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[Note: Subject line updated 2/1/2017, as there's now a Codex!]

It's finally happening. My mission for 2015 is to get this thing rolling!

The idea behind the army is that the Cult is at it's apex. It has grown strong enough that a Splinter Fleet of Tyranids has come to investigate. Most models will be represented by traditional models (Cadians, Hybrids, etc), but I do plan on using Tyranid models for a few units.

The main force will use Codex:Astra Militarum. There will be "appropriated" tanks and vehicles, Brood Brothers (Cadians), Hybrids (Sgt's in squads and various character types - Priests, Commissars, etc.), Magi as psykers (maybe IG psykers, maybe from "Ally" armies).
I think the Patriarch could very easily use Yarrick's stat line.
There is a Broodlord model who will Count As Nork Deddog (or anything else that I'm inspired to).
I'd like to get a couple Hive Crone/Harpy models to Count As Vendettas.
There will be a unit of 10 SM Scout Bikes converted with OOP plastic Hybrids to use as Rough Riders (I know they suck, but I love the IDEA! LOL)
I might even try to use a couple Zoanthropes (I have a small resin not-GW one) as psykers, too. Maybe low level, since it looks like a little baby Thrope! LOL
So many ideas! LOL

With some Hybrids and Magi on the way, I decided to start out with some test models. I want to test paint schemes for clothes ("uniforms"), hair, skin, weapons... whatever. Although I have a boatload of Cadians to paint, I thought I'd actually start with models that are less likely to see use regularly. That way, any "happy accidents" will be less often seen.

What does every self-respecting Genestealer Cult need to recruit? Who are the original disenfranchised youth of the 41st Millennium?
That's right!
MUTANT RABBLE!



I'm pretty happy with the way they came out, as a test. Most often, they'll see use as grunts (Conscripts when IG, Cultists when CSM, etc). I'm just looking for tabletop on them. So... Yeah. They're good to go.


And, since they might see use as Conscripts, and conscripts can be fielded in units up to 50 at a time, what do they need?
Why, 35 friends, of course!



Thanks for checking in on my madness. Thoughts, suggestions, ideas and comments are welcome AND APPRECIATED!

Eric

This is awesome. I'm so glad you just went for it.

I particularly like the tentacle upper body haha

Looks good. I would consider a pink or red wash to give them a fleshy look. Its hard to describe, but most Genestealer cults look a little more alive. These guys look a bit too tan

This is some great stuff

*subbed*

Really Awesome!! Great converstions all around!

I like how they feel like old timey mutants ahaha

 Icelord wrote:
I particularly like the tentacle upper body haha

I'm quite fond of that model. Unfortunately, I cannot take credit for the assembly on that guy. I bought about 100 or so mutants in a local gaming auction to add to the ones I already had. They were in varying conditions. I went through them and salvaged what I could and chucked anything that was just too far gone to salvage. This is one of the few that remained wholly in tact. Most of them saw me removing heads and limbs (or had already come apart in the gallon zipoc they were in).
I really like the little guy with the huge Defiler helmet, too.

 jreilly89 wrote:
Looks good. I would consider a pink or red wash to give them a fleshy look. Its hard to describe, but most Genestealer cults look a little more alive. These guys look a bit too tan

Thanks for the input.
The skin is still a bit of a WIP. I'm pretty happy with the end result, but still want a bit more out of it.
I started with Dwarf Flesh and did a wash of old Devlin Mud. After that, I did a Thrakka Green wash. The green tint shows up better IRL than in the pics. Hopefully, as I get a bit more progress on the project and bust out the light box, better pictures will show this more clearly.

 Solosam47 wrote:
Really Awesome!! Great converstions all around!

I like how they feel like old timey mutants ahaha

I'm a huge fan of the ole EoT style mutants. There's something about taking pieces from a bunch of kits and just slapping them together that's always appealed to me.

In these mutants (incl. the unpainted ones), you can find bits from the following lines:
CSM
CSM Mutation Sprues
Cadians
Catachans
Orks
Orcs
Skeletons
Zombies
Chaos Spawn
Skaven
Whatever the human warband was that came with the Mordheim box LOL
Ogre Kingdoms

I still have probably 2 dozen or so more partially built mutants waiting to be finished. I might even mix in some Necron bits with them (weapons, at least!).

Thanks, all!

Eric

Love the guy with the large head

Finally, another update. A small one (been busy), but an update.
Here we have another 10 mutants. You'll notice some differences:
1) The skin is redder.
After painting Elf flesh tone (I used Dwarf on the first lot) and Gryphonne Sepia (Devlan Mud on the last ones), I use a Baal Red wash. I tried to keep the flesh tone and "brown" wash lighter, because I was afraid that a Dev. Mud wash might make them so dark that they'd resist the red. I think that's what happened to the last lot, who had a final Thrakka Green wash put on them.

