Ezra’s Realm of Madness: Update 11: Assorted madness

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**evildrcheese**

That gold looks beautiful.

Really the Lightening Claw CSM, the pose is wicked. He looks bad-ass

EDC

**Ynneadwraith**

Very nice

Now you've got some colour on the oriental hat guy it doesn't look nearly as oversized. There's a little trick regarding light and dark colours, where people see darker things as smaller and lighter things as bigger (it's why black dresses make people look slimmer). Perhaps because the material of the helmet was lighter it looked physically larger in comparison to the body.

Either way it looks good

**Ezra Tyrius**

Thanks for the kind words, everyone!

I've made a lot of progress today, finished up most of the metals and started on the edge highlighting (which is driving me up the walls a bit).

Here's what he looks like at the moment:

Also, I'm wondering if I should add some decoration to the top of the helmet, like a symbol, or some Japanese characters or something...

**Ezra Tyrius**

"And when I looked upon his blasted form, that hulking mass of violence made manifest, that is when I knew...

...hell is empty, and all the devils are here."

- Attributed to an unknown Guardsman, stationed on Cadia during the 13th Black Crusade

...or, in less dramatic terms, I'm building a true scale Chaos Terminator. Because why stop at regular Power Armour, amirite?

I'm going to need a LOT of Green stuff to pimp this guy, though. I'll be fixing up the legs first, and after that, I'll be looking at the top of his armour to see if I can't add some nifty wolf pelt up there. And spikes. Maybe even a top-knot....

**KernelTerror**

Oh oh, that's going to be good !

**Ezra Tyrius**

Aaaaaand we're back!

Had a couple of difficult weeks, so didn't have much time to update the thread much. I've worked on my AOS Slaanesh army some more (still no pics though

), and I finally got my order from GW, which provided me with some much-needed bases, including the one I needed for my true scale Chaos Terminator!

Here's a few pics of the big bugger:

He looks a lot better on a 50mm base, doesn't he? The base also allowed me to finish up the green stuff work on his legs, which turned out pretty well in my opinion

I also swapped out his Storm Bolter for a nice Assault Cannon; yes, I know Chaos isn't supposed to have these things, but A. it looks badass and B. it allows me to run him as an Obliterator should I ever feel the need to do so

I'm wondering if I should chaosify the thing some more though. I added the obligatory spikes and hooks, but it still looks a bit too clean in comparison to the one wielding it... thoughts?

**VyRa**

How did i miss out on this thread so far? Your work, sir, is amazing. Love the conversions, cultists, chosen and all. Especially the idea to do EYE some justice.

The terminators warped body doesn't really mesh well with the untainted head, but i guess it's just a stand-in. The assault cannon, as you have already pointed out, looks too clean imho. If you go with the warped flesh look of the obliberators, it should extend to the entire model.

I'm looking forward to your progress here. May pick up on it once i get to converting some less hunchbackish Obliberators of my own.

**Ezra Tyrius**

Welcome to the Realm of Madness, VyRa! Thanks for the kind words, glad to see my work is appreciated

As for the Terminator/Obliterator hybrid, I've done some more work on him, more specifically on his Assault Cannon. I've added some patches of tainted flesh upon the non-moving parts of the weapon (I figured any corruption on the barrels would be flung off when he fires), but I'm not sure if it's enough yet... here's what it looks like at the moment:

And here it is blu-tacked to the rest of the model:

I personally like his current head, but it does stand out a lot, indeed; I think a more corrupted head would make that space look too 'busy', though... I'll have another look in my bits box, maybe I can find something suitable in there

**Ynneadwraith**

Looking really good!

