Khorne's Eternal Hunt - KrautScientist's chaotic WIP thread 2024: Chonky Boi & Angry Ron

[ElDuderino]

I like the current head too, but if I had to choose i'd go with head 1, nothing wrong with the classics. Of course it depends on how many other guys You have with that head already:)

 

Looking forwards to Your imperial knight review btw!

[MasterBuilder]

My votes for VI - thoufg I must say, he looks pretty similar to the cat dude from Thundercats in his facial structure!

 

Some warpaint would look pretty nice on him too... Go completely overboard and go for an inverted paint scheme similar to Tim Commerford from Rage Against The Machines tattoos. He basically has his his entire arm block inked with the tribal swirl patterns as the only skin showing. Worth a Google if you get chance.

 

Personally, I feel that sort of overboard warpaint will set off the feral nature of him...

 

That aside, I think the chaos hounds look cool, but I can't resist saying the ogryn beast handler from FW would be ideal as a base modeto convert from. I also love their hounds, much more like a giant mastiff than a crazy mutated hound.

 

Something I see with the way Dan Abnett (beloved by all) portrays the blood pact in the Ghosts series. They're brutal, and corrupt to the core, exactly what a khornate unit should be. Brutality, held by a lynchpin of martial discipline.

 

I think Nietzsche summed up what is most appealing about your project with the title of one of his bleak philosophical treatises:

 

'Human, All Too Human'

 

You know they definitely eat Khorne Flakes every morning for sure, but they're still human beings at their core - albeit bloodthirsty enough to make Vlad the Impaler look like Ronald McDonald.

Edited March 7, 2014 by MasterBuilder

[Skrundle87]

Great stuff as usual mate, I particularly like your new mini diarama and brother hokar

 

I think head number 2, I really like that, where's that one from

Edited March 7, 2014 by Skrundle87

[ElDuderino]

Head nr 2 is from the fantasy skull crushers kit, with the bunny ears removed

[RolandTHTG]

Another vote for 6, but an honorable mention for 2.

 

For some reason, I don't like the chainsword on him. Any chance for a shock prod or whip? Some beast-training weapon?

Edited March 7, 2014 by TJWyrm

[teblin]

Two! :D

[KrautScientist]

Cheers, guys! :) The comments really keep me motivated right now ;)
 

The longer I work on the model, ther more I begin to think about not having him hold the hounds on a chain after all: I am not afraid of the whole thing with the chains turning out to be too fiddly, because I am pretty confident that I could make it work. However, my main problem is that the Bestiarius himself would only ever look really cool while being placed in the mini diorama with the hounds: As soon as the models are separated (during games, for example), he'll always end up looking slightly silly due to holding two huge lenghts of chain without anything on the end of them.

Then there's the idea of adding a whip, like some of you suggested: I really love that idea, because he would need something to sic the hounds on his enemies and whip them into a frenzy, literally, but I also think he needs a chain weapon a) to 40k-i-fy him a bit more and b) make him read as a World Eater. So I exchanged the clunky berzerker arm for a more sinister looking sword from the Raptor kit and used a whip instead of the gauntlet holding the chains. What do you think?

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591669-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591668-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591670-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

Personally speaking, I believe I am happier with him now: He looks more balanced, if that makes any sense. Also, if you place him on the bigger base, he looks like he just gave the hounds a good whipping ;)

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591672-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591671-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591673-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

Still not 100% decided on the head, btw: It's probably a race between I and II at this point, though. While I love the bestial face, the problem is that it would need a serious shaving down in order to actually work with the body, and there's a pretty big risk of ruining it in the process -- I think I might rather use it on a bigger model somewhere along the way?!

 

@ MasterBuilder: Regarding the Ogryn hound handler, adding a bigger gladiator/creature at some point might be an interesting option, but I would see such a model more as a "heavy hitter" and less as a beast handler. And while the Forgeworld Hounds are certainly quite disturbing, I think I'll stick to using plastic hounds for now, since that will be the easier (and cheaper!) option if I ever decide to get more hounds (my original plan was to use chaos hounds as counts as Bloodletters, for example, in order to emphasise the hunting theme).

