Imperial Beasts

Hi all. Sorry it's been quiet here recently. I've got lots of good stuff coming I promise! Anyhow, remember those Imperial Beastmen/Phagons I did during lockdown? Well a good matey is having a 40th birthday 40K extravaganza shortly for which I needed a warband so I decided to do something with the Urban War Viridian riding beasts and Knightmare Miniatures cyber minotaurs that I've had kicking around for a while.

 

Imperial Beasts

The rebel guard- an old school imperial army platoon

Another long-standing project has been brought to a (for now) close during lockdown. This time some imperial guardsmen to accompany the Phagons, Commissar and BOYL miniatures I painted a couple of years back. These are all ex-Grenadier future warrior troopers by Mark Copplestone, now available from Moonraker Miniatures. They're a great match stylistically with the Citadel imperial army soldiers whilst being easier to come by and significantly cheaper. I was first drawn to the range by one of the scanner operators and troopers whose helmets had those distinctive side bulges such a feature of the first wave of guardsmen. Unfortunately, for some reason, the others didn't so I had to do a bit of green stuffing prior to painting.

These are the spacefaring mercenaries known as the "Rebels with a cause", or "the Rebels" for short. Rumour has it they took their red-stripe helmet design from an ancient cultural relic. A former imperial guard unit the Rebels went AWOL after they were assigned escort to a powerful inquisitor. Once he had no further use for them they were to be disposed of, they had seen things that the imperium did not want to acknowledge. Unfortunately for him the inquisitor had put too much trust in the blind loyalty of the troops, and especially in their commissar. Who knew they would rather betray their emperor than die? Now they wander from world to world raising funds and awareness of the imperium's misdeeds, fighting for whoever will put money in their coffers and not ask questions. Following the liberation of a number of beastmen from the extremist martian cult the Brotherhood of the Iron Road they have bolstered their numbers to almost their original complement. 

Blue and Yellow squads form the regular core of the force. Each is lead by an officer and consists of a comms expert, missile launcher, four regular guardsmen, two beastmen with lasguns and a beastman with a plasma rifle. Blue squad contains a flamethrower. Standard armament for the guardsmen is the autogun, ammunition for which can be picked up pretty much anywhere with few questions asked.

Green squad are a specialist covert engagement squad. Their armaments are a mix of lasguns, shotguns, autoguns, sniper rifles and a missile launcher so they have options to fit their situation. Their officer Hannah Solow is notorious for her furiosity and is accompanied everywhere by her beastman sidekick Baccychewa.

The Rebels are lead by ex-commissar Leigha Ratmiana Chutyaboloxov, known to her followers as 'the Princess'. Her command squad consists of the platoon's veterans plus the mysterious Navigator, another 'desertee' member of the former-inquisitorial retinue.

The rebel guard- an old school imperial army platoon

Mighty Horde of Mechanical Monstrosities!

I have begun making a display board for my Mechanicus, now that the army is nearly complete... in terms of models of course, not in terms of painting! This board splits into four pieces which slot nicely into my glass display cabinet to await their next confrontation. Hopefully at some point I'll put a nice veneer around the front with some classy brass labels or something, but for now they are snug in place and transportable and that's all that counts. Now I need to make a case that they will all pack into.

 The first block of Skitarii, maniples 2-4 with maniple Vesustus (2 plasma-toting platoon command squads) in front.

  

The second block of Skitarii (maniples 5-8) with Magos Signifer Romulus Arcana and his Praetorian veterans. Split between the two boards is the Company Command Squad. Also next to the Skitarii on each board are two maniples of Sagittarii with heavy weapons. The Star Wars Telusian Tank Droid will be a heavy walker, but I need to get two more to make a decent squad.

 

 Next to a Chimaera (I know, it's ACTUALLY a GW model! But it isn't actually a Chimaera, it's a Basilisk with a rebuilt hull!) is a squad of 10 Centauri (Rough Riders) and two Tech Priests (Enginseers) with four servitors each. The servitors are Dark Vengeance cultists with extensive amalgamation. Across the front of the board are the Servitori Interiti, combat servitors with an assortment of nasty chain appendages laser cut from mounting board. They're currently headless until I get the heads I've sculpted for them cast. The bodies are Mantic Ghouls. I wanted a gringly bunch of arcoflagellant types to tear ahead of the army but don't like the style (or price!) of the GW ones. These guys look like they're on the brink of falling apart.

Each 10-strong squad of Interiti is watched over by a  Magos with twin Eviscerators and their attendants. Each has a Cydonian Sister (Sister Repentia), an Arcoflagellant and two bodyguards (with hockey masks of course, perfect for chainsaw-wielding!). 

The Centauri's bigger, badder cousins, the Colossi. These guys count as Ogryn and are made from Mutant Chronicles figures mounted on chopped-around tank chassis.

In between the Colossi and the Leman Russ Destroyer (didn't you recognise it?!) are the Drogues. These servitors are equipped with Plasma Guns and Lasguns and accompany the Skitarii into battle. Peeping out behind them is a half-built drill. I'm going to take two castings of this guy. Originally I wanted them to represent Hades Breacher Drills, but since they got properly nerfed in the last edition of Apocalypse I might just count them as Chimaeras and mount my Veterans in them.

