Astra Militraum, Inquisition Cronies & Others.

 So following several months of inactivity, and a repeat of the Daemon Semen episode, I have completed some more models for my fantasy world of toy soldiers. These were actually finished last December but my impatience coupled with a bout of very cold weather that coincided with spray varnishing delayed that somewhat.

Demo Charge Cultist

Here's another member of the Assembly of D'Keddes, my ever increasing genestealer cult. This one represents a demo charge in the form of a barrel, parts of a Sentenel heavy flamer and some extensive arm repositioning. He's also holding the remains of an old beaky marine helmet to prove how committed to the cause he is.

Mucho Plosive demo charge operator extrordinaire.

Unconventional Inquisitorial Henchmen

A while back I was rooting around in my pile of shame and found several models that I had intended to use for some game/army/scenario and then the creative urge scarpered and landed on some other pretty. Well here are some of them finished and shoehorned into a fluff reason for their inclusion into this post.

Old Citadel Zombie

This lad was originally going to be a baddy for my Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay days. Him and two or three other undead medievil style chaps. Back then, there was no such thing as contrast paints so the flayed skin and general complicatedness of this model always put me off. I then thought that this model could be the henchman of a some heretic that my inventive Inquisitor has managed to skin and still keep alive while at the same time using his considerable psychic skills to ensure he is an expendable pawn and at the same time a horrific warning to others.That's my backstory and I'm sticking to it.

  

Lord Gorgol Rackmurder, former planetary governor of Strass IX insignificant moon of Strass VIII.

Primitive Feral Operatives

Here are two old citadel chaos warriors or possibly thugs, that were originally for my chaos fantasy army (back in the 1990's I think most people started collecting them), but as is a very common theme in my stories, I got bored and never finished it. These were before all chaos warriors wore exactly the same armour and used the same weaponry, very unchaotic! These lads have been through dechoasifier before they were allowed into the IAHGWU (Inquisition Acolyte Henchmen General Workers Union) and are now fully paid up members. The one on the left has an heretic's head for the lols and the one on the right bears a rather heavy blunt sword for close up Inquisitorial activities.

Hockey McSever and Grinny O'Headblatter.

Ex-Mordian Lieutenant.

This model is an old metal Mordian that was the last survivor of a half assed attempt to go for a Mordian army. I realised I didn't like painting them and Ebayed the lot. Contrast paints were then invented and I gave him the green light to join the Ordo Hereticus or some such to delivered hot bullet pain to the enemies of his Inquisitor master. If he had a back story I'm sure he was the last of his battalion to remain after some 40,000 heretics attacked and was scooped up by an amiable Witch Hunter, giving some vermillion pants and told to go get some.

Lieutenant Bluto the Reasonably Unkillable.

Necromundan Thugs

Inquisitor Jao (the guy who controls this unit of acolytes) summered on Hive Primus and fell in love with the place, the cramped, hazardous conditions, toxic air and highly fractious inhabitants made him enjoy his time there. That, and three cults and a minor rebellion to quell. So whilst he was there he picked up some of the locals as scouts and bullet catchers. Two of these remain in the form of  a Van Saar and Orlock by the names of Chipsh Clintmeir and Bolly 'sideburns' Zamgel. Both are fiercely loyal to the Inquisitor and have so far survived many of the horrors of the 41st millennium.

 

Chips & Sideburns

Necromundan Young Scuts

Also collected from Necromunda were two waifs picked up during some of the many gang fights Jao witnessed. Both were against the aforementioned cults and both showed great bravery and an equal amount of savagery. Little Nutski (Goliath) and Stabgelina (Esher) were initially constantly trying to kill each other, but an hour in the pain glove soon redirected there aggression into more constructive channels.

Little Nutski and Stabgelina

Archaic Astra Militarum Device

Rarely seen on the 'modern' battlefields is the multimelta weapons team. Seen here without the operatives, the multimelta weapons team was thing during the Rogue Trader era. As it now, due to the vagaries of  progress it now has a range shorter than most basic weapons meaning any engagement the weapons teams are picked off before they can contribute to the battle. Hence multimeltas are generally mounted on vehicles that can stand up to massed lasgun fire.

Often deployed with 30 or 40 operatives to maintain firing rates during skirmishes the Multimelta weapon team is now rarely seen on the battlefield.

