Dalek Asylum – Page 2

Custom New Series Paradigm Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part II

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my custom Dalek Asylum inmates collection, including Paradigm Daleks in the Asylum. 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. Although many despised the Paradigm Daleks upon their initial reveal, in the years since I have found that the Paradigm Daleks are actually among the most fun Daleks to customise, both painting-wise and hand-tool DIY-wise. They have less fiddly bits than the Classic Series Daleks or Time War Daleks, and because they were mass-produced as a toyline and subsequently hated by most of the fanbase, it is not hard to pick up multiple Paradigm Daleks cheap on eBay.

Although I commend Steven Moffat for trying to do something radically different with the Daleks, and despite the fact that I actually really like the idea of a colour-coded hierarchy for the Daleks, it is undeniable that the Paradigm Daleks were poorly executed and maybe even poorly conceived. They were too much of a deviation from not just the bronze Time War Daleks but the general design silhouette of the Daleks themselves, and they were made of a cheap-looking plastic material on their first appearance making them look like overgrown action figures. Though the design was later altered in none other than Asylum of the Daleks, which gave the Paradigm Daleks less of a hunchbacked appearance and a striking metallic colour scheme, this was too little, too late for many fans. It didn’t help that the Paradigm then never appeared after this, meaning that over their pitiful number of appearance there was never a single episode in which the Paradigm Daleks were the primary villains. Maybe fans would have grown to like them in time had the production team stuck with the design and expanded on the roles more. Unfortunately, we will never know. Part II of the New Series Paradigm Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Paradigm Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Custom ‘Hermit Crab’ Paradigm Dalek

This custom was fun to make, requiring only the top half of a Paradigm Dalek (something that I have plenty of) and some effective innards for the Dalek to pull off. I call this the ‘hermit crab’ Dalek, as there is no indication that this Dalek is even a Paradigm Dalek mutant – it could just be using a Paradigm Dalek shell for protection. The mutant itself was made using tissue paper, hot glue, pieces of network cable and smaller, bendable model wires. The mutant itself has an eye and two separate brains, made using hot glue and permanent marker.

Having abandoned the remains of its casing decades ago, this Dalek uses what it can to survive in the recesses of the Asylum whilst collecting parts to construct a new casing for itself. If in danger, the Dalek can retreat inside its durable ‘shell’ in order to resist the firepower of weakened inmates as it continues its scavenge.

Custom Damaged Paradigm Shadowmaster

The name ‘Shadowmaster’ may be a bit over-the-top for a Dalek rank, but as Steven Moffat and Mark Gatiss ran out of names for the progenitor Daleks and went with ‘Eternal’ for their fifth Dalek, I believe that creativity is key when expanding on the pantheon of Paradigm Daleks. This custom is a simple one relatively speaking, although it did require a complete repaint of a Paradigm Dalek to transform a yellow Eternal Dalek into the black ‘Shadowmaster’. This repaint was done using black and silver Citadel paints and required several coats. Following this, I used the same black Citadel paint to add a light wash to parts of the figure that were not painted over.

This Dalek Shadowmaster was condemned to the Asylum for running simulations depicting the destruction of the Parliament to scare the Prime Minister into relocating to a permanent base. Ironically, the Prime Minister was later killed over Trenzalore in the Parliament by the Doctor, proving the Shadowmaster right.

Custom Destroyed Paradigm Drone Dalek

The blasted remains of this Dalek are meant to resemble something we never got to see on-screen in the series – a Paradigm Dalek Drone that has been destroyed. This custom is unique in that it can be displayed in a variety of modes due to the disconnected top section. The insides of each half are filled with tissue paper, wires and hot glue painted over with a dark green wash to resembles the charred remains of the creature and machine parts inside. Several spheres from the skirt were removed using a hacksaw, and the entire figure was then given a black wash.

Destroyed in a battle near the Asylum’s surface, this Drone now sits among the debris in one of the facility’s many waste disposal systems. Although unable to destroy Paradigm Dalek casings, the Asylum systems have protocols for disposing of these remains – it just takes several millennia.

Custom Ancient Damaged Paradigm Dalek

Due to the temporal nature of the Daleks, I had the idea to create several Paradigm Dalek customs to resemble Daleks that had been abandoned in the Asylum for centuries, having been placed there far back in time. Despite the fact that they looked like plastic in Victory of the Daleks, the Paradigm Daleks are made of metal, so I created this custom to resemble a Dalek that had lost its paint job after centuries of abandonment and has since began to rust. I did this using a combination of silver and bronze Citadel paints, and this required several coats.

One of the first Daleks to emerge from the Progentior after escaping 1940’s Earth, this Dalek was another Strategist to facilitate the new Dalek temporal schemes. However, when faced with the task of re-ordering the Dalek timeline, this Dalek went insane and was condemned to the Asylum.

Custom Paradigm Scientist Krynoid-Dalek

The rank of Paradigm Dalek that was arguably least explored in the show is the Scientist Dalek, which unlike all four of its peers was never seen again on-screen after its initial appearance in Victory of the Daleks. This is a shame, as the Scientist rank was an interesting concept and could have led to some really interesting stories if the show focused more on scientific nature of the Daleks. The Classic Series and Big Finish do this with several Dalek stories featuring individual Daleks that are stated to be scientists in stories like Planet of the Daleks and A Thing of Guile, and it opens more ideas for things to do with the Daleks other than having them stand in for Stormtroopers. This custom was created using a regular Scientist Dalek that I added light dark washes to using black paint. The green goo on the side was created using papier-mâché that I then painted over using green Citadel paint and red permanent marker.

After a terrible experiment involving a vicious form of plant life went wrong, this Dalek has become the fleshy source of nutrients for this bloated juvenile Krynoid. Although still alive, the Dalek is incapable of movement as the Krynoid’s toxins prevent any form of psychokinetic motion, cutting the mutant off from its casing.

Custom New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part V

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.

