"Our Plague Marines are Different" -- a heavily converted warband grows...

Here is the core of a "Plague Marine" warband -- just some of the Chaos forces I've been working on lately for games in the 40k setting. EVERYTHING you see here is the result of significant conversion/kitbashing -- or even outright scratchbuilding. This has allowed me to save a huge amount of cash, push my technical modeling skills, and joyously engage in some riotous, experimental creativity. That last element, in particular, was a welcome balm during a challenging personal season this Fall. 

So, what are we looking at here? 

The big boy in the back is the finished result of the crab walker engine I showed as a WIP in a recent post. As you see here, I challenged myself by giving the central chest-panel a sullen glow, as if lit from within by chaotic fires ... and I think I pulled off a successful OSL effect (finally!). This model combines bits harvested from a local thrift store with various greeblies and craft supplies from my bits-box. I think there may be two small GW parts on the whole thing ... the 'official' model that this proxies would have cost me over a hundred bucks locally, but parts for this probably ran to about $5. 

Holding down the flank is the oh-so-toothsome and also scratchbuilt vehicle that "counts-as" a Myphitic Blight-hauler, a heavy-weapons-support munchy monster for plague forces. This, too, is a conglomerate built on chunks of old toys and craft bits from around the house, resting on a dinosaur-head truck toy from the thrift store -- and a LOT of hot glue. The gaping mouth and flickering, blood-drenched tongue are made from hot glue by yours truly, with the ends of toothpicks for fangs. 

And then we have the crowd-pleasing frontmen of our little boy band. From the left:

Fishy-face started life as a hard-working, innocent Reaper Bones Deep One, but then I converted him into a deep sea-themed chosen Plague Marine champion, replete with weapon-arms from the Chaos Terminator Lord kit and a variety of tentacles made from Green Stuff/Kneadatite. 

I felt that he wanted a cape for a touch more distinction, so I got his back tangled up in the remains of a weighted fishing net. Let's not ask what happened to the fisherman. 

Front and center we have something like a Blightlord Terminator, perhaps even something akin to a "Lord of Virulence," though I've kept firmly with a Lovecraftian, deep-abyssal theme over the typical oh-crap-where-can-I-get-vaccinated pox theme. This fella staunchly believes there's no point having a big mouth in your belly when you can keep an entire other fella in your belly! I made this rather elaborate conversion by bashing together a Reaper Bones Stitch Golem with a Cthulhu-esque head from a "Bonesylvanian Lou" model, along with much Green Stuff, various bits from the bits box, and a massive plaguecannon/implausible arm artillery piece that was entirely scratchbuilt, save for some bits of bling on the side. 

I quite like this next recruit. I painted him last night, and haven't done anything to his base yet. 

The Christmas season brought a nice batch of pre-owned Poxwalker models, and I decided to convert one or two into Plague Marines in their own right. This gives a result that fits thematically, even though the figure's profile doesn't at all match the bloated, heavy look common to 40k's Death Guard minis. But I like the way this guy looks; I imagine his flesh and armor have been worn down together over the long ages of his regrettable service. (Perhaps his slight frame and less 'invasive' mutations -- so far -- hint at a more grudging attitude to his chaotic employment ... was he one of those Astartes who fell to Chaos only because the Imperium's unjust madness forced his hand?). 

Well, at least he's thought of something to smile about. 

WIP: Painting the scratchbuilt "Chaos Defiler"

 My last post showed off a proxy 40k Chaos crab-walker engine that I built mostly with just a few bucks' worth of scrap and thrift-store toy parts. I've now got paint on the thing, and not just primer! I'm not done painting it, but I think it's already looking like a pretty good return on the investment for the scratchbuild. 

Scratchbuilt/Kitbashed 40k Chaos "Defiler"/Crab Walker

 So. To purchase an official GW "Defiler" crab-walker engine for my growing Chaos warband would cost $100 Canadian. Or ... I could build this thing, using greeblies from the trash and bits box and maaaybe $3 in toys from the thrift store. 

And yes, the lower layer was a toy figurine of that spider manager dude from "Monsters, Inc." 

Scratchbuilt "Rhino" proxy (Chaos Marine transport vehicle)

 As I mentioned last time, things have been kinda rough lately -- but creativity has been a source of great comfort. In particular, despite a hectic year, I've been working on my goal to make 2024 a year of "upping my game" when it comes to crafting. 

Here's a WIP shot of a recent project. My WIP Warhammer Chaos Marine warband, the "Knights Aberrant," were in need of a transport vehicle. Since I have no Rhino or Land Raider model in the right scale, and since I didn't fancy shelling out $$$ for an official kit, I crafted this thing entirely from household junk, bits of old toys or dollar-store crud, hobby supplies, and a really obscene amount of glue and gap-fillers. I still plan to add spikes for the "dozer blade" and a few other bits, but this is pretty much the whole shebang -- sans paint, of course. I'd love to spraypaint this immediately, but below-freezing temps and soaring humidity stats this week don't look very conducive to that goal. Usually, these sorts of things look much better once they have a uniform coat of paint or primer.

