Harzhans 9th Host of Word Bearers

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Hey everyone, DiscipleOfTheWord here.  A few years back I started my 9th host with a topic here in the B&C, but quickly gave up due to poor camera quality, and eventually drifted out of the hobby. But, with the release of 8th edition, I've decided to get back into it, and restart. Although I already have some Word Bearers models assembled and a small number painted, I'm going to repaint details on all of them at some point, so I'll post pictures of them once that is done. Once I've got a few units fully painted I will start making some fluff for the army, but at the moment all I have is the name of my Dark Apostle, the number of my host and a few other names here and there. Anyway, enough talking, I'll start with some pics of the few models I have painted (fully) at the moment.

 

First Acolyte Sor Talgron:

 

 

Helbrute:

 

Possessed:

 

Bloodletter:

 

Marines:

 

Malefic Lord:

 

Cultist:

 

Heldrake:

 

And what's on my paint station at the moment: (You have no idea how long it took to paint that script)

 

More photos soon.

Please tell me what you think!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited October 15, 2017 by DiscipleOfTheWord

[E_50_Panzer]

It looks good, the colors you've used all blend and worth together well. I really like the gore on the flayed hides. However, I do think that on some of the models the paint is thick.

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Which models in particular? I'll see if there is anything I can do about that. Also, I've finished the land raider, so expect pictures of that tomorrow.

[E_50_Panzer]

Which models in particular? I'll see if there is anything I can do about that. Also, I've finished the land raider, so expect pictures of that tomorrow.

The main culprit is the first acolyte, particularly around the skull on the backpack, and his face.

 

I look foward to the land raider with all its script though :)

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Ah yes, the main reason why the skull appears to have such thick layers is because when I was gluing the spikes to his backpack I accidentally covered the skull in plastic glue... But the face is definitely the fault of too thick paint, I'll try to use thinner coats on my future models.

 

Anyway, here are a few pictures on the finished land raider, it's the first time I've ever tried to use Object Source Lighting and sponging for battle damage, so please tell me if it's any good/how to improve. 

 

 

Next up is some renegades I vowed in the Renegades and heretics painting bash, but I'm going away for a week so I won't be able to get any painting done then. I'll reproduce my vow here:

 

I, lorgar17, vow to supply the Warmaster with 2 renegade enforcers, 2 5 man squads of marauders with a plasma gun, meltagun, flamer, grenade launcher and shotgun, as well as a disciple heavy weapon team with a missile launcher, and a land raider with a combi-bolter, totalling 550 points. May we bring death to the False Emperor!

 

Thinking back on it, the renegades I'm painting are more like disciples than marauders, but oh well, they're the same points cost. Some of the models I'm using have Cadian weapons/armour which I'm painting in Cadian colours, Aquilas and all, as if it has been looted, so are there any ways in which you think I can show it is looted? (Aside from the obvious scratching of Aquilas and daubing of a few chaos symbols here and there) would extensive battle damage give that 'looted' effect? 

[E_50_Panzer]

Ok, that makes the skull more understandable. Anyway, the OSL looks pretty good, I'm sure it'll get better with practice. And your weathering looks good, not overdone, and done in the right places. As for looted cadian gear, I guess you could also try scratches, penetrations, and blood splatters to the armor, it might help give the impression that someone else used to wear it. And remember, Cadian gate on the right pauldron and squad number on the left. Get the cadian details in place, then weather and deface them. Keep up the good work!

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Thanks for the feedback! Good ideas for making the armour look looted, I'll definitely give that a try.

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Finished the renegades, so here are the photos:

 

Enforcers:

 

Disciples:

 

Too many grenades!  :

 

 

The whole 2 squads:

 

Please tell me what you think of the weathering etc. Some of the pictures are little blurry, so sorry about that. I also decided I'd use a vignette on my photos to make them look darker and more chaosy,I think I'm pleased with the effect...

 

I'm assembling a Hydra/Wyvern (will be magnetised) for my renegades at the moment, but I'll paint some more marines before I paint the tank.

 

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Since my host is the remnants of the bloodied fist chapter, and still retain their chapter iconography, as can be seen in the 3rd picture of the land raider, I was thinking of daubing the fists of my marines in blood, perhaps after some pre-battle ritual. Do you think that would look cool or stupid? 

[gezabutla]

It's an interesting idea, I'd say definitely give it a try and see how it turns out. 
Be careful you don't over saturate your minis with blood, it's easy to do.

Enjoyable work! I'm eager to see more. I particularly like the freehand - it implies that each Marine has custom legion markings that they've painted on along with their unholy scripture.

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Ok great, I'll give that a try then and I can always repaint it if it goes badly. Thanks for the feedback! I am making progress, finished the Hydra assembly and started the Marines, but I haven't had much time to paint recently. Should be about a week and a half before they're done. I completely butchered the magnetisation of the tank, so it's ended up as just a Hydra. Anyway, I'm really excited for the new dex, although the Word Bearers trait and stratagem seem rather lacklustre to me.

