So I’ve been fiddling with my Genestealer Cult again, owing mostly to running a gang of them in Necromunda. And I realized that I wanted to do allies for them, but not really enthused with Imperial Guard or with Tyranids either at the moment. And I realized that there could be some potential for doing some conversion work and making an Adeptus Mechanicus force from a remote Forge World where the Mechanicum was itself infiltrated by members of the cult.
“The Omnissiah shows the value of mechandendrites and other additional limbs, so don’t mind my third arm.”
I like the idea of having an Ad Mech force a well as the Genestealer Cult, as it gives some fun options for painting and modeling. And I already do like my color schemes–and they click well enough on Ad Mech bodies. I’ve also been inspired by some cool AI-assisted art that’s been making the rounds on social media–visions of a very bleak surface of a Forge World.
I got in two games of Necromunda, one against Tony’s Delaque squad, and the other a three-way match between my force, Tony’s Delaque again, and Ryan’s Enforcers. Tony won the first as I was down some of my best crew members from my first match. I won the second as Tony’s and Ryan’s forces beat up each other, and I sort of swept in after and cleaned up.
I love Tony’s Marvel Comics Yondu look for his Delaque gang.
I’m hoping to be somewhat balanced in my progress: expanding the Genestealer Cult as I have a lot of models yet to go for them, but also building up a small Adeptus Mechanicus exploratory force. I’m picturing a lot of more service-based Ad Mech stuff to complement the Genestealer Cult’s industrial feel. And every model having some sort of hint of the Cult to them, at least the non-vehicles. The Cult of the Four-Armed Omnissiah grows!
Painting Progress
Finished up 10 Neophytes, to keep that core base of the force growing. I want to have at least 60 Neophytes finished up total, to really have three big squads with different types of armaments to give a lot of flexibility in selecting models.
Anybody order a survey team?
And as I said, I also completed the first of my Adeptus Mechanicus models: a Tech Priest Manipulus (seen above, but here again for good measure).
Overall some good progress on the Genestealer Cult. Hopefully more to follow soon!
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult and Associates Power Level Painted: 90/365
Played my first campaign game of Necromunda in a small campaign (the Law and Misrule campaign) that a few of us are doing at our local store. We did a practice game to get some of the rules down (I’ve played less than others), and I had enough fun with my Genestealer Cults in that game that I wanted to try them out for the full game. They’ve got some limitations to be sure (they make a lot of money for my opponents if I’m captured), but they’re fun and I like the models I’ve painted.
Early Gen Hybrid Acolyte: Extra Arm, Hazard Suit, Fighting Knife, Hand Flamer
Sister Sniper Hortense
Neophyte: Autogun, Hazard Suit
Brother Claim
Neophyte: Web Gun, Hazard Suit
Todd
Aberrant: Power Hammer, Flak Armor
That guy from Block D, maybe Jeff or Jack?
Neophyte: Shotgun, Hazard Suit
Mister Snips VanOutsen
Neophyte: Shotgun, Hazard Suit
Daan VanDaryyn
Neophyte: Autogun, Hazard Suit
I’ve got no real sense for what is great and what stinks, but I wanted to try out some stuff that I had painted up and fit. First game was an Ambush scenario that we rolled up: my Genestealer Cult force ambushing a group of Van Saar that were passing through my turf.
Ended up a win for my Genestealer Cult, thanks to the threat of my melee, and the template weapons removing the to-hit roll. Unfortunately I had a few injured so they’ll be sitting for a round: Uncle Parda, Todd the Aberrant, and newly-painted Hortense the Sniper. But on the plus side, we captured my opponent Steve’s boss (tangled in the webbing from Brother Claim’s nasty gun). We sold him back very cheaply, because it would have stunk for Steve to lose his boss so early–but the credits were enough to buy a Grav Chute for Sister Sniper Hortense, so she can perch up high and actually snipe. In the story, it’s perfectly fine to let the enemy boss go for a pittance, because he doesn’t realize that his body is carrying a special surprise from the Cult Broodlord’s kiss.
A fun game with good opponent, which is always the best part of gaming. I’ll post updates as I play more games and get more of my group painted for them.
