# The Plague Fleets of Typhus - LotN's Death Guard Project Log



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

With my old project log now filled with placeholder images thanks to Photobucket's stupid decision to go pay-to-share, I've decided to restart my project log and do them separately based on what i'm painting at the moment... which hasn't really been anything. Real life, a miserable job and some other stuff has crushed my drive to paint and it's been a long time since I last did anything. But yesterday a sudden burst of energy, which I have no idea how or where it came from, got me to sit down and paint this bad boy in the course of a single day. Tiring, but the end result was worth it (I think, you guys be the judges).

I went with the Plague Fleets of Typhus because I like the Traveller (He'll be one of the kits I buy for certain!) and his Zombie Fleets, the colours match the base DG scheme which is what I want to use, and because I wanted to use a warband with some cool history, but with space to make my own characters. Haven't worked on any lore for this guy, but thus far he's one of Typhus' lieutenants who enacts his will and leads a contingent of troops. For the actual paint scheme I went with the How To video from Warhammer TV (Praise Duncan!) but with some additions and two changes. Firstly I went with Mephiston Red for the cloak with a highlight of Wazdakka Red and an edge highlight of Squig Orange, the reason for this is because I didn't want to do the cloak in the same colour as the guts. Secondly I left the burst stomach shaded with Druchii Violet and Carroburg Crimson rather than going over it again with Rakarth Flesh because I like the idea of discoloured skin on such a pestilent figure. Thirdly I went with Mournfang Brown and Gorthor Brown for the axe handle because I felt brown was more suited then black for that particular part. Finally I didn't repaint the smoke with Ulthuan Grey and settled for a highlight over the Coelia Greenshade, I did that because I feel the green smoke is much more fitting for the Death Guard than white smoke is. I also added Nurgle's Rot to the guts and Blood for the Blood God to the axe-saws to get the approximate effects.

At the moment my Death Guard consists of just the Dark Imperium boxset. But if I can make steady progress with what I have I will allow myself, finances permitting, to add reinforcements to them piecemeal over the next few months. Next up I think will be either a pair of Plague Marines or the Noxious Blightbringer. Hopefully, I still want to paint at the moment but i'm hoping that this newfound drive will last. For reasons I don't want to get into, I'm not certain that it will. But we'll see.


LotN


----------



## Old Man78 (Nov 3, 2011)

Looking good there, really like the cloak, are you leaving it as is or are you going to dirty it up a bit


----------



## Myen'Tal (Sep 4, 2009)

A wonderful job, Lord of the Night, if I collect Death Guard, I may have to borrow some of your technique changes. Quite like the Coelia Greenshade and highlight, the toxicity of the fog looks way more foreboding with that scheme. I think you handled the cape well, really pops from the model. I've considered Death Guard (Weeping Legion), if that happens they'll likely become a second and final army for a good while. In either case, I hope good things come down your way soon:smile2:, hang in there!


----------



## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Nice job. Really like what you did with the smoke.

If I might make one suggestion, it is get your hands on the Slaanesh Grey dry paint, and give it a go on the flesh and tentacles. It really works a treat on most of the fleshy colour tones. Painting my own DG has really opened me up to paints and schemes I'd never have tried painting loyalist SMs previously, and this is one of my new favourites.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Started work on a pair of Plague Marines yesterday, very pleased with the end result. I also added some reinforcements to my DG that brings me up to two combat-sized squads of Plague Marines. Will be leaving it at that until every unit in my army is painted and I feel that I have earned the right to add new units to the collection.

I'm finding that devoting a single day to painting is getting me better results than trying to catch an hour or two here and there to paint, which kills my motivation quickly. True how i'm doing it now is slow, but it's producing results where trying to paint full squads wasn't. So I think i'll stick with this method for now.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

The Noxious Blightbringer is ready to spread some misery! 

Basecoating him was a damn chore in of itself, those censors are too numerous in such a confined area, but the end result is very pleasing to me. Stuck with the primary theme of Death Guard Legion colours but going with crimson for the cloth rather than white, this is because I am also working on lore for my army and decided a few days ago that their name is the Crimson Company. Still part of Typhus' Plague Fleets, but i'm going with the idea that he has multiple warbands and vectorums in his service that maintain their own gloried histories. The Crimson Company is one of them, and one of the more powerful.

