Myphitic Blight Hauler #3 - WIP

Okay, the last one of the Myphitic Blight Haulers for my Death Guard.

This one is based on the smaller tractor from the Galvanic Servohaulers set - stripped bare and with most of the armor and weapons from the original crawler. Cables are really cool and here they play a big role, I could really go to town with all the various kinds and sizes. Besides, the mouth is pretty cool I think - with several tiers to it, with many smaller jaws inside - with some wire tentacles for extra fun.

I look forward to painting those - but first, I need to level up my vehicles painting skill. More info next week.

And here are all the 3 of them together:

Myphitic Blight Hauler #2 - WIP

Second Myphitic Blight Hauler. This one was based on one of the small machines that are part of the Galvanic Servohaulers set (sadly discontinued!) - military machines from WW2 are part of the inspiration, but industrial ones are very important for this project as well! Plows, tractors and other work tools coming to life because of an otherworldly red plague, all to kill the ruling class is very fitting for this commie-inspired army.

Much more kitbashing here, the original basis is barely visible underneath all that.

Sadly, this model is partially responsible for the length of the last break here - I wanted to have that meltagun on a technological arm, but I just couldn't find the box with it! There was no substitute and I just got angry at the whole project and shelved it. Only many months later I found it by accident and gladly resumed the work on them. Thus, you can see the finished model at last!

Myphitic Blight Hauler #1 - WIP

What I was getting into WH40k with the Death Guard, I was really looking forward to the machines that they use. I especially like the smaller ones that serve as infantry support, like Dreadnoughts or the Myphitic Blight Haulers. The latter ones are the topic of the current project. I would love to have 3 of them, but sadly, GW is offering only one sculpt. It really doesn't make any sense for such a daemon-posessed machine.

So, I did the sensible thing and hacked the original one to pieces and bought some extra plastic to kitbash the hell out of them.

1st Crawler is based on a 1:48 scale model of a BA-20 soviet armored car. This cheap piece was then covered with tech and organic bits to bring it into the 41st millenium.

In general, I am pretty happy with my first truly technological model - combination of machine and organics fascinated me for a long time and it's really cool to try i out for real.

Orc Warboss on Boar - WIP

Continuing the theme of old minis, here I am with another classic greenskin. This one is extra special!

While I sold off most of my oldest collection when I was needing the money, this one I kept, because it's the very first model that I bought for WFB. While I had to scour many old toy boxes in search for parts, I was able to get most of him - which makes me very happy, I am a sucker for authenticity.

Of course, that didn't mean I would change a thing about him - it's like architectural restoration of an old ruin, some parts could be improved upon. The shield was lost, so I got him a fancier one, as well as the boar's tail and tusks. I also wasn't a fan of the original fur texture on the pig, so I sculpted it anew - to suggest that it's a very venerable mount, like the mini itself! Original standard pole was also lost, so I improvised something similar and added a plasticard banner as well (I never liked those paper ones that were popular back then).

The base is still in old size, as I am waiting for official ones in the right size. The painting will probably wait comfortably until The Old World is released.

Classic Goblin Shamans

Recently I painted a miniature with my son, he's 3, so it wasn't anything too complicated, but it made me feel things I haven't felt for a long time. I remembered simpler times when painting had no rules, no techniques, it was just putting paint on cool miniatures. Now there is a big thought in everything, a right way to do everything.

Obviously, one cannot go back, but this wave of nostalgia made me remember my oldest army - 5th edition WFB Orcs and Goblins. I still have quite a lot of old minis for that army, so I decided to work on them again.

The idea is, to make them as bright and garish as they were in 5th edition. Lots of checkered patterns, reds, yellows, very green skin, no weathering, simple bases. While I'll still use all my skills and tools to make them look good, I'll definitely won't make too much fuss about them, to recapture some simpler times.

First attempt, two goblin shamans, one warboss, painted simultaneously. On 25mm bases to conform with the new WFB, because why not, let's mix it up.

Reorganization

I guess it's time to change some things around here.

For years I have been trying to have a post every Sunday and for the most time, it worked. I mean, it worked well when I had a lot of time before 2020. Now, I noticed that I'm just trying to squeeze whatever into those slots, dividing larger topics into smaller chunks chunks, just to have anything on Sunday. We'll, I don't have as much time nowadays, can't lie about that.

So, starting now I'll be on a more relaxed schedule. The most important thing is to make good projects, not fast ones. I have large projects that have been waiting for years, maybe now I'll be able to actually do some work on them.

