Nagash: Supreme Lord of the Undead

Further to my post last week about my Tomb Kings army, I thought that this guy deserved a post of his very own. That's right, it's Nagash, the Supreme Lord of the Undead! I was very lucky to be given this classic metal model by a friend and wasted no time (well okay, a few months) stripping off the old paint and getting him ready for the battlefield once more.

Menacing or goofy, you decide

I grew up with this model leering at me from the pages of White Dwarf and the old Fantasy rulebook. Over the years he's been much maligned by the online community and topped the "worst model ever" list several times. Despite all of that, I find him rather charming.

He would have made an imposing figure back in the day

Rather than mimic the classic colour scheme I decided to paint him in a similar way to the rest of my tomb kings. I always enjoyed seeing him ranked up inside a unit of skeletons, so it was important to me that I could pull this off. I was a bit worried that he might end up looking drab with all the bone, khaki, and brass, so I added a few spots of green to give him a bit of colour.

I've yet to try him out on the battlefield as we don't generally use special characters in our games. However in this case I'm sure we'll make an exception. He's a monstrous prospect in 5th edition, with all sorts of special rules and a wizard level of 5. He also costs nearly 800 points by himself - that's a lot of power packed into a 40mm square base!

The scourge of the Old World

 

Warhammer Fantasy - Classic High Elves

Something different today with a few classic plastic miniatures. I grew up playing fantasy battles in Warhammer 5th edition, so these high elves are highly nostalgic for me. I have painted a few High elf models previously from the Island of Blood set, and although the models are nice, I found them very time consuming to paint.

With that in mind I decided to try batch painting the old monopose plastic archers, to see if I could get a good, efficient result.

Classic colours, blue and white

With the use of a few contrast paints, I was able to turn these around in a reasonable time frame. I was surprised how well the old plastics have held up. Some of the features are a little large, but overall they're still good models. It's great to have a finished unit which looks as though it might have graced the battlefield back in the day.

I then turned my attention to some of the plastic spearmen. If anything I'd say these are even better than the archers in terms of model quality. The features seem a little finer and they have quite a lot of sculpted detail.

The static pose is quite nice for High Elves too.

I was lucky enough to be given a collection of metal High Elf models which contained enough for a full command group for this unit. I later learned that the champion pictured above is actually an old High Elf Lord model, so he could lead the army if needed. However I'm determined to add a mounted general at some point.

The unit reached 15 models in all with a full command. However I don't seem to have taken a photo of them, so you'll just have to make do with these 8.

Just imagine there's 7 more of them

 

Leviathan: The Tyranid half

Like many Tyranid players, I picked up the Leviathan box set upon release. It was really great to have a fresh batch of Tyranid sculpts and, for the most part, the new range is a fantastic set of models.

First up we have the winged Tyranid Prime. A bit of an oddity this one because the wings are in the lower limb slot with the claws up top. This is the first time we've seen a Tyranid with this configuration and personally I'm not a fan. Fortunately it is very easy to switch them over which is exactly what I did.

Still nice and dynamic

The conversion required a small amount of putty under the wing joints to get them to fit properly to the body, but the claws glued straight on. In terms of painting, I have wanted to change the way I paint the wings on my Tyranids for a while and this provided the perfect opportunity. I'm very pleased with the way it turned out.

The winged Prime is a bit of an oddity at the moment. He can be attached to units of warriors or gargoyles, but, without Tyranid Shrikes in the list he just feels out of place. This also leads to some weird interactions with the 'fly' keyword and differing movement values. Personally I haven't found a great deal of use for him on the tabletop so far.

A lovely model regardless

Next up is the Psychophage. This was one of the big draws of the set for me and it doesn't disappoint at all. For this model I chose to trim off the gas cloud effects and leave the model with a solid carapace. However I have another model on sprue and I think I will choose to leave it stock just for some variety.

