Time to get started on my latest hobby challenge - converting a Warhammer Nurgle Chaos Lord into a 40K Chaos Sorceror. Games Workshop has done a great job on the plastic Nurgle Lord, the detailing, custom base and ease of assembly are fantastic. The plus sides of the mini do come at a cost though, both in cash and in lack of posing opportunities.
Luckily the mini comes in enough pieces that it is easy enough start the journey from the magical world of Warhammer to the scifi madness of 40K. By simply leaving out the grizzled axe you free up both arms for other poses and weapons, while at the same time both the gut and head get much more exposure. A bit of driling, some wire, a spare plasmapistol and sword arm later the basic concept is well underway:
Sure, giving a plasma pistol to a Chaos Sorceror isn't the best idea, but it certain fits well with the Nurgle-theme. The added toughness provided by the Mark of Nurgle also makes the pistol slightly less of a risk.
Besides a ton of clean-up the mini has several areas that really need extra attention before he'll be ready for paint:
- The gut needs to be partially re-sculpted as there's no longer an axe shaft to fill up the gap;
- Both arms need extensive resculpting as the original arms are attached to the axe;
- The backpack will need a rather tight fit, so a rather hefty gap needs to get filled in;
- More scifi bits and bobs need to be snuck in there, moving the mini further away from its fantasy origins;
- And, finally, I need to figure out what to do with the base.
At the very least, he's certainly big and menacing. This guy doesn't wield any kind of warp power, but rather he is a vessel of Father Nurgle's dubious blessings.
