Shiveryah SF version, Canoness Veridyan, and a SF Werewolf

 Shiveryah glided across the tiny village square her feet floating conveniently above the grime and mud of the slaughter.
Looking intently for a trace of her prize the Sorceress of the Blood Rain almost missed the faint stench of piety... almost too late she was upon the wounded warrior sister.  The shredded armored habit bore the sigils and colors of the Sisters of Eternal Mercy... probably the Order of the Poisoned Cup... the Poisoned Cup specialized in the collection and study of corruption rather than the indiscriminate cleansing of it.  Their presence here piqued Shiveryah's interest... 
the cloak Siveryah wore, the gruesomely aspected Cloak of Innocent Blood, was not only a prized relic of her house but a potent artifact in it own right.  It quickly enveloped her in a light bending shroud... she was invisible to all but the most arcane of sensors... most magic obfuscation are weak to strong Faith wielders but this one was specifically constructed with only the most incorruptible materials making it impervious to Faith based sight.  Its materials were uncomfortable for Shiveryah to wear but her tolerance for discomfort was... notable, even among the Void Elves of her Kabal who were famed for their excess.

Withdrawing a short distance she located both the embattled Sister's adversary and the target of her own mission.  Things were about to get interesting.

 Hopping back on the Raging Heroes train I managed to spend some time with they awesome Shiveryah SF version.  She becomes the First Sorceress of the Blood Rain Kabal.

I had a moment of panic when undercoating her I mistaken used a gloss finish paint/primer combo.  Surprisingly this covered really well and took paint with no trouble... whew!

Her "Cloak of Innocent Blood" came about because I painted the first coat.. to two?... with "Glistening Blood" from Army Painter which I had picked up with a batch of basic colors to get me through until the main hobby supplies arrive... It turns out to be sort of a technical, or effect, paint and had some interesting color and texture things going on.  It looks like it will be awesome for pools and rivulets of blood but isn't a good choice for smooth coverage of large ares because of its, completely intentional, texture.

 Next up is "The Beast" from Anvil Industries.  Its a nice Sci-Fi werewolf.  I like all the tech gizmos embedded in it and am going to call it Subject #7.

It is a lot smaller than the Raging Heroes werewolves, as are most other werewolf models out there, so I'm thinking of using it as a prototype experimental "Super Soldier"... escaped and looking for a place to be.

It was a fun model to paint, relatively clean casting and the resin is a nice mix that has sharp detail, is not overly brittle, and takes paint easily.

 Canoness Veridyan is a classic GW pose based on the art of Blanche... She's in finecast here and it behaved the way it usually does.

I really got to play around with a new water effect here, and on The Beast.  Vallejo Super Heavy Gel.  The stuff is pretty awesome so far.  almost sculpt-able it gave good running water effects on both these bases.  On Veridyan's base i have included a lot of random debris, grass clippings etc... all painted like necroplis debris and buried in the gel.  it has a choppy surface and has dried realtively hard and without the sticky surface that is an issue with some other water effects... like the GW Water Effect.  It'll take a few more experiments to see how reliable it is but I'm optimistic.

A size comparison between the Raging Heroes and Games Workshop models.

Veridyan comes with a 32mm base while Shiveryah is set on a 25mm base but I think the larger base is intended to indicate that Veridyan is equipped with Power Armour while Shiveryah is a lightly armored Space Elf.  Shiveryah is also floating above the base so seems a bit taller than Veridyan.

Mantis Warriors

 I'm back from an extended stumble around the Balkan States.  Its a fascinating part of the world that I had low familiarity with.  It was an amazing time, I got a lot of great new ideas to work with, and my Romanian is getting closer to being "passable"! 

Playing catch up... again!

Here are the finished Mantis Warriors from Raging Heroes!

 They are meant, as all things Raging Heroes have been to date, as proxies for various games.

This set is based for use with my Dark Eldar or to use as Daemonettes in a Chaos Army for either WHFB or WH40K... I guess that would really mean AoS these days as well!

 The minis are resin, multi-pose able with arms, head, and the torso/leg section ball jointed.  the legs are a single piece so are not individually pose able without major surgery.

I chose woodland colors so they would have a wider variety of potential uses and green can still look quite evil and menacing too!

The water effects were an experiment. My Dark Eldar army uses these Swamp Bases from Secret Weapon.  I was using Citadel Water Effects to fill the bases after painting but have had a lot of issues with the water effect never really setting up.