Also painted muzzle burn for the first time on his pistol, I think it turned out alright. I also went with Ryza Rust on the pistol while leaving the coils in the classic plasma blue, I wanted to give the impression that this was an Imperial issue weapon that has rusted and decayed over time, but remains recognisably an Imperial weapon. Added Nihilakh Oxide to the Tocsin along with Ryza Rust for the skull symbols to create the look that it's further decayed, and to separate a Daemonic gift from the regular corruption and weaponry he carries. The Nurgling is just Rakarth Flesh with a colour wash, this time Carroburg Crimson, which is a theme that i'm keeping throughout the army for any Nurglings that are simply hangers-on, a simple paint scheme that unifies them all.


LotN


----------



## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Looks great. Personally I'd use the oxide on the inside of the censures as well as the bell, just to tie it all together. I thought the ones on mine looked too clean, and it helped with that too.


----------



## Myen'Tal (Sep 4, 2009)

I agree with Khorne's Fist's advice, would love to see some glow effect on the censures or some severe oxidation. Otherwise, I'm loving it!


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

The latest reinforcements arrived over the weekend and they are looking sharp! Really liking these three elite Death Guard models, planning to have them form a Chaos Command Squad along with the Blightbringer and the Plague Surgeon model i'll inevitably pick up. The art cards are gorgeous, makes me wish they'd kept the rotting angel wings for Mortarion, and the Codex is filled with great lore, fantastically disgusting artwork and lots of fun rules. Definitely a good purchase on both!


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Two more Plague Marines are finished! These two were much simpler given a lack of horns and a great deal less exposed and mutated flesh than the others, though the prominence of metal across both of them and these being the first two with actual lenses on their helmets meant a great deal more Leadbelcher was used and that I had to choose an eye colour. I went with Soulstone Blue over Stormhost Silver for a gem effect, I feel the brightness and clean appearance of their eyes is a nice contrast with their grimy armour and repulsive mutations.

Will be starting on the Malignant Plaguecaster soon and a Plague Champion to round off a completed combat squad. After that I think i'll either look to the Blight Drone or perhaps make a start on some of the Poxwalkers.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Using my time off productively and getting a lot of work done. Both the Malignant Plaguecaster and the Dark Imperium Plague Champion are finished!

Both of these required additional details that the others lacked. For the Plaguecaster I used the Warhammer TV guide on painting the smoke which was pretty simple, I didn't paint the flies in however as I felt it looked more magic-like if the flies were made of the spell-smoke the caster is sending towards some unlucky foe. The face was just Rakarth Flesh washed with Biel-Tan green and Yriel yellow eyes, I gave him the same eyes as the Nurglings to reflect how much the warp has changed this sorcerer. The staff was painted with Dryad Bark, washed with Agrax Earthshade and then dry brushed with Gorthor Brown and then Sylvaneth Bark. The chitin claws are Naggaroth Night with Xereus highlighting to match the Druchii Violet washed flesh. I've also decided that when i'm working out the exact lore for the Crimson Company the Plaguecaster will have the title "of the Twisted Trees".

The Plague Champion was much the same as the rest, but for his fly companion and his athame dagger. For the fly I used Incubi Darkness and a dry brush of Kabalite green for the body, a dot of Yriel yellow for the eye, and some Biel-Tan green was to make the highlighted legs stand out. For the wings I based with Ceramite White and glazed with Guilliman Blue. I didn't want to give too much attention to such a small part of the figure I went with something simple and easy. For the dagger I basecoated with Stegadon Scale Green and then drybrushed with Sotek Green. I felt this gives the dagger an otherworldly appearance, which is fitting since it's clearly an Athame-type daemonic weapon. I also decided to not paint in the fine details of his face and just go for a Screamer Pink basecoat with a Druchii Violet wash, I went with this because I like the idea that under the hood is just a melting morass of flesh. Very Nurgley. 

With these two done I now have my Vectorum Command finished, at least until I get my hands on some more, and my first Combat Squad (though I won't be pairing these figures together in the game). Next up will be the Blight Drone, a figure i'm eagerly looking forward to starting tomorrow.


LotN


----------



## Brother Dextus (Jan 30, 2013)

Looking good. the fly looks suitably stand out, but not too much to draw attention to it.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Finished the Bloat Drone today. It was a HELL of a time painting the base metal paints onto this figure, just so much careful work to be done and getting a full coat of both took around 5 hours of painting time. Maybe i'm slow in that regard but either way after that it really sped up. The washes and the rest of the painting only took a few hours this morning and the end result is great! (in my opinion, some may disagree)

Planning to undercoat the Poxwalkers and remaining Plague Marines tomorrow, as well as get some games in at GW (my first 8th Edition games too), so more will be forthcoming.


