Small Chaos spawn

Yesterday I painted this small Chaos spawn.  It's a very gribbly miniature from Black Cat Bases, mounted on a Games Workshop Ø32mm base.  Puts me in mind of John Carpenter's 'The Thing'.  It's a pulp of entrails being re-shaped by evil, writhing with newly-grown appendages, eyeballs, & toothy maws!  I've based it for my Underhive / ruined urban W40K setting.

Black Cat Bases have some wonderfully esoteric (& affordable!) miniatures, especially in their 'Cthulu' ranges.  I had in mind all four Chaos gods when painting this spawn - as if the unfortunate Human who is being reformed by a Daemonic entity is ever-shifting, caught between the different aspects of Chaos.  I finished the miniature with a coat of gloss varnish, to emphasize it's gory, disgusting nature.

Witch / civilian (W40K)

I picked up this Hasslefree figure (Miranda) as she had the look of 'innate psyker' to me - with etheric winds starting to blow her hair & dress as she subconsciously draws on the power of the Warp (I'm thinking Jean Grey from the X-Men a bit).  I see this girl/young lady as having the misfortune of being born with high-grade psychic potential (maybe even Beta or Alpha-level potential), & therefore singled out for transfer to the Black Ships of the Inquisition once her powers began to manifest.  Terrified & instead preferring freedom, she escaped & is on the run from the Imperial authorities.  With each escape, her self-preservation instincts have opened up greater power for her to wield, so that without intending too, she has become a serious threat - able to boil a person's blood with her gaze, telekinetically hurl large objects, control people's minds, turn weapons to ash, teleport, summon conflagrations, & all manner of other witchery.  Her ever-increasing power will inevitably lead to her fall to Chaos, being possessed by a Greater Daemon or opening a portal to the Empyrean & it's ravenous, unholy entities, so she must be stopped at all costs, & it will probably require an inquisitor to do so...

I like the contrast this diminutive figure will have when facing bulky, well-armed GW miniatures - untrained witch-hunters such as Guardsmen would initially find it hard to believe that this girl poses a threat.  However, I'm always keen on multipurpose miniatures, so she can also be a regular Human citizen if need be!

Sanctioned psyker (W40K)

This week I finished painting Mortimer Verin, a sanctioned psyker for my inquistorial agent collection.  Verin is ex-Cassiene XXIX Imperial Guard, picked for his steadfastness & reliability on the battlefield.  Once his high-resistance to Warp influence was confirmed, Inquisitor Lord Augustus Dissero Isiah took him into his service.  Verin's speciality is in harnessing offensive & destructive energies of the Warp in a controlled manner, though he is also capable of casting protective wards & other esoteric powers.  Though the rigours of Warpcraft have begun to degrade his body, Verin is still relatively young, & so is still physically capable in combat situations.  He wears an Aegis hood to protect him against psychic attacks, & carries a laspistol for emergencies.

Cherubim familiar (W40K)

This weekend I painted up a cherubim familiar for my inquisitor, Augustus Dissero Isiah.  In Warhammer 40,000, cherubim are artificial constructs used by high-ranking Imperials (usually Inquisition) to increase their awareness, access cogitators using bionic implants, & act as weapon or artifact bearers.  In the case of this cherubim, it is lugging a weighty Grimoire of True Names - an ancient tome filled with the names of daemons, which lends the inquisitor increased power to defeat those unholy beings.

Imperial Navy chirurgeon (W40K)

I haven't completed much miniatures stuff this month, but this week I finished an Imperial Navy chirurgeon, who will be the 'medic' of Inquisitor Isiah's retinue.  He is equipped with a needle pistol & medical device.  I stumbled on this EM4 Miniatures 'Ganger 5' model, & thought he'd fit in perfectly as ex-Imperial Navy. Wasn't sure if the dreadlocks were 'proper' enough for the straight-laced Navy, but then in a vast Imperium of diverse cultures which produces very distinct Imperial Guard 'ground-pounders', I'm sure the Navy must allow some leeway to accommodate different customs.

The backstory for this bloke will probably be that he saved Interrogator Rath's life when he was shot through a lung during the Heliosphan Purge.

Apologies for the poor quality of the photos - as of about a month ago, Picasa Web Albums started adding high levels of blue to my uploaded images, & I haven't discovered a simple work-around beyond repeatedly re-uploading until the image is as per the copy on my PC. Quite frustrating.