 

Anyway, keep those suggestions coming! :)

[Dar'kir]

The current head has a better feel to it, and the model in general looks awesome.

[MasterBuilder]

Wow, that whip looks awesome!

 

The posing of it is perfect too. I don't know if you've ever had much experience with whips (I grew up on a farm training horses) but this is pretty much the position you would go to whencyou were about to 'crack' the whip in an under arm motion.

 

Now then, onto the helmet.

 

While I love the main design of the enclosed section and crest, I really can't get into the horns. Whole.I appreciate he's a beastmaster, I think they look a little out of place.

 

Perhaps if they were clipped, or replaced with a thracian style skirted section around the sides.

 

That said, I love every part of the rest of the model. The raptor chainsword is a brilliant touch.

[KrautScientist]

Cheers, guys!

@ MasterBuilder: My own experiences with whips are limited to playing around with a small, improvised whip my grandpa made for me when I was little, so I had to go with what I thought looked realistic. I am super happy that an expert now tells me it does actually look plausible. Thanks for the reality check, mate! ;)

 

Some more food for thought: I added a couple of accessories and messed around with the head:

Standard WoC head:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591735-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.jpg

Head with horns and crest:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591734-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.jpg

Horns clipped off, crest remains:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591733-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.jpg

Without horns and crest (seems almost Slaaneshi, if you ask me):

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/8/591732-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.jpg

Which of these do you think is the best fit for a model that's a World Eater, gladiator and Chaos Space Marine at the same time? Your feedback's very welcome!

[sockwithaticket]

Bottom one, head with no horns or crest. Plain, but unquestionably brutal.

[MasterBuilder]

Actually, the bottom one isooki g pretty damn appealing now.

 

Don't forget, painting the helmet with some warpaint designs might be nice. Actually, perhaps a plain helmet with a danged skull motif might be nice.

 

Another interesting possibilty may be using the old marauder shoulderpad with the skull on. Converted right, that would give a great Shao Kahn from Mortal Kombat vibe.

 

Not sure if that's really apt for a beastmaster...

[Dosjetka]

IV

[bloodhound23]

Bottom one, no crest or horns. That guy is indeed brutal.

 

I love this project, brother. I was hoping you would expand more on the gladiator thing. You certainly did not disappoint!

[Excessus]

I vote no horns and with crest! Nothing at all looks a bit empty...

[Skrundle87]

Perfect. I personally like the first choice. The horns give it the chaos space marine vibe the helmet itself makes it gladiatorial, I'm not a fan of the crest, gives the model a 30k look that I'm just not a fan of. Personal preference of course, it'll look great either way

[Excessus]

I think the crest gives him a hoplite look, ancient greek style.

[Kriegsmacht]

I check out this thread once in a while and every time I do I want to watch Spartacus series. That is definitely not a bad thing.

 

Love the models. I especially like Vorl Dustwalker. He just scream bruuuuuutal. :)

[KBA]

#1, Kraut, and here's why: the rounded top of the helmet sans crest creates the perfect juxtaposition that makes his brutal chainsword that much more brutal. For me, the crest clashes with weapon being on the same horizontal eye line. Keep the horns for that Khorne touch and you've got one hell of a mini! Well done!

[KrautScientist]

Thanks for the feedback, guys! :)

Regarding the head, after doing quite a bit of experimentation, I actually realised that the option I was most happy with was ...the unaltered, original head. KBA actually managed to sum up my feelings perfectly:

 

 

#1, Kraut, and here's why: the rounded top of the helmet sans crest creates the perfect juxtaposition that makes his brutal chainsword that much more brutal. For me, the crest clashes with weapon being on the same horizontal eye line. Keep the horns for that Khorne touch and you've got one hell of a mini! Well done!

