Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmate figures. New Series Daleks are certainly the staple of the Asylum collection, and although many of them have to be deliberately plain in order to emphasise the interesting nature of the more elaborate customs, I still try to put an artistic flair into every single Dalek that I make. As such, several of the damaged New Series Daleks in the Asylum Project have some very specific details that add to the authenticity of these customs. Several of these Daleks have been showcased on this blog before, however they have all changed greatly since then and new custom Daleks have been added to the collection.
Part V of the New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Time War Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane and deranged, particularly standard Dalek soldiers that were driven insane due to the events of the Time War itself. This conflict was supposed to be so terrifying and groundbreaking that it fundamentally altered the Daleks and the Time Lords forever, so it makes sense that the Asylum would be filled with the mutilated remains of the soldiers who fought in the Time War.
Custom Damaged Dalek Time War Soldier
This custom was originally a remote control Dalek, though the eyestalk has been replaced with one from the standard figures, meaning it has the blue light in the middle. Several of the spheres have been removed and the figure was spray-painted black, and later given a bronze dry-brushing to enhance the weathered effect of the custom. Several paint brushes were harmed during the making of these Daleks, though even the most damaged brushes have their uses – this Dalek was dry-brushed using a brush that is nearly 3 years old, and despite its age it is still a really good tool for this sort of work. This is a testament to the workmanship of the Games Workshop brushes.
Having taken heavy damage in a battle with the Time Lords, this Dalek was transported to the Asylum and admitted to solitary confinement for its battle-scarred state – whether a Time Lord weapon affected this Dalek or its insanity just manifests in aggression, but this drone is compelled to destroyed any Daleks it encounters.
Custom Appendage-less Dalek Inmate
This custom was created with help from a friend – most of the damage done to this figure was done with a well-timed kick, and I customised the figure around that damage. The entire figure was spray-painted and dry-brushed to give it a weathered appearance, and the eyestalk was created using hot glue and pieces of an old pen. Although this custom is relatively basic, the design is based on one of the Daleks seen in the episode Asylum of the Daleks, and despite the lack of either a gunstick or a plunger, they still want to kill on sight – a testament to the truly hateful nature of the Daleks.
Having lost its appendages and several segments of its armour in the Time War, this Dalek drone was condemned to the Asylum and now sits in one of the many chambers among its insane brethren, screaming endlessly and yet unable to actually kill – and so, to its peers, it is hardly a Dalek at all.
Custom Dalek Asylum Atrium Resident
This custom is one of the few Daleks in the Asylum collection that uses one of the new Dalek figures as the base – the primary damage done to this figure is the missing ear light, the damage to the gunbox and several washes of black Citadel paint. The washes are usually effective at adding a grimy or dirty effect to the figures, and due to how regularly I mention the washes, one could be forgiven for assuming that the same method is employed each time. However, each figure requires a specific amount of washes, and at very particular intensities. This custom, for example, required nearly five complete black washes, each one needing at least 6 hours of drying each time.
Having sat in one of the upper chambers of the Asylum for centuries after losing a battle in the Time War, this Dalek now rarely awakens – however, recently interference from humanoids has disturbed it several times. Although it lacks a gunstick, this Dalek is still capable of killing, so it attempts to intercept any creatures that enter the Asylum.
Custom Dalek with Damaged Casing
This custom required some serious work, with the dome and the gunboxes requiring several cuts with a hacksaw – some pieces of the front panel fell away, and I filling the insides with tissue paper, hot glue and wires before painting over the entire damaged section with black Citadel paint. This custom is visually striking from the right angle, particularly due to the stark damage to the casing of the Dalek. However, it is actually remarkably easy to make, and with just a few simple cuts with a hacksaw this custom could be easily recreated. However, be sure to be careful with sharp tools if you want to give it a try.
Although the Time War left this Dalek scarred both in mind and casing, it remains as malicious as ever – the creature inside is totally twisted, and there are few instances in which this Dalek witnesses a fight break out and does not attempt to take part, despite the lack of an effective long-range weapon.
Custom Critically Damaged Supreme Dalek
This custom uses the relatively rare Supreme Dalek figure as the base, as this figure was given to me in a broken state – meaning it was a prime subject for creating an Asylum custom. The entire behind this figure is based on the concept of a Dalek Supreme being critically damaged by Dalek firepower but not totally destroyed, meaning the front section of the casing has been blasted out but the Dalek itself is alive. Supreme Daleks are always fun to customise, and this one was no exception – the inside of the Dalek was filled with tissue paper and the front section is held in place with hot glue. The figure was given several black washes, and the gold parts of the figure were given a few more coats of bronze to add to the effect.
A high-ranking Supreme Dalek during the Time War, this leader was aboard a command ship that crashed during a battle with the Time Lords, and the resulting damage to its casing caused the mutant to go insane. Now languishing in the Asylum, the former Supreme Dalek barks orders at the Daleks around it to no avail, which only intensifies its rage day by day.
Sacred Icon 