The Tainted & Friends (WIP)

[Jay Taint]

Hi guys,

I've been hanging out in the forum for quite a while. I felt I didn't have much to contribute, so I basically didn't show up. But now that my minis are finally going somewhere -- turns out I'm a slow painter, although I'm catching up speed -- I thought it's about time to come out and share.

As an informal introduction, let me just add that I'm somewhat new to the hobby -- I used to play Epic when, back in the mid-90s, it was called "Space Marine", but I haven't done anything W40k-related since --; I'm thus pretty much an amateur in anything W40k-related; and I've no idea how to actually play it. But I do love the hobby, the minis, and I had an awesome time doing some. Having said that, you'd better be nice when it comes to comment on my paint jobs or list-legality. I just don't know how to do better ... Speaking of that, I'd appreciate some C&C for my work as I'm constantly on the run to improve what I'm doing. I'll therefore try to post my progress with my troops here (and elsewhere) as I believe it's good for my discipline and motivation. (At last, let me say I'm admiring all the absolutely amazing stuff that's being displayed all over B&C! It is, and has been, a constant source of inspiration for me!)

Talking hobby, I started with a box of Possessed and a CSM Attack Squad, having had Death Guard minis in mind. My initial color schemes, however, turned out to be closer to what I'd say looks like the Purge. ;) After a lot of research on the board and elsewhere, I've made the plan to do a mixed, yet Nurgle-associated force: With a core of the Tainted, I'll also have both proper Death Guard Plague Marines as well as some Purge guys. I'll thus have some variations of color schemes. And I'll have some freedom to try a greater variety of things without violating the fluff too hard.

For a start, I've attached some pictures of the somewhat random minis I did from my first two kits. I've had no idea what I was doing. But I learned quite a bit of stuff, and they got me to get things going. (I should add I'd still consider them as WIP as I didn't do the bases properly, and I probably won't do them ever.)

I'll follow up with the prototype minis for my actual troops: The Tainted, Death Guard, and The Purge.

Cheers, J.

[Jay Taint]

Hi,

here are the prototype minis for -- from the left to the right, somewhat obviously I guess -- my Death Guard, Tainted, and Purge forces. I need to finish up some of the details: Pretty much all of the weapons and weapons' details actually. But these guys do provide me with a general idea of where to go with the full (multiples-of-seven strong) squads that I've got on my schedule. :lol:

As of now, I'm mostly satisfied -- although I'm going to change quite a bit of details. I sort of like the Death Guard color scheme and won't change much, but I might do it slightly lighter. Similarly, the brown scheme I ended up with for the Tainted prototype might get a bit lighter in the end. I'd also like to have a somewhat stronger weathering, having metal chips and more rust; I'll try it on the prototype first. I'm most unsure about the Purge guy. I like how the red helmet breaks up the otherwise monochrome scheme and I'm considering to go for red helmets for all of the Purge. Yet I feel my scheme is too simple, too monochrome, and any variations whatsoever would certainly mean to move to a slightly lighter green (maybe to be contrasted with black as illustrated on the Purge's Lexicanum page).

Whatever you think: Let me know. :tu:

Cheers, J.

[Ah-a-nothepsis]

GROSS!

 

I am definitely watching this. The dark colors are great, all of the minis are really cool and I love tiny conversions- It all adds up and makes a big difference.

 

The colors you use make all these marines extra sinister. Maybe learn how to do a nice gore/blood effect?

 

A Purge player in my area takes plastic glue mixed with red wash and GW gloss, then strings it from one part of the mini to another.

 

Can't wait to see everything else

[Plague Dave]

Thanks for posting your minis. Very nice work thus far. I like your Death Guard scheme, and the Tainted are a nice, unique Nurgle CSM scheme.

 

I think your Purged could be lightened up a bit. The green needs to contrast stronger with the black.

 

I like your idea of mixing the Death Guard with the other warbands, too. That'll make for a nice, diverse army.

[Jay Taint]

Thanks very much for your nice feedback, guys! :)

Ah-a-nothepsis, you know, I was actually thinking about having a bit of splatter on at least the Purge guy with the chainsword (and the following-up ones with close-combat weapons). My plan was to get something like a tooth brush and use it to literally splatter the stuff on the chainsword and armour ... -- like, not actually brushing it, but using the flexible tooth brush plastic bristles to throw the stuff where I'd want it to go. That doesn't answer the question what to throw, and I like your idea of mixing glue, wash, and gloss. :D

I once tried to mix glue with water: I got a thick, sticky goo that wouldn't be good for anything. I guess it's different with washes as they're actually done on an alcohol base? (Are they?) Did you ever try it? :)

Plague Dave, you're absolutely right. I do have to lighten the scheme up! :) In fact, there's no black at all on the Purge armour, it's pretty much dark green all over the place. I might check out Malarius' Purge in detail, they're much better. :huh:

As of today, I've got a 7-man squad of (Finecast) Plague marines on my bench. I got them assembled and repaired, ;) primed, based, and got them a base coat. I tried to do it a bit lighter than on the prototype, but I'm not sure if it'll be right. I'll pick details and wash them today or tomorrow. If it doesn't turn out lighter I'll have to put more effort into the highlighting.

