The Ladykillers – Part 5

At the weekend the Godsworn Hunt were released for Shadespire and, despite the fact that I’m supposed to be finishing painting a hellpit abomination before the end of the month, I ended up assembling them instead. Why would I do such a thing? Why because I’ve been eagerly awaiting the chance to add them to the Eschers of course!

First of all we have gang leader “Gallows” Grace. I do like the official gang leader model for the Eschers, and I’ll undoubtedly add one to the gang at some point, but I really wanted to make my leader unique and, as a by-product of being such a nice model, the studio version has become rather ubiquitous.

Somehow, over the last year or so, I’ve managed to break both the whips that come in the box so the one she’s wielding is cobbled together from parts of the original two. Luckily I still had enough parts handy to assemble one complete whip, whilst the remaining bits have been carefully stored somewhere (although exactly where I now have no idea).

As you can see she’s a little large for a 25mm base, although that’s primarily as a result of her wide pose. Until she’s basecoated I’ll be keeping her off the base so her pose is slightly off compared to the anticipated final piece as she balances on lumps of tack. Before the postman delivered her I was a little concerned that she’d tower over the rest of the gang (she is a barbarian queen after all) but thankfully she matches up quite well in height next to the rest of her crew.

As there’s another female barbarian in the Godsworn Hunt box I decided to make her into the gang’s first  Juve. Again, the pose is a little off and will be until she’s firmly glued to the base (each picture having to be taken as swiftly as possible before the soft tack allowed her to slump forward into an ungainly face-plant).

Of course this leaves me with a few barbarians left over but I’m sure I’ll think of a use for them – they are really are very nice models so if nothing else I’ll have a lot of fun painting them.

Disposable Heroes – Part 11

Having painted four Imperial Guardsmen for the Iron Sleet Thorn Moons Invitational the fifth and final model to tackle the Thorn Moons is someone rather different. Stuck for inspiration amongst the ranks of the Guard I took on an Imperial agent, a shadowy, mendicant figure, tasked with enacting the Emperor’s will without support from the greater Imperial war-machine.

…And yes, I’ve not drilled out the barrel because that would have almost certainly broken the gun. Am I proud? Not a bit of it!

Of course, all this leaves for us is to delve into the background of the regiment – the Sarkisian 7th.

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When the Imperium called for troops to join the crusade the Sarkis system, one of the closest along a stable warp route, was a natural choice of recruiting ground. Raised from the densely packed hive streets of Sarkis V, the men of the Sarkisian 7th were naturals at fighting in the narrow crawlspaces and elaborate trench works of their homeworld. Alas the forests of the Thorn Moons, so similar on paper to the hive-warrens, proved disastrously different once they made planetfall. Against the deadly forests of those hell-worlds the Sarkisian 7th were soon whittled down into small bands of survivors, each attempting to find their way to their own lines after their initial triumphant advance.

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All manner of unclean creatures assailed us beneath those terrible trees. Emperor preserve our souls! Have we failed?

Even against the foulest of heretics we fought on, whilst the dank forest closed around us like a fist.

We needed leadership – someone who understood those twisting forests as well as the enemy, someone who could guide us to our dreamed of vengeance.

She will not tell us where she comes from but, in contrast to our struggling, blundering steps, she walks the forests of the Moons like a native. Was she born here I wonder, beneath these hungry boughs? Did she run through a childhood spent amongst these glades and thickets? It is hard to image her as an innocent, just as it is hard to imagine a childhood spent upon these strange worlds with their all devouring forests. Give me my hive streets once more, the warrens of mankind’s great cities rolling beneath my feet! What foul death-world first spawned such unclean xenos things as trees?

I do not even know her name, nor her rank or duties. It does not seem to matter however. She has led us, when the forest grew darkest. Without her this nightmare world would have consumed us long ago. If we endure here it shall be by her actions and the Emperor’s will alone.

