The New Great Unclean One

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with a new look at my finished Great Unclean One (just like the title says duh). Let's take a look...

How long I have waited for this model. I have been hoping for a plastic Great Unclean One since they did the plastic version of the Bloodthirster. While the 'Thirster was a tremendous re-envisioning of what came before, the GUO isn't nearly as radical a change. Indeed, his form is more of a natural evolution rather than a major overhaul.

My friend Joe says that he is unimpressed with it, as it looks not unlike the Forgeworld GUO (forgettting his daemon name at the moment). But to me that's the point. They all tend to look like Nurgle himself (check Nurglings... they look like micro GUOs). This model looks exactly how it should- boils, maggots, slimy tentacles, and of course huge open wounds. There is no mistaking what this model is.

I should also comment that the thing is as big as a house. While not the size of a Knight or something it will likely be the biggest single thing on an average battlefield. It is clear that he's "large and in charge" as it were. Certainly a sight to see in a game of 40K that's for sure.

For his skin, I sprayed him Death Guard Green then I did successive washes of Earthshade (heaver in some places than others). Then I highlighted some of the folds with Nurgling Green to make them stand out a bit. The boils I did with yellow and a wash of Earthshade over that to make them duller and dirtier looking.

The wounds / guts were outlined in flesh tones to make their edges stand out from the rest of the model. Then I painted the wounds with screamer pink and then some khorne red. Finally, on the muscles I added some brighter pink to differentiate the muscle strands a bit. The guts I decided to keep dark red, as it contrasts with the rest of the model. Naturally I put the Blood for the Blood God technical on, but used it sparingly.

The tentacles I decided to do purple. Purple and green go together nicely, so I figured why not. Speaking of, I made the GUO look the way I wanted- a big sword but with the sorcerer's (Rotigus') arm- I thought the dagger was stupid, and I just didn't want a flail. If I ever did another I'd do the bell- I like the idea, but since I'm only likely to have one I decided to go with my top choice.

Overall, a very impressive model. I am quite pleased with it. I was also pleased by my paint job. I still feel that my Bloodthirster is still my best. However, it is certainly clear that this thing is the leader of my hordes of Nurgle Daemons.

Though Joe is right about one thing- it is a bit bigger than the forgeworld GUO, but not by a lot. That means that I have two GUOs. I should make up a story about the "Brothers of Ruin" or something like that lol. I wonder how a game with two of these things would go...

Until next time...

Mortarion :-(

Hey there Chaos fanatics! Old Man Chaos is back with yet another piece of hobby goodness (or badness, depending on your point of view). This article is a bit mixed in terms of my own feelings and sentiments. So let's take a look...

So, I must admit to several things. First, I was really excited by the idea of a Death Guard codex and special releases. I was also greatly looking forward to the new units, the new tank particularly. Of course, I was stoked about the impending release of Mortarion. Especially as I loved my finished Magnus- what a great model.

Unfortunately, my hopes were dashed on all fronts. The Death Guard codex is lackluster. It is very gimmicky with the POTENTIAL Mortal Wounds, but it is not strong, relying on hordes of Poxwalkers (which is fine, but I want an all marine option too). As it stands, the Plague Marines are too expensive points wise. Further the book invalidated things like Heldrakes and the like (I guess you could have a separate CSM detachment for them, but that becomes annoying). The Plaguecrawler is also a lackluster vehicle with a poor ballistic skill. I want to get one, but the rules make it suck in my opinion. And then, there's Mortarion...

I have never felt so torn on a GW model. On the one hand, its great to have another Daemon Primarch on the field. Mortarion is a large model, much larger than Robute Guilliman (though smaller than Magnus, which I "get"). The inclusion of Silence and the Lantern shows that GW pays attention to their own fluff. Finally, the face and gas mask is very nicely done- he looks sickly and deformed, but still strong. Love the face. And his armor is quite cool too, complete with pockmarks and the like.

Unfortunately, I have way too many problems with the rest of the model. First, the total lack of posibility. The model only goes together two ways. One way both weapons are down. The other the gun is pointed (obviously I went with that one). But I am really upset about the poses. I envisioned Mortarion sweeping with his scythe like the grim reaper, rather than it just kind of being at his side.

