As some of you might remember, about 8 months ago I started a thread on my Executioners Chapter force for a narrative campaign a bunch of my friends and I where playing. Well, all good things must come to an end. That is until they get a sequel! That's right, for some reason we all collectively decided to make this into somewhat of an annual deal, so that can only mean I have to prep for next year! Now, to keep things interesting, we aren't just playing the same campaign over and over again. What is instead happening is that we're doing a continuation of the previous campaign, following the exploits of Huron after fall to Chaos in the aptly named
Badab War 2: Into the Maelstrom
(Also lovingly called 'New Badab New War: Into the Maelstrom' because our group is a bunch of daft eejits who love a bad joke )
If you recall, the original Badab War X campaign that was run was actually set in an alternate universe so that players could use the Primaris Marines during the Badab War. So what's happened in this alternate universe? Well I'll leave the explanation of that up to the GM in this awesome bit of lore (note: there's a helluva lot of it)
Spoiler:
Badab X History
At the Battle of Thessala (121.M31), one of the Emperor’s loyal sons died. Robute Guilliman was mortally wounded by his traitor brother Fulgrim, and with his dying breath the Avenging Son entrusted Aeonid Thiel with the knowledge of Cawl and the Primaris project he had been tasked with. Thiel honoured his primarch’s final wish and worked closely with Cawl, overseeing the project so that it could be implemented as quickly as possible to fight the enemies of Mankind. Once ready the Primaris Marines were shared with all chapters, a new breed of warrior to stand against the encroaching darkness. The project had also born additional fruit, Cawl described it as a vision of from the Omnissiah himself that led him to develop a quicker and more efficient way of creating non-Primaris Space Marines to bolster their new brethren. For a brief while these new developments carried with them a spark of hope, but as mankind’s foes adapted, they snuffed that spark out.
In 678.M40 the “Convergence” occurred. For a moment the galaxy was split in half as the Eye of Terror, the Malestrom, and the Hadex Anomaly became one. The worlds caught in this dreaded alignment burned or were twisted into hellscapes, and in its wake came the enemies of mankind.
In the Maelstrom Zone a massive chaos fleet with black and red livery descended on the Endymion Cluster. The Wardens rallied against these crimson raiders, and under Huron’s leadership they stopped their new foe from advancing any further into Imperial territory.
The fighting was brutal, and after 2 years the invaders withdrew back into the maelstrom. The Astral Claws and Lamenters were bloodied and beaten, but still standing, however they did not celebrate for the war had seen their fellow warden, the Mantis Warriors, wiped out.
With only two understrength chapters to protect the Maelstrom Zone, Huron petitioned the High Lords of Terra for support. Many of his advisors told him he was wasting his time, but the High Lords responded. They redirected elements from 4 other chapters to join the Maelstrom Wardens. The Raptors were the first to arrive, they did not settle on one planet but rather establishing various hidden bases and listening posts throughout the Zone. The Carcharadons were given a swathe of the Zone’s frontier worlds to draw their tithes from in exchange for sending a predation fleet to patrol the edge of the Maelstrom. The Exorcists kept watch over the warp tainted Endymion Cluster and forbid anyone from entering it, some reports even noting a ship bearing the symbols of the Inquisition amongst their fleet. Lastly there were the Minotaurs, their exact purpose was unclear, some believed that they were there to act as the eyes and ears of the High Lords, others that they had been placed there to fight the heretical red armoured raiders should they ever re-emerge from the Maelstrom, or that they were there to watch for corruption amongst the Wardens.
With the Maelstrom Wardens now having doubled in size, Huron set about fortifying the Maelstrom Zone, securing war materials, establishing defences at key location but also working closely with his fellow chapters to create a tight knit group of warrior brethren. If those heretic Astartes ever returned, they would be ready.
For the next century the Warden’s fought side by side against whatever threats the Maelstrom spat out at them, and with Huron as their leader that united them, they stood triumphant. However, the Maelstrom Zone’s militarisation and stockpiling did not go unnoticed, the martial might now wielded by the Tyrant of Badab, as well as the close cooperation of 6 space marine chapters, drew the attention of concerned and paranoid eyes within the hierarchy of the Imperium. They watched as heretic and xenos forces broke against this rapidly developing bulwark of Imperial might.
Huron had been able to develop his defences so quickly by withholding resource tithes from Malestrom Zone worlds that were intended for neighbouring sectors. As a result, over the next 150 years these sectors grew weaker as they were starved for the resources necessary for their survival. Chief amongst them was the Karthago Sector whose ruling class of merchant princelings who had grown fat on the exploitation of the Maelstrom Zone’s resources. When they found their luxurious lifestyles hampered by the sudden decrease in profits they were outraged, and fearing the wrath of Adminstratum Segmentum Procurator-General, they mustered a fleet to collect the tithe.
Arriving at the Badab System the fleet encountered The Ring of Steel, a series of void defence stations. Refusing to follow the instructions of the Badab naval forces the fleet did not slow their advance and continued heading towards the system’s core. Nobody knows who fired the first shot, but the entire Tithe Fleet was subsequently destroyed before reaching Badab. Huron maintained that the Tithe Fleet’s unwillingness to cooperate and follow instructions resulted in them being treated as a hostile force.
The lords and ladies of Karthago called in every favour they could before their coffers ran dry, they launched raids and infiltration missions into the Zone, they sent requests for aid to any ally they had, and they bombarded the Adeptus Terra with message after message demanding the Warden’s censure. Tensions were further raised when pirate activity suddenly increased, further damaging Karthago’s income, and the Warden’s did nothing to stop them. The nobility of Karthago also found themselves beset by assassins, with many claiming that it was Huron behind them, although no evidence to support this claim was ever discovered. It was also during this time that Huron with the approval of the other commanders of the Wardens created the Article of Just Secession, a declaration that the Malestrom Zone would cut ties with all the surrounding sectors as the authorities that governed them imposed restrictions on them that were beyond the concerns of the Adeptus Astartes. Huron also swore that he and the Wardens would continue their Emperor-given duty and protect the Maelstrom Zone from anti-Imperial threats.
With the situation having escalated to such an extent the High Lords couldn’t ignore the situation any longer. They called on the Red Scorpions, the Star Phantoms, the Fire Angels, and the Executioners to secure Karthago’s trade routes and put an end to the hostilities and trade disruptions that were destabilising the region by having Huron surrender and answer for his actions. These chapters made their presence known in a series of swift and brutal void skirmishes, driving the pirates back to their shadowy dens.
Verant Ortys, Lord High Commander of the Red Scorpions, and commander of the Terran forces, sent a summons to the Tyrant of Badab, demanding his surrender so that he may face trial. The nobles of Karthago were jubilant, but their joy quickly subsided when faced by an unexpected visit from the Inquisition, who condemned them for their actions. Huron refused the summons, claiming that he had acted within the remits of his authority and that this political farce was a waste of time. It was his duty to protect the Maelstrom Zone, and he would do it by any means necessary.
With neither side willing to give in, a stalemate was soon established. As fleet stand-offs and threats and insults became more frequent it seemed that it was only a matter of time until someone resorted to violence. Huron himself was very vocal about being on a warpath and that if the loyalists tried anything, he would have no qualms fighting against these lapdogs of Terra, with many of his fellow Warden’s sharing his view, stoked by his great oratory skills. Not wishing to see brother fight brother, Malakim Phoros, Chapter Master of the Lamenters, met with Huron in the hopes that he could convince his oldest comrade from resorting to violence. What words were exactly exchanged between the two was unknown, just that their argument got heated and that they did not leave on good terms.
Unable to convince Huron, Malakim took it upon himself to resolve the situation peacefully, opening communications with Ortys to negotiate. Ultimately this resulted in what he had been trying to avoid. Huron saw Malakim’s actions as an act of betrayal and set the Minotaurs loose on him and his chapter. The Lamenter’s chapter fleet was in orbit around the feral world Optera when the Minotaurs launched their attack. Caught off guard by the sudden attack from their former allies the Lamenters were savaged. They fought valiantly but in the end most of their vessels were captured in vicious boarding actions, and the remaining few performed emergency warp translations to avoid destruction, including the chapter barque the Mater Lacrimarum. When it rematerialized in realspace the ancient ship found itself alone, the rest of the surviving fleet lost to the tides of the warp in an unfortunate twist of fate that the Lamenters were all to used to.
Limping to the loyalist lines Malakim met with the other commanders to tell them of what happened. Believing that Huron had gone too far Ortys mobilised his forces and a series of skirmishes marked the beginning of what would be known as the Badab War.
Now, after Huron was defeated during Badab War X and set scurrying into the Maelstrom to hide, he has regained his power and leads the Red Corsairs. Every so often he will have a tournament to find new followers, picking only the strongest in a series of tests known as the Skull Harvest. It is here we meet our intrepid adventurers. And by 'intrepid adventurers' I mean a Chaos Warband. That's the same thing, right?
For this campaign, I wanted to make a force that's been in my brain for ages now, a gluttony Slaanesh force, where every model is immensely fat! So let me introduce you to the Feast Eternal! (second big ol' lore dump incoming!)
Spoiler:
The Feast Eternal
The Feast Eternal is a Chaos Space Marine warband in the service of Slaanesh. The warband was originally the Hands of Penitence Chapter of Space Marines, before their homeworld of Scythius Prime was engulfed by the
Cicatrix Maledictum, or the Great Rift. Their Fortress-Monastery was known as Heliomos and was said to be a place of great refection on the sins of the self. Many thousands of pilgrims would make their way to the Monastery, just so they could catch a glimpse of the Space Marines inside enacting ancient rituals of self-flagellation.
Just before the fall of Cadia, most of the Hands of Penitence had returned to their homeworld en masse to recover from recent battles. However, when Cadia fell, and the Cicatrix Maledictum opened, nearly the entire Chapter was caught in the ensuing tear. Although not trapped in its innermost depths, the Great Rift stopped all access to and from the system, and impeded movement of necessary supplies, resulting in a lack of food and water for every planet, including the homeworld of the Hands of Penitence. Many ships attempted to leave the stranded planet with the hope of finding a way through the raging storm, but none were ever heard from again. The Chapter Master of the Hands of Penitence, Lord High Master Fames Hugar, even sent out the Chapter’s capital ship, a Battle Barge by the name of the Esuriis Throne captained by the Chapter Champion Hida Strav. However, this too was deemed forfeit after contact was lost.
Eventually the Chapter was pushed to extreme measures as even the Space Marines started to suffer attrition due to the lack of food. Lord High Master Fames Hugar, was forced to allow the librarians under him, including the Chief Librarian Senarus Andreyhimnir, to research through previously forbidden lore in
order to find a solution to the predicament. Andreyhimnir and his disciples were eventually able to find information regarding the creation of flesh through manipulation of the warp in dark texts that had not been seen by mortal eyes in centuries.
When they returned to Hugar, he congratulated them for their efforts, for already the prisons were being emptied to help feed the human populace of the still-loyal Hives of Scythius Prime. Other Hives on the planet had at this point declared independence from the Chapter in the hopes that they could ensure a future by themselves or had devolved into mass pits of uncontrolled cannibalism. Native rat-like creatures were brought forward, normally too insignificant to warrant the effort to catch them, and Andreyhimnir and his disciples demonstrated the secrets they had found. Before the eyes of those watching, the creature expanded many times its own size, stopping when it reached the mass of a fully grown grox. With a quick slice of a combat knife, the creature was killed and butchered, the first slice of meat going to Hugar himself to taste the hope that these new rituals brought. Soon Hugar declared that all those in the Librarius must learn of the ritual and start creating food for the people of Scythius, with great piles of meat being brought out to the surrounding Hives. Quickly large feasts started to appear throughout the planet, rejoicing in the new-found hope the meat brought, and celebrating the names of the Hands of Penitence.
However, time soon made proof that the food was not all it seemed. Whilst many put on weight, the hunger persisted. The rat-creatures did not fill the empty void left by the lack of food, and soon voices in the heads of those responsible lead to less agreeable flesh being used in the rituals. It was not long before the people of Scythius had returned to eating the prisoners they had barely sustained on previously, although this time infused with the energies of the warp in dark rituals.
And yet the hunger persisted. With the tender caress of unseen forces, Chief Librarian Andreyhimnir was drawn ever more towards more and more heretical thinkings. Soon Andreyhimnir had decided that it was time to fully commit to the rituals and enact a final part that was originally unthinkable. He had his followers unwillingly capture one of their own, Brother Balutt of the 6th Company. He was chained to an ancient wooden table so that the rites could be carved into his skin. Slowly, the body of the once loyal son of the Emperor twisted and convulsed as it was infused with the dark powers of the immaterium, becoming less and less recognisably human as time progressed. However, to Andreyhimnir this new flesh would not be enough, having lazed around consuming food for the past many months rather than staying active. To ensure the new flesh was lean enough, he led it out of the chamber, out of the Fortress-Monastery, and into the people surrounding them, thus letting it exercise and gain muscle mass in a more ‘natural’ way.
Six days later, the monster was hunted down by those who still could and prepared for serving in an upcoming feast Andreyhimnir had planned in triumph of the ritual reaching completion. More flesh than had yet been seen at any previous meal was set out before those who were invited, and at the head table sat Lord Hugar, now so immeasurably fat that he made the mountain of meat in front of him seem a mere morsel. The whispering of invisible mouths had reached him too, and far stronger than it had those he lorded over. Now he could only exclaim his hunger and eat whatever was brought before him. At the crest of the feeding frenzy that ensued upon the introduction of so much food to the members of the Chapter, Andreyhimnir brought out his finest achievement, the mutated bulk of what was once a fellow Brother. Without stopping from his previous meal, Hugar, now known as Hunger for that is what he was, took huge bites out of the gelatinous flesh, wolfing down mouthful after mouthful of meat. Eventually he reached the core of what made Brother Balutt a Space Marine, his now heavily mutated geneseed, which too was engulfed by the maw of a gluttonous beast.
As soon as the gene-seed reached his stomach, the Battle Barge Esuriis Throne, long thought lost to the sea of souls, appeared as if it had been waiting. However, it no longer contained the loyal Hands of Penitence. Chapter Champion Hida Strav, unlike those on the planet below, had discovered a different solution to the problem. Rather that find supplies and help, he was able to remove the hunger that plagued the planet through heretical pacts with Huron Blackheart and dark contracts with the Lord of Pleasure, Slaanesh. As such, he no longer resembled his once-brothers, and instead of being corpulent he was emancipated to a near-skeletal nature. However, through the powers of the warp his strength and skill with a blade were only enhanced.
During the journeys outside the Rift, Strav gained many followers. One of which was the Tech-Occultist Silvo Palien. Through shadowy sacraments they could summon the daemon known as Obitum Fiet. This daemon was the reflection in the warp of an ancient war between two civilisations that ended bloodily for both sides. However, unlike many other daemons, who materialised in a flesh-like body, Obitum Fiet appeared as a grotesque mirror of the Imperial Knight Titan. Green ghost-like apparitions of the deceased followed in a mist around the Knight, who would fade through solid matter as if it were not there.
Soon after the Battle Barge and the rest of the Chapter were reunited, the Chapter finally left the system behind in search of more food to consume, hoping against all hope to finally fill their hunger. However, it is believed that some have forgone this feeling, fallen fully into the grasp of Slaanesh.
Notable Campaigns • The Burning of the Ruined Texts (ca. 034.M36) – Not long after the formation of the Hand of Penitence, the Chapter became engaged in a war against the Word Bearers Legion over the sacred texts in a small church on the Shrine World of Sergoius-XIV. Unfortunately, whilst they were able to fight them off, the Hands of Penitence were not fast enough to save the texts from being defiled by the Sons of Lorgar. This resulted in a large fire outside the prime Hive that lasted for one week and five days, where the Chapter burnt the tainted scripture. After this, the Chapter started to engage in extreme bouts of self-flagellation, wanting their suffering to emulate that which the once-holy scripture did.
• Battle of the Great Maws (Unkown Date.M32) – One of the first recorded battle of the Feast Eternal was against a Hive Fleet that had just arrived at an area of space near where the warband had laid claim. It is not certain who won the engagement, but rumours tell of the Feast Eternal sending wave after wave of human conscripts into the mouths of the Tyranids, just so they could later kill them and eat the remade matter.
• The Tyrants Skull Harvest (Unknown Date.M32) – The last sighting of the warships of the Feast Eternal was an unexpected turn towards the Maelstrom, in which many more Chaos warbands reside. It is believed that the Tyrant of Badab, Huron Blackheart, is calling upon those who show promise to take part in his Skull Harvest, and that Hida Strav has a dept to pay.
Notable members • The Great Hunger (Chaos Lord) – Once known as Lord High Master Fames Hugar, the Great Hunger is the leader of the Feast Eternal warband, although many believe he may be simply a figurehead to those who are truly controlling the fate of his warriors. Immense beyond all rational thought, the Great Hunger no longer thinks about anything but his next meal for very long, and even the it is often simply about how hungry he is.
• Warp Chef Senarus Andreyhimnir – Having forgone the title of Chief Librarian, Andreyhimnir is now considered the main chef of the warband, using his skills in warp-craft to bend flesh to his will.
• Hida Starve, the Feasting Sword – Although having lost nearly all his weight, appearing more as a moving skeleton than a man, ex-Chapter Champion Hida Strav, now Hida Starve, is still an immaculate swordsman, laying claim to lives many would consider his superior had they never seen him dance with a blade before. His pacts with Huron Blackheart and the dark forces of Chaos have left him in great debt, one he plans to pay with the strength of a Chapter.
• Silvo Palien – A tech-occultist with a secretive history, she joined Hida Starve on the Esuriis Throne shortly after he bent the knee to Huron. Through silent rites she summons Obitum Fiet, a daemon who reflects a great battle in the form of a twisted Imperial Knight.
So now with all that lore out of the way, I think it's time for some models! Well, nearly. First it's time for a force list. This time we have a total of 1,250 points to play with, which I am going to be using so badly it'll hurt some of you to look at. But hey, it's narrative, right?!
Spoiler:
The Feast Eternal - 1,250 points - 3CP
Supreme Command Detachment
++ HQ ++ Daemon Prince (this guy is not actually going to be a Daemon Prince, but a unique mortal character. However, his cost/weapons/stat and everything will be heavily based on the Daemon Prince, so I'm using it here for now)
- 2x Malefic Talons
- Warp Bolter
Chaos Lord
- The Murder Sword
- Plasma Pistol
Sorcerer in Terminator Armour
- Force Stave
- Combi-bolter
Chaos Hellwright
++ Elites ++ Chaos Terminators
- Champion with chainfist and combi-flamer
- Terminator with power maul and combi-plasma
- Terminator with lightning claw and combi-bolter
- Terminator with power axe and combi-melta
- Terminator with power sword and reaper autocannon
++ Lord of War ++ Knight Desecrator
- Thunderstrike gauntlet
- Laser Destructor
Auxiliary Support Detachment
++ Heavy Support ++ Giant Chaos Spawn
So with that over, can we finally get to the models? Ok, sure I suppose we can...
So here's the very first model. He's both a test model and the Sorcerer in Terminator Armour. Yes, I know he's not wearing much in terms of armour, but I wanted the immense fattyness of these guys to be represented by an extra wound. Plus it means they're expensive points-wise (and money-wise, let me tell you) so I don't have to take as many and can get a smaller force done quickly. This one guy uses bits from around 7 different kits, but is primarily based on the classic Lord of Plagues model, a model I've wanted to have a go at converting for a good while.
Warp Chef Senarus Andreyhimnir WIP front
Warp Chef Senarus Andreyhimnir WIP back
The terminator squad will follow in the same theme as the Sorcerer, using the Blight Kings kit mixed with the Chaos Terminators. However, I have special things planned for many of the other models, which will all be revealed in time...
Thanks for reading though all that, and hopefully this thread will be as fun as the last Badab one!
