Kill Team Genestealers (Part 2)

When Kill Team was released in the Fall of 2016 the first Kill Team that I attempted to assemble was a Genestealers themed one using Codex Tyranids. However, I decided that the two styles of models didn't work well together after all and chose to work just with the older models. Only I have been unable to locate my old running Patriarch model. Just can't seem to locate him. Been searching for that damned fiend for months and have uncovered all kinds of nearly forgotten minis in the Neverness Archives in the meanwhile, yet that Patriarch model elludes me.

Not only was I frustrated by that event (or lack thereof), but Codex Genestealer Cult came out shortly after that and I wanted to wait until I owned that book before proceeding any further. And now I finally have that tome and I am confronted by all the tastey options within it!

But that's not the point of this post. Instead I am going to show my attempt at reviving a very old paint scheme.

The Genestealers I painted back in the '90s were painted with just a handful of paints. Most of which were out of the Space Marine Paint Set that was available at the time. I did not prime these early models so the paint went straight onto the blue plastic. I used the darker base color for the Ultramarines for the main body and Terracotta, the Blood Angel base, for the ribby bits. On the blue I painted Shadow Grey (the Space Wolves base color) and on top of that with Space Wolf Grey highlights. On the Terracotta I used a Purple Ink to make it a deep purple with a Worm Purple highlight. Fairly quick, fairly simple.

Base Coat.

First thing that's different is that I primed the model with Chaos Black. Then as I got into the basecoating stage I discovered that the Terracotta was dried up. I used the closest analog I had on hand and that is Apple Barrel Indian Red. It's a bit more red that the Terracotta, but should work. Next, I discovered that my Purple Ink is gone as well. I tried Druchii Violet, but it's too thin to pull off the transformative effect that I got with the Purple Ink.

Mid coats.

The midcoat was done with Shadow Grey over the blue. The newer versions of this color aren't quite as blue as the original from the early '90's and is a bit greyer. I painted Worm Purple, another color that I bought around '92 just to paint Genestealers,  over the Indian Red.

Highlights. 

Next came the highlights. I still have some of the original Space Wolf Grey and it still works well? I applied a thin layer of it first and used a thicker portion on the higher edges. For the purple I added a dab of White Scar to the Worm Purple and dry brushed this over the purple.

Claws and spots painted up to white.

Mixed up some brown with Bleached Bone to get a good coat over the dark brown on the claws. I worked Bleached Bone with White Scar in layers until I added the final highlight of White Scar.

Rear view showing the back side details. 

Here is it next to it's older cousin. Not a perfect match, but pretty darn close. And no, I will not be adding the yellow 'hive fleet' markings on the head of my newer painted Genestealers.

Comparing the old with the new.

It's close but I think I prefer the "bluer" look on the older mini. So I will attempt this again on another model...

Ultramarine Blue  basecoat.

This time I switched out the dark blue with Ultramarine Blue. Everything else started off the same as before, but when I got to the midcoat on the purple areas I finally had recalled that back in '90s I used to put Worm Purple over the Terracotta prior to applying the Purple Ink.  In this case it's going over Indian Red and this is what that looks like prior to the inks:

Worm Purple over Indian Red.

Everything else was like the previous example and here we have the finished model:

Finished! 

And there we have it, I matched the original model's "blue" carapace. Still I'm pleased with the first example and I may just do a few more like that just to break up the monotony.

Rear.

I decided while painting the second model that I wanted the base to be dark "industrial" color that would look OK on a Space Hulk board or a cityscape table. I am pleased with how this had turned out and I hope to do more with these xenos fiends. Hopefully I will find that Patriarch mini soon!

Friends share the bio-mass.