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Hi guys n gals!

This is a tester I did before diving headfirst into batch painting x40 and I thought i'd seek some advice/feedback before proceeding.

The plague sword...
It was not supposed to turn out like that.
I basically base coated it with Leadbelcher, applied a sequence of washes and attempted to finish by applying weathering pigments in a way that would give it an encrusted rust appearance.
It actually looked okay once the pigment fixer was dry, but then I applied a final varnish over the top and it completely changed, ended up looking like a sword made out of mud.

Should I ditch the overly complicated and time consuming process Iv'e used here and just go with the standard GW scheme (black) or should I leave it as is, do the same to the other x40 and maybe ad some extra edge highlights on the blades?
Or should I leave the final coat as the pigment fixer and call it a day, while the rest of the model gets an ard coat?
Otherwise, is there a better method for painting plague swords that you guys can advise of?

The gore.
I used Nurgles Rot in the crevices between the organs, feel like I went overboard though.
Should I ease up on the amount I'm depositing or possibly limit it to a spot here and there while the rest is spot washed with a small deposit of dark wash like a sepia or something to add depth into the creases?
Also I was thinking the torn skin edges may possibly look a bit better with an extreme edge highlight of a reddish/pink, should I do this or just leave the torn skin edges as they are?

The model reads very clearly, I like what you did.

Two points:
It might be a bit too clean and neat for a nurgle theme.
While you have very well done highlights, the model is lit evenly from head to toe. I'd have made it gradually darker too the toes.

How many of these guys will you be doing? For an individual model or a unit of 10, your process may be feasible, but if you go for more, I'd be looking to simplify it.

What I do is airbrush black primer all over, zenital highlight with white primer. Agrax Earthshade or similar. Base skintone with shading is done. Optional small drybrush with light green. Then do the details as desired.

Looks great! Avoid the varnish over the rust - having rust on the blades really works nicely and I would go with it - don't need to cover it, just some bits. The only parts I glossed with 'ard coat were the red wound bits to make them stand out a bit. Don't need the nurgle's rot, just a nice dark wash will bring out the gore; I used purple. Get some skulls and drop one or two on each base with a tuft of grass maybe.

Looks fine to me.

If the sword looks muddy and you want it to look rusty you can pick out the edges either with some silverish paint, or if you're in a pinch, the side of a soft pencil to give it some shine.

Having a whole bunch of them together WILL look different to just having a few, as will finishing off the basing.

I think the model looks nice and gross. I think the sword looks like a good start, but as usual, winterdyne's advice is on the mark. Even the rustiest surface will have bare metal showing on wear points, and that sword's got plenty to work with.