LotN


----------



## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Nice flesh tones, and I like how you've done the eye. The only thing I'd say is I'd like to see the flesh in the armour cracks on the hull and rear right of the tail picked out. That flesh tone would make a great contrast against the green.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Khorne's Fist said:


> Nice flesh tones, and I like how you've done the eye. The only thing I'd say is I'd like to see the flesh in the armour cracks on the hull and rear right of the tail picked out. That flesh tone would make a great contrast against the green.


Didn't realize that was meant to be flesh, I thought it was just cracked armour panels. Might revisit it later on once i'm further along with the whole army.

Ordered myself some new kits today since i've been making such good progress. Got myself Typhus, a box of Blightlords and a Foul Blightspawn. I would have preferred the Biologus Putrifier (GRENADE STORM!) but i'll get all the elite heroes eventually so I may as well just get this one now with the rest of the order. Really looking forward to getting the Blightlords, they look like a fantastic kit to assemble and give each Terminator a real individual character.


LotN


----------



## Dave T Hobbit (Dec 3, 2009)

I agree with Khorne's Fist about the eye; really pops.

The armour is a suitably dingy green, but might look even better with a bit of spattering with a brown wash so it looks properly filthy.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

My commander has arrived and with him some heavy reinforcements! Found out the date for my local GWs Armies on Parade and i'm hoping to have the Death Guard ready in time. As of this post I have eight Plague Marines, twenty Poxwalkers, five Blightlords, a Foul Blightspawn and Typhus left to paint. Achievable if I work at it!


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Finished the last two Plague Marines from the DI boxset on Thursday morning. Very pleased with how these minis are turning out, I actually think they are my best work yet! With these two I decided to try and add some more "out there" colours to the flesh and tentacles, so I painted a few in Teclis Blue and highlighted with Baharroth Blue, which I feel has given them some bright stand out spots that contrast with the grimy earthy colours that make up most of the figures. Assembled up the new kits as well in time for a game and hoping to get them all finished in time for Armies on Parade, which will be the first time that i've taken part.

In addition I played my very first game with the DG yesterday (which was also my first 8th edition game, my first 40k game, and the first Warhammer game i've played in a year) against the Ad Mech of Ryza. The game lasted three rounds and my Death Guard proved exactly how enduring they were against overwhelming firepower. By the end I had lost five Plague Marines, my Blightspawn, one Blightlord and all my Poxwalkers while my opponent had lost two Dragoons, all his Ruststalkers and Infiltrators and half of a Vanguard squad. Highlights from the game include: 

-My Blightlord Terminators weathering a charge from ten Sicaran Infiltrators, losing no wounds to their flechette storm, losing only one guy to their melee offense, and then my Flail of Corruption Terminator killing the entire squad by himself (five died to his first set of attacks, then he finished them next turn with another five kills!).

-My Foul Blightspawn taking the shots of 10 Corpuscarii Electro-Priests, after the rolls it was about 20-25 wounds, and only losing a single wound to that. It took the combined fire of three Transauric Arquebuses, the Corpuscarii attack and the Tech-Priest Dominus unleashing everything they had into him to finally bring him down.

-My Poxwalkers swarming the Sydonian Dragoons and actually managing to bring one of them down thanks to a 2S and 2T buff from Typhus and his magic. They were wiped out in the end by the Dragoons but they did their job delivering Typhus to the enemy front line where he could wreak havoc. Which he did by charging into a Vanguard squad and reducing them to half strength in one series of attacks (if damage could spill over he'd have wiped the entire squad out!).


LotN


----------



## Kreuger (Aug 30, 2010)

I've been absent on the boards a while lately so I'm just catching up with your log. 

I think guys look great. There's only one thing not working, and in my opinion it's the crimson. 

The greens and decay are really nicely done and have a very satisfying amount of saturation and contrast. 

Unfortunately, I think the bright red+green is veering into Christmas colours (which is always a danger with death guard). The red/green contrast is an easy go to, but to work on these guys the red needs to be broken up more; it needs to be darker, dirtier, stained, faded, etc. 

A viewer could still tell, these guys were the crimson group, but that distinction has faded and decayed over time. 

Everything else really works though. The mix of colorful and nasty is good, especially on the mutations and Nurglings.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Finished the first ten Poxwalkers earlier today. With these guys I decided to go with a simpler method of painting shown in the Ready for Battle video from Warhammer TV. Considering their in-universe and in-game status as fodder, I have forgone the advanced stages of painting, namely drybrushing and highlighting, in favour of a washed look that makes them easier to finish. It was also the fact that I don't particularly care about these figures that had me choose an easier paint scheme. I collect Death Guard for the actual Death Guard, not their zombie cannon fodder. Of course my alteration to Duncan's scheme was to add the crimson fatigues on the walkers to signify their service to the Crimson Company, I had the idea that the Company likes to infect Imperial Guard regiments that wear red or have a form of red in their names, hence why the leading Poxwalker is wearing a Commissar's greatcoat.

