# The Collective Works: Zero to Hero.



## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

*Good evening fellow heretics, welcome to the start of my all things miniature plog!*​
I've been floating around the Heresy' for some years now but officially part of it over the past two years; I graduated last summer and I've been drilling the reality of the working life into me and I've established a routine! 

I'd like to use this plog to document all things miniature! I've always been a painter above a gamer; (I've never actually made an army or really played a game of 40k or fantasy) that being said I'm hoping to bring some order to my collection I have amassed over the years into a playable force. 

My main love falls into post heresy Death Guard and Kroot Mercenaries (more on the Kroot in the future.) I had an old plog which you can see bellow:

http://www.heresy-online.net/forums/showthread.php?t=107072&highlight=young+nurgling 

I will be continuing this force and adapting it into an army worth gaming! In addition to the this force I aim to enter: my local GW's monthly painting competition, contents on Heresy' and my personal challenges of "showcase miniatures."

Without further ado here is my collection of all things Nurgle I've amassed throughout the years:










Before I run into things too much here's a sneak peak of my new Plague Marine:

















My main question at the moment is: Q- Can I use this guy as a Plague Champion? Would a Plasma Pistol be a good weapon? I don't know what's best for load outs as I've always gone on aesthetics.

Well, that's the first post but I hope it will be one of many! Thanks again for popping by; any Death Guard army advice would be greatly received! 

- .Bragg.

p.s. Check out my first CoolMiniOrNot submission here: http://www.coolminiornot.com/351368


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## Nordicus (May 3, 2013)

Ah it's always nice to see a new guy starting a paintlog. Welcome to the logging world my friend - I will look forward to seeing your progress!



.Bragg. said:


> Can I use this guy as a Plague Champion?


Absolutely, there is no strict guideline for what a Plague Champion looks like. The main rule is that you should keep to the same size base (in this case a 8mm) as the normal model, and (mostly for your own sake) I would try to keep him on the same height as one, for those coversaves in games.

I will say though, that it depends if you want to play casually or competitively as some tournaments has a rule regarding how many pieces you may use on a model from Non-GW sources. However, seeing as this guy is all GW and greenstuff, he's 100% legit the way I see it. Oh and he looks awesome too!



.Bragg. said:


> Would a Plasma Pistol be a good weapon? I don't know what's best for load outs as I've always gone on aesthetics.


Plasma pistol is usually not a very good alternative in my eyes, but it's all down to the player. I don't like the fact that it gets hot on a to-hit roll of 1 and inflicts a wound on the wearer. If you wish to use it for high toughness targets and vehicles, I would go with a melta instead.

Regarding the aestethics, I would again consider which aspirations you have. Casual and gaming clubs usually are ok with just stating which weapon he has, instead of showing it on the model. In these cases, you can build the way you think he looks more awesome and just let the opponent know what loadout he has.

Tournaments, at least some, usually have the WYSIWYG rule: What You See Is What You Get. In these situations, the weapon-model in his hand is what he has - In this case you have to either build several versions of him or magnetize his arms so you can switch his weapons depending on your scenario.

You will probably get multiple different answers to your questions, but I hope it helped non the less


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## Iraqiel (May 21, 2008)

Excellent start mate, that's a beautifully (?) converted plague champion, and an impressive collection of models and bits dedicated to papa nurgle!


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## torealis (Dec 27, 2006)

The conversion potential makes nurgle my favourite Chaos god... I look forward to following this. Great start.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey guys! Thank you for your kind words; It certainly encourages me to crack on 

I've made some further development with my Plague Marine Champion:










I'm still doing my homework within the Chaos Army List section in order to work out what load out my champion should be carrying but as it stands he's got the plasma pistol.

Here's a little group shot of the five man Plague Marine squad:










The four other guys haven't been touched in a *long* time but will no doubt be finished alongside their champion! As I said previously, I've been working out what gear these guys need:










I've been informed that I should aim to have x2 Plasma Guns/ x2 Melta Guns/ x2 Flamer in each respective five man squad; I'm quite happy with this approach as I've never played but understand the importance and purpose of each gun. 

So... For example: One squad will have x2 Melta Guns thus leaving three more men; what load out do they have? Bolter or Bolt Pistol? What would work well for the Champion? I know I've gone for an aesthetic route with the pointing hand but can I sculpt a sheathed chainsaw with a recommended weapon?

Thanks so much in advance guys, the Heresy' has always been kind and helpful to me! 

- .Bragg.


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## whittsy (Feb 8, 2013)

.Bragg. said:


> I've been informed that I should aim to have x2 Plasma Guns/ x2 Melta Guns/ x2 Flamer in each respective five man squad; I'm quite happy with this approach as I've never played but understand the importance and purpose of each gun.


I'd go squads of 7, or 10. 7 is Nurgles number and it pleases him. I run 10 man plague squads because my dice rolling doesn't love me.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Great advice once again, I have some referencing regarding the codex but I won't be able to buy a hard copy just yet.