Chapter I
Upon the opening of the Cicatrix Maledictum, the Great Rift, entire planetary systems were devoured in an instant, lost to the warp and never to return. However, there sat many others on the precipice of its great maw, neither consumed outright nor safe from the great depths of the immaterium. The system of Scythius was one such place.
Before the destruction of Cadia, and the gapping mouth ripped into reality itself by Abaddon and his 13th Black Crusade, Scythius Prime was the outstanding jewel of the system, a shrine world that garnered praise from all sides of the Ecclesiarchy for its ostentatiousness and the sheer number of bodies who travelled there on pilgrimages. On its golden back sat the Fortress Monastery of Heliomos, home to the Hand of Penitence Space Marine chapter, a chapter that emulated the religious vigour seen elsewhere on the world. They had many rituals that seemed unsound to those who fought alongside them, the best known being the Invocation of Blood. Here, a Marine could spend days at a time repenting their perceived sins to one of the many statues of the almighty God-Emperor, himself surrounded by untold numbers of sculpted saints and holy figures, through the act of self-flagellation. But the ceremonies the marines upon this world enacted are not of import to this story, for this is a tale about how even the most righteous can fall in the darkest of circumstances.
@youwashock, thanks! I've had this concept floating around in my head long before this campaign was set in motion (I think even before the first Badab War X campaign too), but had no real motivation to start it. Thankfully this is the perfect opportunity to put in a load of effort into these guys, or at least I think so. I'm quite pleased with how the holstered combi-bolter turned out, but I feel it might stick out a bit too much. The problem was trying to figure out where to put it to keep the model WYSIWYG. It was really either there or on the ground, and I think that would have looked a load worse.
@tinfoil, thanks! Any your wish is my command!
I've done very little else on Warp Chef Andreyhimnir bar giving him an undercoat, so nothing really to see there. I have done up his base, but I think it'll be better to see that as part of the whole (although I'm quite pleased with the outcome as I'm really trying to step up my game in that regard). However, I have started on the Terminator squad, this time using a combination of the Blight Kings and Chaos Terminator kit. I was a bit worries as to the outcome as the first model was quite heavily based on other conversions, whereas I have yet to see anyone actually do what I'm doing here (although feel free to show me differently).
This first guy was essentially a concept study in combining the two kits, but also in learning how to fatten up a face. Here I'm using the face of the old Chaos Lord in Terminator Armour. Part-way though making his neck-flaps and jiggly-jowls, I figured it might be a fun idea to convert up a lot of the classic heads into these fatter versions, just to see how obvious the original head is. So if you can think of any other generic bare heads that seem like proper classics (without being incredibly old and under-detailed), please tell me as I think it would be fun to do!
Anyway, enough about future plans, we're here to see models, right? Right!
Terminator 1 WIP front
Terminator 1 WIP back
The areas that look a bit lighter as simply where the GS is, as the mix was slightly different to that of the first model.
Feel free to leave comments and feedback as it can be invaluable (and also I like getting my ego stroked )
Thanks!
Chapter II
The day was drawing to a close, the young star setting, and night breaking its way across the golden steeples covering the landscape. Fames Hugar, Lord High Master of the Hands of Penitence, yawned, an act usually unseen amongst the Adeptus Astrates. But he was tired, as he and his fleet had just returned home after many years keeping the horrors of the universe at bay, and whilst he knew he would have to repent for it later, he allowed himself to rest after so many days of fighting. As he left the stained glass of the windowed balcony near the top of Heliomos and walked into his sparse room, he thought of the many other Lord High Masters who had called this place home over the millennia, reminiscing about his ascension to the title himself. It was a sad moment at the time, for the previous Lord had died not two Terran weeks before his promotion, yet he was prepared for the eventuality, having been groomed for the role shortly after becoming High Master of the first company. However, that was centuries ago now, and right now all he longed for was to slumber and rest his beaten bones.
But the universe he had spent so long defending had other ideas...
@youwashock, thanks! A wee bit of research went a long way with the face. Originally I just had a go at it without really thinking, and it looked pretty bad. However, a quick google showed that fat around the face is essentially just like a beard, resting in most of the same areas. So, all I did was make a big smooth GS beard, and it seems to have done the job pretty well!
Next on the list is the standard bearer for the Terminator squad. Yeah, I might have accidentally forgotten to add that to the list, but there's an Icon of Excess in the squad. I've also changed the weapon options on the guy, giving him the combi-bolter and giving the combi-plasma to the lightning claw guy. No real reason for the latter change, just felt like it.
On to the model itself. This guy was a bit tricky as it uses the body for the Icon Bearer from the Putrid Blightkings. Unfortunately this guy comes with a chest plate, which is something I'm really trying to avoid with these guys as that'll definitely make them look too Nurgle-y. Fortunately there was a spare bare chest, so a bit (read: a lot) of GS work later and it's mostly blended in! He has ended up being about a forehead taller than the last guy, but he's about the same height as the Sorcerer, so it's grand. I know there's one more guy with an easy bare torso (he'll actually have an apron, so that's pretty handy). However, there are two others with parts of armour on them. One with his back covered and one with an entire breastplate. Hopefully I'll have a solution by the time I get there
The banner is from the old Bretonnian Knights kit. There'll be a little bit of medieval/fanstasy aesthetic sprinkled throughout the force, although this'll mostly be seen in the paint job/bases. That said, I enjoy the look of the banner as it adds something somewhat different to the army I feel.
Terminator 2 WIP front
Terminator 2 WIP back
Really love hearing from you guys, so feel free to give any and all feedback!
Thanks!
Chapter III
To try to describe the sound of reality being torn asunder, of a great maw opening above an entire system, of the abyss so many have stared at for so long finally staring back, is a fruitless task. Suffice to say that it was unbearably agonising on both the body and soul of the occupants of the Scythius system, as mere moments after the rupture of the Great Rift, thousands upon thousands of people who had not died from shock alone took their own lives to try to end their suffering. Within a few minutes, Scythius Prime had lost nearly two million individuals, only those of the strongest will surviving the terrible ordeal. But the events to follow would test even their resolve to the very limits, and beyond.
Shortly after the Opening, as it was quickly being called, it was discovered that neither ship nor astropathic message could make it through the surrounding warp storms, making resupply for food and water entirely impossible. The Hands of Penitence were able to keep the populace of the largest hive cities sated for a while, but as food ran low, riots started to break out in the lower levels, gradually crawling their way up the hive to areas that had almost never seen conflict in the millennia-long history of the planet. Soon, the PDF, Adeptus Arbites, and even the Astartes themselves had to set about stopping these riots through fear of escalation, imprisoning many and resorting to killing the very people they swore to protect when events became obstreperous.
And now I will be looking for a way to work the term "meatbeard" into a conversation.
Another great model. Good call with the banner. The clean, geometric lines make for a good contrast to the bulky, organic bodies. I don't know how much of it is intentional, but this model has a lot of weight to it. Not just the gut, but the mace, even the banner. It all has a nice feeling of weight.
@youwashock, mmm... meatbeard... Thanks for the compliments though. I hadn't even considered the contrast between the geometric banner and the organic flesh, but I can certainly see what you mean. As for the weight, again that was unintentional, but I can see what you mean! I think a lot of that comes from the pose of the original Blight King, although the legs to change the dynamic somewhat.
Quick wee update today. No new models, but I've done the first bit of painting on these guys. Specifically, I wanted to test out skin tones as I want something that is sickly, representing the effects of obesity on the body, without being entirely Nurgle, which is a big thing I want to keep away from because of how easy it would be to fall into that trap. One of my big inspirations was PDH's Planetary Governor Daven Kel-Rosber, which has obvious blemishes and looks unhealthy without being bright green as you'll all too often see if googling 'how to paint unhealthy skin tones'. Hopefully I've emulated it without being a straight copy.
Just to be clear, only the skin and head is done on this model. The areas around it are either just undercoated white or have been coloured by excess colour from the skin.
Warp Chef Andreyhimnir Paint WIP
As always, feel free to leave any and all feedback
Thanks!
Chapter IV
‘This cannot go on like this’, Andreyhimnir, the Chief Librarian, called out at the gathering. ‘The people stave, the planet’s prisons are full, and we kill our own.’
He was right. He was always right with these sorts of things. How can I claim to lead a chapter of Marines when I cannot even keep this planet safe from itself? But what do I do? I had hoped this gathering would help, but my fears have only been made true in the eyes of those who trust me.
‘We shall send another ship out.’ I say in the hopes it will alleviate the worry.
‘Another? That will be the third this week. We will not have any left at this rate when the storms finally do becalm.’
High Chaplain Liberus is always so full of confidence for our future. But even I can see how gaunt his features have become after months with near no food since the Opening. We gave so much to the people, to help them first, as we believed our physiology could stave off the hunger for long enough, but it even now reaches into our bodies and tears away our strength.
‘This will be different. We will send the Esuriis Throne.’
Gasps. I knew there’d be gasps, even amongst my brothers. It was no light matter to send the chapter’s flagship, but I knew it would be the best chance we could have of breaking out of this prison we had so long ago been forced into.
‘Of all the ships we have, the Esuriis Throne has the best chance of breaking through. We all here know this, so to deny the order is to deny our greatest hope of survival’.
But what about those starving now? Who said that. It must have been someone in the back. There were nearly one hundred of my fellow brothers in this chamber, so it was easy to not see who was talking.
‘Yes, what shall we do to alleviate the famished masses?’ Andreyhimnir parroted the hidden voice, and with a low grunt was backed up by Liberus.
The prisoners and the dead. They could eat the prisoners and the dead Yes.
No.
It was an awful idea, but with the prisons full, the graves over encumbered, and hundreds dying each day due to starvation, what other choice was there? The Astra Militarum already feeds its troops corpse starch, itself made from the dead. And we Astartes will sometimes readily eat the flesh of the fallen enemies to gain knowledge. So long as the population doesn’t find out, what harm could it do?
But no. It’s wrong. We cannot do something like that. I’m sure I can come up with something better. I just need time to think. This hunger is fogging my mind. I need space to clear my head. And why do my brothers look at me strangely now?
‘Lets us adjourn. I need time to think.’ And with that, I left to think about what the future would hold.
@Theophony, I only choose the most beautiful people to draw inspiration from Thanks!
@youwashock, honestly, that was an accident that came more from me doing multiple layers of different colours that were a bit too thinned down. But it works!
Unsurprisingly, if you've followed any of my other threads, I've been a bit quite this past wee while. But not because I was doing nothing. No, in fact it is the complete opposite! I've been working away at Andreyhimnir for the past week or so, on and off, and now he's finished! Quite pleased with how hes turned out, but I definitely feel I could do with working on my filigree. It's a bit all over the place without any real consistency. Hopefully buying a paint that's the correct colour rather than constantly mixing the colour should help with that. Now, on to the pictures!
Warp Chef Andreyhimnir Front
Warp Chef Andreyhimnir Left
Warp Chef Andreyhimnir Right
Warp Chef Andreyhimnir Back
Now, unfortunately the photos don't really show off the colour properly, so just pretend that it looks a bit different in real life I do have a video that shows off the colour a load more like it actually is, but I've no idea how I'd be able to post that here As you can see with the base I'm going for something a bit brighter than I have previously. I really like the classic fantasy aesthetic, so I want it to be somewhat like a mid-to-late summer/autumn look. Still figuring it out, so I'm open to suggestions
But now he's done, only 5 more to go! And then another 2 characters! And then a Knight! And then the Daemon Prince counts-as! Phew, still a long way to go.
As always, I'm open to all sorts of feedback.
Thanks!
Chapter V
In the depths of every Fortress Monastery, there are books that not even the Chief Librarian is supposed to read, for they contain the dark majicks of the Universe. Evil powers that should never be called upon and are locked away in the deepest holds of the strongest fortresses purely to keep them from the reaches of those who mean foul. But rarely, in times of need so great that even the darkness must be called upon, the Librarians of the Chapter may quest down into the gloom to find use of the unusable. For Andreyhimnir and his conclave, and for the Hands of Penitence Chapter as a whole, this was one of these times. Food had run so scarce that mothers would trade one child so that another may have a single mouthful. Marines were starting to starve to death, and two of the seven hive cities on the planet had fallen into cannibalistic ways, with their populations already dwindling to maddened flesh-hunters. None of the ancient texts had ways to alleviate the hunger felt by all on the planet, and Hugar had given leave to Andreyhimnir to search the forbidden texts to find something, anything, that could help. It was the last hope before Hugar finally gave way to the idea of feeding the dead to the dying.
What felt like days passed as the libraius conclave trekked their way down, further than any of the individuals had gone before. Ancient doorways opened up into even more ancient halls, and in the pits of the monastery they finally came across the holds of manuscripts that had not been read for many thousands of years, and had not been expected to be read ever again. It was in these texts that a young Epistolary by the name of Famiuos discovered a ritual that would change the flesh of a being, bringing more substance into existence by transferring it from the warp. Surely this could be what the mission had sought after many days and nights of exploration. With hope for survival finally on the horizon, the conclave returned to the upper levels of Heliomos to test the new spells they had discovered.
@youwashock, thanks! That's sort of what I was aiming for, and I can also say that the slight off-ness of the freehand due to my skill level is actually totally intentional as it represents that off-ness of those who follow Slaanesh
@Fifty, thanks! Whilst I know purple can be seen as a somewhat sickly colour, representing bruises etc, I used it because it has a close link to Slaanesh in the 40k universe (i.e. it' the Emperor's Children colours). Obviously the freehand takes it one step further, and hopefully keeps the warband somewhat separate from the EC whilst carrying over the same themes and connotations the colour purple gives rise to in this context.
Lets keep it short and sweet. Here's the third guy of the squad. His equipment is a reaper autocannon and a power sword. Getting the autocannon into the correct pose was a bit of a pain as the terminator arm holding it was at the complete wrong angle (something I noticed only after looking at the two-handed power armour autocannon). Also the bare arm holding the front of the gun was awkward to blend in, so hopefully it looks grand to yous.
Terminator 3 WIP front
Terminator 3 WIP back
I feel I'm starting to somewhat understand fatty flesh a bit more as each model goes along, which it both kinda disgusting but also fun.
Feedback is welcome as always
Thanks!
Chapter VI
They brought me a rat. I sent them down to find a solution to our problems and all they brought me is a rat. It has been nearly a full rotation since the maw above up opened, millions, if not billions, have died. The Esuriis Throne has yet to return a hail in months. And I’m supposed to entertain the idea that a rat is our saviour.
‘I’ve heard your request to show me what you have discovered, but please don’t waste my time with this. Pray tell how a single rat shall solve a worlds hunger.’
I see the dirty look he’s giving me. He thinks he can hide it, but I’ve seen his disgust in me long ago. Let’s watch as he plays the jester in this time of grief, laughing at me with his rat. His lousy rat.
‘Your time is of the utmost importance, I fully understand this my Lord. But this is something that needs to be seen to be believed’.
Andreyhimnir and his minions start to chant. I never did trust their kind. Always looking beyond the veil, believing they know more than us.
But what’s this? The rat. It’s, well, it’s changing. It’s growing. Twice the size, no thrice! Even more so. I cannot help myself but stand up in awe and glee. Have our prayers to the immortal Emperor been heard? Have we finally found a way out of this hateful state we’ve found ourselves in for so long?
It takes time, but after a short while the rat is now the size of a grox. It has become a hideous beast, its fur coming out in splotches, neither eye the same size, and teeth the length of a man’s arm. But it is beautiful too, as it finally shows some hope that there will be an end to this eternal hunger. Before it has a change to move, one of the epistolaries cuts its head off, killing the creature instantly. With a small blade, a slice of meat is cut from the body, glistening with succulence. This alone would be a feast for a normal man, but it is a hearty meal for a space marine. The same epistolary hands me the slice and I bite into it, having nearly forgotten the taste of non-recycled food. By the Emperor it is delicious.
@youwashock, haha, thanks! And don't worry. In the upcoming feature length film about these guys, every time he fires his autocannon it'll be in super slo-mo, just to capture every last ripple of his flesh I'll chuck in an extra shot just for you
I'm on to the penultimate model for this squad, and also the half-way point of the army (in terms of model count)! This guy was a bit trickier than the last few because I've run out of unarmoured backs! Two of the models in the Blightking kit have to be built either full in armour, or partially so. However, the armour they have is far too Nurgle-y for me, even if I was to remove all the symbols and fill in the hole. Therefore I did the only logical thing and made a back from scratch! It was not easy, but it also wan't quite as difficult as I expected. Fortunately the other models were great sources of inspiration. The only real issue is that this model has no strap, making the flesh seem a bit bland, having nothing to break it up. Have a look for yourself and see what you think.
Terminator 4 WIP front
Terminator 4 WIP back
It shouldn't be too difficult to tell that this guy is equipped with a lightning claw and combi-plasma, which I'm sure you'll realise is not the original plan for him. However, with the power maul guy getting the Icon of Excess, I thought it was better to give this guy the slightly more interesting weapon. Fortunately the Aspiring Champion shall keep the same equipment, although I have a nice wee idea to give him that extra something special that all leaders need.
As always, please feel free to give feedback and whatnot.
Thanks!
Chapter VII
The spell was hurriedly taught to every libraries member who could learn it, and soon tides of food left the Heliomos in anything that could carry it. Massive feasts were held throughout the hive cities, gorging on the newfound food with a joyousness that hadn’t been felt in over a year. Finally, the people knew what it was to no longer be hungry.
But over this pleasure hung the heavy head of fear, for there still seemed to be no way out of the warp storms, and no word was heard from the outside. The darkest days seemed behind them, but there was still a long way to go before the Scythius system could return to normal.
@youwashock, ask and you shall receive... well, after I waffle about the next guy
With the previous guy done, the only real course of action was to go onto the next guy. And surprise surprise, that's exactly what I did! With this being the Aspiring Champion, I wanted him to be slightly more ostentatious, so you'll note that he has a bit extra going on (ie holding a head), as well as the fancies armour and some 'traditional' Slaaneshi trappings (ie the strap going through his nipple!). It also seems to be the case that all the higher ranking characters are allowed hair
Just like the last guy, his entire back had to be sculpted, which was a slight pain, especially since I wanted to continue the strap that was already on the chest I used. As such, it took a few days to make so as to allow the GS time to dry, thus allowing the strap to be a shed load easier t put on.
I should also note that this guy will unfortunately be the penultimate 'fat-marine' in the army, although the very last guy will be something else... (hopefully, assuming I don't bugger it up completely ). The Chaos Lord of the force is actually not going to be one of the fat-marines due to his lore being somewhat diverged from the rest. But I obviously can't leave him unconverted, so hopefully some good inspiration hits soon so I know where I'm taking him. Anyhoos, onto todays model, the Aspiring Champion for the Terminator squad, equipped with a chainfist and combi-flamer
Aspiring Champion Terminator WIP front
Aspiring Champion Terminator WIP back
And now, what you've all be asking for (and by 'all', I mean 'youwashock' ), the squad photo!
Terminator Squad WIP
I've had these guys bouncing around in my head for a good while, so it's awesome to see them realised. I wouldn't say they're exactly how I imagined them thanks to complications and inspirations when actually making them, but I'm more than happy with how they ended up and I can't wait to see them all painted up and sitting beside the Sorcerer (or the whole finished army for that matter!). But if I had it all done already, then what would I have to write to you lovely lot about?
As always, I'd love to hear your comments, criticism, ideas, wildest fantasies, darkest secrets, whatever.
Thanks!
Chapter VIII
There was something strange happening. Hugar had eaten more than his fill of the meat, but there as something missing. He was sated, yet still felt hungry. Maybe the rat-thing did not have the nutrients needed to sustain a full Astartes physique. He felt he might have to ask the Andreyhimnir and his librarians to try the spell on something else as well. Something bigger. Something with more sustenance. But for now he would keep eating the rat-thing. Maybe enough of it would fill him. Maybe it wouldn’t
Maybe it wouldn’t. He’d need something more. He’d need to be at his peak to properly focus on the problems at hand. His hunger needed to end so he could focus on more important tasks.
