Eww! Corpse Markers

My original corpse markers...30mm bases (with green and
red tabs from Puppet Wars). Effective.....but boring....

One of the things that has always captured my interest in Malifaux is the way you can tell a very interesting and in depth story using only a handful of models, some tokens and enough terrain to fill a 3'x3' board. The variety of the setting, of the models and, in turn, the accessories accompanying those models is almost limitless. As someone who plays predominantly Ressurectionists, this meant corpse counters.

I've always been excited at the idea of making some very gruesome and violent corpse markers, and as I have been playing a lot more often I decided the time has come to make them happen. When I originally set out to make corpse markers, I started by making my own out of spare zombie bits. These didn't amount to much more than a bit glued onto a base and I wasn't very excited. That's when I decided to go with Secret Weapons Miniatures and their corpse field bases. 

First is a picture of the bases as they come. They are very stylized and to me, they seem to homage Gustav Dore's Illustrations of Dante's Inferno.

After a quick wash and black undercoat, I got to work. I decided to paint the ground on these bases a deep sand color. The trick would be to noticeably look like parched earth, but not be too bright that any blood effects added later would look too bright.

Ground complete / Bascoat on Flesh

Once the ground was done, I moved onto the flesh. The flesh bits on these counters started with a mix of Vallejo Model Colors Flat Flesh, Purple and Game Color Rotten Flesh. After being highlighted, I washed the flesh multiple times with a variety of shades includes violets, greens and a bit of sepia.

Painting on the bases complete. 

In the wavy parts of the base, I opted to paint a very dark blood color. When the water effects were added, this would give the look of coagulated gore. I also picked out parts of bone, hair and some clothing in a variety of colors.

The finished paint job on the models was almost enough to call them good to go, but I decided to add some more gore in the form of envirotex lite.

Let's take a look at the completed bases.

The finished set, after varnish and Envirotex Lite

To add the pools of blood and gore, I mixed two separate batches of the resin. The first was clear, and was poured into the hollow bases first, followed quickly by injections of the second batch, which I had died a deep red. To inject the red resin, and therefor the look of pooling and flowing blood, I used a syringe with a very fine needle. The resin works quickly to destroy a syringe and a needle, but the effect is well worth it.

My goal was to make something graphic, violent and something that other players wouldn't want to touch. I think these are pretty successful at all those things.

Here are some pictures of the individual markers in more detail. I've enhanced these photos a bit, brightening them to see more detail in the darker blood.

Corpse Marker #1: 

You can see well how the darker blood of the base itself  

works with the clear and bloody Envirotex.

Corpse Marker #2:
With this one, you can get a good
look at the swirls, made by filling
the base with clear Envirotex,
then injecting the blood envirotex
right away.

Corpse Marker #3

Corpse Marker #4

Corpse Marker #5:

You can see the LED light strip in

 the picture, from using my Foldio.

Corpse Marker #6

Corpse Marker #7

Corpse Marker #8: I included the 

Femur,  which I found in my bits box.

Corpse Marker #9:

Another good example of how the 

swirls came out, controlled by 

injecting the dyed Envirotex. 

Corpse Marker #10: 

The truth is that I think all 

of these turned out fantastic.

Gross, right? Perfect.

Anyway, as always, comments are welcome and appreciated...but now it's time to paint some Ressers.

More to Come.

-Nick