Strawhat's Genestealer Cult Army (It's Gonna be B-I-G)

[strawhat]

Starting early last year, I fell off the Warhammer-Free bandwagon and started picking up boxes for a new Genestealer Cult army...which was my favorite army from "back in the day."  Those boxes (and boxes, and boxes...) sat languishing for nearly a year before I cracked open a selection and glued them together.  I tried to do a new (to me) style of painting, and just couldn't grasp it.  I should have worked on some test models that I didn't care about first.  Anyway, that gap between expectation and reality stalled the project and I eventually just decided to continue doing things the way I had been.  But that meant I'd either have to redo all the minis I'd started, or replace them...GW being GW, and with the history of diabetes in my family meaning I'm likely to need both kidneys, meant repainting.

 

Which brings us here.  I need a change from HeroQuest, so it's time for the Genestealer Cult to arise!

 

I've only got a couple "before" pictures that represent the jumping off point.

 

 

These were all base coat and wash stage.  And I just couldn't process it.  The wash was patchy, the colors didn't look the way I wanted, etc.  This probably could have been salvaged, but I just hit the wall and "couldn't."  So they sat.

 

Starting last week, I've been pumping my time into making the upgrades.  Some things are better, others aren't.  Not better doesn't mean "worse" just that it's not "better."

 

This will be a WIP log for the entire army (currently 4,000 points worth), not individual units.  That list is extensive.  Currently 1+ of everything in the GSC model range (with multiple Combat Patrols and Start Collecting boxes) excepting any Brood Brothers (Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum) units.  IF I get that far, that will be a whole 'nother thing of loyal, absolutely not renegade, guard who are all totally not mutants and whose cult of the (four armed) Emperor is absolutely not heretical.  They're all normal there.

 

The first round of pictures is rough: it was late, I was tired, etc.

 

We start with the Patriarch:

 

I've gotten the carapace 2/3 of the way redone.  I started with Corporeal Shadow with the intent of using Worn Navy and Soft Blue to bring it up a bit, but there's just not enough difference between CS and WN to justify it.  So I just used Soft Blue over the Corporeal Shadow and will use Heather Blue on the highlights.  Heather Blue is actually a good match for the color I originally used on my Purestrain Genestealers from the original army.

 

The red fleshy bits are currently Bloodstain Red.

 

The spines and claws are still in need of work, as is the base.  That will be coming soon enough.

 

 

That brings us to the Maga/Magus and the Kelermorph (a rootin', tootin', three-armed shootin' alien hybrid).

 

I've only redone the Maga's skin with the Rosy Skin triad.  I've touched her brow ridges, and will hit those with Heather Blue to lighten the transition a bit.  That dress will remain gold, and the boots will stay red but I'm working on the exact colors.  The staff is the one actual piece of base coat and wash that I liked.  I might leave that.

 

The Kelermorph has had his flesh redone (Tanned Flesh triad), Bloodstain Red on the fleshy bits under the carapace, and the same Corporeal Shadow, Soft Blue as the Patriarch.  His cloak is Uniform Brown, Green Ochre, and Faded Khaki on the "outside" and Stormy Grey, Cloudy Grey, and Rainy Grey on the interior.  The trousers, which can't really be seen here, are also Turkey Brown, Uniform Brown, and Green Ochre.

 

 

 

The Aberrations are a sort of shock troop--early mutations and experiments unleashed when the time is right.  They mostly have Imperial Purple, Amethyst Purple, and a mix of Amethyst Purple and Spectral White for their trousers.  The exception is the leader who has Turkey Brown, Uniform Brown, and Green Ochre.  The carapace started with Heather Blue and was followed up with Morning After Blues and Ghost White.  I've employed the same Tanned Skin, Golden Skin, Rosy Skin and Dark Skin triads that will appear later for the Hybrid Neophytes.  The red fleshy bits under the carapace are Red Shadow, Bloodstain Red, and Clotted Red.  The red Aberration is Bloodstain Red, Clotted Red, and Carnage Red.

 

The grips on the weapons are done up in Deep Ocean, Marine Teal, and Surf Aqua which is a surprisingly adequate version of Makita's blue...

 

 

More coming "soon!"

 

Which brings us to the Hybrid Neophytes, the backbone of the army (seriously, I'm going to end up with about 120 of these guys--some with shotguns, some with slug throwers).

 

The basics have already been described: standard flesh triads, uniform colors, the same blue on the heavy weapons, etc.

 

The armor is Aged Pewter and I'll be using something to give a bit of a different base but I'm not sure quite what.  It will stay mostly the Aged Pewter, though, to give a different vibe than standard silver colors.

 

The trousers are the same (Turkey Brown, Uniform Brown, Green Ochre), and the jackets/shirts are Uniform Brown, Green Ochre, and Faded Khaki.  The belts and straps are Green Ochre and Faded Khaki.  Working with the same few colors has helped keep a unifying look and kept me from being too bogged down in the infinite details on the models.  I plan on keeping the red trim, but I'm not certain which red it will be.

[Glitterwolf]

Looks cool!

 

Are you going to include vehicles?

[Chaoswolf]

You're off to a good start; nice job! 

 

Will you actually be playing the game with them, or will they be used with other games instead?

[WhiteWulfe]

Oooooh, cultists are always interesting!

