KrautScientist's INQ28

[KrautScientist]

Alright, guys, while I am trying to figure out the best course of action concerning Inquisitrix Alrod, why don't we take a look at something that's actually finished, eh? 

The Arco-flagellant is yet another character archetype that makes Inquisitor the dark and gothic masterpiece it is. Those guys got their first day in the limelight when Inquisitor was released, and they manage to embody much of what is wrong with organised religion in the 40k universe.

The process of Arco-flagellation is used to turn heretics into horrible weapons that can be wielded by the Ecclesiarchy. Use of an Archo-flagellant may also be granted to certain Inquisitors: a perfect excuse to have one or more of them in an Inquisitor warband!
What's interesting about them is not only the fact that they probably pack quite a punch on the table, but also the hidden tragedy behind these creatures. Granted, Arco-flagellants certainly aren't the leading roles in the shadow war for the Emperor's soul, but with a bit of creativity, it's quite easy to imagine suitably tragic and/or horrible stories to describe their fall from grace and their subsequent transformation into living weapons.

So it was clear to me that I needed to build one or more of them! All the more so since the official models are unfortunately quite horrible. Take a look.

http://wh40k.lexicanum.com/wiki/File:Acro_Flagelent_Squad.gif#.T-2KOsXTTyJ

So I once again turned to the Crypt Ghoul kit for a suitably twisted and tortured look. Here's what I came up with:







The first model I built was once again inspired by Phil Kelly's Inquisitor Lichtenstein warband: His Arco-flagellant Gryx uses an Ork power claw (from Ghazkull Thraka, no less!) which ended up looking very cool. So I tried the same at the 28mm scale. Apart from that, I added some mechanical doodads to show the "augmentations" the Arco-flagellant had received. The back of the Crypt Ghoul body also sported a nice, sharpened stake and some chains punched through the skin. I kept both, since it looked like they could have been part of the poor individual's "punishment". When painting the model, I took care to make the skin look extra pale and clammy. Looking back at it now, I will probably have to go back to touch up the vial supposed to be containing stimulants on the model's left shoulder at some point, since I am not perfectly happy with the colour there. But apart from that, I was reasonably pleased with my first Arco-flagellant. All that was missing was a suitably dark piece of background for him...



Arco-flagellant "Enoch 451″

In the long years of his career, Inquisitor Antrecht has been forced to use rather "unconventional" means more than once. So it is no wonder that his work would attract the attention of the Ordo Hereticus' more puritan members sooner rather than later. Consequently, Antrecht has had to deal with the Ordo's scrutiny on more than one occasion, but few of these confrontations have been as monumental and – ultimately – tragic as that with Inquisitor Ferrante.

During his long fight against the heretic Amnon Helix, Antrecht was forced to use some extreme measures, which earned him Ferrante's scorn. The Witch Hunter declared his intention of bringing Antrecht in for strict questioning, but his quarry managed to elude him time and time again. Ferrante was man driven by the fires of fanaticism, however, and when he could not apprehend Antrecht, he turned his attention to those close to him instead. Towards this end, he managed to capture Antrecht's Interrogator, Hamlin Rheden, laying an inescapable trap for the Inquisitor, for he knew Antrecht would try to free his disciple.

He had been right: Antrecht came out of hiding in a desperate bid to free Rheden, only to be confronted by Ferrante and his henchmen. Little is known of the two Inquisitors' confrontation, but it marked the last the galaxy had ever seen of Witch Hunter Ferrante, leading some to suspect that Antrecht may have had a hand in the Inquisitor's disappearance (or even his death) and earning him the undying enmity of Ferrante's own pupil, Holm Fiegmund — a situation that would, in time, have its own dire ramifications.

Ever since Antrecht's confrontation with the Witch Hunter, an Arco-flagellant designated "Enoch 451″ has been a member of the Inquisitor's retinue. Beyond that, nothing is known with any degree of certainty.

Enoch's trigger word is "Discipulus"


Well, the first model was finished, but I couldn't really stop at one, could I? So I built another Arco-flagellant, trying to improve on different aspects by using what I had learned while building Enoch 451: I wanted the model to be a little more dynamic. And I wanted to use a somewhat different head, so the model would look different enough from Enoch.

