Undead legionnaire (gift bit)

Looks like one more restless dead has just decided to leave the painting station looking for new home! 💀

I think there's proper time, place and purpose for every model rotting in the pile of shame to be painted and apparently this one has been bound to end up as member of the souvenir squad. 

Just like the previously painted legionnaire-gift, I had lots of fun painting this one. Although the sculpt is from mid-90's I still think it's supercool model for painting even for modern standards: easy accesable with every painting tool and spiced with juicy details, like cyber-enchantments or half face torn off. I'd really like to leark who made the model - whole line of oldie undead legionnaires (like these ones for example) is simply brilliant!

While I was working on it went back to high school time, when Warzone was still alive and operational. Of course, back days models were mostly crappy painted (if painted at all), and since we were just kids itn still early re-born Poland - there were much less minis around. These were just pretty expensive compared to our budgets (and I don't even mean Games Workshop stuff, which back days was already fuc#ing overpriced). Nevertheless we were having lots of fun running battles leading crappy armies on crappy battlefields (sticks from park as fallen trees, pile of books under green cloth as hill or even some toilet paper as running stream 😊 ).

Yeah, it was ton of crap but it was also ton of fun.

Cannot remember when was the last time I was remembering these oldie "Warzone times" but I am surely glad they re-appeared while painting the model. It's good to know there's old ghost sitting on one's shoulder, reappearing when least expected just take a look and remind it's still there 👻

Hope the model arrives undamaged and the recipient likes it. Also hope to get better background for post-apo / sci-fi models: that city park in the back is starting pissing me off...

Demon hunter (Mishima)

I was actually hoping for painting some more undead legionnaires for nephatire warlord's squad, but instead decision was made to work on rather unusual piece for my taste: 

not only alive but also pretty bright 😁 My latest victim was demon hunter from late 90's.

Mishima models are just supercool. The idea of sci-fi samurai faction supported by cool models is something you cannot pass without turning back. Sadly when it comes to playing games I am monogamic and my sould has been sold to forces of darkness long time ago, so don't think I will command Mishina force ever. But that doesn't mean I cannot paint something from that range for a change.

Until I started working on the piece I wasn't sure about the sculpt: I used to think it's just medicore. But I changed my mind just after applying undercoat - model is simply great and not just for oldschool standards. As for color choice I tried to keep it less cartoony then official Warzone paintjobs. Initially the blade was supposed to be painted bright silver but then I thought Ki-force ensorcelled, hot as hell blade is way more suitable to face monstrocities like Alakhai the Cunning:

Here demon hunter is dealing with remains of local secret kohorts:

The model is actually gift piece so it might see some combat tomorrow night and after that it starts the journey to the recipient. And next time: evil machine should roll in... 👾

Golem of darkness / Nepharite warlord

I didn't expect it but Dark Legion force got another character shortly after finishing secret kohorts last week. As mentioned before I had to paint somthing totally different after dealing with 13 red/rapsberry robes so old Golem of darkness model was just perfect for this task.

I really dig official artwork - this guy is just cold, cosmic killing machine. The sculpt is 95% flesh so painting is quick and easy using airbrush. It's large model so it should look just great among standard size cultists or indead legionnaires. Just check this beautie:

And here's the model - not as cool as artwork but still pretty good consindering oldschool Warzone range. The problem was the glaive's pole broke. It's thing and metal part so I couldn't pin the parts so model could be used as gaming piece.

The only choice was quick battlefield surgery. Initially I wanted to rebuild melee weapon palm and replace the original one but that was Golem's left hand would look kinda odd. After some excavation in the bits box I found enough parts to replace both palms: right one got gun instead of glaive, left one got chainsword / ripper / shrubbery cutter.
Why such weapon choice? 
It turned out there's another character called Nepharite warlord (junior nepharite) with no official model but carrying Voriche heavy handgun and one-arm Azogar (that bread cutter). And in game it's even better then Golem, because Nepharite warlord is commander of zombie squads boosting their more then pathetic statistics. So here it is:

🤘🏻

The secret kohorts #1

Since my Dark Legion finally got the proper leader I decided to support him with with mob of trusty followers. Trusty but also maniacal and absolutely ruthless that is...

During many years spent in the hobby I've managed to collect some models from Dak Legion secret kohorts range. I got them pretty randomly so these are mix of acolytes, initiates and characters. These models are nothing special in the field - these are basically necromutants, but alive (what a shame... 😒). The sculpts are also definitely not the best old Warzone had to offer (my taste that is) but they are very distinctive and they wear robes, so they can look very striking on the battlefield is painted right.

Looking at my Warzone force I can see mix of rust, dark metal, rotting olive and dirt. Shouldn't expect anything else from Dark Legion, but having some contrasting unit on the battlefield wouldn't hurt. 