Penitent heavy (W40K)

I finished painting another penitent for 'Inquisimunda' today - every warband needs a 'heavy'!  This is Makk 'Grox' Dunoll, an ex-Imperial Guardsman sentenced to fifty years hard labour for killing two scion officers in a bar brawl.  Like his fellow inmate Kolev Obasan, under the influence of the Redemptionist preacher Thwaite, 'Grox' was loyal to the Imperium during the cultist-backed prisoner uprising that ravaged the sprawling penal facility.  He fought alongside Obasan & Thwaite, killing many of the rebelling inmates prior to the arrival of Inquisitor Isiah & Adeptus Arbite reinforcements.

Unlike the psychotic Obasan, 'Grox' is calm & level-headed (some would say mildly dim-witted as well).  Though powerfully muscled, Isiah's other agents consider 'Grox' as a bit of a gentle giant.  Having joined Isiah's retinue, 'Grox' considers himself to be repaying his debt to the Emperor; but whilst the madman Obasan has remained a follower of Thwaite's brand of Imperial faith, 'Grox' has started to question some of the Redemptionist tenets.

'Grox' is a solid, dependable presence on Inquisition missions, laying down a pulverising hail of heavy bolter fire when called for.  The miniature is another of GW's Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers.

Penitent (W40K)

I'm not that satisfied with my painting on this one, but here's another agent of the Inquisition - a psychotic penitent!  This violent individual, named Kolev Obasan, was serving a life sentence of hard labour when he (along with another penitent that I'm painting) fell under the questionable pastoral influence of a Redemptionist preacher by the name of Fabian Thwaite (another figure that I'm painting).  Thwaite apparently succeeded in moulding Obasan's uncontrolled violent impulses into hatred of the heretical & the xenos, & an acceptance of a debt owed to the God-Emperor.


Along with the Redemptionist preacher Thwaite, Obasan was one of the few survivors of a cult-triggered prisoner uprising at the penal facility, during which he appeared to stay loyal to the security forces, killing a large number of rioting prisoners.  After the rebellion had been suppressed by Imperial reinforcements, Inquisitor Isiah found Obasan sitting in his unlocked cell, caked in the dried blood of his fellow inmates, muttering prayers to the Emperor.


Most of Isiah's other agents have a grave mistrust of Obasan, viewing him as an unpredictable liability; but the inquisitor values the havoc that the penitent can cause in the right circumstances.  When called for, Obasan is usually accompanied by the preacher Thwaite, & wears a collar that can inject combat drugs such as 'Slaught & Frenzon, as well as a tranquiliser when the mission is over... Or the killing is getting out of hand...

Obasan's equipment of choice is a meltagun, chainsword, a variety of grenades, & an auspex to help with tracking down his prey.  The miniature is one of Colonel Schaeffer's Last Chancers from GW.

Crusader (W40K)

Another 'Inquisimunda' player character finished - an Ecclesiarchy crusader!  This deadly woman is Arabella Solbun, a close combat specialist who takes the fight straight to the heretic/mutant/witch/daemon, & is armed with a force blade & psy-bolt-loaded bolt pistol.  She has minor psychic abilities, mainly centred around combat-ability-enhancement.  Solbun was an orphan raised by a minor Adeptus Sororitas order on the Ecclesiarchy shrine world of Cyclosa.


When evidence of her latent psychic abilities began to manifest on the cusp of adulthood, she was incarcerated by the sisterhood, & transferred to a Black Ship for shipment to Terra or immediate termination as deemed necessary.  However, aboard the Black Ship, a young inquisitor named Isiah recognised Solbun's unusual strength of mind, & spared her from a fate as fuel for the Golden Throne or execution as a dangerous witch.  Over the following years Isiah trained Solbun to further fortify her mind & hone her psychic talents, completing her transformation into a lethal weapon of holy purpose.

The figure is another from Hasslefree miniatures ('Jenova'), with a bolt pistol from a Space Marine sprue added to her left hand.  She is protected by carapace armour & an aegis hood in the form of a golden halo.  I enjoyed painting the finishing touch of light-sourcing around her force blade, & am really pleased with the result.

Interrogator (W40K)

Today I put the finishing touches to another 'Inquisimunda' player character.  This is Interrogator Rath Hespidar.  Having graduated from the junior rank of Explicator, Hespidar was attached to Inquistor Isiah's staff by the Ordo in order to gain field experience.  Hespidar is ruthlessly efficient, humourless & completely by-the-book.

