Thursday 13 October 2016

“The Beast Of Nurgle Is A Truly Horrendous Aberration.”

"Even after death, however, its presence lingered, as crops grew sickly and many fields had to be torched..."
This 28mm scale Finecast "Age Of Sigmar" model of a Beast of Nurgle is made by “Games Workshop” and can not only “batter their victims with their Claws and Tentacles”, but also “shower them with affection by enveloping them with their Slobbering Tongues.” As a result the Chaos Daemon, which is “no less deadly than it is ugly”, can muster an impressive D6 Attacks with its sharp talons and pock-marked appendages, as well as cause D3 wounds with its “primary organ of taste.”

These days sold by the Nottingham-based manufacturer as a “Webstore Exclusive”, the 48mm tall model was disappointingly something of a nightmare to assemble. However, my difficulty in super-gluing the “horror on the battlefield” together was not due to the miniature’s much-maligned resin, but because the multi-part casting came with both the wrong-sized circular base and no instructions whatsoever.
"Nurgle Rotbringers"
Such a complete ‘lack of direction’ for a ‘seven-component’ model which “has the appearance of a sticky and mottled pallid slug, with a face of writhing tentacles” really was incredibly annoying and it subsequently took a long time studying various illustrations of the “immense slug-like” monstrosity to work out precisely which piece fitted where. In addition, I had to wait until “Games Workshop” posted me a couple of 60mm plastic bases before I could really ‘get going’ on the “finely detailed resin cast kit” as I found the daemonic beast an almost impossible build without first gluing, and thus stabilising, its “webbed feet” to a flat surface.

Once assembled though, “the essence of mindless decay and horrid rot given putrid flesh” was an absolute joy to paint, as every one of its hideous details genuinely appeared “as crisp as ever in Citadel Finecast.” Indeed, just as soon as had I finished undercoating the Beast of Nurgle with a double coat of “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki, washed it with “Citadel” Thrakka Green and dry-brushed it with more “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki, I promptly ordered a second model from the “Games Workshop Webstore” to either accompany my first “curious and inquisitive pet” or be simply summoned when needed on the battlefield by my Rotbringers Sorcerer.
Nurgling WIPs - These tiny daemons just need their pimples to be 'picked out' with "Vallejo" Heavy Ochre
With my primary painting phases complete, I then began trying to ‘pick out’ all the aberration’s “slimy secretions” which are dripping “with puss and ichor”, as well as its numerous sores and “grotesquely misshapen… maw.” These areas were thus either simply washed with “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade or Carroburg Crimson and then dry-brushed with even more “Vallejo” Heavy Khaki, or given a layer of Heavy Red, Heavy Warmgrey or Heavy Ochre (combined with a “Citadel” Reikland Fleshshade wash).

The Beast of Nurgle really is a fun piece on the “Age Of Sigmar” tabletop, as it actually acts very much like a bounding, overly-excited puppy dog. Its “Attention Seekers” ability seems to especially embody this desire to find “new friends to play with” by allowing the nightmarish conglomeration to charge in the same Turn in which they run or retreat. Whilst the slug-like creature’s inadvertent “Slime Trail” can cause opposing units to comically slip up “in the toxic slime trail surrounding the daemons.”
Mega-City One Undead WIPs - This zombie's futuristic garb will be a dirty yellow and blue, with orange knee-pad
Sticking with my ever-growing Host of Nurgle, I have been persevering and painting the multitude of “pernicious and capricious Daemons” I need in order to field a minimum strength unit of Nurglings. These cute yet fearsome terrors are certainly time-consuming to paint due to all their eyes, tiny teeth, boils and bleeding sores, but I hope to have enough of the multi-part plastic Khan’gurani’i completed within the next few days to assemble at least two more stacks.

Finally my participation in Zomtober 2016 continues to motivate me and I am making some good progress on another of my “Mongoose Publishing” Mega-City One zombie models. This partially plastic "Mantic Games" miniature is actually the first of my figures to feature one of the "Judge Dredd" Kickstarter's metal torso with arm conversion bits, as well as another of its excellent knee-pads, and as a result I have tried to make the brain-eating cadaver as colourfully-garbed as possible. 

28 comments:

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    1. LOL Fran. You certainly made me chuckle :-)

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  2. I hav always admired your Nurgle collection.

