“The target was interesting. Ordinarily, a single human would be of no interest, would have very little status, but this… this one was a trader in weapons, perhaps even in slaves, and might be protected by Ghar weaponry – perhaps even Ghar. Given its dealings with the human-killers, the target would be on guard against human assassins: always on guard.
That deserved careful thought, gathering of intelligence, watching. A target on permanent watch, with powerful defences and wanted by the highest-ranked leaders of the Protectorate. And elsewhere. Ashgherk would have to prepare, select the aid he was offered with care – a hand-picked team, perhaps, to act as decoys and bait.”
From the Nexus short story, ‘The Hükk Hunts‘
The Hükk are feared throughout Antarean space. They appear singly, attended by a pack of slavering angkriz or a swarm of darting drones. Swathed in pouches and oddments of equipment, these hulking individuals have made a name for themselves as the most effective bounty hunters in the Nexus. In times long past, each Hükk would have a vast range, extending across the forests and mountains of their homeworld. Ever since their connection to the Antares Nexus, they hunt the reaches of Antarean space, constantly seeking a new quarry.
Hükk are motivated by the desire to increase their status, hürakh, amongst their own kind and to a lesser extent amongst the panhumans of Antares. This is an expression of their hunting territory, now a form of influence and status. Failing on a hunt would mean a loss of territory, a reduction in hürakh: once a Hükk has taken a contract, it will never give up or back down. They cannot be reasoned with or negotiated with and are ready to sell their lives in pursuit of their quarry.
Adding one of these formidable hunters to your existing army is a great way to explore new tactical options and add a magnificent, characterful model to your collection.
Painting the Hükk
The Hükk is quite the fearsome specimen, as is demonstrated in the studio scheme. Festooned in guns and ammunition, this alien is a delight to paint and makes for an eye-catching addition to any army. The combination of virulent purple skin and inky black scales was devised by studio painter Kirsten Williams as the main scheme for the monstrous Hükk. The following is a step by step painting guide, laying out all the colours needed to recreate this iconic look.
Customizing the Hükk
Every Hükk is on a quest to enhance their personal standing by taking the toughest bounties. This means their appearance can vary widely depending on the task they have to achieve, their natural colouration (which varies wildly in the first place!), the camouflage they wish to apply to their skin via embedded nano-inks, and the impression they want to give to the prey – whether those they are hunting or those who hire them!
While developing the studio paint scheme, Kirsten tinkered with a few other colour schemes. These alternate schemes are both unique and striking, great inspiration for personalising your own Hükk: experiment with different patterns and colour palates to truly make it your own.
In a glimpse of her own process, Kirsten used a photocopy of the design studio’s 3D render to try out these schemes and we’ve reproduced those directly.
For this scheme, Kirsten swapped the black scales for purple and contrasted it with a paler skin tone.
In an army with a very uniform colour scheme, adding a Hükk painted in a strikingly different scheme can bring a splash of vibrant colour to the table.
Markings are a great way of adding a dash of contrasting colour to the model. In this scheme, Kirsten has used more muted browns and oranges to make the vibrant blue spots really stand out.
There’s no need to just stop at a customised paint scheme, either. To add some extra character to the model, it’s well worth delving into your bitz box to find some spare weapons or accessories your own Hükk has decided to use – every Hükk is different!
Antares Nexus 
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