X 7 Plague Marines: X2 plasma, X4 bolter - x1 Champion w/ (I'll triple check when I get back in.)
X7 Plague Marines: X2 melta, X4 bolter - x1 Champion. /w (I'll triple check when I get back in.)

X1 Nurgle Chaos Lord

How does that sound? 

- . Bragg.


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

Nice looking conversions so far. As to load outs, I try and fit as much plasma in as possible. The pistol is great for adding some AP2 firepower to a squad, and hopefully thin out those pesky 2+ and 3+ saves you'll be going up against quite a lot. Gets Hot! isn't that big a problem, especially for plague marines. You need to roll a 1 to hit, then fail a 3+ armour save, and then a 5+ FNP save before the wound is applied. Not saying it can't happen that you lose a plasma gunner, but the risk is outweighed by the damage 5 plasma shots can do to MEQ squads in one round of shooting.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Khorne's Fist said:


> Nice looking conversions so far. As to load outs, I try and fit as much plasma in as possible. The pistol is great for adding some AP2 firepower to a squad, and hopefully thin out those pesky 2+ and 3+ saves you'll be going up against quite a lot. Gets Hot! isn't that big a problem, especially for plague marines. You need to roll a 1 to hit, then fail a 3+ armour save, and then a 5+ FNP save before the wound is applied. Not saying it can't happen that you lose a plasma gunner, but the risk is outweighed by the damage 5 plasma shots can do to MEQ squads in one round of shooting.


Thanks for the responses guys; in regards to my Champion is he ok then with his Plasma Pistol within the Plasma Gun squad?

When I first made the Standard Bearer it was more out of it's appearance than gaming practicality, should I remove this or does it have an in game benefit? 

Thanks again!

- .Bragg.


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## revolantis (Jun 27, 2013)

Fantastic looking Plague Marines! I believe the Nurgle chaos icon grants the Fear special rule to the unit. It's not particularly beneficial if you ask me. But I would be inclined to think banners look cool enough to justify simply ignoring them in game terms. As for the close combat weapon of your champion, he would have a Plague knife by default, or you could go with a power fist or other power weapon. I usually either stick with the knife or go with a power fist. All personal taste.


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

.Bragg. said:


> Thanks for the responses guys; in regards to my Champion is he ok then with his Plasma Pistol within the Plasma Gun squad?


Yep. That's where I got the fifth shot from. At close range you'll get 2 from each plasma gun, and a fifth from the champions pistol.


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## Catman (Mar 17, 2014)

Good stuff - love a nurgle conversion blog! Will keep my eyes peeled


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey guys! A little update tonight; hoping to get some sculpting done too!

I just found this on HQ-BUILDER.COM:



> _9x Plague Marines (303pt.)
> Mark of Nurgle;
> § 1x Plague Champion (24pt.); Power armour; Blight grenades; Krak grenades; Plague knife; Bolt pistol; Plasma Pistol;
> § 5x Plague Marine (24pt.); Power armour; Plague knife; Blight grenades; Krak grenades; Bolt pistol; Boltgun;
> ...


To keep up with the theme I'll drop two Marines; taking them out of the group of five thus making seven! If anyone things otherwise let me know but as I'm new to it all I'm up for making mistakes and learning how I like to play 

Here's the weekly round up of my eBay purchases: 










I was very lucky in finding these miniatures for great prices; less than there worth in most cases. The GamesDay Chaos Sorcerer has been stripped of its previous paint job to a high standard. The rest haven't seen a drop of the stuff!  The Great Unclean One has both heads and is in perfect condition! I also managed to snag something amazing old school Nurglings!

If I don't speak again before hand, have a great weekend everyone and I hope to get some stuff up before the days are through. I'm popping down to my local GW to see what this month's miniature is for their competition; I'll be logging such miniatures here too!

- .Bragg.


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## whittsy (Feb 8, 2013)

.Bragg. said:


> The Great Unclean One


I converted mine into a Nurgle Daemon Prince with wings. Its really easy with the metal body and some plastic wings.










Mine lost his flail hand though, so he gained a mangy looking claw hand. Of course, if you want to keep him as a Great Unclean One, go ahead!


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## Tugger (Jul 22, 2013)

Your conversion work is looking good bro! :good:


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Thanks for comments guys! Your conversion is cracking! Though I'm not sure what my plans are with this guy, I don't feel too comfortable painting him at the moment due to the rarity of the model these days.

As I said previously I'll be taking part in my local GW painting competitions; this month's miniature is the Warriors of Chaos Lord.










I popped out to buy him on Saturday and found this little guy in my mailbox; a classic OOP Plague Marine Champion. Such a fantastic model I don't think I'd wish to change it much 










I hope to get some more work up this evening so stay tuned 

- .Bragg.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Just been assessing the miniature and cleaning him up a little; I've assembled him with blu-tack at the moment. I will have to paint him in numerous pieces then assemble if I wish to get the measure of detail I need. 

I might have to go all Nurlge on him haha - to Nurgle or not to Nurgle? 