2) The clothes are darker.
The idea is that I want them cohesive. I want them all primarily blue. I want them different enough to still look a bit ragtag when they're all mixed together. I started with a darker shade of blue (Vallejo Game Color Ultramarine), but still did the Leviathan Purple wash, like I did on the last lot. I think that, as long as I wash the blues with L. Purple, they'll still come out close enough to achive the desired effect.



A few notes...
Row 1, Model 2: Blue, light purple and red intestines covered by 2 coats of L. Purple wash. After sealing them it was given a brush on coat of gloss. It doesn't come across very well in the pic.
Row 2 Model 1: I can't take credit for the use of the CSM arm on this guy, either. The previous owner did that and added a makeshift greenstuff "torso." I chose the arms, though. He's less humorous than tentacle-torso in the first group, but I like him. I actually think he's a bit manacing (all things considered LOL).
Row 2, Model 3: Not my credit, either. He was mostly pre-built. I added the head -which I'm EXTREMELY happy with- and the top 2 arms. Something about a 2 headed, double torso'ed, five armed mutant with a giant chainsword to make you say, "Hell yeah!"
Row 2, Model 4: Clearly, he is the roughest, toughest s.o.b. in the group. "Why," you ask? Well.. how many other models have a gun? Okay, now home many have TWO guns... and an eye patch!
Row 2, Model 5: I'm really happy with the head choice on this model, too. It's weird enough to scream "mutant," and I'm really happy with how it painted up. The leather "patch" on his head looks pretty good in this pic (cell phone camera) but, in person, it REALLY turned out well. Also... he has a gun and a shiny silver skull on his cleaver. Clearly, he's a mutant who's going places in the ranks of the cult.
Clearly. LOL

Thanks for checking it out, guys. I'm working on a couple tanks, now. I'm liking how they're turning out. I look forward to sharing them with you.

As always, questions & comments are welcome & appreciated!

Eric

Great stuff so far. Looks like loads of fun making all of those crazy models. Looking forward to more.

Aside from being feth all ugly (in a good way!), really loving the models and the conversions. Keep it up!

Thanks, guys.
I really need to start list building soon, so I can get a focus on what to build and paint, rather than just building up the mutants.

Eric

Update time.

Again, at this time I'm pretty much just painting models... things I think any self-respecting GStealer Cult WOULD have.
Today's offering is a misappropriated Leman Russ:





So, you've probably noticed a few things about it:
1) The model's ugly. There are a lot of CLEAR assembly issues with it, holes in it, etc.
This model is "appropriated" in the very sense of the word. It was bought used and was not built the best. That's fine for me, though, as it works for my aesthetic.

2) Umm... Eric... There's some red showing?
Right. Previously, the Russ had been part of a Traitor IG force. The Chaos spikes and iconography were removed, but the red paint job was NOT primed over. The idea here is that, after vanquishing the army, the Russ was taken, fixed as much as they were capable of, and repainted. Now, a force of half monsters, mutants and bleary-eyed Brood Brothers isn't going to exactly have a Michelangelo in the bunch. Right? The idea here is that it was done swiftly and sloppily... and I spent a lot of time making it look that way. LOL All they really want is to have it "the right color." Nobody's going to put it up on a lift or lay down to get the underside. So, only as far as a long armed mutant could reach is painted. The red on the sides and top? Seems logical that they'd hurry to get the paint on and would miss some spots.

3) The blue paint appears "streaky."
Yes. Thank you for noticing. It does.
I used a modified drybrush technique over the red. I started with Vallejo Game Color Ultramarine Blue. I didn't clean much paint off before "drybrushing," so it went on heavily. I did it in fast, light strokes so that it appeared streaked. First, I painted the top half of the tank from the top down, then did the rest from the bottom up. The result of this shows well on the sides of the cannon (there is more red showing around the center line).

Once that was dry, I used one of my favorite old paints. It's called Copen Blue. It's a craft paint (think Ceramic statue painting) and it's by a company called "Ceramcoat." The quality of these paints isn't as good as the paints most of us use, but they have some great colors. Plus, for this case, quality didn't matter. If the coverage wasn't the best, it really didn't matter.

I used the same technique with the Copen as with the UM blue, but I made sure there was less paint on the brush. I wanted to give the color a bit of depth. By layering the blues in a streaked manner, I got to where I wanted.

Next, a coat of Asurmen Blue wash applied in the same, streaky manner. I put it heavily on the top of the tank and made sure to cause it to pool -but not too heavily- in certain places (like the stowage bin on top), so that it gave the appearance of sloppily and thickly applied paint. It also pulled the two colors of blue together to make it look like one coat of blue that was applied more heavily in some areas than others, rather than two colors atop each other.

