This week I painted the bases of the World Eaters and varnished the army. I also decided that I would build some scenery to go with the new style bases I made for them, as well as tying in with the style of bases I plan for my Rogue trader Chaos Marines in the future.
I have always liked the story of the Horus Heresy, from the first details in Slaves to Darkness (the 1988 Book of the Astronomican had a mention, but not much), to the current range of novels on the subject (although I am very behind on my reading list for them). One of my favourite sources of inspiration is the 'The Horus Heresy: Collected Visions' art book. In that book are lots of lovely artwork of Chaos Marines clashing with Loyalists. Much of the art is set in ruined Neo-Classical Marble cities, as oppossed to the later 40k world of Gothic ruins. Hence the idea of it being Istvaan III, site of the epic fighting at the start of the Heresy, or perhaps just another pretty city trashed in the Heresy or even before in the Great Crusade.
So, I had a few old bits of Classical style ruins from years ago and decided to paint them up for the photographing of the World Eaters and to match thier bases, and later for the bases of the Rogue Trader Chaos Marines. By the way, I am aware that the World Eaters in red Power Armour would be incongruous to the current Heresy era paint scheme, but the city could still be a later ruin, or a ruin from long ago.
In additon to the ruins, I painted the underside of the green flocked board a marble stone, to represent the ground of the city. I also painted a dark purple and brooding sky on the otherside of the blue sky board, as an alien or post Life Eater Virus bombed sky of Istvaan III. It's all only a partial stop gap until I can get a proper table made, although the ruins will be used with other ruins as I add to them in the future.
The first part of this update are the World Eaters all based up. Second is the construction and completion of the ruins. I am very happy with the way both have turned out and complment each other, and might add to the World Eater Army at a later date.
Enjoy :)
The World Eater Army.
Try as I might I could'nt get a better group photograph.
The Warlord and 9 Chosen Chaos Marines acting as his bodyguard.
All the Chosen and the Warlord are metal models, although some have plastic arms.
For the Chosen Squad only I chose to paint some of the Skulls on them bone coloured to stand out from the ordinary Beserkers.
Warlord on a Juggernought.
I gave the Khorne symbol and extra coat of red to make it glow a little more, and to constrast with the black/red depth of the head.
Chosen with axe, and Icon Bearer.
2 Chosen with Powerfists.
Skull helmeted Beserker, and Chainaxe Marine.
Two more Chosen.
Like the Aspiring Champions I have lightly drybrushed gold on the horns, blending it into the red.
Besrker with glaive, which I will use as Power Axe.
I like how the gold and red blended together on his horned helmet.
This is my favourite miniature of the army.
Aspiring Champions, the one on the left is an all metal Chaos Marine, the one on the right, like all the other ordinary Beserkers, is plastic and from the Beserker box set with added bits.
Two more Champions, showing the blending.
All the Champions are equipped with Power Fists.
Last 2 Champions, the one on the right made from a 'normal' plastic Chaos Marine.
Beserkers!
I tried to use all of the running models to give a feel of movement to the army.
I also used all the metal World Eater shoulder pads I had.
Two more Besrkers running through the ruins.
I replaced the horned Khornate helmets with Mark 7 style ones, but keeping the Horned Helms for only the Aspiring Champions.
2 Beserkers with with alternate helms, the one on the left is a Khorne Helmet with the horns cut off. The other is a variant Mark 7 that looks a little like Mark 5.
Close up of the base.
I cut out 1cm squared pieces of plasti-card to act as flag stones, and superglued one of more of them to the base. Then added bits of model railway gravel basing material.
I then painted the whole base Vallejo Stone Grey, and then just it drybrushed white.
A squad running through the ruins!
Dreadnought (aka Hellbrute in the current Chaos Codex).
Side view of the Plasma Cannon.
Left side Claw.
2 Predators advancing through the ruins.
First Predator.
Second Predator.
Defiler.
I went for the same style of red/black as the rest of the army, but painted a lot of the mechanical parts metal looking to give that machine look.
Ruins.
Two of the kits were old Grendel Miniatures one, the other an old piece of fish tank scenery. The fallen statues are snapped off from the fish tank ruin.
I painted them exactly the same as the Marines bases.
The board was painted with Homebase 'Matt Stone' Emulsion, drybrush highlighted with white.
The bits on Thursday evening!
Friday, with some of the many, many plasti-card square I have cut out!
Late Saturday afternoon.
Finished Acropolis.
The fish tank ruin, made from a hard plastic.
Rear view.
It had a big hole in the top which I covered with plasti-card squares and rubble. I did the same for the two holes left where I removed the statues.
Round temple, also from Grendel.
The front step said 'Hades' on it, which I green-stuffed over.
Toppled Staues, with a Marine for scale.
Not sure what I will be painting this week, but I am in the mood for tackling another army project, although maybe not all in one week with daily blog updates!
Next weeks update, if the Royal Mail are quick, will be an interesting suprise project :)
Creating sympathetic basing and scenery for your army is a great idea, particularly when they're as nicely done as this. Love the contrast between the World Eaters and the terrain; it really gives a sense of barbarians overrunning a civilisation.
ReplyDeleteIt really helps that the miniatures look so brooding and angry; and the posing you've used is great. Far too easy to go over the top with World Eaters, having them waving their axes around all willy-nilly (ooh-er), but these look the business: hunched, mobile and aggressive.
Thank you, glad you liked the poses, I wanted to go for a realistic but dynamic look rather than the wild arm waving look. I think that the dark brooding red emphasises the poses giving them a greater depth of shadow. They do look angry.
DeleteI had that thought too when I placed them on the board, barabrians overrunning and sacking a civilisation! :)
Oh my!
ReplyDeleteI love it, that shot of the full army is stirring. The complementary terrain really sets off the bright red too.
Great work :)
Thank you, I wanted to try out the drybrushing of red over black to give the dark and menacing look, rather than the cleaner bright red look. I like the end result and am pleased so many other people do too.
DeleteI am pleased with how they standout against the terrain, and not in an overly bright way. I am also glad I did the scenery to go with them to complement thier basing. I will be using that basing technique and the terrain for other projects in the future.
The terrain pieces with the white bases make an impressive sight ! You've chosen a very clever combination between the dark red and clear base colour. a really good job.
ReplyDeleteOn a personnal side, I think I'd prefer base rims painted with a contrasting colour like a dark grey or something but it's just I don't really fancy having base rim and top being the same colour.
A very stunning result in the end and one more playable army in the bank for you, you're our hero!
Awesome, glad you liked them and noticed that I chose the two tone off white and white bases to work with the black and the red of the armour.
DeleteI did think of painting the base rims a different colour, and I usually do, but in this case I wanted the base rims to blend into the rubble on the bases, and then in turn into the terrain. I think in this case it would have detracted from the overall look of the models.
Another playable army :) . Ironically however I never seem to get around to playing at the moment! I might make the effort to rejoin the local gaming club now the new 40k is out.
I still keep meaning to finish off the last few Warhammer Armies armies. I have the models for the High Elves, Empire, Skaven (I do need a couple of bits for them), and maybe also if I do the Norse too, as well as the Slaves to Darkness Slaanesh Demon Legion.