Brood Brothers - Ogryns!

The Astra Militarum (Imperial Guard for us grognards) has long had a history of "overlooking" certain mutations from the human norm and recruit "abhumans" into their ranks. In the current, and recent, editions you can still take Ogryns (large, brutish humans adapted to live on high gravity worlds) and Ratlings (AKA halflings or hobbits). In previous editions, Beastmen were also allowed, but they have since been dropped as an option. For my full Astra Militarum detachment, I wanted to include a unit of Ogryns as they make great battering rams, and it gave me an opportunity to try some slightly different conversions.

For my Cult Ogryns, I started with the basic kit, but decided rather than simply going with some forehead ridges as you'd see on the normal Brood Brothers infantry, the Ogryns would develop full cranial protection remnant of tyranids or hybrid metamorphs. I also decided to go with one Ogryn wearing a gas mask as that is fairly right for the overall army's theme.

I even went so far as to give one of the Ogryns a tongue from the hybrid metamorph sprue as well. I thought it gave him a bit more menacing, rather than simply goofy, expression. Though not renown for their intelligence, I wanted my squad to at least look menacing, rather than simply serving as big dumb comic relief. The crests are a mix of plastic parts from various tyranid and genestealer cult sprues along with some green putty work. I enlarged the rear cranium on the Bone 'ead (the one with the gas mask) and created a strap for the goggles/mask as the top strap was removed to add the crest.

I went a bit further on the bases for these guys with barbed wire on the Bone 'ead's base along with several spent shell casings chopped from a brass tube. I've continued to use Ammo of Mig fleshtones, though I'm using more Reikland Fleshshade and Nuln Oil for initial washes on the exposed areas of flesh.

Overall I'm pretty happy with how these guys came out. Eventually I may do a full squad of nine, but I have other projects that I'm moving onto before I commit to that. I would like to do an Ogryn bodyguard with more Tyranid bits, but I have to find the right pieces and make sure I can get them to fit convincingly.