Ed's Heresy Kill-Teams: Custodians and ruins

[EdT]

Really pleased people are enjoying these, as is probably obvious I'm having a lot of fun making these guys, hence the frenetic activity! The new Mechanicus kits really are wonderful with all sorts of conversion possibilities, and I think there's a lot of scope to branch out from the generic "robed guy with servo arms" look to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things. I haven't even had a chance to read the Skitarii codex yet; bet there's heaps of inspiration in there, let alone when the main Codex turns up.

 

@Battybatbats, Your noblewoman was actually the thing that inspired me! My original plan was to do the oracle's seneschal as optimised for diplomatic contact, ie less intentionally creepy to normal humans, but when I saw your use of the Coven Throne handmaiden legs, I had a sudden flash of inspiration and realised I could do a M.30 Martian version of this. She'll be a bit less grimdark than yours- I'm intending to go more for the Fritz Lang Metropolis look- but I'm still waiting on bits, and these things evolve so who knows?
 

 

 

So anyhow, here's some progress on the Eremech. He's still WIP, but he's getting there! He'll be tripod based like the others, but his legs are prehensile; the remaining limb will be doing hand duty, petting a friendly servo skull. His cog (which came from here, btw) has now been accesorised with a skull, which is one of the Scyllax heads trimmed back; that kit really is invaluable to anyone doing anything Mars-related. His torso is a cut down bit from the Necron Command barge.

 

@KrautScientist, your chap was definitely an influence; I did a search for Cairn Wraith conversions for ideas to steal inspiration before I embarked on the Eremech, and while I didn't want to go as gribbly as Legion (this guy is actually perfectly benevolent, if a bit funny-looking), as you can see below I borrowed the tentacle torso concept.

 

What else have been up to? Well, I've painted up a first go at a Martian-themed base. It's not dusty enough yet- I need to find some weathering powder that's the right colour- but I think it looks sufficiently Martian while at the same time allowing me the freedom to use crimson on some of the pilgrims, should I want to.

 

 

And finally, I've made a new pilgrim for the group. This guy is a Scrivener, despatched from a distant Forgeworld to consult the Oracle on a matter of legal dispute. He's clearly had a hard journey; of his constellation of eight servo-skulls, he only has three left. Presumably the other five have been sold along the way to pay for passage. 

 

 

It's funny how sometimes the background for a model comes first, and sometimes the model just spontaneously appears in your hands fully-formed; this little chap naturally emerged over the course of about ten minutes!

[KrautScientist]

Mate, you are definitely going from strength to strength with this warband! The questing tentacles on the Cairn Wraith conversion are brilliantly creepy, and the scrivener makes me really happy, because I've always waited for someone to make use of those embryonic Stormvermin rats ;) I think he would be 100% improved by adding some kind of clear amniotic tank around the pilot, though...

 

In any case, utterly fantastic work!

[Chaeron]

Just had a look back and am so impressed - immense skill, they all look superb. Can't wait for you to get some paint on these!

[miteyheroes]

Those tentacle legs with the long creepy fingers are freaking me out. Excellent bodyhorror stuff there, very AdMech.

[EdT]

Glad people liked these.

 

@Krautscientist, I actually had exactly the same idea! I've always intended one of my group to be a brain in a jar, and actually have the jar all ready to go (I'm- no jokes please- still waiting for the brain to be delivered). I tried putting it over this guy to see if it worked; the results were frustrating, as while it did look very cool, it would also take fairly major surgery to work properly. The problem was that the seat as I've made it was just a little too big to fit the jar, and even if it was, it wouldn't be centred over the rest of the machine. I could probably have fixed it, but only with a lot of work; and rather than risk ruining a model I quite liked, I figured it was better to save my jar for later.

 

Now, a small update; I got started doing a bit of preparatory work on the noblewoman's servitor-steed, and realised that the character I had in mind couldn't possibly be living out of her saddle-bags; she wouldn't go anywhere wirthout ridiculous amounts of baggage. So I decided to whip up a luggage-servitor; it's basically two Land Raider sponsons glued back to back. I thought it'd be fun if the noblewoman's valet had hitched a lift in there too. I know it looks like he's having a bath at the moment, but he's not! I thought I'd just add the top layer of luggage rather than fill the whole container, so I've filled it up to a certain point with plaster, which is currently drying.

