Iron Warrior project, the story so far

Project Iron Warriors started out as a side project that can be worked at any time, without deadlines or rush to paint models. It’s my way of painting a collection I’ve always wanted to display, using as much effort and attention to bring out the best of my abilities. That’s not to say I don’t make an effort with my other projects that I work on, but this project in particular is a scenario of ‘if I retire tomorrow this project will be my last and best’ sort of thing.

Over time in January, I’ve started to really enjoy this project as it’s given me free rein to go crazy. No grinding on fairly basic colour scheme and rush for deadline, I can just paint my best with a few models. During February, weeks after finishing the project I picked up a copy of Storm of Iron by Graham McNeill. A very inspirational book for all Iron Warrior fans that shows just how efficient these guys are in trench warfare. I was so inspired that I wanted to go back to my Iron Warriors project and add more models to the collection.

Ever since I was young, I’ve always wanted to collect an Iron Warriors army but I was crap at painting them at the time. My skills were not fully mastered at painting which resulted in clumpy painted models, I still have these models today that are kept in box of shame.

Anyways, as I hog older and read many stories about the IV legion and hobbyist articles of their own collection, I felt that one day I needed to paint my own collection of Iron Warriors before I leave the hobby, or just float in the astral realm when my time comes.

Unlike most Iron Warrior collections, this one is focused on those afflicted by Nurgle who praise him as their deity. A slow corruption that started all the way back during the war on Tallarn. These warriors of festering diseases were banished by the Daemon Primarch Perturabo for their weakness to fall to one god.

I liked how the design team at GW used MKIII and MKII (and others too) for the Death guard, adding some warp corruption and bringing to life the Death guard from the rich illustrations of the legion. Whilst I do agree a few of the ranges kits do look a bit too cartoony (the easy to build Blightlords suffer from this), I do however overall like the factions design.

Since the IV legion use a lot of MKIII and Cataphractii Terminators in their armoury, The Deathguard range more than fits the template to paint Iron Warrior colour scheme. My project so far looks impressive, the corrupted MKIII armour just fits well for Iron Warriors devoted to Nurgle.

Current project list

My side project is not tied to any specific detachment in mind, as I feel that having no limitations (apart from staying true to the legions doctrine and preference to warfare) will make this project more enjoyable and open for experimentation.

Ive had a few unused CSM models in the neglected box for awhile now including a Word Bearers Dreadnought, Chosen and cultists.

Below is a list of what I currently have in the project.

• Lord Contagion
• (Chaos Lord prox) Lieutenant
• Tallyman
• 4x Blightlords
• 5x Plague Marines
• Dreadnought
• Blight Drone
• Plagueburst Crawler
• 10x Poxwalkers
• 19x Cultists
• 10x kitbashed Chosen as CSM (may not be included If experiment fails)

The list incorporates two of the notable units that the Iron Warriors have (with minor changes by Nurgle’s blessing), one being Slaves that are cultists and Poxwalkers, their the meat shields that drag the enemy whilst the IV legion Astartes Judge the enemy from afar. Secondly the list is starting to feature heavy support, the Plagueburst Crawler fits perfectly as a siege weapon like the Vindicator (but far more messed up).

If I expand this project further into the undivided Chaos portion when CSM release is fully done, I plan to add more none aligned CSM units and siege machines like Predators, Vindicators and Daomic infused monstrosity’s (maybe throw in a basilisk too!).

Project showcase

Over the past three months I’ve been painting any expanding this project, basically a whole season. Below is all of my Iron Warriors I’ve painted so far in this collection.

Next step

Going forwards, I want to focus on getting more none aligned infantry and war machines, as the Nurgle stuff is just about done. Possibly 1-2 CSM squads and maybe Havocs, as well as a Predator. After reading a few short stories about Tallarn, I’m keen to add some tanks to my army.

That’s all from me for now, typing this long post was tedious but I wanted to try a bit harder on making a longer post for my Iron Warriors Collection. Do you guys prefer my shorter blog posts or do you like longer posts?

With that, I’ll be back soon with a very special post on one of my biggest comic finds in my life, no joke!

Oh and one more thing, for those wretched Imperial Fist fan boys, here’s my artist depiction of one of your chapter masters, enjoy!😉

Until next time, Iron within, Iron without,

-Warsmith Bjorn