Dark Ages Chaos

[area23]

I'm in the process of converting feodal footknights in Chaos Warriors. I always liked the Warhammer Moorcock concepts of Chaos but I'm getting a bit weary with the renaissance full metal plate armour and I'm tending towards a more realistic gritty tolkien/Arthurian kind of fantasy.
Human civilisation would be something from Arthurian to Charlemagne culture.

So here's the idea:
Chaos warriors (but also a dark lord's minions like orcs) would have armour equivalent of 1066 Normans as the best available armour.
The average Chaos Marauder would be anything ranging from Barbarian, late Roman, early Saxon and Franks and Huns to viking and late Saxon.
Old fashioned Thugs would be anything from ancient germans and celts, woodland indians, bits of gladiators and all mixed with some Saxon helmets.

I'm stuck on the Chaos Knight. The Feodal knight with head swap does look great, but a tight fitting chainmail bodysuit doesn't look like Chaos Armour as magical and possessed and grown on the owner armour.

Any suggestions?

[dijit]

Mutations might be the way to go - claws, beast man elements, also try changing the shield designs/shapes.

[Zaheer]

I quite like this idea.

Perhaps try painting parts of the chainmail as flesh, or model extra chainmail to completely encompass the face?

[Comsquare]

I think the "Kingdom of Avalon" minis from Alkemy might suit your needs
http://alkemy-the-game.com/shop/category.php?id_category=7

Have a few of these myself to be used as Cultist for some Strange Aeons Dark Ages games

[warburton]

That is a difficult question (as I like the full plate armour chaos look!) but you could try something Asiatic derived like samurai with head swaps, or LOTR easterling cataphracts, or something with scale armour.

This model by Jakob Nielsen sort of has the look I am talking about (I think it is based on an elf) http://demonwinner.free.fr/uk/1998/golden_demon_winner.php?categorie=8
 

[Elbows]

There is a company which does a plastic boxed set of Norse/barbarians...might be a good kit-bash start.  I suspect they're quite heroic though, maybe bordering on 32mm.

http://www.shieldwolfminiatures.com/index.php?dispatch=products.view&product_id=21

[FramFramson]

Another variation on the mutation idea is mutated-origin armour. What about some chitinous bug-plate armour? Or bony scales? Sharp spines? Maybe an Orky head painted human to show a monstrous jaw an oversized teeth?

[northtroll]

I suppose it really boils down to how you want chaos to look like. I'm fond of Vendel period helmets with the lower mail face coverings. perhaps if you added horns or a crest it would look appropriate. Or better yet sculpt some detail so that it looks like the helmet is part of his head.

[Mr Tough Guy]

I thought the point of Chaos armour was always that it was magical armour and could thus look like anything you want, whether it's full plate armour or a tiger skin bikini it's the magical part that gives it the save