Fortunately, this one is a bit better documented. Here's a work in progress on my second Arco-flagellant:





Once again, a Crypt Ghoul body formed the base for the conversion, although this time I shaved off the quills and spikes emerging from the model's back, replacing them with two electric coils to indicate that there's some kind of generator powering the flagellant. His right arm was replaced with a Sentinel chainsaw, while I used a flail from the WFB Empire flagellant kit on his left arm to represent an electro-flail. I also added a couple of screws on his back to show where crude surgery had been performed on him in order to suitably "modify" his body. His head is a normal skull from the old Skeleton warriors, although I added a bionic eye that was built from some leftover bits and bobs.

Regarding his base, I had to elevate him a bit to prevent the chainsaw from touching the ground. I achieves this by using cork and the base of one of the energy generators that came with the "Battle for Maccrage" box set.

Concerning the paintjob, I'd like to highlight my method this time. It's certainly nothing spectacular, but it will probably show you how a very basic paintjob may be transformed by the judicious use of washes.

I started by painting him in the basic colours I wanted. Take a look:







I have to be honest with you: At this stage, I was extremely nervous because of how horrible the model looked. But then came the application of washes: Ogryn Flesh for the skin, Badab Black for the metal parts and Devlan Mud for...well, pretty much everything. After about an hour of waiting and some careful touchups here and there, here's what he looked like:







Quite a transformation, don't you think? Granted, this way of painting is not going to win me any prizes, but it's a fairly quick, effective and, most importantly, fun way of getting your models finished before you get bored. You also don't need to take my word for it either: This way of painting is championed by much more talented people than me, for example by Steve Buddle, who even explained it in some depth in a Blanchitsu WD-article some time ago.

Concerning the model's name and background, I decided to name the Arco-flagellant "Molotov XXVIII", as a small nod to Commissar Molotov, who is a very talented modeller in his own right and a tireless advocate of Inquisitor played at the 28mm scale. A heartfelt, albeit strange and twisted way of saying thank you, admittedly – but of course a perfect fit for the equally strange and twisted 40k universe. So, cheers mate!



Arco-flagellant "Molotov XXVIII"

The man who should become the being called "Molotov XXVIII" was a devout believer in the Imperial Creed and a lay preacher on the Shrine World of Tabeathah. His piety managed to attract quite a large number of followers, inspiring hope and religious fervour in those who came to listen to him. This rankled the Cardinals of Tabeatha greatly, however, for they only allowed their own version of the Imperial truth and feared the growing popularity of the preacher's teachings. So the man was abducted under cover of night and subjected to arduous torture in an attempt to make him confess to being a sinner and a heretic. But the faith was strong in him, and he could not be broken. It took the punishment of arco-flagellation to wipe his mind clean and end his existence as a human being. Instead, he was turned into a mindless killing machine and left in the dungeons of the great Vetranio Cathedral to wither away or be used in some religious war.

But his captors had been ill advised, for the loss of such a prominent figure incited a religious frenzy in the believers, and they stormed the cathedral, killing the Cardinals who had taken their leader from them. When Inquisitor Antrecht arrived on Tabeatha in the wake of the violent uprising, in order to investigate whether the Cardinals had been influenced by the ruinous powers, he found the lone Arco-flagellant in the catacombs beneath the sacked cathedral and took him along when he left the world. Through a twist of fate, Molotov XXVIII would be allowed to do the Emperor's work once more...

Molotov XXVIII's trigger word is "Advocator"



And with that, I have managed to show you all of Antrecht's henchmen, except one: His Servo-skull Mercutio, actually the first model I built for Antrecht's retinue:



It's just the Servo-skull from the Cadian Command Squad, glued to its own base. I also have no background for the little guy, although, knowing Antrecht, there is probably some dark and disturbing backstory of some sort. But that, as they say, is a story for another time.

With Inquisitor Antrecht's retinue completely presented, my future INQ28 posts will turn towards some other individuals, but fear not: Antrecht will still make an appearance from time to time. So look forward to all the strange and demented Inquisitor characters waiting on my workbench...

Until then, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

[Shannow]

Awesome! Simply awesome, can't think of anything else to say:)

And some nice neat little stories to boot!

