Starting a Kill Team

The new Warhammer Conquest part-works subscription thing looks quite interesting. If the armies involved were different and I had more disposable income I'd be somewhat tempted, but instead I just decided to just pick up the first issue because it was only about two pounds and you get three pots of paint and a brush with it which is an absolute steal. I also received a second one as a gift  and was then faced with what to do with the six Primaris Marines that came with the issues that I didn't particularly want. As everyone seems to be raving about the new Kill Team rules, I thought I'd use them to whip up a little team of my own.

The Iron-Mongers

These were quite a fun side project to paint up, despite the fact that I usually hate painting Space Marines and hate doing edge highlighting. I decided to paint them in colours that I don't use regularly, just as a way to do something very different from what I usually paint. I elected for blue and orange as they are classic contrasting colours and have never really been predominant colours in any of my projects.

I have written down all the paints I've used on these miniatures just in case I decide to add more to this little band. Its unlikely, but I must admit that there are a few Primaris miniatures I do like. In fact I'd probably say I am quite a big fan of the Primaris miniatures generally (barring the Repulsor Tank). I'm not a fan of their fluff, but I do like their design quite a lot and I like that scale-wise they embody what Marines are meant to be like in the lore.

Intercessor Squad

Basing-wise I really wanted to create a contrast between the bright armour, and the grim realities of war. So the bases were subtly decorated with skulls and bones, over which a liberal amount of typhus corrosion was applied to make it look like the marines were wading through a grungy hell-scape. I then applied some crusty-looking blood to the bases and splashed some on the marines themselves (This was a 1:3 mix of Rhinox Hide:Blood for the Blood God), reserving fresher looking blood for any injuries the marines may have sustained themselves.

Captain Obadiah Knox 'The Bruiser'

It took minimal conversion work to disguise the fact that I had two sets of the same three miniatures. For two of the regular marines; I just removed their purity seals, altered their arm placement and added un-helmeted heads pointing to the other side of their helmeted brethren. The second sergeant miniature I did more extensive conversion work so I could use him as a potential leader of my Kill Team seeing as in a 'Commander' expansion is coming out.

Interrogator Abraham Klaw

I've also quickly put together an Inquisitorial Interrogator and a Servo-skull to use as objective markers or other game pieces. Fluff-wise I think of the Iron-Mongers as Primaris Marines who were requisitioned by the Inquisition to serve as bodyguards and enforcers before they were gifted to a particular chapter. Thus, they've adopted their own unique identity bound to the Inquisition and have been nick-named by other Astartes as the 'Iron Brutes' for their thuggish behaviour and slavish servitude to their Inquisitorial masters.

I've always been interested by the Ordo Astartes, a minor ordo of the Inquisition that oversees the Space Marines. So I've decided that Klaw is a lackey to an Ordo Astartes Inquisitor tasked with ensuring chapters comply with the integration of Primaris marines (especially poignant as most of my regular opponents are likely to be playing Space Marines). I thought he'd make a good objective marker as perhaps he's gotten lost or separated from him Primaris bodyguards, or needs extracting from a situation gone south. Perhaps one day I'll convert his Inquisitorial master, who knows.

The three, unconverted easy-build marines

This was only a brief distraction from my Custodes which I'm still plugging away at. In fact I was painting these while I converted a golden dreadnaught for my army, doing edge highlights as I was waiting for pieces to dry. I've no idea if I'll ever actually play any Kill Team, but it will be nice to have some ready miniatures for it (even if grossly unoptimised) should I ever have the chance.