Rather than wrap my Chaos Army into one specific force, each of my Chaos armies is essentially a combination of 4 armies- one for each Patron Diety in the Warhammer World.  These are particularly important in a campaign setting where a specific patron may be interested in an event where others may not.  This will be most evident in my Cathay campaign, for example, where Slaanesh has actually taken control of the kingdom.  There may be alliances or outright conflict with the other Chaos patrons, which translates into a sufficient number of models to field any one army in full strength. 

 

313 models

237 painted (65%)

Largest legal force I can play with entirely painted models:  7,000 points

Estimated goal strength for the collection when completed:  14,000 points

Approx. 3,500 points for each patron diety.

 

What better way than to start off with the Bloodthirster, Greater Daemon of Khorne?  As you can see by the autograph and date on the base, this model was acquired on EBay.  Why?  Well, because I did one as a "painter for hire" back in 2001 and I had fits trying to pin the thing together.  So, when it came to my own, I took the easy way out!

 

The Great Unclean One, Greater Daemon of Nurgle,  I heard horror stories about how this guy was souped up for tournaments.  I generally collect these models for the sake of collecting them and discourage using one on the table unless the force is over 3,000 points strong.

 

As we're working through these models I'm realizing how uninspired I was by many of them.  I paid Josh Lyons to paint my Keeper of Secrets, Greater Daemon of Slaanesh for me because I just couldn't envision what it would look like on my own (and I was dissatisfied with how I did on the Slaanesh Daemon Prince).

 

The Lord of Change, Greater Daemon of Tzeentch.  This model also frustrated the hell out of me trying to put it together.  So much so that when it came time to paint it, I knew what I wanted it to look like, but ended up cutting corners and didn't give it the time it deserved for shading and so forth.  Again, since it is rarely used, I don't fret over it too much.

 

I use the earlier edition Greater Daemons for Daemon Princes, since they are obviously dedicated to a specific patron diety and they are smaller than the newer Greater Daemon models.  This is my Daemon Prince of Khorne.

 

The old Greater Daemon of Nurgle was just too silly looking for me to take seriously when it came time to paint it.  So, I opted to buy this one from Pete Underwood.  It is one of his earlier works when he first started art school.

 

No idea why I opted for green as the primary color of my Daemon Prince of Slaanesh.  It should have been a hue of blue or purple.  Like the Lord of Change model, I lost my luster for painting it midway through.  I guess I really wasn't in the mood to work with mixing and blending on this model; resorting just to inks and dry brushing.

 

Of the Daemon Princes and Greater Daemons, I believe this Daemon Prince of Tzeentch is one of the oldest.  I recall using it during the old Chaos Warband games in 3rd edition.  (Althought the Daemon Prince of Slaanesh is just as old, I don't believe it was painted for a few years later).

 

Undivided or Unmarked Daemon Princes get introduced at this level.  The 4 models above are all ancient daemons and balrogs from assorted miniature manufacturers.  The balrog to the lower right was done by Donny Furbush.  The golden daemon next to him is slated to join the army of Ind in the future.

 

Although she is technically a Daemon Princess, Dechala is currently pulling duty as a Herald of Slaanesh.  Her slithering body allows me to use her as a Herald on a Steed of Slaanesh.  This model was purchased off EBay with the Harpy-wing conversion attached, but needed to be repainted as the original paint scheme was sub-standard.  I chose to keep the wings on because of the amount of greenstuff spackled onto the miniature.

 

Another EBay purchase, this Daemon Prince of Khorne was mounted on a 50mm square base so I could fit him evenly in the ranks of my Bloodletters and use him as a Herald of Khorne.  In the latest Edition, Heralds are best deployed in with a unit of their own kin (in this case, Bloodletters) to bring their special abilities to bear.

 

This Herald of Tzeentch is a model from Black Tree that may have been an old Harlequin miniatures (purchased by Black Tree some years ago).  After using green stuff to fill in the gaping holes in the back where wings would go (none came with the model) I settled for a paint scheme that would blend well with the Tzeentch Horrors whom he would accompany on the battlefield. 

 

This 3rd Edtion model on a Juggernaut serves as a Herald of Khorne Battle Standard Bearer.  The banner is from a decal sheet that I picked up at a GW Store in Florence, Italy.

 

I have a daemon from a core unit upgraded as a Battle Standard Bearer for the army of Slaanesh.  This Daemonette and banner were done by Pete Underwood and part of an army that won Honorable Mention at the Golden Daemon in 2002.

 

The Bloodletters of Khorne are the Core unit for the army of Khorne.  Unlike the other patrons, I believe the Bloodletters have actually changed sculpts with almost every Edition in Warhammer.  This unit is made up of 4th-6th Edition models (the last of the metal models).

 

This is a close up showing the two variants.  The one in the middle is from 4th Edition while the ones with axes are later models.  These go well together in a unit, whereas the 3rd Edition and 7th Edition (plastic) models are too different and have to be deployed in their own formations.

 

 

A Close-up of the 3rd generation "classic" models.

 

[Above] 4th (or is it 5th?) Edition Command group.

 

Plaguebearers are the Core unit for armies of Nurgle.  Although their sculpts may have changed over the years, the differences have been subtle and I am able to simply blend them all together into combined units.  Even the color variation from green to tan doesn't seem to matter.

 

Plaguebearer Command Group.  The Banner was scanned from my old 3rd Edition "Lost and the Damned" Chaos book and "duressed" with a hobby knife before "stiffening" it with some white glue.

