A Face Only Grandfather Nurgle Could Love

This is it — I’ve finally completed last two models from the Warhammer 40,000 Dark Imperium boxed set. The last two figures (the Noxious Blightbringer and the Malignant Plaguecaster) are imposing character models with a lot of details. But they’re done at last, and not a moment too soon: Apoc-Luck is this weekend!

Up first is the Malignant Plaguecaster. He’s a sort of sorcerer for the Death Guard Plague Marines. The basic sculpt included several silly details that I didn’t like, such as a weird head with a creepy babydoll face, and a fart/vomit stream coming out of his hand. Here’s the original stock sculpt from Games Workshop.

The baby face and fart cloud were certainly flavorful flourishes, but I didn’t like ‘em, so out came the clippers.

I replaced the baby face with the snout from a Pig Iron gas mask head. There wasn’t a lot of space under his cowl, so I really just needed the nose part of the head, nothing more than that.

I snipped the fart cloud right off and replaced it with a more traditional gun from my bits box. Oops, looks like I forgot to drill out the barrel.

I also skipped the floppy robe pieces that go on the back of his armor and instead attached a puckered sphincter piece and one of those smoky incense balls (snipped off another unsuspecting Plague Marine model), both of which I had sitting around in my bits box. Again, it’s nothing spectacular, but it does give this figure a unique flair that you won’t get with the stock sculpt.

Anyway, I think the model is a little bit less ostentatious now. It’s still plenty gruesome and creepy, and it still definitely screams “PLAGUE MARINES!”

Up next we have the Noxious Blightbringer, a massive warrior who carries an equally large bell (lots of bells, actually — they’re hanging all over his armor!).

This was a fairly straightforward paint job, but I was really pleased with how he came out. Lots of smooth colors and highlights, as opposed to my typical “block colors + magic dip” approach. I spent a little extra time on this guy, and it shows.

Oops, I forgot to paint up that incense ball and the little fly on his backpack. Oh well! Anyway, they’ll both be hitting the table alongside a solid block of Plague Marines and Poxwalkers in this weekend’s Apoc-Luck battle! Stay tuned for more!