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek figures depicting insane inmates of the Dalek Asylum. 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. These Classic Daleks are all complete, with only repaints or additions being made – no serious damage. This is primarily due to the fact that, unless they already feature damage caused by other people, I am loathed to cause permanent damage to a classic figure. As such, many of the Classic Daleks in the Asylum are fully repainted yet complete figures.

Part IV of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged. In the episode Asylum of the Daleks, many of the classic props were complete and could not be damaged – as such, many of the Classic Series Daleks seen in the actual episode lack the more serious damage that was done to some of the New Series Daleks.

Custom Damaged Grey Warrior Dalek

This figure was originally a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks – the entire figure was painted grey, and the details were then painted black to resemble a Warrior Dalek from the late 70s and 80s. The figure was also given a metallic finish using silver Citadel paint applied using dry-brushing. This figure could be a depiction of a Dalek from one of the 80s Dalek serials, however it appears more like the design that I imagine being used in the Big Finish audios of the same era. Despite the dull paint job of the Dalek Drones of this era, I designed this figure to stand out using the metallic scraping effects.

Despite their older casings, the Daleks of the First Dalek War era can last a long time with relatively little decay – this specimen has been in the Asylum for millennia and has taken little damage, despite taking part in hundreds of minor skirmishes between inmates. Despite this, it is constantly searching for new victims.

Custom Damaged Emperor’s Guard Dalek

This custom was created to accurately depict the Emperor’s Guard Dalek from The Evil of the Daleks, the only example of an Emperor’s Guard Dalek in the Asylum collection that is actually being used as an Emperor’s Guard Dalek. The Dalek in the episode appears to be completely delirious, spinning around in circles endlessly, though the physical prop itself features little damage other than cobwebs. As such, I only gave this custom some light modifications using a black wash that was late reinforced with grey detailing.

After taking part in the intense firefight between Humanised Daleks and Emperor’s Guards during the end of the First Skaro Era, many of the surviving Emperor’s Guards went insane due to the horrific damage caused to the Emperor. This Dalek spins on the spot in the depths of the Asylum endlessly, as means of penance.

Custom Flaming Silver Dalek

This custom was fun to make, and is meant to depict the remarkably flammable Daleks from the Third Doctor serial Death to the Daleks. Despite being attacked with sticks and rocks, the Daleks in this story inexplicably burst into flames. The flames themselves are actually the ragged sleeves of a Series 3 Carrionate figure from the episode The Shakespeare Code, turned upside-down and painted with orange, red and yellow paint. The figure itself was once a Dalek Emperor’s Guard, however the base has been replaced with a thicker 70s and 80s Dalek base and the eyestalk has been replaced with the later model. The gunstick has also been replaced with a fake one fashioned to resemble the crude machine-gun weapons that the Daleks use in this serial.

Although they are unusually flammable compared to other Daleks, this specimen seems unfazed by the fire that often consumes the outer part of its casing – this insane mutant sees the monsters of Exxilon wherever it goes, and feels pain with every waking second of its existence.

Custom Destroyed New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, as seen in the Series 7 Doctor Who episode Asylum of the Daleks. Despite the huge array of New Series Dalek designs, very few were included in the Asylum in the actual episode. This is somewhat understandable, as not all of the props were available and the BBC could only field so many Daleks at once considering many of the interesting colour schemes in the past have since been painted over. The figures in this collection provide the opportunity for customs that explore a wide range of ideas with the New Series Daleks. 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 IV of the Destroyed 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 destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Some of these customs are based on Daleks seen in Asylum of the Daleks on-screen, and others are created by me using my own designs. However, one thing that links all of these Daleks is that they were all created with the concept of Daleks destroyed in explosions as a central concept for the customs. Creating these figures are always fun, particularly since there is usually no wrong way to do it – any form of damage can be explained in-universe, particularly since the show itself often uses very simple yet effective practical techniques to depict destroyed Daleks on-screen. As such, these figures can be considered a tribute to the practical effects of both the original and modern series.

Custom Self-Destructed Dalek

This Dalek was customised to resemble the remains of the Dalek that attempts to self-destruct in order to kill the Doctor during the events of the episode Asylum of the Daleks. Although this method of self-destructing does not match the process seen in the Series 1 episode Dalek, it makes sense that an insane and damaged inmate of the Asylum would attempt a more primitive method of destruction. As such, we see the Dalek blow up in a huge explosion, large enough to take out several other Daleks at the same time, and all that remains is the smouldering base. As such, this Dalek was created by using a hacksaw to cut to the top off of a New Series Dalek, and the inside was filled with paper-mâché that was then painted black. The entire figure (or what was left of it) was then given a black wash to complete the damaged effect.

After encountering the Predator of the Daleks and self-destructing, this Dalek, which had previously sat in the Asylum for centuries, blasted itself to pieces alongside several other of its inmates, thanks to the meddling of the Doctor. The remains of its casing sat as a grim reminder of the power of the Predator of the Daleks.

Custom Asylum Infighting Casualty Dalek

This custom was created to depict a Dalek that was hit by a glancing shot by another Dalek that took the top clean off, destroying the Dalek in a huge explosion. This Dalek was originally a simple remote controlled Dalek, hence the more solid gunstick and plunger attachments, though the insides have long since been hollowed out and replaced with paper-mâché, that was then painted black like the last custom. Unlike the last custom, the figure has been spray-painted and then later dry-brushed with bronze paint, giving the impression of an old, weathered appearance.

After taking part in a firefight between Imperial and Renegade Daleks, this unfortunate drone was destroyed by a high-powered blaster bolt, the top half of its casing erupting in a huge explosion. The remains of this Dalek mark a furious hotspot of Imperial-Renegade firefights.