Inquisitor Isiah has appreciated Hespidar's professionalism over the many years he has served him, but the pair have never bonded that closely.  Privately, Isiah believes that Hespidar's inflexibility is holding him back from attaining the rank of full inquisitor.  Nevertheless, Hespidar has a calculating, highly tactical mind, & serves excellently as Isiah's representative & mission coordinator.  As the newly promoted inquisitor lord has retreated every more into private esoteric studies & strategic planning, Hespidar is often in direct command of operations.

The figure is a GW Armageddon Steel Legion sergeant, with sections of GW Lizardman armour added to his shoulders with the aid of Green Stuff putty.  The purity seal is from a Space Marine sprue.  He wears flak armour, & is armed with a power sword & bolt pistol loaded with psy-bolts.  His breathing is assisted by a respirator following a lung wound suffered during the Heliosphan Purge.

Tech-Priest Enginseer (W40K)

I've finished another character for the inquisitor's retinue - a tech-priest enginseer.  This is one of my all-time favourite GW miniatures, because it's so jam-packed with '40K' detail, but I don't think I've done the quality of the figure full justice with my painting.  I am fairly pleased with the outcome though.  Not sure if my attempts to make the red cowl/tabard look grimy & well-worn have spoiled the overall effect, although at least it has a clearly different texture to the metal plating of his power armour.

 

I will almost certainly add a mechandendrite to the empty socket on the right side of the backpack as you look at the rear of the model - it's a perfect fit for the spare ones I have left over from another figure... (coming soon!) I think a mechandendrite raised over this enginseer's right shoulder, mirroring the servo-arm should look pretty good.

Investigator (W40K)

I've finished another character for 'Inquisimunda' - this is Yonas Smyth, an investigator in the employ of Inquisitor Augustus Dissero Isiah.  Smyth was formerly a zealous Enforcement Marshal on the planet Heliosphan, where he sought-out & exposed corruption within government agencies, as well as stamping-out the usual criminal activities.  Inquisitor Isiah encountered Smyth during his purge of a group of anti-Imperial officials who were being directed by agents of the Alpha Legion.

The inquisitor was impressed by Smyth's dedication to pursuing corruption, even though it had cost him the life of his father, who was murdered on the orders of a senator imprisoned as a result of one of Smyth's investigations.  In return for his family being moved to another planet, safe from revenge attacks, Smyth agreed to join Inquisitor's Isiah's retinue.

Smyth always carries his trusty service stub pistol, loaded with custom 'dum-dum' bullets.  Inside his greatcoat he has a stun baton & a selection of grenades.  Though imposing in stature, Smyth is comparatively nondescript, & is the agent most likely to be employed undercover, or when blending into a crowd is necessary.  He is streetwise, resourceful, & single-minded in purpose.  He often acts as a bodyguard for less physically resilient agents, such as the inquisitor's 'pariah', Issla Black.

The figure is 'Harby', from Hasslefree Miniatures.  I used a sergeant head from the GW Cadian sprues though, as I thought the comlink & face better-suited the character that I had in mind.

Rogue Trader Void Mistress (W40K)

Over the past couple of weeks I've been carefully painting figures for my long-running aim of running an 'Inquisimunda' campaign.  I'm finally starting to finish some of my figures, & though they aren't as impressive as the many truly inspiring Inquisimunda conversions & paint-jobs out there on the internet, I'm pleased with the results.  Here is Jhansi Lakhshimir, self-styled Void Mistress, a Rogue Trader & captain of the ship that carries Inquisitor Augustus Dissero Isiah & his retinue of agents on their shadowy quests.

The figure is another excellent sculpt from Hasslefree Miniatures - 'Andreah'. My inspiration for her was both trying to capture a feeling of 'Jamaican pirate' & also Captain Nemo's daughter Janni Dakkar from The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen graphic novels.  I'm most pleased with the skin tones that I managed to achieve, though the highlighting on her (mesh-armour-lined) greatcoat could be better - I may tidy this up a bit.  Lakhshimir is armed with an assault carbine, custom-made by a master workshop of House Van Saar on Necromunda; & a C'tan phase sword, an incalulably ancient artifact, originally discovered on some long-forgotten tomb world.  Lakhshimir stole the xenos weapon from the treasure horde of the Eldar corsair Prince Lii'Alurei.

