Vintage Chaos Champion in Bone Armour in w40k

Another comparatively old citadel miniature provides the basis for a chaos champion. In 40k, it is perhaps a unique lesser daemon or feral world leader.

Aims & Model.
Despite being an old model, this one is a relatively new additional to my collection. It was bought on the basis that it was one that I had wanted when I was much younger in age, but could never get hold of. Its utility to Warhammer fantasy battle is straight-forward in the guise of a chaos sorcerer or champion. But what use can it be put to in the Warhammer 40,000 setting? I have a number of ideas in mind. Firstly, it can be used in a lost & the damned army as a mutant leader. It may also have a role in some traitor imperial guard armies. Neither of those options are the ones that I have specifically in mind for this model's future. To me, it has three prime uses. Firstly, as a character model (psyker perhaps) in a feral world setting, perhaps helping to lead local resistance to invasion from imperial forces. Secondly, and potentially more interestingly, I see this model as a unique lesser daemon for use in exploring an idea that has been brewing at the back of my mind for some while: a Daemon Worlds supplement / minidex. More on that specific idea at a later date. Lastly, I'm considering using this model as The Changeling from Codex: Daemons. (Edit: Surely any model could be used for The Changeling?!)

The general aim for this model was to attempt to make it look slightly other-worldly, but still suitable for use as a feral world model. Therefore, I wanted to make it look like it had a sword that was similar in style and appearance to the hellblades that I've painted on my modern bloodletters. I chose blue as the general colour theme for the vestment, and an aged looking bone colour for the armoured parts.

Painting.
The robes were tackled first, using a deep blue basecoat on top of a black undercoat. After inking with a mix of 1 part black to 4 parts blue, the robe was drybrushed to progressively lighter shades of blue. Highlighting of the robe was accomplished with small, delicate lines of light blue and white along the raised portions to give the illusion of a flowing, once-silken vestment.

For the armoured portions, a cream basecoat was applied and inked in a wash of brown. These parts were progressively highlighted, primarily through drybrushing, to lighter shades of bone.

The blade was painted in the colours that I use on my bloodletters. This is done by starting with a dark red toward the hilt of the blade and mixing it with bolder reds, through orange and yellow to white at the very tip. The blending of the colours doesn't have to be precise - the aim was for was a heated lava-like blade. Specks of yellow in an odd place are therefore locally hotter parts of the blade. I also like the idea of the sword's tip being the hottest part, rather than nearer to the hilt as suggested in some of the painting to be found in codex: daemons.

To finish the painting off, final detailing was made on the hilt and handle of the blade, the side satchel, rivets in the bone armour and green gemstones embedded in the hilt of the blade. Basing was done in a very simplistic manner using green scatter and no additional detail to detract from the model.

Evaluation.
Positives: Unlike other models where the general aim might be to draw attention to the facial region, this model's face is hidden inside an imposing bone mask. The real highlight and attention grabber is therefore the bright blade that the miniature is holding. The colours of the blade are in stark contrast to the blue robes which make the model stand out very well. In my mind, the narrative is that this character has stolen a hellblade from a bloodletter - no mean feat and one that is bound to have grave repercussions at a later date.
Negatives: The robe was likely sculpted to look old and moth-eaten. This really has not come across very well for me since the robes look relatively fresh. To achieve a more worn look, I should have painted the lower part of the robes in a more dirty shade to represent mud (etc.) staining the parts that are dragging along the floor and hence picking up the muck.