‘Andreyhimnir’, he called into the vox system sitting in his room, ‘I must request your company to help further fix our predominant issue’.
It was weird. Speaking seemed so different somehow. He had gotten used to his frail frame that he must have forgotten what it was like to have a healthy body. Surely that was the only explanation.
Woot for the group photo. They are quite a sight. Loving the A. Champ. The mustache-into-meatbeard look is fantastic. It is always an awesome feeling to bring an idea into reality. Even more so when you have done so successfully.
tarar2d2 wrote: And now, what you've all be asking for (and by 'all', I mean 'youwashock' ), the squad photo!
I'll have you know I've been aggressively lurking as well
Really enjoying the project, that squad shot is great. Dig the paint on the warp chef, super fancy armor against pale flesh makes for great contrast. At some point I was going to say something about the chef's weird bolter sheath, compared to the standard bearer's better looking straps, and how you could maybe mount it clips-out instead of clips-down, keeping it tighter against his chubby body instead of poking out so far ... but frankly whatever
Looking forward to the even bigger things coming! Way to buck the meta and just make a tiny, hyper-elite-but-not-like-you'd-expect Chaos army.
@youwashock woot indeed. The A. Champ honestly kinda reminds me of a bandanna-less Hulk Hogan, but I'm not entirely complaining about that
@Boss Salvage, haha! I knew my callout would make a lurker rise I'm joking, as I'm a well seasoned lurker myself so I know there are probably a good few other out there looking through this stuff. Thanks for the compliment on the painting though! As for the sheath, that does make a lot more sense It's probably a bit too late now, and whilst I'd say I'd change it for the next guy, I don't think there will be one. As for bucking the meta, I'm doing so because I know how hilariously slow I am as a painter (and in the hobby in general), so having only 10-15 models in a 1.25k army is the only way to make it viable to be completed.
I have a small surprise in store for you lot. Something that wasn't part of the original list, but was always part of the plan. You see, if you've read the far-too-much-lore I've written, you'll notice that this army has a reason for being so fat, and that's because they create and eat chaos spawn. And wouldn't you know it, there's a psychic power that Chaos Space Marines have that has the potential to create a chaos spawn. Granted it requires killing a character, but one of the other players in this campaign has 7 of them (based of characters from a Black Crusade RPG a bunch of us played a while back). So although in most cases getting a spawn with Gift of Chaos (the aforementioned psychic power) is unlikely, with this campaign there's a slightly higher chance. So obviously I needed one (or two)! And double surprise, I have one of the fully painted and based already! (I had him finished on Thursday/Friday last, but real life prevented me from having the time to upload a proper post with pictures and whatnot)
With this first one, I give all naming rights over to you, so go wild!
Chaos Spawn front
Chaos Spawn right
Chaos Spawn left
Chaos Spawn back
This guy was a load of fun to paint, especially since it finally gave me an excuse to use this wonderful tutorial by the endlessly talented Kari Hernesniemi. Granted I didn't have half the paints (or really any of them), but I was able to work with what I had to somewhat emulate the amazing look achieved by Kari. I'm particularly happy with the small liver spots dotted around the place.
As for the second one, I think I already have a name for it. Meet Sawn-1C the Chaos Spawn (Or maybe spawn-ic? It'll make sense, don't worry)
Sawn-1C front
Sawn-1C back
I'm usually opposed to pop-culture references in other settings as I find it can be somewhat lacking in imagination. But at the same time, part way through sticking all the spikes on this spawn's back I couldn't get the sonic theme out of my head I think I might add a bit of blue to this spawn's colour palette just to further make the connection, but keep it retrained enough to have it appear to be more due to the horrible and agonising mutations the poor creature that this thing originally was went through.
Unfortunately no update on any painting for the squad, who are still sitting there in grey-and-green, lacking even an undercoat. Maybe one day my love for converting will be overtaken by my love for painting, but today is not that day.
As always, feel free to leave comments and the likes (or keep on aggressively lurking )
Thanks!
Chapter IX
Andreyhimnir entered the room. It was difficult to see, as none of the normal candles were lit. Hugar had been hidden in his room for nearly a week now, the only ones seeing him being the servants who brought him his food. Andreyhimnir accepted that he needed time to regain his composure. It was something he’d seen many of the other marines do shortly after the first spell, when food was finally plentiful. Plus, it had given him time to perfect the incantation, and to practice away from prying eyes.
He wandered deeper into the chamber, seeking out Hugar after his request. A low gurning noise was coming from the back corner, sounding like the heaving breaths of a dying Ambull. As Andreyhimnir came closer, he noticed the outline of what could only be described as a hulking blob of a creature. Sure not. Surely this couldn’t be –
‘Hunger’, it cried out from its fat filled lips, ‘I hunger Andreyhimnir. The rats are not enough. Bring me more. Bring me something more.’
It was. This thing was what had become of Hugar over the last few days. But it was not horror that Andreyhimnir felt. In fact, quite the opposite. He felt pride. Pride that his efforts were not in vain, and that he had indeed feed those he had sought to feed. But he also felt it too. The rats weren’t enough. Thankfully his time had not been wasted, his tests on other, more questionable creatures were coming to fruition, and he would soon be able to fulfil his Lord high Master’s request.
Fantastically yucky. The skintones again are wonderfully distressed. The model itself is great, and Number 2 looks to be more of the same. Awesome pair. Hopefully they get brought into being several times.
@youwashock, thanks! I've been finding out that more people are bringing loads of characters, so I might get them out more often that I first thought!
No real introduction to this guy, it's just the second spawn now finished. I used what I had learnt from the first one and made minor alterations to have them appear ever-so-slightly different enough that they are definitely not the same creature, but close enough so they look part of the same mini-universe so-to-speak (does that make sense? Basically I like to keep techniques for certain colours consistent throughout an army so they match each other even if the overall scheme is different. This mainly comes back to metals and cloth).
Spawn II front
Spawn II right
Spawn II left
Spawn II back
As always, please feel free to leave comments and whatnot.
Thanks!
Chapter X
As Andreyhimnir strode through the monastery, he caught glimpses of marines devouring large pieces of raw meat. Meat that he and his fellow librarians had brought into existence. As he watched, he felt more like the head chef than the chief librarian, but it brought joy to see those consuming his work. And what work did he have planned. He had brought fourth a number of different creatures he had enhanced to Hugar, yet after only days of feasting on their flesh he still lacked the sustenance he needed. This time, however, Andreyhimnir felt he finally had it. Yes, he’d gone from seeking a solution, to a morally grey area, to this, but it was all worth it.
The human he had selected had been nondescript. No one in the hives would miss another body. Gathering his acolytes, he enacted the ritual he had done so many times before. As agonising squelches, the sounds of breaking and reforming bone, and hideous screams of torture washed over the librarian, he knew that it would be enough, for what else could there be? He waddled his way up the fortress, his own body becoming an obese parody of its once fit self. Arriving at the door to his Lord’s chamber, he let himself in, to a sight that now only brought him joy. Lord Hugar a mound of gibbering skin and fat. His two servants, their thick robes covered in the blood from the previous meals, were pouring food into his mouth. Nothing seemed to fill him now, but that was good.
Laying the new morsel in front of his master, Andreyhimnir left to continue his practices, hopeful that he had done enough, but already thinking of the next steps if he hadn’t. Ideas that were once too heretical to even consider were freely springing into his mind. The next few days would be exciting indeed.
Looks good. The cluster of eyes is the first read, and almost seems cute. Like something from Monsters, Inc. Then you see the tentacles and claws and spikes and realize it's a murder machine. The bases for these two are quite good, as well. The flowers make for a nice contrast to the beasties.
Another lurker here too. The marines are coming together nicely, and they’re certainly unique! Love the mottled skin you’ve greates, looks nice and chaosy. Those spawns look good too, though i was hoping spawnic would have more blue! Oh the hours I lost to that hedgehog!
@youwashock thanks! And spawns are totally cute. As for the bases, I'm really trying to bring out a classic fantasy vibe in them. The sort of aesthetic you think of when someone talks about Bretonnia or old Arthurian legends. Toussaint from the Witcher 3 was also a big inspiration, the bright colours contrasting the dark stories.
@gobert thanks! For the spawn's skin I did try to add some more blue, but it just ended up a darker, more grey skin tone that wasn't entirely great. So unfortunately no blue spawn
A small update, but one that shows the start of something bigger. I'm actually starting on the squad! So far I only have the skin for one of them done, but that just means all I have left to do is the legs, one arm, and weapon! Granted I find skin a load easier than anything else, but ah well.
Terminator 1 WIP
I tried to emulate the stretched skin I had with the first guy, but honestly I have no idea how I did it I'll try to aim to have this guy done by the end of the week, but who knows if I'll be able to stick to that (damn you real life!)
Thanks!
Chapter XI
Hunger
Hunger
Always hunger. That’s nearly all I feel anymore. My life, my past, my cause, all now drifts slowly away. Who was I before the hunger? Hunger
Yes. No. Hugar. Hunger. That is who I am. I must eat.
@youwashcok, thanks! So far we've had people calling the last guy themselves, and now this guy is Kingpin. I wonder who'll be next... As for the hint of vein, I'm so happy you noticed that! I really wanted to try to get that effect, and I basically painted it how it would be in real life, with the skin on top of the vein (well, technically just the final highlight for the skin, but semantics).
So the end of the week was maybe a bit overly confident for me But hey, he's done, and now there's only 4 left for this squad. And then another two human sized characters. And then another 3 very large minis...
I haven't really got much lore specifically for this guy, so I'd love some ideas! Preferably something to do with eating, fatness, gluttony, you get the idea. Are there any old deities that championed such unhealthy living? Or maybe someone you know irl that could do with loosing a few more pounds Or should I just cheat and use what youwashock said, calling him Wilsonius Fyssk . Regardless, I'm sure yous are far more interested in seeing the model than anything else, so here you go!
Terminator 1 front
Terminator 1 right
Terminator 1 left
Terminator 1 back
I went a bit lighter on the freehand-filigree stuff as I wanted it to be less intricate than the character model. The reason for this is two-fold. First off, he's a lower rank, so he'll obviously have less fancy stuff. It's a well known 40k fact that the higher the rank you are, the more fancy stuff you have. The second reason is that it means he's that wee bit easier to paint, making the full squad less of a chore.
Suffice to say I'm happy with how he turned out, but I'd love to hear your feedback so the next guy can be that wee bit better.
Thanks!
Chapter XII
It was unthinkable what he was about to do, but it had to be done. Brother Balutt was not a willing subject, but then neither were the previous ones. Andreyhimnir’s coven strapped him down, dark iron clasps holding him in place, a rope tied round his mouth to stop the screams from interrupting the process. It took longer this time, but gradually his already immense frame was warped into something hideously massive. A mountain of flesh that would feed Hugar for days on end, if not months. But something was off. The meat was not correct. The time it had spent lazing around, guzzling down foodstuffs had left it far too fatty. It needed to exercise to regain the muscle mass it had lost. It needed to roam free amongst the people of Scythius Prime. It needed to graze on their flesh and chew on their bones.
With the thought in his head, Andreyhimnir let loose the mutated creature, for it was certainly no longer a space marine, and watched as it ravaged the lands near the fortress. Humans, too fat themselves to flee the oncoming mass of tissue, were eaten up in massive mouthfuls, giant jaws appearing from the newly bread monster purely to consume, before disappearing again beneath the mountain of meat. For six days Andreyhimnir let the beast roam, before finally hunting it down and retrieving the body so that his Lord could partake in the consumption of it.
The meat-thing was slowly hauled up to Hugar’s chamber, its mass making it impossible for it to be carried by the chapter serfs. When it finally arrived, only the Lord High Master could match it for its mass, he himself having grown immeasurably over the past days and weeks. Saliva and blood ran down his cheeks, pooling around the naked stomach folds that covered his feet. There veiled serfs, newly appointed feeders to the great Hunger, sliced away at the flesh with curved blades. Slowey at first, the flesh was squeezed down the hungering orifice of a mouth, suckling the juices that flowed freely from the sickly-sweet meat. It took a day for the first slice to be guzzled down, and another for the next. But on the third day, the feeders reached the centre of the once-marine, where upon they found the mutated geneseed of the once-marine. This would be a delicacy like no other. This required celebration.
@youwashock, thanks, that's exactly the reaction I was going for And it appears you've named him too, Brother Fysskus! As for the large minis, I've got a Giant Chaos Spawn (I'm thinking of using the Mutalith Vortex Beast as a base, but removing the giant vortex on its back and adding more spawn-y bits), a Chaos Knight (who I plan to make all ghost-y as it's a manifestation of an ancient battle pulled forth from the Warp by a tecno-occultist Hellwright (and yes, I was inspired by Aaron Dembski-Bowden's Ragged Knight from the The Talon of Horus novel)), and a counts-as Daemon Prince who will be the mortal leader of the Warband, known as 'The Great Hunger' (I have exciting plans for this fella, but I sort of want to keep him a surprise )
As appears to be customary now, here's the WIP shot of the next guy with his skin and face done. Not quite sure how he got so fat with that mask on, but I'm not going to ask him
Terminator 2 WIP
The photo's maybe not the best as you can nearly see too much detail. Irl he works a bit better as all the bumps and things blend in with the rest of the belly. Not to mention his odd shape makes it hard to find a good angle to photograph him at. Hopefully the final photos will show him off in a bit of a better light.
Comments, criticism, and the likes are welcome as always!
Thanks!
Chapter XIII
A feast like no other. Mountains of meat, bone, gristle, anything that could be ate, were placed before the marines, themselves a blown-up parody of their once noble selves. The air heavy with the sickly-sweet aroma of sweat and bodily fluids. Every member of the once proud chapter gorging themselves on whatever they could reach, which all too often included those serving them. At the head of a mighty table sat Hunger, for that was now his name. No longer did the Lord High Master of the Hands of Penitence exist, replaced nearly entirely with an immense body of stretched skin and layers of fat. As the feast came to a head, the greatest modicum of food arrived on a golden platter carried by Andreyhimnir, the self-proclaimed Warp Chef. The warped geneseed of the once Brother Balutt. It stunk of a deep, penetrating sulphur, with long, thin, black veins covering the outside of the wet and oily morsel. The rest of the gluttonous feast stopped what they were eating, focused solely on the tray that carried the seed. That is, apart from the great Hunger, who continued his consumption uninterrupted. When the platter finally arrived in front of the obesity, the serpentine-faced feeders raised the moist flesh above his head in their clawed hands,
‘Praise Him for bringing us this delicacy’, Andreyhimnir exclaimed as the feeders held aloft the oozing mass, his voices a nauseating wet mess. Spittle leaked from the sides of his mouth.
‘With this we enter a new age of the Chapter. No longer will we be the Hands of Penitence, for that name no longer fits. From now until the end of days we shall be the Feast Eternal!’
An almighty roar from nearly a thousand voices cried out in ravenous glory, each knowing that soon they too will partake in the consumption of such a precious food. But at this moment, the feast was about Hunger, and so it would be him who took the first bite of the warp-rotted geneseed.
For all the ceremony surrounding the feast itself, Hunger simply consumed the geneseed as part of the next handful of food, not caring that this crossed an unthinkable line in the sands of time. And whilst the Chapter had already fallen so far, it was only after the consumption that things fully changed.
The genesis of this, both model and fluff-wise, has been awesome. The new guy is looking, I want to say good, but wonderfully grotesque is probably better. For some reason I almost wish the left eye was blind. The right eye is staring so intently it would add that next level of off-ness for the other eye to be watery grey.
That’s one hell of a belly! As for how he got it, maybe the pipe isn’t for respiration but instead feeds his insatiable hunger!? Looking forward to see how this one comes out
@youwashock, thanks for saying that I had a quick read of your comment regarding the guy's eye, and I realised you were entirely right. For a start, the less-intense eye was a bit off anyway, and whilst this'll undoubtedly be something that will never really be looked at (ba dum tis), and something even I myself will probably forget, I decided to go with your suggestion. It adds just that wee bit more character to the model when you have a proper look at it, and is something you don't often see with Marines (if the art is anything to go by, about 40% of SoB members are blind in one eye. But Space Marines seem to have any damage immediately replaced with bionics).
@gobert, are you suggesting this guy sucks up food through a straw like Noo Noo from the teletobbies? Because that is now canon
If you're reading the replies you'll know already what this update is about. Literally nothing has changed regarding the majority of the model, but I added the smallest amount of white paint (and some wash) to his eye, so obviously that deserves its own whole post.
Terminator 2 WIP - eye change
So quick is this update that it won't even contain any new lore chapter. But that doesn't mean you can't leave comments and suggestions!
As ever, these updates are few and far between. I've always loved those threads where loads of people are engaging and collaborating to bring good ideas to great ones, and then those great ideas to life in a matter of days. But I'm well aware that I paint far too slow for that to ever be the case here. That said, I'm more than happy with my wee threads, and those who do engage always bring a touch of joy to my life every week I do post. Hopefully that didn't sound too sad, I'm just trying to bulk these things out a bit more than just 'here's the thing I painted'
Anyway, here's the thing I painted.
Terminator 2 front
Terminator 2 right
Terminator 2 left
Terminator 2 back
It's very hard to not just call this guy 'Bane' and be done with it With this guy done, it's only 3 more to go for the squad, and if I can do them a wee bit quicker that would be perfect (the game is sometime mid next year. Either April or July, I can't quite recall). However, I might be stuck for a bit before I can do the next one as I have something special and super secret on the table at the moment. I'd love to share what it is, but it's a gift to a friend and I believe they sometimes have a look at these threads of mine, so I don't want to spoil anything. However however, come the 7th(-ish) of December, the giftee will have their gift and I'll be sure to share away (even if it's not entirely suitable for this thread).
As always, keep on keeping on. Assuming that by 'keeping on' you mean sharing feedback.
Thanks!
Chapter XIV
Hunger
The fat fills my ears, I cannot hear what they say. Hunger
Has the Esuriis Throne returned? Hunger
Can we finally be free from this prison? Hunger
It’s true, I see it with my own eyes. Hunger
But who is this that comes with them? Hunger
I do not recognise these female forms. Hunger
But they caress me and feed me. Hunger
We can leave, but we must feed. Hunger
I am increasingly pumped to see the whole squad of these chubbernators together
Not-Bane looks a treat, banging plasma glow as noted. Only feedback I really have is that the chain of bullets is very one note (GOOOOOOOLD) and maybe could use more washing, but I also tend to drown in the details when it comes to CSM
@Roknar, thanks! I'd seen a few other gluttony themed Slaanesh models before, but it was always just one offs here or there. I really wanted to see what a full (ish) army of them would be like, and I could ask for no better reason to make them than the combination of all the new Chaos stuff and the campaign these guys will be used in.
@youwashock, "If I pull that mask off, will you die?" - "It would be extremely painful" - "You're a big guy" - "For yo... oh. I'm just big boned ". The plasma glow works better in the images than irl due to the slight blur. I tried to make the osl really realistic by only allowing it to land in a straight line from the source, but I made it too strong where it hits and accidentally made it less realistic as a result. As for the lore chapter, things will certainly start to change more now...
@Boss Salvage, it's still going to be a wee while yet. Even if I paint quickly and cut it down to a week per model (which is fast for me when there's no immediate deadline), that's still 3 more weeks. However, don't be disheartened, as they'll all be finished eventually. No drawer of unfinished projects in this thread! In regard to the bullets, the belt is painted brown, but it's quite close to the gold and there are gaps in it that let even more gold through. I can understand your point but , and might go back over the non-shell part with a silver to bear it up a bit.
@gobert, that's a lot more grimdark than Noo Noo and better fits the 40k universe. But then Noo-Noo Bane sounds hilarious, so it's difficult to decide between the two . Now, as for more fatty marines, the wait will be slightly longer than even the normally slow pace of this thread...
