Musings of a Metal Mind: Dark Heresy

Showing posts with label Dark Heresy. Show all posts

Friday, June 26, 2015

Assassin's Creed: 40k Ed Part 2: the Bad and the Ugly....

Honestly, I'll probably never have a Chaos army, as much as I like the pre-Heresy Death Guard and some of the models, like the Forgefiend, so this is pretty much as close as we're going to get to anything like Chaos, ever. Also, the fluff text talks about the boss as a sorcerer, so I decided to go Thousand Sons with these guys because I didn't see Khorne worshippers staying calm long enough to get any serious sorcery accomplished. With that detail out of the way, the entire adversary war band just sort of fell into place.

That said, working on these was a treat, especially Zehket-Ka the Inscrutably (and some might say unnecessarily) Obtuse. Word to the wise: never ask this guy for directions to the can. As I was futzing with the parts to assemble him, I almost said "fuck it" and made a better Abaddon, but the lure of the Changer of Ways is strong.

How is he supposed to go plundering space hulks and outlet malls with that wildly impractical helmet? Only Tzeentch knows. Maybe all the little eyeballs adorning his armor give him 360 degree sight, or he has magic rearview mirrors or something.

I'm very satisfied with the way his blue crystal Chaos spike came out. I suppose it's a hellish torture to inflict on your followers to make their chiefs be perpetually climbing slightly uphill. I imagine they all have calf muscles like steam pistons.

Instead of using the stock Chaos familiar from the box set (man, how boring is that little robed guy compared to the old models from the RT days?) I opted instead to use this rather sinister cat mascot from the Raging Heroes Toughest Girls of the Galaxy Kickstarter. He's covered in weird jewelry, and suitably Egyptian enough to be little Tzeentch fiend.

A big thanks to the prolific Joel of Mordian 7th fame for the Thousand Sons bits that adorn Aknot, Akenet, and Aknehmet. While the catastrophe mentioned last post killed their sapphire paint jobs a bit, I think they held up rather well. They still need to some shoulder iconography, though. When I have time, I suppose.

GW could have hit one out of the park by making this game more modular (like Space Hulk) and introducing more missions, and more of a weird mix, but they didn't. I guess they felt like they were floating a trial balloon, or that it wasn't worth the effort to begin with, or something, but despite that the art direction is very good and everything is generally very well-produced. The whole business is a bit confusing. Maybe they plan to expand with an Inquisition tack, or something? A series of games along the lines of a campaign might be a great way to revive, say, Necromunda.

Or do they think that far? I wish we knew. Anyway, more models.

As cultists go, the Order of the Azure Shroud is your run of the mill bunch of fanatics who don't see sunlight very often, and just watch The Mummy and the first half of The Ten Commandments in their basements non-stop. I imagined climbing the hierarchy in the cult meant wearing more blue as you went on, and picking up more things like gold masks and shrouds. In more practical terms, this meant introducing variation so I didn't get bored.

These guys turned out to be a treat, particularly the chief cultist with his flaming head. Tzeentch is pretty much the king of dubious boons. Hey! Your head's a plume of blue fire now! Here's a kickin' rad hat! Thanks for worshipping!

I feel I didn't do the crow guys proper justice. I wish I'd been able to find some kind of wide-brimmed hats to make them look more plague doctor-ish, but oh well. I did try to make the one on the far left look more chaos-y by giving him a glowy mutant eye under that mask.

I wish they had conical cultist hoods like the Mordheim ones. These hooded guys are actually kinda boring.

And, of course the gimps. Under those masks are three perfectly normal guys who thought this was a cosplay club, and now they just want to go home because there are no girls.

Happy Friday, gang.

Friday, October 8, 2010

Dark Heresy Minis: Season of the Witch

These minis are due in part to the fact that Halloween's a-comin' and I wanted to paint something spooky, and partly due to B.Smoove sending me some Flayed ones I had no idea what to do with. Add to that a Reaper Miniatures Succubus I was too prude to paint at the time (her wings are now part of the Hilda Garde III airship) and a dash of extra bits, and you get this nice witch and her murder servitors.

