Space Marine “Warriors of the Imperium” (1992-3): Dauntless December ’18

Space Marine "Warriors of the Imperium" (1992-3)

This model was built and painted originally over 20 years ago, when the “new” Mk7 Space Marines had their first multipart plastic kit released in 1992-3 or so following the metal Space Marine Strike Force (and long before the more familiar multipart kit from the 40k 3rd edition Starter box. It was known as “Warriors of the Imperium”

Space Marine "Warriors of the Imperium" (1992-3)

Anyway, I saw a converted model, essentially the same model – either in White Dwarf or converted by someone local. The original version had a metal head used, and possibly a metal torso and legs, but featured the same kind of converted skull-backpack, pointing finger and a broadly similar head. I made mine from the the aforementioned plastic marine kit, along with a plastic Imperial Guard head, and the skulls were taken from HeroQuest decorative Skulls, cut down and modified to become power armour vents.

Space Marine "Warriors of the Imperium" (1992-3)

What this guy is exactly, I couldn’t tell you. It kind of feels like a distant ancestor to the Deathwatch, and certainly GW of the day would slap different names onto random marines like Doom Eagle, or even as captions in White Dwarf, so it’s entirely possible that there was some relationship there. I (briefly) considered replacing the left arm and/or pauldron blinging him out as a modern DW marine, but I think he works better simply rebased on a 32mm, and with the rest of him as a kind of restored time capsule. I did tone down his bright yellow Bolt Pistol, though!

Space Marine "Warriors of the Imperium" (1992-3)

Since he’s a (late) Rogue Trader-era model, he also qualifies as “Oldhammer”, though not original-era RT. As for the current edition, he doesn’t really fit in well as anything. No matter, I can always use him to proxy as some kind of low-level hero. Perhaps a Lieutenant. I guess that makes him Dauntless!

There’s now only one more model to complete my December output – see you in about 24 hours for December’s exciting conclusion!

Realm of Chaos – Nurgle’s Children 2018 #5: Aly Morrison’s Original Oldhammer Great Unclean One (1988-9) Painting Decemb-uary 2017-18: Postscript 1

That bloody post title’s long enough, don’t ya reckon?

This figure is a “renovation” of the original Great Unclean One model, a figure I bought on release, finally originally started about 7 or 8 years ago, sat in limbo, then completed almost three years ago. Nominally for 40k, but with Kings of War equally (or more) in mind – given the square base.

The problem, well, the problems were that:

  1. I was never really satisfied with it. I didn’t like how I’d completed the face of the model.
  2. The base. Again, I’ve always preferred the aesthetic of round bases over squares. I didn’t have any GW-style 50mm round bases at the time either – and 40mm round was too small and 60mm round way too big – so he went on an original-size 40mm Square base.

When rebasing, I wanted to keep it in line with the later Great Unclean One, so some large chunks of slate to improve his stature (he’s looking pretty small by modern standards), and as witht he original version, a bit of a gore trail behind him.

So aside from rebasing, I also needed to add a bit more variation in tone to his flesh, rather than just being a muddy green. I added some ruddy fleshtones to him, scattered around his bulk, but also focused on knee, elbow and knuckle joints, with a little around the shoulders. I also purpled up his tongue where it had originally been red, and added the green glowing eyes that I’m using across (most of) my Nurgle daemons. Because of his smaller stature and the fact that I now have the larger 1997-ish GUO painted, this one will be used as a Daemon Prince. Which will also be the ’07 model’s eventual fate when I have an ’18 model assembled and painted…

Here’s how he looked before the renovation. Not radically different, but I feel it’s been an improvement that I’m happy with, and now I’m finally satisfied with the model. Looking at those old LaTD posts, it makes me realise there’s some other stuff I could/should pull out of that series of models to include in the updated Nurgle Daemon force. Time to go hunting…