+++ REOPENING DATALOG 30-780658 +++
+++ PERFORMING CONNECTION RITES +++
+++/// CRITICAL ERROR \\\+++
+++ TRANSCRIPT INTERRUPTION +++
+++ RECALCULATING... +++
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+++ RECALCU ------
~ That's better ~
~ So terribly sorry to interrupt this living scroll, but I have news to you that cannot wait ~
~ Sigmarmas is in urgent need of a hero who will spread joy and happiness, and decimate the dark legions of Nagash ~
~ And I know of only one who fits that roll... ~
Ok, I can explain.
My friends and I have, for the past 3 years, held what we call 'Fake Christmas'. This is essentially an early Christmas just for the friends group, where we give each other gifts and eat way too much food. You know, the usual Christmas stuff. Well, this year as part of the Secret Santa, I had to get a gift for a friend who is planning to get into Age of Sigmar, specifically starting a Tempest Lords Stormcast army. So what better gift than a fully painted model with a converted head that (kinda) looks like him! Now, don't worry about this possibly spoiling the surprise for him, as we've already held Fake Christmas last Saturday, the 7th. He seemed quite pleased with the gift, and I'm really happy he liked it.
Here are a few more photos of different angles for you
Spoiler:
And here's on last photo with the gift I got him 2 years ago (that was the first Fake Christmas, before we expanded the number of people participating and changing to a Secret Santa deal rather than presents for everyone, hence why it's a smaller model)
I'm sorry for having no updates regarding the Slaanesh army at the moment, but I just wanted to share with you lovely people what else had taken up my time. Be sure to tune in next [insert long period of time] for an actual update on the army this thread is about!
That is so awesome. The painting in general is great, but all the little touches give so much more to like. The color scheme, the personalized head, the way the heraldry makes a smiley face. Love it.
@youwashock, thanks! The colours are just the normal ones for the specific Stormhost, the Tempest Lords. The head was a wee bit tricky as I used a 40k marine head, which meant re-sculpting one of the ears. As for the heraldry, I'm pretty certain it's the giftee's, but then there was only one image of heraldry that showed up when I googled their last name
@amazingturtles, thanks! Clearly the Gryph-chargers are just knock off Demigryphs And I'm glad you like the story telling. I'm obviously not going to win any prizes with it, but I do love having a go!
@Aestas, thanks! As I said to amazingturtles regarding the fluff, I'm not changing my dayjob, but I can't get better at it if I don't start somewhere!
------ LATING... +++
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+++ CONTINUE DATALOG 30-780658 +++
Surprise! I'm not dead! I'm just really good at procrastinating. Sure, I could argue that the reason there've been no updates is due to the holidays, but once you realise how little I've actually done, there's no real defending it on my part. Personally I always find it hardest to either start or restart something once I've been interrupted, so at the very least I'll use that as about as much an excuse as I can.
So shall we see what it took me a month and a half to do?
Terminator 3 WIP
His eyes are a bit janky I'll admit, but I do like how the jowls/meatbeard turned out. I really feels like it's stretching as the head turns.
And yeah, that's about it. Hopefully in the new year I'll be able to get a handle on the army and make some actual headway. I've got a deadline of mit-to-late April to hit at least.
As always, I love to hear your comments and criticism.
@gobert you'll have to give that compliment of genius to whomever first came up with my friend's heraldry! As for the meatbeard, thanks!
@youwashock, he's one of your favourites of the bunch? Well you might not be to pleased with what I have to show for today...
@Fifty, who's to say they don't support the late late 40k ancestors of Newcastle United F.C., The United Confederation of Castle Naeu F.C.
Maybe not the greatest news today. I've really fallen off the proverbial wagon when it comes to painting at the moment. I don't think there's any real reason for it, but most if not all motivation has been completely lacking in the paints department. I tried getting back into it a few times, but all I've been able to do since the last update was paint the purple sections, and even then not to completion. I have o doubt it'll eventually come back to me, but right now I really needed a change of pace to keep this project from stalling completely. And that's the last thing I want, with a deadline of the 18th April (well, maybe a day or two before that so I can pack them all up and fly over to England). So what to do in place of that? Well, I never get tired of building and converting, so I might as well do that!
I have a choice of 5 different models to pick from; a Giant Chaos Spawn, a Knight Desecrator, a Chaos Lord, a Chaos Hellwright, and my sort-of-counts-as Daemon Prince. With that said, the Knight requires bits from the kits I'm using for the Daemon Prince, so he's out. The Giant Chaos Spawn is easy enough to do, but I've basically just finished two other spawn, so maybe later. The concepts for the Lord and Hellwright are still under works in my brain, so they're not quite ready to see the light of day.
That leaves the Daemon Prince. I was sort of hoping to hold out on this guy for a while, as I think the idea I have is loads of fun and I wanted to have him built near the end as a treat. But, with me needing some of the bits and a pick me up to get back on the horse, he was sort of the best choice. Before showing you him, I feel I need to give a bit of background and whatnot. for a start, he's a mortal Space Marine, not a Daemon (never mind a Prince). However, he's the now-ex-Chapter Master of the lot, and with such a high ranking position, you better believe he puts the other fat Marines to shame. But how would such an immense character ever move around, let alone fight in battle? Well fortunately he had something made for just that reason, the Famine Throne. And it's this very throne that I've be building.
The Famine Throne front WIP
The Famine Throne back WIP
This is a combination of the Shadowspear Venomcrawler and a Bloodseeker Palanquin from AoS. So what still needs done? In general, the two kits need better integrated. In particular, I plan to add a load of GS cabling to hide the 'seam' between the two kits, plus convert up the two lesser Vampires on the original kit into two Daemonettes in front of a cauldron of food. Oh yeah, and add the Great Hunger himself at the back. He'll probably end up being 99% scratch-built, with maybe the face hands and feet having something as their base.
Overall there's still lots to do on this model (and the army in general). Hopefully this'll be the inspiration I need to keep up with this project and not let it disappear into the background like so many projects before.
I'd love to hear your comments, criticisms, ideas, anything really. Especially at this early stage, any clever ideas on how to bring this to the next level would be amazing.
Whoa. That's intense. Sorry to hear about the motivational slump. Hope it goes away soon.
The model has loads of promise. As to ideas, reading your plans immediately brought to mind the party scene in Conan in Thulsa Doom's pad, with the big cauldron full of unsavory soup. A few more attendants, Daemonette or otherwise could be cool, including one with a ladle. More cables/tentacles sounds like a good idea, and if you could lay hands on some of the Kroot rib-racks they would make awesome decorations.
The two kits sit together pretty well and the cabling would help loads to hide the join. The head hiding underneath the cauldron bothers me a bit though. If giving it a neck isn’t feasible, perhaps some OSL from lights mounted underneath the cauldron would stop it being lost? Oh and ladles and skewered eyeballs definitely need to be part of the (entrails?) feast! Looking forward to the meatbeardfest continuing, hopefully with a returned painting mojo!
Slumps are never much fun, I'm glad that you seem to be finding a way through it. I like that the bowl of... blood? really fits in as a bowl of whatever it might end up being.
@youwashock, thanks for the encouraging words, and I hope so too. But then again I'm enjoying what I'm using as the distraction The soup idea is pretty much exactly what I'm going for, although I think mine might be coloured a bit more like a, err... tomato soup... I've got the attendants added now too (just a headswap with the original lesser vampires), with one of the models interacting with the soup. I really like the Kroot food idea. I don't have any bits from that kit, but I'm sure I can muster something together that fits the same roll. I've a good few Chaos vehicle upgrade sprues, so more than enough meat hooks.
@gobert, I was amazed at how well they (sort of) went together. The curve of the Venomcrawler's back is pretty much the exact same as the curve under the seat/palanquin/thing. Granted I did cut away at the surfaces to make sure they fit even snugger. At the current stage giving it a longer neck isn't entirely feasible, but I entirely see what you mean about it getting lost. I'll definitely do something with the painting to bring it out a bit, but at the same time I don't want it taking too much attention away from what's on the top section. And thanks for the supportive words!
@amazingturtles, yeah they can be pretty bad, but then I've never been the most motivated when it comes to painting, so it's not the first time and it definitely won't be the last. Fortunately I adore building and converting models, so I'm never out of the hobby long! I really should try to get my painting group back together though. At the moment, the bowl is just the bowl of blood you get with the Bloodseeker Palanquin model. However, I plan to add a few tasty treats* bobbing around to make it something more (*treats are only tasty if you consider skulls, bones, and entrails tasty)
@Excommunicatus, thanks! And they love you too (or is that Nurgle's thing?)
By the Dark Gods do I love converting. And I love it even more when a model starts to truly come to shape in a way that you (at least partially) envisioned. I'll nearly be sad when it's time to stop working on this model, but then that just means I get to start working on the next one!
So, what to update you all on. Well, I've added most-if-not-all of the cabling to the back that ties the two kits together. There's still a fair amount of work left on this model, but the basic silhouette is there. It's a wee bit back heavy, but in that cute Labyrinth Junk Lady sort of way. I'm still thinking of adding a few bits to the front to even it out. The mechadendril that come with the Venomcrawler are certainly an option in this regard, but I want to make it a bit less 'Venomcrawler but with something on it's back', so I'm thinking of maybe replacing them with guns of some sort (the model's supposed to have guns if it's to be WYSIWYG after all). You can see the two attendants as I mentioned to youwashock, which are simply the lesser vampires that come with the Bloodseeker Palanquin with a headswap (an in one case an arm swap). They'll a beautiful couple of models, but holy warp if they're not fragile. I forgot how small things can be whilst working on my sweet fatboys. Each of their hands have individual fingers that I thought I was going to snap just by looking at them wrong (and there's still a chance of that, touch wood)! But they help put into context the eventual size of the main guy that'll be sitting in the nice cushioned area at the back.
Enough with the rambling, here's some pics. I've put most of them into a spoiler tag as the overall model is just so tall and I didn't want this page to break any Dakkadakka records on length
The Famine Throne WIP
Spoiler:
The Famine Throne front-ish WIP
The Famine Throne right WIP
The Famine Throne back WIP
The Famine Throne left WIP
As you can see there are a few other bits and bobs from the Bloodseeker Palanquin kit blu tacked on. They'll not be properly attached until the Great Hunger has been added in, bu he'll also be one of the last things done on this model.
As always, I love to hear what you guys have to say, so comment, criticise, feedback-ify away!
Thanks!
(I forgot to add some fluff to the last post. What can I say, it's been a while)
Chapter XVI
Him above all, the Patron of Gluttony, the Prince of Pleasure. Slaanesh. They had made their way onto the Esuriis Throne soon after the ship entered the warp, the storm strong enough to shatter the ship’s Gellar field. But rather than destroy the bodies and souls of those on board, as they had done so with every other ship that tried to leave, instead their beautifully repulsive equerries had made it their home, possessing the bodies of the crew so they may enter real space and observe the progress of their latest creation. The Feast Eternal was finally ready to be set upon the Imperium, consuming everything in sight to fill the ever-empty hole in their stomachs. Let the banquet begin.
@youwashock, thanks! It makes the whole thing a load stronger, although I have no plan on dropping this guy
@Boss Salvage, thanks! The Great Hunger is definitely going to be an imposing challenge, and I can already feel myself putting him off for a bit. I've never done a (nearly) full sculpt from scratch, so I'm hoping what I've learnt from the terminator squad will come in useful.
Help me Dakkadakka, you're my only hope! I've run into a bit of an impasse, and I'm hoping you guys might have some great ideas to help me get through. I'm currently looking at the front of the palanquin part, and I think it's too empty. The Bloodseeker Palanquin model does come with two half-skeletons that would normally fill this location, and whilst they look pretty cool, I want to try something else to make my model look a bit less than just two models stuck together.
As this is a bit different than my normal posts, I'm going to put all these pictures in spoilers just to keep the thread a bit cleaner looking.
First off, we have the front of the model itself. Here it is with the two skeletons blu tacked on. Note I haven't cleaned them up or attached the rest of their bits. This is really just to give you lot an idea of what it looks like normally.
Spoiler:
Now, my initial idea was to swap out the sword (and shield that isn't in the above pic) with some sort of banner.This would simply involve cutting the sword off, getting a new arm in place of the shield arm, putting a shaft through both hands, and then modelling a banner on the end. Here's a (really badly done in Paint) pic to give you an idea of what I was thinking.
Spoiler:
Not too difficult. However, I have no skeleton arms that match the size of the one already on the model, with all mine being too big.
An alternative idea was to just remove the skeleton completely and replace it with a freestanding banner, as show in this (also badly done in Paint) picture.
Spoiler:
However, I'm not sure how good that would actually look.
I'd love your input on this guys. It doesn't have to be a banner. Anything that you think would fit for the front of this model would be awesome to hear. Go wild with ideas. Suggest bits from all different kits, because I might just have that bit already and would have never thought to use it.
As for the rest of the model, it's still being worked on. At the moment it's just a lot of gap filling, but I've got the soup done, and I found a few bits from the Aleguzzler Gargant's kit that might just work as stored food, just as youwashock had suggested with the Kroot bits.
Are you not still putting the cauldron + chicks on the front? I actually think it looks fine in the earlier WIP that had them on it, or perhaps with the kit's front skeletons (the ones you're wrestling with) but armless torsos, to echo the other skeleton busts above it? So no swords or banners or arms, to block the view to the girls and the main man.
You could go without, and I think it would look fine, but the idea of the flowing pennants seems to fit in with the Slaanesh-y excess that you are going for. Have you considered splicing in spare Daemonette bodies, or maybe some of the Witch Elf/Khinerai/Melusai, if you can get them?
@Boss Salvage, don't worry, the Daemonettes and the cauldron are still being included. I just left them out of the photo as they're not glued in yet for ease of painting.
@youwashock so pretty great ideas there. Unfortunatly I don't actually have that much in the way of Daemonettes as the bits I have are from a pile of assorted bits I bought off someone else a while back. The two heads and arm are nearly all I have!
@gobert, thanks! Yep, that's the back of a Chaos terminator, but the part you think is string of beads is actually just a very badly made GS wire that I only realised didn't really work after I put it all together. I bought a new set of wire rollers and got a bit carried away. However, I've added a few more smaller wires to the back to sort of hide it a bit better!
@40kSFU, thanks! I really like some of the untouched (or less touched) areas of 40k and trying to open them up a bit more while trying to keep that classic 40k style. And with Slaanesh I think there's so much opportunity to try new and unusual things that no one has really done yet, at least to the extent of a full army.
@posermcbogus, I don't know why, but your comment really got to me Thanks so much!
I figured out a solution to the issue I was having, and it's so incredibly uninspired and yet I feel it's perfectly simple. I just stuck a Slaanesh symbol on the front of 'er. I think it was mostly the large unbroken rim around the front that was getting to me, and just splitting it in two has worked perfectly without having to go on some massive conversion spree. That said, if anyone else feels like doing something similar to this, feel free to show off and actually do the whole banner thing or something else I'm sure will look far more amazing. But for me I think this works, as it doesn't take away any of the focus of the main show, that of the Great Hunger, his two aides, and the stew. Speaking of which...
I've done the last wee bit of GS work on the model, cleaning up gaps, adding a few more cables to the back to fill it out a bit more, and, most importantly, adding the ingredients to the soupy-stew thing. I had a go at some water effects with the GS to try to make it look like the floating bits are sort of being mixed around, but you can't really see that in the photos below. There are also a few bits that'll only really come to life when the thing's painted, such as a few eyes and meaty flesh-bits.
Overall there's no major change to the silhouette of the model. And I've obviously still go the big man himself to do, which I'm intimidated by. But how about I make a promise to you lot here and now. I'll have him at least started if not heavily underway by this Friday, and if I don't yous can all call me out. Seems fair.
But for now, onto the pictures you're all actually here for than the ramblings above.
The Famine Throne WIP
The Famine Throne WIP - The aides and the soup
As always, I love to hear your thoughts on the model so far, and I'll hopefully see you guys this Friday!
Thanks!
Book II
Chapter I
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with tentacled tongues of warpfire. Hida Strav, Champion of the Hands of Penitence, sat at his command throne, hands tightly clasped to the end of the arm rests. His white knuckles hidden from the rest of the crew by the second skin of his power armour, still in the repentant grey of his Chapter. Every logic cogitator and psychic omen said that the transition into the Warp would be difficult, but none were ready for how violent the sea of souls had become after the Great Rift opened. Many of the crew were thrown from their chairs, with only Hida and the servitors that were hardwired in staying where they were. Already weakened by the days of starvation, the jolt was too much for some, and only a portion of those who fell got up to return to their seats. Leaving the dead where they were, those that survived the initial translation hurried back to their stations in an effort to get the ship under some sort of control. ‘Where’s that sarding Navigator!’, Hida yelled over the vox, the moan of the battle barge as its hull was twisted by the tide nearly drowning him out. Warning lights of every colour drowned the bridge in their phosphorescence, to which the warp appeared to make a mockery of outside the shielded windows. No reply was forthcoming, and Hida was sorely tempted to head back there and drag the damnable Navigator by his pretentious robes if necessary. Then, a short crackle as the vox came to life. ‘We are trapped in an eternity of blades, but I can see a place of finality before us. Let me lead you there’, the mucus laden voice of the ship’s Navigator spewed forth. As much as he abhorred their kind, Hida knew he was beholden to this creature to see them safely through, and so called on his helmsmen to follow his lead. He’d get them through this God-Emperor forsaken place and find a way to save his Chapter from the famine that had plagued them so, or he’d sacrifice the lives of all on board trying.
tarar2d2 wrote: I figured out a solution to the issue I was having, and it's so incredibly uninspired and yet I feel it's perfectly simple.[/i]
I'm happy to see you kept it simple and uncluttered. Something I was thinking when you were talking about sticking banners on and whatever, the throne currently has this great, monolithic height, rising inexorably to all those spires and the Slaanesh symbol. Putting skeletons or swords or banners at the front breaks that line up, while also blocking the view to the main man himself - a view that currently is guided in on his dark majesty.
I think the symbol works. I wonder how it would look with a little something else. A theme that seems to be running through these models, intentional or not, is a sense of layers, or draping. Bellies draped over belts, meat-beards draped over chests, flesh over armor, cables over structure, etc. I think some sort of hanging something coming from the symbol down and around or under would be cool, and really tie it into the rest of the model. Chains, some more cables, something to link it a bit more to the rest. Not sure what bits would work, but a cloth of some kind could be good, too. Looking forward to the big guy.
@Boss Salvage, it's awesome to see someone else thinking about the composition of my models! And you're totally right, the smooth curve has the potential of helping to guide the eye towards the Great Hunger, either from the bottom up or the top down.
@youwashock, that's a really interesting insight that I ever noticed myself, thanks! I'll certainly try to add a few layers to the area. I was already thinking of adding one of the chains from the Chaos vehicle upgrade sprue, but I was just a bit worried that it would cover the face of the creature below. I might have a go at a few finer chains to see how they work dangling down!
So Friday rolls around as it tends to do during this part of the week. And wouldn't you know it, I kept my (incredibly vague) promise of starting the Great Hunger! So far he's very much just started, and even as I write this the first underlayer of GS is curing. I want to do this guy in stages rather than all at once so I can keep the details and not worry about a rogue finger smudging everything up. As for photos for you lovely people, I've two. The first is pre tinfoil and GS, and the latter is with said underlayer.
The Great Hunger WIP 1
The Great Hunger WIP 2
I'm mostly just winging it, with inspiration taken from a few photos I've seen of other people making models from scratch and a load of reference images of morbidly obese people taken from the internet.
I'm entirely aware that he looks like a sad potato at the moment. There's still a lot to do, and to give you an idea of how fat he'll end up, his left hand will be resting on his stomach and his left foot will be tucked under the belly (I only have right feet, so I'm just cheating by hiding the left one). I plan to have a number of wires coming out of his back and linking him further to the throne, although how I'll do that and have him remain separate for painting is a bridge I've yet to come to. For his face I was debating whether to go for a classic shoutyman face or the gaunt face I ended up with. I selected it because I want that vacant stare that shows this guy has lost all humanity and cares for nothing but the next meal. And don't worry about how gaunt it is, a good ol' meatbeard will hide that nicely (not to mention this guy will get a meatforehead and all sorts of other meaty-face goodness).
