"Connoisseurs of electrical annihilation, Warlock 'Galvaneers' are obsessed with channelling the voltaic energies of what they call the 'Dark Innovator' into the utter destruction of their foes. Such is the power of the warpvolt obliterators that they wield that even the most heavily armoured warriors can be reduced to a smouldering ruin in mere moments. All ranks should regard these lightning-wreathed maniacs with extreme caution and would be well advised to prioritise their elimination, preferably from as great a distance as possible... "
Ars Militaris Exercitus Aqshy
As alluded in my last post, I've been beavering away on another follower of The Great Horned Rat over the past couple of weeks. A coterie of Skaven were the antagonists in the e-short that inspired me to paint up Maleneth, so as I was putting the finishing touches on her mini, I grabbed the Warlock Galvaneer I picked up last autumn from my pile of opportunity and got stuck in.
As a quick aside, I was a surprised to learn recently that I’d been mispronouncing the clan name as ‘SKY-er’ rather than SKRY-er, though I put this down to the fact that having never really played or been involved with Warhammer Fantasy Battle before the destruction of The World That Was, I’d only ever seen the name written down, so I’d obviously misread it at some point and then just continued to not see the first ‘r’. In any case, there’s something about the unhinged Warlocks of Skryre and the weapons they cobble together from technology and warpstone that really appeals to me. I’ve heard it said that they’re the fantasy equivalent of the Martian Mechanicum of the 31st millennium, which doesn't seem entirely inaccurate to me and probably forms at least some part of what drew me to them. There’s probably also something in the colour scheme of the clan that’s appealing too: I find the purple robes and black plate armour quite relaxing to work on.
Another aspect that’s appealing is that the weapons and wargear that Clan Skryre utilise lend themselves nicely to weathering and corrosion which are always fun to play with, and with the Galvaneer, I took the opportunity to experiment further with thinned down Sotek Green for darker Verdigris. In some areas, I’ve applied Nihilakh Oxide over the Sotek Green to create a more interesting and ‘realistic’ patina.
Speaking of paint recipes, I was recently reminded about 'Eavy Archive, which is an online compilation of some of the methods that the 'Eavy Metal team have utilised in painting 'box art' miniatures, and I decided to give a couple of them a try while finishing up the Galvaneer, specifically on the chunks of warpstone bolted into the rotating vanes of the warpvolt obliterator and the warp lightning arcing between the components of the Warlock’s wargear.
Another aspect that’s appealing is that the weapons and wargear that Clan Skryre utilise lend themselves nicely to weathering and corrosion which are always fun to play with, and with the Galvaneer, I took the opportunity to experiment further with thinned down Sotek Green for darker Verdigris. In some areas, I’ve applied Nihilakh Oxide over the Sotek Green to create a more interesting and ‘realistic’ patina.
Speaking of paint recipes, I was recently reminded about 'Eavy Archive, which is an online compilation of some of the methods that the 'Eavy Metal team have utilised in painting 'box art' miniatures, and I decided to give a couple of them a try while finishing up the Galvaneer, specifically on the chunks of warpstone bolted into the rotating vanes of the warpvolt obliterator and the warp lightning arcing between the components of the Warlock’s wargear.
I’m pretty pleased with the results, so I’ll definitely be giving more of them a try in future, though I find it interesting (though not entirely surprising) that the Eavy Metal team tend to use thinned ‘regular’ paints from the Citadel range rather than using shades – I guess this gives more subtle and controlled colour transitions. I had spotted this in some of the painting guides in more recent editions of White Dwarf, but looking through the Eavy Archive really highlights this. Ultimately, I suppose there’s no ‘right’ way to paint anything as it’ll depend on what you’re aiming for but if you like to draw inspiration from studio paint schemes, knowing this is another ‘tool in the toolbox’ when planning projects out.
Firmly in a Skaven frame of mind, while I was away over the weekend just gone, I read the e-short No Honour Among Vermin by C.L. Werner. Although it was published during the second edition of Age of Sigmar when quite a lot of the background of the setting was still being fleshed out, it stands up really well and offers a brilliant, up close and personal peek into just how cut-throat the ratmen are. If you like a narrative laced with twists and turns, I'd highly recommend checking it out.
Suitably inspired by the machinations of the protagonist of No Honour Among Vermin, I plan to continue exploring the depraved techno-sorcery of Clan Skryre in the coming weeks as an Arch-Warlock has snuck onto my painting desk from a cunningly concealed Gnawhole in our front porch...
Until next time though, thanks for reading and happy hobbying.
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