Adeptus Tyranicus 002

The second post for my Tyranid army is just a progress picture of what I'm working on now. My Hive Tyrant, Beast 01. I am happy with how the cables turned out and how well the head came out in general. I decided to highlight up further than I normally do. I get a lot of comments about not adding enough highlights to my models. I prefer to paint them that way because to me it looks more realistic, but I thought I'd give it a try anyway. I think it's coming out pretty well so far. I've also been told repeatedly that my pictures are too dark so I've made an effort to not darken them down anymore.

Adeptus Tyranicus 001

Magos Biologis Egrid Cath has been studying biological life for hundreds of years. It was only by a quirk of fate that he was not stationed on Tyran when the hive fleet first made contact with the Imperial world. Magos Cath, who was originally chosen to head the Mechanicus operations on Tyran Prime, was supplanted by his rival Magos Varnak in a successful political maneuver that would prove to be most fortunate for Magos Cath. After word had spread of the new threat that faced the Imperium from beyond the cold of galactic space Magos Cath became obsessed with this new form of life that was completely beyond anything humanity had seen before. He covetously studied every specimen that he could acquire for both Imperial and less official sources. Eventually he became the leading researcher of the Tyranid menace. Magos Cath has access to all possible data on the Tyranids and has even been experimenting on live specimens.

Magos Cath has developed a method of shielding live Tyranids from the Hive Mind and has used this technology to study the effects of separation from the Hive Mind on Tyranid subjects, especially synapse creatures. He has likewise developed a means of controlling several Tyranid species. Through various implants he has created a synthetic "Hive Mind" that he can control with his own will. Several field tests have yielded promising results and Magos Cath has also begun using gene samples to grow specimens in his biolabs. These specimens are more susceptible to control and have been engineered with increased aggressive tendencies even beyond those seen in most other hive fleets with the exception of Hive Fleet Behemoth.

Cath's progress has not been without setbacks. On more than one occasion his forces have come to blows with the Ordo Xenos. Fortunately for Cath none of the Inquisitors who have discovered the truth about his Tyranid control experiments have survived to bring the might of the Inquisition to bare. There are likewise some factions within the Adeptus Mechanicus who would consider Magos Cath's experiments heretical and there would certainly be conflict if it came to light that he was working with live Tyranids within the confines of the forgeworld, but soon he intends to reveal his successes and show the greater Imperium the benefits of his vision.

I present to you my new project. A Tyranid army controlled by the Adeptus Mechanicus. I'm having a lot of trouble getting models for my Tyranid project since a lot of the larger Tyranids are currently unavailable. But luckily I have been able to get a hold of a Hive Tyrant and he will be my next conversion. For now here is the first Tyranid I've ever painted. Hope you enjoy.

The Cult of the Lidless Eye

The Cult of the Lidless Eye is a canker within the heart of the Mechanicum itself. Deep beneath the surface of Mars the Cult of the Lidless Eye excavates lost technology and experiments with new. The Dark Mechanicus of the Lidless Eye have been present since the civil war on Mars during the Horus Heresy. They venerate Horus as the Great Liberator and wear his symbol to show there devotion to the uncompromising search for knowledge that the Emperor attempted to curtail with his dictates against certain studies, such as the search to create a working AI. Because of the age of the cult few suspect that they are indeed Dark Mechanicus, but nothing could be further from the truth.

                                              

 

My first retcon

A while ago I created a large Dark Mechanicus model named Inquisitor Matthias Balthasar Harnak  . The model I converted was unfortunately broken while I was at work one day and subsequently left in a box in pieces. Unfortunately I could not find all his pieces so I had to reassemble him in new ways. With this new creation and my "new" army I decided to retcon his backstory, which I will keep for another model to be created.

Justinian Lorme was once a techmarine for the XIVth legion, the Death Guard. He was chiefly in charge of maintaining the mechanisms related to containment of the deadly biological weapons of the legion. After the Heresy Lorme's interests began to lead to the forbidden field of warp technology as well augmentic surgery which was usually left to the apothecaries of the legion. Lorme was no longer interested in simple machines and began to combine flesh with technology in disturbing ways. He also began researching the demon engines of the Dark Mechanicum. Now millennia later he has ascended to demonic heights for his contribution to Nurgle's cause. Throughout the millennia of the Long War Lorme has augmented his body beyond that of even the Death Guard plague marines physique. He now towers above those who serve him. His distain for the Poxwalkers often employed by other members of the Death Guard is shown by his chosen form of locomotion. Fit only as fuel for his experiments Poxwalkers find no place among his armies.

Nurgle Defiler wip

Here is little wip of my Nurgle defiler conversion. Nuclear symbol to follow. Lol

Death Guard Defiler

I've never liked the defiler model. I've always like the soulgrinder model better even though they use the same leg assembly. I just don't like how boxy it looks. So I decided to convert one for use in my Death Guard army since they are one of the few daemon engines that can be given the Death Guard keyword. I'm pleased with how it turned out, but I'm having difficulty with what colors to paint it. Here it is fully converted and primed.