You could keep the head, but rather than a space between it and the corrupted armour you could greenstuff some more warped flesh inbetween. So he's sort of got a normal face melded into the rest of his warped body

**Ezra Tyrius**

Ynneadwraith wrote:

You could keep the head, but rather than a space between it and the corrupted armour you could greenstuff some more warped flesh inbetween. So he's sort of got a normal face melded into the rest of his warped body

Not a bad idea! Would look rather creepy, too

Also, I went through my bits box again last night and came across another suitable head for this guy, this time from the Sternguard kit:

It does make him look more like an Obliterator than a Chaos Terminator, which is a bit of deviation from the original plan, but I actually really like the look of it

Here's a few more pics of him in an alternative pose:

Thoughts?

**VyRa**

I love the new head, it just oozes character and gives him a downright fiendish look.

**Tactical_Spam**

Chaosy.

I think he looks better with the gun down as the res of the pose is geared towards being "open" and it makes the model appear larger.

Also, was this Obliterator one of a pair?

**Ynneadwraith**

Oh man that's one of my favourite heads

really cool bit, and fits the rest of the model really nicely

I'll second Tactical Spam in saying that the more open pose looks better. More menace and aggression.

**Ezra Tyrius**

The new head it is, then!

I'll be sticking with the open pose too, it does look more natural indeed

I also like the fact that this head makes him look like a distant cousin of Kreator Rex, one of the very first Obliterators (at least, according to the lore), currently in the employ of the Despoiler himself:

Tactical_Spam wrote:
Also, was this Obliterator one of a pair?

I see what you did there

This one's with the Black Legion at the moment, but who knows, maybe a certain Chaos warband will get its hands on him someday

**Ezra Tyrius**

I don't think I've mentioned this before, but part of the reason I built this small kill team of true-scaled CSM is that I wanted to use them for Shadow Wars: Armageddon. But truth to be told, the setting never really... 'worked' for me. I don't quite understand why every faction in the universe would be sending kill teams to Armageddon's besieged Hives, especially when there's a massive conflict between the Imperium and the Orks raging in the background.

So I went ahead and made my own setting. With blackjack! And hooke- Ahem.

I turned to one of my heretical tomes (read: old Chaos codex) for inspiration, and found precisely what I was looking for in the form of Brigannion Four, also known as the Well of Hunger. The codex features a short blurb about the planet and the forces fighting on it, which is accompanied by a nice piece of artwork of a Chaos fortress. A shortened version of the blurb can be found here: http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/Brigannion_Four

Naturally, I couldn't resist expanding the story of Brigannion Four to serve my own needs....

SHADOW WARS: BRIGANNION FOUR

It is the 40th millennium. Brigannion Four, known amongst Navigators as the Well of Hunger, has stood inviolate for centuries. The Iron Warriors, siege masters beyond compare, hold the Warp-tainted world in an iron grip, repelling all invaders, both from within as from without, with cruel and merciless efficiency.

However, they are not alone on this world. Others have managed to establish a foothold upon its surface, from where they strive to dislodge the Iron Warriors from their position of power and claim the planet for themselves.

Amongst the warring factions stand the heirs of two other Legions of old. The Death Guard, the implacable servants of Nurgle, were the first to lay claim to the world after its capture by the Night Lords. They fought long and brutal wars against the sons of Curze, successfully driving them into the fortress' underworld before falling prey themselves to the ambitions of the Iron Warriors. The survivors are still licking their festering wounds, biding their time until they can strike against their hated foe once again.

The world's strategic location near the Cadian Gate has also made it a prime target for Abaddon the Despoiler, the Warmaster of Chaos. The Black Legion has launched countless assaults upon the planet, but not even the full might of a Black Crusade could bring the defenders to heel. Though beaten and bloodied, the Warmaster's own will not relent until their prize is firmly in their grasp.

Over the millennia, numerous other Traitor Legions and Chapters have descended upon the Well of Hunger, seeking glory, plunder, or simply another chance to spill blood. Most of them perish, victims of their own greed and the Iron Warriors' guns, but some of them survive, thriving in the darkest corners of the war-torn fortress-world.