I am also not too fond of Mortarion's pose as a whole. I despise how it looks like Mortarion is leapfrogging. I know its supposed to make him dynamic. But Mortarion shouldn't be dynamic. His is slow creeping death, not a jumpy and hovering. I imagine him standing all nice and decayed, like a monolith. I also dislike how the cloak holds him up- it just looks stupid in my eyes.

Finally, the other things on the model make it look WAAAAAYYYY too busy. There are way too many censers on Mortarion. One would have been sufficient. As it stands there's just too many jutting off him. And then there's the Nurglings. I made a huge mistake in putting them on his base. I did because he MUST have the two flying ones carrying the censers (otherwise you would have to make some nasty cuts on the model).

I would be remiss if I didn't mention the wings. The model comes with two bug wings, which look similar to the wings on the daemon Plague Drones of Nurgle. On a regular daemon prince they would be cool. But Mortarion needs something bigger and more evil looking. The bug wings just look silly on him. So I added different wings, from the old Balrog LoTR set. He looks more like an angel of death instead of moth man. LOL

The model took me forever to paint. Part of the problem is that it is way too busy and detailed. Deatil is fine, but add on the cloak, the nurglings, the censers, etc... well, it tends to slow painting production down quite a bit. Then there is another issue. Enthusiasm. Or the lack thereof. I was just so not into painting him. Unlike say Magnus or the Bloodthirster, I wasn't too excited to paint Mortarion. I just kept feeling indifferent about the model. No doubt the paint job suffered as a direct result.

So how did he turn out? Considering all of the above not too bad, though he pales in comparison to my work on Magnus or the bloodthirster. It's just too bad I don't like the model more. To me, while I get what GW was going for, it just doesn't work for me. I am looking forward to using him in battle sometime soon.

Sorry if this article seemed to be a complain-fest. But hey its my blog so I'm allowed LOL

I am however looking forward to my next projects. I'm finishing up a few more mechanicus pieces (Rangers with Arquebuses). I also have some of the Plague Marine special characters which I got from my friend Pete. Finally, my wife bought Shadespire for me. I just like the idea of a fast paced game that takes less than half an hour. And I love the models in the set. Reminds me of Heroquest a little bit...

Until Next Time... 

Skarbrand!!

Blood! Slaughter!! Skulls!! Kill! Oh wait... sorry about that. Got a little excited seeing you come into this corner of the warp. My apologies. At any rate, here we are with yet another maiming edition of Chaos Corner. I bet your burning to find out what I've cooked up this time. So let's take a look at Skarbrand.

To me, one of my best paint jobs was the new Bloodthirster. I've posted pics here many times. It took me quite a while to paint. However, it came out like a dream- it was exactly what I wanted, and it looks just like the fluff and art. Even though there was no conversions or anything crazy, I just think its one of my best paint jobs, period.

Now, I knew I wouldn't top that with Skarbrand. My wife bought him for me quite a while ago, but for some reason I just never got to him. There was always some other model (or army, lets be honest) that distracted me from painting him. Oh I put him together quickly enough, but I just never got around to painting him. Maybe I knew I wouldn't top the Bloodthirster. I don't know. I just didn't paint him for a long time.

Fast forward to this past May/June, right after I moved. I knew absolutely that I wanted to paint Magnus first. But as I unpacked I found Skarbrand and I decided---- why the hell not. So I painted Magnus and Skarbrand side by side. By the end I was seeing dark blue and vibrant red all the time LOL.

I used the same paint scheme that I did with the Bloodthirster- building up the reds, highlights, black horns, etc. I could have done something different (perhaps I should have at that- white horns maybe?), but I decided that he would look like any other Bloodthirster. Hence the same paint scheme.

The only major differences is the face (duh) and the wings. The half exposed skull on Skarbrand is really sick looking, and I do like how it came out. Meanwhile, the wings I did in a similar color, but without the added details as the wings are tatters and not full wings.

All in all, he came out just fine. I still think my original Bloodthirster takes the cake. But considering I hadn't painted anything Khorne in a while, and that I was doing Magnus at the same time... I think Skarbrand turned out quite well. It's just funny how I compare him unfavorably with my first Bloodthirster- even though they are painted the same! Interesting human foible I guess...