 

 

The longer I was messing around with that crest, I realised that, while being perfect visual shorthand for Roman or Greek helmets, it just messed up the silhouette in this particular case. And while I really like the helmet without both the horns and crest, I stand by my earlier assessment that the model ends up looking like a follower of Slaanesh with that head -- it's a delicate balance, to be sure, but there you have it.

The original head, meanwhile, seems to perfectly complement the rest of the composition, as pointed out by KBA. Take a look:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591957-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

So yeah, I'll keep it. Sorry to those who would have favoured a different approach!
As you can see, I also swapped in a possessed CSM shoulder pad, both to add to the slightly feral look of the Bestiarius, and to make him read more as an actual Astartes.

Here are more pictures of the model. I think I'll call this guy basically finished at this point:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591958-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591959-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

And with his trusty pets:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591960-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591961-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591962-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591963-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

All in all, I am really happy about this model finally coming together like this! It's been quite a journey from this

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/6/591054-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

to this:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591957-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

But it's still been a blast, thanks to your great feedback on the model! I realise that this may actually be the one best part of the hobby for me: Tweaking a single model until it just feels right.

Anyway, thanks again, guys! And let me know what you think! :)

[Skrundle87]

Glad you went with that choice, isn't it funny looking at the first "concept piece" to the final product, I found it a laugh with my conversions

[ElDuderino]

That's definatly an improvement! Plus my head won, yay:)

[KrautScientist]

Cheers, guys! :)

 

Here's the current state of the model again, now on the last page due to the page switch:

 

 

Thanks for the feedback, guys!

Regarding the head, after doing quite a bit of experimentation, I actually realised that the option I was most happy with was ...the unaltered, original head. KBA actually managed to sum up my feelings perfectly:

 

 

#1, Kraut, and here's why: the rounded top of the helmet sans crest creates the perfect juxtaposition that makes his brutal chainsword that much more brutal. For me, the crest clashes with weapon being on the same horizontal eye line. Keep the horns for that Khorne touch and you've got one hell of a mini! Well done!

 

 

The longer I was messing around with that crest, I realised that, while being perfect visual shorthand for Roman or Greek helmets, it just messed up the silhouette in this particular case. And while I really like the helmet without both the horns and crest, I stand by my earlier assessment that the model ends up looking like a follower of Slaanesh with that head -- it's a delicate balance, to be sure, but there you have it.

The original head, meanwhile, seems to perfectly complement the rest of the composition, as pointed out by KBA. Take a look:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591957-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

So yeah, I'll keep it. Sorry to those who would have favoured a different approach!
As you can see, I also swapped in a possessed CSM shoulder pad, both to add to the slightly feral look of the Bestiarius, and to make him read more as an actual Astartes.

Here are more pictures of the model. I think I'll call this guy basically finished at this point:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591958-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591959-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

And with his trusty pets:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591960-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591961-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591962-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591963-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

All in all, I am really happy about this model finally coming together like this! It's been quite a journey from this

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/6/591054-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

to this:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/9/591957-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Gladiator%2C%20Khorne%2C%20Khorne%27s%20Eternal%20Hunt.JPG

But it's still been a blast, thanks to your great feedback on the model! I realise that this may actually be the one best part of the hobby for me: Tweaking a single model until it just feels right.

Anyway, thanks again, guys! And let me know what you think!

[RolandTHTG]

Looks Awesome! Comes together really well.

[KrautScientist]

Cheers, mate! :)

So, while work on the gladiators continues, let me show you something that provides a bit of colour contrast in between all the red and bronze: Parallel to working on the gladiator squad, I’ve also been painting some more followers of Nurgle. And this time around, we are talking about some models that have been in my collection for quite some time!

