Cryx Seether #2

One more Cryx beast has just left painting station, ready to wreak havoc in the name of Lord Toruk!

It's always nice to add another model to the painted pile, it's double nice to support beloved army with one more killing machine, but the best thing is - it's the first Seether I painted so far which I really like! And it's most probably the 4th variant of this piece and probably it's not over - the previous version most probably sooner or taker will get fresh paintjob... 🙄

Funny thing about this model: it's based on the same chassis / hull / skeleton as Slayer and Reaper helljacks - which are both brilliant sculpts but Seether is kinda odd... No idea why - my guess is it's the matter of the "hood" which makes it goofy. Anyway I painted it several times before and it's the first time I am satisfied. I think part of success is the pose: the model is second hand piece, it's been cut and reposiotioned before so I had to make special base to prevent it from falling - and make it look kinda like charging. I didn't like original head so it's been replaced with plastic Slayer's bit.

As for colors I chose well tested light olive colro combo. I must say I like it much better then "original" painting. Somehow I cannot paint really dark models so they look nice enough to keep them.

See? About to perform head-butt power 

Fratricidal melee about to start:

And some more scale shots: below - Seether about to feed on bile thralls necroburgers: 

And here - about to be possessed by hungry machine wraiths:

Pistol Wraith (Cryx)

Last month a miracle happened: we had a Warmachine match! 😲

I am still impressed we've managed to assemble the game but definitely - my Cryx is hungry for more!

We played the latest edition - no back strikes, 360 degree line of sight, boosted warjacks etc. It was fine as game played after such a long break, but I think earlier version was much more "hardcore" so hope to dig out old rulebooks and give it a try. Anyway it was such a fun I decided to save some Cryx stuff from pile ov shame and the winner waaaaas... Pistol Wraith 👻

I remember that model was a blast when Escalation supplement was released - both as model and gaming unit. It was deadly on battlefield and I still consider it as one of the best and most characterful miniatures from Cryx line. There are some brilliant examples of painted miniatures in the webspace so my gaming model is no match for them, but I still like it and had lots of fun working on it. As for a base I used spare pile of skulls from screaming skull catapult and some placcy heads. I can actually imagine it haunting old battlefields, unable to leave unburied, restless bones. Or something.

So here it is. Hope to see it in action anytime soon.

Below: pistol wraith about to scratch Deathjack right between where it's eyes should be:

Here: some target practice in the city park with Mechanithralls:

And below - the only pic from recent game I've managed to get: Slayer and Reaper helljacks supported by Deathripper bonejack about to launch a charge against enemy Juggernaut (that was exactly the very same model I painted - I've almost cried while pulling it's arms off and ripping hull apart... Almost... 😁):

And next: something heavy... 🤖

Deathripper (Cryx)

It's the end of October and yet I've managed save another model from the pit of oblivion! 

Woo-hoo! 🥳

Surprisingly it's another plastic model from Warmachine new line, but contrart to those ghastly bane thralls - working on Toruk's lap dog - deathripper - was lots of fun. This model is part of Cryx leftovers my friend was getting rid of a while back, so I got it with missing head. That wasn't really a problem: although original model has skull and jaw, it can be easily replaced with almost any weapon you can imagine and robot would still look cool!

For example the previous deathripper was assembled using chaos terminator chain fist as the weapon. I couldn't find any spare termie fists this time, but I had spare killa kan's crushing claw - which turned out to be perfect robo-head prosthesis 👾

Color choice is my typical olive green mix - Cryx models look pretty cool and kinda believable painted this way. Blood stains should look really nice on such armour. So here it is:

And here family photo: Iron Lich Asphyxious is taking death chicken herd for a walk:

And here death chicken is about to feed on some mechanithralls led by necrosurgeon:

Off for some more Warmachine excavation...

Defiler (Cryx)

Spring cleaning time has also hit my painting desk. Some time ago friend of mine sent me printed fire burst. At first I wanted to use if for Bolt Action US army but all in all dropped this idea - M1 flamethrower was simply way to small for such a burst.

So it's been waiting for the proper moment. 

As it happened there was old Cryx Defiler piece staggering around painting station. It's equipped with solid nozzle which is just perfect for little cinematic effect.

I like original Cryx color scheme, but I like "realistic" painting even better. Most of painting is just simple airbrusing upgraded with washes and dry pigments. Works surprisingly well if done clean. Red is natural opposite color to green so the burst was painted like flame instead of fluff-wise acid spit. For the opponents I chose oldie Stalker bonejack and bunch of mechanithralls - old, dry corpses simply burn like hell!

I had lots of fun working on this lil' pest - hope you like it:

Iron Lich Asphyxious

Last Wednesday local Cryx force has once again been challenged to battle. To my surprise my trusty old foe didn't field Khador (despite he just got nice and shiny Juggernaut... 🙄). Instead - Magnus the Traitor appeared with his mercenary band.

The game was fun, but I decided to get another warcaster painted to provide some necro-variety to the army. I've always liked Iron Lich Asphyxious - it was the first purchase together with starter box when we were starting Warmachine here about 2004 and IMHO it's still cool. Dead cool... 💀

If I remember correctly it's my 3th attempt to paint this deader and looks like I finally like the result. Military olive green ain't common among Cryx stuff but I like it much more then classic black. And it has absolutely nothing in common with the fact I can't paint black so it looks smart. I didn't like original skull. It was bit smaller and had no jaw so it was replaced with plastic head. Such bright element makes strong contrast and is nice focal point of the miniature. Right. Time to find some more corpses to paint in local graveyard. Heil Toruk!

And little size comparison shot. Pretty big compared to ordinary rank-and-file deaders, ain't it? But it's Iron Lich after all!

