Armillaria Ostoyae, ‘The Mother of Maggots’ - Knight Abominant is the center piece of my Death Guard Company. This model uses the Knight Abominant stock model and is heavily converted using scoby leather as the mushroom cap material. Additionally a big shoutout to MrClayRotten(etsy.com/shop/MrClayRotten) and his awesome maggot sculpts.  

The Maggot - Foetid Bloat-drone features a converted flesh mower crafted from toothpicks and wall-mount screws. I must admit, I find 'The Maggot' oddly endearing and cute—perhaps there's something wrong with me! 

Lord Salutem Sicarius, the Lord of Virulence, was once a Vindicare Assassin, a lethal marksman sent to assassinate Plague Lord Phalloides Amanita. This proved to be the former servant of the Corpse God's final mistake. Like Nurgle's gifts, following his failed mission, this crippled and wounded assassin was bestowed with the eternal blessing of the grandfather of plagues. The Plague Company of Lord Amanita took him in and reengineered him. Now, instead of seeking the perfect firing position to pinpoint their quarry, he now serves as the spearhead of Pulse of the Maggots' assaults, a vector of virulence and execution.

This conversion was unplanned; Games Workshop sent me this for my first year with Warhammer+ as my free miniature. I love the idea of a corrupted symbol of the Adepta Sororitas being filled with a plagued fallen servant of the Emperor. This piece was so inspiring in terms of narrative that I felt compelled to convert a squad of Sisters of Battle into my Plague Marines, as I didn't have them yet. So far, I had only planned to use Terminators and heavy assault units for my army. This was a beautiful opportunity to begin an opposing force at home, one that my friends and family might hope to stand against my Fly Lord's chosen. 

Lucilia Sericata, 'Sower of the Rotting Fields,' arose from the ashes of a fallen empire under the Rot Prince's reign. Her form was created from sundered war machines and the unrelenting embrace of Nurgle's contagion. Spawned to harvest from the corpses and leave effluence in her wake, she left naught but decay and despair, a testament to the inexorable march of destruction and terror of a defiler.

This large, heavily converted Defiler is made from various bits and green stuff, to the extent that it almost feels more like a terrain piece than a unit. It was a true joy to make, and I felt a sense of sadness when it was completed.

Navis Nefarious - Cultists (Corrupted Breachers) were loyalist Naval close-quarter troops who became trapped on a space hulk. Gradually succumbing to Nurgle's influence as they fought to survive, they eventually surrendered to his service for escape and the promise of eternal joy in disease.

This unit converted a 5 man unit of 40k and 30k Death Guard terminators. I wanted them to all be very unique and ancient as they've been fighting since the Horus Heresy. This was too much fun. I couldn't be happier with how epic and unique each one feels. 

Ocreata and the Destroying Angels are Deathshroud Terminators infected with Nurgle's Fruit, a parasitic mushroom. These Space Marines are ancient, as their service began prior to the Horus Heresy, hence why they don Tartaros Terminator armor. These silent warriors follow their alpha-vector, Ocreata, as noted with Nurgle's fruit sprouting from his face and the rest of the unit growing mushrooms from their shoulders and necks. This infection connects them psychically for an immense tactical advantage, adding to their already elite cadre of warriors' deadly skills. Ocreata is thrice blessed with Nurgle's love, immense size and power, vicious mutations, and his warp-kissed scythe, The Scythe of Tsetse, Warp-Tainted Blade of Decay: In the hands of Ocreata, devotee to the Plague God, this unholy weapon becomes an extension of his own twisted will, reaping souls and sowing despair wherever he treads. With every swing, they offer praise to their foul deity, spreading the blessings of decay to all who oppose them on the battlefield. Truly, the Scythe of Tsetse is a weapon of unparalleled horror, a testament to the power of Chaos and the inevitable triumph of entropy over all.

The 40k are beautiful, but I wanted to attempt a conversion. I really love 30K Deathshrouds and I wanted to push my mushroom concept further. I grabbed a used unit of 30k and the Deathshroud champion model as I wanted a full 6-man squad or two 3-man for flexibility. I have two regrets. I wish I would have found the premade mushroom from Mr. Clay Rotten earlier and had made the 30k model taller to match the champion. Still very happy with them and they were a lot of fun to create.

