While the Toys Were Out

 Straying from the orc theme, but in the spirit of Halloween, here's my Undead army...

Currently they weigh in around 1750 points. I've got enough zombies to double the size of that unit (or add a second one), more cavalry, three or four carrion, three chariots, and a pair of Skull Chuckers. One of these days...

Right! Back to da orcs!

Mikael Jacsen, Ranlac the Black, and Gim Grendel

Yes, I know I said I was starting with Gimbrin's Mine, but these models were calling to me. I think I'm going to use an armored skeleton model I already own for Ranlac the Black, so all I need are a few dwarves (I'm in the process of gathering the models for them as I wanted adventurer types rather than rank and file soldiers).

I picked a 3rd or 4th edition Vampire Counts shield for this hero because Gary Chalk's illo shows a corner of Jacsen's shield with some manner of clawed wing. I didn't like the purple and the red I chose is featured on many of  the undead models in my army.

I think I'm going to use this guy as Ranlac the Black...

It is obviously different from the official model, but I've probably sunk enough money into this collection for now. I have an unpainted Krell model, but I'm not sure I like it in comparison with some of the other models I have with double handed weapons. He may end up with an axe or scythe in my games.

Switching gears to the first of my defenders of Fruglehofen, here is Gim Grendel!

This is one of my favorite models from the early range and I bought him several years ago. The tiny sword blade was broken when the model arrived in the mail. I ended up cutting away the whole right hand and replaced it with a plastic hand and sword from a plastic Empire soldier, cut and filed down to an appropriate length. I still want to do something with the shield, but haven't decided on heraldry or maybe some sort of  hand-daubed graffiti which might be more appropriate for the tiny village.

As long as I'm at the keyboard, I also added a model to my larger undead army, Darius Crowe...

He joins the Lichemaster and Dread Dalgath to provide magical support for the army, ensuring plenty of chances to cast Dance Macabre!

More as I get them painted...

Terror of the Lichemaster

When I got back into collecting classic Citadel miniatures, one of the first things I did was start gathering undead models to replace one of the first armies I'd ever built. To launch things right, I went and spent way too much on one of THE classic models to lead them.. Henrich Kemmler!

eBay being what it is, this was probably a recast, but when I was just getting back in I didn't even know that was a thing. Maybe I got ripped off, though honestly I don't care as I have the freaking Lichemaster painted and standing front and center among my undead collection.

So fast forward to today. It's been a while since I visited the Old World, but I still try to keep up with the blogs in the community. Rochie's current project over on Buried Under Lead inspired me to dig through all of the Oldhammer stuff I have hidden away with an eye toward starting a new project.

In case it wasn't obvious, I have always been a fan of the Terror of the Lichemaster. I've owned the original campaign boxed set for years. The simple campaign (and the follow up Vengeance of the Lichemaster in the Citadel Journal Spring 1986) is a fun set of games with a large variety of models - dwarves, skeletons, townsfolk, etc. Looking through my models, I already have much of what I would need to play a version of these.

Besides the dreaded Lichemaster, I have Mikael Jacsen (another stupidly expensive purchase). Although I can easily find the other undead champions on eBay, I'm not really a fan of the models. I already have a pile of badass undead characters and they can be called into action in their place. I already have plenty of skeletons and zombies too, though I may need to paint a few more for summoning.

On the other side, I can press Bugman's Rangers into service for the dwarves of Gimbrin's Mine. I also have a pile of Wargames Foundry Medievals to field as the villagers and I'll mix in some Citadel Fighters and Villagers for variety. I actually have a few of the 'named' defenders of Bogel's Farm and Frugelhofen including Albi Schutz, Antonio Epstein, Riolta Snow, Gim Grundlel and Samgaff. Many more are available and can be found cheaper when listed as "C46 Villagers and Townsfolk" rather than under any search for "Lichemaster" (Thanks to Matt for listing this information on his Lichemaster project on Oldhammer in Toronto as I was unaware most of these models were generic). Some of these, don't match their description. For instance, the Bogel menfolk are all armed with crossbows, but the models depict them in their farming finery. Again, these were obviously pulled from the generic ranks of townfolk, but I will end up substituting models to fit into my little corner of the Old World.

