Dawn of the Nurgle Poxwalkers

This weekend the new Warhammer 40K was released and I have to admit I was rather excited about this one. In the footsteps of Age of Sigmar it promised a full overhaul of the rules. This past week I took in a lot of Warhammer TV shows (what a fascinating age we live in, Warhammer on tv) and I liked what I saw. The content of the boxed set: Truescale Primaris Space Marines and a band of the most interesting followers of Nurgle since the famous Palanquin of Nurgle was releases (a release I regretfully did not but at the time). My ambition for this getting started box is to get everything painted, preferably in a time scale measured in weeks or months, not years. I decided to start off with the Poxwalkers.

A horde of shuffling Poxwalkers shambles through the ruins of civilization, the new long night is closing in.

These are basically plague infested zombies. I had to get used to their faces at first, expecting a more human look. But as (my slow mind) realized I was looking at a cross between a Plaguebearer and a human they suddenly snapped. The only minus I hold against the models so far is that they are part of the new 'only one way to assemble' strategy. In bouts of enthusiasm I tend to not make time to convert models so I have two batches of ten identical Poxwalkers.

I love the rule that every model slain by poxwalkers joins the unit as a fellow walker. Zombie horde ahead!

For the painting I followed the outline given by Duncan basing the models white and using Reikland Fleshshade for the basic skintone. After that I diverted a bit using patches of purple wash, yellow glaze, camoshade green and red wash. I tried to tie all of it together with Pallid Wytch Flesh highlights/layers. The fun thing about undead flesh is that you can just go into zen-mode, channel your inner Bob Ross and go wild. To my taste the only mistake you can make with (un-)dead flesh is going for flat greens.

I had a lot of fun accentuating vile points on the models using washes, glazes and thinned paints. 

The Poxwalkers look like they've been civilians once, most hold improvised weapons, a few old guns. They are almost begging you to think up their story as you paint. For sanity's sake (I painted these over the course of my Sunday) I decided to split the models into color groups. Five where given camo-green pants (remains of paints). These are the remnants of the PDF forces trying to resist invasion. Another five got Stegadon Scale Green clothing scraps, navy personnel. There are two in what looks like the remains of an NBC suit (or maybe a space suit). Excellent, an excuse to add more color to this dour bunch. I painted one in yellow and had a comrade with decidedly less safe clothing join him in this color choice. They are Hazmat Team #1, formerly the best in the business.

Up until days ago Hazmat Team #1 dressed in yellow and boasted a 100 percent success rate.

I painted the second NBC suit in orange and had five other Poxwalkers join him in that color choice. Hazmat Team #2, they where rebels but they got the job done (used to get...). The orange was just begging for a white(ish) highlight as a nod to X-Wing fighter pilots. I couldn't resist so I picked Screaming Skull to pick out lines and kneepads where possible.

In the back Commissar Helmut, still wearing his coat of office, shuffles around, performing his new calling in life.

The final two poxwalkers walk around in long coats. I painted one white and had a rather messy bit of fun painting crusted blood on the bottom and sleeves of his coat. Working all night to save the poor people from an unknown disease, joining them in the morning in his new occupation as a Poxwalker. The final one got a black coat, I'm quite sure he used to be a commissar so he'll be around te keep order. I treated the guts of both of these guys (and some others) with a mix of Vallejo Smoke and Blood for the Blood God. Building up to pure Blood for the Blood God. This gives it a bit more of a half dried blood look.

I love the pose and the look of the guy all the way in the back there, he reminds me of the Lord of Plagues.

As the models lacked a certain rancidness I decided to take out the Flash Gitz Yellow and thinly coat a selection of the bigger soars on their bodies. Off went my appetite signalling a proper Nurgly choice there. I love the model in the back there, he gives off the same vibe as the AoS Lord of Plagues. The bases where a bit of a rush job as I could not find my collection of spare 25mm rounds to do some proper basing I went for Vallejo Dark Earth paste covered with an Agrax Earth wash. The pools of slime have been painted (into the wet) Dark Earth paste with Ogryn Camo and covered (after drying) with Nurgle's Rot. It had to be on the base somewhere...

Next up I've got seven Plague Marines set-up on my painting station. Now to go for flat greens, bone
color or something darker? I really don't know, we'll see.