Plastic Deathguard Through The Ages: Size & Style Comparison

 Deathguard Marines

I have been collecting plastic Deathguard models for a few years now so I thought it interesting to compare them.

In terms of size, there is not much in it with regard to height. Perhaps there is a slight increase as time has gone on, but the real change is in bulk which has noticeably increased.

As far as style goes, there has been a tremendous improvement in both detail, and corruption/decay. There has clearly been a ratchet up of 'vileness' (for want of a better term) over time across the three versions.

However, none of this stops one bulking out an army with the old models.

Deathguard Section Leaders


Fundamentally, exactly the same trends are on display.

Note that the early 'sergeant' is metal as there was little variety among the plastic marines. In fact that is a third trend, from identical trooper models, to customisation per model, to every model different.

Deathguard Lords


All this only really becomes a problem when you get to warlord models. On the left we have a Forge World model of Necrosius (produced around 2007) - and on the right a new generic Lord of Contagion.

Necrosius (as depicted in Siege of Vrak III, graphic from warhammer40k.wikia)


Ex-Apothecary Necrosius is The Hand of Nurgle, and the Warlord of the Apostles of Contagion. He ranks number three among Nurgle warlords after Typhus and Mortarion himself: in fact he and Typhus are at daggers drawn.

In short he is a big wheel in Nurgle space marine circles, at the head of the party A-list.

But the old Forge World model doesn't do him justice. In short, he just doesn't look like one of the chaos supreme warlords. And that is my problem.

Dark Imperium Nurgle Deathguard Character Models

What strikes me about the new Deathguard plastic character models is their size and the vast amount of detail present. They cry out for the use of washes - unless you are a very patient and skilled painter.

I have to say that I completely love the Lord of Contagion (centre) and Noxious Blightblinger (right) that are superb models but absolutely hate the Malignant Plaguecaster.

How do I loathe him; let me name the ways.

I hate the stupid expression on his fat face and the silly stick in his left hand. It might make a suitable wand for a fantasy hedge wizard but not the Deathguard.

Most of all I hate the eruption of magic flowing out of his right hand. I find it impossible to paint these things in any way that looks one tenth real and they make the model a pain to store and move around the tabletop. The 'vomit' might be artistically balanced by his cloak sticking way out t'other way but that utterly compounds the practical issues. The thing has a huge 'footprint' on the table.

But Citadel models often have a marmite quality - which is much better than being bland.

The awesome detail continues in the back view to make your models still pleasing on the eye as they march forward across the table crushing the lackeys of the corpse god.

Mwah, ha, ha, ha.......gibber.......

Nurgle's Poxwalkers

Here we come
Walkin' down the street
We get the funniest looks from
Everyone we meet

Hey, hey, we're the Poxwalkers......

101 uses for an old autogun: a halberd

Should've used a higher factor sunblocker on his back

Pleased to see you

My, my Grandpa, what big boils you got

The anti-acid pills ain't working

Hit him so hard I bent me flamer pipe

Friendly looking chap

You scratch my back and...you'll get somefink 'orrible

Hammer time

We're just tryin' to be friendly
Come and watch us sing and play
We're the pox generation
And we've got something to say,

New Death Guard Chaos Marines

A walking collection of rust, puss and maggots - I give you the new Death Guard Chaos Marines.

Blight grenade, ready to go.

Slime just keeps oozing out.

Toxic fog dispenser.

Skull pustules ready to burst.

Grenades.

Rust gut-bucket.

Nice antlers, Guv.

The Boss.

Hornet away.

Operation Gigant - Thunder Run Down The Great North road

Operation Gigant supplement for Bolt Action: Sea Lion is now on pre-order here.

The DEK is poised to Thunder Run down The Great North road to stab London in the back - but our gallant lads and lasses of the Home Guard and LDV are ready. Meanwhile O'Conner Force stands poised to counterattack.

The perfidious Hun even attack Nottingham, presumably because Himmler's astrologers warned him that it would become the centre of a major British military operation in the future. Find out more here.

Everything hinges on a new German weapon of fiendish cunning - the Gigant.

They even  steal British sheep and fly them back to the continent.

You too can sign up to defend our gallant land [hurrah]....or invade it [boo, hiss].

God Save The King!