Interestingly enough, in early July I went to a local tournament with my Khorne force. I took my Bloodthirster but couldn't afford to take Skarbrand as well, so I didn't. But at the tournament I played a guy that brought 3(!) Bloodthirsters AND Kharn too!! Unfortunately for my opponent, his rolls were terrible and I had 3 Maulerfiends backing up my Bloodthirster. All were locked in combat all over the place. Using the combat interrupt Command Point option, my Bloodthirster struck before his could and I killed him. Meanwhile, my Maulerfiends held their own against the other Thirsters. Mine attacked and killed the second while my Maulers took out the thrird. My opponent refused to give up- he still had Kharn and some Bloodletters and Cultists. My Bloodthirster then flew into Kharn, slicing him in twain. My opponent only laughed, saying it was simply more skulls for the skull throne! LOL

At any rate, that's it for me for now.

Until next time...

New Exalted Sorcerers and Flamers of Tzeentch

Hey there Chaos goons! Old Man Chaos is back with another riveting installment of Chaos Corner. All your Chaos needs right in one convenient spot. I have some more Tzeentchian goodness (or badness, if you will): 3 more Exalted Sorcerers and Flamers of Tzeentch. So, without further ado...

First up, my Flamers. These were a gift from my wife for Valentine's Day (yes, she knows exactly what kind of a nerd her husband is). I have a bunch of the metal ones, which I am very fond of. These "new" plastic ones are fine- the flames coming from them are nicely sculpted. The whole model has a nice sense of uneven motion- perfect for the Flamers of Tzeentch.

 However, I was troubled by the multiple heads. Seriously, the detail there is SO damn small. The bodies were fine; I just had a hell of a time with the heads. I decided NOT to paint them much or differentiate them. Instead they are just indistinct- as if they are forming from the Flamer's warping body without actually being different from that body. Leering faces that you may or may not be able to see---- this sounded Tzeentchian enough for me.

Their bodies I painted with Kantor Blue. The long tendrils I did Ahriman Blue as a complementary but also vivid color. As for the highlights, I did each Flamer with a slightly different blue, so each one looks a bit distinct from the others, but still unified (Teclis, Thunderhawk, Thousand Sons, Altdorf, etc).

The part that sticks out the most is the flames. Now, A couple of years back I did an Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch (see pics HERE), and I did the flames green. But, my old metal ones I did with more flame colors- red, yellow, orange. So- I decided since I had 6 I would do both- some green, some burning yellows/oranges. I started with white, then put either yellow or green washes on them. Then I highlighted with Moot Green, or Averland Sunset and Troll Slayer Orange. The bright colors stand in contrast to the darker blues of the Flamers.

 Overall, they are not my best paintwork, but certainly adequate for my Daemons. I worked on them while I was working on my second wave of Exalted Sorcerers, which are far more detailed. Now, I'm not going to go over how I painted these new Exalted Sorcerers, as I have already discussed my Thousand Sons paint scheme (HERE). I will say that the bands of yellow and blue are tough for me, as my hand shakes when I tray to paint such little lines, unfortunately (a problem I don't have with Khorne Bezerkers or Plague Marines). I will instead give a little fluff for each of the new Sorcerers, to compliment my previous three (which you can read about HERE).

Sethos- Prince of the Crimson King

Sethos was, at one time, one of Magnus the Red's closest advisors, behind only Amon and Ahriman. With his red hair, he even resembled his Primarch physically. Sethos was one of the best of the Pavoni Cult, and his reputation for being a master of the use of biomancy on the battlefield. When the Space Wolves attacked Prospero, Sethos was at the forefront, using his powers to initiate the "flesh change" within members of the Space Wolves 13th Company.

After their defeat and retreat to the Planet of the Sorcerers, Sethos would play no part in the casting of the Rubric, as his ego was so overblown that he believed that Ahriman's efforts were doomed to fail and Sethos would not be associated with such a risky venture. As a result, when Ahriman and the others were exiled, Sethos remained, and in the days(?) that followed, Sethos became Magnus' right hand. His power was so great, that many called him "The Prince of the Crimson King".

In recent years, Sethos has worked very hard at unlocking the mutation present in all Space Wolves due to the Canis Helix. With Magnus overseeing, it was Sethos who worked out the original formula- the biomantic process of transforming the Space Wolves into the Wulfen beasts. Magnus was able to take that discovery and magnify it to such a tremendous extent (such is the power of Magnus), that the Magnus would be able to trigger mutation in many of the Space Wolves, leading to the disaster at Fenris. Once again, Sethos proved his worth to the Crimson King, and is the undisputed crown prince.

