager apprentice, Shin Hati.

Kicking things off is Kyle Dalton, who places Baylan Skoll against a frozen landscape. The miniature relies heavily on deep blacks and charcoal greys to define Baylan’s armor and flowing robes, while the muted burgundy across his sleeves and belt breaks up the darker tones, and introduces just enough warmth. Kyle’s crisp highlights also give the armor plenty of story. With all those dents and scratches, his version of Baylan has definitely seen combat.

Another strong point of contrast is Baylan’s face. The lighter and warmer tones really pop against the rest of the miniature, naturally drawing your eye toward him and giving this rendition of Baylan some great character.

The base takes the piece even further. Layering snow and rocky textures creates a convincing frozen environment that contrasts really well against the orange of his lightsaber. Kyle made really good use of color theory on this miniature, and when you tie everything together, the result is a version of Baylan that really captures who he is: no Jedi, but a shrewd fighter in search of power. Well done, Kyle!

Next we have Johnathan Ho, who takes a completely different approach by bringing both Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati together in a vignette display. Unlike Kyle’s natural environment, Johnathan places the pair in a much more industrial setting, using hard edges and a towering structure to make the scene feel like it belongs somewhere deep in the galaxy. There’s a lot going on here, but the composition never feels crowded.

One of the neat things about this piece is how Johnathan uses the characters themselves to create contrast. Baylan is dominated by cooler greys and dark armor, while Shin immediately stands apart with warmer fabrics and brighter metallics. Their orange lightsabers then cut straight through the muted environment and pull your eye right back toward the two of them. A real pro move.

The posing also tells a great story. Shin is out front, ready to move, while Baylan stands behind her with a much heavier presence. It really sells that master and apprentice relationship before you even start looking at the finer details. Johnathan has always been great at making his miniatures feel like part of a larger scene, and this piece is no definitely no exception. Rather than simply painting two great looking characters, he’s built a fantastic moment around them.

In fact, the whole display feels reminiscent of Baylan and Shin’s confrontation with New Republic forces in Ahsoka™, giving the vignette an almost cinematic quality. Fantastic work, Johnathan!

These two pieces are a great example of why we love seeing what hobbyists do with the same miniatures. Whether you’re building an entire scene around your characters or letting color and basing tell the story, there are countless ways to make them your own.

Thanks for showing off your work, Kyle and Johnathan! We hope the community is just as inspired as we are.

Have you painted your own version of Baylan Skoll and Shin Hati? We’d love to see how you’ve brought the Secure the Future Squad Pack to life in the comments.

Until next time,
Atomic Mass Games