Custom Ancient Dalek Asylum Inmate

This custom represents a New Series Dalek that was abandoned for centuries in the Asylum, long after losing its appendages – the damage to its casing was so extreme that it simply died, and the casing was left to rot. This Dalek was burned and scratched when I received it, but I later gave it a complete coat of silver spray-paint and then a dry-brushing with bronze Citadel paint. Despite the bright, shiny silver paint used for the initial spray-paint coat, the figure itself has been dulled with various coats of grey and brown to add to the aged appearance.

Some Daleks in the Asylum have been dead for centuries, but due to the lack of effective damage control the remains of these Daleks persist in the Asylum for millenia. This specimen is a perfect example, as despite having its appendages blasted off by an explosion years ago, it still sits in the Asylum to this day.

Custom Dalek with Dead Mutant

The top of this figure was cut off diagonally with a hacksaw, which was the first modification made to the custom followed by a spray-painting – the original coat was black, and the figure was then given a bronze dry-brush coat to give it a worn effect. The inners were made using tissue paper and hot glue that was later painted green, and the base was given an orange sandy effect to give the impression that this Dalek was taken from a planet with great, red dust deserts. The entire figure was given a black wash, and several pieces of the upper part of the casing were re-attached with hot glue to give the impression that this Dalek was blasted to pieces.

Despite usually being capable of vaporising multiple Daleks in one shot, this grisly relic shows just how low on power the inmates of the Asylum really are – this Dalek took a shot from a Special Weapons Dalek at close range, but despite the under-powered state of the cannon, the single shot was still capable of shearing this Dalek’s head clean off with a huge explosion.

Custom Dalek Scientist Mutant

Although it was apparently stated otherwise, and then later depicted in the Big Finish Dalek two-packs in B&M, the Dalek Scientist was always thought to have cyan spheres and detailing, due to the fact that this is how it appears on the cover of the War Doctor audio A Thing of Guile, and although the Dalek Scientist is apparently silver, the cyan look still suits New Series Daleks. As such, this custom was designed to resemble this form of Dalek. The top of the figure was cut off with a hacksaw, and the front parts were cut apart using a combination of a hacksaw and a wire cutter. The mutant inside was created using pieces of plastic and hot glue, that was later painted over with light grey Citadel paint and then given a coat of green and pink permanent marker. The base of the figure was painted silver, and the spheres were later given a cyan coat. The entire figure was then given a black and grey wash to add a grimy effect. Slight bronze paint was added to certain elements of the casing in order to simulate a rusty effect.

Initially posted to the Asylum for research purposes, this Dalek Scientist was eventually condemned to the Asylum itself – even by Dalek standards, the experiments it was conducting became unethical, hinting at the terrifying barbarity of its actions. As such, upon being admitted to the Asylum, this Dalek Scientist was immediately set upon by what was left of its former test subjects, and their combined firepower destroyed its casing in a massive explosion – however, the mutant itself was able to survive – just.

Custom New Series Paradigm Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part I

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, including Paradigm Daleks in the Asylum. 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. Before getting into the main content, let’s get the obvious out of the way – the design of the Paradigm Daleks is in dire need of improvement, and although the version seen in Asylum of the Daleks was a vast improvement over the jumbo-sized action figures we saw in Victory of the Daleks, if these Daleks ever appear again (which seems unlikely) they will need several more tweaks to become viable as a threatening Dalek design. However, for better or worse, the Paradigm Daleks have a place in Dalek lore, and they are an essential visual for the Asylum specifically, as this was one of the few episodes in which they actually appeared. Interestingly, despite being a relatively new addition to the Dalek chronology, there are many Paradigm Daleks visible in the Asylum during the episode. Whether this was a necessity of not, it creates an interesting piece of visual storytelling which essentially confirms the theory that the Paradigm have gone back down the Dalek timeline to interfere in their own history.

Another fun aspect of the Paradigm Daleks from a customs perspective is their big, chunky bodies – on the whole, customising a Paradigm Dalek requires a lot less fiddly bits that a Time War era or Classic Series Dalek. As such, the Asylum has a fair few Paradigm Daleks, as they are genuinely fun to make. Part I of the New Series Paradigm Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Paradigm Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Custom Damaged Paradigm Specialist Dalek

One of the best things about making Paradigm customs, particularly for the Asylum, is that I can explore colour schemes for these Daleks that we never saw on-screen to get a better idea of how these Daleks might have been improved (or how they could be improved in the future) without having to do many revisions to the props. Overall, unlike the Time War era Daleks, the Paradigm look good in Classic Series colour schemes, and this custom was created with that in mind. The damage to the dome and neck was done with fire, and then once the model had cooled I spray-painted the damaged area with silver to make it appear as if the Dalek was attacked by some form of corrosive material.

Despite their relative rarity, Paradigm Dalek Specialists were, on occasion, admitted to the Asylum. This particular specimen went insane after contracting a corrosive virus, and the Asylum systems work to administer antidotes in order to prevent a mass-outbreak. Currently, the virus is not self-replicating, though if it manages to learn the innate abilities of the Paradigm Dalek casing, it will possess untold regenerative and corruptive capabilities.

Custom Destroyed Rusted Paradigm Dalek

This custom was created to resemble a Dalek that had been abandoned in the Asylum for centuries – the assumption that the Paradigm Daleks are made of plastic simply because they appear that way is ludicrous, and this custom was meant to reinforce the idea that these Daleks are still made of metal – the metallic rust effect was created by spray-painting the entire Dalek silver and then adding dry-brushing in Citadel bronze. The head of the Dalek was cut off using a hacksaw, and small detailing was painted on with black and grey Citadel paint.

Having travelled far back to the beginning of Dalek history, the Paradigm began manipulating events behind the scenes, and were rarely seen on the front lines for fear of creating anachronisms. However, some were deployed in limited capacity, such as this one which was later destroyed on the barren wastes of young Skaro. Having been transported to the Asylum to prevent paradoxes, the blighted remains of this former Paradigm Dalek lie in the Asylum forever.

