Medium's Assorted Modelling Blog - The Heretek Appears

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**Medium of Death**

Medium of Death wrote:
For those of you who have seen PDH's and Neil's fantastic Realm of Chaos thread you'll have no doubt been inspired.

A few months ago I began trawling ebay for old metal models to do my own bit of fantasy modelling. The idea basically to go down the route of the above. I was however horribly caught short in a bidding war for a great deal on the old RoC books. This left me a bit miffed, totally still not bitter...

More recently Bruticus' work on his own Mordheim campaign Throne of Bones, inspired me to delve into the parts I'd managed to wrangle. There are still more bits to come for this man. Specifically the Chaos Chariot kit that will be thoroughly cannibalised when it arrives.

I've always loved Chaos Warrior art, particularly Adrian Smith and the like. I've always felt the models fell short.

Below is my attempt to get across that inhuman strength that's so frequently portrayed in the artwork or even the CGI trailers for various videogames.

A basic conversion for now, but the devil's in the details and I hope to add a lot of them. I have a feeling this guy is going to get painted, (honestly!) as I'm feeling pretty inspired.

Bits - Archaeon on foot legs, Archaeon mounted torso and the Head of Harry the Hammer. A skull from the Soul Grinder kit and bones from the Kroot sprue decorate the base.

For some reason The Serpent King keeps springing to mind for a name. Thinking of something along those lines. It's probably because the Helmet crest reminds me of sea serpents.
I imagine he serves The Pantheon rather than a particular god, he might get champions for each god to accompany him or perhaps a few cultists as followers.
Just bringing this over due to new page.

As you can see, he's quite the tall bugger. The Slaanesh Champion will be getting a different head and two axes. I always felt that this model was female apart from the face. Thanks Slaaneshi androgyny!

Hopefully more to follow and paint, eventually.

@kencotter: Cheers man, glad you got it.

In other news, while you said you needed the Ghoul King I threw this guy together.

I see it as an incredibly degenerate Vargulf, one that has mutated or is stuck between some monstrous transitional period. A bat and wolf hybrid, with only the desire to hunt and seek out the darkest corners of the world.

No longer a vampire in any true sense, the beast feasts upon the living and dead, whatever personality its former Vampiric self once had is completely lost.

Varghoul

The Varghoul is one of the more horrific Vampiric abominations to stalk the Old World. It is surely reassuring that they are relatively few in number and prefer to dwell in the darkest of places. They will happily feast upon the dead over the living but should they be disturbed they will attack the intruder with a slavering ferocity, pursuing the prey like a wild dog. Many Vampires seek to capture them for their own ends, guards for their own crypts, but the beasts deadliness is equally matched its illusiveness.

Before the cheeks were added.

Spoiler:

My green stuff work needs work but I'm quite happy with it. I was actually going to make it a horrific Chaos spawn but thought that this would be an alright idea.

**kencotter**

i know it would be a pain but i think it looks better without the cheeks that maw looks monstrous but definitely keep the tongue, the pose is amazing i think it would look awesome if it was bursting out of a tombstone that was actually a secret catacomb entrance to the throne of bones hahah

Automatically Appended Next Post:

**EyeamRai**

This is amazing! I can't wait to see what this stuff looks like with paint on it!

**Medium of Death**

Cheers gents, might need to wait a bit for paint though. Ha!

It's definitely got a subterranean vibe to it. I've left enough room at the front to add a tombstone should I come across one that I feel is appropriate.

@ken. Steal away!

I think i'll be leaving the cheeks in though.

Vargulf Degenerate. I'm very happy with the pose, it came out more or less how I imagined. Just going to finish up some fur on the left arm and at the back area, where the tail used to be as it has a new owner.

I'm not sure whether to add the Slaughterbeast's helmet and some chains to the model, as if it had been captured at one point. I quite like it feral as is though.

**kencotter**

oh man i didnt realise you where posing him like that i thoght the two feet and hand would be on the ground. i love it thou it gives it a sense of speed like he is just throwing himself at you

**monkeytroll**

Great posing on that Varghoul, excellent work

**Medium of Death**

Thanks guys, I think the posing was going to make or break this guy. I'm really happy with the way he turned out and I'm glad you like him too.

For colours I had thought pale, almost albino, colours but feel this would probably should up my poor sculpting more! Ha. I think as long as the eyes, teeth and claws stand out it won't really matter, has me leaning to more dark tones though.

Working on the Chaos Champion is slowing to a halt as I can't get the right feel with his shield arm. Added the gorebeast helment as a shoulder and may hollow out the eyes to put horns in them. Will see though.