  Its ok for display pieces but my stuff is almost always for game use so I wanted a more durable finish... not to mention the long term dust and handling problems... like leaving finger prints on the lager water surfaces!

Anyway I tried Vallejo Water effects but failed to notice that they are opaquely pigmented.  I'd asked about how they performed at a hobby shop in Germany and was shown a clear sample... which I mistook to be representative of all their water effects .  I used Atlantic Blue... which completely obliterated the painted insides of the bases... and left a deep blue finish that was very ... un-swamp-like!

I washed over the water effects with Secret Weapon Sewer Water and hit it with some gloss spot varnish.  The results were good and its a lot easier to replicate, not to mention a lot less work, than my original method.  I'd still like to come up with a viable clear solution but it'll do for now!

 I liked the Musician a lot.. having a violin as the martial instrument does seem pretty edgy and ideal for chaotic or evil armies! 

This is the unit champion.  Its most noticeable differences are the head, which sports and elaborate set of horns, and the right arm which has a larger, fancier, shoulder.

Next up... some legacy GW servitors and the rubber vegetation from Atenocities Workshop's Forward Base!

One Shot Blondie and the Lulus

 Batch one of the lulus is done.  There are 4 batches total so three more remain on the table.  They are a fun group and have a lot of character.

 One Shot Blondie is the leader/guardian of the Lulus (also to be known as the brat packs in in the current version of my personal army fluff). This is an iconic pose and one of the few metal minis that I picked up from the KS.  I tended to get resins this go around but don't now recall why I got a handful of metals.

I see her as a little damaged so added the 'thousand mile stare' and some hair dye to the already included detail of lollipops and Mickey Mouse ears.

 Though metal the mini was relatively clean with well placed mold lines and went together without event. 

 There are six lulus including the 'Butterfly Lulu'  which was the hardest to get assembled.  In general I had more trouble with the mold lines that I originally had thought.

I decided to use some ideas like... colorful plastic galoshes and rain coats to theme the group and emphasize their identity as refugee children... as if all the teddy bears, pets, lollipops, false ears, and bling left any room for doubt on that score.

 Overall the group reminds me a lot of Peter Pan's lost boys.

I returned to a style of painting that I haven't used in a while painting in washes over while.  It'll take a few iterations to get better definition but, in general, I think its easier for this sort of subject. 

This lulu turned out to be my favorite and went together very easily.

And finally... a size comparison with a Lulu, Hilda, and the crazy Colossal Bone Giant.

Nurgle Blight Drones join the Contagion!

 Four Blight Drones join the Siwa Contagion salvage project.  I've retained Ryan P's original as the group leader with very few adjustments.  He really did a smashing job on that model!

Although taking my cues from Ryan's original I did deviate a bit.  The main deviation was to color the optic lenses blue so that I could easily tell them apart from the original model's green lenses.  I plan to use the original model as the 'command' drone.  I also did a bit more shading on the metallic carapace with the final finish not being quite as brassy in the top layers.  The green patina is also a bit darker than the original.

 As for modifications to the original Blight Drone... I added some point source lighting to the primary weapon cluster, did some highlights to a couple of tubes and pistons, and adjusted the tints on the base to match the rest of the army.

 The bases were a lot of fun.  I used some bits from the Citadel basing kit and some brass pipe from an assortment, all tied together with green stuff ooze and some Citadel water effects to create large pools of ichor.  I've seen some improvement with these pools over the earlier efforts... mostly in the cloudy sediments flowing from the pipes.  In future I'll try layering more paint during the water effect build up to get a more 3D effect for the cloud... and I'll probably try that particular effect on a lipped or bordered base so I can get the water effect to be a lot deeper.

 A lot of blank space remains that is just asking for flat art and heraldry which I am likely to add in between battles.  I'd like to commemorate the actions and accomplishments of the group.

 Since these are meant to be playing pieces I opted to leave off the multitudinous additional hoses that come with the kit.  These models spend a lot of time lying on their sides, or in foam cases, and the tubes just make them too fragile.  The main gun cluster already has one barrel that is particularly prone to breaking upon any impact... however small.

 Four is such an unfortunate number for these.  A squadron is 1-3 and the Apocalypse formation requires a minimum of 9 (three squadrons of three).  I could run them as two squadrons of two each I suppose but that seems a bit silly.

  I should probably add two, or five, more Blight Drones just to make the lists work so I'll keep my eyes open for a deal someplace.

In the last two shots you can clearly see the command drone with its bolder brass and green lenses.

