Broods Brothers

It's a hundred and six miles to Chicagos VII. They've got a full tank of promethium and half a pack of demo charges. It is dark, and they are wearing sunglasses. 

Hit it.

Genestealer Cults are one of the cooler armies around these days, with their fantastic range of gnarly miners harking back to the old Jes Goodwin artwork from Space Hulk. They really hit a hobby nostalgia button for me, and a single box of Neophytes had been on my wish list for ages so I could tick them off my Necromunda list. 

Well, that box will get ticked in due course. Stylus, having already enabled me to the tune of an Ironward Acolyte, sent me a little Christmas gift, just to push me further off the hobby cliff I'd already fallen off. Very generous of him, but it was rather like throwing a drowning man some more water. 

This is a sprue of classic Cadian infantry, which took me right back! I used to have a small guard army, two squads of these, a Chimera, some snipers, a lead command group and a Basilisk, about twenty years ago. They've aged pretty well, in fairness, although the addition of a few Neophyte torsos and heavy weapons plus the lovely bits from the Brood Brothers Upgrade sprue really makes them sing. 

I found a pair of spare legs, the kneeling sniper from the Palanite Enforcers kit, and threw together an extra squaddie. Twelve in all, so these are more likely to see use on the table as counts-as Neophytes rather than real Broodies. They were made before the new codex was out, which leaves them in a funny place - although they can be taken in a mixed detachment without causing problems, there's not a massive benefit in doing so other than how cheap they are. Neophytes are shootier and regenerate lost members, which more than makes up for being more expensive in my mind (plus you don't have to paint as many that way). But with this squad, I have the option either way!

It seems like a great new codex, which is lucky, seeing as I went for the army before reading it. Lots of alternatives to play with, plus some great updates and upgrades for older and less common units. Much to try!

The paint scheme ties them in to Hive Fleet Afanc, being green with black, white and orange stripy bits. Still playing around with this in my head - the red pipes on the Ironward looked better than the purple/blue ones here, but I prefer the black and green clothing to the almost pure green on the banner dude. I guess I can keep making variations on the theme as I go! Might work more on the bases, though, my salt desert idea isn't quite there yet. 

Painting Guide:

• Undercoat - a very slightly off-white pale green I found at an art shop
• Carapace/armour panels - Biel-Tan wash drybrushed with Necrotic Flesh
• Shoulders/armour fill - Warp Lightning contrast over the above
• Leather - Leather Brown and Agrax Earthshade
• Uniform - German Grey, Nuln Oil and Necromancer's Cloak highlight
• Flesh - Tanned Flesh, Kislev Flesh or Elf Flesh washed with Seraphim Sepia then highlighted appropriately, Eldar Flesh drybrush to finish
• Pipes and tongues - Xereus Purple blended upwards to Lothern Blue via Crusted Sore
• Guns and Equipment - Incubi Darkness, Nuln Oil, edges with Cabal Green and then Cabal Green + white
• Metals - Oily Steel, Nuln Oil, Platemail Metal
• Markings - Black, White, Jokaero Orange and Trollslayer Orange
• Bases - work in progress, but PVA and sand plus Nighthaunt Gloom then Nihilakh Oxide. Skink Blue and Etherium Blue drybrushed over, then some Dessicated Grass scatter. I think it needs crystals, but that requires expensive resin bits! Black rims till I die, yo, as usual. 

There is more stuff for this nascent cult inbound, and I am super stoked to be getting it! The evil half of Shadow Throne and the old Start Collecting box makes for a decent starter detachment, I reckon, and then I can add in other bits later. Bikers, mostly, I expect!