Saturday, February 28, 2015

Grim Reapers

Here are two of the last rank and file for the Grim Reapers.



I just realized I haven't painted a standard bearer yet, but I will remedy that next week and post a shot of the finished unit.

Friday, February 27, 2015

Chaos Thugs

Three more Chaos Thugs!





That brings me to sixteen models... I'm planning a second unit of twelve painted in the livery of Slaanesh, but several of the models will be neutral so I can swap them back and forth.

Wednesday, February 25, 2015

Chaos Thugs

One of the mutants I mentioned in an earlier post to lend a more chaotic feel to the unit...


It's not just the skull face that I love about this model, but the quizzical, puzzled pose of him scratching his head like he cant remember what he's suppose to be doing.

Tuesday, February 24, 2015

Oldhammer Legacy Warband 2015, Part 2

So here is the beginning of my entry for the Oldhammer Legacy Warband 2015 project...


I replaced the second pistol (a hand flamer) with a saber culled from the new Harlequin sprue. I liked it because of the basket hilt. I cut down the blade to make more of a cleaver than a katana, but I like the Eldar pattern of the weapon as a match to the shuriken pistol he carries. I also wanted the pose with the blade down to avoid a two-weapons-held-in-the-air stance.

Through a vote on the forum, we decided that each model needs to have some turquoise elements to tie the warband together, but I haven't decided on the color scheme just yet. The most obvious bit of fluffery is the scarf around his head so I may use the turquoise there and keep the rest of the garb more utilitarian. I'm going to paint the monkey as a Jokaero so he will have orange fur and grey skin and probably wind up with the feather in turquoise. He will share the base with the primary mini, either on the ground behind him or maybe perched on a spare bit of tech - depends on how the composition comes out.

I have a lot of stuff lines up on the painting table, so I'm not sure when I'll fit in these models, but I have months to finish it so I plan on taking my time. I'm also going to use this model as the subject of a 'how to' article so I'll be posting more WiPs as I finish each stage and share the paints and the processes I use (spoiler alert: not huge secrets, but I get enough questions about painting that it never hurts to document the process).

Monday, February 23, 2015

Chaos Thugs

More Thugs for the horde!



The second guy is just a brute and obviously on his way to become a Marauder with the pox blessing of Nurgle beginning on his cheek!

Saturday, February 21, 2015

Grim Reapers

More Grim Reapers...




The top model is another of my all time favorite Warhammer models. He came from a chariot (not sure whose going to pilot that, but I'll find someone). He might end up as a champion later, but for now he will fight in the ranks for Grim Reapers!

Friday, February 20, 2015

Volk Cutplague, Champion of Nurgle

Another of my favorite models! I think this is why I was drawn to collect Nurgle so long ago. There seemed to be an endless array of amazing miniatures. Slaanesh may be close second for me, but I was never taken with many of the Khorne or Tzeentch models (with a few exceptions as you will see when I get around the warbands).



Wednesday, February 18, 2015

Gorthon Goremange, Champion of Chaos

I'm not a huge fan of the Marauder Chaos Warriors and there is nothing particularly Nurgly about him, but this model is just crazy looking (and he was in my original collection)...


He may be demoted to a Chaos Marauder if I decided to collect a second unit, but for now he will march with the Chaos Warriors.

Monday, February 16, 2015

Axegrim the Third, Champion of Nurgle

I keep saying this, but every time I paint a new model it seems to be true - this is one of my all-time favorites!


Why 'Axegrim the Third'? This the third time I've painted this model (and the third time I've bought it)... once for my original army, once for a Rogue Trader Realm of Chaos warband project (don't know what happened to that collection - I had beastmen with autoguns, some Necromunda Savvies, and a psyker converted from a genestealer hybrid in that group), and now.

Sunday, February 15, 2015

Arrrr! Oldhammer Legacy Warband 2015, Part 1

In an attempt to be more active in the Oldhammer community, I decided to join the 2015 Legacy Warband project from the Oldhammer forum.

How does this Legacy Warband thing work anyway? 
As a reminder, all contributors agree to paint and contribute one model to the pre-agreed theme (space pirates - see below). You paint the model and post it to your friendly neighbourhood organizer (axiom). All contributors are entered into a draw, and the winner out of the hat wins the warband for their collection. 

