Miniature Monday

[Tethys 13]

For the pre-Halloween Miniature Monday, here is the ghost ship Ghostkeel from my Rah'ray Tau Pirates.



This idea, if it had gone wrong, would have been extraordinarily expensive - I was tearing into a pricey miniature with a knife and clippers, after all. For the hanging arm, I cut a piece of thick paperclip, pinned and glued the elbow-joint through the middle, then bent both ends into hook-shapes. the upper one goes all the way into the shoulder, while the lower one easily fit inside the shield generator arm. I bent the rod in the middle to give the impression that it was not one continuous piece, or was at least coiled around the elbow joint as one would expect. The skull visible within the cockpit was from the scenic base kit I mentioned before, and was a great finishing touch if I do say so myself.
The ghosts are from a Warhammer Fantasy kit that I converted to look like Tau - removing one finger, filling in the nose and adding the slit. There were three sets in the box, but one was unsuitable for such conversion due to the way their hands were sculpted.

The lore behind it is that, when the Rah'ray fleet was catapulted through the warp by the Cicatrix Maledictum, one ship did not entirely emerge. It can be seen with the naked eye, keeping formation always, but does not show up on instruments, and attempts to contact it are met only by faint and distant wails. When the Tau deploy, it silently takes position and sends in its own forces, what used to be at least.

The name is based on Vander Decken, captain of the ghost ship Flying Dutchman, in keeping with this army's theme of being named after historical and fictional pirates.

Khornate corruption accelerates over continued neglect

[Tethys 13]

Due to lack of responses I have now fallen to Khorne, and as a true Chaos worshipper, I blame everyone but myself!

That being said, here is the post-Halloween Miniature Monday - Warsmith Verita.



Practical: Verita counts as a Hellwright on Dark Abeyant - she holds a Soulburner Pistol and Infernal Axe, with Mechatendrils, a Voidcutter on her right flank, a flamer on her left flank and a dorsal Warpfire Lance.

Lore: Verita was a genius warp-touched engineer who earned the respect of the Iron Warriors. She built a horde of Daemon-Engines, then forcibly claimed the title of Warsmith, rallying a number of traitor Astartes to her banner. Tzeentch took a liking to her, and made a prophecy - that she would one day become one of its Daemon Princes. Khorne found out about this, and sent a Herald to inform her. She was outraged at the thought of her fate being dictated, and immediately swore herself to Khorne. The resulting backlash severely affected Tzeentch, knocking it down a step in the Great Game. However, it refused to allow its prophecy to prove false, and its overwhelming power caused the Daemon Prince it had imagined to manifest as a separate entity. It then declared a curse - should the two ever meet and find out who the other is, both would cease to exist.

Her warband serves as a mercenary heavy support force, hired by other Khornate armies to deal with irritating obstacles like 'fortresses' and 'city walls' that get in the way of the fun.

Assembly:
I started with a Chaos Venomcrawler and an old metal Bretonnian Damsel, the latter of which broke one pair of clippers removing the lower legs. I attached it in place of the head (after some more cutting), then attached the cables to the back of the head - either from an Imperial Guard Lascannon team or from a Necron Night Scythe, I am not certain. The Soulburner Pistol is in fact a Callidus Assassin Neural Shredder. The axe blade and dorsal lance were from Fantasy Chaos Warriors (the latter was carefully carved to slot into a hole in the model, after drilling through the 'crest'). The Voidcutter was from a Dwarf Drakefire pistol, and the flamer was just half of a Heavy Flamer.
For the base, I made a bunker out of old Fantasy movement trays - two layers for the walls, three for the roof. Then, I ruined it, chopping up most of the roof (breaking another pair of clippers in the process) and walls around the opening, using those chips to fill in the bunker (after putting two guardsmen, two autocannons etcetera at the bottom). I ensured that Verita would fit on the base, but painted the two separately.