 

[KrautScientist]

That valet is looking absolutely stunning -- and would make a perfect Imperial Knight pilot. Just sayin'...

Is that a torso from that AdMech walker? And where did you get those arms?

[EdT]

Thanks! I was rather pleased at how quickly he came together; I think he has the right effete luxury to him, and he'll certainly be very out of place in the Martian wastes. I'm considering painting him C-3P0 style, with added fleshy bits...

 

The head's from the Sanguinor; the torso is actually from the new Sicaran Infiltrators, while the arms are from the new plastic wracks. As a combination it seems to be a very good way of making generic servitors of all description, really, not to mention characters in armoured bodygloves.

[Battybattybats]

Really pleased people are enjoying these, as is probably obvious I'm having a lot of fun making these guys, hence the frenetic activity! The new Mechanicus kits really are wonderful with all sorts of conversion possibilities, and I think there's a lot of scope to branch out from the generic "robed guy with servo arms" look to do all sorts of weird and wonderful things. I haven't even had a chance to read the Skitarii codex yet; bet there's heaps of inspiration in there, let alone when the main Codex turns up.

@Battybatbats, Your noblewoman was actually the thing that inspired me! My original plan was to do the oracle's seneschal as optimised for diplomatic contact, ie less intentionally creepy to normal humans, but when I saw your use of the Coven Throne handmaiden legs, I had a sudden flash of inspiration and realised I could do a M.30 Martian version of this. She'll be a bit less grimdark than yours- I'm intending to go more for the Fritz Lang Metropolis look- but I'm still waiting on bits, and these things evolve so who knows?

So anyhow, here's some progress on the Eremech. He's still WIP, but he's getting there! He'll be tripod based like the others, but his legs are prehensile; the remaining limb will be doing hand duty, petting a friendly servo skull. His cog (which came from here, btw) has now been accesorised with a skull, which is one of the Scyllax heads trimmed back; that kit really is invaluable to anyone doing anything Mars-related. His torso is a cut down bit from the Necron Command barge.

@KrautScientist, your chap was definitely an influence; I did a search for Cairn Wraith conversions for ideas to steal inspiration before I embarked on the Eremech, and while I didn't want to go as gribbly as Legion (this guy is actually perfectly benevolent, if a bit funny-looking), as you can see below I borrowed the tentacle torso concept.

What else have been up to? Well, I've painted up a first go at a Martian-themed base. It's not dusty enough yet- I need to find some weathering powder that's the right colour- but I think it looks sufficiently Martian while at the same time allowing me the freedom to use crimson on some of the pilgrims, should I want to.

And finally, I've made a new pilgrim for the group. This guy is a Scrivener, despatched from a distant Forgeworld to consult the Oracle on a matter of legal dispute. He's clearly had a hard journey; of his constellation of eight servo-skulls, he only has three left. Presumably the other five have been sold along the way to pay for passage.

It's funny how sometimes the background for a model comes first, and sometimes the model just spontaneously appears in your hands fully-formed; this little chap naturally emerged over the course of about ten minutes!

Wow!

Seriously,

Wow!

I'm very pleased i was able to give you some inspiration, i'm getting repaid and then some!

The long limbed wraith conversion.. superb! That will definitly leave ideas in my head for my stilt-legged Sydonian Mask-Seeker.

The Scrivener is brilliant. The abeyant and servo skulls are magnificdent. The use of the Sicarian screen i will be borrowing for my Styrix Knight Interior! I quite like the contrast of using the beatific faces on the skulls while keeping the angular skull design for the Scrivener. Very nice touch indeed!

Mate, you are definitely going from strength to strength with this warband! The questing tentacles on the Cairn Wraith conversion are brilliantly creepy, and the scrivener makes me really happy, because I've always waited for someone to make use of those embryonic Stormvermin rats I think he would be 100% improved by adding some kind of clear amniotic tank around the pilot, though...