Foetid Bloat-drone

I've just finished my first Foetid Bloat-drone from the Dark Imperium starter box. It is fun to paint. The next one I will paint may have some more color to it's armor, or it may just have different color flesh.

Necrosius the Apostle

I've been working on a Necrosius conversion and its pretty much done. I've decided to keep him a whiter color than the other Death Guard I'm painting in honor of his apothecary background. I like the model and it was a simple conversion. I've found that Dark Eldar blades make excellent scythe blades.

Death Guard Leviathan Dreadnought

I decided since I am starting a new Death Guard army that I should include some heavy support to the troops on the ground and so I have repainted my Salamanders Leviathan dreadnought as a Death Guard dreadnought. I painted the shoulder red in honor of the Dawn Raiders legacy as well as including their symbol on the right chest plate. The backstory on this model is that this particular Leviathan chassis was stolen from a loyalist chapter in the last few hundred years and a new inhabitant was interred into the sarcophagus, the last living Dusk Raider from the original 14th Legion.

Changing of the (Death) Guard

So, with the release of the new 40k rules set I was on the fence as to what army to make. Nurgle is my favorite chaos god, but it is currently EVERYONES favorite chaos god since the release of the new rules and models. So I was less inclined to make a Death Guard army. I have been feeling especially  Slaaneshi of late and so I decided to proxy an Emperor's Children noise marine army. I was very pleased with their performance, pun intended. The unfortunate downside of going that rout though, is that there are no new noise marine models and the bits for making them are fail cast resin and currently unavailable. The better alternative is the Kakophonii from Forge World. Unfortunately they are too expensive to get an entire army of them. The last alternative is to convert another model into a noise marine. Unfortunately a third time that rout is also too expensive in the end.

And then fate intervened and I was able to make an amazing trade for an unpainted Death Guard army. I traded some Bolt Action miniatures and rulebooks that I was not using for the army. So now I am playing Death Guard. My first game was pretty brutal and I may not use that list again, unless it is against someone I really don't like or a tournament. Scabiathrax plus Leviathan Dreadnought = win.

I've already started painting my new Death Guard. Here is the first fruits of my labor.

The Noble Dead

The noble spirits bound into form in Shyish are greatly changed from their brothers in other realms. They reflect the noble dead of the realm in which they inhabit rather than the ancient guardians of legend. They emulate the nobles of many lands that have come to the realm of death after life and the terror they bring to their enemies is unmatched my any their noble brothers bring from other lands.

Rather than use my last 10 dryads as actual dryad I decided to convert them into Tree-Revenants. This is the first unit of 5. I may make the other five into Spite-Revenants instead, but chances are they will  be Tree-Revenants like these. With these I can make a Household battalion which means I can make more of the Wargrove battalions. With a second unit I'll have enough models for any one of the Gnarlroot, Ironbark, Harvestboon, or Winterleaf Wargroves. I'll be doing a little bit of puttying on these, basing them and then they will be ready for painting.

The Lady of the House

Presenting the Lady Ninsar, Loremaster of the Clan Ur and bearer of the Weeping Crown. The Ancient Lady Ninsar has been the Loremaster of Clan Ur since it was first founded in the Realm of Shyish. It is she who wears the Weeping Crown, a terrible yet powerful artifact driven directly into the crown of Ninsar's head. It gets it's name from the lifesap that continues to weep from the wounds caused by its use, but the power it grants in combat far outweighs the pain it causes its bearer.

My first "treelord". When I first bought this model I used it as a daemon and added wings. Since I started creating a Sylvaneth army I decided to repurpose her back to her original form. I ordered a base for her, but it still hasn't arrived so I've had to paint her without it. I may still add some pigments to her after I paint her base. She is from Ultraforge, a company that has, unfortunately gone out of business. Fortunately there is another company with a similar design called Creature Caster. Their miniatures are pretty amazing and affordable.

Fall of the House of Ur

Long before the time of Rebirth a glade of soulpods was planted in the Realm of Shyish in order to bring life to the Realm of Death. At first this bold plan flourished, but tragedy struck during the Shrouded Times. As with much during this period nothing is known about what events brought disaster to the Glades of Winterleaf that inhabited the dark forests of Shyish.

What came after was a tainted and twisted version of the glades that once thrived. Similar yet terribly different from the Outcasts the dryads of the groves were twisted and corrupted by the land they were seeded in and a dark taint took hold. Long wars with the Chaos invaders who flooded Shyish have further added to House Ur's hatred. Now, like most of the clans of Winterleaf those of House Ur are bitter and resentful of the dark times that have come upon the Sylvaneth. Soon after her rebirth Alarielle sent envoys to the House of Ur to bring them word of her return and the resurgence of their power. She charged these noble spirits to protect the House from further corruption by the Realm and to bring them into the light once again.

