Genestealer Coven - Building the Cult

Thanks for the tips Assless. With the advent of the new 40k, tyranid allies aren't really a concern anymore, so I think I have the bones of a list I like. Here's the first finished hybrid.

Genestealer-Cult_01.jpg


Next up is my first heirarch/Magos. I'll be using a rather bashed up old chaos champion who needs some 40k love.

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Adorable. Look at him with his little dagger and plasma pistol, bless him. The Victoria heads are really cool for the Ymgarl(?) variant of hybrid. This guy clearly uses his robot hand only for Evil :twisted: !
 
Th emore I see him, the more I like him. There is a part of it I had missed but the very idea of an admech genestealer cult is brilliant to start with. It introduces a dichotomy between the tech-loving side of their former identity and the purley biological and technophobic side of their new genestealer self. This martial livery is also a delight and I cannot wait to see how twisted the characters and more heavily mutated members will be.
Some very exciting opportunities ahead.

theottovonbismark":1batfj7y said:
This guy clearly uses his robot hand only for Evil :twisted: !
Click to expand...
Picking his nose when he manages to find it?
 
It introduces a dichotomy between the tech-loving side of their former identity and the purley biological and technophobic side of their new genestealer self.
Click to expand...

That's the sweet spot right there, the conversion potential for revolting bio-mechanical horror is just enormous.
 
It's awesome to the point of flesh coloured flesh instead of pallid purple/pallid pink and that just niggles away at me. Granted, I'm only now starting to read the RT Compilation to get the most comprehensive overview of cults (read whatever else I could get throughout the years mind), but that's my niggling bit - the project right now based on that test model there with his plasma pistol/knife well it's just a bunch of flesh zombies in the flesh colours and those are around as standard mutants, chaos mutants, dark eldar experiments/grotesques, the list goes on. Admech zombies I have seen an army done before, they looked cool, but your genestealer hybrid just looks like a mutant admech not a hybrid admech, so that's my only gripe with the project - the skin doesn't scream genestealer hybrid. Not my project but felt I should weigh in with some constructive criticism there as the model is obviously mutated from its' original form. VERY nice model though and army should look awesome.

What list were you looking at overall? I'm always a stickler for lists.
 
Hey, feedback is always welcome, if not I'd be foolish to put it up on the internet.

I can see your point, certainly, and other folks have commented that it reminds them more of a dark eldar wrack than a genestealer hybrid. I've seen plenty of purple-skinned cults, and I found these kind of things always look a bit more creepy when the flesh looks a bit more realistic. Having said that, I'll probably up the purple in the glazes for areas around the eyes, temples, around the joins with implants and so on. Perhaps when I have a couple of stealers done using the same skin tone it might start hanging together more as a cohesive force.

I'll most likely use the Astra Militarum codex. I've been out of the 40k scene for some years, so it'll take me a while to find my way around.
 
Genestealer-Cult_04.jpg


Another hybrid finished. This time we're going old school. This is one of my favourite models from the Rogue Trader era. I didn't get this guy in a fortuitous ebay bid, no. He's been in my possession since he was first released. He's had to wait some decades, but here he is at last. Quite a fiddly model to paint, with a lot of recesses and awkward little details, but for all that a real joy to have finished.

I did agonise over what colour to paint his armour. Black, purple, red, all were considered. In the end, with the scheme I chose, a simple metallic seemed to work best. It also has the advantage of highlighting all the wonderful detail in the armour ribbing and various joints. I did paint the little backpack/powerpack on his back green, which I'm using on guns, satchels and so on as well.

Here he is with his new school brother. Now to give them someone to boss them around.

Genestealer-Cult_03.jpg
 
Been following this on your blogspot blog, too, but thought I'd comment here a I don't have a blog account. I think you've done a great job with this mini (one of my favourite sculpts).

I saw someone post somewhere about the eyes, saying they felt they looked unfinished painted white. I'm torn on that. On the one hand I think white eyes is super-creepy. But on this scale of miniature, I think it can make them look unfinished, particularly as many people don't paint eyes at all. So if you wanted to maintain the creepy but minimise the risk of looking unfinished, maybe a pink dot in the middle, or something, would help?

Your suggestion of glazing some purple into the skin recesses is a good one, I think. I have a small Adeptus Mechanicus force; I did the flesh in Dheneb Stone to look pale, and glazed purple in the recessed, and red around implants, to make them look unhealthy. So not a million miles from where yours are, although I think your overall skill level is higher than mine.

I am still yet to paint any of mine, really should get to it! I am going for a more feral look so that could be an interesting contrast to your tech look. :) When I get around to it...

Your miniatures (the Fimir too) have a very rich, warm tone. I was wondering, do you wash/dip them in a warm brown or something? Or perhaps it could be the photo lighting? Mine often look a little stark/pallid, and while that's often the look I want, I would like to be able to create other effects. :)
 
Thanks very much. I do rather like the white,but the pink dot is interesting. I might try that on the next guy.

I use a lot more glazing and washing now compared to how I used to paint. The lighter the tone, the more of the work I do with them. I love the idea of a feral GS cult. That could look incredible.

I tend to use a lot of brown washes of varying shades. The fimir, for example, use a mid-brown dip, but also a lot of sepia washes. I use a reddish brown instead of red to wash the red cloth on the hybrid, for example. It looks more realistic. Hell, even the purple carapace on his arms is shaded with a brown wash, though once the highlights are applies the whole thing gets a purple glaze. Then, when you do pop in a bright colour for contrast it really stands out.
 
Thanks for the tip! Part of the difference in our styles, then, could be that I tend to use the duller brown washes (e.g. Devlan Mud, Agrax Earthshade, Vallejo Smoke) while it sounds like you use more sepia. Perhaps I'll give some sepia a shot for a future, when I don't want things to look so stark.

Anyway I look forward to updates on your end, especially the Magus and larger mutant-hybrid!
 
Genestealer-Cult_05.jpg


The first magos is finished. He was a very satisfying miniature to rescue from the brink of destruction and return to the cabinet converted up and with a shiny new paint job. He takes to the part of magos very well I think, especially with the addition of some cables and his floating pal. He really needs a couple of servitors though, I am thinking.

Here's the cult so far. Small, but growing...

Genestealer-Cult_06.jpg
Mr_Morbius1974
 
Amazing stuff. Great way to make use if that salvaged chaos champ. One of my favourite miniatures I never managed to pick up.
Look forward to seeing more hybrids, and what kind of servitors you come up with especially
 
That's a darned interesting take on the bug cult. I'm, uh, chasing the Olley sculpts, as Naagruz put it, and while I've made considerably progress you've got some great ideas there that could really flesh a cult out in interesting ways. Gorgeous work.
 
Thanks indeed. Nice ideas there on the Rippers Curtis. I have several stealer skulls set aside for such a purpose.

Thanks Symphonic. Actually, I do have a couple of duplicate Olley hybrids if you're of a mind to trade?
 
Hehehe I wondered if that made sense. Readibility as in how easy it is to read the detail. What I mean is that it is easier to distinguish the carapace parts from the rest of the model at distance. The purple carapace on the latest hybrid seems to stand out more than his earlier counterparts, could be the highlighting on him (or it could just be the photos).
 
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