The Genestealer Cults are one of the most pernicious parts of the Warhammer 40k universe, bands of humans infected by alien DNA that unwittingly do the work of the Tyranid hive fleets. Though they have their own model range that mixes alien mutations with mining equipment, that wasn’t enough for conversion fanatic Mark Kilburn, who created an entire custom army to represent a cult on the day its members discard their disguises and put the Imperium to the torch.
Kilburn has been part of the Warhammer 40k hobby since 1992, right at the tail end of the first edition. He says “I’ve always built armies around themes”, and he’s completed many custom Warhammer 40k factions in his time.
“My all-infantry Imperial Guard army are converted from old Empire troops”, he says, “my Eldar army are Exodites using all the different elf and eldar kits, including dinosaurs”, and his Imperial Knights are “kitbashed with the Sisters of Battle kits to make them walking churches”. He even converted a force of ‘truscale’ World Eaters before Primaris Space Marines existed. You can find pictures of all his armies over on his Instagram, @techmagos_binary
While browsing Necromunda vehicles and scenery on the internet, he found himself wondering “what would a Genestealer Cult have access to on the Day of Ascension” when they finally launch their rebellion? His conclusion: “mining vehicles” – lots and lots of giant, poorly maintained, health-and-safety non-compliant mining vehicles.
To put some minimal guide rails on the project, and so he knew what his conversions would count as on the tabletop, he used rules from the Tyranids Warhammer 40k Codex to define each vehicle. “This meant I could use the big bugs’ rules and model them as different vehicles, as long as I kept the base size and height the same”, he explains.
The project began in January 2022 “and has snowballed from there”, eating up five to eight hours every week for the last two years. The biggest challenge has been “keeping the overall look coherent while making everything a believable vehicle”. Some of the contraptions went through multiple iterations, “in some cases completely starting again”, to ensure they would “match the vision I had in my head”.
The force is truly massive, with models that counts as a “Hive Tyrant and Hive Guard, melee Tyranid warriors, ranged Tyranid warriors, Tervigon with 10 Termagants, Tyrannofex, Harpy, Maleceptor, Toxicrene, Exocrene, Haruspex, two Carnifex with venom cannon, two Carnifex with bio plasma, Psychophage, Trygon, Norn Emissary and a Heirophant bio Titan”.
While Kilburn is “proud of the look of the whole project”, he says “it’s the little touches and stories that make them look more believable”. Every vehicle is packed with detail, particularly crew members mounting or dismounting the vehicles, hitching a ride, or taking a break from the civil uprising for a cup of recaff.
Kilburn plans to take the cult and his Imperial Knight household to Warhammer World for the Armies on Parade event. After that he’s planning “a break from GW for a bit as I’ve got a Gundam kit sitting on the desk begging to be built and customised”.
If you’ve got a custom converted model collection but can’t find a 40k army list to play them with, why not check out Riftway Cataclysm? It’s an intriguing, free alternate ruleset that you can play with literally any models – check out our article on it to learn more.
Source: Wargamer