This has some rough spots, but I really like it. It's always satisfying to have an ambitious build like this come together ok. 

Initially, I planned to use a larger, used toy vehicle (from the thrift store) and add bits on to make the proxy vehicle. In the end, I decided that other one would be too large. My secret, evil plan is to use these 28mm Chaos Marines as "true-scale" Astartes in games where "mortal" humans, like cultists and imperial guard troopers, come in 1/72 scale. I've been monkeying with the possibilities quite a bit, and I'm very enthusiastic. This lets one deploy a couple stands of multi-based, cheap plastic infantry as a unit, and then use a single Space Marine figure as a "counts-as" squad of its own -- and suddenly, you're saving money, making room for bigger battles, AND making Space Marines finally look and act on the table the way they're "supposed to" in the (contemporary) lore. The plan is to use some of the advanced options in Grimdark Future, which have us covered for this sort of thing (that's an affiliate link, btw). 

Happy gaming!

Where ya been, Gundobad???

 Still here! 

I had hoped that this might be a fairly active year for the blog. As it turned out, however, it's been a really challenging, draining year on the personal front. This mostly involves a lot of overlapping chronic health issues in the household, which have required an enormous amount of time and energy to address on top of the rest of life. Oh, and I'm also writing a passion-project book as part of my 'real world' profession at the same time, so ... all around, it's been a corker of a year. On the flip side, some really good and beautiful things are happening because of all that work and energy-investiture, so I'm paradoxically very grateful for much of what we're experiencing, while also chronically exhausted in my emotional reserves. Recent world events have not diminished the stress levels, either.

With all that in play, I've had to adapt my hobby activities. Running my main campaign got too mentally draining, so it's on hold. Instead, I've transitioned to playing or running the occasional one-shot. However, I've found great comfort in doubling down on the crafting side of the wargaming/minis hobby. Putting down the  scholar's pen and picking up a bunch of material things to work with my hands has proven vitally refreshing this year. I've set myself a goal of "upping my crafting game" this year, and so far I'm really pleased with the results. I've picked up and learned how to use more specialized materials, like Milliput and Green Stuff. I've become far more adventurous, creative, and unorthodox in my approach to kitbashing character minis, vehicles, and terrain. All this has been a source of real comfort during a season that isn't quite so much "bad" as "really hard." 

So: I am still here - and I do NOT consider the blog to be 'on hiatus' - I do have a variety of thoughts about things to share, related both to RPGs and to wargaming. I'm redesigning an old dungeoncrawl of mine for a local community one-shot later this month, on the one hand, and doing some weird things to 40k armies that I absolutely love on the other. :-)  But some of what I hope to share soon will reflect the quirky directions I've been taking things lately. I sometimes hesitate to share my wargaming stuff here, since my sense (possibly inaccurate?) is that my 'readership' are more invested in the RPG side. But anyway, please bear with what I do have to share for a while. :-) 

I'm grateful to all who've kept up an interest in this blog over the years. Cheers, and happy gaming!

Tiny, scratch-built CHAOS DEATHWHEEL for Epic 40k

 One of life's small pleasures: imagining a fun scratchbuild or kitbash, and then seeing it come to fruition. This little thing is a tank-sized "Chaos Deathwheel" that I plan to use as a proxy ("counts as") Land Raider variant in my tiny Iron Warriors army for playing Epic 40k. 

Scenes from an Epic: 40,000 smackdown (Chaos vs Imperium)

 The long weekend for Queen Victoria Day gave the kids some extra time off school, and gave us a reason to ponder the scope of imperialism - and what better way to do that than by diving back into Epic: 40,000? As it's been close to a year since we ran Epic, we went slowly and I messed up a few special rules, but we had fun. We ended up calling a draw in Turn 3 (real life beckoned) but I think next game should go faster. 

No Legions Imperialis for us; we play the old 3e Epic: 40k rules. Some deride 3e as too simplistic but we find it offers plenty to manage, and allows satisfyingly grand tactical movement. This was a 2500-pt Planetary Assault battle, with about half my foe's army arriving via drop-pod. Scenes from the carnage follow. 

A worn, colossal imperial monument overlooks the field of battle

Center-frame, a shuttle prepares to evacuate staff from the Imperial Cathedral. 

My kitbashed Traitor Knights finally see action, sweeping Astartes dogs from a hilltop objective

Yes, that's better now. However, see all those scratchbuilt Dark Elder bikes and barges at top of frame?

A drop-pod landing by ~half a company of Marines shattered my Drukhari detachment, boo-hoo...

Battle rages elsewhere. "Is that Daemon Primarch Perturabo advancing on our position?" "Yes - and unpainted, too! Keep firing!"

In the Grim Darkness of the 41st Millennium, there are big stompy robots. 

A double-drop landing surrounds my primary Iron Warriors detachment, but I throw most of them back in a fierce shootout.