In addition a lesson from the manager at my local GW has finally allowed me to get a handle on spray painting colours that aren't Chaos Black. My ability to spray Corax White and Death Guard Green has improved dramatically, hence my choice to paint the Poxwalkers next as they required a spraycoat of the former, that when washed with Athonian Camoshade produced the repulsive green skin that makes up most of their finished scheme.

Next up is the Foul Blightspawn, a figure i've been looking forward to painting for the unique details on it and the chance to add my own bloody and slimy details to the classic paint scheme.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

It's been a while since I last posted an update, but that is because I was entering my Death Guard into Armies on Parade and wanted to debut them fully there. I did and it went very well! So now that Armies is past I can post them here at last. We'll start with the Foul Blightspawn and the Biologus Putrifier, two brilliant character kits that were damn fun to do!

For the Putrifier I went with Thousand Sons Blue and Daemonette Hide to create the various vials and grenades hanging from his racks. I then painted thin lines of Ahriman Blue and Slaanesh Grey onto them to create a swirling fluid effect, though I went with Moot Green and a brighter green (that I can't remember anymore) to create the wire running into his injector and the blight grenade he has in his hand. The skull shaped bottles and vials I painted in bone to give them a more intimidating look, and ran Blood for the Blood God into the eyes and down the cheeks to mimic bloody tears. Nurgle's Rot into the pitted sections of his armour gave it a slimy look without having to work in another colour and potentially disrupt the filthy green. All the other features are in line with the rest of the army.

For the Blightspawn I wanted to give him a fleshier look, hence the hose of his weapon and nearly every wire is done totally as flesh, the idea being that they are intestines or something that he's stitched into his armour and to his weapon nozzle. The incubatum tank was a coat of Fenrisian Grey, Nuln Oil around the partition between tank and glass, then Moot Green along the bottom with a lighter green ran in a jagged line across to simulate fluids shifting, and white spots dotted across to try and make it seem realer. The fluids dripping from the nozzle were done in the same green for continuity. I also ran Nurgle's Rot lightly along the bottom of the tank and underneath the glass section to make it look as if the seals are loose and the noxious fluids are leaking out. As with the Putrifier the rest of the figure was done in line with the rest of the army.

Both were based with Stirland Battlemire to create a muddy warzone look, like a trench.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Next up is Typhus the Traveller, commander of the 1st Company and the Zombie Fleets!

Very proud of this figure and I consider him one of my best so far. I wanted to keep Typhus' appearance similar to the rest of the army so I used my army's details rather than the boxart to paint in the areas where he differed such as the robes and the eyes. The white helmet was a coat of Ulthuan Grey, recess shaded with Agrax Earthshade and the eyes in Soulstone Blue. I went with Screamer Pink for the larger tubes to mimic the previous figures and because fleshy wires are so much more Death Guard than just black and yellow hazard markings. For the Manreaper I went with the worn brass appearance, but heavily drybrushed Stormhost Silver across the blade to make the edge sharp and to make the rest of the scythe look rusted. Dryad Bark washed with Druchii Violet for the wooden handle, and the little Nurgling hanging off him was a wash of Athonian Camoshade over Rakarth Flesh.

The Destroyer Hive was a full coat of Celestra Grey followed by a heavy wash of Guilliman Blue and then Waywatcher Green. I went for a smoky look for the flies, they are literally made of the smog rather than being real creatures in it, but did their eyes in yellow to reflect a Daemonic nature. Finally I painted the shattered Imperial masonry in Mech Standard Grey, the pipes in Leadbelcher, and washed both heavily with Agrax Earthshade. A base of Stirland Battlemire completed the figure, and i'm very happy with the result!


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Next up is the second squad of Plague Marines, made up of the Easy-to-Build kit along with the Plague Brethren LE kit and the clamp-pack Icon Bearer to make a full squad of 7 (Nurgle!)

With these guys I wanted to expand the colours used, so I added Caledor Blue and Daemonette Hide to some of the tentacles and fleshy bits, washed them with Druchii Violet and then drybrushed with Teclis Blue and Slaanesh Grey. I feel that the various brighter colours really stand out nicely against the earthy and worn tones of the rest of the armour. For the Champion I went with a Druchii Violet wash over Rakarth Flesh followed by Carroburg Crimson, which gave a really nice look of infected flesh. I also brushed Blood for the Blood God across the maw on his chest to give the appearance that it's either recently fed or afflicted by rot. Apart from those extra details I maintained the same colour scheme as the rest of the army on this squad.