What's the time frame involved? 
Models to be with axiom by Saturday 28th November 2015, with the draw taking place in 1st week in December (with the ambition to have the warband with the winner by Christmas). The longer time frame is as per the 2014 project, conscious that several potential contributors were concerned about a shorter time frame and the ability to source, build and paint a suitable model. 

What models can I contribute? 
The theme is space pirates; suitable models might include human mercenaries, rogue space elves or orks with shoulder squigs and bionic peg-legs. Renegade Space Marines, deserters and ragged scum will also find a home here. Feel free to use a fantasy model and stick a lasgun or bionic claw on it...simply use your imagination and see what happens! The project is an Oldhammer project, but that doesn't mean you need to donate a vintage Citadel model - if you have something that looks right from a modern range or alternative manufacturer, then that's all well and good! 

How will this warband look coherent? 
Good question; by its nature, a rag-tag band of space corsairs will be varied and individualistic... in fact that's probably part of the appeal with this theme. We will agree on a relatively bright spot colour (vote here) which should be used on all models (hat, scarf, gun casing, boots, striped trousers etc) to show the allegiance of this disparate gang of scum. 

As for basing, the winner does the basing for the warband. This will ensure that a) the warband is coherently based and b) the warband fits into their own collection. 

How do I take part? 
This thread is where you formally stick your hand up and commit to participating. Simply reply to in the thread, stating what model you are likely to contribute (this can change at a later date), and axiom will amend the contributor list.


I had a quick sort through my models and came up with this Rogue Trader era scout - I actually have two of these buggers and it is such a distinct model that I wouldn't think of fielding them together in the small games I tend to play. It seems like a great starting point for my space pirate. It is my intention to replace one of the weapons with a cutlass. He's also going to have a sidekick modeled on the base at his feet - a monkey with a pirate hat from the Warhammer Fantasy Empire Handgunners box.

I have NEVER had six months to paint one model so I am going to have to figure out some outrageous level of detail to lavish on this guy! If you haven't joined in already, why not click over to the forum and give it a go?

Saturday, February 14, 2015

Friday, February 13, 2015

Stub the Chaos Dwarf

Man, these Oldhammer dwarf models are really small!


Again, this model is full of character. Stub is the first of a new unit. I would love to be able to field a 10-model unit of berserkers and a 10-model unit of armoured chaos dwarf warriors, but initially I will have a unit of combined models since I only have four or five of each. These guys seem harder to get a reasonable prices than warriors or thugs. I ordered a few models from The Battleforge because I think they match well stylistically, but I'm not sure how they fit in size-wise. For now I will just place the 'correct' models in the front rank to depict the type of unit it is suppose to be.

I also have six chaos dwarfs with crossbows - strange there wasn't an option to actually give them crossbows during this period, but since chaos dwarfs cost the same as regular dwarfs I will assume I can equip them in this manner for an extra 3 points each. The Chaos Retinue table DOES allow you to outfit them with crossbows and they will probably go into my Khorne warband until I manage to get a couple more (plus standard and champion) for a proper unit.

Wednesday, February 11, 2015

Hack! Maim! Slay!

The personal standard of Wobblegnash.


I thought as the standard bearer, this model deserved extra attention so I painted a skull tattoo on his face and gave him spiffy stripped trousers.

Here's the unit so far...


Monday, February 9, 2015

All Hail Grandfather Nurgle!

I decided my units have grown large enough to need battle standard bearers. In the tradition of the old school armies, these things are freakin' huge!



In parting with tradition however, though these flags have hand designed elements, they are produced on the computer. The original design was one flown by my original army...


The original design was hand drawn, photocopied, and hand colored with colored pencils and citadel paints. For the new version, I hand drew the fly and scroll and scanned them into the computer. Then I imported the files into CorelDraw to block in the other elements and text. After I printed it, I used a rapidograph ink pen to stipple the dark area behind the Nurgle symbol and make the fly blend into the design before mounting it to the staff. I carefully glued the straps to the back flag, not the crossbar, so it will be easy to replace if I decide to change it later. I will be recreating the red banner above in a similar manner after I paint a few more beastmen.

Finally here is the Chaos Warrior unit so far... two more models and it's 'legal', but I'm aiming for a unit of twelve to get three ranks. I am really pleased with how the unit blends together despite the wide array of colors.


