Cyborganic Champion Cravex - IW "Counts-As" Plague Marine Champion

"The Cyborganics" are my take on creating suitably "Iron Warriors-styled" proxy figures to represent Nurgle Plague Marines within my Grand Company, while remaining as "true-to-the-fluff" (i.e., the overtly mechanistic nature of the Iron Warriors) as possible.

Here are some pics of Cyborganic Champion (i.e., Plague Champion) Cravex, leader of my first Cyborganics Squad ("Counts-As" Plague Marines).

I always put a scratchbuilt Servo-Arm (usually constructed from various MechWarrior: Dark Age BattleMech parts) on my Iron Warriors Aspiring Champions (I always thought that this option, granted to them by the 3.5 CSM Codex, was quite "fluff appropriate" for the Iron Warriors, with their stated emphasis on Heavy Support choices/Vehicles/mechanization). I realize, of course, that it no longer serves any real purpose (except perhaps to help identify the figure as an Aspiring Champion), but I can always hope that, someday (whenever the individual Traitor Legion Codexes FINALLY come out...), they'll bring back the Servo-Arms...besides, they look cool.

The Auspex/Personal Icon/"Counts As" Mark of Nurgle, mounted on the top of the backpack (note the three dots in the center...looks like a Nurgle Icon!), is the radar antenna from a MechWarrior: Dark Age MH1 Defense AA Tank.

All the bionic limbs (and the mechanically-augmented bionic chestplate) are Necron Warrior arms, legs, and chest pieces, converted and modified to fit the Space Marine body.

For some time, I toyed with the idea of including a Plague Marine Squad or two in my Iron Warriors army, but I never actually did it. It was simply a matter of personal taste - I just never really liked the "fluff" background or the "looks" of Nurgle Marines, and they never seemed (to me) to fit with the "mechanical", or "inorganic" theme of the Iron Warriors. I make it a point to try (for the most part) to be something of a "fluff purist", and (according to the 3.5 'Dex), Plague Marines (being devotees of Nurgle) just didn't mix well with the overall Iron Warriors "Chaos Undivided" fluff/theme.

Then, I hit upon the idea of using "cyborg" Chaos Space Marines, or "Cyborganics", as I like to call them, to create a uniquely "Iron Warriors" method of representing Plague Marines. With the majority of their body parts replaced by bionic augmentations, these "cyborg" warriors are now more "machine" than "man" - and much, much tougher (physically) because of it. One could even suggest (for the sake of argument) that these "Cyborganics" are, in some way, a sort of "pre-Obliterator", perhaps going through the initial stages of the Obliterator Techno-Virus (which would help to explain away their increased Toughness, their "Feel No Pain" and "Fearless" special abilities, and, to a lesser extent, their "Blight Grenades" (Defensive Grenades - oily smoke grenades that release the Obliterator Techno-Virus when they explode, maybe?)). Taken together, these factors (in my opinion) provide a "thematically appropriate" way to represent "Counts As" Iron Warriors Plague Marines, in a manner consistent with the overtly mechanical theme of the Iron Warriors.

I plan to be able to field at least two or three full Squads of these "Cyborganics", eventually...

Painted pics coming soon!

IRON WITHIN!  IRON WITHOUT!