Time has passed and the House of Ur has changed little, but those whom Alarielle sent to shepherd the clan have changed. They have become dark and bitter like the forests they now inhabit. Though their changes are not as profound as those belonging directly to the clan they have adopted the trappings of death and decorate themselves with the bones of the dead and other morbid trophies. Those who were once noble and righteous are now secretive and sinister.

A Tree Grows in Shyish

So, I open my posts with "so" a lot, I've decided to start a Sylvaneth army. Originally I started AoS by creating a Tzeentch army, but now I've decided to stop at 1000 points with my Tzeentch army and instead continue work on my Death army and start a Sylvaneth army. I wanted my Sylvaneth to take a darker aspect than was usual. So I decide to combine life and death. My Sylvaneth come from a Soulpod grove in Shyish. I haven't decided whether or not they will belong to the Winterleaf grove or the Dreadwood grove. So far I've started a unit of Dryads. A dryad box comes with 16 models and a unit only comes in increments of 10, so two boxes make 30 dryads plus 2 for conversion into characters. The first character I've made is a Branchwych. The second will probably be a Branchwraith. I've finished a few models so far so I've brought them to you here.

End of an Error

So, I finally played a few games of 3rd edition Warhammer Fantasy. My army wasn't what I hoped it would be. It did not do well at all. The rules for Realm of Chaos in 3rd ed are very convoluted and leave your army pretty weak. I somehow managed to pick an army that is problematic in a game that almost no one plays, making it very difficult to have any fun with it. So I have decided to rebase the whole army to use it in Age of Sigmar games. I've had a lot of fun playing both the regular game and the Hinterlands variation. The biggest problem is the cost of buying the new bases. The stores around me sell 32mm bases for $.50 each. I'm going to need at least 30 not counting larger bases for trolls and my chaos shrine and palanquin. Still, it will be worth it in the end. I'm hoping there will be a new Nurgle book released while I'm working on rebasing. I need an entry for pestigor. When I'm done rebasing the army I'll do a group shot, rather than reposting all the same units as I rebase them. In the meantime I'll be working on my Death army. In classic fashion I was attracted to AoS by the new Tzeentch models, but ended up getting hooked on the Death models.

P.S. This is not an April Fools post.

The Black Coach of Baron Thaddius Finch

Baron Thaddius Finch was once a crusader bringing the light of Sigmar to the far corners of the Mortal Realms. That was until he overreached his abilities. Near a realm gate to Shyish he encounter a powerful vampire lord and exhausted and bloody was transformed into the thing he hated the most, an undead revenant. Since that day over a hundred years have passed and the man who once sacrificed in Sigmar's name has murdered countless innocents in the name of his new master Nagash. The baron prefers to travel by coach, a throwback to his noble birth, and on occasion when he needs to regain his power he takes his coach to the fields of slaughter, soaking in the fell sorceries of his nefarious servants.

Lord Baltazar Khepri, Master of the Order of the Coptic Stag

As promised I present my first new AoS post.
Lord Baltazar Khepri, Master of the Order of the Coptic Stag. Once the leader of an order of knights dedicated to seeking out and ridding the world of ancient necromantic lore Baltazar delved deep into the mysteries of ancient Khemri and unlocked secrets not known since the time of the Black Pyramid. Baltazar eventually corrupted the rest of the order and one by one the knights were turned to a new purpose and became lifeless corpses serving Baltazar Khepri in gathering lost necromantic texts for safe keeping. Once the Order was wholly converted Khepri presented them in their entirety to Arkhan the Black to serve as his personal guards. He has remained Arkhan's loyal servant ever since.

I'm still alive...in other forms.

Hello everyone. I have two announcements.  Sorry there haven't been any updates in a while. As I've told you all a few times my computer died and I didn't want to use my phone for photos. First announcement: I just bought a computer so I will begin updating again. Second announcement: I will begin posting Age of Sigmar posts. I know many of you don't like the new models or game, but after they released the points system the game has improved. I like a lot of the new models as well. There is a fan made expansion(?) that is currently being played called Hinterlands. It is a skirmish campaign style game and it is my favorite skirmish system so far. It is simpler than Mordheim and more detailed and individualized than Frostgrave. There is a group that has sprung up from it called AoS28. Some of you may be familiar with Inquisimunda. Well this is the fantasy equivalent. It is all about the darker aspects of fantasy and is also known as the Dark Age of Sigmar. I will be posting pictures of my Tzeentchian warband as I take them. I will also continue my tradition of posting a continuing story about them. I am also working on an undead army which I will post as I work on it. Thank you everyone who sticks with me.