Mantic models have an interesting visual design and in our hobby projects they have proved to be a source of great conversion material. Still, even though their atmosphere is perfect to be used as alternative models for many other major gaming systems, many people seem to look down at using Forgefathers as Space Marines. As much fun as our "Mantichammer" project has been, a big part of it has been to try to think of ways to use this material to demonstrate what these models with great price value can be built into. We sincerely hope someone picks up an idea here and there and we get to see more personal armies and alternative individuality upon the tabletop battlegrounds both in tournament events and casual games.
Me and my friend Ollie started the project by writing down three small 40k army lists with some casual variety but with a potential competitive edge. The interesting challenge for ourselves was to find out if we'd be able to build a personal and recognizable Warhammer 40,000 force by using only Mantic's Warpath and Kings of War miniatures. Naturally it would've been easy just to use Corporation figs as Guardsmen or Marauders as Boyz but instead we chose three 'underdog' armies and tried to be creative. It has been fun so far and we're looking forward to unleashing the forces into the firestorm of our Death World campaign!
Part I: The Fate of the Chryseor 44th
The Chryseor 44th was an inducted Corporation National Guard regiment, set to stand guard in one of the distant Forgestar Spaceports. It was ultimately the dreadful destiny of the soldiers to share the fate of their planet when an enormously powerful warp storm doomed the buzzing galactic metropolis to degenerate into a ruthless Death World. The earthquakes, thunderstorms and floods led to destruction of the civilization which drove the sector including its two moons into anarchy. Some were able to escape, most perished in the planetwide catastrophe. It was perhaps the unfortunate who were left to loot, scavenge and murder in order to survive.
The main elements of the 44th were stationed to overwatch a research facility R21 of New Merilbus. During the disaster the laboratories were ruined and many experiments and test subjects were set loose from the controlled environment. These viruses caused hideous mutations and horrible brain damage to hundreds of Chryseor's finest who were trying their best to hold the perimeter and to maintain an ordered quarantine upon the area. It wasn't for long before the regiment begun to crumble and eat itself, literally. The irony was such that the force tasked to protect the world was to be it's most feared blight for years.
The flesh-eating monstrosities of the once decorated regiment of the Chryseor 44th are now rotten hulks, ravaging the ruined cityscapes and seeking human flesh to devour. Apparently some of the undead officers are still able to maintain discipline and to act as blood-crazed leaders for the shambling host. At least their presence attracts more living dead, which is a frightening fact for the few survivors of the planet...
Zombie Platoon of the Chryseor 44th (Codex: Chaos Daemons)
Staff Sergeant Remus (Herald of Nurgle) 70
- Chryseor combat drill
- Merilbus War mantle (count as Palanquin)
- Cloud of flies
10 Chryseorian Blight Rangers (Nurgle Plaguebearers) 150
- Contaminated bayonets (Plagueswords)
10 Chryseorian Blight Rangers (Nurgle Plaguebearers) 150
- Contaminated bayonets (Plagueswords)
3 Ranger Dust Crawlers (Nurgling swarms) 39
2 Diver Marine Abominations (Beasts of Nurgle) 90
- Noxious touch
499 points
To play the Nurgle Herald's role, we used the Corporation Commander blister as the conversion base for Sergeant Remus. Zombie parts work great as part of the model. |
More zombies. I did the basing with simple sand covering, some Army Painter's Winter turf pieces and a few additions of mesh wire to resemble fallen barriers and net fences. |
The other diver is reaching out to claw anyone nearby. I wonder if he's gonna get out in a single piece? |
Both Diver hulks advancing in the forefront of the Undead Platoon. |
The tide of the restless troopers. Are the evac crafts high enough? Mindless rage of the former Corporals.
The living dead overcoming obstacles.
|
The 44th assembled! |
Part II: Claw of the Under Empire
"Enjoying the breeze on it's fur Radgnaw leant over the transport safety railing as the incoming mortar fire mangled the desert around their Reviler Host. Major's ramshackle skimmer was airborne towards it's destination, boosting through the night in an uneven pattern. Part of this was evasive action to counter the Corporation anti-aircraft fire, but mostly it was because of the rather unreliable side thrusters. Engines screamed as the Vitriol carrier swooped over the defence lines, brutally shattering the first Ranger ranks with it's noxious ammunition. "Inject the stimulants!" Radgnaw bellowed. "Looks like we've got lives and stuff to steal!"
