Khorne's Eternal Hunt - KrautScientist's chaotic WIP thread 2024: Baby steps...

[KrautScientist]

Cheers for the comments, guys! Working on these guys is really a lot of fun at the moment, and I really seem to have hit my stride with them.

 

@ Darth Mustard: Hmm, I did try adding more vents to the second model's backpack, but it just ended up looking strange and goofy -- maybe I'll just have to live with the fact that he's the most medieval of the bunch? ;)

 

@ Tarvick: The plan so far is to turn at least four of them into true scale Plague Marines. The fifth model is actually the first one I started working on, but I am slightly unhappy with it right now -- we shall see.

 

I did start working on the squad's icon bearer, though, and am pretty happy with how he's coming along:

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/10/30/659508-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

 

Still missing the actual icon, as you can see. But the rest of the model is mostly there. As always, let me know what you think!

Edited October 30, 2014 by KrautScientist

[ephrael]

I've been following your latest conversions of the Blightkings with keen interest and I'm so impressed with your work that I'm seriously considering purchasing a box of these myself. I just have a few questions if like to ask you before I take the plunge. I'm planning on using the kit to make some true scale marines like you have but I am not really a fan of Nurgle and his minions. Do you think that there are enough bits included in this kit to make my marines less "Nurgly" and more unaligned with some conversion work? I plan on removing or filling in the most obvious diseased looking parts. Do you think that I could replace the legs on some of them with terminator legs? It looks like terminator arms fit with very little trouble, I'm just hoping that the legs are close in size and proportion as well. Any insights you could provide would be very much appreciated.

[Flint13]

Oh wow, the icon bearer is the most spot on one so far.

[KrautScientist]

Thanks, you two! :)

 

@ mikhail: Those are some interesting questions that I've actually been thinking about quite a bit! By and large, Terminator bitz are a pretty good fit for the Blightkings: Termie arms fit without a hitch (even in those cases where you splice together an arm from different parts). Terminator pauldrons should also work really well (although I've found the Blightking shoulder pads more interesting so far, which is why I've mostly used them). It should also be possible to replace the Blightkings' lower legs with Chaos Terminator legs: If you carefully cut off the Blightking legs above the knee and swap in some Chaos Termie greaves, that might work pretty well. I won't do it on my own models, because I'm happy enough with them, plus the solution would be rather expensive, but the option is clearly there. Replacing the entire leg would be more complicated, due to the way the Blightking models are constructed.

 

As for making non-Nurglite models out of these, well: Two out of the five models come with fully/mostly armoured options that should be relatively easy to de-nurglify (see my second Plague Marine and the heavy bolter guy for reference. Jeff Vader's model here is also a good example.) These models do have some mutated parts or rusted armour, but it should be able to get rid of most of that. One further model (the icon bearer) is armoured but has a bare right leg and arm that would have to be replaced. And two of the models are so bloated and/or mutated that they could really only work as mutants if you don't want to use them as followers of Nurgle. So whether or not this kit is worth it for you really depends on how adventurous a converter you are.

 

Hope this helps! :)

[KrautScientist]

Here's what will probably be my last Blightking upate for this week.

The icon bearer is mostly finished now. Here he is, with the icon from the Blightking kit provisionally tacked on:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/10/31/659806-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/10/31/659807-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/10/31/659808-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

All in all, I really like the jagged, asymmetrical look of the icon, so I'll probably keep it. I've also added some small details to the model here and there.

And here's the entire "squad" so far:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/10/31/659811-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

As always, let me know what you think!  :thumbsup:

[Dragonlover]

Looking good. I have to say though, the asymmetrical backpack works really well. One of those 'why didn't I think of that?' moments.

 

Dragonlover

[Flint13]

They're looking great!

 

Each one is really unique and personalized, but they're visually very coherent as well.

 

Only thing that doesn't do it for me 100% is the zombie head on the heavy Bolter guy, but that'd mostly be down to personal preference.

[Barabbas Sogalon]

Awesome work on these lads!

 

Really excited to see them painted.

[deathspectersgt7]

 !!!!

[Bryan Blaire]

KrautScientist, I really love the latest set of conversions you've done, they've been great, but the only thing that keeps picking at me is that they don't look as 40Kish as your previous stuff has done, and I think I finally settled on what it might be. There just don't seem to be any exposed power cables, and while I realize this is supposed to be heavily mutated power armor, it is such a hallmark of 40K that I guess I just expect to see some even on Chaos minis. Even the new Chosen from DV have the fleshy tubes where the power cables used to be. The other thing is the ribbed flexible joint armor and the leather boots feel too much visually like leather boots. I guess I would just like to see some more cabling run between the various armor plates, possibly with guitar wire, that would help it feel more "on" for 40K. However, as I don't even do conversions like these, I realize I don't know how much work or anything I'm really talking about.

