The Desert Wraiths were the starting point for these models. I have always thought of the Necrons as 40Ks version of the Tomb Kings, so with this in mind I wanted to make something using a Night Bringer model, which I have always liked.

Adding wings from the Vargheists seemed to bring it to life and add real movement to the model. It looked as though it was swirling out of the sand or summoning a sand storm. To try to create moving sand I used thin wire and coiled it loosely around the model. Then I coated it in glue and poured sand onto it, adding more in some places, I also added sand to the robes to try to give the impression the Wraith was coming from out of the sand.


I enjoyed making this model so four more followed including a Banshee version of the Wraiths.

 


Probably the models with the least conversions were the two Tomb Guards. I swapped the heads from the Dark Eldar Mandrake bodies and some arm and weapon swaps. Simple, but I am really pleased with how they turned out.

 


I had to have a go at Nagash. I hated the old model, and love the new one, but found it too big for my taste, so I based mine on that figure but used the Deceiver model as the base and added parts from the Mortarchs.

 


Some conversion work on Neferata: added some hair from the  Witch Elves sprue. The other priestess is a combination of a Brettonian damsel/sorceress and the cloak from Manfred von Carnstein.

I will be adding more models to this project, including more Mandrakes/Tomb Guard. It is however taking second place to my Norse army and offers a welcome break to dip into when i have had enough of snow!

Tomb King Wallpaper download (1080p)

56 Comments on “Let the sun grow cold with horror – Tomb Kings

  1. Seriously. Your stuff is just getting better and better!!!!

    Sublime conversions and I would happily buy it if it was a ready made kit!!!!

  2. Yet again more amazing work from Julian. Keep it up, you are a great inspiration.

    • Thanks Jeremy, looking forward to seeing your finished Nagash model, it was talking to you that inspired me to make my Nagash figure!

  3. These are just crazy good, I made that one Wraith into a wallpaper because he was my favourite: he has a really dynamic pose, and you are right, the Night Bringer model is really cool. I would never have thought of using multiples of him.

    Nagash is great but I think I just really love Neferata, even if the conversion is quite simple. She is a really cool model anyway but the big hair and the rich browns in the colour scheme are fantastic. I always like off-white colours.

    • Thanks Jake, great comments and cheers for hosting this motley crew! The hair on neferata does make such a difference to the model, seems to give her more presence. Doing the wall paper of the wraith is a real compliment.
      I have often used the same model as a base for several conversions in a unit. My Ogre regiment from golden demon, years back now, were all made using the tyrant body and another golden demon regiment of demons were mostly made from an old metal bloodletter champion body. It unifies the regiment, but then challenges you to make each figure different with your conversion and parts!

      • I think it makes Neferata look like a brand new model using the latest plastic tech. Updating older models with that sort of thing is a really good idea – it updates them, at the time big hair like that would probably have not been possible in metal (or at least, it would have been like the dreaded Eldar Avatar hairpiece). And it means you get to use older models that usually have superior detail to 100% plastic kits.

        Using duplicates is something I have never thought of before, it opens up some options you wouldn’t get otherwise I think.

  4. Amazing work, Julian. That bursting sand effect is wonderful and I love how you’ve gotten across that feeling of terrible ancient power and beauty with the conversions and paint job of your Khemrians. It really makes them look like a force to be recogned with and not just some old dusty mummies.

  5. Really amazing work, I really like your version of Nagash with the Deceiver as a base.

    I only have a minor nitpick, the mini you call Neferata is not Neferata, it is Khalida Neferher, a Tomb Kings special charachter who never forgot to buy poison arrows for her archers and was the beloved chosen one of an Aspid godess (hence the snake-staff). Neferata was a very old and quite ugly female vampire sculpt which came with… a cat (sadly the updated Mortarch of Blood with giant cow monster doesn’t include a cat as far as I know).

    • Thanks Aldo! Lol, I stand corrected. Thankyou for taking the time to comment. I have read my tomb kings army book, honestly! Lol, just have a terrible memory for names!

  6. These are as usual just jaw dropping. I love converting yet it always amazes me how you come up with some of these designs, I mean mandrakes for tomb guard….wow! Please keep up the great and inspiring work.

    • Thanks Nick. So pleased you like them, sometimes its just down to having the right parts in front of you at the time! Lol.
      Can’t have enough bits!
      There are some other dark eldar that would work well for tomb guards that i might try, the wracks models.
      If i ever finish my other projects i will give it a go!

      • Oh please yes do, I have a tonne of dark eldar kits and a craving to now do a Mortuary themed Tomb Kings project, so would love to see what else you come up with.

        • Hey Nick, you should make that tomb kings army, i would luv to see what you come up with! If you have most of the bits then you can get cracking as soon as you finish reading this! Lol
          Be great to see some pics mate. What about using the Ravager as a flying or floating vessel for the tomb kings, it has an egyptian feel to it! That would make a great centre piece crewed by converted mandrakes and a Queen at the helm.
          Cheers Nick

  7. As always, I’m amazed with your work !
    All your minis have tons of personnality, and I like the way you convert and paint them.

    Keep us showing such wonderful things !

    • Thank you for your kind comment. Thanks to Jake for posting my models and making such a great feature!
      I will have some very recent models to share soon, so watch this space!

  8. One more time bravo! Beautiful conversions, beautiful painting and thank you to the journey of the snow of the country of Odin to the sand of Stygie!

    • My pleasure! Where would you like to go next? How about outer space! Lol
      Thanks for your comments, means a lot to me!