Along with collecting and painting the models, I'm going to build custom boards for the battlefields. Gimbrin's Mine and Bogel's Farm will be quite small, maybe no more than 2x4' given the number of models needed for those games. I'll be looking at keeping them modular, so there may again be differences to fit my needs. For Frugelhoffen, I doubt I'll try to represent every building as I only think it necessary to outline the path of the roads, but there needs to be at least enough room to cram in 50+ models for the defense.

This will be a long term project, but I intend to work on the campaign in stages. Gimbrin's Mine will be first which means I only have to paint about half a dozen models, but I will need to construct the cliff so that might take a while!

Happy Halloween

Well, I only manged to finish twenty zombies instead of thirty. Work was just crazy in October.

The standard bearer is a minor conversion of one of the Citadel Skeletons. I used green stuff to bulk up his limbs and fill in the hollows of his cheeks. I think I'm going to go back into the standard and paint a slogan or something to make it a little cooler. I still want this mob at thirty so I'll try to add more between all of the other projects I'm juggling.

On another note, providing my own treat for the holiday, I stumbled on an 'in blister' Test Bed Slave today on eBay while looking for a Citadel Fantasy Adventurers box set (which I also bought). The auction was listed as 'Warhammer 40000 Adventurers', and why not? That's what it says on the package! My normal search has been for 'Rogue Trader Adventurers' and has been fruitless for months. I often search different words for the same item (including mis-spellings - it is amazing how many entries are out there for Slaan and Rouge Trader), but it was pure luck I found this. That model completes my Rogue Trader Adventurer collection. Huzzah!

Sturmgeshutz and Sorcery coming up in a few days. The comic format is more work than it appears... Hats off to those who treat us with these on a regular basis!

Zombies!

See? I have been working on these...

I almost have another eight to make up the minimum unit size of twenty. It doesn't look like I'm going to make thirty by the end of the month, but the Slann distracted me. Win-win really...

I recently discovered that when I worked out the points for my existing Undead army, I made some mistakes (for instance all magic items cost 25 points plus their specific trait cost) and the army is actually closer to 1400 with the addition of this unit and another Undead Hero. A single warmachine gets me to 1500 and with all of the models I have on hand (a second unit of eight undead horsemen, three mummies, three chariots, four carrion, and an undead catapult) I am well over 2400 points! Woot! I mean, Unnngh!

Shazam!

And that's the difference when you're painting something with motivation...

Zombies are in no way uniform so making a coherent unit can be a challenge. The plan is to vary skin tones between the five shades above, while painting the exposed muscles and bone the same and keeping clothing uniformly dark, though not always black (in fact I plan to mix in a few reds to match the skeleton units). Eyes, teeth, and weapons will all be painted the same.

However, if I were to paint six models in each shade, the result would still seem very patchy. By varying the number of each, and weighting one toward roughly half, the end result will be more unified. In the case above, we'll call them Pallid (x11), Grey (x8), Bone (x6), Green (x3), and Blue (x1). The figure in parenthesis means 'times number of models'. More than half will be sickly skin tones (Pallid and Bone) while the other colors will end up as accents... and yes, there are only 29, because the hero will make thirty.

The models above were painted randomly, but I learned that exposed bone shows up better against the Grey and Green. When I have a sort, I'll choose models with obvious skeletal bits for those colors. Also any red clothing will go to pale monsters - the grey skin reads like blue with the warm color next to it and the green and red combo are right out for this evil army.

So five guys in one day - and to think I was worried about painting thirty models by the end of the month!

Something Stinky This Way Walks

I've had a rough time focusing on a single project of late. I had a goal to paint all of the Rogue Trader Adventurers by the end of the year, but my inability to find the Test Bed Slave model so far has derailed my progress. I still have ten or twelve others to paint from the range and I can easily do these at the rate of two per day, so there's still plenty of time. If I manage to find the model, I'm sure I'll be inspired to jump back in. I also have a few models left to paint for my Last Stand at Brandon's Star IV scenario, but again they've been sitting on the painting table and wandering through the room hasn't pulled me to the desk to finish them. It's going on more than a week that I've painted anything.

That means it's time to turn my attention to something else. I've been really into zombie apocalypse books recently (and Z Nation which I actually enjoy more than the other Zombie TV series), so for the spooky month of October, I decided to add a unit to my Oldhammer Undead army!

The plan is to paint a maximum sized unit of thirty of these rotting shamblers, including a wight or wraith hero and the goal to to have them table ready by Halloween. They will be armed with double-handed weapons and come in at 150 points (including the standard bearer) plus the cost of the hero (TBD). That will put me reach of 1500 points total with the addition of a couple of support units like chariots or stone throwers, both of which I already have squirrelled away.

