AHPC XII: Iron Golems Warband

"Flesh is Impermanent - Metal is Eternal!"

These doughty fellows are highly skilled armourers and metal smiths who hail from the Volcanic mountains of Chamon in the Realm of Metal.  To showcase their master crafted wares in a kind of uninvited roadshow advertising, they get out on the road and take their frustrations out on people they consider naughty (and there are quite a few of those). And after all that time practice on anvils, they are itching to thump out some punishment and prove their skills as master artisans.

Heavy Hitters: Signifer, Dominar, and Ogre Breacher

Rip and Tear lads!

Together they form a warband for the Warhammer skirmish game Warcry that I call the 'HateForged' and are lead by Dave the Dominus - not to be confused with the other Dave who is neither the Dominus or as imposing as he stands at only 4 foot 3inches tall. 

Dave and other Dave (no relation)

There was some debate at the forming of this intrepid group that they be called "The League of Extraordinarily Murderous Gentlemen" but a Nether Realm judge considered this to be too similar to an existing IP and  a Cease and Desist Order was issued. Such is the way of things in the badlands of the Blood Spoil regions.

Ready for Trouble, one way or another

I went for an antique Greek style with a slightly rusted/tarnished look to go with Deep Sea diver helmets.  It was also a colour experiment, using a brown/metallic monochrome style with accents from the blue/green verdigris and red blood splashes.  I think it worked out OK, but it does lack a certain 'pop'.  

This duo deliver a slightly ranged effect to the team

Actually, I understand their rules are kinda underpowered but the models just look too cool to not paint. Such is the way of things... 

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/03/from-paulog-iron-golems-warband-60.html

Painting Notes:

Armour

Basecoat: Coat d' Arms Dwarf Bronze (quite a light, desaturated colour)

Wash: Ork Flesh green contrast

Drybrush: Coat d' Arms Dwarf Bronze

Wash: Agrax (leave some of the green in areas)

Drybrush: Coat d' Arms Dwarf Bronze

'Zenithal' style drybrush GW Dwarf Bronze (much stronger yellow tone)

Alternate metal colour: Brass Scorpion

Aged effects with GW Nihilakh Oxide (veridgris) and AP Dry Rust (on chainmail mostly)

Flesh: Palid Wychflesh base, wash Druchi Violet, re-highlight with Palid Wychflesh

Basing (matching the Warcry 'Defiled Ruins' board): base Snakebite Leather with Gor Grunta Fur contrast

AHPC XII: Beastmen

Due to work travel its been a good few weeks since I touched a brush. This gave me time to reflect on this year's Challenge and I realised I was missing something - I've painted no Beastmen - for shame! So this week I've rectified that with some characterful Beastmen models from the Underworlds "Grashrak's Despoilers" set.

BFFs Grashrak and Draknar are the bruisers of this warband

Grashrak Fellhook is a magical Bray-Shaman, and his buddies are Gor Draknar the Cruel and the Ungor Hunters Gnarl, Ushkor, Murgoth Half-Horn, and Korsh the Sneak. Together they 'hate all things pure with a bestial vehemence that knows neither reason nor restraint' - nice lads to gatecrash your forrest outing. 

With the idea that these would be a flavoursome raiding force for WHFB as well as a Warcry Warband, I lavished attention on their lovely details and tried something different with desaturated flesh tone colours and shades. I quite like the paler, muted tones but I'm not going back to my 200 odd beastmen army to redo those :-)

Painting notes (all GW colours)

Basecoat: Rakarth Flesh

Wash: diluted Bugman's Glow

Highlight: Rakarth Flesh

Fine Highlight: 50/50 mix Rakarth Flesh and Wraithbone

Fur was GoreGrunter Contrast with a light drybrush of Baneblade Brown

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/03/from-paul-og-beastmen-and-more-archers.html

AHPC XII: 'Nidzilla!

News of the upcoming release of the new Tyranid Codex had Reilly and I reaching for some unpainted bugs this week. He did a Broodlord and this is my contribution: a Trygon - and a big (half a foot tall) menacing fellow he is!

Game wise, he is a burrower and erupts from the ground in a nasty surprise attack kind of way. He also generates a tunnel behind him that other bugs can then scuttle through - so apart from his personal attacks, it can be a bit of a pain when bugs suddenly erupt amidst your army.

The basing is done to match the rest of the army - I'm not super happy with it yet and will add to it later, but I am literally off to the airport for a work trip now so thats good enough for today.

Game wise, he erupts from the ground in a nasty surprise attack kind of way. He also generates a tunnel behind him that other bugs can then scuttle through - so apart from his personal attacks, it can be a bit of a pain when bugs suddenly erupt amidst your army.

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/02/from-paulog-nidzilla-arrakis-45-points.html

AHPC XII: War of the Roses - Lancastrians

The start of a new but long awaited project: War of the Roses. Stage 1 is a Lancastrian force to oppose Alan's lovely Yorkists that he painted a few years ago.  Ironic that I should be doing Lancastrians though, as I served aboard the Destroyer HMS York for more than a year... 

Anyway, this initial burst of 48 figures includes Foot Knights, Billmen and Retinue Archers for Lion Rampant. In the wings are lots more of the same plus Mounted Knights, Prickers and artillery, as well as European mercenary Pike, crossbows and hand gunners.

Foot Knights advance under a Percy House Banner

I was experimenting with the Scale 75 metallics for the armour - very nice products, and I'm really happy how they have come out and contrast with the snow. This is also my first real foray into snow basing so that they match Alan's army; going for a patchy, early winter look. They came out a bit heavier than expected but I'm happy with them overall.

Well armoured Retinue Billmen move into the attack

Fun fact: Snow basing really soaks up any rum and coke that you might inadvertently spill over your entire army. REALLY well like a sponge. Like, scrape it all off and start again the night before your submission is due. Still, the models now have a nice smell and Reilly observed "You're really putting something of yourself into this project". I figure the spirits will keep the lads warm in the snow...

Unarmoured Billmen, led by a Man at Arms

Alan has convinced me with his zealous promotion of the 3-2-1 basing schema for the foot troops, but I kept the archers in more refined lines on rectangle bases. I think it shows a more formed and static line up, while the foot sloggers are a bit more ragged in the advance.

Stout Englishmen and their yew bows ready to deliver an arrow storm

That's 48 figs and the two banners are hand painted of course.

https://thepaintingchallenge.blogspot.com/2022/02/from-paul-og-war-of-roses-lancastrian.html