Month 3 of this challenge is the “Red Leopard Circus,” an homage to the frequent use of reds and animal prints during the 90s ‘Easy Metal galleries in White Dwarf magazine. So leopard print Noise Marines it is! I put myself in a bind by waiting too long to start on these metal maniacs. Not that they were any more difficult to paint than other figures, but I’d envisioned painting a few extras this month. I didn’t use my time as well as I’d hoped, but 5 minis in 2 days is something I’m happy to live with.

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Nevertheless, the leopard print looks good, and I’m pleased with the color scheme (matching mohawks and guitars). The Noise Marine models are technically pre-2nd edition Codex, but you can already see the scale creep beginning to enter 40k when these figs are placed next to Rogue Trader Chaos Marines. In this instance I can forgive that since these are such cool figures. I do wish there were a variety of poses for these RT Noise Marines.

“Black is the night, metal we fight,
Power amps set to explode.
Energy screams, magic and dreams,
Satan records their first note.
We chime the bell, chaos in Hell,
Metal for maniacs pure.
Fast-melting steel, fortune on wheels,
Brain hemorrhage is the cure.”

• Black Metal, Venom (1982)

The real question is what do we call these guys when they aren’t on tour with Bovimeth? They undoubtedly have a chaotic boy-band side project to practice their crossover acid-doom/prog-metal. “Eight Direction”? “BTS” (Blue Torturers of Slaanesh)? “The Spice Boys”?

5 Noise Marines with Sonic Blasters 200 pts.