Dwarf Longbeards

 Dwarf Longbeards

Oh, another long awaited journey have these venerable dwarfs been on, full of patience as some of them have waited decades for paint. Their numbers increased and yet none were given paint nor shield.

Only two of their number from the 6th ed were chosen to become Anvil Guards and even saw a tabletop game, but the rest waited paitently in their foam padded lock box.

The real challenge here were the beards, and how to make them all look like they were old without all being white. Even Grombrindal got a makeover.

I set myself the same task as the thunderers, to have them finished by the end of Decembeard and the end of the year. It was no easy task, but very enjoyable, as these early sculpts are full of character.

I chose a turquoise, white and gold combination for the livery for the Longbeards, as it was a little unusual, but also blended in a bit with the Order of the Turquoise Boar. The gold was a bold choice, and I almost second guessed using it after I had applied it, but the dark brown inking gave it the depth and quality I was after. The shields had been sitting in the bits box for just as long as the models, so it was a good opportunity to get them all organised and sell off the ones I no longer needed.

The Banner was the first attempt at using champagne foil and I'm really pleased with the result. Finally, I was able to put finer detail on it than the paper and card banners I had used previosly, and it made me want to go back and redo some of them. I love the background mountain theme I have on some of my banners and this one worked a treat as well.

As the newer longbeards made it back from anvil guard duty, (as I had now Thorek and the official anvil guard models), they were joined by another who would make for a suitable Greatbeard and I had two special shields for them. At the very end of painting the unit I was one model shy of the full 24, and upon a quick search, found a White Dwarf, minus his axe and hands. Dissatified with the Landskncht clothing drummer I had, I decided that this Grommie would be demoted to musician, as he certainly had the beard long enough to fit the longbeards unit where as no other did, and the other would be the true Grombrindal because he was my absolute favourite model.

There was not a large range of original longbeard classic models, and I ended up with a lot of repeat models. For some reason, I never really liked the choice of the flail for a longbeard. It simply seemed the poorest choice of weapon to be fighting with in a formed unit.
Out came the scalpel, in came the bits box. One even became the standard bearer.

The conversions didn't stop with the flails, certainly not. I have loads of other bits with the weapons section of the bits box and many maces became axes.

A few other modifications made their way in, such as horns, wings and crests were added to the others, whilst I still had two unique models as well.

Dwarf Thunderers

Dwarf Thunderers

It's been a long time that these guys have been waiting to be finished, with a smattering having only undercoat and base paint. Years have gone by and finally I set myself the task of completing the unit before the end of the year.

 For a change, I decided to go for the black and red uniform to make things a little faster and to also give them a sense of being part of an organised unit, rather than the somewhat individual colours I started out with when first collecting.

The models are mostly 1990s sculpts, but there is one highland dwarf with the blunderbus who is a lot older and his face had begun to get lead rot, so he ended up with an eyepatch.
There are three of the 6th ed thunderers too, whose chain armour was a massive pain in the butt to paint, as it was pockmarked rather than well textured, which had the effect that it couldn't be inked, as air bubbles prevented the ink from settling. This just darkened the metal paint and left bright holes. Even after individulally filling the holes with the finest brush (which I ruined), it still took several attempts to finish and dragged out the process much more than it should have.

I struggled with the banner a fair bit, and all the rest were done and based, and I didn't finish it properly until after I had completed the entire Longbeards unit.
I started with a paper banner and the image bled too much, making it fuzzy. It was also too small.
I then printed the image I had lifted and altered from an online source onto a sticker, but again it was too fuzzy and too small. Someone on the forum suggested trying champagne bottle foil and so, I gave it a shot, and found it very easy to work with and also the right medium to hold the detail.
This made me want to go back and redo some of the other banners using the same foil.

It only occurred to me later that the standard bearer was ratehr different and strangely familliar, even though his face had also begun to suffer from lead rot, so that one of his eyes was hollowed, appearing like he had lost it at lome point. After a little more research, I discovered that he was actually the standard bearer for Prince Ulther's Regiment of Renown.

Scratching my beard in though and attempting to revive my failing memory, I looked through my Ironbreakers and sure enough... hmmm... found Prince Ulther's champion, Borri Forkbeard.

Well, now that I know - I guess it's time to give him a makeover.

Deiter Helsnicht's Nightmare Army

 Dieter Helsnicht's Nightmare Army

Wow! I did it! I finished the entire undead army right in time for Halloween.

The centrepiece is Dieter Helsnicht mounted on his Winged Nightmare,
his Magnum Opus of Necromantic skill.

The army includes a roster of vampires.
The Vampire Queen, mistress of beasts and her thrall and zombie cat familliar,
The Ghoul Queen and her corpse eaters,
and the Queen of Restless Spirits.