Since we last saw my growing squad of Plague Marines, I’ve added two more models. And even though I have precious little love left for metal models at this point, the Dave Andrews Plague Marines from the late 90s still range among my favourite chaos models for a number of reasons:

First, they are quite iconic: With their gas masks and “Pickelhauben”, they have a decided WW1 Trencher feel — quite fitting for warriors who fight surrounded by virulent gases and noxious fumes (albeit in a slightly inverted way: One could almost imagine that the Plague Marines are actually wearing their protective gear in order to keep the fresh air out). Their helmet design also nicely combines historical sources with the “mono-horn” typical of Nurgle.

Then there’s the fact that the detail on these guys is very nice: The damage to their armour seems believable and not overstated. All of them are modelled with a trusty plague knife at their side. And there are delicious visual cues, such as desiccated heads (serving as plague grenades), small Nurgle icons worn on chains, leaking (and poorly patched up) pipes or all kinds of vile pocks and fungal growth marking the armour.

All these qualities notwithstanding, I am a little ashamed to say that the metal Plague Marines I own have mostly been mouldering away, pun intended, in my bitzbox, ever since I purchased them sometime during the late 90s/early 2000s.

That turned out to be a good thing, though, because my recent foray into the wonderful world of corrosion and decay made sure that I could finally do justice to these models — in my small way, at least.

I left these completely unconverted, both because I hate cutting apart metal models, but also because I think the models are pretty much perfect as is. My only concession to modern design was to outfit them with some new arms and bolters, instead of the old plastic versions from the 90s (clown hands, anyone?).

So, without any further ado, here are the finished models:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593028-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593029-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593030-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593031-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

The first model seemed to be built for a very classic pose, so I just added two arms holding a bolter. I really like the model’s subtly implacable look! Painting-wise, the Plague Marine was given the same treatment as the rest of my Plague Marines, with lots of rust and corrosion (and a fair amount of Nurgle’s Rot leaking out of the armour joints and vents).

The second model seems to have been designed with a more open pose in mind, so I obliged by arming it with a chainsword/bolter combo. Here’s the finished model:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593027-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593026-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

And what do you know, when I had almost given up hope, a nice and subtle crackle effect began to develop on the right shoulder pad, courtesy of all the Agrellan Earth I used in the paint for the armour:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593025-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593024-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

I also really like the pocks, dappled all over the model’s left greave. Such a fun little detail:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593023-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

All in all, these guys were a blast to paint. Plus they have really managed to age ridiculously well: They perfectly embody all that a Plague Marine should be, in my opinion, with their only shortcoming being that they are slightly on the small side when stood next to more recent models, but that could well be explained in-universe as their bodies slowly collapsing from rot. The best thing about them is how they are quite sinister without being overly twisted or mutated. In fact, part of the body horror for these guys comes from wandering what’s beneath the armour (instead of being able to see it outright). It seems like Forgeworld’s recently released Death Guard conversion kits are, in no small part, an attempt to create uncorrupted Pre-Heresy versions of these models’ design. The later metal model from the 2000s seem a little lacklustre, by comparison — I wish I had bought more of those older models while I still had the chance, because they are all great!

So, where does that leave us in regard to the overall squad? Let’s take a look:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/3/12/593032-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Nurgle%2C%20Plague%20Marines%2C%20Warhammer%2040%2C000.JPG

I am really quite pleased with these guys, even though I have little to no plan to use them in Khorne’s Eternal Hunt. There’s still the 90s metal icon bearer – now stripped of his former paintjob – left to paint. And then? Maybe I’ll just spin these guys off into a small Nurglite killteam? After all, I already have a suitably decayed Terminator Lord to lead them:

http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2014/2/5/581808-Chaos%2C%20Chaos%20Lord%2C%20Chaos%20Space%20Marines%2C%20Conversion%2C%20Death%20Guard%2C%20Kitbash.JPG

I have half a mind to throw in a decayed Traitor Guard soldier or two. And a plague zombie. And maybe some hulking mutant creature? Shoot, there I go again…

For now, though, painting these guys has proven to be a lot of fun. And I love the fact that I have finally managed to finish some models that have been part of my collection for ages. Go me! ;)

Anyway, let me know what you think! And, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!