Also, don't worry that this is yet another burnout - I still paint almost every night, I am happy with it, I just need some more freedom in project choice and flexibility with posting.

I'll gladly go back to regular program once I have more time for me, now the family is the focus.

Gudvanger's Monster #13 - The Pegasus - WIP

Fifth new member of the Crypt Horror unit. This one went through numerous revisions before becoming what he is right now.

First, that was supposed to be a mockery of a vampire, with wings, a Vargheist head and claws. Then I noticed that I don't have any good clawed hands to use, so I gave him hoofs on the hands. Then it was mismatched either way, so I used horse heads, because I had some of them laying around. The wings were supposed to have some tattered membranes, but it wasn't looking very good, so I got rid of them. In the end, he turned into a mockery of a pegasus, rather than a vampire, which is also quite cool.

Gudvanger's Monster #12 - The Arm Horror - WIP

Undead stitched monsters are still going strong, here I am with more conversions.

In the original unit, there was one that I called a "head horror", covered with way too many heads. This one is continuing the theme, being an "arm horror". I gathered a lot of Crypt Ghoul arms and some extra chonky Cygor fingers to create this busy-looking creature. Simple and fun.

Gudvanger's Monster #11 - The Cannonman - WIP

Third one for the expansion of my ogre-ish Crypt Horrors. After the Skullman and the Moleman, it's time for the Cannonman.

I managed to secure some Leadbelchers and I always wanted to use one of them for this project - with some tentacles writhing inside, it's a close combat creature after all. The results are rather messy, but that is often the case with my minis, isn't it? The head was a spontaneous decision here, I wanted a tiny head on a tall neck, but during the sculpting I noticed that a whole body could fit there - so I added an extra arm there. Well, when their mad creator is stitching them together, he doesn't really have to keep the standard humanoid anatomy, anything goes.

Gudvanger's Monster #10 - The Moleman - WIP

Continuing with the unit from last week, I'm still in the build mode.

Lots of sculpting on this one! I wanted to create a mole-man of sorts, with giant, thick arms and hands, tiny head and using the Vargheist hairy back. Here you can also see my new approach to stitches - while in the olden days I just rolled a greenstuff 'thread' and cut it into small segments to be used as stitches, this time I'm using a brass/copper rod that's bent and cut. There is lot less of those stiches that way, but they are way more substantial and 3d. Hopefully a mix of two approaches will look ok in the finished unit.

Gudvanger's Monster #9 - The Skullman - WIP

Converting an Ogre Bull last week reminded me of a project that I wanted to start years ago - to expand on my 8 Crypt Horrors, which were all converted from ogres back in 2014. Since then the concept for my undead army evolved and I also could afford bigger units. Since I'm in the mood for converting, I'll try moving this project in the right direction, we'll see how many I'll be able to do! My skills also got better since then, so it will be a lot of fun to revisit the unit that taught me how to convert.

First guy here is based on an idea I had in 2014, lots of bones and that wicked Irongut sickle. Adding a skull instead of a normal head was a spontaneous decision and a one that I really like, one can clearly see it's an undead monstrosity and not just a Nurgle one.

Men-at-arms filler - Tarrare - WIP

Second filler for my ramshackle Bretonnian Men-at-arms unit. This time, it's an ogre!

I love ogre bulls as basis for conversions, they are like a blank canvas to try all sorts of stuff. An extra one was laying around, so it was a no brainer to incorporate him in the unit. I think of him as an ogre baby that was left in the countryside to be adopted by peasants and raised as an abnormally large and hungry child. That's why he has no gutplate and uses only Bretonnian equipment. This was also a perfect excuse to use that hanging cow from the giant set - brings out the agrarian theme of the unit even more!

Men-at-arms filler - Crashed Wagon - WIP

After the last long stretch of knights I wanted to try something different, so I switched to build-mode and started setting up my Men-at-arms. I have been buying those dudes for a long time now and gathered a sizeable collection. I plan to have 3 units of them, to avoid painting all of them in the same color! One of them is going to a random bunch of misfits, so not only they carry improvised weapons and shields, they'll have some fillers, just like my old Zombie Legion.

This is the first one, I reused an old orc chariot to serve as a crashed wagon for the dudes. Finally a good excuse to use all those barrel bits I had laying around! One extra man-at-arms is included, as with that wheel he really fits in well.