In any case, utterly fantastic work!

I started turning one of the brain-rats into the pilot for my Styrix, alas i'm having trouble finding a tank that's big enough for the pilot and his frame throne but not too big for the Knight interior. I planned to make another such pilot outside of his Knight... guess there's plenty of inspiration here for that :)

Glad people liked these.

@Krautscientist, I actually had exactly the same idea! I've always intended one of my group to be a brain in a jar, and actually have the jar all ready to go (I'm- no jokes please- still waiting for the brain to be delivered). I tried putting it over this guy to see if it worked; the results were frustrating, as while it did look very cool, it would also take fairly major surgery to work properly. The problem was that the seat as I've made it was just a little too big to fit the jar, and even if it was, it wouldn't be centred over the rest of the machine. I could probably have fixed it, but only with a lot of work; and rather than risk ruining a model I quite liked, I figured it was better to save my jar for later.

Now, a small update; I got started doing a bit of preparatory work on the noblewoman's servitor-steed, and realised that the character I had in mind couldn't possibly be living out of her saddle-bags; she wouldn't go anywhere wirthout ridiculous amounts of baggage. So I decided to whip up a luggage-servitor; it's basically two Land Raider sponsons glued back to back. I thought it'd be fun if the noblewoman's valet had hitched a lift in there too. I know it looks like he's having a bath at the moment, but he's not! I thought I'd just add the top layer of luggage rather than fill the whole container, so I've filled it up to a certain point with plaster, which is currently drying.

Wow, this thread is so cool it's almost scary! The baggage car is utterly inspired!

[Mitsman]

Glad people liked these.

 

@Krautscientist, I actually had exactly the same idea! I've always intended one of my group to be a brain in a jar, and actually have the jar all ready to go (I'm- no jokes please- still waiting for the brain to be delivered). I tried putting it over this guy to see if it worked; the results were frustrating, as while it did look very cool, it would also take fairly major surgery to work properly. The problem was that the seat as I've made it was just a little too big to fit the jar, and even if it was, it wouldn't be centred over the rest of the machine. I could probably have fixed it, but only with a lot of work; and rather than risk ruining a model I quite liked, I figured it was better to save my jar for later.

 

Now, a small update; I got started doing a bit of preparatory work on the noblewoman's servitor-steed, and realised that the character I had in mind couldn't possibly be living out of her saddle-bags; she wouldn't go anywhere wirthout ridiculous amounts of baggage. So I decided to whip up a luggage-servitor; it's basically two Land Raider sponsons glued back to back. I thought it'd be fun if the noblewoman's valet had hitched a lift in there too. I know it looks like he's having a bath at the moment, but he's not! I thought I'd just add the top layer of luggage rather than fill the whole container, so I've filled it up to a certain point with plaster, which is currently drying.

 

 

Hahaha very nice indeed. In 40k there is only war and bubble baths in between battles!

[Battybattybats]

 

Glad people liked these.

 

@Krautscientist, I actually had exactly the same idea! I've always intended one of my group to be a brain in a jar, and actually have the jar all ready to go (I'm- no jokes please- still waiting for the brain to be delivered). I tried putting it over this guy to see if it worked; the results were frustrating, as while it did look very cool, it would also take fairly major surgery to work properly. The problem was that the seat as I've made it was just a little too big to fit the jar, and even if it was, it wouldn't be centred over the rest of the machine. I could probably have fixed it, but only with a lot of work; and rather than risk ruining a model I quite liked, I figured it was better to save my jar for later.

 

Now, a small update; I got started doing a bit of preparatory work on the noblewoman's servitor-steed, and realised that the character I had in mind couldn't possibly be living out of her saddle-bags; she wouldn't go anywhere wirthout ridiculous amounts of baggage. So I decided to whip up a luggage-servitor; it's basically two Land Raider sponsons glued back to back. I thought it'd be fun if the noblewoman's valet had hitched a lift in there too. I know it looks like he's having a bath at the moment, but he's not! I thought I'd just add the top layer of luggage rather than fill the whole container, so I've filled it up to a certain point with plaster, which is currently drying.

