Night Lords Warband and Chaos Lost and the Damned

[Valkia the Bloody]

While I do dabble with loyal forces and the Inquisition, my true love lies with Chaos.

My first 40k army, 12 years ago, was the  Death Guard- back in the day one had to make one's own mutations and conversions and spilling guts using green stuff.

I have recently fallen in love with the new Chaos Marine models.

I think they are amazing and so much better than what we had back in the day.

And the Start Collecting box was just too good to ignore- I just love the models for the Greater Possessed and the Master of Possession!

 

So I decided to again pledge my soul to the Dark Gods.

And since the Nightlord Trilogy my ADB is my favorite collection of Black Library books, I decided to go for Nightlords.

At least a warband that is heavily corrupted by their long time hiding in the Warp.

And maybe leaning towards the Khornate side of things.

 

So, to start things off, I got the following:

 

- The Start Collecting Chaos Space Marine box

- Haarken Worldclaimer, the Herald of the Apocalypse

- a box of Raptors

- a box of Servants of the Abyss, because I wanted some Traitor Guardsmen

- a box of Necromunda Corpsegrinder Cult- because they make great stand-ins for Khorne Berserkers, even with the fitting Nightlord-ly heads.

 

One has to start somewhere.

And I just got all the miniatures that had caught my eye and that I thought look amazing.

No use buying miniatures which might be good in the game, but one has no motivation painting.

And I just needed to get my creative muscles back into gear!

 

So I start this thread in the hope it keeps me motivated to see this through.

 

The last week I spent assembling and priming these guys.

 

 

And the Servants of the Abyss-

 

 

I think the Corpse Grinder Cult make great stand-ins for Khorne Berserkers.

Because, and I am brutally honest now, even back in the day, the old plastic Berserkers were feeling their age.

And these guys come even with nice Nightlord-ish helmets!

 

 

Just look at these awesome helmets!

I could not resist to do a little head swap:

 

 

With my last purchase, I also got a free Primaris figure.

Why someone who just bought a bunch of Chaos stuff gets a free LOYALIST Primaris figure, is beyond me, but I will not let this go to waste.

 

Meet Mephistopheles the Grim, Slayer of the Bloody Peaks, Reaper of the Bone Fields.

He defeated a loyalist weakling in combat and made the new fancy armor his own.

Of course after defacing the Imperial Eagle a bit.

 

 

Simple and effective.

 

Still, I cannot get over how awesome these new Chaos Marines look.

And how big they are!

 

Here is a simple size comparison between the new Primaris (converted), the new Chaos Champion, and my very old metal miniature of the towering, mighty Khârn the Betrayer (one of the few survivors of my long sold Chaos army back in the day).

 

Poor Khârn. No wonder he is so angry.

 

[The Maraviglia]

That's a great start. Agree 100% on the Corpse-Grinders; they look good.

[Tallarn Commander]

Welcome to the Night Lords. They are a fun army with tons of modeling opportunities.

 

I look forward to following your progress.

 

 

Night Lords, "The quick and the dead"

[hushrong]

The reasoning and background for the army look promising! Never a bad day to see more Night Lords.

[RazorDaemon]

The Corpse Grinder kit bash....awesome, and my Night Lords just got some inspiration to include that, I give you 100% credit, that is amazing looking!

[Valkia the Bloody]

I finally finished up some units.

I am neither the best nor the fastest painter. It took me 5 weeks to finish a squad (flock?) of Warp Talons and a unit of Bloodletters.

Since I am working full time during the week (and sometimes the weekend) time to paint is a precious commodity.

I know I am a bit rusty with my painting, I have not done it on any larger scale for quite some time.

However, I think they came out decent. They are not perfect, but right now I am quite happy with them.

 

I am going more for Blanchitsu style dirty painting (I grew up with that) than the hyper-reaslistic style favoured now (for which I might also miss the skill and patience I am afraid). Back in the day that was what 40k looked like (at least in my eyes).

 

Here are the Warp Talons:

 

 

I painted the claws in metal and then glazed over with Blood for the Blood God, to represent weapons so stained in blood they never dry off.

 

 

Mephistopheles the Grim- having defeated an Imperial hero and stolen and defaced the Primaris armour:

 

 

And the Bloodletters:

Here I went with the wet blood for skin look.