I'll update as soon as there's something to see. Until then: I forgot to post the Beast of Nurgle the other day. I sort of like it, but I'm afraid I'd do it differently if I was to do it again ...

Cheers, J.

[Malarius]

I love that Beast of Nurgle!

[Jay Taint]

What's on the menu today?

I didn't want to start squad modelling without those Forgeworld bits I've been waiting for ... But I got a box of Finecast Plague Marines a couple of months ago. I didn't plan to do much conversions of these guys, and didn't want to throw them together with other kits. (I just felt the level of details is somewhat different to the not-Finecast models.) They'd be a plain paint job. Therefore, I've got Plague marines on the bench and they're going ... well, good enough. I got them based, base-colored and all-over-the-place-washed. I reckon I start picking non-armour details tomorrow.

When I got bored of washes yesterday night, however, I got out a couple of boxes and found myself kit-bashing this guy. What I did have in mind was somebody to lead the 2nd 7-man Death Guard squad to follow up -- and I somehow wanted to construct him around that coat I picked from a box of Fantasy Chaos Warriors. (I got that box for the mean helmets and archaic close-combat weapons.) I found it difficult to actually get the PA legs into the coat without fixing the coat in an unnatural angle. It's also larger than the PA legs and torso, so eventually the model will be somewhat larger as well.

I'm sure it'll look much better primed. But I'm unsure where to go with it ...? I'm somewhat limited with positioning the arms, and I've got absolutely no idea what head I'd like to see for him. I'm thinking of something PA as he might look too Fantasy otherwise, but having browsing all the heads I've got ... well, nothing striked me. Yet.

Any ideas, suggestions, or criticism are welcome! :lol:

Cheers, J.

[Ah-a-nothepsis]

Awesome! not a fan of the fur, but it at least goes with the mini quite well.

 

If you have spare Warrior heads just clip the horns off. They look cool, but I find it hard to believe that they'd be full of technology (a space marines readout screen/hud is absolute insane)

[Jay Taint]

I'm sorry for the late, late update. Life is busy and good, and I've had a busload of stuff to do. Every once in a while I did find time to get something done. But I never really found time to bother to make a comprehensive update.

Since January I finished the (Finecast) Death Guard squad of 7. Nothing really special. I found the level of detail too different from the other bits I've got, so I didn't swap parts or bothered to come up with conversions. It's just a simple paint job I enjoyed very much, since they're actually the first cohesive squad I ever did. It's a different feeling from getting a single mini done or two.

I'm somewhat happy with the color scheme. I did them similar to the test mini I have above, but tried to get a lighter overall tone. I guess I failed because of the Badab Black wash too hard ... But I'm nevertheless Ok with them. I learned a lot and, if there's a second Death Guard squad to follow at some stage, I'm going to paint them essentially the same way. Unless somebody points out stuff that I'd need to improve, of course. (I'd love to have a more accentuated plasma gun, for example, with that plasma gun bit in the middle glowing. My first humble attempts at object lighting failed dramatically, however, so I decided for a plain metal bit at this stage, and to possibly return later and finish what I've started ... I also think the skin color is too cold and flat; I'd rather have something more organic, and I might give them a brownish wash or two?)

I actually got them into action the other day. I borrowed a friend's Death Guard Rhino for them, and they didn't do too bad. In fact, they killed a Keeper of Secrets big-headed enough to not step aside when, with the courage of the despaired, they charged the Rhino straight into that objective to capture. (I learned there's an instant death rule when something's overrun by a vehicle. Cool. Plague Marines got mauled shortly after though ...)

Next I have a 10-man squad of Purge Havocs as heavy support assembled, based, and probably halfway painted. I'll upload pictures of the progress with these guys tomorrow. I'm also working on a winged Chaos Lord; I might take some pictures at daytime and maybe upload them too.

Have a good night,

Cheers, JT

[Chaeron]

Your WIP looks better than my finished figures - fantastic. Looking forward to seeing how this progresses!

[Circus Nurgling]

You actually make the beast of nurgle sculpts look good! And looking at your possessed, I'm finding myself wishing I'd had that powerfisty bit for my termies... ah well there's always more squads to build. Classic color scheme on those (now finecast) plaguemarines, but you're right about the skin color. It blends too well with the armor, though it works with those particular models. Could leave it or add to the skin areas, it would work either way. I have the metal versions. My first 40k purchase. I had to go back and re-pin several bits as it was a learning experience for me. In retrospect I'm glad I started with metal. It taught me to appreciate converting plastic and resin!

[Araziel]

Fantastic work.

 

I'm particularly fond of the Plague squad you've most recently worked on. Can't wait to see what gets added next!