Banitih, "The Teacher of Tzeentch" 

Banitih served long and faithfully during the Great Crusade; although he was subordinate to Ahriman, he was a fine Librarian in his own right. When not on the battlefield, Banitih worked as a senior- a teacher of the younger Thousand Sons. Not only dud he teach them the history of the Legion, but it was his job to assess each new warriors psychic potential and aid them in discovering their powers and help them to understand the enumerations.

Like so many, Banitih was terrified when his Legion began to mutate on the Planet of the Sorcerers. For him, it was actually very personal, as he had taught so many of these younger legionaries. Banitih blamed himself- if only he had taught them better, maybe they could resist the flesh change wrought by the powers of the warp. When Ahriman proposed his Rubric, Banitih was one of the first to join the Cabal, hoping to save his students (and, erase his own failure). Needless to say, Banitih was horrified by the results of the Rubric. 

After being banished by Magnus, Banitih and his Rubricae traveled from Chaos warband to warband. Banitih would teach the warband's aspiring sorcerers, helping them to truly tap into the powers of the warp. In exchange for his services, Banitih would be given any relics or tomes that the ravaging warbands found on their raids. Thus, Banitih has amassed a large collection of artifacts, although his collection pales in comparison to Ahriman's. That does not dissuade Banitih from trying to acquire more pieces of ancient knowledge and power.

Hanbal The Impure

The story of Hanbal is a tragic one, even by Thousand Sons standards. Hanbal was a powerful sorcerer of the Raptora Cult in the days of the Great Crusade. He was one of the first children of Prospero to survive the implantation of the gene-seed. He fought with Magnus in many battles in the Crusade, and was always looking for knowledge of the civilizations that the Thousand Sons brought into compliance.

When the Thousand Sons retreated into the warp after Prospero fell, Hanbal was horrified when he began to exhibit signs of the flesh change. He fought hard against it, but his body and mind were slipping away. As Ahriman was gathering sorcerers into his Cabal, Hanbal was two steps from being a mindless Chaos spawn, his powers now useless. Once Ahriman cast the Rubric, the mutations in Hanbal stopped and reversed themselves, but not fully.

Hanbal retained many avian mutations, with his head distended into a beak and feathers growing from his arm. But it went no further than that, and his mind and powers were restored and enhanced. After Ahriman and his Cabal were banished, Hanbal remained with the loyal sorcerers at the Tower of Magnus. However, he seemed to not "fit in" as it were- the other sorcerers were not mutated at all, and Hanbal seemed to be a freakish in-betweener- part sorcerer, part mutant. He earned the nickname "The Impure" from Sethos, who saw Hanbal as a weak and imperfect sorcerer.

Eventually, Hanbal took his Rubricae and left the Planet of the Sorcerers. Now, Hanbal did not seek out a cure to his mutation or a way to improve the Rubric (as Ahriman had). No- instead Hanbal swore to become a Daemon Prince, cast in the image of Magnus and the Lords of Change. Hanbal has done horrific things to catch the attention of mighty Tzeentch. Little does Hanbal know that Tzeentch will never give him daemonhood- his rage and energy is much better spent this way, as a frustrated champion of Tzeentch driven to ever greater acts of destruction on the material plane.

So, that makes 6 Exalted Sorcerers for me, plus Ahriman. That's a lot of sorcery right there folks. Sadly, I have played two 2,000 point games with the Thousand Sons, and neither battle went particularly well at all. My first battle saw me virtually defeated on turn one, as my Ultramarine opponent dealt out so much damn firepower that I discovered the old adage "a 3 is a 3 is a 3"- youre going to roll 1s and 2s eventually. But unlike regular marines, you are paying a premium for the Thousand Sons.

My second game went better, though it was still a defeat. My biggest problem was that I didn't have anything to punch through my Dark Angel opponent's armor, which included Dreadnoughts. Ahriman did fairly well casting, as did the exalted sorcerers, but it just wasn't enough. My Scarab Occult Terminators were worth every penny though, as they destroyed a squad of bikers and absorbed a ton of firepower. I think my problem is that the Thousand Son footprint is small (like most Chaos Marine armies). Thus you are outnumbered by virtually any army, and the psychic powers alone can't win you the day. Brian and Joe keep telling me to do Magnus, but I'll be disappointed if my army can ONLY do well with Magnus.

Until Next Time...