Once again huge thanks to the team at Iron Sleet for putting the Invitational together and to all the other hobbyists who’ve been involved. If you’ve not already do take the time to head over to Iron Sleet and take a look at the showcase of work they’ve been building, a treasure trove of inspiration awaits!

Disposable Heroes – Part 7

Forward men of the Imperium! Let the guns of the enemy bite you! Let their blades taste you! Let us face their foul hunger and choke them with our righteousness! Onwards! Onwards until the last of us has fallen! Onwards until we stand before the Emperor himself, and when we do let us hold our heads high for we have carried the enemy before us into Hell!

I’m trying to decide if he’s done or not but either way I’ve been looking at him so long I’m starting to go in circles. Going to work on the rest of his squad for a bit then come back to him with what will hopefully be fresh eyes. In the meantime feedback is more than welcome.

Boyz Will Be Boyz – Part 8

Time to tackle something nice and straightforward that doesn’t require too much brainpower, something to scratch the itch to paint without actually demanding any real effort – and with that remit nothing fits the bill quite so well as a couple of orks!

Reinventing Nurgle

Nurgle fans may be excused for being a little excited at the moment – and no, I’m not talking about the decay of western society. Whilst there’s been an understandable spike of interest in the Space Marine side of the new 40k starter set the sons of Mortarion are also getting reinforced with series of fantastic plague-ridden models (plus a weird baby with a fart for a hand). Time for me to cast my eye over my old Plague Marines, to decide which are fine as they are, which are too rough around the edges to easily save and which could be redeemed without too much effort. Enter this chap;

Of course, you’ll know by now my feelings about Space Marines holding bolters one handed, especially if they’re doing it awkwardly whilst staring off into the middle distance. What was I thinking? Is he inspecting his knife or trying to remember where he left his keys? Time for a freshen up I think.

By adjusting the angle of the vents on the backpack I was able to create a subtle reflection of Nurgle’s symbol.

Then we have his colleague who, although a little less awkward in the posing of his gun, is still trying to hold a two-handed weapon single handed and looking daft as a result.

I didn’t do as much with the paintjob on this one but hopefully still managed to make some improvements into the bargain.

Then we have this chap who, for the last six months or so, has been waiting patiently for a new base ever since I decided that the little 28mm base he was on was just too small for him.

Upgraded to a 32mm base he already looks considerably more powerful and should be able to hold his head up with pride next to his new brothers soon to arrive with the Dark Imperium boxset.

Of course this means I really must get back to working on the rest of his squad mates – although I’m sure I’ll have plenty of Nurgly enthusiasm to carry me through over the next couple of months. Until then, as ever, your feedback is welcome.

Any Spare Change – Part 7

How many Tzeentchian sorcerers does it take to change a lightbulb?

Just this guy – many hands make light work!

Witch In Progress

For all that his duties bring him into regular contact with the dead, Inquisitor Morix has no more capacity to hear or understand them than the regular Imperial citizenry. Indeed it is this that has allowed him to flourish within the order, for those who hear the cries of the dead are soon driven mad by them. Only the most vocal of sprits can trouble his sleep and none but the most violent of poltergeists disturbs him as he goes about his duties. Nonetheless there is a need, from time to time, to make contact with lesser spirits, to track them as they travel the immaterial passages of their world and to interrogate those who’s knowledge is of value to the Imperium.

Within his retinue the witch Emilia fulfils this role, hunting out the lurking dead with a genehound’s tenacity and – when called upon – employing an elemental ferocity in the Inquisitor’s defence. Yet for all her apparent loyalty there are those who question Morix’s decision in bringing her into his service. Her skills are of the wild type, feral and self-taught, and she bears no official sanction. Some say she is already lost, her mind corroded by the warp, a space within her soul hollowed out just enough for some foul presence to slip in and wear her skin.

Here we go then, the second member of my Chapel warband – the psyker. As you can see there’s still a bit of greenstuff to finish off, particularly on the back of the head and in the armpit. Once again please treat her as a work in progress but do get your feedback in, I’m keen to make this warband look as good as possible so don’t try to spare my feelings if you see room for improvement.