Custom Damaged Paradigm Geneticist Dalek

This Dalek was created to resemble the Geneticist Dalek seen in the excellent fan-made animation The Dalek That Time Forgot, and although this custom is part of the Asylum collection, the damage is relatively minor. The only real weathering is a slight silver dry-brushing that gives the green a metallic base appearance. The original figure was once a Dalek Strategist, though it was completely repainted with a green and silver coat. Although this custom lacks the distinctive claw that the Geneticist Dalek wields in the animation, I will at some point create this attachment to complete the genuine tribute to an excellent work of fan-made art. For those who haven’t seen this short film, I would definitely recommend it.

Geneticist Daleks were an uncommon sight, even more so in the Asylum, but this single individual was condemned to the Asylum, despite his Geneticist rank, for attempting to add to the Dalek genome. However, his malicious experiments can now simply continue in the Asylum, and he has a fresh batch of test subjects to use for his twisted schemes.

Custom Destroyed Paradigm Drone Dalek

I made this custom to resemble a destroyed Paradigm Dalek Drone – despite their status as the foot-soldier Dalek, a Paradigm Dalek Drone is never depicted as being destroyed on-screen. As such, I had a fair degree of creative freedom with this custom. I took inspiration from destroyed Daleks in the Classic era, with the pieces of the Dalek crumpled and separated by segments. I received this Dalek burnt and damaged, so it was destined to become an Asylum custom – I cut the Dalek up using a hacksaw, and placed the pieces back together using a hot glue gun. The cut-out section of the side was done with a hacksaw, and the entire figure was painted with a black wash and a metallic effect with silver Citadel paint.

Even Paradigm Daleks are not immune to enemy firepower, and despite being condemned to the Asylum for dereliction of duty, this aggressive Paradigm Drone was later destroyed in a firefight with the Splicer faction. When its inner parts were salvaged, this Dalek was then left to rot in the depths of the Asylum.

Custom Damaged Paradigm Drone Dalek

This is another damaged Paradigm Dalek Drone figure with a slightly more elaborate custom idea – the figure’s standard display mode makes it appear to look like a regular, lightly-damaged Drone – but this custom features a removable top half, and even sports a small removable mutant inside. The damage to the outside of the model was caused by a hacksaw, the same one that was used to cut the top of the Dalek 0ff. The entire inside was built using pieces of plastic and hot glue, and the figure was painted with a damaged effect using black and silver Citadel paint, giving it both a grimy and metallic effect respectively.

Despite the self-repair systems that go down to a molecular level in Paradigm Dalek casings, some lack the will for self-repair. This Dalek lies in wait for parts to scavenge, and uses its casing more for disguise than transport. The upper half can fall back and the mutant can spring out faster than lightning when prey are nearby.

Custom New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates. 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. It can be hard to think of ideas for original Dalek customs, and it is often tempting to re-use ideas for customs to fill space in the Asylum. However, sometimes an idea for one custom is infectious, and it expands from a single custom to an entire new sub-faction that had previously never existed.

Part IV 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 particularly insane – these Daleks, known as the ‘Splicers’, are the most vicious faction of scavenger in the entire Asylum. This concept was created by me, but it stems from the overarching theme of insane Daleks in the Asylum – many fans were disappointed at the underwhelming depiction of ‘insane’ Daleks in Asylum of the Daleks – particularly as we had already seen a far more effective example of an insane Dalek during the Series 4 finale The Stolen Earth and Journey’s End – those episodes gave us the crazy Dalek Caan, and that Dalek was far crazier than anything we saw in the Asylum. However, as I aim to improve and expand upon ideas introduced in Asylum of the Daleks, the Splicers are an attempt to introduce something new into the Asylum setting that is still in keeping with the central concept.

The basic idea behind the Splicers is that they are the savages of the Daleks – when the Dalek Parliament was scared to enter the Asylum in the episode, I envisioned the Splicers as one of the primary reasons why this would be the case. These Daleks use barbaric tools to tear up other Daleks and use their spare parts to repair and upgrade themselves, and as such they are shunned by the other Daleks in the Asylum.

Custom Dalek Splicer Soldier

The primary idea behind the Splicers is that they hang around in the darkest, dingiest depths of the Asylum – scrapyards, waste disposal facilities, morgues – anywhere that they can find spare parts, they will shack up. As such, I designed this custom to look rusted and weathered, but not too damaged, as this Dalek is intended to be a recent addition to the ranks of the Splicers, and as such it hasn’t had as much damage – yet. The figure was given multiple coats with Citadel paint to achieve the layered weathering, and the red Asylum stamp was printed on with permanent marker.

This Splicer Soldier roams the upper levels of the Asylum searching for suitable prey to lure to the lower levels – its relatively normal appearance allows it to blend in with other Daleks sleeping in the Asylum, and once it selects a target it can send surreptitious transmissions to other Splicers via its internal comlink.

Custom Dalek Splicer Scavenger

This Dalek is one of the few in the entire Asylum collection to use the newer model of New Series Dalek as the base – albeit with all the appendages replaced with fakes. This Dalek is supposed to be one of the Splicers that are responsible for ‘deconstructing’ other Daleks – the cutting tool appendage is a ball-point pen nib and ink cartridge painted silver, and the gun was created using pieces of Warhammer figure frame. The eyestalk was created using a piece of pen ink cartridge painted silver and attached to a ball joint from another Dalek’s gunbox, and a piece of hot glue added to the middle. The entire figure was painted grey and given a dry-brushing to add the silver metallic effect.

