Middlehammer Legacy Project 2018 - Update #2

Another day, another apology for a delayed blog post. Real life has kicked me in the balls once again as my eldest nerdling came down with Chicken Pox two days after I had my long awaited surgery. Bang goes my hobby based period of rest and recuperation, hello endless viewings of animated Star Wars shows which are WAY better than a lot of the recent films, but that is a whole other ranting blog post never to be seen here. And by recent I mean since 1999. Middlehammer-stylee.

Apologies to anyone who has posted progress updates recently that I haven't included here. Do let me know and I'll make sure they get included in the next one.

As previously reported I'm painting Mad Marik Trollbiter from the 1986 Chaos Dwarf Renegades release, with a suggestion of Slaanesh worship about him. The pictures below (apart from being over exposed and crap) are pre-inks/washes and final highlights. I've got a fair bit further on him now, with only a few details still to finish.

The hair was causing me to ponder for a while, as I didn't want to veer away from the very limited palette I had set myself, but more shades of purple or off white simply wouldn't stand out, and brown just didn't seem chaotic enough. It stayed black for quite a while and I thought about keeping it that way.

I'm pleased to say I've found a more colourful solution to that dilemma, but the shield has proved more of a problem.

I'll do a proper blog post about Marik and why he is known as Trollbiter once he is properly finished, but far more excitingly I have received the first entry through the post and that is the hideously mutated Glaur from Stewart Young:

Glaur had spent a lifetime fighting for the dark gods, a lifetime of battle and war cleaving at bodies to impress them, waiting for the gods to bestow their gifts on him. When they finally did it repulsed Glaur, all that pain and bloodshed for this. Unable return to a semi normal society Glaur now stalks the northern wastes fighting for whichever warband will take him.

Equipment and rules: daemonic save (5+), fear

I love the alien aspect the use of Genestealer parts brings to the mutation, while the claw is readily associated with Chaos and Slaanesh in particular it also works to blend the two styles together. I think this is a really successful kit-bash, something which is definitely a feature of a number of entries so far this year.

Last year's lucky winner George Shepherd has posted this beastly beauty of a Standard bearer. Absolute top marks for getting such a sense of potential energy into a monopose plastic beastman. I can't wait to see this painted up!

Gentleman and scholar Christian Supiot Perez has put his putty pushing skills to excellent use with this kit bashed Chaos Warrior which he has sculpted for the project, and which the lucky winner will get to choose to either paint themselves or have painted for them as part of the prize.

There are nice details here, especially the addition of the nipple rings. I really like the anonymizing factor of the single horn protruding from the face. There has also been a faceless option in the chaos mutation tables and this feels like an interesting variation of that sublimation of the self in the service of the chaos Gods.

 

Koen Geerearts has taken a metal Daemonette as the basis for his conversion, and then made it EXTRA MIDDLEHAMMER by giving it a massive sword with a skull on it. Get in! 

 In fact since I started this post, Koen has finished his entry and provided a brilliant back story!

Askerith was a Druchii dancer dedicated to Slaanesh, making her a prime target on Death Night for the devotees of Khaine. She managed to escaped by having her body possessed by a daemonette from the Masque’s troupe who had taken an interest in her, allowing her to weave and slice through her attackers with preternatural skill. To this day, the daemonette still inhabits her, slowly corrupting her physical form; her only chance to weaken its grip is rendering it ecstatic by dancing and killing, thereby loosening its vice-like grip on her body. To this end, she has struck a deal with the Masque, desperately attempting to escape having her soul devoured by dancing and killing her way through whatever enemy has the misfortune to stand before her.
 

Equipment and rules: bastard sword (+1S), daemonic save (5+), fear

Yikes! I don't fancy meeting her on the field of battle! This has definitely spurred me on to come up with something good (or bad!) for Marik's back story.

A huge thank you to everyone who has shown support for the project and especially those who have posted about their entries, and those who have been in touch to send completed minis in. I promise to do some group shots soon!

There are still just over six weeks to go with the project and I can't wait to see what everyone else comes up with :)