Painting Progress
Finished up “Sister Sniper” Hortense, who is part of a larger Neophytes squad I’m working on. So I’ll add her points next time when the squad is finished. So progress, but nothing finalized for the list.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult and Associates Power Level Painted: 82/365
So wanted to get a bit of experience with Necromunda, as that’s catching the interest of some of the players in our area alongside the 40k games that we’re playing. I toyed around with a couple of forces, worked on boxes of three different types of models (/sigh): Escher, Goliath, and Delaque. None of them clicked for me really, and as I worked on them I realized that there are rules for Genestealer Cults in Necromunda… and well… that force was a lot of fun to work on and I already have more than a few models painted up for them. So in we go!
The models a Genecult can field in Necromunda start with the leader: Adept or Alpha (but not the Jackal Alpha kit, sadly… as the instant I dug my army back out I thought “oh I love this model”). Then you fill out the roster with Hybrid Acolytes (which take the role of Champions), Aberrants, and Neophytes which form the bulk of the gang. You can also grab psychic familiars, which is great because I already have them painted up. Honestly, what I’m lacking is just some options amid the Neophytes and any completed Aberrants, so for the first test game I played (a four-player scrum just to teach the two newer players–including me–the rules) I painted up an Aberrant to be ready.
“It’s [power] hammer time!”
The game was a fun experience, mostly just learning the rules with a smaller-than-usual gang. We had to destroy a big building in the middle of the board that supported the layer above. Victory was doing the most damage to it, but as it crashed down an expanding radius of destroyed terrain and out-of-action models for anyone caught in it happened.
Bring it down!
Normally a newly-painted model suffers the curse of the newly painted, and does nothing before getting destroyed. In this instance, his melee might brought down the center better than most of the ranged gangs (faced off against Ironhead Squat Prospectors, Palanite Enforcers, and a shooting gallery of House Van Saar warriors). Of course that meant he was utterly squashed when the ceiling fell. But it was a fun game, and I’m excited to play some more of them. Working on list ideas now, as well as painting some stuff to make sure I’ve got plenty of options.
Painting Progress
Well, after my test game I got a better sense of what I wanted to field in my force, so I painted up a leader: I’ve been hanging on to this 2nd Edition Imperial Guard Sanctioned Pskyer model with his silly big head for a while, always thinking that he’d be good in the Genestealer Cult. But the armament was always not quite right for a Magus or any other models. But for the Necromunda Adept? Perfect. I mean, it’s a derpy model from the mid-90’s, but still totally perfect I think. For purposes of power-level painted I’m going to treat him as if he was a Magus or a Primus–both are 4 PL and he’s sort of between those two in terms of look anyhow.
Autogun and shock staff, plus a non-sanctioned pskyer wyrd power, should make him pretty solid in the game.
I also took the time to do up the rest of the Aberrants starting squad, just to finish them up as a whole and add some more painted models to my Genestealer Cults force as a whole. I’m going to pair the Genestealers with some other Imperial stuff, but I’m thinking not Imperial Guard (yet)–instead maybe some Adeptus Mechanicus just for odd flair (and to justify a big weird project I’m doing with my Warhound Titan).
Hulk smash! And bash! And pickaxe and crash!
Pretty pleased with them as well. Gonna do some more Neophytes, then finish up another five for this unit.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult and Associates Power Level Painted: 82/365
As I said in my prior post, I’m looking to do a bit more of a narrative hook for my various Crusade armies of 40k. After completing the Archon, my next target was a model for me Genestealer Cult force. I want to also do a more modified Patriarch and Magus both, but I started with a model I’ve been dying to do since the cover of the new Codex. Tucked amidst the crowd of bodies (a whole lot of them very characterful in-and-of-themselves) was one certain figure that caught my eye.
You’ll see I liked him so much I use him as my image for the blog!