Seether (Cryx) - trade / sale

After preparing several different army lists for my Cryx decision was made to unify paintjob on models I have in my disposal. Over 2 years ago Seether got fresh, experimental colors, but looking at the model now I don't think it's what I wanted to achieve 🤔

If I remember correctly this model has already been washed off 2 times and don't really do it again - destroying own paintwork always hurts a bit. So long story short - I'd gladly exchange it for unpainted version + something for the paintjob. I could sure purchase another Seether, but taking care of second-hand models is kinda like adopting pet. It seems just proper 😊

I know it's a blind shot but who knows, someone might be interested in the deal. 

Necrosurgeon (Cryx)

Looks like I am still on Warmachine painting wave. Last week some mechanithralls got prepared for combat and now I decided to boost their morale and survivability: 

the boys got hot and saucy nurse to fix their wounds during heat of the battle 😍  

The model comes with 3 assistants - stitch thralls. These little fellas were painted quite a long time ago (apart from bases - these were refreshed to fit new mechanithralls), but until now I couldn't find enough steam to finsh the surgeon. Which is strange actually. Before I started painting I was sure all those details (like nasty medical tools) would cause lots of trouble but in the end it took me only 2 evenings to get work done 😳

I really regret I haven't done it earlier - this sculpt is just brilliant! It's surely one of the most characterful models in Warmachine range - in my opinion that is. The sculpt turned out way better then artwork. It's just so cold and evil - clearly reminds cenobite from Hellraiser series or Dark Eldar haemonculus. Just look at these empty eye sockets! 😵
The "human" part is pretty frail - not like most of Warmachine models so it was a chalenge to paint it with brushes I use (in fact for quite a long time I've been pretty sure the sculpt is underscaled). I'd gladly paint another one armed with better tools and bit more patience.

Here it is anyway - together with her grateful patients 👩‍⚕️

Mechanithralls (Cryx)

So after getting chariot #2 and chariot #3 done for Middlehammer Undead army I decided to take a short break from Warhammer and painted some deaders for Warmachine... 🤪

A short while back we were talking about metal Warmachine models and that brought the conclusion it was just supercool game: fast, dynamic and unpredictable. So decision was made right away to take old models for a walk.
I really like Cryx helljacks but as in any other wargame it's large infantry units what makes army look great on the battlefield. And mechanithralls fit this role very well:
-    reliable,

-    dead,

-    hitting hard,

-    dead,

-    cheap,

-    did I mention dead? 

About 2 years ago half of mechanithralls I possess was painted, but for the coming game I need some more cannon fodder so another has just been prepared. These are deaders so painting wasn't complicated: for flesh you can use almost any color and as for metal elements - anything fits. I chose rust because itąs quick, easy and looks nice from the distance.

So here they are, ready to spread death and destruction in the name of Toruk!

Nekkid necro-butts!!! 😱

Whole machinethralls family. You can see 2 converted brute thralls in the mob. I have another one used for No Quarter Magazine painting challenge, but I consider dismantling contest piece to make thralls gaming pieces again.

And the 25 pts force prepared to kick some steel Khador butts next week! 💀

  

Lich Lord Terminus

Looks like one more time cat's dragged in something really big and nasty!

Last weekend we were looking for some conversion parts with my son and he found that huge, spare wing. I told him it's piece of model I got long time ago but somehow never had enough strenght to paint is. So he asked: 

Maybe you can paint it now?

You bet I can!

I got Terminus model long time ago, maybe 10 years ago? When we were still playing Warmachine quite a lot. Nope, just checked: over 10 years ago 😳
Terminus wasn't really my type of caster in the game but always considered the model supercool. Apart from the fact assembling it and manipulating during painting process was f#cking nightmare... NIGHTMARE!
Really: it's one of the very few models I had to paint half assembled but must say if I ever had to work on it again I'd surely paint all parts separated and then put the model together.

As for color choice Terminus is supposed to lead my Cryx force so tried to keep same flesh and metal colors plus similar style of bases (just like on mechanithralls there are front and back arcs marked on bases).
The sculpt is pretty wicked. I never liked that sword painted metal, it definitely looks more like piece of huge bone so that's the way I painted it. Besides blood  always looks much more striking on bone, than on metal.

Enough of chit chat - here's the necrobusiness:

🤘

Mechanithralls & bile thralls

Hey again,

It's good to be back among the living.
Among the dead actually - we'll see for how long...

Anyway despite huge amount of shit hitting the fan in the so-called real life 8 models has just left the pile of The Unpainted and joined the ranks of Cryx army: mechanithralls.

This is actually my second attempt of dealing with these steam-fisted necroheads:

back days I had some of them but sold them together with most of the army (duh!). 

But since we're back into Warmachine (I ed.) here, my casters feel just kinda sad without bunch of animated corpses running around, so here they are!

Painting is simple and rather quick (for my standards that is):
the idea was to paint 3-4 models same time to get the job done bit faster and still keep some painting level: after all nicely painted minis fight better!

Those two standing on large bases were supposed to be brute thralls (yet in 2014!) - unit attachment, now they're just ordinary rank and file troopers. Just bit more funny ^^

I think I still should have few more of these minis, hope to find 4 more so I can form 2 squads. Background is the new thing: there is a background, instead of painting desk mess.

Some people pointed that models look with nice background behind so I'll be testing it.

As for these fatties below - they were painted before 2013 (See? The proof!) but simply couldn't part with them: these sculpts are just way too cool. Besides I think they were painted in No Quarter back days - there was a tutorial about painting dead flesh if I remember correctly. Looking at them now I must admit I like that background more and more...