- .Bragg.


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## Tugger (Jul 22, 2013)

Nurgle the shit out of him haha


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

You took the puss right out of gaping wound! - If you can stomach that image the rest that follows should be tolerable haha.

I've started to play around with some Plague Bearer heads which fit a treat, I'm also replacing the weapon in the right arm; possibly with a standard? 

- .Bragg.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey guys, a little update before bed (geez, look at the time; though it could easily be later.)

















The "banner" used at the moment can be changed as I have a lot of choice and plenty of pipe to play with. Same goes for the head as nothing other than the banner is glued in. 

I intend to do a full on bloated belly with the classic look of bulging intestines and dripping guts; I hope to re sculpt the belt all worn and snapped around his huge stomach. 'Till next time!

(resin plinth from WampStore)

- .Bragg.


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## Tugger (Jul 22, 2013)

Its looking pretty cool so far, but I have a thought. The banner seems to me like it may obscure the model somewhat. If you have any of the spare Nurgle banners that come in the CSM box, that may be a good fit. I think it is slightly smaller. 

But like I said, its looking pretty dope man. That banner works. Just thought I would throw a suggestion in.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Cheers Tugger, any input is greatly appreciated 

Are you referring to this banner?:









I could easily give it to this guy; I'll have a play around when I get in but I do like the fly one.  I also have a few other banners from the new Plague Bearer kit which I could use.

- .Bragg.


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## Tugger (Jul 22, 2013)

Yea man that was the one I was talking about.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

Hey guys!

After thinking it over; I've narrowed it down to one of these three banners. I totally agree with Tugger that the other banner would look great but I wish to still use that one for my actually army miniatures. My main focus on this miniature is to try a host of techniques and approaches.

































Let me know what you guys think! I'll be cracking on with some sculpting of the bloated belly tonight so I'd love to conclude the banner choice before the night is over 










As you can see above, I have the two main products used to get my "Decrepit Nurgle" look. A lot of people when painting chips and rust use clever colour play to illustrate depth and damage. Though when it comes to Nurgle you really have to play with the texture; these guys have been rotting for thousands of years in the most unforgiving environments. 

I applied a thin and irregular layer of "Light Sand - Grit Effect", this create that signature rust bobble you see on metal. I then applied (on the fly banner) "Distress Crackle Paint" which when dries cracks like dried earth or damaged paint. I applied the majority of this with a common ear/cotton bud; I took advantage of the loose cotton and dragged it across the pointed edges. By doing this it has wrapped around like aged web or any other disgusting strands of illness you can think of; this will prove very dirty to paint 

- .Bragg.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

*The vile smog returns...*

Hey guys! I know it's been a fair while (scrolls down) - a week! Ouch, falling into bad habits here. That being said work has a tight grip on me at the moment and my personal illustration work takes a lot of my evenings up (https://www.facebook.com/MonsterMondaysOfficial) but I'm certainly not letting this die down; just might be a little slow on the updates.

So, we have our Nurgle Chaos Lord for this month's painting competition at my local GW store:










I've applied some basic first layer guts; I forgot to bulk the body out to get that signature bloat but I'm happy with the popped seeping look. I'm going to re sculpt the belt unbuckled around his waist and finish off the details there. I also sculpted a rancid bottom and seeping soars behind the leg... Then realized the cape covers it all haha. I'll be going ahead with the Nurgle Fly banner!

I'd say my Plague Marine Champion is about 80% complete:










Here is some detail of the backpack; I'm still yet to complete it with the relevant torn flesh concealing the open parts around the tubing. Other than that he's looking how I want him! I'll have to add a pistol and blade to his hip for that full fluffy detail!

I tend to doodle a lot at work (naughty of me at times) but he is some Nurgle themed scribbles; unfortunately I've misplaced one I really wanted to show you  - The terminators will have to be beastmen/centaur like; very much inspired by the works of Tupacko in how he approached his Fly Terminator: http://www.warseer.com/forums/showthread.php?355444-7th-Death-Guard-Suppression-Squad/page6










That's it for tonight guys! I'll certainly try and get more up sooner than last time!

- .Bragg.


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## .Bragg. (Mar 7, 2012)

**cough**

I'm back! Well, personal best at nearly a month since my last post. I can assure you I'm not wasting away in a forgotten corner in some remote lands. If it can be an excuse I've been keeping on top my illustration work more which I guess is my primary drive with miniatures a much loved hobby. Enough with the nonsense! I finished my Chaos Nurgle Champion for my local GW's painting competition:










I know I have kept little progress here of the painting but time got the better of me and I didn't really monitor its development  I'm quite happy with the outcome though the poor guy was a little rushed towards the end. 

You can vote here for your favorite miniature out of the four that have entered  

https://www.facebook.com/GWLeicester/photos/pcb.667470519991701/667470499991703/?type=1&theater

I shall certainly be adding to this PLOG when time lends its self to me, till then happy painting to all and thanks for reading!

- .Bragg.


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