Sunday, February 8, 2015

Grim Reaper Champion

Here the first model in my unit of Grim Reapers for my Undead army...



Arlun Meister was a hedge wizard who ticked off Kemler (thus the campy mystic symbols on the tatters of his robes). He was not powerful enough to maintain his magic in undeath, but did manage to wind up better than a lowly skeleton and now serves as an Undead Champion. The three heads on his belt belonged to his former apprentices who betrayed him to the Lichemaster...

Saturday, February 7, 2015

Heinrich Kemlar, The Lichemaster

The Terror of the Lichemaster was one of the first Warhammer Fantasy products I ever bought, even before I got the core rule book (weirdly, I bought Warhammer Armies before getting the core book as well...). The scale of the battles seemed easily achievable and the story driven plot and campaign aspect of the battles were what I thought wargaming was all about. Despite being influenced to start my Warhammer collections with dwarves and undead, I never did get around to playing the campaign or even acquiring the Lichemaster.

When I started back down the road of collecting these old models, I knew having my own Heinrich Kemlar character was a must. I paid waaaay to much for this miniature, but I consider it worth ever penny as the centerpiece for my undead army - somebody's got to raise all these skeletons and it may as well be THE Lichemaster!



Maybe I will finally get around to painting up some models for the campaign, though I will probably substitute proxies for the rest of the characters because I'm not shelling out the gold for the minions that I dropped on the master!

Many, many more undead to come, starting with the core troops - 10 Grim Reapers and 20 Skeleton Warriors (and the Chaos army will continue to grow as well - check back next week to see the first flags for the army)!

Friday, February 6, 2015

Chaos Thugs

Another recruit for my Chaos army...


I like the skull helmet. Next week, I'll post a couple of battle standards for these growing units...

Wednesday, February 4, 2015

Chaos Thugs

Another pair for the Chaos Thug unit...



I decided the thugs weren't looking chaotic enough so I painted a guy with green skin. I'll mix in a few more as I go and I have a few more mutated models to add as well.

I'm not very fond of the second model (actually rare for me to say that about these old mins). There is very little detail and the closed pose makes him very lump-like. Oh, well - you need fillers in the middle of the unit!

Tuesday, February 3, 2015

'Real' Oldhammer, Part 2

More pics from twenty years ago! Over at Realm of Chaos 80s, Orlygg post an article highlighting Wayne England's dwarf army from White Dwarf and ended by wondering how many people were influenced to collect these guys...

I was one of them. Again, sorry for the blurry pics - these were scanned from glossy 4x6" photos taken in the days before digital cameras!




The army was 40 dwarf warriors (normally fielded as one giant unit!), 30 dwarf crossbows, 20 longbeards, 20 iron breakers, 24 slayers, and 12 thunderers plus assorted warmachines and characters. The collection started long before the article in White Dwarf, but serious additions and painting followed it. The color scheme for these guys comes straight from those articles (White Dwarf 135 and 144). I think these pics are from the transition from 3rd to 4th because of the gyro-copter and I seem to remember outfitting the army with runes rather than standard magic items so I must have had the new-fangled army book. Technically this falls outside of my current period of interest, but the models are mostly from my initial collection in the 80's (see the bright green bases?)...

I GAVE this army away to my brother in the late 90's because I thought I was through with fantasy (being primarily a 40k player and moving to more historical pursuits like Napoleonics). A few years ago he sold it to our friend Jim (who once originally owned part of these models - we each had dwarves and orcs and traded one for the other so he had an orc horde and I had all of the dwarves) who wanted to get back into Warhammer Fantasy after some time away from the game. Jim still has them and recently turned down my offer to buy them back...

I'm not finished trying to acquire them (I'll wear him down eventually), but the good thing is that Jim is willing to play 3rd edition. Once I get an army into shape and manage to find the time to actually play some games, I will have another opponent. I'm going to have to try and get some better photos of this collection.

Monday, February 2, 2015

Uther Gutdoom

Another Warrior of Chaos... Uther Gutdoom, Champion of Nurgle.


The hand painted emblem on the shield is one I used on models in my original Chaos army. I basically painted the outlines first and then filled them in like a coloring book.