This Dalek Splicer has been fitted with an old-fashioned but still functional cutting tool, scavenged from another Dalek in the Asylum. This tool is used to tear apart Dalek casings in a precise way, so that the Splicers can scavenge the parts to repair themselves. Although it has a steady hand (or pole) this Dalek has been known to occasionally turn its cutting device on its allies…

Custom Dalek Splicer Commander

Even among the Splicers, a loose ranking structure must exist – this crazy Dalek commander fills the role of an officer, so I designed the armour inspired by the Elite Majors from the Halo series – red as a primary colour with black as a secondary has always been a great combo for villains, and I do not understand why the Daleks have not explored red more in their on-screen colour schemes. This custom was originally a remote controlled Dalek Sec, it was given several red coats before grey detailing on the spheres was added and the entire figure was given a black wash to emphasise its battered appearance. As Splicer Daleks go, this one is barely damaged – likely due to its status as a Commander, though this is probably more telling of the fact that it hasn’t been with the faction for very long. The ear-lights on this Dalek have been replaced with LEDs to give it a more classic appearance.

Having been condemned to the Asylum and found by the Splicers, this former Dalek Commander took the opportunity to command soldiers once again and assumed the closest thing the Splicers had to a Squadron Leader. Although disparate and often mad, the Splicers can usually be held in line by a firm leader – although considering the innate aggression of the Splicers, one can only wonder how long this Dalek’s command will last…

Custom Dalek Splicer Cutter

This custom is one of the more overt Splicer customs, in that the giant barbed metal claw somewhat gives away this particular Dalek’s intentions. The claw isn’t actually metal, it is made with a combination of pen ink cartridge, spare pieces of Warhammer Dark Elf figures and hot glue. The entire model has been spray-painted silver and then given darker washes of black and grey to add a layer of grime to the figure. The red Asylum stamp was added using tippex and red permanent marker, and the eyestalk and gunstick were both made out of pieces of pen ink cartridge painted silver and held together with hot glue. The ‘eye’ at the end of the eyestalk is in fact a ball-joint held on with hot glue. The inside was filled with hot glue and the end was painted blue to emulate the liquid Dalek eyestalks seen in Into the Dalek.

Having been fitted with an oversized claw for holding Dalek victims in place, this Dalek Splicer has relished its key role in many Splicer operations across the Asylum. Recently, however, this Dalek has gained a habit of executing its victims in increasingly gory and brutal ways, leading several of its peers to begin planning countermeasures in case this particular individual ever went rogue.

Custom Dalek Splicer Leader

This custom was designed to be a ‘King of the Splicers’ Dalek, and required some serious work to put together. The base is a Dalek Invasion of Earth base, and from this I constructed an inner frame using Warhammer pieces and hot glue. Once this had set, I added on the top half of the Dalek, and then used hot glue to fit the front panel and the skirt panels, all of which were salvaged from other Daleks. There are several pieces in here, from the shoulder section of a Genesis of the Daleks drone to the eyestalk and gunstick of a Paradigm Dalek. A closer inspection reveals many more individual aspects about this Dalek that I included, such as the sinister claw attachment or the chains holding the malformed casing together. The idea was to create a ‘Mad Max’ take on the Daleks, and I think this custom illustrates that idea quite well.

The undisputed ‘King’ of the Splicers, this Dalek started it all – one look at its monstrous casing will tell any onlooker that this Dalek is old, mean and quite insane. After centuries of scavenging parts to repair its casing, this Dalek has nothing of its external shell left, leading many to wonder what form of Dalek it was – and why it chose to build an empire of junk in the depths of the Asylum.

Next Post: Custom New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part V

Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts intended to showcase my collection of customised Dalek Asylum inmates, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum. 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. One of the most difficult aspects of managing the Asylum Project as an art installation first and a Dalek collection second is resisting the temptation to just make every Dalek a classic Dalek – after all, fans were disappointed with the under-use of the props in the original episode. However, the primary purpose of the Asylum Project is to expand on the concepts introduced in Asylum of the Daleks but in a way that pays tribute to the look and atmosphere of the Asylum in an authentic way. As such, Classic Daleks had to be kept to a minimum, and after a lot of deliberation and planning it was finally decided which ones would be included in the collection as complete figures.

Classic Daleks are certainly fun to customise, but unfortunately, they don’t appear that often, so I had to improvise with many of my Classic Daleks, many of which are repaints of Dalek figures from the Classic Dalek Collectors Set #2. Part III of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover the final group of intact Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear damaged, insane or deranged.

Custom Modified 1960s Guard Dalek

This custom is based off the ‘accidental’ Dead Planet Dalek Guard from the Series 9 episode The Witch’s Familiar – due to a prop mix-up on set, a Dead Planet Dalek can briefly be seen sporting a black dome in this story, which went on to create an entirely new subclass of Dalek by extension. Unlike the traditional Emperor’s Guard Daleks, this new design lacks the slats and sports the same cyan shoulder colour scheme as the newer Dead Planet Daleks from the same episode. I created this custom using a Saucer Pilot from The Dalek Invasion of Earth, and I decided to keep the chunky base to give this figure a distinct character separate from my other customs inspired by Series 9. I had to completely repaint the skirt and shoulder sections of this Dalek, and the entire figure was later given a black wash. The eystalk is fake, made using the remains of a jet lighter and held in place with hot glue.

Formerly a guard on the rebuilt Dalek City on Skaro, this drone was condemned to the Asylum for insanity after it witnessed the destruction of the City at the hands of the Doctor. Ironically, it was one of the few survivors of the cataclysm, but a chance encounter with the renegade Time Lady Missy changed the fate of this unfortunate Dalek forever.

Custom Damaged Renegade Dalek Inmate

Despite being one of the most prominent designs of Dalek throughout the 1980s, the Grey Renegade Dalek was sadly one of the most underused props in the original Asylum of the Daleks. As such, I took extra care making this custom stand out among the rest – not only is it sporting a prominent Asylum stamp on the dome, but this custom also features a green streak effect to give the impression that this Dalek was in combat in a jungle, forest or swamp before being transported to the Asylum. The figure originally started out as a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks, and it took several coats of grey Citadel paint to fully cover the gold beneath. The detailing was also done by Citadel paints both black and silver, and the figure was given a black wash with particular focus on the base of the skirt, to give a combat-worn appearance to this Dalek. Unfortunately, due to motion of the ball-jointed gunstick and manipulator arm, gold can still be seen beneath. However, with just a few touch-ups this could be made to resemble rust.