 

 

Hahaha very nice indeed. In 40k there is only war and bubble baths in between battles!

 

Oil bath might be more appropriate.

 

:)

[Daemon2027]

Don Quixote, Canterbury tales, throne the idea for this Warband is pure gold. Your mind is awesome. I love what you have done with the Cairn Waith, and the servitor luggage handler and lazy valet is promising. Keep going!

[GhostMalone]

These are not the droids your looking for :D

[EdT]

@Battybattybats, I was thinking about your Sydonian Mask Seeker; don't know if it's any use to you, but one of my alternative ideas for the Scyllax bodies was to give it long slender-man style legs with nasty looking claws, either the same way as I did my Eremech or possibly with Necron limbs. I wanted to go for a Mechanicum version of the way CS Lewis' Sorns were portrayed in The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen; figured they'd look quite cool, creepy but also ethereally spiritual if you had a group of them slowly meandering around the landscape. This and this bit also came to mind for the mask itself... 

 

Anyhow, on to the progress I've made. First up, the Eremech, who is now more or less finished, although he'll have a few more servo-skulls buzzing around him happily. I was tempted to add some more mechandrites coming out of the holes in his robe, but I worry it might make him a bit too busy; I quite like his unsettling sillhouette as is, really.

 

 

 

And here's the luggage-servitor looking a bit more done. This was one of those fun builds which essentially involved scouring my bits box for things of the right size to glue on to the basic shape. I think it now looks a little less like a bath! I still need to add the legs, but I'm waiting on a bitz delivery for them. I haven't really decided whether to keep to my tripod theme or go all out centipede on this one; the latter option would certainly better recall The Luggage, but it would also mean another order of canoptek wraith legs and would break the theme I'd been going for with the rest of the models. Either way, I think this one will be fun to paint!

 

[miteyheroes]

Where are the creepy feet/hand claws on the Eremech from?

[StoneSentinels]

These are just getting better and better! Honestly I go away for a few dats walking and I get back to a whole host of wackiness! While I like the idea of a three legged luggage servitor, I think the opportunity to reference The Luggage and the fact that making that shape a triped would be difficult to make believable is a sign that Sir Terry P is sending you.

 

 

“There are no maps. You can't map a sense of humor. "

Sir T.P.

[Battybattybats]

Thanks for the suggestions! I'll definitely keep those parts in mind! I wasn't aware of wither of them!
 

And indeed i see your point with the Sorns. The mood does come across well. The third limb and the skull really works well, a lovely composition.
Those pieces are really coming together well!

[Dantay VI]

I don't think the 3 legs would work. I wold maybe go for 6 legs, as it is still a multpile of 3.

 

Something like this wee beastie:

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAeQn5QnyXo

 

Also looking at the length of the servo arm, the legs may need to be capable of lowering the carriage to the ground so it can pick up and put things down properly

 

An absolutely awesome build.

 

I love Eremech and choosing not to fill the gaps withmechadendrites was a good idea, gives him a very weatherworn appearance.

 

Looking forward to seeing the lady on her mechanical steed, is it going to be like Marshal Bravestarr or more along the lines of the Fanasy Imperial Engineers mechanical horse?

[Marius Perdo]

The mech stuff is great.

 

Where is the cog on top of Eremech's stave from? I need something like that for the Zone Mortalis blast doors and a terrain piece I am working on.

[The4thHorseman]

You could just have the Luggage Barge be a Hover Craft, flying stand and the such.

[EdT]

Thanks all for the thoughts on the luggage servitor; the general consensus is clearly to go for more than three legs, so that's what I'll do! I put in another bitz order that will do the trick- the current plan is to go for the full centipede (welll, not quite...) and have six little legs on each side. I think it should recall The Luggage quite nicely too, which is a bonus.