The corpse cart and screaming skull catapult provide stability and atrillery while the flanks are reinforced by skeletal cavalry led by wraiths mounted on nighmares.

Deiter's conclave of Necromancers field zombies and skeletons.

Overall, I have had a fantasic time painting up this army over the past year,
with its mix of oldhammer metal models, middlehammer plastics and kits,
and the even the new nighthaunts as ethereals.

This is where it started.

I feel a great sense of accomplishment to have completed another Warhammer Army.

Halloween Ghouls

Ghouls for Halloween

I can't very well have a vampire called the Ghoul Queen and not have any ghouls in the army of the dead, now can I? It really was the last missing unit from the undead roster.
Trouble was, ghouls are complicated.

For the longest time, Warhammer touted ghouls and the only unit not actually "undead" in the undead roster, but instead keeping them as the only living creatures, kinda like they couldn't make up their minds about necromancers either. They were supposed to be once human, turned to cannibalism, subsequently over time evolving into a different species.

Now, I wasn't a big fan of the metal sculpts of the 90's, but they weren't particularly bad, and then when ghouls were redone into crypt fiends and crypt horrors to make them actually undead, I wasn't really sold on those models either. I was still in my D&D head about ghouls being crypt and grave robbers, corpse eaters, undead and afraid of sunlight, perhaps even blind, and possibly so filthy that their talons had that paralysing bacteria that would make any victim an easy meal.

I looked for alternatives, and even tried to get the 90's metals, but they were always scooped up very quickly by other collectors, until I saw them. Ur-guls. Not Steve Ur-gul, just the new 40K plastics.
Interestingly enough, these were the kind of ugly, blind, evolved corpse eaters I was after.

 

Lacking eyes, these ghouls had evolved highly sensitive sensory orifices to seek out food, whether it be buried, fresh or still living.

Highly agile and equipped with ultra sonic hearing, nothing escapes their notice.

Their talons have formed for digging, snagging and rending flesh.
Their teeth are sharp and their jaws strong enough to shatter bone.

Often holing up in tombs or caves far from the sunlight, the pack will form a 'nest' and will often drag back prey for the rest to feast upon. 

I had quite a lot of bits I could use to add some flavour to their bases, as I only had 2 poses, but with some severed hands, bones, gravestone and a fresh corpse, there vas plenty of variety.

I had a long look at painting styles and decided I really wanted to have some horror and gore element to these little nightmares, so I didn't mind messing them up with bloodied hands and faces.

Some of them I wanted to keep clean.

Some of them had been eating long dead corpses.

Happy Halloween!

The rise of the Waaaaagh

A long time ago, I started a little orc and goblin army, but it has kinda gotten out of hand.

Let me explain.

I started a greenskins army with monopose orcs and goblins mainly from Battlemasters and GW 4th ed, sculpey home-made trolls and a giant and that was the way I wanted it. No metals - no more expenditure...

Well, crap.

First thing that happened was that I got another Battlemasters real cheap at a thrift shop (seriously it was $5 for the whole thing - missing Empire).
Next thing that happened was I bought the 6th ed Orc boxed sets.
I bought an orc chariot from a friend... and converted a boar rider to a shaman.
Someone gave me a metal orc commander and 3 metal orcs and the great jester shaman from Warhammer Quest. (thanks buddy!).
Then they gave me ALL their 6th ed gobbo archers and spears.I tell you what, I may have been poor but I had some amazing kind friends - and that is true wealth.

Then the freaking Battle for Skull Pass comes out and I get it for half price (which is ok because Dwarfs is still my main army right?).
Well, with so many gobbos - I bought 3 metal fanatics.
Another friend dumps his gnoblars on me because he says he hates them. I love them. Especially the one wearing saucepan helmets.

I breathe.

I join a few facebook trading groups.

I somehow bought 2 more boar chariots, 3 old style doom divers, Skarsnik missing Gobbla, some netters and clubbers, a squig rider, MORE fanatics and now it's kinda multiplying like real greenskins... and I'm painting as much as I can until everything I see is green.

Holy squigs and now someone is selling Groms chariot, but no Grom or Niblit - and somehow I got bitten by the Grom the Paunch bug, and upgrade my terrible sculpey proxy for a mad Kings of War sculpt and WOW! Things are esculating fast.

I breathe.
I buy some more green paint.

Then someone posts a rock lobber and I think - you know, I dont have any artillery. Why not?

A few weeks later after it is painted, the Skull Crusher and the Lead Belcher arrive in the mail IN THEIR ORIGINAL BOXES, because I still remember looking at them in the shops as a small boy, never thinking that I'll ever be able to afford them like I'm Charlie Bucket from Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.

