The new version of Warhammer 40k Apocalypse is set to be released on July 13, so now seems like a good time to focus on some superheavy modeling to help my fellow hobbyists bring miniatures of mass destruction to their game tables.With an Internet handle like "Brass Scorpion" you've probably surmised that Chaos is my favorite area of Warhammer modeling in which to dabble, so I thought I'd share one of my Chaos superheavy constructs with you today.
The model shown here is the Arkurian Pattern Stormblade variant of an Imperial Baneblade from Forge World. However, once the cultists supporting my Renegade Chaos Space Marine Legion got hold of it they had some ideas of their own about how it should look!
The first thing I had to do to convert this model was to remove all the Imperial iconography. The two aquilas on the front track guards were really obvious and they had to go. I used a chisel point modeling knife blade to do this because they allow you to clean off unwanted details cleanly with minimal damage to the surrounding areas.
I covered the areas where the aquilas used to be with skulls and chains from a Chaos Marine accessory sprue. I also glued the front hatch next to the large gun barrel in the open position so that I could model the driver poking his head out. Since the inside of the hull is hollow I had to glue some supports underneath of him to keep him from falling in.
The holes where the smoke launchers usually fit are now occupied by horned bestial heads from the GW Beastmen model range. The spiked ram on the front comes from a Chaos Marine vehicle accessory sprue.
I added some Chaos themed bits to the fuel tanks, sponsons, and gun muzzles.The crossed bones on the rear of the hull come from a GW skeleton shield sprue. I painted some areas to look like the tank's paint is chipped by painting irregular black splotches and then painting a metallic silver color inside them leaving a black border around the silver. I omitted the normal Baneblade side armor plates and added horned skull badges from the GW Arcane Ruins set to those areas instead.
I covered some of the more obvious Imperial symbols on the back with a Chaos star and added some Chaos stars to other areas of the hull as well.
I have seven painted superheavies for my Chaos Space Marines and I'm currently painting an eighth one. 40K Apocalypse really gets my hobby creative juices flowing. So far I have the Chaos Stormblade shown here, a Chaos Stormlord, Chaos Baneblade, Tower of Skulls, and three Brass Scorpions. The eight model I'm painting now is a Chaos Shadowsword. I've also got a Chaos Warhound partially constructed awaiting painting.
Working on large models is a fun way to bring everything you've learned about model painting together on a huge scale that allows creative freedom not possible on smaller miniatures. It's a chance to do huge awe-inspiring conversions or even paint large freehand artwork or patterns. Large models like Apocalypse superheavies are tons of fun.
I'm really looking forward to the new 40K Apocalypse release and I'm anxious to add a Lord Of Skulls to my Chaos forces.
I also have superheavies for some of my other 40K collections including a Mechanicus themed Stormblade that used to be on display at the old GW HQ Battle Bunker in Glen Burnie, MD. I've always had a lot of great feedback on that model both in person and in my gallery on Dakkdakka, so I'll be featuring that model here on Spikey Bits next week.
If you'd like to see some of my superheavies collection in person join me at the Games Workshop Bowie Battle Bunker on July 13 for 40K Apocalypse release day. There will be a huge Apocalypse party game that Saturday starting at 2:30 PM to allow everyone to try out the new Apocalypse rules and other new goodies.