Robes is most of these sculpts so decided to paint them more-less red so squad looks striking on green battlefield. All in all I like the final result, but it's not what I really had in mind when painting started. I used lots of red wash from Vallejo range but it turned out it's just different color compared to paint from few years back. It's rather "rapsberry" then red... 🙄

For other elements the basic plan was to use dark metalics and dark tones for uniform (green or blue). White masks was Tymon Ultraa's idea (thanks for the tip mate!). I didn't even consideded it at first but all in all these faces are just great eye catchers. Because of white masks I also applied some ridicuous old white skull decals from Imperial Guard and Chaos infantry. You get the point: Algeroth, war, death, skulls - shit like that.

There sure will be more of these guys. To prevent getting bored too fast  I split the mob into 3-men squads, There will be surely some color differences  between whem but they should look just great assembled alltogether.

So here they are: cult of Algeroth facing dirty servants of Demnogonis (must say robes look much more red on the pictures then in the display case, guessing it's the matter of light):

Alakhai the Cunning

Alakhai is well over seven feet in height. His armor is forged of petrified human souls, it's surface etched with runes telling of the atrocities he commited to acquire such protection. 

His piercing eyes cast a fiery glow across his thin lips and sharp teeth, which are always visible through his maniacal smile. 

Always accompanying Alakhai onto battlefield is the Meat Wolfer, his huge battle sword...

Well that shit freaks me out! 😱
And those tiny guys on the pic below most probably have already fouled their panzer pants after they noticed it's Meat Wolfer's feeding time... 🥶

Anyway I've finally done it - after all those years my Dark Legion got worthy commander!

This model is kinda special (most of Warzone models I have are kinda special): 

official Paul Bonner's artwork was one of my very first Warzone pictures I spotted back and on that very moment I just knew that was it. That second I was sold to the Dark Soul...

No matter how cool the artwork is, model is just... Well - oldschool Warzone style: maybe cool but also kinda goofy. Color choice was based on "official" paintjob I spotted in Mutant Chronicles zine. The plan was to add more red elements (like armor edges) but dropped it - I am more then sure such thing would look just flat. Red cloak is test piece: I want to add unit of acolytes wearing red robes. They should look striking especially on grass green battlefield. The final result is ok, but next time I'll use violet instead of dark brown the shading.

Like most models I have this one is second hand. I got it slightly damaged - the rim on right back shoulder pad. The top of the horn was also broken so I cut it off and replaced with greenstuff prosthesis. I made it bigger then original horn: it makes Alakhai even more badass and besides we all know what do girls say about nepharites with big horrrrrrns...

I'd love to ask the sculptor about the gem on left knee. No idea what was the idea behind it but my guess is round piece of greenstuff was left there by chance. Accident at work. On the other hand - old Warzone sculpts were specific and gem on knee ain't most weird thing...

And since this one is painted it's time to modify army composition for the coming game...

Oil drums stock

This time something rather quick, easy yet essential for proper gaming: terrain piece. 

Actually there are 5 pieces 😊 I got these after Road to Berlin event but somehow until now didn't find enough steam to bring them onto painting desk. But since we're about to play annual Warzone game (HUZZAH!!! 🥳), finally with both armies fully painted and on brand new battlefield, decision was made to upgrade it with some line of sight blockers.

As mentioned above it was tournament random prize. As for product itself it's very decent stuff - nicely casted, no miscasts found, came ready to paint straight from the box. Micro Art Studio did good work on these barrels.

As for painting it wasn't much complicated but was rather time consuming because of the oil paints I used plus pigment binders, but the final result is acceptable,even though I've overdone applying pigments. I had that idea to add biohazard or radioactive signs but dropped it, since these are also be used on world war 2 battlefields. 

Warzone stuff for the scale. Hope to paint few more heretics before Cybertronic arrives for some serious necro-spanking from Nero 👾

As you can see above I need new, wider backdrop...

Necromutants (kissy lips)

So recently I've painted Semai's heretics trio to provide Dark Masters some more power for the coming Warzone game. My One True Foe is now waiting for his Cybertronic canned meat to be painted so I hope to see brutal battle within 2-3 weeks in Elbląg outskirts area 😊

While waiting for the battle I started painting some terrain pieces to make dark future battlefield bit more interesting. Looking for some ideas I've found Marijn's thread on Warzone Eternal FB group - long story short: the guy painted necromutants but gave them torn-off / wounded mouth. If you remember old Warzone artworks such thing appeared on Studio Parente's and Paul Bonner's works for example. 

I remember while finishing my necromutants band I was wondering about painting faces similar way but thought that might look just silly. And that was until I've spotted Marijn's post. I liked his result so much whole team got plastic surgery right away! 😁

Looking at them now I am sure it was right move - such vibrant color in the middle of the model surely catches attention. Now back to painting oil drums...