A river troll and 3 Stone trolls join in.  I trade a LOTR mini for 5 squigs. To top it off, a local guy is selling the Spear chukka for a song.

And so now, here it is. Freakin' HUNDREDS of models and suddenly it is starting to feel like a Waaaaagh that has happened under its own energy.

Now I'm saving champagne corks to build a rogue Idol.

Skirmish in the Wastelands

(Chaos Warband 3rd Edition Ruleset)

Two Aspiring Champions of Chaos spy eachother in the Chaos Wastes,
each seeking to impress their Dark Gods in battle.

El Creepo, sorcerer servant of Nurgle, travels with three pestigor followers, each sporting bulging red eyes that carry a terrible curse.
El Creepo casts a spell of Protection to give him a shielding aura.

Shady, dark elf warrior thief, blessed by the Undivided powers of Chaos with a magical short sword and wizardly knowledge, is followed by five brigands and their captain, Moresly.
Shady casts a spell of Resiliance to give him a shielding aura.

The battle begins with the pestigors advancing, hooves pounding in the dust, as El Creepo tactically casts a shroud of mist to block all sight and line of fire from the enemy.

Sneaking around the rocky outcrop, Shady approaches only to have a fireball launced directly at him by El Creepo. Misjudging the distance by only a few feet, the fireball dissapates before reaching the target.
Noting the distance, Shady responds, getting closer and letting loose a lighting bolt from the short sword, electrocuting the sorcerer and causing burn wounds over his body.
Thrusting the pain from his mind, El Creepo attempts a spell to break Shady's leg, but the spell is shugged off while on the other side of the battlefield the mist of vapours dissapates.

The pestigors circle around the opposite side of the rocky outcrop and lie in ambush, but Shady retreats, using his sword to imbue his body with magically assisted fighting prowess.
El Creepo casts a flying spell and Monkey Magics his way over toward the brigands, who shoot their arrows at the sorcerer, only to have them harmlessly bounce off the aura of protection.

Shady sees the sorcerer land and much to the Nurgle servant's surprise, also leaps into the air and lands in front of him to duel. The lightning blade is quick, but also dispels the aura of protection, and El Creepo is wounded in the stomach. In response, he bashes Shady in the temple with his staff, knocking the warrior thief to the ground and quickly retreats. 

Acrobatically leaping to his feet, Shady gives pursuit, but stunned by the previous blow, is unable to catch the sorcerer, who then turns around and lowers his cowel, revealing a warped and bestial face.
He grins an ugly, slavering grin and summons a vortex before him, commanding it to tear a path through reality toward the hapless enemy.
However, the vortex moves so slowly, that it can not quite trap the warrior thief, who barley escapes with his life. Once their champion is clear, the brigands shoot a volley on Moresly's command, but every arrow is sucked into the vortex.

Shady then casts his Hammerhand spell, increasing his fighting prowess even further and charges the pestigors. The pestigors try to meet his gaze, bestowing the curse of the Evil Eye, but Shady is too quick and sly, shielding his eyes with his arm and then maiming one of the pestigors in the bicep, even as the beast slices a nasty wound across his chest with its halberd.
Thrusting the magic sword through the stinking creature's belly, Shady screams a twisted elven warcry and the other two pestigors lose their nerve and run, only to be cut down by a flurry of sword strokes.

With the vortex fizzling out and his retinue defeated, El Creepo decides to attack, his magic now spent.
The brigands approach and some begin to draw their bows, but the commander bids them stay their weapons and obeserve the duel to see who shall be victorious.

Both wounded and set upon proving themselves, the two champions fight like rabid animals until Shady delivers a final blow with the hilt of the sword, knocking the sorcerer unconcious.

The brigands cheer and Shady looks to the roiling clouds above, yelling
"For Chaos Indivisable! For Victory! For Supremacy! I have vanquished my foe!"

Shady and the bandits leave the sorcerer in the wastes to meet his fate, but something in his mind tells the dark elf that he will meet the champion of Nurgle again.

Chaos Sorcerer

 Chaos Sorcerer

Picked up in a batch sale, I had this guy with a thin base paint for some time, then painted him a little more, then a little more, then finally finished him off for a chaos warband game.

The paint on him now has quite a few thin layers, and although not a difficult model to paint, there was some unexpected detail, such as the small reptilian skull fetish on the staff, some rusted chainmaille and the metal insignia disc.

One of the reasons I took so long on this model before finally coming back to him, was the staff. It is weird. The cross-piece seems to be of carved bone or furled rams horn, and the geometric insignia and top part of the staff was a contrast to what Nurgle chaos usually offers, and I actually considered removing it altogether. However, I decided to keep the staff top, but added in a skull, turning the vacant space into a mount. Now he has a little of the decay vibe that works for me.