 

So in closing, I really do love them, they have a nasty Nurgle menace vibe!

[JeffTibbetts]

I think these are great. I was a little concerned at first because I thought they wouldn't get sci-fied up enough. You've dispelled that. 

 

Who am I kidding? You're amazing at this and I should have never doubted you. ;) 

[KrautScientist]

Thanks for the positive feedback, people! As for the various suggestions:

 

1.) I see where you're coming from regarding the lack of cabling. This problem might not be all that easy to solve, because most of the armour plates fit together very closely, with little room for additions like that -- however, I'll take another look and maybe add another cable here and there.

 

2.) For the record: That head on the heavy is not a zombie head, but one of the bare heads that came with the Blightking kit: It's so wonderfully gross that I couldnt resist using it, and that particular model was a great fit, due to the gorget piece that would have made a helmeted head look pretty boxed in. Anyway, I think the face will look great when painted -- trust me! :)

 

Keep the feedback coming, guys and girls -- it's what keeps me going! :)

[Dragonlover]

Is there maybe room to cut some grooves and lay the cabling in them in places?

 

Dragonlover

[Bryan Blaire]

For some reason, I'm imagining the cabling having like come loose and waving around like gross entrails from a single open wound in the knee, ankle, or hip, etc.

[Augustus b'Raass]

I that these look awesome and suitably Nurgle - and plague marines are a lot more forgiving than other (cult) marines when using WFB models as a base. I do agree with others about the cables and especially the leather boots, but I get that they would be hard to fix. DragonLover and Bryan Blaire both had good suggestions for the cables, plus MkIV plate, for example, has *very* exposed cabling. Flattened green stuff cable maker cables could maybe do the trick? 

 

In any case I love 'm, and I totally dig the bare head. Keep it up Kraut, I can't wait to see these painted. :tu: :D

[KrautScientist]

Cheers, guys! I certainly appreciate the ideas for adding more cables, and it's something I will definitely take a look at. I have to be honest, though: I am already rather happy with these guys, so don't be disappointed if they won't change too dramatically, okay? ;)

 

In the meantime, I have completed the basic construction of the fifth and last model in the squad. This guy was actually rather complicated, because he was the first model I worked on, yet the last to be finished. For a while it felt like I wouldn't be able to get him to a stage where I was happy with him, but now I think I've managed to make a reasonably good model from all the pieces. Take a look:

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/11/3/660534-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/11/3/660535-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

 

As has been the case with the other models, some details are still missing (and there'll be quite a bit of cleanup work to do).

 

Anyway, let me know what you think! :)

[Montuhotep]

Khorne is becoming displeased with all of this Nurgle nonsense.....

[KrautScientist]

Haha, with all of the five Blightking models now accounted for, I think I have burned through this Nurglite excursion now, so I'll be turning back towards the realm of He who hunts at the head of the pack shortly -- no reason to smite me down just yet ;)

[Augustus b'Raass]

I like this one the most!! VERY Nurgly, VERY menacing, and VERY John Blanche 40K. Wow...

[Lexington]

Absolutely adore that helmet, KS. Great job.

[Flint13]

Awesome! 

 

I'll back up Lexington. That helmet is absolutely boss! I also like his gross little scimitar thingie. Very unique looking weapon. Not as cool as an axe, mind you, but still pretty neat ^_^

[KrautScientist]

Thanks so much, people! That helmet was originally the most bog-standard CSM helmet you could imagine: I just shaved down the partition between the eyes, turning them into a cyclopean visor, added a horn and a Cadian rebreather and -- presto ;)

 

It seems like I cannot keep my hands off the nurgl-y stuff right now: Even with the five Blightkings mostly completed, I still had a pretty tidy pile of bitz left, and among them was one last armoured torso front. Looking at the part made me wonder whether it could be used to build a cool Nurgle Terminator. I'll let you be the judges regarding whether or not I succeeded:

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/11/3/660560-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

 

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/11/3/660561-Blightkings%2C%20Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

 

The base model was an AOBR Terminator, if you can believe it. Still lots of gap-filling required, but I believe the model is getting there.

 

As always, let me know what you think! :)

[JeffTibbetts]

I couldn't even tell it was a terminator at first. I'm not honestly sure if that's a good thing or not. It's not a bad model, it's just so different that I think I lose the TDA essence. Maybe from other angles it would be more clear. I think if you could mount the head behind that front chest piece it would help bring it back in line. If you've no interest in keeping it terminatory, carry on. Looks grim and stoic. I like how firmly planted he is. 

[Lexington]

I'm with JeffTibbetts - it looks great, but it's very hard to tell it's a Terminator at a glance. Maybe it if had Termie shoulder pads and/or wristguard parts?

[Teetengee]

I like it, although I agree that the head is so forward it looks less terminatory. Now if this was just a power armor nurgle lord, it would be pretty spot on.