Most notable among these survivors are the Sons of Hate and the Brotherhood of Blood, two Renegade Chapters that arrived on the planet roughly at the same time following their exile from the Imperium. The two former Chapters have been locked in bitter conflict with one another and with the Traitor Legions ever since, making up for their lack in experience through malign ambition and insatiable bloodlust. The Brotherhood of Blood has recently subjugated a large portion of the Khorne-worshipping Astartes trawling the wastes, bolstering their ranks considerably and making them a threat to be reckoned with once more.

The fortress' vast underworld is home to the shattered remnants of the defeated, who feed off whatever measly scraps they can find. To these scattered Astartes, the conquest of the massive fortress is but a half-remembered dream, lost in the endless quest for survival in a bottomless pit of darkness.

It is the 40th millennium. On Brigannion Four, a shadow war rages without end, the promise of final victory leading thousands to their grisly death. These are the stories of those who fought and died on that accursed world, and of those who against all odds lived to tell the tale.

Thoughts?

**Ynneadwraith**

Hell yeah! This is what 40k is about

using the architecture of the official fluff to shed light on the millions of other conflicts occurring in the galaxy.

Nice work!

**Tactical_Spam**

The fact that the term "Shadow War" is in the piece says that you should do it

**WarbossDakka**

Great piece of writing Ezra

**Llamahead**

So small chaos warbands fighting in the underbelly of a horrific labyrinthine fortress world? Sounds cool definitely hoping for matching terrain though. I'd also be tempted to add a path of glory system to it as well. Also it requires a bestiary as well.

**EmberlordofFire8**

Seriously cool stuff here, those termies just make me want to start a 30k WB army. After my Thousand Sons...and Eldar... and Slaanesh cult... and Death Guard... and Rainbow Warriors... and more Death Guard of the 30k variety... and White Scars...and Space Wolves...and mechanicum...

**Ezra Tyrius**

Llamahead wrote:So small chaos warbands fighting in the underbelly of a horrific labyrinthine fortress world? Sounds cool definitely hoping for matching terrain though. I'd also be tempted to add a path of glory system to it as well. Also it requires a bestiary as well.

Aaaaaand now I'm making my own SW:A supplement.

Seriously, I've downloaded InDesign and everything.

How am I supposed to get any work done if you people keep lighting my creativity on fire?!

EmberlordofFire8 wrote:Seriously cool stuff here, those termies just make me want to start a 30k WB army. After my Thousand Sons...and Eldar... and Slaanesh cult... and Death Guard... and Rainbow Warriors... and more Death Guard of the 30k variety... and White Scars...and Space Wolves...and mechanicum...

I know that feeling all too well

Speaking of armies that have been shamelessly neglected, I've taken some pictures of my Slaanesh army for AOS (which I've been working on for some months now)! Most of the army is built now, only four Hellstriders remain...

Behold the glory of the Hosts of Slaanesh!

Let's start with the characters, shall we?

Lord of Chaos

The one who started it all, the Slaughterpriest I converted into a Slaaneshi Chaos Lord. He's done painting-wise, just have to finish up his base

Chaos Sorcerer

An extremely blurry picture of my converted Chaos Sorcerer. His face is all messed up because he pissed off Slaanesh at some point, but he doesn't really mind, as being ugly hasn't prevented him from summoning Daemonettes to do his bidding. Has a nice little icon of Slaanesh hanging from his staff, courtesy of the Hellstriders kit

Lord of Slaanesh on Daemonic Steed

Also known as 'Pimp-Lord Supreme'. I built him from the charioteer from the Chaos Chariot kit, the arms and shield of a Chaos Knight and a Seeker from the Slaanesh Chariot thing. I'm really proud of this conversion, he just looks so gloriously heretical

Daemon Prince of Slaanesh

Most Slaaneshi Daemon Princes are these lithe, serpent-like creatures that weave through the battle with an unnatural elegance. Not this guy, though; he represents Slaanesh in its aspect of an unrestrained bringer of pain and torment, and thus he dresses accordingly.