Another great sculpt

I've found the Psychophage to be very useful in game. It's cheap in points, hands out Feel No Pain to nearby models and is capable of decent damage if you can roll those devastating wounds. I can almost always find a reason to put one of these on the table.

The tentacle maw looks brilliant

Continuing with the monsters, the new Screamer-Killer is probably the star of the set. I've always loved the Carnifex, ever since the days of 2nd edition and Epic and I'm thrilled to have a new and exciting sculpt.

Four big claws and bio-plasma

Whilst I enjoy the nostalgia of calling the new model a Screamer-Killer, it does leave the Carnifex in a somewhat difficult spot. The new model is considerably larger than the old Carnifex kit and has a fixed loadout. Does this mean that Games Workshop will provide a multi-part kit with different options in the future? Or do they intend the Screamer-Killer to be an entirely separate species from the Carnifex from this point onwards? Only time will tell.

The arms are perhaps a little too wide

On the tabletop I've found this guy to be pretty underwhelming. I've tried him out several times and, more often than not, he's died on turn 1. Even when he makes it to combat, the limited ap of his attacks often means that he does less damage than I expect. Still, the rules are an ever changing beast and I'm certain this guy will get his day in the spotlight soon.

Looks awesome from this angle

Moving on to some infantry now with the Barbgaunts. These are a new species of Tyranid and I do like the concept of a beefed up gaunt with a heavy weapon. The sculpts are very pretty and they are surprisingly large on those 40mm bases.

Basically a bazooka with legs

These were a little fiddly to paint, at least, more than I had anticipated. I found they had lots of small armour plates which needed to be picked out. I shouldn't complain though as I enjoy the details on these models and they seem very well thought out from a biological standpoint.

Ready for bombardment

Then there's the Neurotyrant. I wasn't super excited about this model, but that all changed once I had the model in hand. It's another brilliant sculpt with lots of cool details that I hadn't spotted from the photos online. It also comes with the little Neuroloids and they make a nice looking trio together.

On the tabletop I've found the Neurotyrant to be surprisingly useful. He's not a killing machine, but has a suite of abilities that have proved handy many times. If nothing else, the ability to deliver a nasty overwatch often gives opponents pause.

I find the idea of a bug that thinks offensive

The Von Ryan's Leapers were another star of the set for me. I've always loved Lictors and these really tick a lot of the same boxes. They were delightful to build and paint and I'd really like to add a few more to the swarm. They've been decent on the tabletop too, I can always find a use for an infiltrator and they can put out enough damage to pick off isolated enemy units.

Lictor? I never even met her.

The small boys from the set are the Neurogaunts. Another model that I wasn't too excited for, but they are delightfully small in person. I had expected them to be about the size of the old termagants, however they are substantially smaller. The sprue is well thought out and all 11 models come on a single frame. I haven't found a great deal of use for them on the battlefield except as a back-line objective holder. Most of the time though a unit of termagants would be better.

So small

Finally we have the new termagants. I've actually only painted 8 of these as the other two in the photo below are 3d prints which I got from a friend.  These models are a worthy update to the classic plastics and have plenty of nice details to enjoy.

Fleshborers away!

Tyranids: The Swarm grows

I'm always painting Tyranids. This post contains a selection of models completed prior to the release of the Leviathan box set for 10th edition. I'll do a separate post for the Leviathan models because they make a nice little set by themselves. First up is a plastic Trygon. 

I love this kit

I got given this model along with some others in a bundle of tyranids which I suspect were third or fourth hand. It had at least two layers of claggy paint on it and had suffered some unfortunate battle damage. After stripping it with Biostrip-20 (which was a bit of a chore because of all the small spikes and limbs) I rebuilt it with a few spares from the bitz box.

The Trygon is my all time favourite Tyranid model (actually the Forgeworld Trygon, although the plastic kit is very nice too) and I'm very happy with the way this one turned out in the end.