Review: Revell/Warhammer Space Marine Heavy Assault

Revell in collaboration with Games Workshop have produced a set of old Ork and Space Marine plastic sprues in six 'Build & Paint' sets that are intended as add ons for the Battle for Vedros starter set for children.

Most of these packs will probably of limited  interest to hobbyists as the added little paint pots and cheap brush will not make up for the limited quality of the models - given that the kits are almost as expensive as their modern equivalents.

The exception is the Space Marine Heavy Assault set that sells for around £25, less than half the price of their modern equivalents at £56.

As well as build instructions, one gets a brush, six pots of paint, a Dreadnought base, some decals, and the smallest tube of polystyrene cement I have ever seen.

The Dreadnought Sprue.

Terminator Sgt

Terminators

Ammo Supply Objective Markers

The kits are easy enough to build with the proviso that you cut off the 'push together' lugs. These are friction-holds so inevitably stop the model sections from fitting together  completely.

The finished product is quite reasonable. It ain't great but it fills a slot in your army list.

I sprayed diluted Mr Hobby Metallic Blue acrylic paint straight onto the blue plastic with no problem and VJ Air Chrome and Mr Hobby Metallic Red provided the rest of the palette. The red was painted onto a chrome undercoat.

These have been assembled straight out of the box with a little bit of base decoration added and I will add decals later.

This set is worth considering if you need to add some old space marines heavy infantry to your Primaris army. At this cost you get new for second hand prices. If you want better and more flexible models with a choice of weapon mixes then you go upmarket and buy the new equivalent kits.


As they say, you pays your money and you takes your choice.

Nurgle Daemon Engines Plague Drones - Old & New Reviewed

On the left we have the old champ, the resin Forge World Plague Drone, and on the right the new contender, the Citadel plastic model.

Which one prefers is largely a matter of taste but I have a few general comments.

Plastic is a much better material than resin for this purpose: it is lighter making it easier to pose the model on the base (and of course much easier to store and transport), it also seems to allow the designers to sculpt in more detail.

I have to say that there s almost too much detail on the Citadel version. It is way too 'fussy'. I like the degenerate, ponderous presence of the Forge World design and prefer the two rotor look - yes, I know Nurgle works in threes and sevens but that third rotor just don't work for me.

I like the clever way the trailing hoses support the model on the Citadel version, without the need for a stand. That's an ingenious use of the lightness and rigidity of polystyrene as a base material.

Bases are always an issue with wargaming models because we mostly look at them from above when playing so the base assumes a much more important part of the look than in side-shot photographs. The problem is that if the base is too simple it detracts from the overall appearance and if it is too complicated it takes the eye's attention away from the model itself.

Here, I've gone for a compromise: some fussy detail but in a bland, almost monocoloured brown.

The Citadel model is more complicated, so I've risked jazzing the base up a bit.

Note the pet rat under both models; something to reward someone who looks closely.

Primaris Ultramarines

My 8th Edition Ultramarine Army

If anyone had suggested just a year ago that this month I would be painting space marines, nay Ultramarines at that, I would have pronounced them crazy.

But here we are.

Ultramarine Commanders And Characters

From left to right we have two Lieutenants, a Captain in gravis armour, and an ancient with a banner - all from the starter set.

Intercessor Squad

These are what pass for bog-standard marines in a Primaris army, armed with the new long range bolt rifles.

Hellblaster Squad

Primaris marines are organised a bit like the old 30K legions with heavy and special weapons in dedicated squads: these are plasma incinerators.

Inceptor Squad (who comes up with these names?)

Basically, 'drop from orbit' assault marines, each armed with two assault bolters: these are effectively short range heavy bolters. However, not they have no close combat weapons even though they are Tough (5).

Tactical Marines

Some old style tactical marines I painted up to go with the starter set - many thanks to Rochester Models for digging out three spare marines from their back office allowing me to complete a set.

The metallic blue is Mr Hobby paint, watered down and flow-thinned for airbrushing, on top of Army Painter white. The weapons are painted with Vallejo blue gun metal, dry-brushed with Vallejo Chrome. The snow is a games workshop technical paint.

Scouts

These are from the Kill Team box, which I never got around to painting.

More Scouts

How Do They Play

Pretty well, so far, winning two 50 power point games out of two.

Strike aircraft in hover mode are particularly effective with massive firepower and great mobility.