[Dolnikan]

Those arco-flaggelants look very good and over the top, they are very insane and that fits the idea very well. The background also is marvellous again.

[Heroka Vendile]

those flagellant flails work really well for an electro-flail

[Quickdraw McGraw]

I second what Dolnikan said!   

[KrautScientist]

Thanks a lot, guys! Glad you like them!

The Empire flagellant kit is indeed chock full of fantastic bits and bobs for Inquisitor conversions. I'd go as far as saying that this is probably a compulsory purchase if you're looking at doing INQ28 conversions 

[Dolnikan]

I completely agree about the flaggelants, there are lots of nice little pieces in there that really fit the athmosphere. Almost every single one of our warbands contains pieces from them.

[KrautScientist]

My hobby time has mainly been divided between trying to cram all the new 6th edition rules into my head and working on my Traitor Guard allies recently, but that doesn't mean that there's no time for a little INQ28 on the side 

Here's a model I am working on at the moment. There's zero background in place as of yet, it's just a fun project:



The conversion uses an AOBR Ork boss that was a giveaway in WD when the 5th edition came out. I've always wanted to do something with him, but it never quite worked out until I discovered one of PDH's Scavies and simply stole the idea    This particular ghoul head is just a perfect fit to create some dumb muscle    I also added an old plastic Goliath's gun and an Ogre club, and my mutant bruiser was finished.

Started painting him already, although he's nowhere near finished. Here's where he's at:







As you can see, there are a lot of unfinished areas, but he's coming along rather nicely I think. As always, a great distraction whenever I am bored by other hobby activities 

More news on the INQ28 front soon!

[Dolnikan]

That is a very nice, big bruicer, he really fits the part.

[KrautScientist]

Thanks, Dolnikan!

Alright, people, it's been a little while, but today I've got something to show you:Meet Inquisitor Erasmus Gotthardt.

I am always easily drawn towards certain visual archetypes. One that really fascinated me while browsing through the Inquisitor rulebook was that of Inquisitor Tyrus: A massive, implacable man, quite intimidating and possibly terrifying to behold, as he is slowly advancing towards his quarry. So in a way, Inquisitor Gotthardt started out as a way of building a character similar to Tyrus at the 28mm scale.

Here's the result:







I started with an AOBR Terminator to make the model look suitably massive. However, I didn't want him to be wearing a standard Terminator armour, so I added a couple of bits to individualise the armour: The shoulderpads are armour plates from the Ork boyz kit, while his chestplate came from a Chaos Space Marine. I also added scrolls and decorations to make him look more like an Inquisitor and less like a Marine sergeant. The head is from a WFB Empire flagellant.



Regarding the paintjob, I went for the classic "Inquisitorial" colours of gold and crimson for a rather regal look.  I have to be honest with you, though: That meant I could also use the Inquisitor as a test piece of sorts for the colour scheme I wanted to use for a small Custodes project. Oh, and I decided to paint his energy mace in light blue to make it pop more.

All in all, Inquisitor Gotthardt is quite an imposing figure. One thing that's important to note though is that he is not actually supposed to be wearing Terminator armour! He may be based on an AOBR Termie, but I wanted his armour to look if it was more of a special design. If I ever were to do an INQ28 Space Marine, it would be a truescale version, so he would look just as big as, if not a little bigger than Gotthardt. So the armour is really supposed to be some "regular" power armour, pretty much like the one Tyrus is wearing. Maybe it's even only partial power armour. I really only build him that way for looks, not because I wanted him to be invincible during games.

As for the character's background, I already mentioned that, while working on the model, I hwas thinking of Gotthardt as some kind of Tyrus-expy: A bombastic, narrowminded Monodominant, strict in his rejection of what he considers to be Heresy (i.e. pretty much everything). However, as I began to think about the various possible members of his retinue, Inquisitor Gotthardt's character somehow slowly began to transform. I now see him as more of a "good guy" (insofar as that category can even be applied to Inquisitors at all): fair and straightforward, if a little orthodox in his philosophy. But at the same time, he is a tortured man, full of insecurity over his old friend Antrecht's seeming betrayal and torn between what he believes is right and what Antrecht has told him during their various confrontations (Fear not however, the role of pompous, insane Monodominant will be filled by somebody else — I have a plan!).