Though the Dalek Civil War ultimately ended in a stalemate, with both factions practically destroying each other, minor skirmishes between Imperial and Renedage Daleks still continue in the Asylum to this day, despite their dwindling numbers. Asylum systems have been overrun with damage reports, and it was eventually decided that Imperial and Renegade Daleks should be quarantined from each other – though this was only a temporary measure.

Custom Damaged Opening Skaro Dalek

This custom required a fair bit of reworking of the original Dead Planet Dalek design to accomodate for its most impactful feature – a mutant reveal. I achieved this by analysing how the standard mutant reveal Daleks keep their front panel in place whilst still allowing for it to be removed, and I was able to use sandpaper to whittle away the upper and lower tabs of the front panel until it could be slid into place easily. I created a housing for the mutant inside the Dalek using broken-up pieces of CD, and this creates an interesting effect that seems very 60s in its design, although I will likely make modifications to this in the future. The mutant itself was made using the head of a Dalek Sec Hybrid figure, albeit with the lower half removed and replaced with a mass of hot glue and wires to simulate tentacles. The mutant has a glossy green finish so that it reflects off the CD housing, and the entire figure was given a black wash to add a layer of grime. There are also fragments of green across this custom which is mostly hot glue that was left to dry and then coloured in with green marker pen.

Daleks that were built in the new City on Skaro resembled their distant ancestors in terms of appearance, but their casings were enhanced with all the features of modern Dalek soldiers, including modern optics, shield technology and increased power reserves. However, these enhancements didn’t stop this Dalek from going insane and being condemned to the Asylum for treason – exactly what crime this Dalek committed is unknown.

Next Post: Custom Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Custom Destroyed New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of blog posts showcasing my custom Dalek Asylum inmates collection. 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. Destroying New Series Daleks is fun, but only half the fun of making a destroyed Dalek custom. Although these Daleks look ‘destroyed’, in many ways they are far more intricately constructed in their current state than they ever were when they were intact figures. That isn’t a dig at Character Options, the company who make the Dalek toys, as if anything the simple yet effective design and basic method of construction lends very well for a small toy of this type. What must be made clear, however, is that there is much more to making a destroyed Dalek custom than just cutting bits off the Dalek.

Some Dalek customisers, particularly those who make their customs specifically to sell on eBay, turn to quick methods to get quick results, often resorting to blow torches or even smashing the Daleks to make them appear destroyed. Though these methods can have their very niche uses for setting up a good destroyed Dalek custom, there is far more work that needs to be done before a Dalek figure can resemble, even remotely, what a destroyed Dalek would actually look like. Intricate modelling, painting and tweaking is needed to get a realistic effect.

Part III of the Destroyed 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 destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Many of these Daleks were created using Daleks that I acquired from eBay bundles. The most common type of Dalek one usually encounters in these bundles is eyestalk-less, appendage-less bronze Daleks, sometimes the Damaged Dalek Thay variety, and as these are only really good for creating destroyed Dalek customs, there are plenty of these in the collection.

Custom Destroyed Dalek Thay

This custom was created to resemble what remains of Dalek Thay after his climactic battle with the Human-Dalek hybrids in 1930s New York, based on the appearance seen in Evolution of the Daleks. This story gives no indication of what happened to Dalek Thay’s remains (or the remains of his compatriot, Dalek Jast) so this custom is included in this collection to explore the idea that Dalek Thay’s destroyed casing was eventually transferred to the Asylum. This custom was made using a standard damaged Dalek Thay figure with the top part cut off with a hacksaw. The inner parts were made using a combination of tissue paper and wood glue, and the large circular plastic piece came from the inner mechanisms of an old CD player. The dirty effect on the shoulder section and the skirt was done with a heavy wash of black Citadel paint.

The Daleks that are transported to the Asylum are not always alive. This was certainly true of the unfortunate case of Dalek Thay, whose remains were transported to the Asylum, only to be dumped due to their status as dead metal. The casing was melted down and used for alloys to repair the Asylum.

Custom Destroyed Dalek Jast

As previously mentioned, Dalek Jast’s remains were also inexplicably left behind at the end of Evolution of the Daleks and this custom depicts his blasted remains. It is ultimately a great shame that Daleks Thay and Jast were killed off at the end of the New York Dalek two-parter, as it prevented their characters from being developed any further. What makes this particularly impactful on Dalek Jast as a character is that, of all the members of the Cult of Skaro, Dalek Jast seems to be the most irrelevant. All three other members of the Cult get some time in the spotlight, be it Dalek Thay declaring war on the Cybermen, Dalek Sec becoming a Hybrid or Dalek Caan acting as a crazy giggling prophet, but Dalek Jast gets no such focus.

Like Dalek Thay, Dalek Jast’s remains were transported to the Asylum. The remains of this casing were also consumed by the furnaces deep within the Asylum, and the material was later used to repair other parts of the Asylum.

Custom Destroyed Dalek Shell

This Dalek was created using a complicated method of cuts and twists, using both the hacksaw and a wire cutter. The idea was to give the impression that the Dalek mutant inside had cut its way out, and the remains of this casing stand as a monument to its tenacity. This custom was created using a standard Dalek figure as the base, and the detailing was done using green, brown, red and bronze Citadel paint. Ultimately, this Dalek is one of the most intricate customs in the Destroyed Dalek collection.

This Dalek was damaged during infighting within the Asylum, and the mutant inside has long since escaped. The casing now sits in a dark corner of the Asylum, having been pushed there by other insane inmates and it now sits in obscurity alongside piles of junk.

