Genestealer Cult Locus

I normally have a cooling off period before I buy new Games Workshop releases, as every miniature is turbo-exciting on first reveal and owning all of them is impossible. But the new Genestealer Cult Locus is such an instant classic he was not only pre-ordered but jumped to the front of the painting queue.

The sentinel-like pose, with him resting nonchalantly on his weapon in a set of long hooded robes, is one of Citadel Miniatures’ time-honoured sculpting tropes. Chaos Dwarf Khazek Doomlord, Human Wizard Pedregar the Green and one Champion of Tzeentch have also appeared with it. There’s a cheeky little Genestealer tail poking out under the robes’ hem which tells you he’s more than human, and when you get round the back there’s a set of carapace ridges that make you wonder about what generation of Hybrid he is.

The shoulderpads I painted with a little Cult icon and a W so when you look at the miniature from above it spells out “CW” – my initials.

Genestealer Cult Locus
Not the actual Broodlord, but certainly the Lord of Looking Brooding.

Here he is on an advance casting of the Scrap Fort from Fogou Models, which is my ongoing major terrain project at the moment. I’ll be showing off the complete fort soon, and maybe using it as a rationale for growing the Genestealer Cult (can’t have just one Locus knocking about in such a large fort on his own).

Painting Purple Tutorial

As the Locus is 95% robes, he’s a great miniature for teaching the technique for painting cloth. The purple uses a “wet-blending” method that’s been photographed between stages from all angles and written up clearly and comprehensively, breaking down the theory, technique and colours used.

8 simple steps to perfect purple cloth.

It’s my seventh instalment in the Patreon tutorial series that’s proved really popular. Big thanks to last month’s new patrons Craig, John, Steve, Ben, Jason, David, Toby, Jamie, Victor, Dimitrios, André, Alan, Brian, Alexander and Philipe.

The Genestealer Cult range is dripping with great models, from homages to the original Rogue Trader range (the Nexos), and new character types (like the Locus and the Kelermorph) which mean my Cult will inevitably grow. Though I might take an oldskool detour with the vintage 1980s Throned Patriarch and some Bob Olley Hybrids. Watch this space!

Curis

Curis has painted for Games Workshop, Forge World, Warlord Games, Mantic Games, Avatars of War, Wargames Foundry, Studio McVey and many others. He's won at Golden Demon and Salute. He publishes monthly painting tutorials on Patreon.

17 thoughts on “Genestealer Cult Locus

  • March 4, 2019 at 1:14 pm
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    This is fantastic and that blade in his back is just the business !
    You’re right about it being an instaclassic really.

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    • March 4, 2019 at 1:41 pm
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      Thanks JB! I was shocked at how easy a pantjob this was – everything is so well judged from the sculptor that the whole thing practically paints itself!

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  • March 4, 2019 at 1:21 pm
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    Goddam Curis, you done good son. What a luscious job you did on that guy. I was ambivalent about the hooded head, but I think you’ve convinced me. One first look it seems a quite simple model, but there are loads of tasty details. I hadn’t seen the spine ridges before.

    Gorgeous work.

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    • March 4, 2019 at 1:43 pm
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      Thank you my fellow Indigo Child. It’s wonderful that there’s a choice of heads, and that (according to the marketing blurb) they’re cross-compatible with the other Cult kits. I’d like to do another with a female head from the Jackal kit or somewhere…

      Reply
  • March 4, 2019 at 1:38 pm
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    Purple and gold are the most regal of colours and you command them with kingly grace – beautiful work on this great new mini, he will scowl mightily at every foe :D

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    • March 4, 2019 at 1:45 pm
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      Thanks Captain! I stole the colour combo wholesale from the ‘Eavy Metal version, only tweaking things accidentally. Though the amethyst colour I practised on not one but TWO Amethyst Wizards before rolling it out on this lad. WIZARDS COMING SOON.

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  • March 5, 2019 at 12:29 am
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    You got it perfectly. Not too simple, not too overdone, the right balance, which is not always easy to achieve. Magnificent piece of work.

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    • March 11, 2019 at 3:09 pm
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      Thanks Suber! It’s a great miniature for freehanding patterns onto the cloak – but I resisted. (I’ve got some wizards coming soon with fantasticly overblown fabrics though.)

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  • March 5, 2019 at 6:11 am
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    Beautiful work once again. I haven’t picked up any of the new GSC characters, but they’re on my list!

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    • March 11, 2019 at 3:17 pm
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      Thanks Azazel! That Nexos one looks an utter treat. Looking forward to seeing what you do with them.

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  • March 5, 2019 at 7:29 am
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    Luscious painting Curis.

    Of all the new Genestealer Cult figs, this one is possibly the one that I am least interested in. Partly that’s because the range is really excellent, but it’s also because the Locus has so few sci-fi trappings. He has a fun pose, but is at odds with the utilitarian look of nearly every other Cult model, which bugs me slightly.

    I don’t really think that he fits as well as the others in the range.

    You made him shine all the same.

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    • March 11, 2019 at 3:24 pm
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      Thanks sho3y! I think that his heavy fantasy tropeishness that annoys you is the exact same reason why I picked him up. He reminds me of the classic Heresy Miniatures Dark Lord too.

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  • March 5, 2019 at 7:50 am
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    You right !! This model have an Oldschool posture, Chaos Dwarf Khazek Doomlord like! I have no information about this character but he suggests the role of defender of his community.
    Well painted!

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  • March 28, 2019 at 1:19 am
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    Another cool model. I’ve been actively not paying attention to the new Genestealer stuff, I have too much to paint at the moment. I need to get over to the Patreon and take a look at that tutorial.

    Reply

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