And as for reference materials I've mentioned earlier - some ideas if you want to take your models to necro-dentist, veterinarian or whoever provides them health care 😁

Praetorian stalkers - all done!

Apparently my COVID isolation is getting over tonight. I've always considered myself homebody, but being forbidden to leave the flat was getting annoying... 🙄

Nevertheless I tried to spend that time the best way possible, best way for the hobby that is. So after finishing M8 Scott howitzer for online painting contest decision was made to finish pair of oldie praetorian stalkers for oldie Warzone game. 

While preparing this post I realised ramaining stalkers were painted over 5 years ago! Therefore I am more than happy I could finally make the family of evil complete... 😈

I found finishing project after 5 years long break is kinda difficult, but tried to keep similar color choice to make whole unit coherent and still referring to official artwork.

New (or rather: "new") models are much smaller than stalkers painted already. And that's because these come from Target Games' RPG which was realeased even before Warzone game. This makes these two true gems in my collection - pieces of hobby history!

Hope you like them:
both those old and those older 😉

Behold! Algeroth's finests led by mightly nepharite!

Latest addition to the evil force:

And size comparision. Models from RPG are not only smaller (about size of ordinary human model in Warzone) but also are much less detailed then later version: no carving on armour, much less details on the gun and face:

While working on these praetorians I was also having kind of time travel - again actually...
Back to the careless mid 90's when I discovered the hobby. Praetorian stalker was one of the very first models I've seen ever so these have special meaning. I spotted it in Polish edition of Mutant Chronicles zine, added to old fantasy magazine, which my bro used to read. I still keep Warzone dedicated pages!
In the winter 1995 there was a tutorial about painting the stalker and Bauhaus seregant - maybe one day I'll try to paint another praetorian, much more colorful, based on oldie tutorial.

But that's plan for another time travel ⏱

Take care!

Mercurian maculator

Finally something else than US army!
Finally a true blast from the past!
Algeroth's very own... MERCURIAN MACULATOR!

It's actually bigger brother of the mercurian maculator I've painted a while back. This one is way bigger, even more goofy but still has that spirit of oldschool Warzone game. I think.
Gamewise it's just piece of crap: lookinn at model you may get feeling it's able to rip enemy tanks apart with bare hands, like carnifex or other space monstrocity, but instead it can be taken down even by solid bunch of well motivated undead legionnaires.

But it's big so looks good in the display case. And I got opportunity to test some tricks while waiting for artifical snow delivery for KV-2 soviet tank.  

I love Paul Bonner's original artwork but wanted to see mine more orginal. Since I have Algeroth (and Demnogonis...) force the obvious color choice was red. 

So, ladies and gentlemen...

BEHOLD!

THE RED APE OF ALGEROTH! 😁

And a family shot: just look at these cute, tiny necromutants!

Unboxing: thank to shrink wrap here was still that air from the careless past... 

\m/

Necromutants squad - nearly done!

Hey all,

Looks like my long-distance plan to get Necromutants painted is nearly executed:

last week I've managed to move 3 more of those brain-deaders to the painted side of the force, so apparently there are only 3 models left: centuriion (squad leader) and 2 troopers.

Funny thing those models:

it's like one / twice every year me and my buddy get into "Warzone nostalgia" which result is playing maybe 2 games and in my case - painting couple of oldie minis.

I really like it must say, that "flashback factor" or as I call it "time travelling" makes painting Warzone stuff more enjoyable then other hobby shit in my possession.

Also kinda makes me feel old ^^

But I also think maybe it's a good thing, to look deep into self, calculate balance of profits and loses, philosophise a bit instead of "just" slapping paint on the toy soliders. Miniatures hobby has many  different aspects I guess.

Right...

So below you can see those recently painted trusty Algeroth's soliders.

I tried to keep similar color scheme on the whole squad (like these and blurred these and these ), so they look coherent on the table. As you can see pics taken in 2016 were fucked by Photobucket so looks like sooner or later I'm going to take fresh photos of the collection.

As for the Eradicator Deathdroid you can see in the background, it was painted in 2015. 

I've always like it: pure killing machine, looks cold and heartless and rather serious, 

not like all those GW walkers with ton of skullzzz, spikezzz, candles (!!!) and other shit.

During moving to the new place sth got wrong: hope the pins I nailed it to the base are ok but the model bends forward, which might request some more glue or maybe extra pinning.

Since it's on the painting station I thought I could upgrade it a bit:
I am about to order some paints so I could get Tamiya's Clear Red and make the chainsaw REALLY gory (that actually reminds me oldie Mayhem's Chainsaw gutsfuck...). I could also add more chipping and give it some oil washing - should look nice on those large surfaces.

Sounds like a plan - but that's after the Necromutant family is complete.

Hail Algeroth!

(PS. it's the first post put also on FB "mirror" of the bloggy if you care to give it a like)