+ inload: Vicissitudes of the Warp +
+ Chaos Space Marines. These have gone through a lot of changes since their introduction in the Realm of Chaos books, and though a lot of changes have been good in giving them their own identity, the models have never matched the creativity of the single-piece Renegade Space Marines of their first miniature range.
+ These were wonderfully baroque and strange, and really captured the 'otherness' of Chaos in a way that the later models never did. With nostalgia for the older ranges and a new appreciation for the character that the single-piece miniatures offer, I've been repeatedly tempted to pick up some of the older miniatures, but they are very small! Not a problem in itself, but I was really impressed with the plastic Chaos Chosen from the most recent 40k boxed set.
+ These really show off what GW can do with the plastic technology, and combine a lot of the outré weirdness of the original range with crisper details. I snagged a set for the princely sum of two quid from eBay, and put them together over the weekend. +
+ I couldn't quite resist some minor conversion, so the duplicates carrying boltguns were differentiated slightly – one had the chain detail on his boltgun removed (right), and the other had his head twisted (below), which changes the pose nicely.
+ I've mounted these on 30mm bases (from Heresy Miniatures), as the size increase makes them overhang 25mm bases slightly, and I prefer the larger framing area a 30mm affords.
+ The chap with lightning claws reminded me a bit of a spider (eight claws, fangs in the centre) so I replaced his head with a resin Mark 5 helmet – the studs evoke an arachnoid set of eyes. +
+ The size of the traitor marines is surprising – to the right is a comparison picture with an Imperial Fist marine based on Terminator parts (the 'true-scale' method that I use on a lot of my models) in a similar pose. As you can see, there's not a huge amount of difference – the Traitor is probably midway in height between a standard marine and the larger size shown; but he's also very bulky compared to standard marines, which I really like. +
+ I also treated myself to the new clam-pack single sprue plastic Aspiring Champion, who was assembled completely stock, with the exception of the base. A really nice model, and one that well illustrates the combination of Rogue Trader-era aesthetics –like the fluted, ribbed horns and the soft blend between hard edges and more organic lines (see the collar for a good example) – with the advantages of more modern technologies – crisp detailing like the power axe generator, and the clever use of plastic moulding to give a really dynamic but durable miniature. +
+ Not really sure how I'll paint these lads, but that's rather the attraction – just have fun doing something creative rather than tying them into anything in particular. If you've got any thoughts on whether you'd like to see a particular 'canon' warband or watch me try to make something cool up, I'd love to hear your thoughts. +
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