Latent psyker/mechanicus-adept/college students should never take their work home, much less handle it after getting out of the shower. That Necron head on her staff plugged itself right into her brain via that cogitator on her back, and now she's out causing mischief in an already turbulent underhive. At first I was going to swathe her in tattered robes, but in the end I left her as-is; she looks more unhinged this way, and really, what would the alien robot brain on the staff care as long as she provided mobility? As a nod to her previous life, I painted her loincloth with the Mechanicus cog motif. No, this is not the start of a new line of sexy Dark Mechanicus girls. No, I don't know what that key goes to.

Witches need familiars and servants to carry around their spellbooks and whatnot, and this little guy was already in the pipeline to be a weapon loader (it's a short hop from lugging ammo bins to lugging arcane tomes, and the hours are better anyway). He started life as a robed skeleton and got a heavy green stuff cowl and some mismatched mechanical arms from my ever-dwindling supply of Battlemech bits. Those books and things are from the new plastic Flagellant sprue.

Flayed Ones I've only used once in a Necron army, and while they're good for seeing off a small squad of low-leadership troops, they're pretty much a useless one-trick pony (now, if they could emerge and assault in the same turn, that would be worth something). The two B.Smoove sent as a reward for his logo contest were a nice gesture, so I decided to turn them into Murder Servitors, and dressed them up with green stuff, plastic chains, and the skulls of their victims. They already have scraps of flesh clinging to their limbs anyway, so furthering the illusion that they were rags with more green stuff made sense. I almost put human heads on them so as to make them viable generic evil henchmen, but decided against it at the last minute.

To provide some differentiation, the second Murder Servitor has a Wraith surgical bit. Originally the Witch was going to have it and a set of claws on mechadendrites, but she became so full of cables and things anyway it would have made the model too cluttered, not to mention un-transportable to/from gaming sessions.

Lastly, as a treat for staying with me this far, here's a taste of what's next in the pipeline:

More commissions, please. They pay for Tyrannocrons, like this one (of three).

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Hey Otto! Do Berserker! Girls think is big sexy!

I've been playing Final Fantasy XII on the PS3, and it's so visually gorgeous I'm willing to forgive the woefully neglectful lack of gameplay. Anyhoo, as my team of emo teenagers were beating the bejeezus out of these giant centaur automatons, the design struck me as something the Necrons would leave lying around. As if its size and enormous amount of HP weren't enough, when the thing is sick of dealing with you, it summons an enormous fucking sword.

So I'm thinking it's a good jumping-off point for the second Hive Tyrant? Maybe a Tyrannofex?

In other news, I've started on an Emperor's Tarot deck for my DH group. We also play poker the same evening, so I thought it'd be cool to have a deck you could also use for that (less the 24 Major Arcana and 4 Trump cards, of course) . Here's my proof-of-concept prototype, the Ace of Thrones:

From my research, the suits are Thrones, Bolters (or Bolts), Shields, and Novas, and the four Trump cards are something you don't even see in regular Tarot decks. The other major difference is that these will be playing card size to facilitate Texas Hold 'Em as well as divination. The Minor arcana will be easy enough, but it still leaves me with 40 or so small illos of varying complexity to do. It'll be a nice long-term project.

No, I will not, as others have, be stealing Jon Blanche artwork from the rulebooks. Others have done that, and that's cheating.

Next time we'll wrap up the Witch Hunters series with something interesting to look at.

Happy Saturday, people.

Saturday, July 24, 2010

Inquisitorial Adversaries...

These poor guys deserve a medal.

I bought them on the cheap and painted them up to serve the "misc villain" purpose. Ex-guard, gangers, you name it. I figured seven were enough. Though I'm anal retentive about things looking uniform, I switched up the basing a bit to keep things fresh (after all, you don't always get in fights in sunny meadows) and kept them looking grungy yet well-armed.

As you're no doubt aware, there are no shortage of ~~people to burn~~ suspects in the 40k universe, and when you're starting out an investigation in the mean streets, the first people you usually end up ~~torturing~~ questioning are gangers and assorted toughs. If you need an example of just how powerful the classes are, our Metallican Gunslinger took out fifteen of these poor schmucks without pausing to reload. Many of them right through the head.

If you only ever pay attention to the codexes, you figure there are enough armies already. Not so, says the fluff. Behind the lines everybody manages to hire a private army of some sort. Those guys accompanying the IG tank commander are from some obscure range that dared make close facsimiles of old GW models, which got them sued and shut down. They came with a field gun, too, which made them a steal for $12. If you look closely, you can see Sgt. Castro there on the left flipping you the bird. Class. Sgt Tonto on the right was supposed to be drybrushed up to reasonable skin tones, but I left him the way he was, post-wash.