[strawhat]

4 hours ago, Glitterwolf said:

Looks cool!

 

Are you going to include vehicles?

 

Yes, sir!  I have two of the big trucks (Rockgrinders), three of the little cars (Ridgerunners), eight motorcycles, and two 4-wheel ATVs.  All of which has been lovingly "enhanced" with auto cannons, mining do-hickies, etc.

 

I just need to get a few more troops done first.

 

If I get to the Brood Brothers stage, there will absolutely be vehicles...and possibly big stompy robots.

 

4 hours ago, Chaoswolf said:

You're off to a good start; nice job! 

 

Will you actually be playing the game with them, or will they be used with other games instead?

 

Thank you!

 

Hopefully I will play something with them whether it's 40K, OPR, or something like Stargrave.  I'm not tied to any one system.

8 minutes ago, WhiteWulfe said:

Oooooh, cultists are always interesting!

 

That's what I thought!  "Come in, take a seat.  Would you like some tea?  Have you heard the good news about our lord and savior the Four Armed Emperor and the coming of the Star Children?  No?  It won't take long, I'll let Grandfather tell it to you..."  Then you're hooked!

[strawhat]

The last couple months have not been great for hobbying.  I don't know if things are stabilizing or if I'm just getting used to it.  Not that it really matters.

 

On to the pictures!

 

First up, are a couple visits with some old friends.

 

The Patriarch has been gone over again, and I've cleaned up the base a bit.  I don't actually base things because it bothers me to see something in an environment that clearly doesn't match the base.  So I'm working with some neutral greys to make it look vaguely industrial/urban.

 

 

The Maga.

 

 

The Kelermorph.

 

 

And the icon bearer for the first squad of Neophytes.  I went ahead and updated the icon in the same reds used for the tabard and mining gear trim.  Each unit will have their Icon in an appropriate color.  It dawned on me today that just seeing the Icon is one thing, but a particular cultist will want to find his/her/its actual unit back.  So the other units armed with shotguns will have icons in purple and either black or yellow.

 

On to the new things!

 

 

Genestealer familiars.  These are really just glorified tokens.  They don't do anything on the battlefield, and only represent powers used by the Patriarch, Magus, etc.

 

The colors for the chitin and flesh are consistent throughout, with Nightshade Purple, Imperial Purple, and Amethyst Purple being used for the little guys' robes.

 

The first familiar is leaning on what is probably the helmet from an Ultramarine Lieutenant.  I don't actually have the ultramarine triad (which is a bit of a shock, I've got a lot of Reaper paints, just not that particular one).  Instead I used Ritterlich Blue, Brilliant Blue, and Cyan Blue.  Which would probably be more fitting for Crimson Fists, but I might be over-analyzing things.

 

I just need to clean up the spillover on the bases.

 

 

The Abominant.  Again, there's not much actually new here.  I still have a way to go on this one, he's got a bag of skulz (because GW) that needs to be painted up, but I think that's the last thing.

 

His flesh is Heather Blue, Morning After Blues, and Ghost White.  Ivory triad for all the chitin.

 

 

Which brings us to my second 5 Aberrants.  They need some work on their exposed chitin, their belts, tabards, and armor, and then some greys on the bases and concrete on the leader's uprooted signpost.

 

 

Which brings us to the Nexos.  He basically coordinates things all over the battlefield has indicated by his hovering map.

 

He's basically being done up like any of the other Hybrid Neophytes so far.  I want him to look like he could have come out of his time with the Imperial Guard only to be called up by the cult.  So he grabs his old uniform, "obtains" some slightly used gear, and heads out to support the cult.  The arrows are Amethyst Purple as is the upper lefthand button on the map.  The red "Rhino" on the map is the same as the red button on the lower lefthand corner.

 

 

I've really just started on the Primus.  

 

He needs work.  I've just gotten the genestealery fleshy bits done up in Red Shadow, and I haven't even decided what color his humany flesh will be.  But my eyes were starting to get a little blurry, so I decided to call it good before I messed anything up.

 

That's it for now!

 

All told, I've got about 800 points that are pretty much ready for the table. 

[Glitterwolf]

Awesome army!

 

[strawhat]

Thank you, sir!

 

That's about a quarter of the total points I have, but the characters and Aberrations are the bulk of that. 

 

There will be more!  I've got another 10 Hybrid Neophytes assembled and waiting for primer and paint and I still haven't touched any of the bikes or trucks.

[Krassling]

Interesting Project.

I like your idea of the colours.

It is just like they do not reach their full Potential. Lets take the Patriarch. Red and blue is a good choice. But it feels like the colours are damped. For me personally this guy has to stand out with some vibrant colours to fit your army. Not by adding more different colours but by intensifying the blue and RED. Maybe you have already planned this and I just missed it.

[strawhat]

Thank you.

 

The colors pop a little more in person (but not a whole lot).  That's partially due to where I was taking pictures (in the dining room where 90% of the light was top-down), but also partially by design.  These colors strongly represent some old Ral Partha colors that I was using when I painted my first genestealers 30+ years ago (Slate and Blood Red--it took me a long time before I found a reference for those)!

 

I wonder if Holly Berry would be close enough to be a good highlight step...I might try it on a unit of purestrains when I get there.