The figure is in Astra Militarum armor to my view, has a bandage covering his right eye, and most importantly seems to be carrying a swaddled little baby… something… in his arms. I immediately told myself the story of him in my mind. As he seemed to have no particular sign of the Genestealer blood in him, I envisioned him as a Fourth Generation–the nearly human. But when 4th Generation hybrids have children they are 5th Generation Purestrain Genestealers. I pictured just that: his wife was pregnant with their little 5th Gen, and a segment of the cult was found out and attacked. He, learning of the attack, defected from his unit and ran to support his family. She was grievously injured, and in a moment of desperation het cut open her belly to save the child. It was born premature and stunted in this way, but it stubbornly clung to life, so he stubbornly clung to it. As I told the story more in my head, I pictured her as a Jackal Alphus and him as a soldier in a planetary Astra Militarum force. And as he was now in open revolt (having defected from his unit when he learned her forces were exposed), he simply picked up her sniper rifle and joined the swirling masses of the cult. The 5th Gen child won’t ever get older, and there are times when he believes it’s even dead, only to have it twitch with life. The man undertook training as a Sanctus, combining his military mind with his wife’s sniper rifle, and was even gifted a Soulsight Familiar by the Magus of his cult–which he’s taken to referring to as “older brother” in his frequent conversations with his stunted offspring. As a father, a caregiver, and a sniper all his patience is his strong suit: waiting for just the right moment to act.
Close UpModeled version
With the model completed, I wanted to paint him up. I’m still exploring how I might add in Astra Militarum models to a force with the Brood Brothers rule. I’ve got a couple of boxes of the Death Corps Veterans models, as well as a few models that might be good Hades Breaching Drills (to carry the industrial theme forward). For right now not sure on what regimental colors I’d use, other than something that meshes with the existing cult tones. So I decided to do a slight variation on the Armageddon Steel Legion colors, where the greatcoats and gas masks could fit right in, with the splash of the deep maroon from the Genestealer Cult plus a yellow wrap or scarf somewhere. Pretty neutral still, and should fit in fine with my other Cult forces as the bodies of the Familiar and Baby both click to the rest of that force’s look. And it’s okay if they’re a bit rag-tag. Here’s the finished version:
I’m pretty pleased with the overall result, and he should have the desired effect of adding a fun character to my force that’s properly customized so I care about them a lot more. It’s worked enough that I’m keen on fielding my Genecult’s Crusade in my next Crusade game, so that’s a plus in itself.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult 2022 Power Level Painted Total: 75/365
Warhammer 40k Aeldari 2022 Power Level Painted: 57/365
Warhammer 40k Necrons 2022 Power Level Painted: 39/365
So we’re starting a new Crusade at my local gaming store, Drawbridge Games, and this is the set-up and first game of my force. I’ll include both the arrival of my force in the campaign (as I started with a couple of Genestealer Cult games before deciding on Drukhari) and the first game with them. I’ll do another more general Crusade story post when we hit the first advancement on the map: it’s a Planetary Empires campaign using Crusade armies–all the narrative fun!
Army Background
The Biophagus lay coughing on the ground, while the Clamavus stood frozen nearby, not moving lest the Haemonculus’ Needle Pistol fire and cut him down.
The Archon spoke:
“It was easy, you see. We’ve been wanting to hunt in the Scylla Quintus planetary cluster for some time. So much agony, so many foes all clashing. It called out to us through the webway. But it’s been a matter of where to start. Where to strike? Who to usurp first?”
“The Space Marines would be burdensome to tackle first, even more so the ones who work directly fortheir Corpse-God. The Tyranids are pointless to fight as their suffering isn’t even felt. The Tau, those dopey herbivores, are so stunningly un-imaginative except with technology, so their suffering is even less interesting than that of the human soldiers of the Corpse-God, who are already walking dead and given in to their run-down existence. And our Aeldari cousins, also fun to torment, are at very least our distant-if-absurdly-optimistic kin. They’ll be around in the future.”
The Biophagus stared up, his eyes bulging as poisoned blood seeped from out his ears. The Archon continued, whether or not the poor dying creature could hear.