Plus lightning effects on the swords to tie in with the Night Lords.

 

 

 

 

I am not sure about the base yet, would like some snow (to make blood splatter pop) and alien dead bushes. Right now trying out some test models, I will see tomorrow (when dry) if the snow paste pays off or if I will stick to boring old static grass.

I have several different snow pastes/ powder to try out (including the Games Workshop one) but I am not sure yet if any of them are any use.

 

Anyone here has any good recipes for realistic snow?

 

This is kind of what I am going for, but will see tomorrow how it dries off:

 

 

[Valkia the Bloody]

Also visited my local Games Workshop yesterday (finally) to get more painting and basing supplies.

Signed up for the gaming club and beginners 40k campaign for the new edition.

Hopefully, when this COVID-thing is finally over. Surely it cannot take forever?

They want to start with small forces and slowly increase game size with growing army collections.

Might be just the thing to keep me engaged and motivated to keep painting.

 

Plus- got some heavy reinforcements.

 

I really like this model.

 

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent works.

[Graceless]

Great stuff. Particularly like the affect on the power claws.

 

At first I thought you were going to say your free primaris marine was going to have fallen (in with a bad crowd). But no, he's just dead and had his armour stolen. Much better - but not for him.

[Valkia the Bloody]

Great stuff. Particularly like the affect on the power claws.

 

At first I thought you were going to say your free primaris marine was going to have fallen (in with a bad crowd). But no, he's just dead and had his armour stolen. Much better - but not for him.

Ah nah, I always find it cheap when the heroes go over to the dark side. Especially when it is such honourless, cowardly, spineless pirates as the Night Lords are.

I cannot really think of any believable way an Imperial hero would be joining up with the Night Lords?

On the other hand, if said hero was confronted with what Night Lords do best (dirty tricks and a devious ambush), now THAT would make for a nice twist.

Take that, pitiful Loyalist scum.

I take your armour and have your hearts as a nice warm evening snack on the side. :p

[Captain Incompetence]

Those corpsegrinder helmets are genius. They look super brutal on CSM, I love it! I also really like how you converted that Primaris model. Usually they tend to stand out a bit amongst a Chaos army, but this guy blends in perfectly with the rest of these merry murderers.

 

As for snow products, I’ve had very good results with using AK Snow terrain mixed with a bit of their Snow Sprinkles. However I’ve also seen some nice snow bases in my FLGS that were done with GW’s snow texture paste.

[Valkia the Bloody]

Quite a few news today.

 

I think I have decided on the bases for this merry band of murderers.

 

I think I am going for the over-the-top comic book gore fitting for evil Space Batmans. :D

Who needs realism? This is CHAOS!

 

So this is what I have ended up with:

 

 

 

 

 

I think especially when in a group this looks very effective.

 

In further news-

my Forgeworld delivery arrived today!

I ordered the Jump Praetor as well as the Night Lords Contemptor Dreadnought. I just hate the Helbrute model. So I decided on fielding an ancient piece of wargear.

:D

I went for a plasma cannon and a power claw. Just because I think they look coolest.

 

Very exciting, the pieces are soaking in soap as I write.

 

 

 

 

And then I- of course- went to the local Games Workshop to secure myself the new Indomitus box.

In just 30 mins time they were sold out at the store.

I could get a box because I wisely sent a Whatsapp message to the GW guy in advance, and he reserved the very last one for me.

:D

It will be great to get to work on these new guys with my bits box.

Story will be- my Night Lords executed a cowardly ambush of some pathetic Loyalists in the Warp, killed them all, ate their hearts for breakfast and stole all the goodies.

:D

Ave Dominus Nox!

[Valkia the Bloody]

Got some more work in.

 

Assembled the Forgeworld Night Lords Contemptor.

I am already in love with him, he is gorgeous. :D

 

 

Plus also got one of my HQ choices in shape- Issim the Headtaker, Raptor terror lord and veteran of the long war.

Pretty nice miniature. Going to paint him up as part of the Gauntlet challenge.

 

 

And then I started on some batch painting on my Chaos Marine troops.