For the Icon Bearer I also used the brighter colours for the tentacles, but the Icon itself is where I started to innovate. I used the Soulstone Blue effect on the helmet lense there to link it with it's wielder, carefully applied Nilakh Oxide onto the brass sections to give a weathered appearance while trying not to overdo it as I feel I did a bit with the Noxious Blightbringer. For the skulls I went with the same idea as the Biologus Putrifier and painted basic skulls but then used Blood God to create the effect of bloody tears streaming down the cheeks. Once that was done I based all seven figures with Stirland Battlemire and the second squad, an anti-vehicle squad, was complete. To maintain the rules the I switched the Blight Grenadier over to the first squad so they have two anti-infantry special weapons and added a basic Bolter/Knife Plague Marine into this squad.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

The Blightlords are next and these were another fun kit to paint, the level of detail on these guys is insane!

I kept to the colour scheme established across the army and newer details that I tested on previous units. The overflowing flesh on the first Blightlord has the same scheme as the skin on the second Plague Champion, while to paint the insect carapace on the second Blightlord I went with Kantor Blue washed with Druchii Violet and drybrushed with Teclis Blue. For the Flail of Corruption on the third Blightlord I used the same scheme as the smoke on the Lord of Contagion's totem, but with a thinner drybrush of Ulthuan Grey to give the smoke a dirtier look. For the toothy grin on the fourth Blightlord I went with Ulthuan Grey and washed with Nuln Oil Gloss, I wanted the smile to be white but still have a creepy appearance and I think the gloss wash achieved that, the pristine look of the teeth really seems off surrounded by the rot and infected flesh. The rest of the details I kept in line with the rest of the army.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Finally, for now, the Poxwalkers!

For these guys I stuck with the Ready for Battle scheme that I used previously, but to mix it up I did the first batch with an Athonian Camoshade wash over Corax White for the skin while I used Reikland Fleshshade for the second batch. This was to give variety to a set of two of each of the same figures. Mostly I went with the same details across them all, rusted and near useless weapons to denote their status as cannon fodder, bloody boils for the green-skinned zombies and slimy boils for the pale-skinned zombies, while uniting them with the crimson fatigues and the yellow Daemon eyes, or dull Soulstone blue lenses for those with goggles. For the two leaders I went with black and red for the first to infer that it was a Commissar at some point, and white splashed with Blood for the Blood God for the second to get a sort of mad-doctor look. Stirland Battlemire based and the unit was done rather quickly.


LotN


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

And now I can begin assembly and work on the reinforcements i've gotten over the last two weeks. Very pleased with them all and looking forward to starting on them. Plus the shipping box for Morty and the crawlers didn't go to waste!


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Been a while since i've updated but my time over the Christmas break was put to good use! Mortarion and the Deathshroud have been completed, though I have separated the Nurglings from Mortarion to paint them separately before attaching them to his base, just so that they can look their very best. Both of them were painted in the same style as the rest of my army, which is to say I followed the How To video from the Lord of Two Thin Coats, though I substituted Mephiston Red on parts of the fabric to tie them into the rest of the Crimson Company. Since Mortarion is a Daemon I had the idea that he would manifest differently depending on who he is fighting with, hence he has a red tabard when he joins the Crimson Company in battle.

I also went with bright yellow eyes rather than pale cataracts for Mortarion to connect him to the rest of the Daemons that are in, and those that will be added, the army. I just like the idea of a sickly yellow glow emanating from their eyes. For the Deathshroud's smoke I went with the same style as Typhus to connect them to him as Typhus' own Deathshroud, with dual loyalties to their commander and their Daemonic lord. The rocks on Mortarion's base were painted with Mechanicus Standard Grey, washed with Agrax Earthshade and then drybrushed with Dawnstone, with Screamer Pink washed with Druchii Violet and glazed with Nurgle's Rot for the fleshy growths.

Very very proud of Mortarion, he's the first Lord of War that i've ever painted and I feel like he is my best work yet!


LotN


----------



## Khorne's Fist (Jul 18, 2008)

Fantastic job on Morty. The wings look great. They to me are the hardest part, trying to handle the transitions on organics on an otherwise nonorganic mini.


----------



## Lord of the Night (Nov 18, 2009)

Khorne's Fist said:


> Fantastic job on Morty. The wings look great. They to me are the hardest part, trying to handle the transitions on organics on an otherwise nonorganic mini.


Thanks KF! They were a challenge certainly, but a fun challenge. I've never spread a wash out like that but it has produced a great effect, one that really captures the mouldy organic nature of Mortarion's Daemonic appendages.


LotN


----------