So with this gradual shift of his character in mind, I sat down to write a short piece of background for Inquisitor Gotthardt:



Inquisitor Erasmus Gotthardt, Ordo Hereticus (formerly of the Ordo Malleus)

Inquisitor Erasmus Gotthardt is a man torn. Torn between old loyalties and his beliefs. Torn between what he has been told and what he believes to be right.

Once he was one of Inquisitor Antrecht's closest friends, and both of them worked tirelessly to smite the daemon wherever it was found. Many were their exploits in the service of the Ordo Malleus, and their friendship endured through all the hardships they had to face during their arduous work.

The two of them went separate ways when Antrecht set out on a quest to take down the notorious heretic Amnon Helix, and they did not see each other for a long time. So Gotthardt was all the more shocked when he heard the accusations leveled at Antrecht after the disappearance of Witch Hunter Ferrante. He could not believe that his friend could have fallen so far, so he sought him out in order to make him see reason.

During their confrontation, Gotthardt implored his old friend to finally come clean, to accompany him before the Conclave and deal with the accusations. Gotthardt felt that they were beginning to work out some kind of understanding, but then the rash and fanatic Inquisitor Fiegmund, an erstwhile pupil of Ferrante,  interrupted their discussion and tried to apprehend Antrecht by force. In the ensuing three-way fight, Ferrante was attacked and horribly maimed by Antrecht's Daemonhost, while the Inquisitor managed to get away. Afterwards, the Inquisitorial Conclave at Pervatia Secundus addressed the question of how best to stop Antrecht. Inquisitor Gotthardt was thorougly examined and interrogated due to his connections to the fugitive and the grievous injuries dealt to another member of the Holy Ordos, and there were those who suspected that he was Antrecht's accomplice in the matter. Riddled with doubt over what he had witnessed and weakened by his long interrogations, Gotthardt adressed the Conclave:

"You may keep arguing about whether there is any method to Lazarus Antrecht's madness. You may keep searching for a name to give to his philosophy: Call it Istvaanianism or Antrechtism or call it by its true names: Madness. Heresy. That is the only classification I need. And though I may weep for the friend I lost, I must not waver in my task. For he whom I knew is dead and gone, and the last service that I may do him is to run down and take out the monster that he has become."



As always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

[KrautScientist]

Hmm, nothing to say, huh? That's a pity.

Still, I'll just try again with some new content 

With Inquisitor Antrecht's retinue so thoroughly documented, let us turn to my other INQ28 models, of which there are currently about 30 in different states of completion. Some of them are pretty much complete, some are early sketches, still others are simply useful 40k models that I managed to pick up (from cousin Andy's extensive collection, in more than one case). I'd like to showcase these models in a series of posts to show you where my different Inquisitor projects are headed. I also encourage you to let me know your ideas and criticism! Many of these models are nowhere near finished, and they can only get better with your help. So let's get this show on the road!

In today's post, we'll take a look at a number of models I built (or am still building) for the retinue of Inquisitor Gotthardt. You'll notice straight away that, compared to Inquisitor Antrecht's freakshow of a warband, Gotthardt's followers are a lot less extreme. Nevertheless, I am trying to make them interesting and rounded characters.

First up is Rogue Trader Iskander Gagarin, in Gotthardt's service ever since the Inquisitor convicted him of smuggling Xenos contraband and made him an offer he could not refuse:







With this model, I tried to partly channel the look of Rogue Trader von Castellan from the Inquisitor rulebook. I like the idea that rogue traders are pretty much naval merchants on speed, sporting a wild mix of gaudy dress uniforms and more exoctic features, so that's what I tried to achieve with Gagarin: I used a Cadian officer's torso and right arm with the left arm and legs coming from an old WFB Empire cannon kit. The head is a Space Wolf scout's, while the flashy fur cloak is from the WFB Empire Knights. To represent Gagarin's dealings with Xenos cultures, I gave him a shuriken pistol from an old Eldar CC weapons sprue and a Dark Eldar knife on his belt. He is also carrying his family's heirloom sword (again from the Empire Knights). All in all, I am rather pleased with the overall effect. He looks suitably swanky, with just a bit of a swashbuckling vibe. I'll probably go for a pretty loud paintjob, in order to make him look like a 19th century military officer turned up to eleven.

