Forum adverts like this one are shown to any user who is not logged in. Join us by filling out a tiny 3 field form and you will get your own, free, dakka user account which gives a good range of benefits to you: No adverts like this in the forums anymore. Times and dates in your local timezone. Full tracking of what you have read so you can skip to your first unread post, easily see what has changed since you last logged in, and easily see what is new at a glance. Email notifications for threads you want to watch closely. Being a part of the oldest wargaming community on the net. If you are already a member then feel free to login now.

Hey Dakka,

I'm trying to build up a force of unique-looking chaos cultists, i.e. a large hoard of cultists that are each unique models in some way. Sources I've used so far include:

-the dark vengeance cultists
-forgeworld rebel militia kits
-empire flagellants with IG weapon arms.

If anyone has anything else that has worked well, be it further GW kit swaps or third party retailers, I would love to hear about it. I'm thinking about the penal squads from Victoria miniatures, any other thoughts would be appreciated.

Can you post some pics?

High elf archers can be good with a head swap since they have robed bodies, Bret men at arms as well.

Chaos marauders are a natural pick.

Wargames factory's great coat shock troopers come with plenty of gums and heads to make fantasy models more techy.

The kits you have mentioned are a good start, Victoria lamb is a good place to go for arms and legs as well, especially since Vic has a really good consistency in scale.

It does depend on what sort of cult look you are interested in but other GW kits would be:
anything in the empire range, and some of the dark eldar units, especially for creepy bionic bits and a bit of tight leather.

Kits to avoid would be the maurauder and Catachan kits, unless you are going to mix them together since they are much bigger than other human sized models.

Curious constructs has some really nice "renegade" torsos.
Also check out:
Maxmini.eu
Zinge industries
Anvil Industry
kromlech

Fisher001 wrote:
Hey Dakka,

I'm trying to build up a force of unique-looking chaos cultists, i.e. a large hoard of cultists that are each unique models in some way. Sources I've used so far include:

-the dark vengeance cultists
-forgeworld rebel militia kits
-empire flagellants with IG weapon arms.

If anyone has anything else that has worked well, be it further GW kit swaps or third party retailers, I would love to hear about it. I'm thinking about the penal squads from Victoria miniatures, any other thoughts would be appreciated.

Sup dawg, you should scope out the link in my siggy. I did a bunch of conversions on the DV cultists & other stuff.

Pigiron's Kolony Ferals may do the trick!

I did come across those models, that's the look I'm going for, but I would prefer plastic or resin rather than metal models, much easier to work with.

There's a lot you can do with just the DV cultists using just head and arm swaps and a little Green Stuff. Subtle plug for my hobby blog here.


Unsubtle plug for Peter's blog here because holy crap.

-EoN

 TheEyeOfNight wrote:

Unsubtle plug for Peter's blog here because holy crap.

-EoN

You are too kind sir. I do what I can, with the blessings of the Dark Gods.

Here's my DV cultists so far. Most of the models are pinned and all have some type of conversion. GS work was done as practice before I bought modeling tools...IE all sculpted with a modeling knife. I've got 5 or 6 more to finish converting, but I always seem to get sidetracked on other projects.

I think the Angel turned out particularly well after the rifle was chopped down into a submachine pistol w/bayonet.

Keep you're eyes peeled for the new box of Plastic cultists that are being released for Frostgrave. The adventurers are really nice with loads of options and the cultists should be equally good.
They may need scifyifying but there are plenty of weapons options out there from other companies.

Wow man, those are really good conversions.

mispost

Though they are a bit on the expensive side (and a bit Khorne-y) GWs Bloodreavers mkae for some nice cultist conversion fodder.

 Matt.Kingsley wrote:
Though they are a bit on the expensive side (and a bit Khorne-y) GWs Bloodreavers mkae for some nice cultist conversion fodder.

I want those for the parts....as with so many other GW kits. I'm just not at a point where I can rationalize $60 for a box of infantry. :/

Yep they are too expensive to rationalise.

Which I suppose is the point, as GW thinks all of its customers are irrational...

 Matt.Kingsley wrote:
Yep they are too expensive to rationalise.

Which I suppose is the point, as GW thinks all of its customers are irrational...

If I had money coming out of my ears, I'd totally buy more stuff (hello Termies + Forsaken & Reaver bits)....but I don't. Then again being a converter first, a painter second, and not even owning a 40K rulebook makes the hobby a LOT more affordable. I think I spent $100 on mini's last year, and I still haven't used them all up.