**kencotter**

An albino look would be very cool maybe using glazes and washes in like reds, purples and blues just brushed into the recesses would add deffinition and take the eye away from any sculpting your not happy with but I personly think it looks good and if in doubt sculpt fur over it easy hide hahahah. but I think if you went for dark colours that could also reinforce the bat/wolfness of it so pros for both.

As for the chaos warlord have you thought about maybe having his sheild slung on his back and have something else in his hand maybe like a skull n spine still bloody just to reinforce that chaotic might from the old artwork your going for

**Casey's Law**

Awesome blog man, amazed I haven't been here before. Keep this good stuff coming!

**Medium of Death**

Cheers man, will do!

Went over the sculpting a little bit on the Varghoul and I'm a lot happier with it. Just need to buy paint. Story of my modelling life!

Not been up to much regarding other things but decided to make something a bit Cthulu-esque. The idea being that it's some kind of parasite.

The host body swells and eventually erupts into a writhing mass of tentacles and intestines. Anything it ensnares it digests externally. Its tentacles coated in digestive juices easily strip flesh from bone. Victims endure a new definition of pain and suffering as they are digested by the parasite. Those lucky enough to escape have sometimes been infected by the parasite. Delirium and fever will be eventually followed by death and then undeath. The zombie will be drawn back towards the parasite, where it will either be consumed or erupt into it's own parasitic form. Thankfully this agony is usually on reserved for the unfeeling dead, but where there is death they can be drawn from their rank pits. A wet mass slithering from the darkness, consuming flesh, driven by insatiable hunger. Living or dead are equal prey.

The Thing was definitely in mind when I was bashing this together. The more I think about this the more I kind of want to make this a cult like thing, almost like Resident Evil 4...

Time for tentacle madness...

**kencotter**

that thing is mad would be great in a game if they moved about randomly and just attacked whatever got to close

**lipsdapips**

Heeey man! Just saw your blog and read through it, so stoked to have been a source of motivation, and your Tau Bounty hunter looks kickass let me say! Definately second you on the boba fett vibes, which is awesome because - star wars

Im really liking the way the 'serpent king' is going, looks bulky as hell and there's always something attractive about that albeit cheesy but super mighty stance that drips badassery. Great work mate, though I would love to see some of your paintwork

Subbed

LDP

**Casey's Law**

Awesome creation, could see it lurking in a forest or basement during a game.

**Medium of Death**

Cheers guys!

Ken & Casey - It's definitely got that lurking horror feel to it. Lashing out with its flailing tentacles.

LDP - Never managed to quite pull the scion conversions off like yourself, but definitely happy with the way the Tau Mercs/Bounty Hunter turned out.

Paint will need to be gotten in time. I'm just not that much of a painter. I should really start making an effort!

Now back to the cheesy warrior goodness!

The mace/flail/morning star head is pinned and I'm just waiting to decide on a final position. I quite like the way it is currently. The last things to be added will probably be the shield to the back and perhaps a belt if I can sculpt it.

This is the issuing a challenge or "come at me bro!" pose. I glued the mace balls(?) together as I felt it'd help those plastic chains from breaking and also allows me to get some gore in when I paint it. I can see him using it to clear space before setting about somebody with the axe. Either the blade itself or using the top as a hammer to bash faces. The chains on the cape are just to spice it up and make the shield that will probably go on his back look more at home.

Cheers for looking.

**kencotter**

he looks killer man, a good effect for the gore is hair and gloss varnish have you used that method before

**Casey's Law**

Very nice, I wouldn't want to bump into him, that's for sure.

**Grag**

Niiice

. He reminds me of the style of Adrien Smith's artwork.(which is a good thing)

**Medium of Death**

Cheers chaps!

I'm glad he's giving off Adrian Smith vibes as he's pretty much my inspiration for seeing Chaos Warriors like that.

I've never tried that gore method Ken, I'll have to look into it.

http://www.adriansmith.co.uk/

His websites always worth a look from time to time. He's like Blanche for me in terms of establishing the look of the setting in my mind. A lot of my favourite Warhammer art is from Mr Smith.

**Casey's Law**

Thanks for the link, mate. Stumbled on some my favourites, I never knew who had done them.

**Medium of Death**

Yeah he's done a lot of the great stuff.

I really wish GW would use his art for miniature inspiration more often.

I always wished that they'd adopt his Tyranid aesthetic.

I've always wanted Tyranids like that. It's definitely possible now with the various kits. Maybe I'll be the change I want to see. Oh god, no more ideas! I've got enough half finished stuff as it is!

How's your Tyranid project going Casey?

**Casey's Law**

Beautiful Nids those, very sharp. Man you've given me so much inspiration recently man, wish I could channel some of it. Re: the BBC Gothic three parter they have a sci-fi one on iPlayer at the moment, just watching the last part now. Only 20mins each and pretty poor really but something to have on in the background I suppose.