Of course, I also have to wonder what she’d make of encountering another necromancer in the winding halls of the Chapel…

Any Spare Change – Part 5

Just found this Dark Angel rattling around in the bitz box (probably looking for the Fallen in there). Indeed I think I first acquired him as a test model for a scheme to build some Fallen Angels to serve as backup to my Chaos Marines, a scheme which has been on the backburner almost as long as the Dark Angels have been hunting for the real Fallen.

Empowered by the warping energies of Tzeentch, and with the Changer of Ways very much on my mind after this weekend’s releases, I found myself asking – could I turn him into a Sorcerer using the parts that were left over from Mazzakim? After all robes are very much the clothing option of choice for knights of Caliban and wizards alike.

Overall I’m pretty please with him – what do you think?

Any Spare Change – Part 4

In the Mortal Realms and 41st Millennium alike the power of Tzeentch is waxing. Being, as I am, a degenerate worshipper of the Dark Gods, I’m easily distracted from my expressed goals (the Chapel and my shambling undead horde) and have rushed out to beseech the Changer from the comfort of the nearest unnatural flux-cairn. In return the Great Conspirator inspired me to manufacture another cultist through which to do his nefarious bidding.

He still needs a little greenstuff to make the head fit snugly on the neck and of course at this stage he’s still subject to change (see what I did there) so as ever your feedback is appreciated

In The Yellow Wood

“To enter a wood is to pass into a different world in which we ourselves are transformed.”

– Roger Deakin; Wildwood: A Journey through Trees

For some of you The Chapel will need no introduction. For those new to it however The Chapel is the brainchild of Mark from Heresy Of Us and serves as the latest in what has become a growing – and extremely welcome – trend towards small-scale collaborative story-driven gaming events.

As part of the collaborative process Mark called on the participants to design one of the Ostium Guides. For those, like me, who didn’t know Ostium refers to “an opening or entry point into a vessel or the cavity of the body”. The Ostium Guides are those who will aid the adventurers arriving on the Chapel to gain entry to the interior – for a price. They are described as capricious, boastful and bardic creatures which “fight with the skill of a dancer” and dwell within the Albino Wood on the Chapel’s outer skin. Now if that doesn’t make you think of wood elves I don’t know what will!

First off the mark of the Chapel’s participants was ImperialRebelOrk who designed a pair of unearthly, psychopomp-like figures. With the first Guides built my own creative juices clicked into action. The original brief called for a single Guide to lead your band across the surface but I found myself unable to shake off the desire to create a husband and wife team. I also wanted something more rooted in the mundane, something earthy and autumnal.

Inspired by IRO I wanted to give my Guides long walking staffs, helping to connect them to these other, very different Guides, and to emphasis their druidic, roving nature as creatures of the xenotopic places, the byways, holloways, pilgrimage routes and hidden roads that criss-cross the skin of any world. The instrument played by the male Guide helps reflect their whimsical, musical nature and one can imagine their haunting music hanging amongst the pale trees as the walk the ghost-paths of their forest home. These are creatures attuned to the land, circulating like the air upon the planet’s surface, through the living bones of its mountains and the joyful currents of its rivers. They carry all they need upon their backs and in their hearts; a blanket to sleep under, a cloak to wrap themselves in against the rain, music and the joy of the winding road beneath their feet.

To avoid them looking too much like Wood Elves in space, with the accompanying connotations of Eldar Exodites, I used Tau heads with the slit noses carefully greenstuffed over. To me one of the key things with these characters was ensuring that they continued to look human, albeit abhuman, and that they fit into the 40k aesthetic. This latter point is harder than it first appears, 40k is defined by its towering hives and blasted wastelands and introducing creatures of the forest without them looking tacked on was challenging but I feel I got there in the end.

As usual your feedback is welcome!