Flesh Berzerkers

The limited pool of units available when playing a Covenite army in 40k isn't something that has bothered me so far, conversely, it has served a purpose as becoming a sort of "check list" for what to paint.

And one of my favourite units on that check list, and a unit I have wanted to convert and paint for a long time is the Grotesques.

Ever since the Warhammer fantasy battle Vargeists/Crypt horrors box came out I thought "well those are some rad models, how can I get them into 40k? 

Also, there seems to be a shocking lack of source material on the Internet in terms of pictures of other people's attempts at this conversion, despite the box coming up regularly in forum discussion on the subject of converting them.

I quite like the "break dancing" official Grotesque available from Games Workshop, but at some point, I plan to run a unit of nine of these beauties and there was no way I was going to have nine of the same model in the unit.

Strangely enough, people seem to convert them out of Rat Ogres, which look great, but I personally find the additional hair on the models a bit too "un dark eldar", I like the idea of them being just big wracks, hairless and pumped full of steroids with a mask welded to their face.

The other option people go for is the Everblight Warspears which, although lovely models, I feel make a poor conversion piece as the bodies are too small for the heads, and the overall aesthetic of the models, while close, doesn't really convey the mindless nature of a grotesque. 

This first unit was essentially a test run to see if my idea would ever work, I should've really waited until I had purchased a couple more Talos (which I since have.) so that I would have more than enough spare bits available, for example the bio mechanical hands from the Talos kit are obviously perfect to represent the flesh gauntlets, but once I make a few more of these guys, these ones will provide some variation in the unit.

There is actually a moderate amount of green stuff on these models, though none of it particularly skilfully done I would add.  I thought it was important to build up the biceps and neck muscles of the models as they felt too lean originally. I also sculpted little rolls around the ankles and waist (as well as cutting off all the groinal hair of the original models.) to create the trousers which are a recurrent part of the official look for Grotesques.  I also sculpted on the wrist vembraces to again get them closer looking to the Wracks in the army, and to bulk up the arms and round off the outline.

I'm quite happy with them now, but can't help but think any ones I make in future will be better next time round.  I didn't even like the paint job until I applied a super thinned down layer of Cadian fleshtone over the pallid wych flesh highlights, that seemed to mottle them and give the large flat areas of the muscles a bit more detail.

Now to chuck them in a Raider and twist off some Space Marine heads...