 

[Yosef Hausakluif]

Great uniformity to your troops and overall color scheme. Look forward to seeing that monster of a contemptor painted up in Midnight Clad. Has always been one of the classic FW models. Tip I learned a little while back about painting blood and gore to make it more realistic and give it some depth; while the initial coat application is still sticky, mix up a separate palette of the same red gore your using and just a drop of black ink or wash. Then go back over some areas like the teeth of your chain sword saws or recessed areas and sword hilts or gauntlets and let dry fully. Will make it seem like some has clotted and other is still fresh!

Ave Dominus Nox!

[Valkia the Bloody]

Great uniformity to your troops and overall color scheme. Look forward to seeing that monster of a contemptor painted up in Midnight Clad. Has always been one of the classic FW models. Tip I learned a little while back about painting blood and gore to make it more realistic and give it some depth; while the initial coat application is still sticky, mix up a separate palette of the same red gore your using and just a drop of black ink or wash. Then go back over some areas like the teeth of your chain sword saws or recessed areas and sword hilts or gauntlets and let dry fully. Will make it seem like some has clotted and other is still fresh!

Ave Dominus Nox!

Great suggestion! I will try on my next batch! :D

[Valkia the Bloody]

Since I was asked in another thread if I could make up some more lore for my war band.

I thought of something.

Here goes:

 

The war band calls itself "Hrapa Vaq" which means "Shadow Birds" in old Nostraman.

Their leader is Battass Batturr, Creator of Monsters and Master of Possession.

He wields in his hands the power to communicate with the dark forces of the warp and has time and again ensured the survival of the war band, in ensuring that they always had a place to hide in the warp. His dark masters smile down on him and gladly take the blood, skulls and souls he provides for them.

One of his trusted lieutenants is Issim the Headtaker, Raptor terror lord and veteran of the long war. He is the twin brother of Menak, who was slain by a loyalist blade during the days of the Heresy and interred into an ancient Contemptor dreadnought. They still fight side by side, protecting and looking out for each other.

They are utterly loyal to the Battass Batturr, who saved their lives during a botched raid on an Imperial outpost using his dark magic.

They hide out in the warp, ready to strike on any unsuspecting Imperial victims.

Recently, they got news of a retreating fleet of Loyalists, who took severe losses against an incursion of Necrons. The loyalists battlebarge is severely damaged and has a barely functional Geller field. Battass Batturr is mustering his forces. Demonic shadows whisper in the dark.

He will conquer this damaged loyalist ship and take it for his own, and all Imperial Primaris Astartes on board will be killed, their armour and weapons stolen and defiled and be brought to better use. It will be a glorious sight.

 

Honestly, cannot wait to get my hands on the Indomitus box to desecrate that armour. :D

[Valkia the Bloody]

I really had planned to get more painting done during my time off work, but I admit I am just too slow a painter.

And real life is also interfering since I have some family time scheduled with my sister and the kids tomorrow.

However, at least Issim the Headtaker (HQ) and his Chaos Marine followers are coming along.

Kind of.

I am pretty much out of practice and therefore my painting takes time...

 

[Valkia the Bloody]

Made a bit more progress and have now finished an HQ and a troop for the army.

Here they are, please meet Issim Headtaker and his Night Lords Marines of the Hrapa Vaq.

 

Ave Dominus Nox!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sergeant_Angle]

All that blood on the snow really sells the brutality. They look fantastic. 

[Valkia the Bloody]

I had been to the local Games Workshop today to get some more supplies and brought my growing Night Lords army along.

I just wanted to take some pictures on a decent battlefield.

 

Here they are, in all their glory. the Hrapa Vaq war band (at least the ones that have been painted so far).

 

If there wasn't COVID, one could even start to have some small games with these guys. They are eager to get stuck in!

 

 

 

 

Edited July 17, 2020 by Valkia the Bloody

[Valkia the Bloody]

(not sure if posting these was okay, 3rd party and all... but since there is another thread showing all the latest updates from Artel W, I thought it was fine? )

 

In May I had ordered a few miniatures from Artel W.

They took 6 weeks to arrive (but at least they told me from the start it would take longer, COVID and all that).

 

I think it was worth the wait.

:D

These look great and not out of place with the rest of my collection.

