McFarlane Toys Genestealer - Warhammer 40k

While I did like the colour scheme and look of the Blood Angel Space Marine chapter and made them my primary sci-fi models when I started the miniature hobby, I did think the other armies also looked pretty cool. The Tyranid race is a cool, dangerous look space alien that likely inspired things like the Zerg from Starcraft. A foundational footsoldier of that army of colonizing aliens is the genestealer, a many-armed clawed creature who is fast and deadly at close range. They reproduce by using their tongue as an ovipositor into victims, directly injecting their viral DNA into the host. The DNA slowly takes over, converting the (usually human) into a Genestealer cultist, a sort of part human part Tyranid that continues to spread the virus across the planet. 

I love the dynamic attacking look, and I needed some kind of enemy for the one Space marine I had for battle! I'm not keen on necessarily doing army building or collecting the other 40k offerings McFarlane has, but I would probably buy a cool Aeldari or something like a Terminator if they did come out with them. 

This figure does the many armed thing well and has good paint application. You can get it into all kinds of interesting dynamic poses! I love it even though it's not, particularly my favourite army in 40k! 

McFarlane Toys Primaris Space Marine Hellblaster - Warhammer 40,000

 

Ral Partha and Warhammer/Warhammer 40K were the first things that got me into the miniature painting hobby. Typically 28 mm in scale, assembling, painting, detailing and putting decals on these was an obsession of mine in high school. It was just fun! I did actually play a few games after building up a small army of Blood Angel space marines, but never quite had the money for anything large like a tank or dreadnought. Anyway! Noticing McFarlane has been making a few of these, I passed on most of them, but there's a couple I'm interested in. I had to pick this one up because it just SANG Blood Angel to me. A few things have changed since I played the game, namely the Primaris title. I guess they are an even more advanced space marine. Ok! 

There are many cool people that do this hobby, but unfortunately, it does seem to attract a lot of bigots. To be fair the primary story doesn't really make you feel morally good about any particular side. Everyone is basically just teams of space colonizers in one form or another, or being oppressed by Space Marines. 

That said, this is a huge, bulky, and amazing figure representation. I love the colours, detail and I'm very very surprised at how easy it is to pose. It may have a lot to do with the weight and heft, to be honest! I probably won't collect lots from the 40k line, but at least a few Zer...I mean Tyranids! and maybe any more Blood Angel-looking ones. This one also had a gold label Lieutenant release which looks great.