I'd love to hear what you guys think so far, but just remember that he's in the very very early stages of development. Plenty of fat to go, so don't worry if you think he's a bit slim at the moment.
Thanks!
Chapter II
It had been at least two full Terran years since they translated. The chronometers were as useless as ever in the warp, spinning wildly and without thought. But the internal clocks of those on board gave a rough estimate, even if it was only a guess at this point. It had been six cycles since the rations ran out, and three since the water. Those who held on to their morals were the first to die out, leaving only those who were willing to feast on the flesh of their fallen comrades. Hida had resisted at first. His enhanced physiology had allowed him to enter a state of deep meditative sleep. But having left Scythius Prime already in a state of great hunger, it was only a matter of time until he too fell to base survival needs. Yet even the meagre scraps of food the lifeless crew offered would eventually come to an end. Small struggles between gangs looking for food would break out now and again, eventually turning into families fighting amongst themselves for crumbs. And even these would soon stop, as none had the energy left to merely survive. One by one, the entire crew of the Esuriis Throne died. Hida Strav, lying naked and covered in the dried blood of his last meal, gently closed his eyes one final time and joined the others.
Tubby Tato is fattening up nicely. I hope his throne is wide enough! On second thoughts maybe he should be growing around the throne like the trees with stuff they’ve grown around
But I guess that would be swapping a painting problem for a sculpting problem!
@youwashock, the face has been meat-ified, he just now awaits tubes. And yeah, he's really quite reminiscent of Mojo!
@Excommunicatus, Those are some good phrases to stand by
@gobert, he's definitely a 'comfortable' fit on the throne. Once the cables are added he'll be even more part of it, like a mechanical version of those trees.
And update on the Great Hunger just so it doesn't look like I'm slacking. He's a load further than he was last time you saw him, with basically all the fleshy stuff done! All that's left is one hand, his weapon, and the plethora of cables coming out of him.
The Great Hunger WIP
He's a helluva lot of GS.
I was looking the other day at the time frame for this army. I really want to get it completed by the campaign these guys are being made for, the sequel to the Badab War X campaign I had a while back. That's to be played over the weekend starting 18th April this year, and considering its taken me 4 months to build 8 models (of which only 5 are painted) I'm a bit worried that I might not hit the target in two and a half months. The big problem is that there are some of the biggest models yet to go. Granted these won't be as heavily converted, but with a Knight and a Giant Spawn to do inside that time as well as everything else, it's starting to really hit home how soon this campaign is. Hopefully I'll be able to go into overdrive a bit more, especially as I'm lucky enough to be in a somewhat quite moment irl. I suppose we'll just have to see how it goes, and if I don't get it all finished in time then I'll be sure to complete the army afterwards. I mean, there were a few armies at the last one that weren't finished, so it should be grand
As always, feedback is more than welcome. You guys have really helped to mould this army into what it is.
Thanks!
Chapter III
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with tentacled tongues of warpfire. Hida stood at the helm, wide awake. He was certain he had done this before. A wave of déjà vu washed over him and he felt his mind being drawn back down through a strong current of memories. He knew he had an eidetic memory. It was something all Space Marines were blessed with. So why then could he remember this happening before. Not as strongly as he could recall combat doctrines from the training halls, or even those misty years before his ascension to post-human. No, this was a something different. A feeling he could not describe, tucked deep within his very core, as if his soul was crying out that this was wrong. But for now it had to wait. He was captaining a ship into the very depths of hell, monumental waves of warpstuff throwing the crew about. He would have time to remember later.
WOW did that come together! I do wonder how his Astartes-base will show through, but frankly he may have literally grown past his superhuman origins at this point.
that is some Meat Beard! Please tell me he’s going to be holding a human drumstick ready to eat? He looks like he hasn’t eaten in minutes, he must be starving
@Excommunicatus, I get the feeling there's a reference there I'm not getting thanks though!
@youwashock, thanks for the words of encouragement. And thanks for the compliments! I can't wait to paint him.
@Don Qui Hotep, I referenced photos of real people, and a lot of them seemed to have that extra layer under the moobs. But I'm sure he'd be more than happy to jump into a pool full of food As for how he'll be armed, I decended to just go for a simple sword to try not to detract from him too much.
@Boss Salvage, it was one of those 'I'm inspired so I'll do everything now' kinda moments. As for how he'll show through as a marine, I was thinking about adding ports and things that would have shown his previous life, but I just wanted a giant flesh blob more than anything so left him pretty bare to let the skin itself do the talking.
@gobert, the lord of the warband obviously has to have the lord of all meatbeards! As for how he's armed, whist a giant drumstick would have been fun, I'm unfortunately one of those people who likes to take the over-the-top 40k seriously By that I mean there are certain things that ruin my suspension of disbelief, and whilst giant fat superhumans on walking thrones made from daemons doesn't, giving him a drumstick sort of does. It's difficult to describe exactly why, but while the drumstick would certainly have been fun, I've decided to go the less fun route of a simple sword (that and you just commented about 5 minutes after I stuck the sword on )
I've tried figuring out what I'm going to say here a few times. I can't think of any other time I've done as much to a model, and so I'm at a loss to what to say now that it's done. Yep, you read that right. The model is as done as I'm ever going to let it be. I could tinker at this think for ever, but there comes a point where you have to put down your tools and call it, and this is that point.
The feedback and ideas you lot have had have been invaluable and really helped to make this model something more than I could ever have hoped. I usually try to stay humble with my work, but I really frakking love how this has turned out and I'm beyond happy with it. There was a point when I was taking the following photos where I just stopped, looked at it, and went 'wow'.
Anyway, enough with the self-congratulations, I can only hype up this model so much and not show it to you. So, for your viewing pleasure (or maybe Slaanesh's viewing pleasure);
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne front
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne left
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne back
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne right
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne details
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne details
The Great Hunger on the Famine Throne details
In addition, here's a 360 video you might be able to view (it's on Facebook in a private group, so I don't know if you lot will be able to see it).
Right, lets go through some of the details that are new. The Great Hunger now has his weapon, a simple sword to try to not detract from the overall model. I could have probably gone for something more suitable to the whole gluttony thing, but I wanted to balance the model a bit. He also has his other hand and all the cables going into his back (they might be a bit tricky to see in the photos, but the cables are there). There are also a few dangily chains under the soup bowl as suggested by a few of you, and some foodstuffs hanging from hooks as suggested by youwashock iirc. You can also see all the smaller wires I added to the main body of the throne to make it a bit more detailed. There are probably a few other bits and pieces that I'm entirely forgetting about, but you get the idea. Like last time this model is also held together with blu tack, so it might look a bit less wonky once it's fully painted and stuck together properly.
At this point I'd usually ask for feedback, but you guys have already been so helpful. So rather than you trying to think of what else I could do, I just want to thank you for all the help you've given already!
Chapter IV
The months passed slowly, like treacle down a gently slope. Hida watched as people moved in ways he had seen before. The shipmate bumping her foot. The servitor blurting out a binaric code. The Enginseer complaining about warp fluctuations. Hida was so certain he had seen these events play out before. His very core shook at this transgression against simple fact. And just like before the ship ran out of food, then out of water, fell to anarchy as crew fought each other, and finally to peace as all lay dead. Hida Strav gently closed his eyes one final time and joined the others.
Congratulations on a marvelous centerpiece. He looks awesome. He evokes all the wicked big boys (Mojo, Baron Harkonnen, the plump vampires from Blade and Buffy) while still being his own thing. I, for one, can't wait to see it painted.
the Meat Beard King looks very regally morbidly obese! Good job Slaanesh is on his side to keep him going, and he has a robot throne to get him to the fighting (and presumably to do most of his fighting too?). Stunning piece to lead the Chubsters to battle! I’ve got to admit a pang of disappointment came when I read he wasn’t getting a drumstick, but then I see he’s brought along a cow-sized snack so all is well!
In the Grim Darkness of the Far Future you never know when hunger may strike, so bring a Cow!
This is such impressive work. It'll stand out on the battlefield and on your display shelf. Love to see what stats you're thinking of using for it. I think there's so much here to be proud of - the freehand sculpting, the making coherent all the different pieces from different kits - all in all, A+.
@youwashock, I probably could have used those as reference before starting, but too late now Thanks though, and hopefully this guy will be painted a bit quicker than the other ones as I'm really excited to see him done myself!
@gobert, thanks! And yeah, the sword he has is really just a fancy pointing stick at this point This guy might be one of the very few who actually means it when they say 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'!
@Excommunicatus thank you very [Expletive Deleted] much! I can't say I've seen that movie, but it's definitely on the to watch list now!
@Don Qui Hotep thanks a bunch! For rules, I mostly plan on using the basic Daemon Prince datasheet, equipped with 2x Malefic Talons and a Warp Bolter. However, for the campaign this guy will be part of (the titular Badab War 2), I've been allowed to write up some of my own rules, which I'll share once he's fully painted!
Speaking of painting, I got some done today! At the moment my life is quite full, so I'm finding it hard to make time to paint (even more so with my already slow painting process), however I did get a somewhat important piece of the new model done. Specifically the Great Hunger himself! So without further ado...
The Great Hunger WIP front
The Great Hunger WIP rear
I've had a lot of suggestions to add some tattoos or something to this guy. However, at the moment I'm going to leave it as I want to see how he works with the rest of the model done. If it feels too flat, then I'm more than happy to break up the skin a bit with a nice tattoo, but if the rest of the thing turns out fancy then I'd like to keep the dichotomy I've got going with the other models.
As an aside, have you seen the new Necromunda models they recently revealed? There's one or two there that are certainly taking my interest, and may eventually find their way into this army should it ever be expanded
Spoiler:
Anyway, I'd love to hear your feedback as always. This is just the first step on one of the largest models I've tackled, so it'll probably be one hell of a learning curve.
Thanks!
Chapter V
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with ten- no. He was certain this time. Everything before him was the same. Crew shouted out warnings, and he could mouth their words before they even left their lips. The Warp was playing a trick on him. What did it want? Why was he here once again? But even through this deception Hida knew he could twist it to his advantage. This time he was certain that he’d make it through to the other side. He knew what to expect and could adjust his response as needed. No one had to die, not again. The months went by, the rations lasted longer. Less fell to the ruinous acts they had before, and those that did were immediately put under extreme duress, locked away to save others. The crew on board the misfortuned ship lasted longer than the previous two, or was it three, times. Hida had held out hope that once they passed that point, they would finally break free. But another week went by, and another. Soon the very ethics to which Hida had clung, and forced upon those beneath him, started to crumple like a gentle insect in his iron grip. The visions of violence and death that had plagued him last time began to resurface like the body of a whale’s bloated corpse, sickening him to his core. Even through everything he did, starvation showed the violence to which humans could fall to. Seeing this and knowing what was to come, rather than be reduced to the depths he had before Hida chose to take his own life. ‘I have failed my Chapter. But better this than the dishonour I know I’ll bring’, he spoke through a saddened breath. With a bark of his bolt pistol, Hida Strav joined the others.
Oh, that port on the back of his head is sooooo nasty. Is that meant to be from his bolter snack? The tubes are super good. Flesh is great. I agree you should hold off on the tats until you get the throne itself established. He is, after all, just the gooey center of a much larger dish. Off to an awesome start, good luck on the rest.
@youwashock, the port will have a cable going into it. It's just that that cable (and a few others) are attached to the throne as opposed to him. This allowed some of the cables to be a bit more interwoven with the actual vehicle. Other than that, thanks!
@posermcbogus, he thinks you look great too. Maybe with a bit more salt... Thanks though
@squall018, thanks, and you won't have to wait much longer. In fact...
The model looks great, but by all of Slaanesh's many [EXPLETIVE]s it was not a fun thing to paint. The legs were constantly in the way (note for anyone planning on building and painting a Venomcrawler; keep the legs separate if you value your sanity), and the large bulk of the model didn't handle well with the very breakable parts from the back of the chair (you'll see exactly how bad in a wee second). Not to mention this was probably one of the largest models I've painted by hand, and you're left with something that took forever and was tricky from the get go.
All that aside, I think it turned out pretty well. However I don't think I'll be making another one of these for as long as I live. I should note that this is just the main body, and there's still a few bits and bobs to go before the whole thing's completed. But this is also the largest sub-assembly, so the rest should be done a load quicker.
The Famine Throne WIP front
The Famine Throne WIP right
The Famine Throne WIP left
The Famine Throne WIP back
There were a few minor damages to the model during the painting process, namely one of the prongs at the very top coming off (it had already broken at the same point during the building process. I await some plastic glue to hopefully keep it on permanently), the prongs slightly bending (if anyone has any idea how to unbend them, please speak up), and a very small bit on one of the exhausts breaking off (unfortunately I lost the bit that broke off, so it'll remain broke. It's just added character, right? )
I should also mention that I've just recently gotten a new phone, so if the photos look a bit off it's because I'm still in the process of learning all the functions of the camera.
As always I love hearing what you guys have to say, so feel free to comment
Thanks!
Chapter VI
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and suc- Hida screamed. The entire crew, even in the midst of the worst warp translation they had ever encountered, turned to look at the horrified face of the Company Champion. Before any of them could move, Hida rushed off to his chambers. He tore through logs and manuscripts of the past minutes of communications, searching desperately for any change since the last time. Nothing. There was no change. He had returned to this one ill-fated point in his extended life, doomed to repeat it for eternity. Dying naturally didn’t do it. Bringing dishonour through suicide did nothing. But he was still a loyal son of the God-Emperor. He was determined to find a way though. He tried to bring the craft back through to realspace, but to no avail Things played out as they always had, and Hida died. The neext few trips round this hellish repeating circle of life, death, and life again, Hida tried and tried to bring the ship back from the warp. It was soon clear that there was no way back, and so the following trips he tried to force them through the trip as quickly as possible, getting the navigator to set more and more dangerous routes each time, trying to shave a day here, an hour there. Even after what must have been a thousand trips, with the fastest route laid out, the cycle kept repeating, again and again and again. Hida felt all purpose drain from him with each reawakening in the bridge.
Wow. I love the marble/bone areas. The whole thing is a....feast...for the eye. Can't wait to see it well and truly finished. I also look forward to seeing how your character finally makes it out of his horrible Groundhog Day nightmare.
Loving the burning body candles! Proper 40k! Great work on the filigree patterns on the purple, and tying the throne and crawled together so seemlessly
Dang! Dang!! Daaaaaang!!! Wonderful stuff here. The sculpting and conversion is first rate. And your painting (particularly the pallete) really sharpens the work. First-rate work!
Hot double-damn! What a first-rate leader for first-rate warband. You've done a lot of really cool stuff here, but this tops what's come before - which is no easy feat!
@youwashock, I'm not certain if I should thank you for the pun, but thanks for everything else
@Sherrypie, thanks! It was definitely a bit of a tricky thing to do but it was totally worth it.
@gobert, thanks! I wasn't quite certain what colour to do the fire, but I feel the classic look helps draw the eye to the model.
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll, thanks! Hopefully it'll remain that way by the time it's finished
@tinfoil, aw thanks! I really appreciate all these compliments
@Don Qui Hotep, as I said to tinfoil, I really appreciate the compliments. They really help me to keep up the work!
I've done a few more wee bits and bobs on the model, in particular the sub-assemblies of the curtain and curtain rial/icon holder, and the big pot of stew. All that's really left is the small symbol at the front, the two daemonettes, and the cow hanging off the back.
I've only got a picture of the stew as I felt the other parts were just too tricky to picture by themselves, so here it is!
Famine Throne WIP stew
Not really much more to say. I was sort of hoping to have this all done by the end of February, and spend March on the Knight. However life happens, so that's where we're at. Hopefully I should get the three ladies done before the end of next week.
As always I'd love to hear your feedback on anything and everything.
Thanks!
Chapter VII
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with tentacled tongues of warpfire. Hida Strav did not care. He let the crew scream and die around him, their lives as meaningless now as they had been for the eternity of cycles before this one. Slowly he rose from his throne, stepping over the bodies of the dead without even needing to look where he was going. He had made this exact trip so many times, too many times. He went to the duelling cages on the ship to hone his already immaculate skill with the blade. He did not drink, he did not eat, he did not sleep. By now Hida knew that no matter where or when he died, he was returned to the very same spot. For whatever reason, he’d lead himself to truly believe that as soon as he had made every last move, strike, and parry with this weapon, he would finally be free. And so he practiced for hours on hours. Never leaving the cage under any request or plea. The crew screamed at the corners for him to return, to put the ship back in order. But their screams meant nothing to him now. Only the blade in his hands, and the voices that talked through it.
@Tim 121RVC, you're not the first one to think that! Although I can't claim him for inspiration, it's great to see the same sort of idea!
As much as it may have seemed, and especially with what's happening in the world right now, I am not in fact dead. What had happened was something much worse. A load of great thinks happened in my personal life all at once, and it took me away from my hobby for a while, but I'm back, and with a bang! It has taken me over 2 months, but the leader of the Feast Eternal, the Great Hunger who sits upon the Famine Throne, is done! And not just 'he's mostly done, I might need to go back to him at some point'. No, fully 100% done. I'm happy with him, hopefully you enjoy him, and I'll talk more after showing you the pictures
The Great Hunger front
The Great Hunger right
The Great Hunger back
The Great Hunger left
The Great Hunger himself
The Great Hunger's 'aides', with the soup
Face of the Famine Throne
Snack 1
Snack 2
And there we go! Sitting next to the other models, he's an absolute monster. Easily the largest and most intricate model I've done to date (although the next one on the list is a Knight, so the title won't last long).
You may be thinking to yourself, "but tarar2d2, didn't you have to have all your models done by mid April? That's less than a month away and you say you want to do a Knight!". Well, my curious friend, if you haven't heard, Papa Nurgle is currently pretty strong right around now, and since the planned campaign would have meant a load of us travelling and going to crowded areas, the group have collectively decided to postpone it until things clear up a bit. It was a case of all of us going or none, which I entirely stand behind. So unfortunately we won't be seeing battle just quite yet. But a silver lining that's so big it nearly takes over the entire cloud, I've plenty more time to actually finish my army! (I doubt I need to mention this, but there's no harm in reminding yous all to wash your hands, cover your mouth when coughing, and stay safe ). Right now there is no exact date for when we'll actually play the game, but that's the least of our worries.
I'd love to hear what you guys think of this fella (and fellettes), and any and all comments and criticism is welcome!
Thanks!
Chapter VI
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with tentacled tongues of warpfire. Hida drew his bolt pistol from the holster resting on his hip. The ancient piece glinted in the ship's carmine warning lights. The casing covered in the scrawling history of battles the weapon had drawn blood in, each gold etched word told of a world that had been plunged into the very depths of hell only to be dragged back out by the wilder of the pistol. With a lazy finger, Hida caressed the overly responsive trigger. Light took over the bridge as a bolt left the chamber. Before the sound had even reached the ears of the furthest crew members, the captain's head and upper chest exploded outwards, showering those nearby in the viscera of a once living human. Without hesitation, Hida drew sights on the next nearest person and destroyed their mortal body with a second shot. Screams of fear erupted in short order, as those on board saw their once trusted leader turn on them in a heartbeat. But to Hida this was just another cruel cycle in his endless life. Those around him meant nothing, and so he destroyed them without thought or feeling. When the pistols magazine was spent, he dropped the relic and took to cleaving those onboard with his sword. Within scant seconds of the ship having entered the warp, the entire bridge was covered in the dark-red blood of a few dozen mortal crew. This wasn’t the first time Hida had passed the time this way.
