Mordor Orcs, Cursed City Vampires and a third Venomthrope

During the past two weeks, I painted quite a few Mordor Orcs including a Captain and two Warg Riders. I also finished the two Vampires from the first Cursed City expasion: Lady Annika and Carmilla DuSang. And while I did not paint any more Tyranids, I also converted a third metal Venomthrope to make them a legal unit in 10th edition.

Pict 1332: Mordor Orc Reinforcements

Pict 1333: Mordor Orc Captain, Orc Warriors, Warg Riders

Pict 1334: Mordor Orc Captain, Orc Warriors, Warg Riders

With some Middle-earth games going on, I got back to painting Mordor Orcs. The foot troops are all beautiful metal models that were originally released in 2001 and were availiable recently as a Made-to-order. Having painted them now, I have grown to love them even more. They are so characterfull. Especially the faces and helmets.
Same with the Warg Riders - the metal versions are vastly superior to the plastics and with a bit of converting, you so get some more poses that the three that were released. Here the one with the bow is the unaltered one, the shield bearer my conversion. I had converted these models and started to paint them in November 2021... really a good feeling to get them done now!

Pict 1335: Lady Annika and Carmilla DuSang

Pict 1336: Carmilla DuSang and Lady Annika

Pict 1337: Carmilla DuSang and Lady Annika

As a quick little project inbetween I painted the two Vampires I was still missing for the first Cursed City expansion. Two really great miniatures with completly different characters. I'm happy with the way they turned out. But I have to say, painting the faces was tricky behind the mask and the armour spikes respectively.
While I'd like to get these two on the table before long, I think I will paint up the models for the other expansion first. I'd like to start a new playthrough once I have all the minis together.

Pict 1338: Venomthrope (WIP)

I also got myself a second hand metal Venomthrope to make a legal unit. After dissasembling and removing the old paint, I went about converting a more dynamic pose. Cutting off the head and reattaching it on a slant unlocked the turning body and the tentacles simply fell into place. Now I want to get more even of them and make more cool poses... But first, I'll have to paint the bunch – we'll see, where the butterfly takes me next!

Screamer-Killer Carnifex

Only a small update today after the having cought up in the last one. I finished a Screamer-Killer to get back into painting Tyranids and made some good headway on the Trygon as well. I also converted five more Blood Angels Scouts and primed them up, ready to be painted.

Pict 1327: Screamer-killer Carnifex

Pict 1328: Screamer-killer Carnifex

Pict 1329: Screamer-killer Carnifex

Before taking my painting to the expensive ForgeWorld Trygon, I wanted to refamiliarise myself with the process. And of course I could not say no to the big boy of the new box and painted up a Screamer-Killer Carnifex. It's a neat miniature but in places you notice that it's easy-to-build / monopose. Nevertheless I'm quite happy with the way he came out using my Kraken scheme. While certainly not my best model of all time, it painted up quickly which is important when going for a big swarm of Tyranids!

Pict 1330: ForgeWorld Trygon (WIP)

The Trygon is also quite far along, with only the red stages of the carapace and some cleaning up left to do. Having painted the plasic version in the past, I have to say that the ForgeWorld mini really is miles above it in terms of details. There a virtually no flat surfaces so that everything looks suitably organic and like a living organism.

Pict 1331: Horus Heresy Blood Angels Scouts (WIP)

I also converted five more Scouts for the Blood Angels Legion – including some more funky hair styles and a Sergeant with a power fist and a hand flamer, just because it's cool. I also primed them all with the usual formula of black primer with a red zenithal. They should not take to long to paint but I might be distracted by the Tyranids for now...

Catching Up: 40k Terrain, Bats, Enforcers and Tyranids?!

So, my last post was a full four weeks ago! The Real Life™ really had its talons in me... Nevertheless, I managed to finish up a few things and and finally photograph them too: There are some Fronteris terrain pieces, reinforcements for my Badab Enforcers and Fell Bats for the Cursed City. And of course, the 40k hype train did not pass me by and I started to work on some old Tyranids.

Pict 1317: Badab Enforcers on Patrol

Pict 1318: Fronteris Landing Pad, STC Hab Bunker and Bastion Vox Array

Pict 1319: Fronteris Landing Pad, STC Hab Bunker and Bastion Vox Array

In my last post, I showd a WIP of some more 40k terrain. Shortly after this picture, I threw on an oilwash and once this had dried, put on some highlights with a sponge. And of course the finishing touch are the weathering powders. I'm really happy with these and look forward to playing a game of 30k or even 40k on them!

Pict 1320: Fell Bats

Pict 1321: Fell Bats

To get back into finishing up miniatures and highlighting (instead of just building and putting down base colours) I finished these three Fell Bats. Once again, these will be part of my Cursed City collection and do count towards my resolution of painting and playing at least of the expansions.

1322: Arachnos Rogue Dox and Orderlies, Badab Enforcers

Pict 1323: Arachnos Rogue Dox and Orderlies, Badab Enforcers

I also finished up these reinforcements for my Badab Enforcers. Once again painted to be usable as part of the Tyrant's Legion. Doctor Arachnos and especially his two cultist orderlies were a bit more of an experiment on what skin tone I could achieve with sponging and an oil wash. In the end they are a bit pale for my liking but I will call them done and be content for now.

Pict 1324: Horus Heresy Blood Angels Scouts (WIP)

Keeping with the Sci-Fi theme, I converted some Scouts for my Heresy Blood Angels. I removed the wings on their chestarmour and added some era appropriate bits such as the Thunder Edge pattern Chain Swords from the MK III kit as well as a Vexillum and a Nuncio Vox. I really like how the bare heads from the new MK VI kit look on the scout bodies. To avoid to may repeats, one of them got the obligatory Blood Angel boy band haircut.

Pict 1325: Wight King BSB (WIP)

Whilst building, I put together this Wight King BSB that was made by ForgeWorld. I recently got him in a bits lot fro really cheap sind he was missing one of the skeletons holding his banner. Thankfully a dive into the bits box rectifyed that vacancy quickly. I'm looking forward to putting paint on him; probably at the same time, I get to the Grave Guard needed for Cursed City.

Pict 1326: Trygon and Vernomthropes (WIP)

Lastly, the terrain was not the only thing that got me back into 40k. A new edition is always a chance to get back to some favourites. And of course, for me that's the Tyranids, the miniatures that started me on my hobby journey.

For now, there is not that much to show - just a base coated ForgeWorld Trygon and a pair of Venomthropes. The Trygon has sat in this state for years now and I really should do them the honor and get some paint on them. The Venomthopes probably were my first attempt at a conversion using metal miniatures. I'm surprised the hacked of and switched out tail of a Zoanthrope did not fall of as often as it did – back in the day I did not use pins between the bits! Anyways, I had taken them apart and stripped them a few years back. Redoing the conversion at my current skill level was really satisfying and I'm looking forward to painting them!