PBB's Thousand Sons, Daemons and Chaos // Nurgle Knight

[Brother-Chaplain Kage]

I pin practically everything though, even plastic, so it's just normal for me to do that. Back when I still played on a regular basis at my LGS, I had several converted figures come apart completely when they were dropped and since then, it's Pins R Us for me.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Man I love pinning stuff. I have pinned my fair share or models too. To the point where I developed a new way of pinning to make it faster and stronger at the cost of a bit more clean up. These claws aren't overly exposed though... there is a long on one the Chain Cleaver but  because its just green stuff, its got a little flex in it still which I think will save it if its knocked, which is unlikely.

[Mechanist]

With the pilot hanging out like he does I'd suggest he's using neural links a bit like the matrix and when the battle is over he likely disconnects and head to the fighting pits.

Like some sort of barbarian king overseeing the pits victors get to challenge him for his place and mount.

Once disconnected the knight will 'sleep' in the ship's hold while the dark mechanicus bathe it in rituals of blood and sacrifice to placate it's resistless spirit.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Yeah I think I see them as separate entities. But I think of that pilot as being very wild, like always on kill mode, they have to forcibly drag him into the knight, plug and chain him in.

 

I just have to think of a name for him.

 

Right... I haven't done much since the base, but I'm starting to think I should jutststart painting it. I'll take some clear turn around photos of it, then you guys can let me know if you think any more areas need work or if I've missed anything obvious.

 

I'll patch up some areas with greenstuffing that I have neglected (like the modified ankle joints) and if no one has any suggestions I'll just get on with painting it.

 

Elduderino did suggest something in the space where the LoS's head would have been in the icon... Which I like as it's another opportunity to communicate motion, I just haven't thought of anything yet and it's more work I might not have time for, depending on what we decide.

 

So, any great ideas to add to the model? The time is now as I'm soon to leave the modeling behind...

[DuskRaider]

IMO you have more than enough detail on the model. If you keep going you may lose yourself and the piece in the details, if you know what I mean. I'd call this stage complete and move on to the paint process. 

[Skidman]

I think you should name him abbiccus normalis

[Augustus b'Raass]

@Mechanist, Krautscientist

[...]

So... I know a little bit about the knights, and how after the pilots interface with the knights, although they control the Knight, the knights machine spirit also alters the personality of the Pilot right? [...]

The neural interface you're speaking of only really happens with Titans. Titans are neurally controlled by a Princeps, who's assisted by several Moderati. There's a neural bond between the Machine spirit of the Titan and the neural network of the Princeps, which causes both their personalities to affect each other, and often even to merge together. Controlling a Titan requires years of training not only of skills, but of the mind too to be able to control the Machine Spirit, and not be controlled by it. Conversely, a Knight is 'only' piloted by a single person without any neural linkage. Controlling a Knight only requires training of skill, not of a mindset. So technically a Knight isn't a Titan, despite the title that GW put on the original boxed kit (which they fortunately have since corrected).  But that doesn't really affect your plans with it, fluff-wise, as you wrote that your Knight is piloted by a Khornate champion - who might have learned the skills to do so without going to special Princeps school.

Edited November 19, 2018 by Augustus b'Raass

[DuskRaider]

ACTUALLY... There is a neural link between a Knight and it's pilot. It changes the personality of the pilot to adopt a more feudal / chivalrous manner. This is the lore I have read, if it's been changed I'm not sure.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Yeah that's right, I knew I read it somewhere, pretty sure its in the knights codex.  Anyway, I'm also aware that while my concept was a standard Pilot rather than a Princeps (which I'm aware is a much more integrated, complicated and prestigious position... I did also with artistic licence wire my pilot into the knight. but then... this is clearly no ordinary knight even if its rules wont reflect that.  I think i figured that in this case it was less a well thought out process and more, get a skilled and very aggressive fighter, getting him to drive the engine of destruction... then brutally interfacing him directly with the knight (I plan on having blood trails coming from the connections. 

 

So I have tried to keep to the lore while also putting a bit of a unique spin on this machine. Is it demonically possessed... did they brutalise the machine spirit into corruption by mechanically alter it?... I think I was driven by the idea of the machine being at least partially sentient (and therefore a daemon engine), but was happy to leave it to interpretation.

 

I'm happy to think of them as two seperate entities whose personalities are so aggressive that they may as well be the same once joined... not like a princeps and titan... more like... two people who dont know each other in a riot who both wasnt to smash the same thing. Their differeing favourite flavours of ice cream are irrelevant while they are together... only the desire for destruction they share.