Giant electric snakes are the best

Next up we've got a unit of Tyranid Warriors. I'm pretty sure these were second hand as well. They were stuck together with polystyrene cement, so I didn't have the opportunity to change the loadout. I do really like the bonesword and lashwhip combo but might have added a gun if I'd built them from scratch.

Gotta love warriors

Sadly, 10th edition has amalgamated all of the weapon options into one hideous 'melee bio-weapons' profile which I hate. In addition, warriors seem to be a bit rubbish on the tabletop. I haven't found anything they could do that couldn't be done better by genestealers. So my warriors haven't seen much play recently; which is a shame because they look brilliant.

Relegated to the cabinet for now

Then there's a barbed Hierodule which I converted some time ago and hadn't got around to painting. This was made from the scythed Hierodule kit with the addition of a couple of rupture cannons and a torso plate from the Tyrannofex kit. I rather like the giant guns, although I will admit that's a matter of personal taste.

Go big or go home

I can't remember what madness inspired me to make a barbed Hierodule out of the scythed kit. I can only imagine it was the desire to have one of each in the collection.

I think this is now 'legends' only

I finally got around to painting my Sporocyst which is just a bizarre model. I had this kit from new and decided on the Sporocyst purely because it was much easier to store than the giant gangly Tyrannocyte.

Just plain weird

Then there's this group of old style termagants with devourers. I've pretty much always used fleshborers in games because those were the models I had painted. It's nice to add some devourers to the army as an interesting option. Although I gather they're strictly sub-optimal in 10th edition.

Always need more infantry

Apparently I need more monsters as well. Here's a metal Hive Tyrant which I've had for years and used in many games in it's unpainted state (the horror!) I'm glad to have finally painted it up and I've fielded it a few times since.

Venom cannon is always good

I got this kit in a rescue bundle from Ebay. If you look closely you can see that I've replaced the tail and filled in the ankle claws that the kit usually comes with. I also added the head from the Swarmlord just because I had it spare.

Rather pleased with the tail

Then there's a couple of Carnifexes. The first of these was built from a new plastic kit back when twin-linked devourers were all the rage.

Dakka dakka dakka

I didn't paint it at the time and it never got used. Now devourers are less fashionable I've painted it up and it's been surprisingly decent on the table. The devourers were made from the back half of a venom cannon with three devourer barrels added to each to make a kind of gatling configuration. Even though I made it years ago I'm still very pleased with the conversion.

Also including the old 'enhanced senses' head

The second of these came from the same bundle as the trygon featured earlier in this post. It was in a similar woeful condition and needed much repair to make it into a useable model.

Love the bio-plasma head option

I think the loadout on this one largely came down to the available spares. I do recall that the head, arms and tail scythe were all replaced from the bits box as well as a new base added. It really must have been in bad shape!

Pretty pleased with the rebuild

Finally we've got a brood of 3 Venomthropes. It's funny for me to see them mixed in with this lot, because they've seen a great deal of tabletop play in the last year or so. I always enjoy getting the benefit of cover and imposing hit modifiers on my opponent. I had this kit from new, so there's no story to tell about their construction. It was a nice kit to build and I'm pleased with the models.

Spore cloud is always welcome

Warhammer Fantasy Battles: Tomb Kings

Continuing with some of the projects I've been working on. I discovered that an army list for Tomb Kings was written for 5th edition fantasy in a copy of White Dwarf. After hunting it down I decided to start an army.

I've used a mix of models throughout, but I think they've turned out quite cohesive and the army looks nice as a whole. To start with, here's some classic GW skeletons from the old vampire counts range which were supplied with some decidedly Khemri looking metal parts for the banner and musician.

Retro, but still good models

I was very lucky to be given these by a friend who was getting rid of their old fantasy models. Some of the skeletons had suffered a bit over the years, but generally they weren't too difficult to rebuild.

The banner actually looks a bit 40k

I went for a turquoise colour on the shields in an effort to make them look more like Khemri skeletons and less like Vampire counts.