Holy cow. No qualifications, this model is incredible. It's been really impressive to watch it go from conception to completion. Not enough nice things can be said, but I will say a few more:
The composition of it is really effective. Viewed from head on, the purples and greys are backgrounded at first view by the pale bloat in the middle. This keeps his lordship from being overshadowed by all the rich detail in the rest of the model, because although everything is painted to an astounding quality, the big guy is a relatively simple design. From there, my eye was next drawn to the gold of the cauldron, the gold of the standard, and the yellow of the flames, and in so doing was able to take all the lovely little details, both paint-wise and modeling-wise, that you put in there. This is what I think separates a good painter from a good miniature painter, is understanding how the space that the miniature takes up will inform how the viewer reads the details. All this to say, well, gosh, well, I mean, it's pretty cool.
That is an AMAZING miniature. Both as a conversion, and as a piece to paint. I agree with Don Qui Hotep, the big man himself is framed in a way by the bright reds, oranges and golds of the standard, flames, cauldron. And it's only after that, that one goes to the head of the famine crawler's daemon-engine bearer, which adds a lower secondary focus point. Brilliant!
A real triumph of a model. Been great watching it come together. Only thing I could ask for is a shot of it with the Terminators. Looking forward to the next models and hope you and your friends don't have to wait too long to get together.
Looks hideously gorgeous! Slaanesh would approve :Slaanesh: . A great paint job to ton off a great miniature! Awesome work! Shame he won’t see battle any time soon, but best to stay safe!
@Don Qui Hotep, a massive thanks for that explanation(?) of how the paint scheme works. I certainly didn't put that much thought into painting it A lot of it does come down to the miniature itself, and the original designers. The Coven Throne is a beautiful model to begin with.
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll, thanks! I love interpreting art, so it's amazing to be on the other side of the process. It really is awesome to hear!
@amazingturtles, thanks! He's certainly ready to battle COVID-40k!
@youwashock, haha! Thanks! You might like the little surprise I have just for you near the end of this post...
@Boss Salvage, Thanks! There's a load of great Venomcrawler conversions out there, so I just hope I can add something a bit different to the ever growing pile.
@gobert, thanks! To be fair, there's very little Slaanesh wouldn't approve of The slight delay gives me plenty of time to figure out how in the warp I'm going to transport this guy though!
This quarantine, for all its drawbacks, has been pretty great for my hobby. My mates over in England who I'm playing this campaign with and I actually had a google hangout a few days ago to try and dispel some of the cabin fever I'm sure we're all feeling. It was a boatload of fun, and I'm sure there will be plenty more where it came from (and hopefully after the coronavirus has frakked off too. Living in a different country makes chatting beyond messages a bit of a pain). That said, what did I get up to while we were chatting? Well, I had no new minis to build, so obviously I had to paint! And paint I did. But also this is me we're talking about, so a lot of painting in one go means doing one small segment of a single model . But that was all I needed to continue on to finish one more of the Terminator squad, bringing the total number of painted model for this army up to 7! That means with only 4 more models to build, and a total of 6 models to paint, we've passed half way! And here's the model that got us there!
Terminator 3 front
Terminator 3 right
Terminator 3 back
Terminator 3 left
And one last photo for you lovely lot (and because youwashock specifically requested it);
All finished models so far
Please excuse the white on the side. My lightbox is only so big
As always, I'd love to hear what you lot think.
Thanks!
Chapter LXVII
A mouth in the Materium ripped open and sucked the Esuriis Throne through with tentacled tongues of warpfire. He had lived a thousand on a thousand on a thousand lifetimes. He had done everything he could think of, and many things he couldn’t. Every experience he had done countless times. Every emotion he had felt in immeasurable quantities. Life had no meaning; death had no meaning. Hida Strav knew there was nothing left to experience, and it left him with a cold empty void in his chest, as if he was wrapped in lead and given to oblivion. As he lay there, surrounded by the nothingness of human activity, whispers at the very edge of sound started to flow towards him. At first, he did not care. He had heard every possible sound from the entire crew innumerable times, often them talking amongst each other, more often from him ripping them out of their squealing mouths. But as Hida lay, the voices grew like the closing arms of a forgotten embrace. The words they said, were they words at all, made no sense. But they spoke exactly what Hida craved. When he finally reacted, his ears pricking forwards in attention, a blinding light washed through the ship.
Oh, yeah! That's the good stuff! So gloriously tubby. Got a chuckle out of them pushing beyond the bounds of the lightbox. Here's to passing the halfway point and looking forward to the next models!
@youwashock, I'm going to need a bigger lightbox by the end of this!
@gobert, thanks! And yeah, but then even the infantry are bigger than Primaris, so it's not too surprising
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks! Here's to the next half.
I've got 3 out of the 5 members of the terminator squad done, and with the country currently in lock down,obviously I'm going to bash out the last 2, right? April fools! I'm actually going to start an entirely new model! And one that will take a long time and mean the last two aren't done for ages! It's time to start the Knight!
So, a Knight. In 1,250 pts. You probably think that's not too fair, and you'd be entirely right. Well, I've two excuses that have so far been sufficient to quell any major uproar from the other players; a) the rest of the list is shockingly bad, and b) I'm shockingly bad at the game (if memory serves I lost every game in the last campaign). So hopefully this quite large, and unarguably powerful unit should help counteract some of those.
As of right now, all I've really done is cut the bits off the sprue, clean them up, and stuck some together. No conversion work has commenced as of yet, and the picture you'll see in just a moment is being held together with blu tack and hope. The plan is to use a lot of the ghosts from the Coven throne and similar to make this guy into a big ol' ghost Knight, as lore-wise he'll actually be a physical manifestation of a battle from millennia ago.
Chaos Knight WIP
Obviously still a long way to go, but I was wondering if I could get some input into the colour scheme for this guy. I'm not a fan of Knights that have the exact same scheme as the rest of the army (it's a perfect place to add an accent, and lore-wise they'd rarely be the exact same scheme), and since this is a giant ghost fella, I had a couple of ideas. The first is obvious, and just make him look like the classic ghost colours of faded green. I was even thinking of taking a lot of inspiration from the WHFB Green Knight, as the filigree would tie the army together. Not to mention the light green is sort of complimentary to the pink/purple I've got going on for the rest of the army. The other idea is slightly odder, at least in its inspiration. At my house there's a well used frypan that has a reddish copper colour, but the interesting thing about it is that there are these beautiful grime streaks all around the outside from food that has splashed out and was eventually caked into the side of the pan. I would do the majority of the knight this colour (maybe with a brass trim), and have the ghosts surrounding it be in the green ghost colour (blending the two together, so there are parts of the Knight that are green, and part of the ghosts that are red). With green and red being complementary, the two colours would work well together. However, I'm not certain how well they'd work alongside the rest of the army. I want the Knight to be different, but not clash with the army. I'd love to hear your thoughts.
Thanks!
Chapter X
A thousand on a thousand lifetimes.
Colours that would make the great artists gouge out their eyes so they would never see something less, always that final image imprinted in their ravaged minds.
Musics of the living, the dead, and all those who sat on the threshold between. Choirs of children born too late, the sounds of every emotion bursting through seams of flesh held tight with the chorus of darkened eyes.
Scents that fill the mind with ecstasy, choking on the edge of smoke-filled lungs.
A generation of flavours passed down from parent to child, all just on the back of your mouth, never ceasing and never coming into their full.
An endless staccato of fine hairs hitting the edge of nerves, like each cell was knitted unyieldingly to an electric coil, forever bursting with thoughtless energy.
Either scheme would work! The latter scheme I might steal for Adeptus Titanicus, the ghosts on a larger scale could be really interesting around some Titans...
Cool idea, though I’m a tad disappointed the knight won’t be a fatty too! both ideas sound great, but I think the green knight steals it for me. A straight up ghost effect could also look pretty striking, and it’d cut down the paint time quite a lot
@youwashock, thanks! Hopefully it turns out as well as my minds eye is making it look. But like all things it'll probably turn out slightly different, and it's exciting to see exactly how.
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll ghost Titans sound fun and scary! Might have to do one or two to 'legitimise' when I use this Knight in 30k
@gobert, I don't know if I want to know what a fat Knight would look like I think I'll probably go with the green, as that seems to be the consensus here and was my original idea anyway
Remember how in the first time I posted pics of the Knight I said how it was held together with hope? Well its now held together by a series of mini heart attacks. Right now this model is completely unstable, but until paint is applied it won't be getting much more secure. There's also still all the GS work to go, so don't take this mess as quite the final form.
Chaos Knight WIP 1
Chaos Knight WIP 2
I wanted to keep some asymmetry in the model, so most of the ghost-y-ness is coming from the model's lower right, and has the least ghost-y-ness in the upper right. I should also not that when it's done the head should line up with the direction of the ghost knights on the base. As I said, it's barely held together right now and there's loads of room for adjustments. Before I ask for feedback, I would like to say that the model does look a fair bit better irl than the photos show, again due to having to hold the model in one hand, the camera in the other, and the light between my legs. I didn't quite get the best angles...
As always, I'd love to hear what you guys think about this fella. Too much ghost-y-ness? Not enough?
Thanks!
Chapter XI
It started as a simple flicker, nothing more than a trick of the eye. The darkness of the surrounding space so complete that not even the most observant would truly notice it. But from that nothing, a savage gash thoughtlessly tore open realspace allowing the Esuriis Throne to charge out with a thunderous wake. The crew cheered out in celebration of the escape. To them only a few minutes had passed since the ship had first entered the warp, but Hida knew different. He was stunned at the change after so long. Yet before the cry of exultation had fully left the smiling face of the first mate, her lips began to dry and crack. The aeons of hunger, lifetimes of starvation, all at once caught up to her as her face grew slim, her bones and body turning to a fine dust. The rest of the bridge crew followed one by one feeling the infinite lifetimes of hunger in an instant, their whoops of adulation turning to cries of pain before drying in the throats. Hida watched as these meaningless things died before him once again. While he did not care for them, he knew he was next and longed for a final release from the hell that had been his life. But dark forces had something much worse planned.
@youwashock, That's pretty much exactly what I was going for, so nice!
@KernelTerror, thanks and welcome! I can't wait to see what I end up doing with the Knight myself Speaking of which...
I feel I should apologise for letting this plog disappear into the mists of time for a bit there. The problem with a Knight is that a lot of work only looks like a little progress, so I didn't want to spam updates when I felt I'd done nearly nothing. However, I now feel I've enough done to show you the progress so far and updates might become somewhat more frequent if I decide to show you each finished sub assembly rather than what it was like with the infantry, where there was a post or two for construction and a post or two for painting. Unless you'd rather just wait until i'm done the whole thing before the next update.
Anyway, for what I've done. Since last you've heard from me, I've completed the GS (it was a lot of just gap filling, hence the lack of update there), undercoated the not-armour-panels (again, not really that interesting), and painted the torso (wait, that might be interesting!). And so I present to you this quick shot showing off the painted torso and some of the ghost effect I'm doing with it. Note that the metal blends into the ghost part, but on the lower sections I plan to have the ghost part blend into the metal (that makes sense, right?).
Knight Torso WIP
I was having a bit of difficultly deciding what type of green to go for. It was a toss up between very earthy colours, a la the original Arthurian Green Knight, or the more vibrant greens a la the WHFB Green Knight. I've ended up choosing the slightly more vibrant colours for a few reasons. First up, I though it would match the somewhat vibrant purple of the Feast Eternal guys themselves. Also, it's would be a good way to differentiate it from the natural greens used on the base. But probably most importantly, I've about 6 green paints and only the vibrant ones look nice
Already I've the gun on the painting line, so you'll probably be seeing it next. Feel free to give feedback and thoughts about all this, as even if it takes me over a fortnight to make a new post I'm still reading all the comments.
Thanks!
Chapter XII
Hida felt the starvation hit him, a feeling he had already known to embrace. The marine began to shed simple tears at the sheer ferocity of the hunger that consumed him this time though. But these were not tears of pain. He smiled as the water trickled down his face, euphoric at the new sensation that was this hunger of such opprobrious nature after having spent so long accepting he would never feel something he hadn’t before. But before death could give him his last and true embrace, the doors of the bridge opened and monsters in red and black stormed in following the silver enrobed form of a mortal. Words not meant for this dimension leapt from her tongue in a dissonance of sound, and the feeling of hunger both left Hida and became stronger all at once. Roaring a silent scream, Hida’s mind broke from the complete and overwhelming essence of the powers forced upon him. Standing above his collapsed form, the woman’s eyes glowed a hungry purple, her piceous black skin turned crimson from the emergency lighting. ‘Him’, she said simply and as she turned and left, the fallen marines of the Red Corsairs picked up the shattered figure of Hida Strav and brough him with them.
I really like how that looks. I can only imagine how epic the whole thing is going to be. Sharing parts as they are done sounds good to me. And I am glad to see Hida Strav is making some new friends.
@youwashock, thanks! Hopefully it'll look at least halfway decent at least.
@Boss Salvage, thanks! Nice and goopy
Turns out even if I try to update more regularly it still takes nearly a month between updates Granted there have been a few things happening in real life that has pushed this project back a bit, in particular a friend asking me to build a few models for them. However that's all done now so hopefully this army will take higher precedence. With that said, I did in fact maybe do a bit more than I was expecting before this update, wanting to build enough to actually have a 'sub-assembly' completed (this new part was actually in 4 sub-assemblies, but I doubt you wanted to see just a small part painted to mediocre quality). With all that said, here's the big ol' laser for this Knight!
Laser 1
Laser 2
Laser 3
So there you have it, that's at least another 10% of the model done, which means it should only take a year or two for the full thing!
Feedback is always welcome.
Thanks!
Chapter XIII
He was thrust before a towering stone edifice, black rocks soaring above in furious spikes like the fangs of a daemonic beast. At their base was carved a mighty throne, seething with malefic hate like a creature of the night. Sat upon this seat of hell was a monstrous being shrouded in the overcasting shadows, his already impressive form exaggerated by the surroundings to monolithic standards. Around this central podium was a menagerie of beings, some covered head to toe in symbols of the Dark Gods, others faceless aliens that gently purred, and others yet creatures that at one point may have been called Space Marines. The mortal who had taken Hida bowed before the giant of unimaginable odium settled on the throne.
‘My Lord, the ship had but one survivor’, she spoke to him as she rose from her bow, ‘but his mind was too broken to understand what happened’
Hida could sense the stares from all round him, questions whispered through the crowd in tongues not mean for this dimension. From the darkness a hand waved and a Red Corsair who stood next to the throne took a step forward. His armour bled a sickly white foam from its joints, his face covered in a rag from which only his mouth could be seen.
‘The Tyrant cares not for this one, throw him to the feeding pits’, the mouth gurgled revoltingly, spittle flying forth with each word. The Marines who had dragged Hida into this room stepped forward to pick him back up and drag him to his final resting place. But before they could reach him, Hida surged forward, stumbling in a haggard half-crawl towards the dark throne.
‘No!’, he screamed, his words like grating sand in his throat. The pain brought him indescribable joy as he hurled himself further forward, ‘My Lord, please no. I have survived, and I now know how to help my brothers. Please, my Chapter must know of this. Let me return to them and spread this glorious answer with them.’
‘What pointless riddles are these?’, mouthed the Red Corsair that had sent Hida to his doom, ‘Enough, get him-’
‘Wait’. The low voice said with authority enough to stop all talking in the room. The figure on the throne leant forwards, eyes gleaming from the darkness, one bloodshot and bitter, the other a brilliant blue. ‘I wish to hear what he has to say’
‘My Lord, please’, Hida grovelled before the god-like entity, ‘My Chapter, we are trapped in the rift. Let me go to them and bring them this answer. Let them break free and we will serve you loyally for the freedom and answers you have brought me’. Hida spoke like a stream of maddened consciousness, the change from eternal suffering to the scene set before him now one he had lost all hope of reaching. A flash of metal came from the darkness, the ruined face of him who hid within forming as close to a smile as it could.
‘Very well’ said Huron Blackheart.
Agreed, I love the green and the filigree details. It's a nice way to connect aesthetically to your marines but stands on its own in a really cool way.
@youwashock, it's quite a light green that should hopefully contrast even further with the dark purple. At least I hope
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks, and that was exactly the idea (that and I wanted to create an Arthurian/Bretonnian Green Knight like look, both of which also have that filigree)
Try as I might, I've still yet to get a handle on this 'painting more often' thing I have set up a bit of a new routine that includes more painting, so hopefully that should help at least a bit anyway. But enough lamenting what I haven't done, lets look at what I have. And that's the other arm! here you'll see a bit more of the ghostly effect. If I haven't said it already, I want the ghost parts higher up to have more of the underneath in them (e.g. the trim or green scheme) whereas those lower down will be more ghost and less not-ghost (hopefully that makes sense. If not, you should be able to see what I mean when I'm done).
Knight WIP 1
Knight WIP 2
Knight WIP 3
Knight WIP 4
Feedback is greatly welcome in any and all forms.
Thanks!
Chapter XIII
The fleet sailed forth into the darkness of space. At its head was the Esuriis Throne, the mighty vessel renewed in the spaceports of New Badab, surrounded by scores of lesser craft all eager to learn of what has happened in the Great Rift. It took many weeks for the ship to be remade anew, and in that time Hida had learnt more about the actuality of the galaxy than his many years as a Marine had taught him before. He learnt facets of the true pantheon that he had been blind to for so long. Of the goddess Slaanesh, to whom he owed so much of what he had become. And in the dark fighting pits within the fortress, he came to embrace his new reality. The warp moulded him, making that which was deep within show itself upon the flesh. No longer was he the wretched being that had suffered for so many lifetimes upon an endless journey. Now he had arrived, and sat at the helm of the reforged battle barge Hida Starve swore to bring the pleasures of Slaanesh to the weeping Imperium.
Good to see you still working. Power claw is looking very good. Knights are such amazing models. The metal-work is tying together great and I look forward to more ghosty bits.
Always happy to see an update, no matter the delay. Sounds like things are coming to a head for Hida - it's been fun to see how your lore develops as the models do.
Not to mention his power claw looking quite fierce!
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll, thanks! And I certainly hope so. I'm even thinking of adding a few wee ghost-y parts on the base, just to make the whole thing tie together.
@youwashock, thanks, and it's good to be back (or at least it was then and it is again now. Maybe not so much for the giant hole between these updates ). They're amazing, but daunting when the largest model you've done before them are bike-sized (ignoring the Great Hunger, who is nearly as tall as a Knight himself!). Regarding the metal, for some reason my Leadbelcher spray seems to hate washes and nearly needs to have a thin hydrophobic layer scrubbed off when I'm adding the Agrax. No idea if it's just this one can that does it, but it's certainly annoying.
@Don Qui Hotep, I'm honestly as happy reading about you looking at what I'm writing as I am you looking at what I'm building and painting. Hopefully I can actually keep up with any expectations
@tinfoil, thanks! Hopefully it actually ends up as good as it's promising to be!
2 updates in 1 month? I really must be flying! Ok, yeah, I'm still not quite as back as I had hoped. However, I am (real life willing) planning to change things around something serious. I've set myself the task to try to update this plog at least once a week, which gives me a nice deadline that I so sorely need. I think one of the main reasons I fell off the wagon so hard is that this whole pandemic thing that's happening removed the original deadline, and since we've yet to set a new one I don't feel the pressure to paint. Hopefully by setting my own, repeating one I should be able to get more done in a shorter time. Expect a new post every Friday, and if I fail to I give you every right to rip me a new one . And now, onto the actually important stuff!
I was originally planning to start the legs themselves next, but then I realised that I've sort of been going about this Knight the wrong way round. I really should have started with the feet, as that would have meant each part could sit on top of the last. Well, here's a start to fixing that, with the feet now done!
Knight Feet
You can somewhat see the effect I was mentioning before about the ghost-y-ness taking precedence over the not-ghost-y parts. I'l fully admit that my hesitation to go in full and hard with any effects has probably hampered the paint job a bit and it would probably work a load better had a lot more of the foot been ghost-y, but I suppose that's just what it is.
Feel free to leave your comments, feedback, criticism etc.
Thanks!