[Jay Taint]

Cheers, guys, I really appreciate your nice comments! :devil:

As I said: Next on the table is a 10-man squad of Havocs. From the Codex, which I really can't judge since it's actually the first I've read, I learned there's no such thing as Plague Marine Havocs. Does that mean there's no Death Guard Havocs? (After all, I guess the largest part of the M41-Death Guard is Plague Marines ...) If that was true, Codex-wise, there'd be no Death Guard missile launchers, lascannons, heavy bolters, ...

I thought of that as a chance -- to break up the Death Guard color scheme, and to explore the other facets of following Grandfather Nurgle. I thus did that Havoc squad and am going to get them a Purge paint scheme. I'll field them as vanilla Chaos marines, possibly with a mark of Nurgle or something, but otherwise just simple, plain Chaos marines, with lots of heavy weapons. To please the Grandfather -- I really am after a pure Nurgle army --, I wanted them to have lots of battle damage and worn-down stuff, just as if they'd slaughtered their way through the imperium for millenia, yet not really to their advantage ...

I really want them to look rusted and decayed. I experimented with battle damage at the modelling stage and spent ages drilling and piercing small holes, and cutting small chips and scratches where I felt they'd be cool. I'm not too sure if it's visible on the pictures, but I'll provide some close-ups later on anyway, when I got them painted.

I really didn't do much conversion work here, mainly simple kit-bashing. I tried to come up with guys that look less like proud warriors but more like arrogant butchers. I think of the Aspiring Champion as giving commands to the squad and finishing off what they've left over with the sniper rifle ... (I do acknowledge that my group doesn't take a bit of rule-breaking kit-bashing too serious and let me field him as just an Aspiring Champion with, well, a bolter or anything. And I think the sniper rifle suits him quite well.) Along the 7 on the pictures, I got 3 snap Chaos Marines to replace heavy-weapon guys with just-bolter guys when I don't feel like 4 heavy weapons. That way I can always field them as a squad of 7, which will please the Grandfather.

I actually started painting them, and it doesn't go too bad. I feel very much inspired by Malarius' Rise of the Purge thread: He's got a great color scheme that I like so much better than the one I've tried. (And his Lord got me into drilling for battle damage actually.) I'll let you know how it's going.

Cheers, JT

[Lord_Caerolion]

These models are awesome!

 

Regarding Death Guard Havoks, they do exist, it's just that this codex didn't exactly deal with Cult troops in the best way. Feel free to call them Death Guard Havoks if you want, I suspect they'll be "properly" added back in in the next codex. Just remember, the Legion warbands are still fighting forces in their own right, they didn't have every single Death Guard suddenly forget how to use heavy weapons.

[Circus Nurgling]

I used to weather the sculpts with a drill/pin vise, until I discovered the wonders of Dremel. Seriously, the Nurgle converters best friend.

[Ammonius]

Those Havocs are amazing!

I like how you have captured the "corroded but functional" Nurgle aesthetic and the way that several models have their extra guns maglocked at the waist for extra WYSIWYG goodness. Please post painted pics of these guys when you can!

[Dammeron]

Stunning stuff. I'm consistently amazed by the level of detail and inspiration Nurgle-worshippers put into their miniatures. This looks like it's going to be another superb example.

[Jay Taint]

A very brief update:

Painting's going good with the Havocs. I need to pick the last few details, do all the highlighting, and get the bases painted up. My color scheme works exactly the way I planned. But I won't post pictures of them until I've got them done, or almost done at least.

Instead, here's my Chaos Lord with wings. The other day I've been fielding one but didn't have a model for it. My group let me use a random model unique enough. The Lord sucked badly and got mauled immediately after deep-striking the central objective. I believed he sucked because the model wasn't actually a Lord. So I sat down to model one up. Nothing really special, no terminator armour and stuff; just a Chaos Lord with wings.

I had a difficult time thinking about wings that would look Nurgle. The only wing bits I've had came from the Possessed box, which are actually nice bits, but not Nurgle. I'd accept them on World Eaters and certainly Night Lords, as well as on an Undivided model. But not for a Nurgle Lord. I learned the hard way that there's quite a bit of material to dremel away, but I eventually got there and fixed it with green stuff. Now that they're dry, the wings are remarkably stable and easy to handle, and I'm sort of happy with them. I'll need to smooth everything out, probably with liquid green stuff, but I believe he looks close to what he's going to be.

I hope I'll be done with the Havocs soon. :D

Cheers, JT

[Azekai]

Very nice! The pose is awesome- only a true scion on Nurgle can flap merrily about cradling his burst guts!

[Jay Taint]

It's difficult to get some decent daylight these days ... :lol:

However, I'm providing a short update. The Purge Havocs are almost done. I've got a few number of details to do (that you're welcome to spot), including to paint the bases properly; they're just Chaos Black at the time. And I'll get them some chipping effects. But I won't find any time in the next couple of days ... And I'm also somewhat hesitating as I like them as they are. They could be much better, and taking pictures always gets me to see all the mistakes and odd spots I've left.

So what?! Here are the shots, the 3 snap marines excluded. C&C is always more than welcome!

Thanks for visiting,

Cheers, JT