Further distractions: some Skitarii

Once again I find myself starting something new while all my other half-finished projects look on in dismay.  Mechanicus!  Trailing pipes and ripped open faces have always appealed to me;  I've wanted to kitbash some horrendously mutilated humans-- Astartes didn't count-- but have only now gained enough courage to get myself a box of skitarii.  A while ago I made a version of Anacharis Scoria and I believe that prompted me.
I must say, the sprues are very pretty to look at, the detail is amazing!  But...

I spy with my little eye, something beginning with NOTHING.

...I was a little disappointed, I'm afraid, at the lack of effects...  parchments, icons, hanging skulls... the Imperium by default are a superstitious bunch and the children of Mars are no exception by a long shot; I know the skitarii are simply vat-grown bastards of the Machine, but surely their masters would grant them at least some incense in an attempt to appear holy...?

*sigh* It seems to be the way that GW is going now, I don't know if it is because people have just been leaving them off or they're trying to push a cleaner, tidier future look.  Throne forbid!  That's why I don't do Tau.

Works in progress

... Sorry, rant over.  Right now I'm experimenting with how far is far enough as far as kitbashing goes-- if it only means I can cross it later.  I don't think I'll be building admech seriously with everything else I'm doing, but the good fellows on the G+ 40K community have told me I can run them canonically with Imperial Knights, which I also hope to be collecting at a later point in time.

Here's a fun thing; I had a half-hearted attempt at a flayed skin hood.  Stretching the greenstuff as opposed to rolling it flat leaves it a bit thin but nicely textured.

A cultist's head and a DE hellion body seem to do the job

 Turns out that necron calves on Tau thighs make halfway decent skitarii legs, too, if you want to make both the rangers and the vanguard from the one kit.

These are only placeholder arms for shaping the cowl, but I can't help but leave them, they rather suit the backwards nature of the skitarii...

So that's a thing!  In the future I might be running admech along with IKs, that ought to be fun.  It opens a world of kitbashing opportunities and some very pretty models to paint.  I look forwards to it... after finishing the grey tide slowly creeping across my desk!

Ah, I promised you a painted model last post... here we are, BAM--

He's got paint on him, has he not?