Lastly, some Badab Black looking like oil running out of the holes in the sides (where I removed METAL spikey bits that had been sticking out of the tank) and some metallic bling... because all blue is boring. LOL
The metals were given a couple coats of Badab Black to make them look good and scruffy. They actually look "nicer" in the pics than in person. They're nice and grimy looking in person.

So, that's it. That's my offering for today. I have 4 more Russes to eventually paint. One has the first layer of blue (over black) on it, but all will use the techniques outlined above.

Comments, suggestion and blatantly overdone praise are welcome, as is any suggestion in list building. : )

Thanks for looking.

Eric

Good for you that you decided to undertake this army.

Genestealer cult army is one of the best GW every came up with.

I will keep checking in as it develops.

Nice work

Thanks.

The unconfirmed rumors of a Codex expansion for them in the future have me very happy. It's about time they came back into the light!

Eric

I posted my first test list.
Feel free to check it out and offer suggestions for tweaks:

http://www.dakkadakka.com/dakkaforum/posts/list/0/640625.page#7681405


Thanks!

Eric

They all look like they are in a stage of morphing.

Very realistic!

Minor update.
I"ve received the first of the 2 batches of Hybrids I bought.
I'm now the proud owner of 140 metal Genestealer hybrids (in addition to the 20ish metals and plastics I already had), with a second lot of 40 more metals on the way.
You can call it an insane expenditure, if you want. LOL I prefer to think of it as "dedicated to my army!"

Unfortunately, I have no round bases or plastic Hybrid arms to go with them. I'm working on the bases, but would LOVE it if anyone with plastic hybrid arms PMed me.
I'm also looking for OOP Genestealer arms that have both arms on one piece that I want to try converting into passable hybrid arms.

I start cleaning the models tonight. As soon as the bases start rolling in, I'll get the models based and primed. Then, I get to break out the airbrush and start getting them painted en masse.

Wo0t!

Eric

Wow, I guess "The Thing" did escape the Antarctica after all!

Wow.
This took FAR too long to get to.
Damnable REAL LIFE!

So, I went through the Hybrids and divided them into groups by model type. Barring the Magi, I got a pretty good selection of each: about 18 to 24 of each pose.
I took the 2 Hybrid poses that have their arms sculpted in and the Magi sculpts, filed the mold lines, and based them. I spray primed them all black and Wham! Ready for paint.
All in all, there are 45 models here... 18 of the "robed" hybrids, 22 of the other ones and 5 Magi:



I just placed an order for the base coat of blue that I need. So, I should be able to get moving on these in the next couple days, I hope.
I guess I'll have to work on a titan or something in the mean time. LOL


Eric

Well, it's been almost two damned years.
Time for an update, I guess.

Got some work done late last year & this year.

First: 5 Magi. I have 2 plastics out being painted by someone else, so I'm not certain what THESE will be used as, but I'll figure something out. : )


Note that transfers on the bases for ease of use during a game:
]

Three units of OOP Hybrids:






Two images of my new and improved Mutant Horde (36 now, with FIFTY more on the way, being painted by someone else!):




Acolyte Iconward "counts as" (still need to paint and ink the base, but wanted to go ahead and get the image):


New Plastic Genestealer Hybrids:


New Plastic Genestealer Hybrids (With a Counts As Primus and Oversized Mutant conversion):


Every army needs custom Objectives. Right? You'll notice that each objective is "numbered" by amount of grass clusters on it:


That's what I have, so far. The mutants and Magi are from last year. I managed to paint everything else this year, so far... although time's about to get VERY SHORT soon. LOL

Thanks for looking!

Eric

Very nice indeed. You've certainly got a cool GSC army, I bet you were thrilled when the new rules came out last year.

The numbered by grass tufts is very subtle. Have you tried using them yet? I think if I was using them I'd find that too subtle and not realise which objective was which!

EDC

Thank you.
I was, in fact, both elated and disappointed. I was originally creating them to use the IG codex, with a couple Tyranid Hive Crones to "Count As" Vendettas.
I was a little disappointed that there were no flyers and few psykers.
...BUT... I got an official codex, so that was cool. LOL

Not sure exactly what I'm going to do with the mutants. I think I can use them as metamorphs easily enough... or just use Hybrid rules for them. Eh... my options are open.
In the IG army, they'd have been conscripts.

The army (with plenty of proxies) has only been used once, earlier this year. I have not had the opportunity to use the objectives yet. I only finished them this week. I do think they'd be subtle. Sure... but I don't think it will be a big deal.

Thanks for looking!

Eric