“But you, Cult of the Twisted Helix. You made it so easy. Your practice of sharing blood, passing the same tinctures all around? Made it simple for my Haemonculus here to concoct a poison that would delay just enough before killing each and every one of you. My agents slipped it in to your equipment, and then you…” he pointed at the Clamavus “… you so obligingly sounded the call that all in the Cult should join in ritual sharing of the blood again. What sustained and strengthened you all, now kills you. Each one will become a husk, slight delays only by individual constitutions. But all will die. What a kind practice you’ve shared. My hope is that there are branches of your Cult elsewhere, so that all your bastardized combinations of two despicable races in this galaxy are so easily and politely dispatched.”
The Archon stalked away with the Haemonculus trailing him, leaving the Clamavus scratching at the site where he too so recently received the Biophagus’ transfusion. He nearly wished that the elves had killed him as he felt a creeping chill inside his spine. Instead he went to find others, to see if they were truly dying, and to call fervently to the Star Children to arrive… and avenge.
Game One
Having established a sally port webway entrance on the Scylla Prime, the Drukhari set their sights on nearby prey. While the Tau had their primary beachhead in the contested system on the ice moon of Glaucus, they were dispatching small expansion cadres all across the surface of the larger planet. Archon Vÿr was hankering for a daring challenge, as while his Haemonculus Oribraq’s plan for taking out the Genestealer Cult was entirely successful, it was also clear to the rest of the Raiding force that it was Oribraq’s doing. Vÿr had to make some deft strokes to make certain it was him who ruled, not his underling alchemist assistant.
Archon Vÿr dispatched Oribraq and his creations to cover a flank, while his Kabalites and the Wych cult forces in his employ tackled the main line of the Tau. Between a Raider full of Wyches and a Beastmaster with a new Clawed Fiend (some aquatic version of the monster that looked mostly like a giant crab), Vÿr was confident that the Tau would be swept away.
Unfortunately the Tau seem to have undergone some technical upgrades, in both the behavior of their drones and the quality of their battlesuits. And whatever new ammunition they were using in their tanks’ rail cannons proved to be especially devastating: the Night Shields of his Raider seemed to do nothing as the solid shot blew it apart on arrival. Even the new crab-like Clawed Fiend was ruthlessly gunned down by the foes before it could fight.
It was time to make a statement, a signature kill, to show everyone just who was in charge and how to stop the horrid bovine Tau in their tracks. Archon Vÿr strode straight forward into the face of the towering battlesuit that anchored the middle of the Tau line. He began darting about, landing blow after blow, only to realize that something had changed: the Tau must have reinforced the suit and made it more vehicle and less pilot. His poisons were doing nothing to the mighty creature. More depressingly its missiles and arm cannon eventually overwhelmed his Shadowfield. As he took a devastating kick from the thing, in melee no less, he was only saved by the arrival of Haemonculus Oribraq’s Talos which finished off the mighty battlesuit.
Meanwhile Oribraq and his Wracks were dominating their side of the field, including stopping the Tau Commander in their tracks after surviving their comet-like descent. With a number of Tau warriors chained up and headed for Oribraq’s lab, the tide finally began to swing for the Drukhari. Archon Vÿr’s Flayed Skull Ravager managed to finish off both of the Tau rail-bearing tanks with a final bit of help from the rampaging Talos. It was the only bright spot of his forces amidst a narrow victory. And he had to concede that without Haemonculus Oribraq’s contributions to the fight (both personal violence meted out and that of his hellish creations), what should have been a loss became a narrow victory for the Drukhari raiding party.
Archon Vÿr licked his wounds and watched for any potential upstarts and assassins rising against him thanks to the relative disgrace of his Kabal amidst the broader victory. He’d need to think more carefully about where to deploy Haemonculus Oribraq’s forces: both to batter the foe, and to ensure that they did not get too much glory.
Painting Progress
As always, more painting updates for each game I play. Finished up a couple of things for this game, and I’m really close on a few others that I’ll hopefully have finished for the next.
Realspace Raiders is a podcast that is doing a Talos painting competition, so I wanted to do up a Talos for it. I’m really pleased with how it turned out–and its first outing on the tabletop was quite impressive.
I’ve shown the Beastmaster conversion before, but every Beastmaster needs a Beast! So here’s the “Clawed Fiend” for him. I’ve been dying to paint up the crab miniature from Underworlds, and this was finally the right timing to do so. I won’t field him too often as I’d need a big unit, but was fun to paint up and pleases me.