 

I got:

- a Traitor Commissar to go with my traitor guard soldiers,

- a Chaplain who might either join my imperial or traitor forces (undecided yet)

- a "Posthuman Neo-Warrior" who can act as an objective marker as a pathetic loyalist my war band has captured and his armor stolen

- and a bat helmet wearing "hero" who totally is not the Night Haunter.

:p

 

 

 

[Valkia the Bloody]

I just finished the Forgeworld Contemptor Dreadnought.

What a fun model to paint.

I actually managed to paint him in just one week, and even was so enjoying myself I painted till late at night. During a work week.

I love all the little grisly details.

 

So here he is, Menak the Slaughterer, ancient Contemptor Dreadnought of the Eighth Legion.

 

 

 

Edited July 23, 2020 by Valkia the Bloody

[Bjorn Firewalker]

Excellent work. The bloodstains on his base are a good touch.

[Valkia the Bloody]

Right.

Just came back from my local GW store to pick up a certain something.

This is really heavy.

And full of plastic goodness.

:D

 

I got plans-

The assault Primaris and the bikes will be defiled and will go over to the dark side, for the greater glory of Chaos. :D

(my Night Lords have ambushed a damaged retreating loyalist battle barge and have tortured and killed the loyalists and stolen some of the nice suits and the bikes)

 

The Space Marine Characters, the Blade Guard and the Heavy Gunners will join my small loyalist force - I have bought the Burning of Prospero Box ages ago and so have a small "loyalist" force painted in pre-heresy Thousand Sons colours. They also have acquired a couple of Primaris models over the past 3 years, so the Indomitus models won't be too much out of place. I just hope if I ever play them my opponent does not object that even the Primaris are painted as "loyalist" Thousand Sons with XVth legion markings. :p

 

And then the Necrons....

I am a HUGE Whovian, and I am aware that the Necrons were originally stolen from the Cybermen of the Doctor Who universe (back in the day when GW also did the Doctor Who figures).

Therefore, I am planning on painting the Necrons as Cybermen, all silver (with a bit of rust, because Cybermen also sleep for thousands of years in tombs on their tomb worlds) and glowing bright blue.

I have already seen a few examples of people painting their new Necrons with that blue glow on Facebook, so I think that will look quite cool.

 

Yay, I am sooooooo excited!!!!!!

 

[Valkia the Bloody]

---URGENT MESSAGE---

 

---Interrogator Camillia to Inquisitorial Substation "Emperors Wrath"---

 

---Code Level Vermillion---

 

Today the devastating news of a cowardly attack on the damaged Ultramarines Strike Cruiser "Justified Retribution" reached our listening post.

The Strike Cruiser had been damaged during the recent Necron Incursions and the Ultramarines retreated to regroup after sustaining heavy losses.

Out of nowhere a band of vile and honourless pirates, of the trice damned Night Lords Traitor Legion struck.

The Strike Cruiser was reported lost will all personnel on board, including all surviving Astartes.

 

A short period later, another pirate raid was reported from a nearby rural Imperial Colony.

Only grainy monochrome picts could be captured and transmitted before all contact was lost.

 

It appears that the vile Traitors have stolen and defiled the sacred armour and battle gear of the noble Ultramarines and are using it to their own nefarious purposes.

 

May the Emperor protect us.

It is possible they are coming for us at the listening post next.

 

I recommend striking with the full Wrath of the Inquisition as soon as the warp tides allow.

 

We eagerly await your reply.

 

--- Message ends----

 

Issim the Headtaker switched off the vox.

The lifeless body of the Interrogator slipped from his grasp.

He laughed- another trap was baited.

With bait that the pathetic loyalists surely could not resist.

Now all the war band had to do was wait.

Sadly, the Ultramarine captives provided poor entertainment during torture, since most of them refused to scream.

No matter. Their hearts provided a hearty meal for his followers.

And their equipment provided much needed replacements for old and irreparable gear. Which included some damaged suits which had been with the war band since the start of the long war.

Now they had some new toys to play with.

And hopefully, new playmates were on their way.

 

----

 

Today, I spend the day converting the assault Primaris and the bikes to the cause of my Night Lords war band.

This was great fun.

I am really loving this.

I especially like how the Terror Bikes have turned out.

 

I think all of these will look great when I have them all painted up.

 

And here they are.

Ave Dominus Nox!