 

@Dantay_XV, I loved Bravestarr when I was little; maybe I should have taken some inspiration from it when I did the knight earlier...  The steed is actually going to be considerably more utilitarian than either of your suggestions; it's a bit more like a servitor-based version of those robotic pack mules the US Army is developing, and will be based on the Ironstrider. I want there to be a real contrast between the steed and the rider; basically, the noblewoman is slumming it and is probably not best pleased at there not being some sort of lovely grav-fiacre to coast along in. Speaking of which, the model that will hopefully serve as her base was delivered the other day; I'm probably only going to use the torso and head, but it's a lovely piece, which you can find here.

 

 

 

@Miteyheroes, the feet of the Eremech are the power claw thingies that come with the Sicaran Infiltrators. They're nice and spindly; I added another digit to them to make them work a bit better as feet.

 

@Marius Perdo, the cog is from Zinge Industries, who are generally brilliant! However, there also heaps of cogs available on ebay for peanuts; Here's one or two.  You might spot half of one of the latter cogs on my next pilgrim.

 

And speaking of which, there's a new addition to the group today. Here he is;

 

 

Now, you might notice that this guy is quite a departure from the others, having very few bionics, still possessing his own feet and having nothing in the way of gribbliness. This is entirely intentional. While outwardly a disinhereited scion of an obscure Knightly House somewhere on the Eastern Fringe, in reality this guy isn't a genuine prilgrim at all; in the grand tradition of Richard Burton (no, not that one, this one), he's actually a Terran Rembrancer masquerading as a devotee of the Machine God in order to see what actually happens on Mars. This is a very dangerous thing to do- if anyone sees through his disguise then his outraged fellow travellers will rip him apart for daring to profane their holy sites. This may well be our narrator.

[ElDuderino]

Sweet remembrancer man, how come every single thing you touch turns out awesome? Life's unfair i guess hehe, keep up the great work

[Battybattybats]

I love the remembrancer.

The noblewoman base is a good one. I hadn't seen it before. I was assuming you were likely to go for the Reaper one of similar design as your base, and i would have also suggested Hydra Miniatures Queen Mechanika as a possible option particularly for the head http://shop.hydraminiatures.com/product_info.php?cPath=2_31&products_id=143 but the one you have gone with might work better, the crest on the bombshell mini looking a bit more medieval bonnet and face a little less malevolent.

Edit: Oh yeah and where is the arm holding the book from? That's a very useful looking bit!

[Olis]

Cool remembrancer. I would hope he knows techno linguis and binary at the very least, otherwise he hasn't got much of a chance! :P

[EdT]

@Battybattybats, I did consider Queen Mechanika actually! I loved her imperious expression but I felt the body itself wasn't really detailed enough to make the purchase worth the effort. I hadn't come across the Reaper one before, but I have to say it suffers from the same issue. In terms of the noblewoman's look, I rather like the idea that in the more fashionable areas of the Imperium during the late crusade, things like Art Deco are becoming much more trendy at the expense of the traditional gothic- "Daddy, skulls are so last milennia" and so on. Needless to say, the Heresy puts paid to that...

 

Edit: Forgot to say, the arm holding the book comes from the WHFB Luminark kit; here. It's a handy little bit, as are the heads, which one day will end up being used for somebody with night-vision goggles...

 

@Olis, in my head the Rembrancer is a former Imperial Army officer who fought alongside Skitarii and Knight Houses for some time, hence the fascination for the secrets of the Machine Cult. I figure that he'd have a fairly decent knowledge of technolinguis etc; he's already got onto the pilgrim trail afterall!

 

I'll have more pictures for people on Monday; I'm away for the weekend but I left a part-built servitor-steed with greenstuff curing, so when I get back it should be in a fit state to show my progress.  While I'm here, a quick question for people as regards the valet tucked in the luggage servitor; I had originally been planning to paint his face metallic, but it occurs to me that China Doll style might be just as decadent, better fit the idea of the noblewoman as a spoilt brat, and also be considerably more creepy into the bargain. What are people's thoughts?

[Kriegsmacht]

Creepy and awesome at the same time. Cool!