Obviously this means more work toward my Aeldari 2022 goals, which is likely to continue given that I’ll be doing the Crusade and Planetary Empires campaign with them over the next few months. Fun times and good painting joy ahead.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Aeldari 2022 Power Level Painted: 33/365
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult Total Power Level Painted: 64 / 365
So of course the moment I get rolling on my Aeldari Apocalypse force, I also get strongly tempted by the new rules of the Genestealer Cult codex. Readers of my updates will see a fair amount of vacillation between the two (and also dabbling with like three other armies, gah). While the previews for Genestealer Cult kind of got me down on them ultimately (or maybe, more clearly, it was leaks for other forces like Aeldari and Tau previews for Custodes)–the book really did deliver what looks like a lot of fun.
So I’m going to be sort of exploring a two-pronged approach. I’ll see if I can’t work on both forces at the same time. I’m going to do up a similar thing to my Aeldari Apocalypse picture for the GSC. And we’re kicking off a campaign at my local store, and I’m leaning toward using Genestealer Cult for it. I’ll do another post focused on Genestealer Cult goals (heh, cult goals). With that army, given that it’s somewhat limited in scope and model choices–and the models are quite few points–I’m going to go for 365 total painted (including prior to the 2022 calendar year).
Here’s my painting progress, which has been both sky-borne Drukhari and tunnel-infesting Genestealer Cult.
More Kabalite Warriors to bolster my existing unit of them.
Conversion of the original metal Dark Eldar Beastmaster model on a modern Hellion skyboard. Still a silly model (oh that codpiece). But kinda pleased with the result.
Jackal Alphus for the Genestealer Cult. This isone of my favorite models from this force. Just really dynamic looking with the sniper rifle and the bike.
20 Neophyte Hybrids. Well, actually 23 as I did them in two batches and adjusted the weapon choices in the second batch. This squad will be leader with web pistol, standard, 4 webbers, and the rest shotguns. Excited to give them a try in games as my Patriarch’s bodyguard.
Five Acolyte Hybrids with hand flamers. All set to pop up behind enemies and set up crossfire situations. These guys take a lot of time, as the tyrannic flesh has a lot of layers (including mixing a pink wash, bringing up to white, then a purple wash, and finally back up to white again). But I’m really pleased with how they end up looking.
All told a ton of painting. Really pleased with this progress in general, and with the promise of both forces going forward. I’ll need to eventually specialize, lest I end up painting 710 PL haha.
Painting Challenge 2022 Progress
Warhammer 40k Aeldari 2022 Power Level Painted: 25/365
Warhammer 40k Genestealer Cult Total Power Level Painted: 64 / 365
Hit a big milestone with a new piece completed. Finished up a Valkyrie Sky Talon for our Dogfight December event at Drawbridge Games in Pittsburgh, PA. That brought me to over 365 Power Level painted for the year of 2021, as well as giving me some further feeling of joy with my Genestealer Cult forces.
The Sky Talon is a Forgeworld piece, and a Legends model to boot, mostly because it was designed for the Elysian Drop Troops which are not an active product line. I don’t have any Elysians, but what I loved about this plane is that it looks very much like a utility vehicle repurposed and used for battle. It’s clearly a bulk hauler. I picture it as carrying cargo containers on some space dock where the dock crew have mysteriously opaque atmosphere gear.
Similar pic I know, but I wanted to also show my first Aeronautica Imperialis piece that I’ve finished–a matching Valkyrie. I modded it so it’s got clamps, and is lugging a small shipping container: as if the signal for revolt has happened, and the crew is just rushing there without even unloading.
Anyhow, pleased to make progress in a fun way like this. And really glad to have hit my yearly goals. December 17 means there was plenty of time left in the year to finish it up hah.
I’m keeping the track going with Dark Eldar (and Aeldari of all sorts), almost there with a couple of Flyers for the forthcoming Dogfight December event that I’m hosting at Drawbridge. That said, I did want to finish up the Genestealer Cult Clamavus that I did up with the boombox conversion. So I did!
