Tor Megiddo: Oil & Blood, Part 2

The Purebred, continued

Over the last week I've added four more models, aiming to have a legal starting gang based on Necromunda rules. This meant adding two Champions and two gangers. The basic components are still the same: Bloodreavers bodies, Genestealer Cultists heads, hair and clothing made of Greenstuff and gear from a range of Imperial kits. This time I also made more use of the Goliath armour plates.

The Warfathers

When a Purebred has proven himself through raid after raid in the wastelands, and only if his body has not shown traces of mutation, the Keeper of the Flesh allows them to mate. From that moment onwards, such skilled warriors are second only to the Warleader and Great Father of the tribe in their right to pick among the tribe loot. Inevitably, they secure the best gear and soon learn to fix it and to bring the machine spirits back from their slumber. Better equipped then the other tribesmen, they constantly vie with each other, hoping to cement their position in the tribal hierarchy and, when the Keeper of the Flesh will see fit, be elevated to the rank of Great Father.

The first Warfather carries a heavy stubber built out of the Space Marine Scout Heavy Bolter with the barrell from a Shoota and the ammobelt and expended shell casings from the Heavy Shoota, all from the Ork Boyz kit. Some sculpting was needed to hide the joint between the gun body and barrel and I simply continued the cloth wrapping to look as if it was tied around the gun body.

Saul suggested the model needed more metal spikes beside the ones on the collar. These were sculpted along the back and on the shoulder pads, with fur sculpted to look as if the spikes are part of an armour worn above it. More ammobelts from the Ork Boyz were added around the waist.

The second Father carries a flamer made using the Escher chem-trower. The tanks have been placed as a backpack, which required some cutting and repositioning of the pipes. The damage done when removing the arm holding the tanks was hidden with a sheated combat blade from the Space Marine Scouts. The spiked handle with skull was originally the end of the axe haft carried by the model.

The right hand with axe was replaced with a hand with granade from the Cadians and I sculpted straps both around the waist and the left arm. Rather then giving the model fur, I sculpted a shawl.

Painting-wise, the palette is exactly the same used for all the other models.

The Blemished

No matter if high or low in the tribal hierarchy, any Purebred that develops a mutation, even the appearence of a single chitinous scale, is faced with two choices: exile, unarmed and without supplies, in the wastelands or amputation and the bequetting of mating rights. To date, only a single individual has chosen exile, and the Purebred never speak of him. For those tribesmen that survive amputation, a further chance is offered if the Keeper of the Flesh has the parts required to graft them with bionics. Their crude implants well greased, they join every single raid called by the Great Father, fighting with a fury unmatched amongst the other Purebred. They will either die or secure more resources for the tribe. Either way, they will have fully redeemed themselves.

For these two models, I fished out two old bionics arms from the metal Necromunda Bounty Hunters. The laspistols are from the Cadian Command Squad and the sword from the Catachan Command Squad.

Again, the palette is consistent with the rest of the warband. For the tribesman with the Catachan sword, I sculpted a shawl, joining it with the fabric wrapped around the Cultists face, as if raised to protect him from the sand.

The model with chainsword had a very small khornate symbol as the buckle of its straps. Since that was easily covered with some puches, I didn't give him a shawl or fur. Instead, the addition of two goliath shoulder pads completed the model.

The bases for all the models were drybrushed with a palette of browns and then oranges. On each base I added some tech-scrap, using vehicles bits, or slate chips painted like volcanic glass. For the Warfather with heavystubber I found a resin basing bit that had expended shell casings and a canteen on it.

Talking about canteens, you might have noticed that every single model has at least one hanging from their belts. I thought that was a nice touch to both further unite the models and to give a sense of realism to them. The one thing that you don't want to lack if out in a desert, is some liquid!

And these, are some pieces of scatter terrain I am preparing. The base is DAS (synthetic sculpting clay, if you are not familiar with it). The rocks are shards of slate tiles that, over the years, have been blown off from my and my neighbours roofs. And then there's people saying that rubbish is useless!