 Vexillarius Sepulchrade hiding behind another Magos and his retinue. Behind him are some Trollblood Stonescribes which I intend to mechanical up. I've already filed down their axes and added chainblades, given one a chainsword, replaced the arms of one with electro flails and added some auspexes to their leader.

 Inspired by Spiky Rat Pack's Red Priest I wanted a featureless, flying nasty as my Archmagos. A pair of laser cut wings and some green stuff later and Archmagos Ferrestrix was born. As a companion I made him a lady Magos (Magess?) with a big pair of.... chainsaws, where was your mind going?!

 

The astute among you might ask "Why leave that big gap at the back? Your Skitarii are all squashed up!". Why indeed you may ask. They are for something quite big, but I'm not saying anything just yet....

Mighty Horde of Mechanical Monstrosities!

At the end of a busy month....

Well I've been absent for a month, plenty of wintery painting time has happened and the Mechanicus are well advanced. They've even fought their first battle (drew). Here are some shots of the painted army as it stands, apologies for the lousy picture quality. There's loads more in the pipeline and better pics will be posted soon on the Cult Mehcanicus page (here). Enjoy!

The core of the force, made up mainly from Warzone mutant chronicles figures

Seven Skitarii Hyspasist maniples (infantry squads), each with a Tessararius (sergeant)

Two Praetorian (veteran) squads with plasma weapons and the command maniple (company command squad), bodyguards and advisors

Four Sagittarii maniples (heavy weapon squads) and all but two of the platoon command maniple members (platoon command squads) with much plasma to boot!

Up next I need to work on the Vexillarius, Tanks, Rough Rider and Ogryn equivalents and servitor squads, hopefully that'll break up the uniformity of the army a bit and give it a stronger, twisted mechanicus feel.

At the end of a busy month....

Frateris Viaferris Divisio Skitarii Legio Γ XIX MM

Getting nicely assembled with my Cult Mechanicus contingent.

The century comprises a command group and seven maniples comprised of nine Hyspasists lead by a Tessararius. They are aided by 20 Sagitarrii from Centurio LVIII (organised into four maniples consisting of four sagitarrii and a Tessararius). These are from the bags of Warzone figures, and I'm really happy with the range of posing possible, not to mention the different looks achieved by simple head swaps etc. The style of the Bauhaus Ducal Militia and the Imperial Regulars complement each other really nicely to give a uniform-looking army. I've used the Regulars bodies with Militia heads for the Hyspasists, Heavies bodies with Regular heads for the Sagittarii and a mix for the sergeants.

A selection of Tessararii showing the difference an assortment of heads makes to an otherwise static pose.

 The obligatory comic relief- shot in the eye, "my head hurts" and a guy wondering just how he's supposed to drink from that canteen with a respirator on!

Optio Centuriae Rubens Igneus- a grey knights conversion with guitar string mechadendrites. The leader of Centurio XIX. Surrounded by his command group including Invoxator, Biomechanic, Commissars and Veterans.

Signifer Romulus Arcana, the Archmagos in charge of the Missio Manufactotum. An Inquisitor henchman conversion with guitar wire mechadendrites and breathing tube and a laser-cut Adeptus Mechanicus logo on his staff. Still to do something with his Inquisition pendant.

 

Vexillarius Sepulchrade, in progress! A psyker imprisoned in a mechanical cell created from a grey knights daemonhost, Ghazgkull Thraka and a lot of cogs. The romanesque signifier is surmounted by a laser-cut acrylic logo which I have drilled into to insert and LED so this bad boy will glow green thanks to a watch battery in the base.

 Battle Brothers Julius and Aristophicles, Sepulchrade's minders. Barely modified techmarines.

 A star wars tank droid I just couldn't resist adding to the army. What he'll be I don't know, some kind of dreadnought maybe, or a support weapon (though he's a bit tall for sightlines!). He's cool though, although the moulding has gone a bit awry on the back and his plating is a bit wonky.

My first tank is sitting in its box at the back there. Hopefully I can get two more at a similar price to make up an Equitata from Centurio LXIII, Ala A, Pax Quirina (counting as Leman Russ). I was hoping for WW1 tanks looking a bit Land-Raideresque but they go for crazy money, so I'll take the Japanese tank! Also need to put together a few support weapons. Will have to scrutinize the Imperial Guard codex. Was using the Tempus Fugitives Cult Mechanicus codex but if I can make the list a legal, official, guard list that's probably better.

Frateris Viaferris Divisio Skitarii Legio Γ XIX MM

Kittus Constructionus Mechanicus

After many hours of sprue surgery I have extracted the components of the warzone minis ready for assembly. Quite a mighty horde of parts! So far these are the bits I have collected to make up the Missio Manufactotum arm of the Brotherhood of the Iron Road. Most are from the Warzone Mutant Chronicles bags but there are also a couple of techmarines, inquisitor figures, Ghazghkull Thraka and some spare gears etc. from my Steampunk propmaking. I'm hoping the Steamy vibe will carry through into the Mechanicus, it may even serve for the inspiration for ny garb for the Asylum festival next september. Now to scavenge through my bits box for any nice additions and get busy with the glue. Oh, and incidently Evostick PVC Pipe Weld I have found to be effective for sticking this hard plastic together, probably because it is PVC! Hopefully it'll also work on the Tamiya velociraptors which are winging their way to me....

Kittus Constructionus Mechanicus