      • The space,the Shadow out of Time, the empire of Khitaï, Cimmeria, Asgard, the mines of king Salomon, I take a ticket, I know that the journey will be hell!
        The boss of the travel agency is a killer!!!

        • Classic! Thanks Francois, i’ll try not to let you down! Lol
          What models are you working on at the moment?

          • I work on a band of marines of the chaos with a more barbaric and less Gothic look serving a god of the chaos other than those of 40k. And I paints skavens of the years 80/90 encouraged by bigbossredskullz in parallel of the development of his. As well as diverse armed militias or pirates in the universe of 40k. If it interests you leash I an address and I shall send you more details and photos.

          • Luv to see your models, sounds like you have just about everything covered there! Lol
            Send me a link please! Cheers

  9. Great work Ju.
    that is definitely the way Nagash should look, much better scale and not a walking skeleton.
    Strangely really like the tomb guard with halberd, has the look of Imhotep from Mummy returns

    • Thanks Damo,
      Nagash wouldn’t have looked so good without your input so cheers for that!
      Its the head on the tomb guard that works so well, brilliant sculpt, too good for the body i cut it from! Lol
      It does look like Imhotep screaming, wish i could find some more of that model!
      Cheers for your comments mate.

    • Thanks Jeff. I often find when i make a model i have loads of other ideas that i wanted to try, so doing a unit is a good way of doing them all!
      Cheers for the comment!

  10. That, sir, is darn impressive. Perhaps especially how you manage to achieve such great variation when using the same base model.

  11. Beautiful work… i was never inspired by tomb kings until now. Yes they are basically undead Egyptians… but these are cool! The conversions are amazing and the theme is consistent, everything is shrouded by hair and robes and wings, and a color that makes them look cold to the touch.

  12. Thanks Rob, your comments are great! I was never inspired by the tomb kings either, the art work was great but the skeleton figures seemed out of proportion. Just wanted to bring a new take on them!

  13. Julian, where will it ever end, your models are so dynamic! I literally can’t keep up, makes my modelling feel all kinds of inadequate lol. . . Keep up the excellent work!

    • Thank-you Gabe, appreciate the ‘dynamic’ comment, always try to bring a bit of life into the models.
      Cheers mate.

  14. The amount of greatness coming out of this blog is just mind boggling! All of the miniatures look great, especially those based on the mortarchs :) If you’d ever do a Nagash I’d like to see one of the earliest incarnations as per the Legends trilogy. When he was still in the exploration phase.

      • I do exactly the same thing! Lol Thanks for your comments, i’ll have a look out for a picture of Nagash before he became the lord of the undead. Its funny you said that because i was thinking of making some tomb king models before the dark times arrived!

        • I’d love to see that! Especially when he captures the dark elf and tortured him for secrets of dark magic. That bit always stuck out as the pivotal point where he took the first true step on his path on becoming the Lord of Undeath.

          • Well i won’t be adding to these models just yet, got more frost giants to paint and i am working on my troll army, then doing a warband of Loki’s personal butchers! Also thought about again using the nightbringer mini but this time to make a cool mechanicus model…

  15. Another incredible body of work! The sheer volume of work at this level of originality puts you in a very special category of miniature genius as a sole member. Can’t wait to see what’s next.

    • Wow! what a wonderful comment, made my feel very proud.
      Not worthy of such praise, but i will try to get somewhere closer to earn some of it! Lol
      Thanks again, great that you enjoy looking at my minis

  16. Mate, you’ve just given me something to aspire to, seriously, The level of work and detail that have gone into these is absolutely spectacular. The Nagash conversion in particular is fantastic, and the phenomenal atmosphere (despite relatively ‘simple’ conversions) of the Neferata and Sorceress models are excellent.

    Bookmarked.

    • Thanks a lot for the compliments, i really appreciate it.I fancied a change from all my snow bases! Lol. Always found the tomb kings illustrations to be really atmospheric but the models to be a bit lame.I like parts of the new Nagash model, but was just a bit too big for my taste and was lacking a rawness.Some GW stuff comes across a bit ‘toy like’ for my tastes, really great you share my vision of the real Warhammer world! Lol
      Thanks for taking the time to comment
      Happy new year Mischa

      • I totally agree with the Tomb Kings thing. They look too much like “The Mummy” movies and don’t have enough of the really dirty Necron-like Gothic vibe they have in the artwork. Far too clean.

        I’ve got some characters that I made rules for that I’d really like to create models for… might be the time to start fiddling with Green Stuff…

      • Loving the work!
        Can’t agree more with the move towards a more real/raw paint job. I’m totally on the same page.
        The nagash model brings me back to 5th edition somehow and the tom prince models are exceptional!
        My only beef is using the Khalida model to make Neferata! Khalida is turning in her sarcofogai!! They are sworn arch enimies!!!!!
        Cheers mate.

        • Hey mate, thanks for the comments! Glad you like them. I am a modeller really and enjoy getting into the background stories for the armies to emerge myself in the whole sort of atmosphere. Find it to be stimulating for ideas, but have to admit to not being that worried about following the history/facts too closely…just love making cool models! Lol. Cheers!

  17. I just found your website and as a fellow converter and Lovecraft and Warhammer fan, it’s a truly inspiring website you have. Your models are wonderfully unsettling and unmistakably cool all at the same time. I would love to get the build list for those tomb guards. I would like to make a similar troop around my Nightbringer in 40k. They look very much like living Necrons so I would use them as if the Nightbringer was summoning dead Necrontyr from his cloak to act as guards. Thank you so much and I look forward to seeing more of your work in the upcoming years.

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