WIP Inquisition figures (W40K)

I don't like to post unfinished minis on this blog, but it's been a while since my last post, so here's what I've been up to: a WIP image of my latest Inquisition figures.  These are mainly only in basic colours - I need to add highlights, light-sourcing etc, & tidy-up the paint work.  From left to right there is the Inquisitor Lord, a (psychic warrior) crusader, a hitman-type/general troubleshooter, & the rogue trader Void Mistress whose ship the inquisition band use for travel.

All the figures are from the excellent Hasslefree Miniatures.  I scratch-built the inquisitor's helmet from two GW Chaos Marauder shoulder pads, & the aquila from an old GW dreadnaught's banner pole.  I'm not keen on the chunky sword, so am looking to replace it with something more arcane-looking.  The crusader will have a bolt pistol in her left hand.  The hitman has a sergeant's head from the GW Cadian sprues.  The Void Mistress is unmodified.  The lethal-looking blade will count as a C'tan phase sword in the 'Inquisimunda' adventure that I'm planning to GM.

These are the specific figures that I used:
Inquisitor Lord - Steampunk Warrior
Crusader - Jenova
Hitman - Harby
Void Mistress - Andreah

Inquisitorial Scions (TW / W40K)

I've been temporarily diverted off my Tomorrow's War jungle colony project this week by all the great 15mm-scale Warhammer 40,000 conversions I'm seeing out there - especially Dan's Tau, Orks, & Sisters of Battle on Gunners Wargaming.  So I've been putting together some Inquistorial Scions (Stormtroopers) using Rebel Minis Titan Marines.  I've been thinking for a while that they would look good for this purpose, & after a simple paint-up, I'm pleased with the results.

As my first-ever attempt at converting 15mm infantry, I had a go at Green Stuffing a couple of grenade launcher figures, plus a plasma gunner.  I'm most pleased with the plasma gun.  The grenade launchers came out a little big (although it's 40K, so not really a problem!) & they're not as cylindrical as I'd like.  I may try to smooth out the launchers. 

If I get round to using these for gaming, I'll be using the excellent Tomorrow's War rule system.  Below are some photos of the minis before painting, showing my amateur Green Stuff skills...

Pariah (W40K)

Today I finally finished painting this Inquisition agent for Warhammer 40,000 / 'Inquisimunda'.  It was strange going back to 28mm scale after many months of 15mm painting, but I found the detail work a lot easier!  This is Issla Black, a pariah in the entourage of Inquisitor Augustus Dissero Isiah.  Her soulless psychic-null-effect is much valued by the Inquisitor & his other agents.  Issla is young & much less experienced than many of her comrades, so combat-wise she won't excel as highly.  Nevertheless, she is armed with a pair of stub pistols, & knows how to use them. 

This figure is one of the many fantastic sculpts from Hasslefree Miniatures - Dionne (b) from their Modern Adventurers range. 

Death-cult assassin (W40K)

Back to Warhammer 40,000 / 'Inquisimunda' now, after the BfG binge.  This is Lamma Thoss, a death-cult assassin & Inquisitorial agent.  I based her on the Hasslefree Miniatures Kat figure which in my opinion is a much more dynamic model & better sculpt than the GW death-cult assassins.

However, I felt the short sword in her right hand was a bit plain, so I removed her hands & replaced them with suitably dainty ones holding the elegant swords from the Wood Elf Glade Guard sprue.  In the 2nd Edition (Necromunda era) rules I will be using for the Inquisitor campaign, these will count as poisoned blades, each dealing D3 wounds.

As you can see, she is also armed with a stub pistol as backup.

Pyromaniac (W40K)

This is Tobius Ragg, a Redemptionist pyromaniac recruited into Inquisitorial service.  He's one of a selection of figures that I'm working on for my planned Inquisitor skirmish/adventure campaign.

I based this miniature on the Necromunda Cawdor ganger with grenade launcher.  I've pinned the muzzle of a flamer from the Cadian infantry sprue onto the end of the launcher, & added Cadian flamer tanks to the model's back.  They fitted nicely with the shoulder straps already sculpted on the figure.  The fuel pipe is some wire sleeve from a pair of old headphones.  The igniter flame is made from Green Stuff putty.  I've aimed for a black leather look using 'Ardcoat varnish, whilst retaining some red in the overall scheme to suggest the Redemptionist cult.  I'm fairly pleased with the light sourcing from the flame & the sooty effect on the flesh, but it's not perfect.