Book III
Chapter I
The Moon, an eye upon the world, looked down at the mountains below. In an opening the tall grass, like a soft fabric of the most brilliant chartreuse draped over the undulating landscape, turned as the wind flowed through it. There a fire lay smouldering, a gentle breeze wafting at the smoke which swirled in patterns of unknown meaning. Huddled around the warmth and light, like man had done in ages past, stood squat huts of wood and dirt. The natural silence of the world stood guard over the village, telling of safety. Further up from the huts was a building hewn from stone. The grey rock glittered in the firelight from the small natural deposits of quartz sowed throughout. In the highest room of the tallest building slept a husband and wife, Lord and Lady of lands of Avavale below. Alainc woke with a start, a terrible dream rousing him from his bed. He walked to the curtain, gently pulled it open, and stared out to the distance, thinking of what had happened.
A really nice pair of feet! The ghostly bits work well and I like how the ghost foot is a paper green, it works well. I love all of the filigree you’re doing with this model, great stuff!
@youwashock, very clever Hopefully it won't be taking that long though. This army's got to be finished at some point, right? Right?!
@gobert, thanks! The paint I'm using is quite old (Scorpion Green for the light green and Snot Green for the filigree) and they don't seem to be too happy always going on consistently, but we can just pretend that's intentional
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks! The handsome pair of feet will still be waiting for their legs a while longer though, as I might have gotten distracted...
Realistically the next step should have been to do the legs of the Knight. I mean, it's just a case of painting the cables, giving the whole thing a wash, and then highlights and going back over the ghost-y parts. But it's also a large amount of that leadbelcher spray that I was complaining about the other day ("other day", not "other month". I know, I'm as amazed as you are), so I may have decided to procrastinate that by painting something else instead Do anyof you remember from a good while ago when I first started this plog I made a group of 5 terminators and only finished painting 3 of them? Well the others were calling to me the other day to do their skin, a nice change from all the green and metal. And how could I say no to such glorious flobby fatness? I must say, skin is really one of my favourite things to paint
Terminator 4 WIP Front
Terminator 4 WIP Back
I'll be the first to say that the paint job is far from perfect. There are so many small hairs and things that found their way into the paint, and the paint itself is already not perfectly smooth. However, from a bit of a distance (a bit closer than tabletop but a bit further than under a microscope), I actually really like how he looks. That big bit of leather strap really does a lot to break up the skin and make it nicer to look at overall in my opinion. Now all that's left is the armour. And the weapons. And the Icon. And the base. Well, we'll get there eventually and maybe the Knight will be my distraction from this guy
As always, I love to hear your feedback and whatever else you have to say.
Thanks!
Chapter II
‘The cur!’, Yueiles roared, throwing the letter to the ground and knocking over his goblet. The wine seeped through the gaps in the cobbled floor of the main hall like the first spill of blood on the battlefield. ‘Does he really think that I’ll believe this damnable lie of bandits?’
Yueiles Evarawd was a short and portly man, but that never stopped him from giving in to his legendary bouts of anger. People claimed that the most sturdy rooms would shake when he reached his full and today these claims were put to the test.
A tall woman in layers of robes, Yueiles newly instated chief advisor, took a step forward, ‘My Lor-’
‘I know it was his dogs that did this! He’s had his eyes on that village from the day his conceited father told him about it. He knows damn well that that village is mine through birth right, but oh no some old scrolls his lousy excuse for a court dug up clearly show that it’s always been in his Dukedom’, Yueiles continued, not caring what the others at the banquet might think, ‘My father, God rest his humble soul, is buried there! And my dearest mother too! How could he be so heartless? So honourless? Ah, but what am I even saying? This is no surprise to me. Is it any surprise to you?’ he pointed at the nearest feast-goer.
‘Err… no m’Lord?’ the poor sod replied hesitantly.
‘Exactly! He’s always been a pediculous rakefire. His father was a rikefire. And his father’s father was one too!’, all round the banquet had come to a standstill, all eyes on their Lord as he let hell break loose. Yueiles stormed out of the room, and with him left the thunder of his rage. For a while it seemed like time stood still before the minstrels picked up their song again and the feast restarted, although quieter than before.
@youwashock, it means someone who's covered in lice and overstays their welcome. Apparently I sure hope the return of the terminators remains not being a problem, as it seems this guy is here for a bit longer.
I was sort of hoping that when I said it would be every week, it would sort of be more sometime within a Friday-to-Friday week (odd I know, but I made the promise on a Friday so we're sticking to it). That would mean last week was grand, but this week I dropped the ball by a day (and arguably then some as I didn't really get that much done, but we're just getting this started so it'll take a while to perfect it). Anyway, day late or not, here's what I've gotten done in the past week.
Terminator 4 WIP front
Terminator 4 WIP back
Yeah, it's not a whole lot, and normally I'd not have posted such little work (it's two colours and a wash), but a) I thought it would be neat to share what the model looks like before the 'filigree', and b) this is a good way to ensure I'm getting more done per week as I feel pressure to present a suitable morsel to you, the almighty reader. Hopefully next week should have something a bit more substantial. At least the filigree and edge highlighting of the trim, but hopefully also either a weapon (or both) done or the flag started (or done).
As always, feedback is welcomed with open arms.
Thanks!
Chapter III
The night’s sky was a deep blue like ocean depths, a ghostly light shining from the Moon above. Stars broke the bare heavens with gentle twinkling. Through tall grasses and fields of wheat crept a small group of men, the oldest past their forties and the youngest no more than sixteen. The village in the distance threw light out like wasted water as the fires of torches burned in the hands of guards and the windows of houses glowed in contempt of the night. But the quarry of the group lay not in the village itself but on its edge, in the dark gravesite. Standing mountainous over the humble gravestones of millers and blacksmiths was the solemn statue of a king in his prime. At his side a smaller statue, that of the late queen knelt in a never spoken prayer.
‘Da, I ain’t too sure of this’, whimpered one of the younger men quietly.
‘Listen son, this man ruin’d our village and our livings with ‘is reckless rule. ‘An ‘is son the King ain’t gonna do much better. He’s had this coming a long while’, the father rested a hand on his son’s shoulder reassuringly, his mouth in a half-smile but anger roared behind his shadowed eyes.
The group made their way closer to the statue, and, upon reaching its foot, started wrapping lengths of rope around the figure’s body. Quietly they brought up the ropes, each man taking up an end and stepping back until it was taut. Through the silence of the night one man whispered, ‘Three, two, one’, and the small crowd pulled as one. The statue shifted slightly on its pedestal, but its weight kept it standing. ‘Three, two, one’, the man murmured once more, each of the group pulling harder than before. The statue seemed to walk to the very edge of the plinth, begging the men to pull one last time and topple it, a request to which the men obliged. ‘Three, two, one!’, this time the call was out loud, the burning hatred for the effigy strengthening the arms of its desecrators. With a loud thump the statue landed in the grass of the cemetery, breaking in two along the waist. A call came from the village nearby, and a troupe of lights bounced their way towards the noise. The group of men vanished back into the forest before the guards finally reached their position.
Tubby is looking good. As a slow painter myself it’s good to see I’m not alone! I also enjoy seeing the steps that others go through to get to the finished product.
@youwashock, By the Dark Gods it would be glorious if it was that quick But thanks for the sentiment.
@Don Qui Hotep, you're absolutely right there, you Dakkanauts really are great. The leather is actually super easy. It's just a base of Steel Legion Drab, a wash of Agrax, and a highlight of Steel Legion Drab. The tone of that paint is a really nice light brown without really becoming beige. A lot of the variety comes more from the shape of the leather though. Those wee straps have some relatively deep crevices that really allow the wash to settle and give that sort of blended look.
@gobert, thanks! There's a few others that I know who are also really slow at painting. We should set up our own community sometime... in the very distant future...
@kavika0311, thanks! I can't fully claim the idea as my own, but I had always wanted to see a full sized army using the idea and thought I may as well do it myself since no one else was!
Hey, I'm on time this week! Hopefully this'll be the start of me finally finding my feet with this whole once-a-week thing. I'm not 100% sure it's helping me paint faster, but I do enjoy interacting with you lot a lot more! So, this week I sort of did what I said I was going to, but maybe not in its entirety. I held off on the filigree for now as I sort of want to get that done nearer the finish as I'd rather not accidentally mess it up by painting over it with something else while doing another part of the model (or at least that's the excuse I'm going with). I have however nearly done the flag/icon. All that's left is the Feast Eternal symbol right in the centre of that white shield (front and back), which is something I think I've yet to show you lot but I made right at the start of this whole thing alongside the initial lore. So, albeit in a spoiler box as it's arguably not entirely relevant, here's the Chaper(?) symbol;
Spoiler:
The Feast Eternal symbol
To those who actually opened this spoiler, here's a bit of backstory on the symbol itself/why it is the way it is, and why it's not just a bit ol' mouth or something. If you return to the very start of this plog, you might remember that the Feast Eternal was once a Loyalist Chapter known as the Hands of Penitence. They were an Imperial Fist successor that took that whole paint glove thing and ran with it, contently inflicting paint in various and inventive ways on themselves. Below is the Chapter's original symbol.
The Hands of Penitence Chapter symbol
As you can see, it's basically just the Imperial Fists symbol clutching onto a barbed thing (bramble, rose, wire, who knowns exactly). This should make it quite obvious, especially with the whole blood and everything, what exactly the Chapter was like.
However, when the Chapter fell to Slaanesh it was seen as them freeing themselves of the burden of clutching the barbs. This is reflected quite literally in their new symbol, where the hand no longer holds the barbs themselves. However, however, serving Slaanesh is simply a new form of punishment, hence why the freed hand is now surrounded by the barbs, trapped. The Marines themselves, in their insanity, might not notice the relevance themselves though, with there possibly being even more meanings behind the symbol that not even you or I are privy to.
I'll finally add one real world note about this symbol though. I come from a place that uses part of this symbol (specifically the hand itself) as part of its flag. I won't say exactly where I'm from, because internet, although I'm sure it's more than easy to figure it out. However, the use of the hand is in no way meant as a political gesture or anything. I just needed an open hand, and I thought that particular one was pretty much aesthetically perfect for what I needed.
So now with that all out of the way, onto the model itself.
Terminator 4 WIP front
Terminator 4 WIP back
That's pretty much it for today. Hopefully next week I'll have one of the weapons done (I'm thinking mace, but who knows what future me will feel like painting). Before I go though, do any of you know any good camera apps for a OnePlus 7? I'm still not happy with how the photos I take are coming out with this phone and I'd love to hear what you lot think I should be using instead.
Thanks!
Chapter IV
‘M’Lord’, the old woman stood before him, ragged in face as she was in clothes, ‘you’ve gots to help us! I knows what I saw with me own two eyes, bad as they are.’
Rumours had been running wild of a band of knights from the lands of Yueiles Evarawd ransacking villages, murdering peasants, and other crimes so heinous that Alainc dare not repeat them even in his own mind. He’d been hesitant to believe them at first, trusting in the honour of his rival that it would not come to this. But before him sat the truth of it otherwise. The old woman cried as she told her tale of horror.
Nice work on Tubbs’ banner, a rally neat backstory on the warband/chapter symbol and all its double meanings. It’s really cool that you designed it yourself. Somehow though I’m worried that the red on white could be an extra colour too far aesthetically? Maybe black might take some of the political connotations away as well as tie in with the rest of the model? Or maybe stylised in the filigree you’ve been using? Keep the awesome fatties coming!
@Not Online!!!, thanks! And welcome to the thread (I think, I'm not quite certain how you found it if you're not online )
@youwashock, thanks! As it was one of the pieces done right at the start it sticks to a lot of the original lore for this army that has gradually evolved through me coming up with new ideas and (accidentally) forgetting old ones. However I still feel it fits with the army overall as the basics haven't changed too much.
@gobert, thanks! You make sense with the worry about the expansion of the palette, so I had a play about on some photo editing software to try out the black rather than the red. I also asked a few friends their opinion and it was somewhat mixed. However, I felt the biggest thing at play at the moment was the model not actually being done, so I've held off on doing the banner until the model is complete (which it nearly is now). When everything else is done I'll be sure to post a few pics to get your lots opinion on it. Personally I don't think red is too extreme as there's a lot of red in the army already, albeit in blood, grebbily bits, fire, and plasma. However better safe than sorry
Week two of me maintaining the routine on time (I think. It's only week two isn't it? By the Dark Gods have I lost track of time)! As I said to gobert, I've left off on doing the banner for now as I want the model to be in a more finished state before I tackle it. Same sort of goes for the filigree, although it might be more the case that I just want to do all the freehand at once. But with the stuff I haven't done out of the way, lets have a look at what I have done! And that's both the maul and the twin-bolter. There's nothing really that massive to say about them as it's basically just 3 colours on each (4 if you count the straps), so rather than try to come up with some pointless jargon it's probably a better idea for me to just show yous the pictures.
Terminator 4 WIP front
Terminator 4 WIP back
You might also note that I added the small amount of blood trickling from his mouth. Something that I forgot about so much that I actually forgot that I had even done it during the write up above until I actually went to get the pictures for this post
Anyway, I'd love to hear what yous think and your feelings on gobert's suggestion for the colour change to the icon.
Thanks!
Chapter V
The two Lords sat at the fore of their two armies, equal in fury as they were in number. Tension, like a filled net, was strung across the land. Had it not been for the clarity of advisors, the soil would have drunk blood and the grass grown red. Abuse had been hurled like trebucheted boulders through letters. Tales of espionage and mindless killing had worked their way through the lands. Calls of war had been made in the courts. Eventually the two Kingdoms had tentatively agreed on an honour duel, mortal combat between the two greatest fighters each Lord had to offer. The winner would lay their final claim to the village and the loser would have to maintain their honour in acceptance. But no longer was this a story of one village. The anger each Lord felt towards the other had evolved, mutated into something deeper and so much darker. What had been seen as a single aggression had blossomed into a blood feud that would either be settled this day or take the lives of these men’s lineage for ages to come. A small arena had been set up in the centre of the village, measures of rope strung up on posts hastily hammered into the ground. The sky was clear as the two warriors entered. The light smell of ozone filled the air.
Nicely done on the bolter and mace, though. I really like the logo and the backstory behind it - so much great lore is going into your force! I think if you used red and black together it wouldn't look like too much of a new addition to the palette - a black hand with a red vine, or visa versa.
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks! As for the logo colour, you'll see I took your idea to mind, although I'm still not fully decided.
@youwashock, I generally use Mephiston Red for my reds, which is a bit more maroon than burgundy. However, it's still decently dark and tends to work ok without being too high a contrast with anything else I use it with.
Bar the base and one other obvious thing that's been taking up this thread the last few posts, the model is done! I was able to get the loin cloth and skulls hanging off his belt done in no time, and the swirly stuff (honestly don't think filigree is the right term at this point, but i don't really know what else you'd call it) on the armour! Quite pleased with how hes turned out and it's nice to have another model (basically) done. Also, quick shout out to one of my friends who asked if he'd be mentioned, as a few of us have started online painting sessions to help us all get more done.
Terminator 4 WIP front
Terminator 4 WIP back
Now for the big final thing, what colours to use for the banner. I edited together a picture with the design for the icon I had, but varied up the colours as suggested by you lot. So the question is, what colour do you think looks best?
I'd obviously love to hear what you guys think as its been super helpful to make this army the best it could be.
Thanks!
Chapter VI
The two stags circled each other, eyes bound to their rival. The crests upon their heads bloody from the recently shed velvet. They postured to show their strength and sought out the other’s weaknesses. Their heads dipped and they locked antlers with a clatter of bones. Powerful necks pushed and pulled while cloven feet tore up the grass below. Each struggled against the opposing force, two elementals of nature competing for the same prize with the same skill. They fought beyond their strength for reasons beyond their knowing. Like dancers they spun, turning around before unlocking and locking again. Each move done with precision and intent but countered just as effectively as it was completed. Time ran on ahead, making great bounds through the day. Gradually they wore each other down, and as the daylight turned to dusk, it seemed like finally there would be an answer to their rivalry.
I'm no Chaos expert, But I think 3 or 4 would look best. I love the inclusion of red, and I think the two colours makes a good contrast. 4 is more punchy, 3 looks cleaner.
Excellent job, he's looking fatty fierce. I will vote for 3 as well; it works both at a distance and up close (at least as I compare the thumbnail to the high-res images), and, I don't know what this reveals about my psyche, red thorns just look that much pointier!
Concur, 3 or 4. 4 may be my preference, but that's I think just because the red hand is more recognizable. 3 is definitely more balanced; 4 makes the banner really stand out. That could be something to go for though: a banner should be a focus point of an army!
Rather than reply to you all individually as I normally would, I thought it might be better to reply to you all at once to save me repeating myself. basically, I've now finished the the terminator, and I went with... (drumroll please)... number 4! So, it was maybe not the popular choice, but hear me out. I personally really liked option 3, and if this model had been on its own I would have certain chosen it (and nearly did). However, I held the model up near the rest of the army (which is currently sitting in my display case) and the abundance of red already there from the assorted blood-things sort of sealed the deal. As 416_SpaceWolves and Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll said, I think the small amount of red really makes this model pop out just that wee bit more, which you sort of want for a standard (at least I think you do, right?). Hopefully you all won't flay me alive for this choice But with that, lets get on to the miniature itself!
Terminator 4 front
Terminator 4 back
You'll probably also note the base that I bashed together in about 2 days (which is quick for me, I'm sure you'll agree). Not much to say on that bar it's basically more of the same.
I'd love to hear what you lot think about the final choice. The red is definitely milder than the photo edit might of shown off, so hopefully that should appease any of you set on 3.
Thanks!
Chapter VII
The sword slid free, and with it a mountain of guts poured from the freshly made wound. The decision was made, and honour had been maintained. Now the men, so ready for a battle, would return to their homes and families. But boiled blood does not so easily condensate. Yueiles stared at the dropped body of his champion in desperate anger, his face a blank mask hiding the rage below. He moved up the man who had fallen in his name, and as Lord Alainc walked up to him to seal the agreement, his eyes fell to the misericorde his champion has stowed at his waist. A faint whisper passed into the mind of Yueiles, his father, his mother, his friends of ages past. All spoke with one voice, and all told him to reach for the knife. Yueiles stood, his hand outstretched to shake that of man who had plagued him for years even before the desecration of the grave.
“My condolences on the fight. Your man put up a good effort, but honour has spoken here today”, Alainc declared in gentle terms, the condescending turns of phrase sharpened to the finest point over a lifetime in the courts.
As Yueiles took the hand, he grabbed tightly and pulled Alainc into him. His resent was barely hidden under layers of his own learning, “You have won this day, but I will never let go of the indignity you have shown my family”.
Yueiles let go and took a step back, turning to return to his camp. But as he did, the distinctive clatter of metal on stone resonated through the air, seeming louder than the clashing of swords that had just taken place. Yueiles looked down in shock, “You snake! You would break the honour of this duel, even though you’d won!”.
Alainc took a step back and looked at the dagger on the ground, “Me? You dare suggest I could stoop to your level? You detestable man. To think I could have trusted you here when you so obviously have not an ounce of honour in your rotten heart!”
Hackles rose as the air turned stale with the taste of blood yet to be spilt. Without so much as a though, both armies moved like mighty beasts towards each other.
Hey, it's yer army, and I think the banner looks awesome as is. The lines that separate the fingers and the crest of the thumb are a bit wider than in the thumbnails, which really works in its favor. Excellent job! A really cool addition to your force, love to see the other fatties rally around.
I stand corrected, the red hand works well afterall. I think Don is right that the rest of the tubsters need to get up off their shelf to join their standard! Great Stuff as usual tarar2d2
@kavika0311, thanks loads! It's been a while since I've done some creative writing, so hopefully the piece below will be somewhat not awful
@416_SpaceWolves, thanks
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks, and yeah it does look cleaner than the thumbnail in a way, and an army shot is definitely something that should happen again sometime soon.