Custom Destroyed Dalek Commander

I originally created this custom to resemble the destroyed Dalek in I.M. Foreman’s junkyard during Part One of Remembrance of the Daleks. This Dalek was created by cutting the top half off of a Dalek Sec figure, and painting the base (excluding the spheres) a dull grey. The fleshy pieces of the remains of the Dalek were painted using green Citadel paint, and the remaining pieces of Dalek were held in place using hot glue that was later painted over with grey paint.

All Dalek casualties within the Asylum are eventually gathered up, even if it takes millenia. This destroyed Dalek Commander had sat in the Asylum for centuries before the repair drones took notice of it, though several scavengers have taken pieces from it in the meantime.

Custom Battle of Arcadia Casualty Dalek

During the Battle of Arcadia sequence in the 50th Anniversary Special, the War Doctor destroys a group of Daleks by physically smashing into them with the TARDIS, a method that has not been seen before but is totally characteristic of that particular incarnation. This custom was created by cutting a regular Dalek model in half with a hacksaw, and filling the empty section of each piece with tissue paper, hot glue and black paint. In fact, the entire figure was given a black wash. The two pieces can be held together with a piece of metal wire, or sit independently of each other.

Despite being a casualty of the Time War, the remains of this Dalek were later transferred to the Asylum to study the effects of Time Lord weaponry on Dalek casings. Nonetheless, the specimen still baffles Dalek Scientists, as there are few weapons in the universe powerful enough to bisect a Dalek.

Next Post: Custom Destroyed New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part IV

Custom Destroyed Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts showcasing my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates, including Classic Daleks in the Asylum, many of which were immobile or destroyed. A fascinating thing about the Classic Series Dalek designs is that, despite the diverse variety in colour schemes and base designs, particularly when appearing alongside New Series Daleks, not a single one looks out of place. The figures in this collection are usually displayed as a unit, and it is striking how well each and every individual Dalek design looks when they are all massed together. 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 III of the Classic Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Classic Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been modified to appear destroyed or damaged beyond repair. Customising Classic Daleks is always a joy, and there are many Classic Daleks out there to be claimed – if you know where to look. Although I have tried my absolute best to ensure that as few Daleks end up in landfill as possible, the quest cannot end when I eventually stop collecting Daleks for customs. Not only are Dalek figures made of plastic, and would cause serious damage to the environment should they simply be thrown away, means that anyone with broken or unwanted Dalek figures should do their best to ensure that it ends up in the right hands.

These classic Daleks make up my collection of Asylum customs, so although many of them are missing most of the essential appendages, they live on as pieces of art, part of a collection that gives them purpose. Some of these Daleks are among the most interesting Daleks in the entire collection, and that is not just because they happen to be Classic Daleks.

Custom Dead Emperor’s Guard Dalek

This is a lot of justification for Emperor’s Guard Daleks being featured in the Asylum, as they are likely the Daleks that would have overheard many of the Emperor’s vile plans. As we know from the Big Finish audios, the Emperor is not above using other life forms for his schemes, plotting to utilise viruses and other diseases, and altering countless timelines. It would make sense that the Daleks that bear witness to this kind of development are more likely to end up in the Asylum. This Dalek was created using a standard Emperor’s Guard Dalek from the reliable Dalek Collector Set #2. The eyestalk, blaster and plunger were removed when I received this figure, though I have managed to replace the manipulator with a simple silver stick. The entire figure was given a grey wash to add to the grimy, Asylum effect.

Not all of the Emperor’s Guard went on to have illustrious positions as members of the Supreme Council – several ended up languishing in the Asylum for elaborating upon what they had witnessed during the Emperor’s many meetings. Even before the Time War, the Emperor had many dealings that sent several of his guard insane.

Custom Destroyed Necros/Lethe Dalek

Although the Necros Daleks are few in number in the TV story Revelation of the Daleks, the Big Finish audios have shown us that Davros made several attempts to create Imperial Daleks, including his soldiers that accompanied him on Lethe, who were themselves Necros survivors. This custom was created to resemble one of Davros’ Daleks from this era, either Necros or Lethe, who was picked up by the Asylum and later destroyed. The Dalek figure itself was originally a Gold Dalek from Day of the Daleks, once again featuring as part of the good old Dalek Collectors Set #2. The top half of this Dalek was cut off with a hacksaw and hot glue was used to hold pieces and plastic and part of the neck section of the Dalek in place to form the damaged wreckage at the top. The white paint was applied over a black spray-painted base, and gold paint was added for the detailing.

Abducted and placed in the Asylum for serving Davros, this Necros-style Dalek was created on Lethe and aided Davros during his Juggernauts project. However, it was later destroyed by other Daleks in the Asylum, and its remains lie as an enduring relic of the hubris of Davros’ plans.

Custom Destroyed Earth Invasion Dalek

Many customs are made with the base Dalek in mind, and this can definitely be said of this custom. However, this was not always a destroyed Dalek custom, though the top half of this Dalek had to be sacrificed to provide essential parts for another. What remains is essentially a destroyed Dalek custom from the invasion of Earth era, and this 1960s design looks excellent even with the head removed. It is always a privilege to customise Classic Daleks in any significant way, as it is fascinating to explore different ideas with this enduring design. This figure was designed with those philosophies in mind, and this Dalek was created to resemble the effect that was used for destroyed Daleks in the show at this time. The top half of the Dalek was cut off using a hacksaw and the entire figure was spray painted black, then dry-brushed with silver. The spheres were coloured blue using Pro-Marker.

Hit by a stray blast and left to rot in the Asylum, this Dalek was a front-line soldier during the Dalek’s conquest of Earth, though it has spent far more time in the Asylum as one of many empty shells as a result of Dalek infighting. Ironically, this Dalek might have survived the invasion of Earth – but it certainly did not survive its short time in the Asylum.