Reviler Host of Major Radgnaw (Codex: Dark Eldar)
Major Radgnaw (Haemonculus) 70
- Virulencer (Liquifier gun)
- Radgnaw's Reaper gauntlet (Casket of Flensing)
4 Chosen of the Splinter Cell (Kabalite Trueborn) 95
- 3 Blasters
- Plasma grenades
- Slaver with Venom blade
10 Slasher Kin (Wracks) 130
- Virulencer (Liquifier gun)
- Primary subject with Agonizer
- Virulencer (Liquifier gun)
- Primary subject with Agonizer
10 Veer-myn Nightcrawlers (Dark Eldar Warriors) 145
- Nightray Cannon (Dark lance)
- Slaver with Agonizer
5 Veer-myn Nightmares (Wyches) 60
- Drill Penetrators (Haywire grenades)
2 Vitriol Skimmer Carrier (Venom) 75+75
- Two dual Splinter spitters
- Rusty cloaking devices (Night shields)
650 points
- Rusty cloaking devices (Night shields)
650 points
Another project with higher stakes and increased points cost! With this army we dove even more into the scratchbuilding environment and tried to think of ways to match the contents of the miniature kits into the units and rules they were trying to represent. The Mantic Warpath Veer-myn range is small but inspiring and in my opinion it was a good move to try to produce something original with a spice of some classic theme. After all, we're all used to ratmen in the fantasy battles!
The more I browsed through the Dark Eldar rules the more they began to resemble the vile Veer-myn. Eldar and rats are both agile and fast, utilizing their cunning animalistic and alien instincts. They both can be portrayed as quite fragile creatures, hence the light armour and soft toughness values. Poisoned weapons work brilliantly with a filthy rat-themed force. And the Dark Eldar even have the night-vision rule. Match!
Citizens beware! Under the protection of the dusk, Veer-myn Nightcrawlers emerge from the Death World's endless sewer network! |
Watch out! Strange, biomechanical cyborg creatures swarm the streets! |
Merciless ratmen rank up to blast and burn through the concrete jungle of an unfortunate city. |
Enough nuclear waste to power the Virulizer guns for the rest of the decade. Must be held at all costs! |
Night Crawlers prepare to embark into their transport vehicle. |
"Fire-fire!" The fallout-ridden wasteland also attracts the living dead. |
Major Radgnaw's gonna show how it's done (and check the pockets of that nice jacket too!) |
The Reviler Host assembled! |
Part III: Short temper, big attitude
Squat Spaceport Security Platoon "Colt" (Codex: Sisters of Battle)
After putting together Zombie and Ratmen armies we headed off to paint some
armor. The idea of using Forgefather models as Battle sisters was inspiring from the beginning, as they're not big enough to portray Marines but have the necessary power armor and bolter equipment! We started by planning a loose army list structure to build some characters and special weapons on, knowing we could always tweak the list if need be. Just as before these themed forces were not built for competitive
play and this reflects to the army list as well, notable from the absence of Saint Celestine, Uriah Jacobus, Battle Conclave and so on. Instead we tried to include many different unit types, build descriptive wargear items and to invent different conversion capabilities in the Mantic Warpath and Kings of War kits!
Centurion Commander Colt (Canoness) 115
- Bolt pistol
- Heat hammer (Eviscerator)
- Skryleegh Mantle (Rosarius)
Centurion Command Unit (Sororitas Command squad) 135
- Field medic (Chirurgeon)
- Color sergeant radist (Dialogus)
- CQB Rocket launcher (Multi-melta)
- 2 Ray guns (Meltaguns)
Field provost Kramer (Ecclesiarchy Priest) 80
- Plasma blaster (Combi-plasma)
- Heat hammer (Eviscerator)
10 Squat Grunts (Sisters of battle) 150
- CQB Rocket launcher (Multi-melta)
- Ray gun (Meltagun)
- Sergeant with Heat charges (Meltabombs)
10 Squat Grunts (Sisters of battle) 140
- Hailstorm gun (Heavy bolter)
- Flamer
- Sergeant with Heat charges (Meltabombs)
5 Squat Reconnaissance Commandos (Dominions) 95
- Ray gun (Meltagun)
- Sergeant with a Ray gun attachment (Combi-melta)
- and Heat charges (Melta bombs)
5 Squat Skyforgers (Seraphim) 135
- Ray pistols (Inferno pistols)
- Sergeant with Heat hammer (Eviscerator)
Armadillo Missile Platform (Exorcist) 146
- War Head Battery (Exorcist launcher)
- Hunter-killer Missile
- Smoke launchers and Searchlights
998
+ Bonus
5 Squat AA-Supporteers (Retributors) 105
- 4 Ray blasters (Multi-melta)
Centurion Command Squad stands ready to inspect the Forgestar defences. To match both the Forgestar table we created and the basing environment of our two former Mantichammer-armies we decided to go with dry desert-like bases. |