Knight of the Realm #12

Surprise, surprise, even more Knights of the Realm! This one is actually a renovation, as the model was painted originally in 2008 - but very flat, of course. Now, armed with newfound skills in painting yellow and red, I could redo this brave guy and make him feel less embarrassed among his peers. The main colors are readjusted and a lot of highlights were added.

Besides that, nothing too special - just some Spanish-adjacent yellow and red color scheme.

Knight of the Realm #11

Continuing two things from the previous post: heraldry from A Song of Ice and Fire and a wavy pattern.

I needed a yellow and black color scheme and I always liked the Greyjoy's coat of arms, so I decided to incorporate it. Wavy pattern on the barding was supposed to be a contrast to the smooth one on the Tully one and serve as a thematic fit for the Kraken on this knight. Sadly, when I designed this, I didn't know how much I would dislike painting the pattern... The Emblem itself may not be very kraken-y, but this is how my books were depicting it.

You may also notice, that despite him being a musician, he has a lance strapped to the saddle. When I was making photos of the Errant Knights, I noticed that I really like the "forest of lances" effect that was made in the last rank - and those musicians in the middle really messed it up! I added those light lances to all the already painted musicians and even something similar to the damsel - just to bring some much needed verticality to the whole unit.

Knight of the Realm #10

Yet another Knight of the Realm - and after a particular pegasus knight, yet another that was inspired by A Song of Ice and Fire back in the day. This time, the emblem of the Tully family from that story.

It had the typical Bretonnian red and blue, so it was an easy idea. Besides, I also wanted to try that wavy field - unfortunately I don't enjoy painting it, it's harder than it looks.

Cadret the Black - WIP

When I posted all my converted Bretonnian knights, I said that one knight was missing from that lineup - I was still very much working on him back then and now he's finally ready to be painted.

It's kinda crazy to see him ready like this, as I invented this character when I was just around 18 years old, during quite an edgy phase of my youth. He was supposed to be a half-vampire, wielding a katana, and was based on some anime characters... Still, my idea was a bit too grand for my skills back then, so barely anything was done and almost everything was converted this year in the end. Now, I eased up on the edge, so he's much more realistic and Bretonnian, but there are still plenty of references to that old version - everything was very fun to put together!

The bits used are all over the place. Even his legs are taken from a Green Knight model, as I couldn't find anything better - I feel so frickin' privileged for having two of those! Besides, there's an elven knight, a vampiric helmet, and a sword hilt from a Nagash knockoff... Even with paint he should stand out amongst his brethren - let's see soon how it'll turn out.

Knight of the Realm #09

While I had some black&white knights so far, most of them were predominantly black, with only the tiger knight being halfway white a long time ago. Here I am back with one that could almost pass for a teutonic knight!

Because of that, I was inspired to give him a german-inspired emblem - there should be at least one eagle, right? Those things are popular in heraldry!

Besides, nothing too special about him - it's time to fill up the ranks!

Sir Armand du Plessis, Knight of the Realm Gallant

It's been a long time since we've had a Knight of the Realm here, so here we are back with a converted unit champion to get this thing rolling again. His WIP was presented HERE.

The idea with him was to make a cardinal-like knight, inspired by heraldry of cardinal Richelieu. Quite a lot of bits were used to make him special, but I think the paint makes most of the work. I had a lot of fun painting all that red, going against my usual multicolored approach to Bretonnians. I also realized that this whole project is a very good exercise in painting basic colors! I hated pure black and yellow for example, but now I find them quite pleasant and manageable!

This guy also starts a big batch of Knights of the Realm, so be prepared to see quite a lot of them here.

Donning the deep crimson of his very wealthy and influential family, Sir Armand de Plessis is very recognizable - and his presence always means trouble to those not devout enough, truly or just perceived as such. While he always proclaims to be driven by love, that’s the love of a very, very strict parent, one’s that not afraid to draw blood when teaching lessons. Acting almost like a male priest in a very important sanctuary, he commands a lot of respect amongst his fellow knights, so it’s only natural to act as their commander. This way he’s also close to his men to search for any kind of foulness or heresy.

Plague Marine #06

Okay, the last Plague Marine of this first batch, probably happy news to everyone already bored with them. Well, I'll try to refine the weathering process on the next ones and include something more exciting next time.

He may be the last, but certainly not least. That that small piece of cloth was a very welcome intrusion, it breaks the dirt and rust a bit and also gives some nice surface to cover with frost and snow.