Custom Destroyed Skaro Dalek

Sometimes you can receive a Dalek figure that is so broken that custom options are limited. However, other times you can receive a Dalek figure that is so broken that custom options become available that would have otherwise never have presented themselves. That was certainly the case with this Dalek custom, which uses a rare Skaro model Dalek as the base, though this is actually a more common Dalek Saucer Pilot figure from the Dalek Collectors Set #2 with the base removed, the skirt repainted, and the dome painted silver. However, upon receiving this figure, I realised that the entire model was rusted. Every screw was brown and flaky, and the internal head rotation structure was ruined. However, I was able to save this figure by replacing the rotating head with a hinge, replicating the opening dome method used in the early Classic Series. The tentacles on the skirt were created using old computer parts, and this figure has had over a dozen washes of various colours of paint, ranging from black to grey to green.

Many of the experiments that Davros cast out of the Kaled Scientific Bunker survived for thousands of years, and later Skaro Daleks would fall prey to his foul devices. This Dalek was sent to Asylum after an encounter with one of the creatures of Davros, and it has since filled the nearby chambers of the Asylum with its screams.

Custom New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates – Part III

Welcome to the Asylum Project, a series of new blog posts containing galleries that showcase my collection of custom Dalek Asylum inmates. Since the majority of the Daleks seen in Asylum of the Daleks are New Series Daleks, it makes sense that the majority of the figures in the collection are too. The story of the New Series Dalek design is fascinating, and it covers a fair bit of old Dalek history too, as many of the parts for the first Dalek prop of the revived series came from early Shawcraft props from the 1960s. Overall, the new design does a great job of emphasising the important aspects of the classic Dalek design whilst also bringing new elements that make sense as natural evolutions of the design. The bulkier shoulders, wider base, taller ear lights and more metallic, armoured design match excellently with the recognisable Dalek silhouette.

In keeping with that philosophy, these Daleks have generally been customised in ways that are consistent with Dalek damage seen in the TV episodes.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 III of the New Series Dalek Asylum Inmates series will cover my collection of custom Time War Daleks in my Asylum collection that have been customised to appear insane and damaged, either as a result of the Time War or their time in the Asylum.

Damaged Dalek Time War Survivor

Not all Dalek customs have to be fancy, and this is a prime example of an easy custom that could be accomplished with simple tools. All that has been done to this Dalek is a light wash, although the base was removed to ensure that the colour didn’t run. Several coats of light grey and black Citadel paint were used for this effect, and the end result was scrubbed with a clean cloth to emphasise the grime in the corners and recesses of the model – this gives the Dalek an aged look.

Several of the Asylum’s insane inmates are restless, and the prowl the corridors of the Asylum day and night to search for prey. As for what they consider prey, anything goes – the local vermin, repair drones, even fellow Daleks. These Daleks are not capable of any kind of stealth, however, as the cacophony that they make when moving around can be heard from entire chambers away.

Custom Damaged Swamp Dalek

This custom was inspired by a story in the news about an old Dalek prop that was found in a swamp in Hampshire, and I created this paint job with the idea of a Dalek that had been abandoned in a swamp in mind. Clearly there are no swamps in the Asylum, as the planet is covered entirely by snow and ice, so this Dalek would have had to have been abandoned in a swamp and then picked up and taken to the Asylum. This custom was originally a Dalek Sec figure, the weathered effect was done with silver dry-brushing and the green detailing was added using Citadel paint.

Having made its way through the vicious jungle-swamps of Spiridon, this Dalek Scout was finally picked up by its brethren – though it was destined for the Asylum due to the years it had spent in the swamp. This Dalek sits in the halls of the Asylum and has done for decades, yet its swampy appearance remains…

Custom Critically Damaged Dalek

This Dalek is a shining example of a ‘creative’ use for a Damaged Dalek Thay figure. For those who don’t know, this variant of Dalek figure was created due to the appearance of a Dalek that is missing three of its back panels in the Series 3 two-parter Daleks in Manhattan and Evolution of the Daleks. This custom was created to resemble a Dalek that had been abandoned mid-repair, or perhaps one that was simply critically damaged and in dire need of repair. Several of the spheres on this Dalek were removed and, using hot glue, I replaced them on the ‘damaged’ back panels. This gives this impression that the Dalek is missing spheres in several locations.

Having lost its offensive capabilities and motion, this Dalek sits patiently waiting repairs. However, the repair drones are focused on upkeeping critical systems, and cannot spare time for individual Dalek medical care. As such, this Dalek has taken desperate measures, having cannibalised nearby parts to keep the lower half of its casing held together.

Custom Pock-Marked Dalek

As mentioned by the representative for the Dalek Parliament in Asylum of the Daleks, not all of the inmates of the Asylum are there for insanity, some are simply damaged, or battle-scarred. This Dalek was likely disabled by local resistance, and rather than send it for repair, its superiors condemned it to the Asylum as punishment for its failure. This custom was created using a standard Dalek – the spheres were removed using a hacksaw, which was also used to cut into the gunboxes. The Asylum stamp was printed on using red paint.

With no firepower or manipulator arm, all this Dalek can do is wait. Though it sits catatonic, it could awaken at a moment’s notice, particularly if there was a suitable Dalek nearby to entrap – though it must wait until it is at full strength, otherwise it would surely be exterminated on sight.

Custom Opened Mutant Dalek

This Dalek was originally a mutant reveal Dalek, though it has been heavily modified. The Dalek itself had to be completely taken apart, as for this custom to succeed the mutant housing had to be modified. I removed the control panel, and separated the mutant from the base so that it is now a removable piece. The front panel was cut in half and the inner mechanisms of the gunboxes were removed, and I used hot glue to position the two pieces of the front panel in the ‘open casing’ position as seen in the New Series. The entire figure was given a black sprant paint (with the mutant removed) and I later gave it several coats of dry-brushing to emulate the weathered, metallic effect.

Not all Daleks that sit idle are waiting for an unsuspecting casing owner to come along – some are simply insane. This former Dalek commander sits with its casing permanently open, judging those around him for hiding in their “battle shells”. Surprisingly enough, his ranting draws absolutely no reaction whatsoever from his compatriots.