I’m pretty pleased with how he turned out. As the Genestealer Cult codex gets closer I’m getting more intrigued by them, but I’m so pleased with how my Dark Eldar are looking I’m confident I’ll keep running with them for a while. And it puts me SO CLOSE to being done with my miniature painting goals for the year. Literally one more model to go (and I’ll have two, plus some other bonus painting, in my next update).
I also painted up a Meatwad with jambox (from Aqua Teen Hunger Force) for a friend to use as a squig in his Ork army. Not counting toward my points, but a fun pic to share hah.
Well I definitely added some painted models to my fledgeling start of a Drukhari Dark Eldar force over the past two weeks. Rushed to get a fully painted 50 PL ready for some holiday campaign games (just have to clean up/highlight two Ravagers that are mostly done to get there!). Also meant that I’m closing in on my goal for the year: 358 out of 365 Power Level painted in 2021. I’ll just dump all the units and the HQ I finished here. I’m really enjoying the color scheme I’ve got going for them.
Drukhari Kabalite Warriors
I’m starting out by exploring the Kabal of the Flayed Skull with my force. Not the most powerful of choices in the codex, but definitely fits with ideas about them being closer to the Saim Hann craftworld (as that’s the aerial combat Kabal).
Succubus with Razorflails
I did up the Succubus with the Razorflails mostly because I thought they’re pretty amusing–so many attacks, and as I’m running the Wyches as Cult of Strife, Competitive Edge turns it up to absurd levels of attacks. Infantry blobs beware.
First Unit of Wyches
Second unit of Wyches
Third unit of Wyches
I did up three small squads of Wyches, each one with their sergeant using a different weapon combo: one with Agonizer and Blast Pistol, one with just the Agonizer, and one with the trusty Power Sword.
Drukhari Mandrakes conversion
I wanted to add a squad of Mandrakes but in no way wanted to deal with the Finecast resin that the current models are in. Searching around for alternatives, it seemed like these Age of Sigmar Sea Elves fit the bill. They have the strange carvings in their skin that work for the blue energy runes, and I represented their shooting attack as blue energy coming from their eye sockets and mouths. Pretty reasonable conversion I felt.
So that’s a huge addition to my force, which I’m really quite pleased with. I’ve gotten them onto the table twice, and definitely enjoyed them well enough in the first few games. Looking forward to more working with them.
Genestealer Cult Bonus
I also have a friend who is starting a 3D printing on demand service (Quixotic Quest Printing, check them out here: https://www.facebook.com/QuixoticQuestPrinting), and I ordered a Boombox to go on my Genestealer Cults Clamavus. Gonna paint him up soon, but couldn’t resist sharing the finished conversion. I tried to get it on his shoulder but the scale wasn’t quite right. Good news the Acolyte Demo Charge arm was perfect with the straps, so I’m pretty pleased with how it turned out.
I’d imagine that The Message by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five (well, mostly Melle Mel) would be a good tune for him to be playing: https://youtu.be/bercOMtBIgg
So the classic picture of the Genestealer Cults chaos army back from the Rouge Trader era is the one with the stylish cult limousines (see below). The current book is about to be replaced, but it’s unlikely that they’ll have a Limo option yet. The closest is the Goliath Truck, which is a light transport that can carry 10 models and sports just a pair of autocannons and a heavy stubber. But I’m not letting that stop me from adding the Limo to my army!
The classic photo
Enter: the Wargames Exclusive “Genetic Cult Civilian Limo”. The model is great, and for size comparison that oval base underneath it is a bit larger than the ones I use on my other Cult vehicles (it’s longer than the Flyer base). I loved painting up the model, and I’m really pleased with how it turned out. I’m still not convinced that Genestealer Cult is going to be a long-term force for me–but I’m having some fun with painting pieces now.
Cult Limo!
I also added another HQ choice for my force: an Abominant. He was fun to paint up too, as I like finding the point of going from the flesh tones to the Tyranid carapace colors on the model.
Anyhow, a bit more fun to the silly army with these additions. They certainly turn heads when they hit the table (two heads in the case of the Abominant hah).
The Dark Muse 