Plague Lord Phalloides Amanita is a character of profound complexity and history within the grim universe of Warhammer 40k. Born from the ashes of betrayal and shaped by the tides of chaos, he embodies the twisted evolution of a once loyal servant of the Imperium into a herald of Nurgle's foul blessings.

Physically, he bears the unmistakable marks of his allegiance to the Death Guard; decay and corruption evident in every aspect of his form. His once noble visage of a Dark Angel Apothecary is now marred by the unmistakable signs of Nurgle's favor; pustules and lesions cover his tomb-like terminator armor, while a grotesque tapestry of disease adorns him like a garment. His presence exudes an aura of decay, with the stench of death following him wherever he treads.

However, it's not just his physical form that marks him as a servant of Nurgle; his unwavering devotion to the Plague God and relentless pursuit of spreading his master's blessings across the galaxy also define him. His immense success has even granted him a familiar from Nurgle's garden: Nurgle's fruit, a parasitic mycelium that serves as a manifestation of his connection to the Plague God.

Despite his allegiance to the forces of chaos, Phalloides Amanita possesses a sense of cunning and intelligence that sets him apart from his mindless minions. He is not driven solely by bloodlust or blind devotion; rather, he is a strategic thinker, always seeking new ways to further his master's goals and expand his influence.

In battle, Phalloides Amanita is a terrifying sight to behold, leading his twisted legions of Plague Marines and daemonic allies with cold and calculated precision. He fights not for glory or conquest, but for the sheer joy of spreading disease and harvesting the prized progenoid glands.

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This model is a conversion of various bits. Although the details aren't as pronounced as some of my other units due to being made of pewter, my grimdark style complements the aesthetic well. I imagined a sorcerer capable of channeling the very essence of corruption into the material world. Hence, the explosive twisted forms of mutation, maggots, and effluence erupting from the deck plates underneath. This is one of my earlier works, so I don't feel it's as successful in some ways compared to later work, but nevertheless a joy to create. The familiar was a pleasant surprise, as the rules were added in the 10th edition to have a counter for improving the Strength and Damage characteristics of that weapon once per battle. To support this marker, I found another chewed bit of one of my kid's sea life toys that our puppy got a hold of. This was a jellyfish that I felt closely resembled an inky cap mushroom I was inspired by.

Hind-gut, the Mobile Extractor, is a Chaos Rhino, or what I refer to as a reverse-ambulance. After creating my Plague Surgeon, I then assembled the Surgical Team of Cultists. This was during 9th edition, so Cultists could use a transport. Now in 10th edition, they're forbidden, but luckily I have my Nurgle Nurses now. The Surgical Team and the Rhino create an excellent diorama that fully encompasses my narrative of The Pulse of the Maggots, focusing on locating, recovering, and securing progenoid glands. Hence, the rendered Dark Angel terminator being dragged in hopes of being operated on by Hind-gut. This model has a lighting system as well to showcase the elaborate and grewsome scene within the Mobile Extractor. I used Evan Designs Light Miniature Chip Light kit. Check them out here.

The Surgical Team operates under the guidance of Dr. Ilentia Chyrurpus, known as the Plague Surgeon of the Pulse of the Maggots. Formerly custodians of clandestine knowledge, some suggest they delved too deeply into the realm of biological understanding, inadvertently intersecting with servants of Nurgle. They now serve as invaluable aides to Dr. Chyrurpus in his missions, particularly in the delicate task of extracting the geneseeds of Astartes.

I envisioned my Surgeon having a dedicated support staff, individuals who not only understood but also reverenced the importance of Dr. Chyrurpus's work. The current generic cultists failed to capture the desired aesthetics. Upon reviewing available options provided by Games Workshop, I settled on the Delaque gang from Necromunda.

Slick, lean, and exuding an air of secrecy, I am particularly drawn to their style. Through several subtle and not-so-subtle conversions, I have imbued this unit with a narrative that I adore. Of special note is their Rhino reverse ambulance. I have maintained a consistent adversary theme throughout all my Death Guard units, centering on the Dark Angels, exemplified by the beheaded and quartered terminator.