But back to the original point, any GW plastic sprue of slottabase mini's from a boxed set is going to be your best source for models. "Chaosing up" a human figure is super easy, so that's the angle I'd start with if I were the OP.

They're actually the same price as many geedubs kits if not less. It's 20 minis, so $30 for 10.

^^ I got a couple of DV Chaos sprues for $40 each. Thats everything from the Hellbrute to the Chosen and a whole bunch of cultists.

I was at my FLGS today and ran across a box of female apocalypse survivors by Wargames Factory. I googled it and found the male versions here:
http://www.wargamesfactory.com/webstore/dark-futures/apocalypse-survivors-men
I also found the female versions (like I saw in the store) here:
http://www.wargamesfactory.com/webstore/dark-futures/apocalypse-survivors-women
I can't help but think that maybe these could be used as cultists, although they look a little too much like good guys perhaps. Still, with a little creative painting perhaps...

Those survivors look cool. Personally they're not future-y enough for me, but they looks sweet.

Some ideas I've gotten so far or other resources I've found:
-High elf archer bodies, probably with skitarii heads. Rebelling servitors!
-empire flagellants-pretty much look like chaos cultists anyway
-chaos marauders/catachans mashup
-dark vengeance heads and weapons as needed for the above
-victoria miniatures has a pretty sweet penal squad-excellent conversion bits

Don't underestimate simple things like head/arm/weapon swaps.

Swapping heads on two DV cultists, or adding a spawn tentacle in place of a standard arm, etc. can go a long way toward adding visual variety while keeping the look consistent.

For example:



Also the Empire flagellants and beastmen boxes are great to mix in as well as various ork/grot pistols, etc.

Simple is sometimes better and can go a long way.

Your stuff looks great btw.

I once helped a friend make his renegades, for his primary troops he used Cadian bodies with beastman heads plus either normal lasguns from the Cadians or the arms from the beastmen. I made his psykers and used Flagellants bodies with a mix of their own arms, IG arms, and Dark eldar arms (mostly the hellions arm with the dagger because I've got stupid amounts of them) They turned out pretty cool over all. Alas I don't have any pictures of it all together.

Necromunda starter set guys as a base, plus being that they have CC weapons or long guns.
Well really any Necromunda figs work, but they did make a Chaos Cultist gang. Oh and Redemptionists.
Skaven Plague Priests
Ork bodies

Also consider mixing in a few ork models, who make fine over-muscled/mutated humans, as well as being a great source of bits. Simply painting them in human flesh tones may be enough (if you don't mind the pointy ears), or you can also give them head swaps (normal human heads will look comically under-sized, but that suits the mutated look).

I definitely think mutation is the best solution for easy visual variety.

If I used some of those apocalypse survivors I posted the links to earlier, do you guys think people would complain about them in a tournament because they aren't GW models?

Admech have some good bits - a mate is doing a Necromunda gang with Frostgrave plastic bodies from Northstar (a bit raggedy) and a pile of Skitarii and Sicarian bits. They're looking good! Ruststalkers have gasmask heads, and robed ranger heads are not too far from the DV cultists. There's a useful range of HTH weapons, guns and mechanical arms/backpacks/bits in the kits too.

Frostgrave is also coming out with a box of plastic cultists at the end of November - may be worth a look. GW are usually only short of bodies for their kits. You may be able to stretch out a box of Skitarii significantly.

Tubing - every GW conversion needs tubes and pipes. Use guitar string - it's cheap, you get six different thicknesses and yards of the stuff. Use a pin vice to drill the holes for both ends and a touch of superglue to fix it in place.

Warzone necromutants - go for the Dark Legion starter, it's the best value. For $50 of your Yankee Dollars, you get 12 zombified troops with guns, a couple of big brute leaders and a masive monster. Resin too, beautifully detailed and usually in very few parts.

And - post your conversions! Always love to see people's ideas!

 ZergSmasher wrote:
If I used some of those apocalypse survivors I posted the links to earlier, do you guys think people would complain about them in a tournament because they aren't GW models?

Possibly, depending on the tournaments you're interested in - all have different rules re model eligibility, some are super-strict but others couldn't care less. That's the other advantage of modelling mutations - you can do some amazing things with just head and limb and weapon swaps, while remaining 'GW-legal' if that's important to you.