Genestealer Color Test

Happy Miniature Monday!
Before Christmas Chanh and I went halfsies on the Shield of Baal: Deathstorm boxed set for Warhammer 40,000. While neither of us really play the game anymore, the box got to both of us. The Blood Angels were Chanh’s first Warhammer army and the Tyranids were mine and here they are, together, with some shiny new models for a pretty good price. Isn’t there a saying about fools and their money? It seems like there should be.

So now I have all these Tyranids aaaaaaand I’m kind of stuck on how to paint them. My old army was fleshtone with yellow carapace plates; yes, I had just read Robert Chambers’ The King in Yellow when I painted these fifteen years ago, why do you ask? He said, suddenly feeling old and awkwardly introspective…

Here is what I’ve come up with for possible color schemes, using Genestealers as guinea pigs.

(Click to enlarge)

Let’s take a look at them from left to right!
First I went with black and grey with a heavy coat of glossy varnish to make it nice and slimy as an homage to the Alien.

Second is a variation on my old color I’ve taken to calling Skin and Bones. The yellow carapace didn’t provide much contrast, so I’ve gone with caucasian fleshtone and a bone colored carapace.

Third is one that I have totally stolen from very talented modellers such as ThirdEyeNuke and TemplarsCrusade01. I prefer calling it an homage.

Finally I tried a throwback color palette to the original purple and blue Genestealers, modifying it because I really like the bone color.

What do you think, do you prefer Alien, Skin & Bones, Homage, or the Throwback?

Be good,
-Dave

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