Realm of Chaos – Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998)

Realm of Chaos - Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998)

After completing a few more of my old Beastmen a few months ago, I was reawakened to just how much I enjoy these models, so when a few months ago I went delving into my leadpile looking for my original Keeper of Secrets models to paint for the Monster March painting challenge, I found this model. I didn’t actually find the Keepers, which I’ve quite wanted to paint for a few months now, but I guess finding them stays an ongoing process – much like finding the missing Minotaur to complete my Chaos Dwarf Blood Bowl team

Realm of Chaos - Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998)

As often happens when I find and prepare specific models for a painting challenge, I managed to get it assembled, but didn’t have a chance to start on the paint during March, so when Monster MAYhem rolls around shortly afterwards, it gives me both some motivation to get even more monster models painted – including the stuff that either didn’t get finished – or started for Monster March.

Realm of Chaos - Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998)

As I was discussing with Sho3box not too long ago, Trish isn’t my most favourite of the old guard of Citadel sculptor, but I don’t mind these minotaurs all that much. Certainly better work than anything bearing a scales hide, though there’s some seriously weird proportional stuff going on with the oversized hands and feet – and especially with that ginormous macrocephlic head and tusk-like teeth! There are a lot of little fiddly details I coul dhave done without, many of which are fine on the surface, but less so if you actually look at them for more than a couple of seconds…

Realm of Chaos - Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998)

Thankfully, though, it wasn’t particularly hard or unpleasant to paint – which counts for a lot in practise. I kept the palette to the same basic palette I used for my Beastmen, with a little more red to the red-browns, and a little more gold, as befits a Minotaur Lord. I wasn’t sure what sort of base to put him on, but it turns out that in current times an AoS “Doombull” goes on a 50mm round, so I went with that – even though it feels a little small, the 60mm equally felt a little large.

Realm of Chaos - Citadel Minotaur Lord/Doombull (Trish Carden/Morrison, 1998), Beastman Bray Shaman, Brayherd Beastmen Gors (Michael Perry, 1995-6)

I’ve given Berkeley a day off today for the size comparison and instead am using the other beastmen I’ve painted in the same vein. Sure, we’re nowhjere near an army at this point, but it is starting to look like a nice little warband, and that in itself makes me a little happy. I’ll need to pick out a couple more beastlads to be the next couple of models in this line. I may have to go back and rebase the three metals on 25mm rounds to 32mm bases as the plastics and Shaman have.

Realm of Chaos – Citadel Beastman Bray Shaman, Brayherd Beastmen Gors (Michael Perry, 1995-6)

Citadel Beastman Bray Shaman, Brayherd Beastmen Gors (Michael Perry, 1995-6)

Funny how some models look dated quickly, and some sculpts endure, isn’t it? My models today were sitting here half-painted for several years, got restarted recently in a failed attempt to complete more models for Roger from Under the Wargames Table‘s recent “Mo’vember” painting challenge and then re-restarted after playing a bit of Vermintide II over the Christmassy break. I’ve always loved Michael Perry’s line of goat-headed beastman/beastmen models, initially sculpted and released in the mid-1990’s. That Bray Shaman still holds up really well today, I think – all the more for the fact that he’s not balancing on one leg on a tactical rock, thrusting a staff towards the heavens with sculpted flames coming out of his …nose.

Citadel Beastman Bray Shaman, Brayherd Beastmen Gors (Michael Perry, 1995-6)

I can only say it’s both a shame and a wonder that I haven’t painted more of these models, whether it’s the old-school metals, the more recent plastics (a pair of “eBay rescue repaints” seen here), or the newset Age of Sigmar versions that have come out alongside releases for things Like Warhammer Underpants: Beastgrave and the like. Something I’ll really have to rectify in 2022, I reckon. Oh, I also forgot to paint in the eyeball gems on the staff-hand-skull. I’ve since fixed that! These models are also submitted within the window for Dave Stone’sPaint What You Got challenge. Something definitely worth checking out and participating in if you’re interested in giving the extra motivation of a low-stress painting challenge a go!

Finally, I’d also like to take the opportunity to dedicate this post to Rodor and, um D’Rodor Jr, of the blog Rodorhammer, as they are both fans of the Beastmans and their recent post on Christmas Beastmen (or Beastmen for Christmas?) combined with the whole Vermintide II thing and helped motiovate me to get these three completed in the days following Christmas! Saluti, compagni!