Issue 292 of White Dwarf included new rules to add units of Zealots to your Witch Hunter armies. A stellar mob of raving adherents to the Imperial Cult, complete with unique weaponry (one use Handflamers and Evisterators) and led by a Demagogue or Priest - fantastic!
This was the rock upon which my army would be based - Inquisitors and Priests as HQs, Stormtroppes as elites, Zealots as troops with all the Witch Hunter craziness filling in the gaps. Ok, so never going to be a power army, but great fluff!
When I started modeling this unit I divided it into two types - actually low level functionaries of the church (initiates or acolytes training to one day to become confessors, missionaries or priests) and members of the congregation (imperial citizens who answered the crusade's call).
I'll start with the initiates/acolytes - they would be made up of all the various priest (or priest-like) models GW had come up with over the years (including some Warrior Priests from the old WHFB range) .
As I mentioned in my last post, the rules for most of the non-Sister units are long gone, but I'll find these guys a home somewhere.
This is the stock Preacher model from Games Workshop. I think these have some of the best facial expressions of any of the old GW metals.
Notice anything? Over the years I accumulated quite a few priest models and inevitably some dupes. This is the same model as above but with a little conversion work:
- Removed the bell and replaced it with the parchment
- Swapped the head with one from the Empire Flagellants range
- Replaced both hands with pistols from the Empire Outriders
Lastly, this is a converted GW Missionary. Another duplicate (I used the original as part of another Inquisitor retinue):
- Replaced both the arms with a blunderbuss from the Empire Free Company
- Swapped the head with a Mounted Chaos Marauder (a set of truly great heads!)
- Replaced the backpack with a old, old, old banner from a Necromunda Arch Zealot
- Added a shoulder pad from Vampire Counts Grave Guard
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