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Praise be to Lorgar! I've finally finished the marines, and started to put paint on the Hydra. The bloodied flayed flesh comes across a little pink in the pictures, which it isn't in real life. I did try the blood coated gauntlets, but it looked horrific so I repainted it. Oh well. Anyway, here is the 92nd Coterie of the 9th Host:

 

 

I also converted a renegade ogryn beserker from some fantasy ogre parts I got for free from an ogre wrestling competition my local store ran aeons ago, I think it looks quite good, it certainly shows how much my painting has improved over that time!

 

 

Do you think it looks clearly '40k' enough, or needs a bit more work to differentiate it from it's AoS kin? I think the canisters on the back go quite some way to making it 40k, although i'm not really sure why it would have them on it's back. Because chaos I guess... As ever, comments and CC appreciated. 

 

 

Edit:Forgot the picture of the ogryn.

Edited August 21, 2017 by DiscipleOfTheWord

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Finished the renegade hydra:

 

[outlanders_luke]

Love the renegades, the ragtag look is how they should be.

 

what colours have you used for the Hydra? looks spot on

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Thanks! For the Hydra I basecoat baneblade brown, wash agrax earthshade and then drybrush karak stone. I dot seraphim sepia around the nails and then streak nuln oil down from the nails to give a rusty/dirty effect. I also sponge necron compound for the damaged areas.

[outlanders_luke]

Thanks! For the Hydra I basecoat baneblade brown, wash agrax earthshade and then drybrush karak stone. I dot seraphim sepia around the nails and then streak nuln oil down from the nails to give a rusty/dirty effect. I also sponge necron compound for the damaged areas.

Awesome thanks very much, I'm toying with the idea of doing some renegades for myself and this would be one of the colours I would consider!

 

Looking forward to more updates

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

You should definitely do some renegades of your own, they are great fun to paint and convert, and work really well in conjunction with a detachment of chaos space marines, particularly in larger games. The added bonus is that you can use most of your infantry as cultists for a pure CSM force as well, so they can do double duty. Hopefully you get inspired to do your own!

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Minor update, I just finished painting the ogryn. I slapped a respirator on it to give it that 40k look. I'm not sure what to paint/build next, but it will definitely be marine related instead of R+H related.

[BrotherJim]

This is all very good man. I like your army a lot. The Chaos Marines and possessed in particular.

 

Keep em coming.

[brettfp]

Nice paintwork. Simple but striking. And that hydra looks amazing :)

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Thanks everyone! I've painted another two characters for my army, a chaos lord and a sorcerer. Neither of them are quite finished though, so I'd like to ask you which colour do you think I should paint the cloaks on both of them and the grip on the lords sword? Here are a few pictures to get an idea of what the rest will look like (Ignore the fact that the cloaks look partially painted already, that's just a placeholder so I can see where the detail is) :

 

I also tried wet blending for the first time, but I don't have a retarder so I had to use VERY watered down paints to prevent them from drying. Anyway, here are the results (on the lower half of the tabard), what do you think of it? I'd quite like to use it again on the two cloaks above, but it will be a while until pics are ready as I need to buy a retarder from somewhere.

 

I realise the rest of the model is painted really badly, I painted it many years ago...

[Pearson73]

The sorceror's flames look cracking.

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Finished a predator annihilator:

 

 

I'm quite happy with it, especially since it was my first ever tank, and I had to cut loads off and glue stuff on again to get it to look tabletop ready. I'm also very pleased with the spike racks I created (on the front of the tank, I'm not sure if it really comes out). The retarder still hasn't arrived, but I think I've decided to paint the lords cloak a sort of regal purple. In the meantime I'm going to start work on a very old Khorne Lord I've had lying around for ages, fluff wise he'll be a Word Bearer who solely worshipped Khorne and so was cast out by the Host, but still accompanies them into battle, as such he won't bear Word Bearers heraldry, instead I plan to paint his armour glowing red with daemonic faces in it. 

 

Edit: Better Pics

Edited September 29, 2017 by DiscipleOfTheWord

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

Finished the Khorne champion and also the cloak on the chaos lord, after my retarder finally arrived. The pictures came out really badly for some reason, so be warned!

 

Behold, Captain Aharazhon of the 3rd company, 9th host of the glorious XVII legion:

 

 

And then, Valdrax, the exiled one, Khorne's chosen champion:

 

 

I have to say I'm very pleased with the way the glowing runes on Valdrax's armour came out, as well as the verdigris on his axe (which didn't come out in the photos), as well as the wet blending on the captains cloak. Took me ages to do both!

 

As ever, comments and constructive criticism welcomed.

 

Edit: Better Pics

Edited September 29, 2017 by DiscipleOfTheWord

[DiscipleOfTheWord]

I'm not dead, in fact I've done quite a lot. Firstly I've taken way better pics of the predator and the two lords, and I've also painted the possessed and two chaos assassins.

 

So, the possessed, the 17th Blessed Coterie of the 9th host:

 

The assassins: (I don't really know what these are fluff wise, maybe some creatures bred/built in Ghalmek?)

 

Only quite finished one of them at the moment, the other will be ready tomorrow.

 

Also done some more renegades:

 

These will be a renegade commander and an enforcer with shotgun respectively. I also decided I wasn't going to any more work on the sorceror, so here are some proper pics:

 

Finally, I was painting a face for one of my IV legion, and it really didn't come out well, which made me realise that I actually can't paint faces at all. Does anyone have any simple tips? I show a few photos so you can get a good idea of what it looked like.