 

At least that's what I was thinking... but what do I know? XD

[Augustus b'Raass]

Haven't read the Knight codex.... I was basing my knowledge on what was written about Knights up until the late 90s Epic 40.000 game. And we all know GW isn't above redconning their fluff. So if what I've written is wrong by today's fluffy meta, than you may all slap my ass and call me Susan! :D

 

PBB, your Knight is a thing of beauty and whatever is the fluff about Imperial Knights, Chaos is way too Chaotic to abide by it. So just model and write away for it! As long as your story has an internal logic, it's all good - besides, your ideas sound super cool! :tu:

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

If I'm getting the Augustus seal of approval I must be doing something right I guess! I do like to think about the the models i'm making but I'll be the first to admit that while I really enjoy the flavour and backstory, my memory is poor and I don't know all of the ins and outs of things. I guess that's the handy thing about working with a chaos faction is that you have a lot more play in what you can feasibly get away with. I'm glad you like the stuff I've come up with so far anyway, hopefully that's set the tone for the rest of the thread.

Ok, since no one is coming up with any obvious additions I should make to the model, patching up has started, which marks the beginning of the end (of modelling this beast). So I managed to patch some big gaps earlier, the pads under the toes... which are obviously normally completely obscured. I figured I would just plasticard over them... but then that would look a bit plain and rubbish, so I had an idea and decided to give it a go.

What do you guys think? I just have to patch the circle now then its looking over the model for gaps and things that just don't look right. Exciting! and worrying...

[Gederas]

Now that is dedication. The Khorne skull rune on the toes of the Knight looks badass! :tu:

[Krakendoomcool]

Nice Khorne foot prints. Ha.

 

The one thing missing I’d say is to add the ‘teeth’ to the hanging icon between its legs. There isn’t really an explanation to why the icon is incomplete here. Two or three chains depending on how many you can fit in should do it. Put skulls on the ends if you think there aren’t enough skulls and chains on this beast. You could convey the motion with this but don’t know how you would feel to more chains when the icon is suspended by chains already.

 

It’s looking fantastic.

[Mechanist]

So an Imperial system works around the Throne Mechanicum  which is a simpler than the Titan interfaces but still includes a neural connection which the pilot bonds with during the Ritual of Becoming.

Chaos however has the dark mechanicum who will experiment and try new and interesting ways, let alone the process of corruption and mutation within the knight. Even the least corrupt chaos knight probably has some daemonic possession of it's systems and machine spirits, likely just the lesser/ auxiliary systems.

This basically means we can do what we like and that chaos knight houses can actually replace knights easier as the Dark mechanicum will just make new interfaces even if they don't always work out... 

[Augustus b'Raass]

Holy crap, do I stand redconned corrected! I need to do more reading of the recent fluff, or else I'll turn into a piece of archeotech myself! ;) 

The Khornate footprints are a thing of brilliance! That's so cool! 

 

Krakendoomcool's comment gave me an additional idea: and I'm just spitballing here: what if you turned the icons 180 degrees, and have the 'teeth' of the khornate skull rune match up with claws growing out of the toe it is attached to? :D

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

@Gederas

Thanks man, It was a bit of an afterthought to make the symbols. I didn't want it to just be flat, so I had the idea to try and make the tread then I decided to try and cut the symbol out of one and see if I could replicate it. Quite pleased with it.

 

@Krakendoomcool

Oh I see what you mean, I hadn't even thought about the vertical "teeth" being absent. first I thought you wanted me to sculpt some of those daemon teeth on it! but yeah... maybe I'll do some chains with... oh I could have a head for each of our armies from the Blog! Salamanders, Space wolves and Grey Knights? That might work, I'll see what I can do!

 

@Mechanist

I totally forgot about the accumulated experiences of the previous pilots! thats awesome... What if this one only retains the rage and bloodlust of each pilot, imbuing each new pilot with that additional aggression. So they always encourage only the most deranged, psychopathic and wild applicants from pit fights to the death. No matter that they are level headed enough to drive on and chose to get in... once in there they become the personification of the machines wrath, only blood and death will satisfy it now...

 

@Augustus

Your Input was valued none the less! I forget that veteran 40k players may have extensive knowledge of the current tactics and flavour of their own armies, but have been in the hobby so long that some of their information may date back to pre-retcons. Your Archeotech mind will be valued in the future when we no long have talent capable of replicating it and can only try to reverse engineer your Minis.

 

That is a cool idea with the teeth... possibly with a couple of problems... one... Thats like, 16 teeth I would have to sculpt and maybe compared to the size of the feet they would seem a bit small, two... I have super glued them on, three... they wouldn't be the right shape any more because its not symmetrical! So I could, but I would basically have to do it again. Otherwise thats actually a cool idea.

 

Ill see what I can get done tonight and get back to you guys, thanks everyone, this is awesome!

Edited November 20, 2018 by Pandoras Bitz Box

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Ok, so I have acted on some of the advice. Elduderino and Krakendoom were both very keen on my putting something in the "mouth" of the Khorne Icon swinging behind the Knight in place of where the Lord of Skulls head would have been. I did also toy with the idea of a dead marine on this model but couldn't decide on where to put one or what faction to choose or if it would be too much effort and not be ready in time... so I used this as an opportunity to fulfil both roles. First a small experiment in chains. I wanted to have some chain I could shape and I thought that trying to some how position a chain in 3D space and glue the links would be madness of the highest order, especially with these fine chains. For the Icon Itself I fixed it with wires and then glued 2 chains along the length of each wire, which makes it pretty ridged and does a decent job of hiding the wire. This time I wanted Heads on hooks, so double chain didnt seem appropriate...