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    1. Thanks Clint. Its currently lost more "AoS" fights than its won, but I'm starting to get used to its synergies. Plus I'm hoping to soon add a unit of Nurglings to its ranks.

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  3. The Nurgle family photo looks good!

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    1. Most kind Roy. I know many like their group shots - I know I do!!

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  4. Your Beast of Nurgle has turned out rather well. But how sad and how typical that GW's customer care is so lacking. No wonder so many people hate them.

    On safer grounds is your wonderful zombie conversion. Next time I place an order with Warlord Games (which should be soon) I'll be getting a few of those zombie conversion packs.

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    1. Many thanks Bryan. I'm afraid the thought behind this particular kit is rather poor by "GW"; especially when every photo of it that I've seen shows it on a 60mm circular base (and yet they sell it with a 40mm one!?!).

      Glad you like the Mega-City zeds. I have some finished ones ready for my Sunday Zomtober posting, along with some extra cemetery-related bits and pieces. My only worry is that I am very close to buying a few more from "Warlord Games" myself soon ;-)

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  5. Fab job on your beast of nurgle. I do so much prefer this version of it to the old slug ones. Great looking zombie as well did it looks very suitable for its Mega City one destination.

    To be fair I don't recall many GW kits ever coming with instructions lol

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    1. Cheers Simon. I love this Beast of Nurgle; hence I've bought a second one since and I should have at least one zed ready for Sunday's Zomtober posting. Spookily the last few "GW" kits I've bought have come with instructions, and even their 'straightforward' multi-part Herald of Nurgle plastic mini had them.

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  6. The 'slug' is indeed gross - so I guess congratulations are in order. The group shot is much appreciated too, showing the consistency you've maintained throughout.

    Good particapnt piece or Zomtober, though I can't help but homing in on the size of its hand! Love the colouring though.

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    1. Much appreciated Joe. Glad you like the group shot - I'll try and keep doing them as my Host of Nurgle grows.

      That zombie's hand is, as you rightly say, damnably odd and is actually part of the "Mongoose Publishing" metal conversion piece as opposed to something from "Mantic Games". Nice sure why they went with such a huge paw..?

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  7. Despite the hassle putting it together, it looks brilliantly (and sounds...slobbering tongues!) gruesome. And those Nurglings really are superb!

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    1. Thanks Gordon. More Nurgle coming soon as I've broken the back of the Nurglings now, and am keen to get them on the battlefield :-)

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  8. Nasty creature! ;-)

    The warband is developing nicely/revoltingly....

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    1. Cheers Andy. The Beast of Nurgle is definitely a sort of cavalry unit for one of the flanks. Whilst the Nurglings, when done, will not only give my host a fourth unit (not including General), but provide a formidable shield wall.

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  9. Quite the disgusting little warband you have there Simon!

    Very nice work, Cheers Roger.

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    1. Thanks Roger. I'm really enjoying all this Nurgle stuff. Great fun.

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  10. Oh wow Simon, that is stunningly awful, in a good way you understand! ;)

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    1. Very kind of you to say so, Michael. It really is a superb sculpt imho.

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  11. Giant tentacled bogey. I love it. Very nicely done mate.

    The little Nurglings might still be a pain in the rump to get through, but when you have 3+ painted bases of them on the tabletop, you're going to feel like a very proud Papa [Nurgle].

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    1. Cheers Dai. Much appreciated :-) I've just flocked my third and final (for now) Nurgling base, and I do indeed feel like a Papa Nurgle :-)

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  12. the classic old punk rock Stranglers song comes to mind right now: "Nice and sleezy, nice and sleezy, nice and sleezy does it"

    Top notch mate, I really like it.

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    1. Thanks Steve. Its certainly one of the more fun "AoS" models, both in terms of sculpt and rules.

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  13. Have you noticed that quite a lot of your projects involve painting things green? Doctor Who and the Seeds of Doom, the Host of Nurgle...even your zombies are green. Enough digressing, an excellent job on your Beast, which has to be my favourite Nurgle model so far.

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    1. Cheers Jez. Though to be fair the vast majority of my starships last month were in fact grey, and I've a load of red-skinned Bloodletters currently on my table too; as well as a few surprises ;-)

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