Medical officer, geared up to cure some casualties and cause new ones! This model uses parts of Mantic Warpath Forgefather Steel Warriors and Drakkarim team. |
The model has a metal body with cool details all over. The medi pack was made out of plasticard and Steel warrior sprue greeblie. |
Radio equipment ready. We decided to continue the weathered desert theme in the armor. |
Heat hammers work as Eviscerators in our army. I think the hammers are available with both the Kings of War Dwarf and Warpath Forge Father kits. |
Lieutenant Kupak salutes his superior and reports his platoon in for duty. |
Flamer special weapon from the Drakkarim boxed set. Rodents and undead beware... |
We figured this guy might sometimes be equipped with Heavy flamer so we made an appropriate canister to carry the fuel around in. |
Heavy bolter and Meltagun special weapon conversions. Hailstorm gun operator consults the leadership through a field phone during a training exercise. |
Ray gunners scout the high ground. |
Another sergeant model with a headgear and equipment from Warpath Orx Marauders sprues. |
Grunts pulling a guard shift on a Forgestar highway. |
Team leader has a cool, metal gun part from the Drakkarim box. These could also be used as Storm bolters if need be. |
The rest of the team, including the mandatory Ray gun specialist and the sergeant with Heat charge Melta bomb. |
Dwarfs take to the skies. For the flying Skyforgers we used the Hailstorm Cannon driver as the pose was naturally perfect. Some wire was added to the helmet front as a part of rebreather equipment. |
Jetpacks were once again made out of Orx Marauder shoulder cannon parts. What a great bit! |
Commander Colt has a Kings of War Dwarf body, hammer and accessories in addition to Steel warrior head and green stuff-sculpted cloak. |
Squat grunts brace themselves to counter the incoming Airborne Veer-myn onslaught! |
Field Provost Kramer inspires his men in the eve of battle. |
Weathered and chipped armour of the space-dwarfs. |
Raptor-1 and Sweeper-2-1 are airborne! Death from above! |
Heavy weapons ready to rock! |
The Squat Spaceport Security Platoon ready to man and maintain the Forgestar positions. Semper Fi! |
Outstanding job! And thank's for the tip, will also use Mantic zombies for my Chaos renegade troopers, perfectly posessed!
ReplyDeleteCheers! Make sure you check out the Mantic Ghoul sprues as well, by mixing these kits you can create more variety and character to your traitors! Ghoul boxes also include some crude close combat weapons such as knives and rending claws, which can be used as different weapon options (They're perfect for Imperial Guard Penal Legion troopers, then just roll for the Knife fighters!).
DeleteThank's for the tip, I'll get the Ghoul box too! Already have platoon of penal troopers, with orange jump suits, as in Arizona jails :-)
Deleteoh man, that's reeeaaally awesome. Just incredible work.
ReplyDeleteThanks, we appreciate it. :) Stay tuned for part three during next week!
DeleteWow! This was so thoroughly enjoyable.
ReplyDeleteI love the creativity and I am definitely inspired to give something like this a try myself.
Cheers Kevin, I'm so happy you feel inspired! Please check the incoming third part in the duration of this week!
DeleteRatmen as DE is a beatiful idea and I love the look of them! Will part 3 be Forgefathers as Space Marines? Looking forward to it whatever it will be!
ReplyDeleteYou score a point for the Forgefather guess! Part three finally done. :)
DeleteMan, this stuff is incredible. Would you be willing to allow us to use pictures of this for the Ironwatch Mantic Fan-Magazine? :D (https://ironwatch.wordpress.com/)
ReplyDeleteAbsolutely! Use what you need and please ask if I can do anything else to contribute.
DeleteThe latest and the final part four can be found here:
ReplyDeleteSPARK Corps - Enforcean Defence Spearhead
http://www.gowarhead.com/2012/12/shoot-to-thrill.html
Awesome dudes! Don't you play Warpath Rules?
ReplyDeleteCheers man! Currently we're playing the models with Warhammer 40k rules.
DeleteGood work done. I have seen this conversions before few years ago. Those are interesting and well done a lot of work, and imagination is excelent
ReplyDeleteThanks mate!
Deletejust keep going on master =)
DeleteI found some of your Ratmen conversion dudes in a bits box sale last weekend, do you want them back? I was planning to use them them as Mechanicus Electropriest
ReplyDeleteNo worries, parts of the army have been scavenged for other projects earlier. Have fun with your Mechanicus build!
Delete