So as you can see there, what I did was thread the wire through the links of the chain and I just glued both ends of the wire to the chain, allowing it to flex in the middle. I actually did them all way too long at first but another blob of glue and cut them in half, all was good.

(Sorry the photos are a bit poor, I didn't realise until I came to attach them)

I think they turned out ok. I just hooked the end of the wire and attached the heads of the Grey Knight, Space Wolf and Salamander. they were easy enough to bend, and I pinned the wire into the Symbol of Khorne so they feel pretty sturdy too. I think with the heads on the end and the detail on the symbol, your eyes don't linger long enough on the chain to spot the wire.

You guys think I should keep it?

Edited November 20, 2018 by Pandoras Bitz Box

[Mechanist]

Yes yes yes, it works perfectly. 

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Finally... I think that the the time is almost upon me... to paint. filled a load of gaps after doing the foot, then had a look through the instructions to see what I hadnt added, mostly railings by the looks of things which I still need to do. I was ALSO missing the shoulder gun, so I popped in a melta... and the Heraldry shield that I had totally forgotten about. While was at work yesterday I did a couple of sketches...

I wanted to do a version of the World Eaters symbol that was a bit different. Both versions feature a brass hemisphere in the middle. The one on the left I imagined to have the sort of serrated arrows that i sculpted onto the side of the Chain Cleaver, a bit like the ones on the top of the Chaos Warhound, this would look more manufactured. The one on the right is a sort of not to the older styles of art and would be more organic as if the shield was actually eating the brass ball.

I wanted feedback quickly so I messaged a few friends and sent out some feelers on Twitter but got completely split opinions. in the end I was won over by someone who liked the picture on the left more who said...

"I like the one on the left more. It looks to me like a bunch of giant swords stabbing into a planet and that's pretty fu$%in metal" (he also included a devil horns emoji... so he meant it)

This sounds just like the kind of comment that would appeal to the recipient of this model.

Now... I had already decided on the brass hemisphere, so I had already sculpted that on, I just had to do the arrows... but it turned out the ball took up way more of the shield than I remembered when I did the sketches in work. but forutnately I was still able to do the arrows, I just left out the intersecting ring...

I have since serrated them... but apparently Im struggling to find that photo.

So I popped the shield on and now this weekend it is fully my intention to add the few missing pieces and then undercoat this weekend. So behold the (99.9%) completed Khornate Knight.

Hopefully things will continue to go to plan, and the next post will include photos of the model with some paint on it... getting the nervous excitement now... quite nervous.

[Subtle Discord]

Soooo much motion and soooo many layers of detail. You're mad, in the best possible way.

 

*In a Crocodile Dundee voice* That's not a Knight, mate. This is a Knight!

 

Yeah, I know, horrible dad joke; couldn't help myself.

[ElDuderino]

This is such an incredible model, it's great to see it ready for paint. I vaguely remember having my doubts about the pose months ago when you first started, I never should have doubted you. Massive kudos.

 

Cool shield too, I was gonna vote for the option to the right but option left turned out great!

[DuskRaider]

JAYSUS... that thing is a beast. Now comes the hard part... painting all those details. Are you sure you'll be able to give it up once you're done? I sure as hell wouldn't, lol.

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

@Subtle Discord

Thanks SD! The motion and weight were some of the most important factors to me. This is a Melee Armed, Khornate Knight and I wanted there to be no doubt about the threat it poses or where it wants to be. The layers just came with time, I didn't sketch anything out, I just had a real basic concept, and started early, driven by the efforts if everyone else on Bolter.

 

@Elduderino

I remember you querying the head, thinking it would like like weird dinosaur right? Well I neary stuch a taik on it too, but scrapped that idea so... You were learly right! I'm super pleased you loved it. It was a few of you guys already working on or having completed some cool Khornate vehicles that's was really hoping to get guidence from, so I really appreciated thst, thanks. Glad you like the shieldtoo

Edited November 27, 2018 by Pandoras Bitz Box

[Pandoras Bitz Box]

Uuuggghhh... I'm not loving how the painting is going. It's too early for me to think that it's genuinly bad... But the base colours are taking forever to get down and I can't tell if it's going to look any good.

 

I'm definitely out of my comfort zone. While building it I was happy to post endless updates with pictures, but I'm finding it a struggle to motivate myself to take WIP pointing shots of it because I can't tell if it just looks terrible and I'm ruining it.

 

Still trying to plod on reguardless in the hope that my fears and frustrations are unwarranted... And well, it's not going to paint itself.

[DuskRaider]

I simply meant that you put a lot of work into it and it came out awesome, it would be hard for me personally to part with such a piece. 

 

It's all the detail, man... even I would be at least a little intimidated by it and I've done four of them. Detail is great until it comes time to throwing color down which is when I usually start kicking myself for doing the tiny things. But you've got this. Show some pics, let's see what you've come up with for the coloration.