Promoted Astra Militarum Troopers

Coming with extra corpse starch rations, the AM special weapons troops are a sought after position. Considered slightly more dangerous than Heavy Weapons duty, but less so than mine field clearing and penal assault troops. Many soldiers with average shooting skills and a resistance to plasma burns are assigned the double edged sword that is plasma gun operation. Often the hero (posthumously), of a battle, these brave souls can punch holes in ceramite (heretic and otherwise) and oftentimes provide the coup de gras for a reeling commander once his infantry bodyguard is brought down by the emperor's flashlights. The two below will be joining Cadians or Krieg squads and the poor old Catachans are trusted with plasma weapons apparently.

Troopers Bunko and Sharlatan

Grenadiers

Next are some Valhallan grenade launchers who will almost constantly over dressed in the balmy jungles and sweaty urban battlefields that I generally play on. Hopefully one of my opponents may create an artic table so they can really appreciate their extra tog duffle coats.

Troopers Fluey, Shuey & Pooey.

Nork Deddog Stand In

An old metal Ogryn has been finished to a) enable me to field a unit of six, and b) use Nork Deddog for a close combat oriented Catachan force that will be using plenty of legends unless the Adepticon models preview has loads of shiny new Stracken and Harker models. Not much to say other thab he may also find employment and an augmented Bone'ead from the new Crucible of champions supplement.

Ready to Smash for the Emp!

The Whole Gang.

So that's all folks. Hopefully some of these models brought a warm fuzzy feeling of nostalgia to the gamers of my vintage and for those who haven't seen this sort of thing, maybe a bit of wonderment, and yes, these models do hurt when used as weapons. So until next time, happy hobbying and be excellent to each other.

Thanks for reading.

Varnish-the cum of the Devil!

Goddamn Monkey Balls!

Well the War Against My Unpainted Collection Of Figures (or W.A.M.U.C.O.F.) took a rather heavy defeat recently with a unprecedented act of sabotage which left me angrier than a member of Westboro Baptist Church when they find out some children were saved from drowning by a Catholic priest and a Rabbi. I varnished my Screaming Bell with it's customary gloss varnish, then 24 hours later I put matt varnish over it only to discover that it turned into a creamy opaque goo that made the model look like a Vermin Lord has made sweet, sweet love to it and had a happy ending all over the carriage and the poor unfortunate bell ringer! The only saving grace was I noticed this phenomena before I slapped Daemon Jizz all over the Grey Seer. So the problem now is whether I strip the whole model (it took me around 20 years to paint it first time around!) or just try to cover up the Monstrous Daemon Semen, with a very tentative lick of paint!

The rear view of the Bell of Gunk

You can just about see the bell ringers bemused expression!

On a Happier Note.....

My painted Eldar army grew by one as well this week due to one of my started 15 or more years ago but only finished now type projects to the tune of an Eldar Exarch. Funnily enough when I started painting him, Eldar Exarchs were the equivalent of a major hero costing well over a hundred points. Nowadays he is a unit champion and barely worth 20! No wonder this hobby is in a constant state of upgrading, todays 2500 point army is the 1750 skirmish force of tommorow! 

 

An Space Elf with wings

Mutant Bitty

Bullet Dodger

Stripey Pants

Also in my finished shelf is my mutant bird legged bird and two Orlock juves, not much to say about these other than they're finished! Lead Mountain is smaller by four this week. Only another 3000 to go!

The Dirty Bastads

Well as I'm seriously into my gaming fad at the momment I went up into my loft and got my entire painted figure collection and put it on a large bookcase for me to look at, to tell the truth I had them in so many different containers, figure cases and jars that I really had no idea what I had. When I did look I was pleasantly surprised to see figures I just hadn't seen in years, plus a few I'd even forgotten I've painted!
Then I found out that the recent cold spell (it had gotten to -17C during December) had chilled the varnish on some of my figures. Whole areas of varnish had gone white. So that has pissed me off immensely and put me in a big sulk, on what should have been a beautiful unveiling ceremony! Looks like the bunting and flags will have to be put back into storage for another while.
I was just looking at the GW website and now they seem to be making stuff out of resign and calling it citadel finecast. Still very fucking pricey though, but then thats because I've been collecting since the late 80's and they used to be £2.99 for 5 (yes five) miniatures. So €22 for a single figure seems pretty fucked up to me. But then my whole anti GW rant is a whole new (and lengthy, venom filled wail about corporate retailing).
I see there is a button just below my blog that if you click I can become megafamous.
Go on, click it now!