Spoiler

Model
Spray: Leadbelcher

Red:
1. Base Khorne Red
2. Recess shade Nuln Oil
3. Layer Khorne Red:Spiritstone Red 80:20
4. Layer Khorne Red:Spiritstone Red 60:40
5. Edge Highlight Evil Sunz Scarlet

Black:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Layer Abaddon Black:Eshin Grey 80:20
3. Recess Shade Nuln Oil
4. Layer Abaddon Black:Eshin Grey 80:20

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Highlight: Chainmail
4. Edge Highlight: Stormhost Silver

Daemon flesh:
1. Base Abaddon Black:Daemonette Hide 60:40
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Layer Abaddon Black:Daemonette Hide 40:60
4. Highlight Daemonette Hide

Gold:
1. Base Retributor Armour
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Drybrush Sigmarite
4. Edge Highlight Stormhost Silver
5. Glaze Lamenters' Yellow

Dress:
1. Base Celestra Grey
2. Layer Ulthuan Grey
3. Wash Nuln Oil
4. Layer Ulthuan Grey
5. Highlight White Scar

Skin:
1. Base Rhinox Hide
2. Wash Nuln Oil
3. Layer Doombull Brown
4. Highlight Gorthor Brown

Warpfire Lance:
1. Base Khorne Red
2. Drybrush Jokaero Orange
3. Drybrush Ryza Rust
4. Light Drybrush Kindleflame
5. Light Drybrush Hexos Palesun

Chevrons:
1. Base Averland Sunset
2. Layer Flash Gitz Yellow

Daemon Teeth:
1. Base Averland Sunset:Ceramite White 50:50



Base
Spray: Grey Seer

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Drybrush Necron Compound

Stone:
1. Wash Nuln Oil:Mechanicus Standard Grey:Water 30:20:50 five layers
2. Drybrush Longbeard Grey
4. Stipple and smudge Abaddon Black

Victim cloth and sandbag:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Highlight Ushabti Bone
3. Wash Agrax Earthshade
4. Drybrush Longbeard Grey

Victim skin:
1. Base Morghast Bone
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Kislev Flesh

Smoke clouds:
1. Wash Abaddon Black
2. Glaze Bloodletter

Bloodstains: Blood for the Blood God[/color=#000000]

[Dragonian Alliance]

Sorry for not posting Tethys. Chaos and all.

I did not notice the female humanoid on the figure initially. Though now that I see her I cant help but remember Quelaag in Dark Souls. I like the coloring done on the model, though most of the technical parts goes over my head.

[Malphe]

That's some really nice work! I can only imagine how painful trying to chop off the legs of a metal model must be lol, good job getting it to actually fit
Also, I see you there warning stripes.

[Tethys 13]

I almost ran out of time for this today, but it is Miniature Monday time! I am halfway through curing my Khornate corruption, so who better to go with than Skalikas, Chapter Master of the Dogs of War - a chapter of loyalist World Eaters successors!



My collection of Chapter Masters, known as the Astartes Turbidus, was begun out of a desire to do something with all of my spare metal Space Marines. One afternoon I accidentally designed somewhere around forty Space Marine chapters, complete with colour schemes, lore and badges, and so decided it would be enjoyable to spend some time painting single models for them. The Dogs of War were created as a successor to the World Eaters, as I mentioned, and their name is linked to the original name of that legion - the War Hounds. I wanted to keep the savage imagery, through the chainaxe, trophy and colour scheme that was simply that of the World Eaters but with the blue swapped for red. However, I also wanted to give a more fettered impression, hence the chain and heavy Imperial religious imagery. The Dogs of War are fanatically loyal, so much so that their Head Chaplain and Chapter Master are one and the same. This makes them a counterpoint to the previously shown Sun Lords, my other Terminator from this small collection, and their visual designs were also meant to contrast and compliment each other - pristine gold with beautiful weapons and blue accents against white snow on one side, pure white surrounded by savagery, tainted red and ragged pelts against volcanic black on the other. As with many models in this collection, stripping the old paint left some unfortunate lumps over the model that become quite obvious when painted over again, especially with white. This is most obvious around the helmet. I have attempted white many times since, but still find it difficult to work with.
Particularly tricky in converting this miniature was sculpting the fur to connect the hound's head to the pelt. I think it works, as long as one does not look too closely.