I have twenty-five of these guys as a block of Grave Guard in my Vampire Skaven army, but since these days my games of WHF are few and far between, they end up as generic monsters in DH (and AdMech servitors in 40k). Not that we've ever run into steam-zombies, but I like these better than generic undead or demons; they just fit the "dark future" feel of the game better.

Got these guys as part of a bits lot that happened to include nearly all of a metal Devastator squad. Yes, we did run into some Dark Eldar, and yes, you can scythe them down like wheat, just like in 40k. The only problem is, they're really, really nasty, especially when backed up by warp beasts. Also, there was this traitor dick in the space hulk that sort of turned on us. Turned out he was working for/with the DE, and stabbed my Arbitrator in the back (literally)as we were getting mobbed by weedy space elves.

Because I don't use chaos oriented armies generally, I don't have a lot of what could be construed as truly evil characters. This one is a start, a Dark age mini painted up as a heretical Magos. I brought her cloak up to a nice scarlet before washing it back to near black. If you quint, you can still see the remnants of the cog motif at the hem. Her flesh doesn't look as pale and necrotic as I would've liked, but I didn't want it getting all white and chalky, either. For other enemies, I suppose it's time to repurpose some fantasy models...

Friday, June 25, 2010

Forces of the Holy Inquisition Part III: Inquisitors and Stranger Things....

Where GW really dropped the ball was not announcing a companion miniatures line to go with Dark Heresy. Fortunately, there are a bazillion other companies, like Rackham. I only wish they hadn't gone the badly-prepainted-plastic route, but what can you do? They're French.

Above is a set of minis I don't get to use often enough, (which is good, because they stay intact that way); Ordo Malleus Inquisitor Thetis and her advisors, Doctor Phobic and High Canoness Vespera. All three are lovely (overpriced) minis from Rackham, minimally converted. I weaponized the staffs on Phobic and Thetis, turning one into a chain-glaive and the other into a force weapon with integrate plasma pistol.The High Canoness I left stock, because I love the freaking miniature the way she is; she has a nice high-holy look without being a frothing-at-the-mouth zealot.

Yes, I know, square bases on models meant for 40k, it's a crime. I need to get some more Warmachine bases to transplant them to.

In the grand tradition of high Imperial muckety-mucks, they carry their scriptures around with them, and miraculously manage not to maul themselves with their enormous weapons. I didn't add any purity seals because, quite frankly, they have enough detail, and additional bits would have obscured that too much. If you look closely at that second photo, I did attempt to do a "vitruvian man" type sketch on Phobic's back banner, but... well, don't look too close. I also dirtied up his storm coat a little too much, I think; I wanted to show he'd been mucking about in battlefield trenches, not Imperial streets. The Rackham range has (or had) a lot of nice models that fit directly into the whole Inquisitorial aesthetic, including quite a few gun-toting weirdos.

Speaking of weirdos, this bunch was positioned together for the sake of the pictures, but I think they make a pretty neat team. The Inquistor in the center is a Dark Age Bane model, with the rocket-thing flattened into a staff and various bits added. He happens to own a powerfist-wielding servitor (a Cryx thrall; I love these models) to take down those pesky doors. Plus, there's the ever-present servo skulls, a fearsome looking mercenary (courtesy of the Iron Kingdoms range), the hot bald chick (a psyker; aren't all bald babes psykers in the 40k universe?) and that assassin-looking lady on the end with veil and wicked-looking rifle. (a Shirow Masamune ripoff design from the Corvus Belli "Infinity" range, also woefully overpriced; I got this one on sale from the Warstore, I think) . A lot of these are intentionally painted dark; with a few exceptions I generally start from black and work up. Some of these people shouldn't be walking around in bright, day-glo colors anyway, particularly if they're supposed to be assassinating someone. Speaking of assassins:

Yes, I know, I'm behind on my basing. Get off my back already.