 

This is an older unit of Plaguebearers with some of my first attempts at making a slimy Plaguebearer look viable.  Rather than repaint, they just spend their time in the bank ranks of the completed units.  This banner is also a scan from "The Lost and the Damned" and I often use it as a Battle Standard since it is on such a tall banner pole.

 

Lots of Daemonettes!  You'll notice all of my daemonettes are of the older, "Giant Lobster Hands" kind.  I had some 3rd Edition models (with smaller claws) as well as some newer models, but decided that they didn't blend in with the vast majority done in this scheme (circa 4th Edition).  Notice the extra pair on the right where I still have another unit to go.  It's a good thing that Slaanesh is a primary antagonist in my Cathay campaign!

 

This unit of "big claw" Daemonettes are part of Pete Underwood's recognized collection (complete with another hand-painted banner).  This unit upstages the rest of my Daemonettes, but I also know I won't get what they're worth on the open market.  So, they continue to share the battlefield with their less attractive sisters.  I'm mulling over trying to match Pete's work to bring the unit up to a strength of 20 models.

 

Here are 2 units of Tzeentch Horrors that make up the Core units for the Lord of Change.  These are all from the 3rd-5th Edition models when they still differentiated Pink Horrors from Blue ones.  Rather than fuss with the new rules, I opted to mount them all on standard 25mm bases and mix the units to make them simple "horrors."

 

Here is a close-up of some of the Pinks!  These are some favorites as they were based on paint schemes from "The Lost & the Damned," which featured the color variation around the faces and hands.

 

This command group shows a few more variations.

 

One of my favorite miniatures in the collection!  This is a discontinued Reaper model featuring the DOOM computer game from years ago.  I loved the models so much I bought them without thinking of their use.  This model (I forget what it was even called) seemed an appropriate stand in for a Champion of my Tzeentch Horrors unit (therefore, called for more pink in the skin tone, rather than simple flesh like the original graphic had).

 

The Chaos Furies are the only "Undivided" Daemon unit for Core armies.  Since it is rare such an army would be used, they usually join a force led by any other Patron God as in, they are the "every Patron" Daemons.

 

This group is from Black Tree Design (when they were originally "I-core Miniatures") and I'd purchased them for the sake of economics and because I wasn't that fond of the Games Workshop models.  However, they are distinctive enough where they will eventually shift over to the Cathay Army List as "Spirits of the Air."  But, since they share the same color scheme, they will remain available as an additional unit of Chaos Furies, too.

 

As the only Special Unit selection for Khorne, these Flesh Hounds have found new life.  For many years, they languished as under-powered Fast Cavalry and my entire collection didn't get used.  But, with their new "uber-powers" that make them as effective as heavy cavalry, they're more apt to get used in larger numbers.

 

I still refer to my Seekers of Slaanesh as "Mounted Daemonettes" since I got caught with a bunch of "Seekers" model conversions from the old Storm of Chaos period.  Rather than ditch them, I will probably continue to use them as true "Seekers" with the old profiles and these will just be renamed as "Mounted Daemonettes."

 

There was a time when I had purple-skinned Fiends of Slaanesh (painted by Pete) that matched the steeds on my Seekers (above).  But, for some reason, I opted to sell those off and keep the more "natural looking" Fiends that I had painted myself.  I thought I could get more money for the models that Pete painted, but in the end, I probably made the wrong decision.

My 6 Fiends are a combination of parts from 2 generations of Fiends (2nd Edition and 4th Edition) as well as some heads swapped with the Slaanesh steeds in my second Seekers unit (still unpainted).  This adds variety to the models.

  

All of my Bloodcrushers are 3rd Edition models in order to keep them consistent in size (as the 4th Edition model got a lot bigger than the older models).  Since I only had a couple at the time, I have since been putting time and effort picking up more of them on EBay when ever I find them available.

 

This is the original Bloodcrusher I painted as a Khorne Champion mounted on a Juggernaut.  I tried something new with the banners by photocopying the images from a Chaos book, then painting over them (essentially using them as a guide). 

 

This is the only "true" Bloodcrusher in the collection with an actual Bloodletter riding on it.  It was an EBay purchase as you can see the Bloodletter color scheme is dramatically different from my own.

 

This is the same model as my first one with the banners, but the absence of banners and different paint job make it look that much different!  This was a nicely done model I picked up on EBay for a pathetically low price.

 

Following my first trip to Europe in 1996, I came back inspired to knock out some quality work and these Tzeentch Flamers were some of the first beneficiaries (along with the Horrors).  It was one of the first (and best) examples of fading that I have ever done and, what's more, all 6 models were done in very little time.

 

There are 2 editions of Tzeentch Flamers here, with the models in the center going back to 3rd Edition when they looked more "mushroom-like."  I have since picked up 6th Edition models so that my collection of Flamers would be as varied and usable as my Bloodletters, but have not yet been inspired enough to try and blend in the new models.

 

My Beasts of Nurgle also span several generations.  These two are from the 3rd or 4th Edition period, but were only just recently painted.  I coated them with a heavy dose of Gloss Varnish to give them a "wet and slimy" appearance.

 

These Beasts of Nurgle are from the 5th Edition and were also painted just recently.  The bits for all 6 Beasts of Nurgle were mixed into 1 bag (along with a bunch of spare parts) and it took some sorting out to determine which parts belonged to which model (and a lot of green-stuff to fill in the gaps).

 

Unlike the slimy slug Beasts, these ones had discernable faces and closer examination made them look more like "fleshy things" than slugs.  So, I went with a more "alive" and grotesquely human appearance for them.

 

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