Next in line is a character that I intended to be the very opposite of Gagarin: Captain Esteban Revas, former regimental champion of the 126th Haaruthian Dragoons, who was dishonoured in the eyes of his regiment, his family and his homeworld for the crime of actually doing an honourable deed (go figure!  ):







I wanted to build a model that was clearly recognisable as a (former) member of the Imperial Guard. I also wanted the model's pose to be full of confidence, even arrogance, to underline his military upper-class background. Again, I used a mix of Cadian parts and bits from WFB Empire kits. Revas is supposed to be an accomplished fencer and duelist, so I gave him a weapon (and some absurdly ornate equipment — check out his helmet!) to match this effect. Though I used components very similar to Gagarin's, the resulting model looks very different, and the dynamic between the two characters should be fairly interesting in the background as well.

While Gagarin's and Revas' characters and respective background are pretty far along, there are some additional members of the warband who haven't yet made it beyond the modelling stage, with little or no background in place.

On of those is a drill abbot I built:





I wanted him to look like an older, world weary type who nevertheless can hold his own in battle. I used a stocky monk's body from the Bretonnian men-at-arms, combined with a Space Wolf head, a power hammer from the power armoured Grey Knights and a couple of bits. I also gave him a lantern for good measure. All in all, the model's a bit shorter than I would have liked, but that cannot be helped. I haven't come up with a background for him yet, but I'll work something out.

Then there's this guy:



You all probably recognise the model as the shuttle pilot from the Maccrage box set. I really love this guy, so I talked cousin Andy into letting me have him. After thinking for a while about what I would actually use him for, I decided to attach him to an Inquisitorial warband as some kind of retired Arbites judge, security agent or something of the like.

Towards that end, I clipped off the case he was carrying and added a power maul (from the Dark Angels veteran kit) instead. However, I am not quite sure whether I should clip off the maul's head or not, or replace it with something different...any ideas? I also added some gloves from the Bretonnian men-at-arms to his belt.
Apart from that, I'm pretty sure I won't change too much about the model, since the base model is great as it is. But if there are any suggestions, let me know!

And finally, here is a character I have been toying around with for quite a while now:





A Kroot mercenary I built from some parts that had accumulated in my bitzbox. However, I always saw the Kroot as more than just a couple of flesh-eating "birdmen". I've been intrigued by a number of conversions I've seen over the years that chose to emphasise the tribal aspect to the Kroot culture, picturing them as some kind of "noble savages" if you will. And however dated (and downright politically incorrect) that concept may be in actual literature, I think there's little harm in applying it to a race of alien birdmen from space.

The model you see above was heavily inspired by a Kroot conversion published in the new 40k rulebook. The model throws some High-Elf (and Wood Elf) bits into the mix to add some tribal elements. However, as you can see, this guy is not finished by a long stretch, and I am also not sure whether he'll actually end up in Gotthardt's entourage or will rather be held back for the warband of a Xenos Inquisitor I have yet to build.

Anyway, that's the first few character sketches currently loitering on my desk. If you have any questions, suggestions or ideas, let me know! I am looking forward to hearing from you!

In any case, as always, thanks for looking and stay tuned for more!

[Knobby2]

I love the fencer and the rogue trader,

the only thing im not a fan of is the mace on the shuttle pilot, it looks too big for him

[Quickdraw McGraw]

I really like your style Kraut!  But I'm really impressed with your latest warband.  The mix of new and old really sets them apart!   

Retired Arbites judge- I agree, this is a great model!  About the maul...what if you just cut out the middle of the head?  It would shorten it and the top/bottom should line up. Also I thought before I read the description that the gloves were some unlucky fellow's hands.   

Keep up the great work!   

[KrautScientist]

Thanks a lot guys!

I am really not happy with the maul yet. At this point, I'll probably either cut off the head. The rest will still look like a power maul, and the size will be more in line with the rest of the model. Or I'll replace the head with some club from the Empire flagellant kit. Either way, that head will have to go 

[Knobby2]

i'd remove the original maul head, put a length of paper clip in between whats left of the maul and the hand too make it slightly longer, should work fine and look a bit more accurate