Fran Lopez Cañete

Time to bring one of the most personal conversions of this project to life!

In a previous update, I showed you my modified version of IG-12 with Grogu, created by kitbashing different Shatterpoint miniatures to make Grogu part of the action rather than having him floating around the battlefield in his pram.

Now the painting process is well underway!

My idea was to recreate the feeling of Grogu piloting IG-12 as his own little combat droid, ready to join the rest of the Mandalorians in the middle of the battle.

There’s still plenty of work ahead—refining the metallics, increasing the contrast, adding weathering and bringing all those small details together—but the character is finally starting to look the way I imagined when I first planned the conversion.

Seeing a kitbash go from a pile of different parts to an actual character is always one of my favorite parts of the hobby.

And this little guy is definitely gettin ready for battle.

“Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes. Yes.”

This is the Way.

After several weeks of planning, building, kitbashing and finding the right composition, it’s finally time to bring some color to Mandalore!

The first character I’ve been working on is The Armorer. As you can see in the photos, she’s already very close to finished. I’ll leave the final touches and adjustments until she’s placed in her definitive position on the diorama, so I can make sure the lighting, contrast and overall balance work together with the rest of the scene.

I’ve also started laying down the first colors on IG-11 carrying Grogu, the conversion I showed in a previous update. There’s still a long way to go with this one, but it’s really exciting to finally see the kitbash starting to come to life under the brush.

From this point on, the battlefield will slowly begin to change from grey plastic into the Mandalore I’ve been imagining since the beginning of this project.

One warrior at a time.

This is the Way.

This week, I’ve been working on one of the most important stages of the diorama: finding the final composition and making sure every character has a place in the story.

One of the technical challenges has been making the miniatures work both as a Shatterpoint gaming force and as part of the diorama.

I’ve magnetized all the miniatures and prepared both their round Shatterpoint bases and their positions within the diorama with magnets. This way, I can easily switch between their gaming bases and their display positions without compromising either use.

But the biggest challenge this week was Din Djarin, the Mandalorian.

The original pose simply didn’t work in the context of the scene I had in mind. I wanted Mando to feel like he was actually part of the battle, rather than simply standing on the battlefield.

So I decided to modify him, combining and sculpting bits from different sets to create a much more dynamic combat pose.

I also felt that Moff Gideon’s original escort didn’t quite fit the story I wanted to tell. Instead of regular Stormtroopers, I decided to replace them with the Dark Troopers that are so iconic alongside Gideon in The Mandalorian, together with a Death Trooper.

I’ve also reworked their poses to make them feel more integrated into the action and give the whole scene a stronger sense of movement.

At this stage, nothing is painted yet, but the diorama is finally starting to tell the story I had imagined.

The composition is coming together.

And now… it’s time to start bringing it to life.

This is the Way.

One of the things I enjoy most about building a diorama is solving small storytelling challenges.

As I started planning the Battle of Mandalore, there was one detail that didn’t quite fit my vision: Having Grogu floating safely in his pram felt a little too peaceful for the middle of an intense battle.

So I decided to recreate one of my favorite moments from The Mandalorian: IG-11 carrying Grogu into battle.

Since there isn’t an official miniature of this scene for Shatterpoint, I took the kitbashing route, combining parts from different miniatures to create my own version of IG-11 carrying Grogu.

I think this small conversion will help tell the story I have in mind and make the diorama feel much more dynamic and cinematic.

Sometimes, it’s the smallest details that make the biggest difference.

This is the Way.

For this project, I decided to give a new purpose to a scenic base that had been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. It’s the display base from the Star Wars: Shatterpoint – You Cannot Run Duel Pack, and I always felt it deserved to become something more than just a display piece.

Of course, this is only the starting point.

Over the coming weeks, this base will be transformed with new terrain, additional details, elevation changes, debris, and everything needed to recreate the chaos of a Mandalorian battle.

My goal is to build a scene that feels dynamic, cinematic, and full of movement rather than simply displaying a group of miniatures.

Today’s photos are just the first glimpse of that journey, with a few of the Mandalorians placed on the base to begin exploring the composition and visual balance.

There’s still a long way to go… but every great diorama starts with a single piece of terrain.

This is the Way.

Every battlefield has a beginning.

For this project, I decided to give a new purpose to a scenic base that had been sitting on my shelf for quite some time. It’s the display base from the Star Wars: Shatterpoint – You Cannot Run Duel Pack, and I always felt it deserved to become something more than just a display piece.

Of course, this is only the starting point.

Over the coming weeks, this base will be transformed with new terrain, additional details, elevation changes, debris, and everything needed to recreate the chaos of a Mandalorian battle.

My goal is to build a scene that feels dynamic, cinematic, and full of movement rather than simply displaying a group of miniatures.

Today’s photos are just the first glimpse of that journey, with a few of the Mandalorians placed on the base to begin exploring the composition and visual balance.

There’s still a long way to go… but every great diorama starts with a single piece of terrain.

This is the Way.

Every project starts with the first real step… and mine begins here.

The miniatures are now assembled, and seeing the whole squad together makes this project feel real. From this point on, the focus shifts to composition, storytelling, and bringing the battlefield to life.

My goal isn’t just to paint a collection of miniatures—it’s to create a diorama that captures the spirit of the Mandalorians: determination, honor, and the intensity of battle.

There’s still a long road ahead, but this is where the journey truly begins.

Next update: time to start planning the composition and building the scenic base.

This is the Way.

Every great project begins with a single decision: choosing the right idea.

For GWCC 2026, I wanted to create something that truly excited me—something original that would challenge me as a painter and allow me to showcase a wide range of techniques throughout the process.

As a huge Star Wars fan and an avid Shatterpoint player, my choice was an easy one.

Over the next few months, I'll be building and painting a Mandalorian battle diorama.

This is just the beginning, and I'll be sharing every stage of the journey with you—from the first ideas and composition to the final painted piece.

I hope you'll enjoy following the project as much as I'm going to enjoy creating it.

This is the Way.