Spoiler

Initial: Undercoat Imperial Primer
White Armour:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Shade Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Ulthuan Grey
4. Edge Highlight White Scar
Red Armour:
1. Base Mephiston Red
2. Shade Agrax Earthshade
3. Edge Highlight Evil Sunz Scarlet
Bone:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Layer Ushabti Bone
3. Shade Agrax Earthshade
4. Highlight Screaming Skull
5. Extreme Edge Highlight White Scar
Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Edge Highlight Ironbreaker
4. Scorch bottom of chain with Abaddon Black
Brass:
1. Base Screaming Bell
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Screaming Bell
4. Edge Highlight Ironbreaker
Fur:
1. Base Dryad Bark
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Drybrush Mournfang Brown
4. Light Drybrush Mournfang Brown:Baneblade Brown 50:50
Muscle:
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Edge Highlight Rakarth Flesh
Skin:
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Rakarth Flesh
4. Edge Highlight Pallid Wych Flesh
Parchment
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Agrax Earthshade
3. Highlight Pallid Wych Flesh
4. Writing Abaddon Black
Weapon Grips:
1. Base Steel Legion Drab
2. Layer Baneblade Brown
3. Wash Agrax Earthshade
4. Highlight Baneblade Brown
5. Highlight Baneblade Brown:Ushabti Bone 50:50
Armour Joints and wax seals:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Highlight Eshin Grey
Lenses:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Insert Mephiston Red
3. Highlight Troll Slayer Orange
4. Highlight Flash Gitz Yellow
5. Dot White Scar
Gems:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Highlight Teclis Blue
3. Highlight Hoeth Blue
4. Dot White Scar
Base:
1. Texture Sand (around rocks)
2. Texture Armageddon Dust (avoiding channels)
3. Base Abaddon Black
4. Drybrush Eshin Grey
5. Light Drybrush Mechanicus Standard Grey
Lava:
1. Base Jokaero Orange
2. Layer Flash Gitz Yellow:Blood For the Blood God! 50:50
3. Layer Blood For the Blood God!
4. Glaze Lamenters Yellow:Gloss Varnish 50:50 x5
5. Glaze Troll Slayer Orange:Gloss Varnish 50:50 diluted x2
6. Drybrush edges around lava channels Kindleflame

[Malphe]

Particularly impressed with the cloak there, v nice highlighting. Am always lowkey impressed by a white paintjob that doesn't look like grey armour with some white paste unevenly smeared over, as my attempts have always looked

[Dragonian Alliance]

I do particularly like the cloak and the skull imagery on the cloak and helmet. I also particularly like the hue on the weapons. Whatever you did there looks really nice to me.

[Tethys 13]

In honour of Malphe's promotion, we shall be having a proper rodentian Miniature Monday - and how better than with as many rats as can be crammed into a single nightmare? Here is my Skaven Hell Pit Abomination.



There are a couple of interesting stories about this miniature's paint scheme. The first is that, for some reason, I was under the impression that Clan Moulder used blue as their army colour. I have no idea why, as that turned out not to be the case - my Skaven army was intended to be Clanless, a mercenary force, with scattered groups from the major Clans bearing their own colours. I thought it was red for Skryre, green for Pestilens, blue for Moulder and black for Eshin. My mistake. The second, and more obvious, is the different skin tones. This was, in fact, an accident - I had intended to paint the whole miniature in the darker tone, but quickly discovered that I did not have enough of the paint. I am so glad that was the case, for I think the resulting compromise is far better than anything I could have planned, and enabled me to do a wonderful effect on the frayed bits of skin around the wheel. For someone who struggles with painting skin, even more so back then, this model was a delight - so many raised lines of muscle, rune or scar to highlight, so I did not have to worry about the trickier things like blending!
I loved the idea of the Hell Pit Abomination when it was first given rules, several years before the miniature - a towering monstrosity to rampage through enemy lines, which had a special rule called 'Too Horrible to Die' which caused it to activate a random effect upon being slain - one of which was to come back to life with a random number of Wounds. I do not think I ever got the chance to use it, sadly - it was a busy time for me, and by the time I could start playing more again, Fantasy had ended. Now, my Skaven and Dwarf armies are eternally on the verge of clashing, on a display shelf of one of my bookcases.

