Bits Bits Bits and the Skagerrak Skallen Fangsters Jet Pack Squadron

When we last saw the Legioss Moriad XIV experimental flight squadron, the Skagerrak Skallen Fangsters, it seemed that our evil little friends from Denmark just needed some weapons and right hands to be ready for (unpainted) action.

Well, Hungry Ghosts did that, and it took a very long time. This led to an investigation of why it took a very long time. Herewith, let us go and make our visit.

  There they are, my little Khornicons.

First, the insidious intent: Overkill. Weaponry that would never be considered acceptable in a 40K game by reasonable people.

 This led first to Chaos Squats Plastic Bits Box 1. Here, the guns bin in the upper right was plundered for all those new Space Marines Plasma Pistols, Inferno Pistols, Hand Flamers; whatever was explosive enough but not too ridiculous when being held in one hand while flying.

Then the long row of hand weapons was rummaged through for pointy hacking type things. Also, the Bolt Pistols from the weapons bins to use along with the pointy bits.

But with those hundreds bits, there could be no chance that our Flying Squats would go without decorative skulls or swanky spikes. Or that guns would go unmodified. So the rest of our plastic bits were inspected for potential use.

Then the Chaos Squats Plastic Bits Box 2.

 

This is where spikes, Tyranid bits, and stuff too big for the other box lives.

 Then came the Process of Exclusion.

Right off, we're not going to use

the Space Marines Storm Raven that has been accumulating from low bids on bits on ebay. 

That's about $5-6 there. 

And certainly not the

 

$6 Imperial Guard Valkyrie.

Patience pays off: remember, you're not going to use that whatever for who knows how long; quiet accumulation can be more rewarding than indulging in the "It's so cool, I want it now!" urge.

Not using the Imperial Tanks and Cities of Death parts. We have plans for those. And the extra Valkyrie Troops Compartment below as well.

Not going to need the Tau bits (including most of a cheap-ass Fire Warrior squad), the Chaos Chariot Gore Beast (ready to join the Bear-Master and Cyboar Cyclor), nor headless Cold Ones. 

Definitely not that Daemon Prince, who looks much more impressive when spread out against the floor like a patient dissected on a table, for planning purposes.

Where there is time yet for a hundred visions and revisions. How modest seem the actual Chaos pieces when compared with Tyranids, Dragons, and other foul beasts. How his legs are thin next to the Hive Tyrant and Zombie Dragon. That Terrorgheist has some very useful bits as well.
 

Now things get a bit tougher.

Do we want to use the Ork bits? Lots of tubes and spikes. But no, we'll save them for the Secret Land Train Secret Project, along with the Imperial Tanks. 

What a terrible name for a secret project.

Now this is really a tough choice: Dark Eldar and Necrons. So many possibilities. But too many possibilities. Since Hungry Ghosts has a second set of Ewal Dvergar to convert, they will use the Dark Eldar and Necron bits.

Cometh the Undead. Such very nice bits from those Vampire Counts monstrosities. Surprisingly cheap as well. Seems with all these new plastic kits, there's some sort of critter in the middle that possesses all the useful power. That critter might go for $15-25. But the rest? $1-3 for an entire side of ghostly horsemen or creepy skeletal enclosures. A person could build their own Mountains of Madness for not much money.

Also, flowing tides of magicks from Tzeentch Daemons. We'll use some wisps of magic and some new style skeletal cavalry bits. Them Hexwraiths are covered in ghostly flames.

If only for the sake of what few sanity points I still possess, by fiat none of the used bits will be used here. Not even the baggie with the skeletal horse parts.

Or the Assorted Space Marines Parts and the Whole WFB Critter Bodies and Scenery bits. No one needs a Gnoblar leg right now.

I said I was not going to look at the metal bits because that would take forever...

And it did.

It really did. They are so very nice.

But the Battlefleet Gothic parts, Nurgle Drone Riders, Big Plastic Guns, and Skeletal Horsemen will be included in the potential permutation pool of parts.
 

With the infernal sun rising, our evil little Skagerrak Skallen Fangsters are personalized.

 Those reddish-brown spots are, as Rorschach would say, human bean juice. 

 Sometimes, when handling small parts, there's no such thing as "cut away from yourself". As when dealing with the little arrow bits cut off of a Tzeentch Icon and attached to the face of our Chaos Squat on the left. And sometimes, the finger bleeds fast. Faster than the smelly liquid wound sealer can dry.

But Hungry Ghosts is very efficient. Here are the bits left over after everything was done. Mostly Space Marines, and they deserved it.

Now You Will Know Fear, O Emperor's lapdogs: We have the strength of technology and body to fire a Bolter with one hand!!!

Ancient Creatures of Chaos: Demons of the 1980s: Zygor, Leaping Slomm, Ngaaranh, and SA-ATOR!!!

We will start off the new year by looking at some of the things Hungry Ghosts was playing with last year instead of making more blog postings about Squats. First, Ancient Creatures of Chaos!

 We have a trio of ancient monsters, the Mark of Chaos Creatures from Citadel Compendium 1 (1983): Zygor Snake Arms, Leaping Slomm Two Face, and Ngaaranh Chaos Spawn. 

Lovely Ngaaranh Chaos Spawn

And Leaping Slomm Two Face

 

Leaping Slomm is a Mutant Chaos Troll

Lastly, Mr Zygor Snake Arms. Snake Tail too.

 

 Yes, Beardlings, 30 years ago, no internet (for practical purposes), and photographs were too expensive for hobby catalogs. At least we have some drawings. Hungry Ghosts remembers ordering miniatures just by the name alone: Female Elf Ranger. What's she going to look like? We'll find out in 4 to 6 weeks when she arrives in the mailbox. (We also had to pay $3 for the catalog, which also took 4 to 6 weeks to arrive. A primitive system for desperate young gamers, who also might be mistaken for devil worshipers, but that is a tale for another day. Or an early Tom Hanks film).

http://solegends.com/citcat1984arch/ArcList11-01.htm

http://solegends.com/citle1980/c1chaos/index.htm

Now, from 1985, SA-ATOR, the Gigantic Demon Lord.
Part of Tony Ackland's Arcane Monstrosities series.

SA-ATOR is a Gigantic Demon Lord of Complex Thought.

"No creature broods with black evil as does SA-ATOR, and no other creatures does he despise more than the pathetic race of humanity. His malice is bottomless, his hatred a deathly palor that glows black upon his rank and leprous hide He could destroy humanity if he wished. But SA-ATOR is far too subtle, and far too cruel, to merely slay mankind. That would he too easy! too unsatisfying! SA-ATOR knows that there are terrors worse than death, horrors more profound than the maw of oblivion, agony a thousand times more intense than the death rattle. No - instead he delights in the corruption of man, pleasures in the dance of death; in the war and hatred and cruelty that he seeds in humanity. These are emotions lie knows well; emotions that could be read in his gleaming yellow eyes were there a creature that dare look. But few living creatures could survive the stare of hatred in that face, or breathe the exhaled air of corruption that issues from that foul muzzle. A few that tried would be lucky enough to die. More likely they would themselves become twisted with bitterness, turned upon their own race and driven insane with lust for death and carnage."

http://solegends.com/citta/ta8saator/index.htm 

By April 1986, technology had progressed to allow photographs.

Despite his brooding about the corruption of humankind, SA-ATOR gets 10 Stomp attacks per turn.

Deadly Poison Breath attack too.

The 80s were a good time to be a

Gigantic Demon Lord.