That may be pushing it. While they lack fiddly detail like belts and buttons, there are still multiple areas between iron, cloth, flesh, muscle, organs, and bone, all of which need different techniques. On the plus side, these areas are a little difficult to distinguish on some of the sculpts so can be painted as the mood strikes!

I actually have more than thirty, but not quite enough for two units of twenty. If I manage to finish these lads by Halloween, I may treat myself and pickup another half dozen from eBay. These models go for ridiculous prices, but it may be worth it to see two units (my eyes glaze over at the thought of the ability to field up to 100 zombies)!

More very soon...

Skeleton Warriors Regiment and My Undead Army (So Far)

And here is the finished regiment...

I am super excited with how it turned out! I think I have enough models now to play a (very) small game...

Undead Army (1155 points)

Characters
The Lichemaster (Lvl 20 Necromancer), 250 points
Magic Weapon (Parasitic Blade)
Dread Dalgath (Lvl 10 Necromancer), 85 points
Wrathmoor (Lvl 15 Undead Hero), 95 points
Magic Weapon (Parrying Blade)
Arlun Meister (Lvl 10 Undead Hero), 60 points
Magic Weapon (Mighty Strike)

Rank and File
Death Riders (5 models), 138 points
Light Armour, Standard
Grim Reapers (10 models), 154 points
Light Armour, Standard
Skeleton Warriors (19 models), 273 points
Light Armour, Shields, Standard, Musician
Plague Cart, 100 points

I still have a Skull Chucker, three Undead Chariots, another regiment of Death Riders, 30+ zombies, 3 mummies, and 4 carrion waiting for paint, plus a handful more characters. I haven't really been worried about points so far, but I will probably sit down and work out a Stillmainia 2000 point list to work toward...

I need to sit down and figure out the points for my Chaos Army!

Skeleton Warriors

Whew!

Photo of the finished regiment on Friday...

Skeleton Warriors

Love the Jester!

Dread Dalgath

With all of these skeletons, I decided it was time to add another Necromancer, Dread Dalgath!

There is something vaguely familiar about this guy...

Scary!

Skeleton Warriors

Not really anything else to say about these guys other than I am enjoying painting them! If I can keep up the pace, the regiment should be finished by next week at this time.

Skeleton Warriors

I absolutely love the variety found in these old models (and somehow I have managed to end up with all unique minis so far).

The mad bomber is one of my favorites, though the wide brim on his hat made it so I couldn't catch his grinning skull face in the photo.

Skeleton Warriors

More undead warriors...

A couple of total badasses I referred to a few posts back (the reason I paint a wraith to lead the regiment). I have forty or fifty of the old plastic skeletons that I plan to paint up for summoning, but some may find their way mixed in with these metals to form two full units at some point so I may be in need of more heroes!

Skeleton Warriors

As usual, the shields are from modern GW models and are from a mix of Chaos Marauders, Beastmen, and Vampire Counts kits.

Skeleton Warriors

I started out a little differently this time with the regiment standard and musician. I normally don't paint command models until I have at least ten rank and file, but I know this unit is going to be at least twenty warriors strong.

I just realized this is the ONLY musician model in my entire Oldhammer collection.

Wrathmoor, Undead Champion

The undead horde continues to grow!

At some point, Wrathmoor may become a summoned wight or wraith, but for now he will be an Undead Champion for my Skeleton Warriors regiment. I have so many badass skeletons that could serve as heroes that I really needed one that stands out from the rest.

There are a pile of skeletons on the way!

Death Rider Regiment

Charge!

This unit will be used to hunt war machines, prevent march moves, cause panic in low Ld troops, and generally cause a little mayhem. Their ability to move through terrain really enhances their mobility since they can generally draw a straight line to their target.

As I mentioned earlier in the week I have a second unit on skeletal steeds waiting to be painted. They are eight models strong and will be used more in a line combat role, though they still need to be choosy about their targets and will probably stick close to the infantry blocks (I have a unit of Skeleton Warriors up next).

Death Rider

The (tiny) regiment standard bearer...

Umm... the regiment is tiny at five models, not a tiny standard bearer! I just used GW Nuln Oil (Shade) to paint the stripes on the banner for a subtle effect.

Death Rider

This makes four...

One more to go!