I have a Warhammer problem, and I figure that the New Year is a good opportunity to come clean about it – even if that's an ironic choice of words, considering what's to follow.
I'll just come out and say it: I'm a perfectionist. That's especially true for painting Warhammer, so my pile of gray plastic shame is… well, let's say it's a "work in progress" (AKA "out of control"). With the new Maggotkin of Nurgle range landing on my desk early for review, I was struck by a vision of the future like a bolt of lightning from Sigmar himself. Things would start well with me constructing and testing the Age of Sigmar army for the features you can expect to see in the coming days, followed by a painting session where I kick off with a small handful of models. Then the wheels would come off. I'd spend far too long making sure this handful of miniatures was just right, before eventually being distracted by something else. The followers of Chaos would then be packed away into a drawer "until things calm down." Which they won't, naturally. Even if I didn't test the best board games or the best tabletop RPGs for a living, that'd be unrealistic.
If you're hoping to start an army dedicated to Nurgle or would like to pre-order these new models for your collection, I'd recommend checking out Miniature Market in the US and Wayland Games in the UK. These indie retailers usually slash the cost of Warhammer models by up to 20% and should have listings soon ahead of the range's release on January 17, 2026, making it a great place to get your minis if you want to save a little along the way.
Now, I'm not expecting to do this by being faster or more efficient. I have a family and far too many hobbies for my own good to carve out the time I'd need. Instead, I'm going to focus on a mantra that I think will do me the world of good (even beyond Warhammer): 'fine' is good enough.
The thoroughly disgusting but brilliantly sculpted Maggotkin of Nurgle seem like the perfect army to kick off this New Year's resolution. All those boils, pustules, and raggedy cloth are ideal for use with Warhammer Contrast paints, and these cut down on painting time by a considerable amount. That's because they aren't normal acrylics; they're more like an ink that stains the miniature, running into recesses to create shadows and leaving raised areas less affected. That provides depth and easy highlights with minimal effort. Honestly, it's like magic.
Don't get me wrong, I've used Contrast paints before. The trouble is, I've never been 100% sold on how they look once all is said and done. I typically prefer how classic layering (basecoat, wash, highlights) ends up, so inevitably go back to that approach. I'll then spend hours on a single mini, and the cycle repeats.
However, models painted with Contrast still look good – I'm just being fussy. That fussiness is getting in the way of me finishing projects and getting them into tournaments or games with friends, so I'm hoping my new mindset will turn the tables. I mean, just look at the supremely talented Warhipster on YouTube. They have hundreds of tutorials using a method they call "Contrast Plus" (which essentially boils down to starting off with Contrast before highlighting here and there with traditional paints), and the results are stunning. I definitely won't be able to match these for quality, but it's a great end-point to aspire to.
The more of them I build, the more I realize that the Maggotkin of Nurgle are exactly the right models to test this approach on. They worship a god of disease and decay, so the army gels phenomenally well with a less painstaking approach. They're rough around the edges, so an easy-going look fits the bill. Even if I'm using some classic painting techniques where Contrast doesn't work, not going ham on models (unless they're a top-tier hero, I suppose) feels like it'll be the way to go. Doing the bare minimum and being happy to leave it there would be a good start, frankly.
I'm looking forward to trying, anyway. I was already a fan of Chaos factions in both Age of Sigmar and Warhammer 40K, but the Maggotkin are pushing Nurgle to the top of that table in my eyes. Many of these models are genuinely unsettling in their gross dilapidation, with the Pestigors being particularly eerie (they're like bloated, drowned corpses – properly nasty stuff).
From what I've seen after an initial pass over the Battletome this Christmas, the rules only emphasise that with properly gnarly effects. Spreading disease is obviously the order of the day, but the way it's done is gloriously foul. You can make the final victim of a destroyed unit pop like a boil to infect other models in range, for instance.
In other words, I'm keen to get these horrors onto the table – and for that, I need them painted and battle-ready. I'll have more content for the Maggotkin in the coming weeks as a result, and if it all goes well, they won't be perfect. Hold me to it.
Bring it on, 2026.
For more tabletop recommendations, why not drop in on our guide to the best card games?
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