Next up is a classic screaming skull catapult. This is original metal, although the crew were sourced from separate sources. It's a wonderfully goofy model and I'm very pleased to have it in the army.

Nothing better than classic undead

Then we've got some tomb kings horsemen. I think these were originally released for 6th edition fantasy. They're basically the original skeleton steeds with some newer riders added and the iconic Tomb Kings shields. To me these seem very authentic and go a long way to making the army look correct.

Even got the command group

After painting these I noticed I had done the base rims in the wrong colour, so had to go back and redo them.

I didn't bother to take another photo though

Next up is the Tomb King himself. In the 5th edition list the Tomb King always comes with a chariot and the whole thing has a single stat line. I guess this was an attempt to simplify an army that would field a large amount of chariots. At first I didn't like this, but it actually seems to work well on the tabletop, so I've changed my mind since.

Behold the glory of Khemri

I sourced this model from TT Combat as part of their Maxmini range. It's a great little kit that required some clean up, but I'm happy with the end result.

The core of the army is made from skeletons which I bought from Warlord Games. They're very cheap and easy to paint which was very appealing when large units are the order of the day. The construction method on this kit is a little unusual, but once you get it down they're fairly straightforward.

Skeletons with spears

The boxed set also came with a Liche model who I've painted up to add some much needed magical support to the army. I've found that the Khemri list struggles to fit as many magic users as the Vampire Counts because of the general. So adding additional wizards is a must.

Leading from the front.

The Warlord games kit comes with no options for command models, so these were made from a variety of spares I had leftover from other kits.

Skeletons with swords

Then I added another chariot because the army desperately needs them. This was a rebuild of another of the original Tomb Kings kits. The crewman was replaced with one of the Warlord models as were the javelins.

Ride!

I'm quite pleased with the pose I managed on this chap. I think it adds some dynamism to the model.

Replaced the bow as well.

Finally, here's another shot of some of the skeletons led by a classic mummy sourced from Maxmini. I really like these guys and I think they are very similar to the old metal mummies from the classic undead range.

The banner was stolen from a space marine.

Night Lords - Horus Heresy: Age of Darkness

It's been forever since I've posted here, but I've not been idle. For your amusement I present a selection of miniatures from my ever growing Night Lords Legion army which I've been building since the release of the Horus Heresy second edition.

First up is a converted Chaplain which I made from one of the Praetors which comes in the Age of Darkness box.

Jump Chaplain

I decided to go with an axe on this guy and then field it as a Headsman's Axe in game. I know technically they're supposed to be chain weapons, but my regular opponents can't tell the difference. I added a jump pack so he can support either my assault marines or night raptors depending on which squad is being played.

Pretty pleased with that axe

Next up is Sevatar. Technically my Night Lords are on the road to Terra, so he shouldn't be included as part of the army. But he's a brilliant character and a cool model to boot, so I had to have him in the collection.

Death to the False Emperor!

Speaking of Night Raptors, here's a unit of 5 I added to the army. I have 5 already painted from my forays into the Horus Heresy during the first edition for the game. So generally I envisage that these will be used as a big unit of 10. Clocking in at a whopping 400 points, they're terribly inefficient, but I do love the models and the background.

Lightning claws are always good

I painted a classic box dreadnought which I've had kicking around for years. It's a really nice classic Forgeworld model and I'm glad to have it finished and added to the army.

Old school cool

Last but very much not least. I painted up a super-heavy tank in the form of the Falchion. I got this in a part trade with a friend who had started building the kit but lost enthusiasm. It needed a fair bit of repair work to get it to a decent state and I needed two attempts to get it painted because the sponsons were absolute murder. I'm very jealous of anyone who owns the modern kit which comes with the plastic sponsons.

Big and brutal

I really love the way this thing looks; it reminds me of the old mammoth tanks from Command & Conquer.

I should have added a couple of havoc launchers