Don’t worry, frequent readers–I’m not starting another Warmachine faction and painting a big nasty for Khador. Rather, this is the inital set-up for my new 40k project. With the new rules coming out for 8th edition 40k, and the promise that starting a small new team for Shadow War holds, it’s time to explore some Genestealer Cult.

I’m envisioning them as a preparatory force, hiding and making way for the arrival of Hive Fleet Behemoth to a system. There’s a little note in the fluff about the second spot the Hive Fleet struck and consumed: Occulus. The 5th edition codex has the following mention: “Occulus was a moon-sized observator station caught in Behemoth’s path as it pushed onwards past Tyran. The station was a bio-artefact claimed by the Imperium nine thousand years earlier and was devoured, along with its crew.”

I figure that a bio-artefact would be a popular mining spot in addition to the Observator station–to research the artefact and what resources it might provide. In some way (I’ll determine later) a Genestealer Cult could have formed on the planet, and been a part of the lure of the fleet to the system. With splinter cults on a variety of other planets in the system (to represent the other types of battles/foes they may face), it is a fun way to origin my force. At least that’s my starting notion about the force.

In deference to the picture above, I wanted to work on painting the different generations first to get my sense of how they would look. And I wanted them to be of the strain that would lure Behemoth, so figured the distinctive red chitin with blue plates look from that Hive Fleet. This is my first shot at the different generations (akin to the art above).

I’m pleased with how they turned out, and they’re going to look really good as groups I think. For a special added bonus, the guy on the far right is in the colors of the Macragge planetary defense force that my good gaming buddy Justin painted up as allies for his extensive Ultramarines force. I figure that clashes against him made sense, which is why I chose the Hive Fleet Behemoth look in the first place.

Now that I’ve got the colors down, my first stop is to get a full group painted up for Shadow War: Armageddon. That way I can get some games in while still working on the basic building blocks of my force.

• Warhammer 40k