Next up:  Forge World Great Unclean One and more work on the Bones IMEF Marines.

No one expects.... The Inquisitor's Retinue!

 So there I was digging through a box looking for some bit or other when I came across this assortment of Inquisitor's Retinue that I picked up from my good friend Pat a few years back and didn't manage to paint before packing up the house 2 moves ago!  Since I'm actually in a mood to paint some fringe Imperials it was a timely find!

I based these in the same scheme as I'll be using on the Raging Heroes IG project using Trenchworks bases from Secret Weapon Miniatures.

The Cherub was fun... if only because I got to scribble some cryptic messages on its proclamation. 

 I'll need a lot more practice to do fancy Illuminations in this scale but this proclamation captures the feel of the Imperial Cult as a movement of the working masses of Imperial Citizenry.

For the Preacher I wanted to mix fanaticism with the last vestiges of a fading glory.  To get the feel of a man who has joined the crusade because he has nothing left of his former high station except the clothes on his back and the weighty tomes of the Emperor's Wisdom that he carries with him always.

 The full set of minis that I found on this pass through the boxes.

The Lexigrapher follows the Preacher and, aided by the pair of Servoskulls, records every word. The Gun Servitor that protects him rounds out the group.  I picture the retinue as followers of the Preacher rather than of the Inquisitor so its actually thematic to show them without the Inquisitor that they would typically be seen to escort.

 These were worked up from black with three stages of bone white and highlight then washed with Secret Weapon Washes and painted where this treatment was too muddled.  This ended up generating a lot of the shadow effects and highlights were often achieved by glazing the surfaces to be highlighted with a lighter tone (like a yellow) and then thinly re-glazed with the original base wash color.

 A bit of attention was paid to the wires.  They are all color coded either on the cable itself or on the terminal plug.  There is nothing worse than a pile of unmarked cable!

 The retinue are the wandering remnants of a destroyed congregation and, as such, are scavengers by nature.  They not only carry their personal fortunes on their backs but their other equipment is also of mixed provenance due to the random nature of its acquisition during their long travels.  The Gun servitor sports a Multi Melta in an Astartes color scheme and might be a bone of contention in an encounter with Space Marines of any flavor.

I love Servo Skulls!  They are iconic of the poor man's way to continue service to the Emperor after the body... and even the mind... fails.  These scout and guard always recording the retinues efforts in the name of the Emperor!

Back to the table now... more projects are waiting...

Kurganova WiP and NurgleTermi Squad Typhus part 2

The Raging Heroes Kickstarter has me looking to solidify some color thoughts about the Heresy Suppression Force (HSF).  Since I do have the Kurganova Sisters I thought I'd mess around with some ideas in advance of fielding the full army.

I quickly settled upon a basing scheme using the awesome 'Trenchworks" series from Secret Weapon and got painting.

I started with a black primer and then a weak wet-brush of off white to show the detail a bit more clearly...  these eyes ain't getting any younger!  This was followed by a rough in of the flesh and some shading/highlighting of the skin tones.  Facial detail isn't in place yet but the basic textures are coming along.

 I decided on red backgrounds and yellow/gold lettering for the cape details and yellow/gold for the shoulder boards and braids.

Ivanka is trending red.  As a political officer/commissar I thought she'd need a different color scheme to the main body of troops.  This is in keeping with my initial inclination to use a lot of red trim for Elite Inquisition troops.  I'm thinking the Kurganova Heavies will fill this role eventually.

The main body of regular troopers I'm thinking about an ochre, white, and brown leather scheme.  I've started this on the Admiral.  In retrospect I might not want the Admiral in 'Ground Pounder Brown'  oops!  Have to decide on a Naval Scheme as well!  She's also set far back on her base so I can accommodate the dog!

 I'm thinking about the cloaks and am torn.  I think I'll go with winter white/gray for Ivanka and her ilk while using a brown for the other officers and regulars.  Kind of an old Soviet look.  Still undecided though as the winter white/gray is kind of appealing in an urban oriented force.

 Termis Squad Typhus part 2 is similar to the first part and is also using the Heavy Flamer.  I'm really liking the Secret Weapon washes for making grime in the folds and really layering things up.  Like the first part the weapons are corrupted but very plain and may be revisited to add a few details like colors on fuel tanks etc...

 I do like the relatively monotone appearance of these guys and have gotten a few comments on the bases.  I think the color contrast is nice and anyway how often do you get to use pink for a base!

Tentacles! 

Come to Papa Nurgle!