@youwashock, An outrage? An outrage?! How cou- oh wait... erm, thanks
@gobert, to be fair, the red thorns and black hand was a close second. Maybe it could make an appearance as an alternate icon somewhere else.
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll, thaks!
The rumours of my death were greatly under-exaggerated, what with there being no rumours of my death... But yes, you are indeed seeing this thread rising from the deep to come with what is arguably a much smaller update than what this length of time off should really bring. There's a number of excuses I could use here, what with Christmas (which, for those of you who remember back on page 2 means I spent a good while making a gift for a Secret Santa that you can see here) and a few life things happening like a new job and moving house. But, the usual levels of procrastination were still a big thing that stopped this from coming to fruition sooner. That ramble over, there is indeed an update, and one on a model you've not seen since June! My I present the legs for the Chaos Knight!
Knight WIP
Knight WIP
Knight WIP
There's not a ton to say about this. I'm quite happy I was able to get the ghost-y parts a bit more encompassing of the non-ghost-y parts, especially on the lower sections, as it was something I felt I hadn't quite achieved with the feet. I'd love to hear what you all think, and sorry again for the age between updates.
Thanks!
Chapter VIII
Swords glittered like the morning dew as they struck shields. War hammers pounded out the furious song of war against armour. Blood mixed with wet mud and sweat, sending the perfume of fighting far afield. The taste of ozone was sharp upon the tongue. Figures beyond sight moved through the battle before them, urging each man to more and more violent acts against his enemy. And in the eye of this ever-worsening storm fought Yueiles and Alainc, their pure, undiluted hatred for the other now no longer hidden behind snide remarks or minor acts of grievance. Behind each congressed the darkness, enveloping the two men as they exchanged blows. Each fought like a man possessed.
All things in their time, as it is said. The legs look quite good. The ghost parts have a rather natural flow to them that makes their presence convincing.
Holy cow, that Dark Angel diorama is incredible! I love the Fallen (?) with the sword behind his back, it suggests so much. Really has a sense of narrative to it.
@youwashock, thanks to the warm welcome! Hopefully the flow will be continued when the larger aspects of ghost-stuff gets added on.
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks! And you got the whole narrative in one!
Just a quick update for today. I've finished with the armour panels on one of the legs, giving me a chance to think out the filigree on larger panels. There's a wee bit of ghost-y stuff happening here, but the other leg will really be showing off the ghost-stuff when complete. I realise these probably aren't the most exciting updates, so hopefully I'll get a bit of time in the future to get round to something more fun. But, at least it's progress.
Knight WIP
Knight WIP
As always, even though the pickings are somewhat small today, I'd love to hear your feedback.
Thanks!
Chapter IX
The records of that day had stopped there, and it was a miracle that they had even survived until now. But something as mundane as an event being lost in the annals of time did not trouble Silvo Palien, for what was forgotten by man was remembered by daemons. She continued to lay out the cards of her twisted tarot in front of her, each one relaying the emotions of the long dead. She watched how the warp churned all those years ago and balanced her machinery to duplicate the effect now. It wouldn't take much more to draw forth the monster created that day.
A knight armour panel with filigree can hardly be considered mundane! The ghostly bits are blending in nicely with the real bits. Good to see you back posting
@gobert, thanks loads! And it's good to be back posting!
@youwashock, thanks! Although the 'epicness' will have to wait for a bit...
@Don Qui Hotep, thanks a ton! I feel I'm getting the look down a bit better the more I work at it (surprise surprise, practice works!)
A slight pivot from the Knight today everyone. But, hopefully a pivot into something you'll like and no doubt something you've been waiting for. You see, motivation decided to rear its far from ugly head and decided to strike me down in a stupor of painting. In a matter of 3 or four afternoons I have finally tackled a model that has been sat taunting me in its unpaintedness since October 2019 (by the Dark Gods I didn't realise its been that long ). Unsurprisingly, as with most things one might deem daunting, it wasn't actually too hard to do once I started. In fact, it ended up being so easy to just slip in to doing it, I didn't actually take any WIP pics, just that of the final piece.
It's a bit of an amusing, if short, story that finally pushed me over the edge to actually painting the model though. I had built up a fair bit of painting motivation with the Knight and was going to continue with that while chatting to friends over Discord. However, the night was dark and full of rain, and I didn't have any undercoated pieces to continue working on. The place where I'd normally spray would require me to walk through a good 5 metres of rainfall, and there's no way someone as lazy as myself would risk getting mildly damp for the sake of doing some painting. But there, right where he had always sat, was the already undercoated model of the last fat termi. He looked at me and I him, and finally I thought it would be fun to do some more painting of skin, as it had been so long since I had last broached the subject. The paintbrush touched his mighty belly and nary a few days latter was he done in all his Slaaneshy glory. Let me introduce to you, whatever nickname I had given him earlier in this plog...
Terminator 5 front
Terminator 5 left
Terminator 5 right
Terminator 5 back
And oh dear reader how immoral it would be of me to show you this final model for the only multi-model unit in the entire army and not show you a squad photo. Feast (geddit?) your eyes on the fully operational terminator squad!
Terminator squad
I'd love to hear your feedback on the guy and the squad as a whole. I've personally really enjoyed how they've turned out and I'm now only 4 models away from completing the army!
Thanks!
Chapter X
Turbines whirled with an unkempt ferocity, daring the rivets holding them together to give but an inch. The crackle of electricity paraded around the room as the machine tuned itself to the nothingness of the warp. A thin sliver of unnamed colours gently allowed itself to form in the centre of the room as wind howled from nowhere. Flashes of histories, presents, and futures all leaps behind the ever-thinning curtain, not wanting to be seen but trying to get out. As the tear opened wider, ghostly figures made their way forth, their movements a spectrum of animalistic scurrying and graceful malevolence. Waves of immaterial bodies broke against the rune encrusted walls of the chamber in which the machine was located. Behind many inches of glasscrete, Silvo looked at the forms. She could recognise a few from the descriptions in the tomes she had spent her life finding, but they were faded reflections of what her mind had thought up when reading the historical accounts. She had read these tales of mighty knights and desperate battles, but before her was a mass of simple human males and an assortment of quadrupedal creatures more alike to a Rough Rider's mount than the Questor Traitoris she had known so well.
'Increase power to the decimated programmable phase-detector and double the layer 2 Makarova-filter on row Zhi-IX', she called out in a thousand whispered voices. Her menials scurried around her as they attempted to fulfil her demands. It wouldn't take long until she finally made true form to the creature she had seen so long ago.
I’d forgotten just how Lardy these boys were. The fat rolls are a bit disturbing in their realism, especially around the arms and moobs. I love the head in the hand of the latest addition too. Great work!
The fatty marines are reunited! Glad to know I'm not the only one who can leave models on a shelf for a year... or two... or eight...
Filigree work looks great. I didn't notice it before but I like the way you constructed the chainfist. Despite the blood on his lips and head in his hand he looks the most with-it (maybe it's his eyes, maybe it's the beard) - very imperious and commander-looking.
Thinking back you the leader of this force, are you on commission from GW for the new AoS Glutos fella? The resemblance is rather striking, it goes to show how good a concept it is I suppose
@gobert, Yeah, these guys sure aren't exercising nearly as much as they should. And that's saying nothing about their diet
@Gwyn chan 'r Gwyll, I really enjoyed making them, so I'm happy they've come across as well as they have!
@Don Qui Hotep, /looks at unfinished pile... As for the guy's sanity levels, they might be there just enough so he can see the horror in his actions, but not enough to stop himself
@Fifty, I'm not saying images like that were useful inspiration, but...
@youwashock, ba dum tss. How long were you holding onto that one?
@gobert, ooh a second comment you glutton But yeah, it was really awesome to see an official glutton model from GW. And who knows, if this force ever gets any bigger than the original plan maybe we'll see Glutos' long lost brother make an appearance in 40k!
Hey, remember that time I said I'd try to have more frequent or consistent updates? Or that that other time where I said I'd try to have more frequent or consistent updates? We have fun here, don't we...
But yes, I do indeed have an update on these beautifully flabby men. Well, maybe not on the flabby men themselves. In fact, thinking about it, I think that may be them all done for the time being I'm afraid. However, there's still a few models left to fill out this warband before my friends and I finally play the campaign we had planned in those halcyon days of the before times. And one of those models is part of the reason the well upholstered marines of the Feast Eternal are so, lets say 'ample'.
Cast your mind back to when I was actually doing something, and you might remember that lore-wise this army likes to create Chaos Spawn, build up their muscle mass by letting them go wild and killing things, then re-capturing said Spawn and eating it. Well, clearly that means this army should be well-equipped in the Spawn department, and there's one unit that out-Spawns all other Spawns. I am of course talking about the Giant Chaos Spawn. I don't believe I've shown this one off yet, with the reasoning being that I only actually finished building it recently and it got painted up soon after. That said, I'll have a few unpainted images in a spoiler tag below because I know I love looking at unpainted conversions as much as I love looking at painted ones.
With all that said, here's the big lad
Giant Chaos Spawn front
Giant Chaos Spawn right
Giant Chaos Spawn left
Giant Chaos Spawn rear
For those of you not super caught up on every GW model under the sun (and who could blame you), this thing is made primarily from a Mutalith Vortex Beast, with some additional Maneater Gargant/Giant bits, some regular-sized Chaos Spawn, and a Bloodletter leg for good luck. Everything else is either GS / Milliput or other random junk found around the house.
I've also got a few close up shots of some of the more interesting bits (in my opinion at least), but I'll keep them in this spoiler tag as to not overload the number of images
Spoiler:
The various faces
Hand palm
Hand back
Double leg action
Tentacles a-plenty
I've also got one more photo ti give you an idea of the scale of this lad, so while he might not be quite as flabby, he'd definitely give the other a run for their money in terms of sheer mass.
Lads on tour
And here are the unpainted images I promised earlier.
Spoiler:
Unpainted right
Unpainted left
As always, I love hearing from you lot. Any feedback or ideas etc are more than welcome!
Thanks!
Chapter XI
Everything turned dark as a scream called out to those without ears.
@Boss Salvage, thanks! And it was nice to be back for the time that I was, but it obviously didn't stick
@youwashock, thanks! And he has a bunch of handy spikes you could just as toothpicks after you're one!
At this point it really shouldn't be a surprise to people how long things are between updates. And chances are it may be a good while between this update and the next, although I do want to keep it going with the models for this army (doubly so seeing as we're getting a new CSM codex soon meaning the actual campaign that these lot were being made for is getting closer and closer to actually having a deadline). Either way, whether I continue this project immediately or there's a decent gap between now and the next update, I still plan to finish this lot!
All that said, I've not been completely un-busy with stuff besides what I've got going on here. If you want to see what else I'm doing, I've started and Instagram page that you can find here. I'll be posting a lot more regularly on that as I don't have to worry quite as much when it comes to keeping things consistent to one army or idea as I feel is warranted here.
Shameless self-promotion aside, through a variety of reasons I've found myself more motivated to finish off things and stuff that I've had packed away for a while. And one of those things just happened to be a very particular Knight I had ben working on for this project. And I'm more than pleased to say that I've finally gotten it all done up! I'm really quite pleased with the end result and I think it's really close to what I had in mind originally (no one's ever going to make things exactly as you'd wanted, so no point in being annoyed when they turn out different!). I might have to go back and do a few small things though, as the magnets in the waist are a bit weak (as I found out while trying to show the finished thing off to a friend, only for the legs to fall onto the ground Nothing a bit of glue couldn't fix, but annoying nonetheless). I've stuck the images in a spoiler tag for now as for whatever reason I can't upload the images to dakka directly, meaning they'll be horribly sized for the forum. I'll try again later to see if I can get things working a bit better
The Green Knight Front
Right
Left
Back
Very pleased to have gotten this model out of the way now. Now on to slightly smaller things! Feedback is, as always, welcome!
Thanks!
EDIT: Fixed the photos
Chapter XII
Lights flickered awake as backup generators whirled up. The scene around Silvo was a gruesome one as the dead bodies of her menials and servitors lay headless, the exploded matter that was once their brains splattered across the consoles. Cracked dials spun in uncontrolled madness with their attempts to register what was before them, as a glowing green form began to coalesce in the locked chamber. Finally, the Knight she had seen in her dreams so many years ago was before her. A smile crept across Silvo’s ruined face, hidden behind the death mask she had long ago chosen in place of her almost unnatural features. She drew forth the rack of chaotic-hewn swords, forcing them into the pre-made receptacles placed around the chamber with a satisfying clunk. Dark words streamed from her broken lips as she placed each one, a spell to bind the beast she had summoned. With the eighth and final sword in place, she vomited forth the last words, blood dribbling from her mouth. The Knight bellowed in agony and anger as its form was driven into servitude. Lord Huron would be pleased with her work.
@youwashock, thanks! Really happy with the outcome, and it was a nice use of the bits left over from the Great Hunger model from a while back if I do say so myself
Keeping up with the updates, albeit rather slowly still, I've started on the next character for the army (an army list that by all accounts is now illegal since it was created back in 8th ed). If I'm remembering things correctly, which I think I am, this fella should be the penultimate model for this entire army. Well, for now. Who knows what the future holds...?
He's a fair bit different from the other Space Marines from the force thanks to his somewhat unique backstory. If you can throw your mind back to early 2020, back to page 3 of this plog, you might vaguely remember the story of the Chapter Champion Hida Strav. Well, after his series of unfortunate events he was given a way to overcome the starvation him and his people were suffering in the exact opposite way to the rest of force. Rather than constantly being hungry and constantly eating, he instead was allowed to no longer feel hungry but with the unfortunate side effect of never eating again. As such, while everyone else is nice and fat, he has become completely emancipated. But! Thanks to the shenanigans of the warp, he continues on with Slaanesh's blessing. As such, rules-wise he counts as a Chaos Lord with the Murder Sword (really hoping that's still a thing in the upcoming codex).
I wanted something a bit more fun than just a generic Chaos Marine with slightly fancy armour, so I decided to instead start with a more impressive base, that of Mephiston. While the core of the model is still pretty obvious, I hope that the changes I've made and the paint scheme will really separate this model from the Lord of Death.
Unfortunately I still seem to be having trouble uploading images to dakka, so we'll be sticking to spoilers for now
Chapter Champion Hida Strav
Front
Back
As always, I'd love to hear your thoughts on the model and any ideas you might have to make him extra special. Although you'll have to be quick if you do have any ideas as I'm currently saying he's done.
Thanks!
EDIT: Fixed photos
Book IV
Chapter I
‘What do you know of swords?’, Obaefo Khal’aadah asked her new equerry, gifted to her by Lord Huron. It had saddened her to kept him from the beautiful, eternal torment Slaanesh had created for him, but having read the strings of fate on the inside of the crumbling skull from a long dead race she knew his fate lay elsewhere. His frame had become unnaturally emancipated in the last few years, the lack of hunger ensuring he no longer ate. Skin stretched, dry and unnourished, over his now creaking bones. But she had seen he was truly blessed by the Dark Prince, as his post-human strength and speed had not only remained, but been heightened to levels his once cousins could only dream of.
‘Swords, witch?’, his distaste for the woman had only grown after she had saved him, ‘I was once the champion of a Space Marine Chapter. Each of my brothers was more skilled with a blade than any mortal man could ever hope for, and I a step above them all. I mastered techniques that some have dedicated generations to learning; the Kqu-taka, the Lion's Breath, the Golden Road of Tzeetu. You look like you've never touched, or been touched, by the silvered edge of a real sword.’
‘So you know nothing then’
Took a few days to fully paint up this chap, but I wanted to spend a bit of extra time on him as I've not done so with a model for a wee while now. The Knight was a lot of large areas, so smaller pieces were sort of skimmed over, and I've recently gotten into a game called Turnip28, which very much pushes for a muddy, scrappy look. So switching things up and mostly using my fine bush for this model was a nice change. And I'm really happy with how he turned out, so well worth the extra bit of effort!
I've also figured out a fix for the photo upload issue (click on "View Your Half-finished Uploads" and continue from there if you're curious), so back to having photos properly hosted by the wonderful Dakka forum! Anyways, on to the photos
Chapter Champion Hida Strav
Front
Back
This fella is the penultimate model if I'm remembering things correctly, but I feel I've definitely saved a fun (albeit tricky) one for last. You may see a few more WIP photos of them as they'll likely take a while to construct in full.
But for now I'd love your feedback on the finished model for today!
Thanks!
Chapter II
Strav looked at the witch, annoyed and confused.
‘The word “sword” was sowed in the once barren fields of the Immaterium long before it was given to the blade’ she seemed to mull over the words in her mouth, as one would if trying to explain a warp engine to a newborn, ‘Other weapons started as tools, with uses besides that of war. A dagger could be used to skin a hunted meal. An axe used to fell a tree. Hammers to build a house. All tools designed for survival and creation. But a sword’, she seemed to rest on the word, letting each letter play out on her split tongue, ’a sword has no other function than to kill. No use but death. That is what a sword is. It is Death.’
She unfurled the cloth swathed weapon between them.
‘Come, look upon Death. Learn its edge, feel its weight. Take Death into your hands and lay waste.’
He painted up quick! Love seeing the muscle armor used for Slaanesh (*making a note*) combined with the fur as well. Shoutout to that blade, one of my favorite chaos weapons. Just overall, the concept is great in counterpoint to the gluttons of the army, nice work
@Boss Salvage, thanks a ton! Being a counterpoint to the rest of them is exactly what I had intended, so awesome that its come through!
@ youwashock, After so long you say... whoops...
@Styrofoam04, thanks a ton!
@Swaelg, thanks! Very happy with their lore
Well, if I've said it once, I've said it a thousand times, I'm bloody slow with the updates here. However, there are some pretty big ones and I felt it unfair to leave this blog completely to the wayside as my life carries on elsewhere. First major point of order is that we, after many many years, finally have a due date for the Badab Wear 2: Into the Maelstrom game!. And would you believe it, it's this weekend (13th/14th May)! So here's one last post before the big day to summarise everything new that's been done for the force!
First up, three (yes, three!) new spawn! These lot used the Crypt Horrors as as a base, and I gotta say I'm pretty happy with how they turned out! It's mostly just mashing them up with various bits from the normal spawn kit, as well as a few other chaos-y bits
Spawn 1
Spawn 2
Spawn 3
Plus we obviously have to have the mandatory group shot of all these lovely spawns together!
In addition to these lot, I got around to making the chaos Hellwright. I'm honestly really proud of this one. It's one I've had in my mind for a long time, and while it didn't come out exactly as I expected it to, that's part of the joy of realising your ideas. The main body uses a myphitic blight hauler, with the gun from a Titanicus reaver, and a sculpted lower body and arms. A fair bit of work went into it, but it also sat on my desk unpainted for nearly a year (classic me it seems). Fortunately, the deadline for the game finally forced me to get my buttocks together and get her all painted up.
Tech-Occultist Silvo Palien
And yeah, that's it! That's the army done in its completed completeness! Only took 3 years, 7 months, 16 days. Pretty speedy for me if my previous stuff is anything to go by. Anyway, I really appreciate all those who followed along for the ride! I'll be sure to get some nice full army photos at the event and do a write up to finally close off this blog after all this time. Nearly feels a bit emotional.
Thanks!
Book V
Chapter I
The stars opened up before Strav and those of the eternally feasting. Huron sought to break the Imperium, and through Strav his will would be done.
)
.
I had a quick read of your comment regarding the guy's eye, and I realised you were entirely right. For a start, the less-intense eye was a bit off anyway, and whilst this'll undoubtedly be something that will never really be looked at (ba dum tis), and something even I myself will probably forget, I decided to go with your suggestion. It adds just that wee bit more character to the model when you have a proper look at it, and is something you don't often see with Marines (if the art is anything to go by, about 40% of 
that is some Meat Beard! Please tell me he’s going to be holding a human drumstick ready to eat? He looks like he hasn’t eaten in minutes, he must be starving 
But thanks for the sentiment.