His mask was also taken from the Chaos Chariot kit, because it was too amazing a bit to not use

On to the cavalry:

Chaos Knights

Chaos Chariot

Here, I converted a Bloodreaver to replace the original Charioteer; looks pretty good for an ex-Khornate, doesn't he?

Hellstriders

And one lonely Hellstrider. Don't worry, your buddies will join you soon... (note: I said the same four months ago)

And finally, the troops:

Gors

The Beastmen you know and love. Not much progress here, but at least they're all primed

One thing I never quite understood is why all Daemonettes are (vaguely) female. You'd think a multi-gendered god would take the time to add some variety to his/her/its crazed daemon legions, but I guess Slaanesh was too busy doing its make-up to make an effort. So I decided to spice things up myself, and made a few 'androgynous' Daemonettes with some of the Hellstriders heads

Chaos Spawn

And finally, two Daemon-goats. Don't ask, just... don't.

So, there's that! Hope you enjoy

**VyRa**

Oh... oh my. I certainly do like where this is going.

Quick thoughts: I do like the quick and easy style on most of your conversions here, mostly blurring the line between feminine and masculine traits of the models, something that is very slaanesh. I especially enjoy the sorcerer and demon prince, both have a very characteristic look, that you archieved with just small conversion, good job!

The only thing i have to point out - and i do hate myself for doing so - is that the mount of your lord looks really a bit frail for the massive warrior that is riding it. Have you thought about adding some bulk to the model, maybe extending its legs so that it sports more of a lean, deadly, raptor-like look to it? I mean, not trying to be rude here, again, but it looks like it's about to topple over.

**Tactical_Spam**

Why two daemon goats, Ezra.

**Ynneadwraith**

Sweet work man! More Slaanesh is always good

I'm actually working on a little expansion to Shadow War myself. Less a straight supplement, more a toolkit to allow other people to easily port things over to the Shadow War ruleset (including making your own supplements).

It's still WIP, but at its most basic it's a methodology for calculating points values of models based on their statline and a set of prices for special rules and wargear, that are hopefully balanced enough to let people create rules that represent whatever converted or non-converted models they like and play them in a game utilising the Shadow War architecture.

It's in the link in my sig if you want to take a look

**Ezra Tyrius**

VyRa wrote:The only thing i have to point out - and i do hate myself for doing so - is that the mount of your lord looks really a bit frail for the massive warrior that is riding it. Have you thought about adding some bulk to the model, maybe extending its legs so that it sports more of a lean, deadly, raptor-like look to it? I mean, not trying to be rude here, again, but it looks like it's about to topple over.

Don't hate yourself, part of the reason I share my work here is because I want people to criticise it!

As for the Lord's mount, I see your point... I could handwave it away by claiming that Daemonic mounts work differently than regular mounts, but that'd be a bit lazy of me, wouldn't it?

Problem is that it's fully glued at this point, so working on its legs is going to be difficult... I'll have to think about this some more...

Tactical_Spam wrote:Why two daemon goats, Ezra.

Slaanesh made me do it, I swear!

Ynneadwraith wrote:Sweet work man! More Slaanesh is always good

I'm actually working on a little expansion to Shadow War myself. Less a straight supplement, more a toolkit to allow other people to easily port things over to the Shadow War ruleset (including making your own supplements).

It's still WIP, but at its most basic it's a methodology for calculating points values of models based on their statline and a set of prices for special rules and wargear, that are hopefully balanced enough to let people create rules that represent whatever converted or non-converted models they like and play them in a game utilising the Shadow War architecture.

It's in the link in my sig if you want to take a look

I had a look at your thread, it certainly looks promising! Can't wait to see how your toolkit evolves

Speaking of custom supplements, I've been working on my little expansion pack some more in between studying for my finals (perhaps not the best of ideas, but I can't let all these good ideas go to waste now can I?