I'd like to think assassins come in other forms than just chicks with swords wrapped in lycra. When I saw that Privateer Press mini on the left I had to have him, just by virtue of the hat and gas mask, never mind that his primary weapon is the grenade, of all things. Likewise, the Rackham sniper on the far left with the enormous rifle and puritan hat. I resisted the urge to put his =I= icon up there and mounted it on his belt instead. The other two are orc-suited Corvus Belli troopers with nasty rifles, painted to tie in with my chosen SoB order. The real jewel of my assassin corps is this lady:

Sometimes I have terribly poor impulse control when it comes to really beautiful models. She's so delicate and thin I can't even bring myself to put her in a case for use in an army. All that armor is positioned so that as you turn the model it becomes almost an entirely different miniature. It's just lovely. The rest of the faction she comes from is equally exquisite, but I'd bankrupt myself collecting them all, so I had to stop at this one. I still keep the catalogs, though, which are chock full of fantastic photos. You gotta dream.

I chose this Reaper model to serve as my Living Saint, although honestly I can't picture an army featuring one that would work effectively, badass as she supposedly is in combat. You get the feeling they wrote the WH codex right after reading a bunch of Dan Abnett novels, and tried to cram in as much as they could including the Inquisition co-opting IG forces. Well anyway, in contrast to other companies, Reaper's models are both cheap AND good, and I thought this haunted-masthead construct was perfect for a dark future supernatural dynamo. Luckily, the SoB Canoness model comes with a bunch of spare bits, including a wealth of gauntleted hands holding things (like that book). The flamberge-style sword is from a Reaper weapons option set that is also, helpfully, extremely cheap and well-sculpted (see a trend here?)

Monday, June 21, 2010

Forces of the Holy Inquisition Part II: Character Matters...

So 40k aside, I've been playing a lot of Dark Heresy. Our Inquistorial Acolyte team's 5 strong and consists of my Arbitrator, a Techpriest, a Guardsman, an Imperial Priest, and a Metallican Gunslinger. Aside from being an excellent (and nicely art directed) game, acting as miniatures wrangler for DH lets me field many models that would otherwise never see the light of day on the 40k battlefield, so I thought I'd share.

(I'm experimenting with the light box, so bear with me)

Adeptus Arbites officers, converted from Dark Age Coil miniatures. I found a cheap "St. Mark Warband" on eBay a while ago, and have been painting converting as needed. I like them a lot better than the overpriced (and half-assed, design-wise) GW Arbitrator minis. Since they're based on Brom illustrations, those chicks are monstrously fit and muscular, so people either love or hate them. (personally, I like strong women a lot, but man...) In case you were wondering, I used the chap with the big revolver as my character mini when I was lower-level, but modified and painted up the chainsword version when I finally got my chainsword and bolt pistol, several levels later. The reds on their tunics don't match because I wanted to convey used, secondhand digs with the lower-level model and more of a polished, Judge Dredd feel with the higher-level one. Strangely, it's the non-combat investigative skills where this character really seems to shine; I just rolled better on some stats than on others, and if you don't have high WS/BS/Agility, then... well, you're better off acting as an investigator/ human sensor array/smooth talker.

Our GM pointed out, and rightly so, that the Chaliced Commissariat isn't actually a bunch of Imperial-Sanctioned Commissars, to the chap that's 3 from the left is pretty much just for looks. He usually stands in for Creed when I field a Mechanicus army. (strangely, though I'm curious about Warmachine, I just keep tossing the cards for the minis) The Priest is a Reaper mini that was originally a just some friar holding a cross. Since our priest uses a flame pistol full of holy promethium, I stripped and upgraded him a bit (with the book, Emperor icon, and flamer, natch), and his new home is in the DH box. That guardsman is a polyglot conversion job using Tau legs, Scout Marine boots, and IG bits and bobs from the odd vehicle sprue (all of my tanks are buttoned up anyway).

Though we've been using an Engineseer mini, that 3rd chap with torch has been a fine stand-in every so often, the others (well, except for Flamer Arms, there on the end) have been seeing pretty good use as adepts, servitors, and other academic types. I wish someone would put out some kind of old lady cyborg, since we seem to be running into the odd eccentric old biddy once a module.

I converted these guys up as a couple of hunter/trapper types, and intentionally kept their colors drab, so they'd look like they just fell of the (interstellar) turnip truck. That flintlock and pistol came from a Mordheim dwarf sprue, and the enormous pick hammer belonged to... well, another Warmachine mini that's since gone on to other pastimes.

Yes, you'll see her in the future.

Yes, she works for the Inquisition, too.

Yes, she's hot ;)