Spoiler

Initial:
Spray Chaos Black

Light Skin Tone:
1. Base Rakarth Flesh
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Rakarth Flesh
4. Edge Highlight Pallid Wych Flesh
5. Loose Skin blend to Pallid Wych Flesh

Darker Skin Tone:
1. Base Ratskin Flesh
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Ratskin Flesh
4. Edge Highlight Ogryn Camo

Tail:
1. Base Abaddon Black
2. Layer Eshin Grey
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highlight Eshin Grey
5. Edge Highlight Dawnstone
6. Tip Blood for the Blood God:Abaddon Black 80:20

Stitches:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Highlight Ironbreaker
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highlight Ironbreaker

Blue Armour:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Edge Highlight + Chipping Ironbreaker
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highlight Macragge Blue
5. Edge Highlight + Chipping Stormhost Silver

Bronze:
1. Base Warplock Bronze
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Warplock Bronze:Balthasar Gold 50:50
4. Edge Higlight Ironbreaker

Metal:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Ironbreaker
4. Edge Highlight Stormhost Silver

Teeth and horns:
1. Base Steel legion Drab
2. Layer Ushabti Bone
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highlight Ushabti Bone
5. Edge Highlight Screaming Skull

Wood:
1. Base Dryad Bark
2. Highlight Mournfang Brown
3. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
4. Highilight Mournfang Brown
5. Edge Highlight Baneblade Brown

Blue cloth:
1. Base Macragge Blue
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Macragge Blue
4. HIghlight Altdorf Guard Blue

Rats:
1. Base Mournfang Brown
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Mournfang Brown
4. Light Drybrush Baneblade Brown
4. Tails Rakarth Flesh

Straps + arrow quills:
1. Base Ceramite White
2. Wash Reikland Fleshshade
3. Highlight Ulthuan Grey:Reikland Fleshshade 80:20

Warpstone:
1. Base Caliban Green
2. Drybrush Yriel Yellow
3. light Drybrush Hellion Green
4. Glaze Gauss Glow mix
5. Gloss Varnish

Warpfire:
1. Base Ceramite White
2. Glaze diluted Gauss Glow Mix
3. Highlight Skarsnik Green
4. Highlight Warboss Green (blending away from source)
5. Highlight Waaagh! Flesh (blending even further from source)
6. Highlight Caliban Green (blending towards edges of flame)
7. Extreme Edge Highlight Abaddon Black (very tips of flame)
8. Glaze Gauss Glow mix

Cysts:
1. Glaze diluted Lamenters Yellow

Magic Sword:
1. Base Leadbelcher
2. Layer Ironbreaker
3. Layer Stormhost Silver
4. Glaze runes Guilliman Blue
5. Glaze hilt Lamenters Yellow
6. Base grip Mournfang Brown

Ichor:
1. seeping Typhus Corrosion
2. Dots of Gloss Varnish

Saliva, goo and Eyes:
1. Blood for the Blood God!

Base:
1. Texture Astrogranite (multiple layers)
2. Drybrush Celestra Grey

Dwarven ruin:
1. Base Celestra Grey
2. Drybrush Ulthuan Grey

[Dragonian Alliance]

Such a beautiful abomination. Looks just like Malphe. I like the story behind the paint scheme. I also have little clue on clan colors.

[Tethys 13]

Oh my, I can only apologise, I had a lot going on yesterday and this completely slipped my mind. It does not seem to have been missed, but leaving it until next week would seem even more negligent to me, so welcome to... Tiny Tuesday? To properly punish myself for my failure, I will now humiliate myself with this - the leader of my Tomb Kings army and a very old miniature of mine, King Nekhesh!



Hideous, is it not? I was at least able to separate the colours fairly well (aside from the base, which looks like it has been vomited on). However, I had yet to get my paint consistency down, leading to the details being heavily obscured and left with an awful glossy finish. The lore for the miniature was viable at least - it was an army defeated by Settra and who had thus retreated southwards from Nehekhara, where they encountered and allied with or subjugated the Dwarfs of Kharak Zorn and the Lizardmen of the Southlands, the marks of both of which can be found on the miniature (though ruined by paint). The former I thought would be inclined to ally with these Undead because they are technically ancestors desecrated by their descendants, which is something the Dwarfs would not abide or blame them for, and they have a lot of gold.
The total army size I reached with Nekhesh at the helm was 10,000 points, combining roughly 320 miniatures. Then the End Times began, declared Nekhesh (who was a character in the lore) already long re-dead, completely misunderstood and thus ruined the lore around his amazing weapon (the Destroyer of Eternities, said to destroy the souls of those it slays, preventing them from going on to the afterlife. Thus its power was obviously not sourced from Death, because Death would want those souls in the afterlife, but Games Workshop spent pages building it up only for Nagash to eat it with the excuse being that, as a Death god, it would have no effect on him...) and then eradicated the Tomb Kings as a faction. To say that I am still bitter about it would be an understatement.