). I managed to finish a first draft of the Introduction page today, have a look:

In case you're wondering, yes, I did in fact rip off a LOT of assets from the 4th edition CSM codex. In my defence, I'm not planning on selling this to anyone, so... please don't sue me GW

**Ezra Tyrius**

Update time!

I've been rather busy surviving my finals the past few weeks, so I don't have as much hobby time as I used to, but I've still managed to get a few smaller things done in between studying.

The first thing I finished was the Screaming Skull Catapult for my Skeleton AOS army:

Painting this one was a bit more difficult than I'd anticipated; there's so many small panels and gears hiding in the wood panels and beams, and I couldn't reach a couple of the surfaces because other stuff was in the way. I'm happy with the end result, though

I've also been brainstorming some more ideas for Shadow War: Armageddon (and my supplement), which somehow led me to convert the old Cadre Fireblade I had lying around into a Pathfinder character:

Fluff-wise, this unlucky Tau will end up on Brigannion Four after a freak Warp accident brought his fleet directly over the planet. He'll be leading a small group of other survivors through the hellish superfortress in an attempt to escape the planet and return to the Empire.

Here's another pic of him with one of his yet-to-be-glued buddies, a sniper carrying a massive Railgun.

I also decided to put the Sector Mechanicus bases to good use again, this time turning them into objective markers:

A simple ammo cache. Whoever left it here probably won't be back anytime soon...

An Imperial monument. The machine to its left plays a pre-recorded message when activated, detailing the victory that this monument commemorates.

I'm wondering: would it be better to paint the central part as a flag, or rather as an electronic billboard?

**WarbossDakka**

I like that Fireblade Ezra, I'm always a sucker for a non combat poses on minis, so this guy on his fancy space phone is awesome. Much more characteristic than a simple aiming pose.

**Ynneadwraith**

Nice work man! I too am a sucker for non-combat poses

I vote propaganda poster for the flag. The Imperium seems keen on their standard posters for electronic billboards. There's probably some Tech Magos somewhere with a vault full of all the 'sacred relics' from Blade Runner

On a Tau world I could see elecronic billboards, again spouting propaganda

**Ezra Tyrius**

I got my copy of the Shadow War: Armageddon rulebook in the mail a few days ago, which means I can finally start building my Kill Teams in earnest. I decided to work on the Pathfinders first, because I felt that my Pathfinder leader could use some company

Shi'ro, Pathfinder Specialist

Shi'ro is one of the few specialists in Shas'ui O'Shimaru's kill team. A soft-spoken and stoic warrior, Shi'ro faces the horrors of Brigannion Four without fear or hesitation, eliminating them with precise and calculated shots.

Tash'var, Pathfinder

Before the fleet's arrival over Brigannion Four, Tash'var was a regular Pathfinder, eager as any to prove his worth on the battlefield. The events that unfolded after the crashlanding of his transport on that forsaken world, however, robbed him of much of his innocence and confidence. Despite this, O'Shimaru sees a lot of potential in him, and has thus taken him under his wing, naming him his right-hand man.

Kai, Pathfinder

A veteran of innumerable battles, Kai has served the Greater Good for longer than most in the kill team. The years have not been able to quench his spirit, however, nor the fire in his heart.

Naga, Pathfinder

Naga is the calm to Kai's storm; where the latter rushes into battle without restraint, Naga prefers to hang back, analysing the situation before striking hard on the enemy's weak points.

Jax'al and Oraeh, Cadets

Jax'al and Oraeh are both fresh recruits, saved from a certain end by O'Shimaru's timely intervention. They now serve dutifully under his command, hoping to become true Pathfinders as well.

And here's a (rather terrible) group pic:

**War Kitten**

That's a really cool looking Kill-Team Ezra. I like the little bits of lore that you gave for each of them.