My Tyranids are sitting in my cabinet giving me serious questioning stares. There all like, 'Dude, wheres mah arms?' I've been watching the Tyrannocite news with interest as it allows me to run something close to the old list I had when we had Spores. That said, I've also been considering something fluffier ignoring lists entirely, just building what I want. I'm never going to play them anyway.

It's difficult, I'm not in a great place so I can't seem to get anything done. Instead I'm using my time to soak up gratuitous amounts of inspiration.

Bleh, anyway, what's next for you? Are the projects in your other three blogs all abandoned?

**Medium of Death**

Lets call it permanent hold rather than abandoned. Haha.

Moving on to other inspirations Marco Schulze's Hive Fleets, both Moloch and Ouroboros, are fantastic. I remember seeing Moloch in WD and being blown away. Sadly his site doesn't appear to be up any more otherwise I'd link it. You can find images of the quite readily online though.

It's like the ultimate GW hobby dream, to not only be featured in WD but for GW to accept your ideas into their universe.

Maybe take your Tyranids down that path? Super evolved experiments, just modelling what you like. I mean I've thought about going back to Tyranids to create a "Kill Team" of my own super evolved warrior type bugs that would be front line attack. Bred for a specific mission and to test new biomorphs. I mean things like the Red Terror are one of my favourite aspects of the race, I enjoy the swarm aspect but I always feel the Hive Mind would have more intelligent avatars for it to carry out specific tasks. The Hive Mind can't be understood, psykers that try go completely mad or barely scratch the surface, but I think it has a better understanding of this Galaxy than it is portrayed.

I'll probably just keep this thread as a "modelling what I feel like" thread. Hopefully that way I can slowly improve my skills and actually get some bloody paint on those models.

Also, just watching the hour long documentary on iPlayer at the moment. "Tomorrow's Worlds". Great watching.

Strangely enough the Kate Bush documentary is very good and is on the iPlayer at the moment. She's all kinds of inspiring.

**Casey's Law**

Schulze's Moloch have been a massive source of inspiration for me and are probably the reason I got into Nids. That Kill Team remains one of the greatest and most memorable things I've seen in this hobby. I think a lot of the images are still available on warpshadow.com but I'm sure there used to be more. I think I'll end up completing this small force then just adding random models as it pleases me. Oh man you're opening a can of worms here. I'm all over Nids now, this could turn into something but lets not jinx it.

I think doing what you feel like is the best way to go. It is for me anyway. I think I've done more since I started a generic blog than before although much of it is even more unfinished projects. I think we have similar issues with production time and a lack of paint, I still haven't found a good solution.

I'll give that a watch thanks, sounds interesting. I spotted the Kate Bush one but I wasn't sure I would enjoy it so I swerved it, I'll maybe get back around to it at some point. Just hammered my way through the Walking Dead and I'm working on GoT, lots of amazing viewing.

**Bruticus**

The vargulf is pretty great, good concept and cool pose, need to see it painted and from a few more angles I think.

The chaos warrior is amazing, really imposing. He has the scale and bulk of a new model but the detail and design of a classic model.

**Medium of Death**

Oh @ Casey the second part of that Space doc. is up on iPlayer.

Cheers man. Started putting a white base coat down and it's looking a lot better already. So that's a good sign.

I'm very happy with the way the Warrior turned out. I think the painting will make or break him. Unsure of colours as of yet.

I'm planning on getting the Tzeentch greater daemon back on the go at some point. Probably over Christmas.

I've got a sudden urge to make some Slaaneshi marines based off of Gal Vorbak, Kakophoni, Daemonettes and dark eldar bits. Daemonic combat drugs.

How's your stuff coming along? Been quiet these last few weeks?

**tarnish**

Great blog. Keep it comming

**Casey's Law**

Medium of Death wrote:
Oh @ Casey the second part of that Space doc. is up on iPlayer.

Thanks for the heads up, I quite enjoyed it, much more than the first part. The last episode looks like it could be a good 'un. Just blasted my way through Breaking Bad and now I'm rewatching some of my favourite sci-fi films.

Edit: That's episode 3 up.

**Baiyuan**

Great stuff, mate!

Also I totally agree with you on Adrian Smith. I have to admit he's always been closer to my heart than even JB.
The picture of Damien he drew for the Inquisitor rulebook used to be my favorite wallpaper for years.

**Medium of Death**

So I got my hands on Execution Force today.

Unfortunately I was only able to get one decent picture before my camera died.

I didn't particularly like the death from above pose that the new Callidus has.

"Deadly Ballerina" is what I was thinking during the conversion. Still WIP but I'm happy with how she looks at the moment.

Mechanicus Ruststalker spike bit instead of the ridiculous hair.

**Desubot**

Did it take a lot to get that pose? i quite like it