Little Big Guns Never Tire (Part 1)

 Behold, a completed battery of dwarfen cannons! May the grudges be settled with gun powder and thunder! 

Cannon #1.

This first cannon is a repaint. It's part of that set that I got last summer and decided to just paint over the existing paint.

Each of these cannons and crew are matched up by the stuff on their bases. This set of models has nothing extra on their bases, just a few grass tufts and a few pinches of static grass .  

The crew were probably the least outlandish of the used dwarfs that I painted over. So much so that I apparently never took a "before" pic. The engineer had a metallic beard and I decided I like it. An ink wash was the only thing I did to it and I was happy with he result. 

Cannon #2

Crew #2 and #3 were both bought from a long gone bitz seller that used to have a big bitz store on eBay about 20 years ago. It was a cheap way to build up squads and these Skull Pass cannons were going  for "cheap" back when they were part of the current starter set. After years of neglect it was finally time to get these thing built and painted 

Skulls are what sets this group apart from the others. Each miniature has a skull on it's base. In addition to that the cannon also has an ammo trolly (I think that's what it's called?) carrying some wicked looking cannon shells. 

I used a few different schemes on the flesh of the crew to create not just a sense of diversity but also to establish a bit of individualism. 

Cannon #3

The models in this set all have large chunks of building debris on their bases to tie them all to each other. 

The cannon has a telescopic range finder as well. I don't think there were ever any rules or benefits for having this with your models, other than the rule of cool. 

This is probably my favorite set of crewmen and I am just pleased with how they turned out, especially the engineer. I'm thinking about adding some fallen leaves to some of these bases just give them a bit more kick. I'm going to think on that for a bit longer though. 

And there we have it, a battery of cannons waiting for their opportunity to get into a battle where they can humble me with MISFIRES and low Damage rolls Actually, that's typical game for me so...

"Wait!" I hear you say with a hint of confusion in your voice, "If they're done, why is this a Part 1?"

Ah, glad you asked. You see there is a fourth war machine, one that isn't a cannon, that I worked on alongside these things, that deserves a post all on it's own. Look for that in the near (ish) future!

Hobgoblin Khan (Part 1)

 My fledgling army of Hobgoblins needs a leader and it just so happens I have a guy who's up for the task. 

Scream loudly and carry a big stick.

Well, he maybe eager, but he'll need some work first. These first two pics were taken after I stripped the model of it's gloriously bad paint job. The stuff I strip paint with also has a way of dissolving superglue.  In this case particularly the glob of goop that was holding the cloak onto the Khan's body. It was also pinned in place, which I can still use. 

The cloak is temoved.

Whomever owned this prior to me removed the head of the axe. I thought I had an appropriate replacement, but I couldn't track it down. So I took the head off of a plastic dwarf axe.  I like the idea of this being a corrupted old dwarf weapon. 

Axe head attached. 

After adding the requisite skulls and basing grit to his base, I decided to prime this model using Wraithbone spray. 

Primed. 

And this is where I am paused, contemplating the color scheme I want to run with. I am thinking about attempting a metallic red on the armor, but some experimentation needs to happy beforehand. 

The Swordmasters (Part 3)

 

Okay, on to unit 2. I was quite pleased with how unit 1 turned out and I was going to repeat the process I had developed on unit 2. However, I need to note that these models were purchased secondhand with unit 1 primed white and unit 2 primed black and base-coated. This is a scenario I'm fine with as I like the idea of the two units being subtly distinct from one another. Another difference is their shoulder pads: this unit has theirs painted in gold whereas that previous unit had gold trim on their left pad with the rest conforming to the over all color of their armor. 

I decided to start with two test models to see how my ideas will work out. 

Contact Paint over metal paint produces a very interesting effect. I did the one on the right first using the technique laid out in Part 1, using Ultramarines Blue Contrast Paint over the metallic silver paint that was already there (Leadbelcher?). 

The one on the left however was done using Asurmen Blue. And I got to say, I was really wowed by how much that color pops on top of that silver color. So much so, that I had to rethink this whole scheme. But first, I wanted to take both miniatures through to the end. 

Next I added Polished Blue onto the armor as a mid-coat before finishing it off with my old and trusty Mitheril Silver. 

 

Looking at these guys, I just had to say that I think I love that Asurmen Blue so much that I decided to do something a bit bold and skip the Polished Blue on the next guy. That worked out so well, that I ended up finishing off the rest of the unit using this technique. 

And here is the finished unit. As you can see, all together it's a bit challenging picking out the first two chaps, as they do a good job blending together. 

Well, hold on, I haven't done the command section yet as their bases need a bit of extra work. Look forward to seeing them in Part 4! 

The Swordmasters (Part 2)

 

Since Part One was posted I have finished the first unit of these guys. The steps of which were all covered in part one. All the completed models in this unit were flocked using grass tufts and miniature fallen leaves. I think the leaves give a particularly earthy look to them. 

The next few pics give the command models a bit more scrutiny. Here is the musician:

The unit standard bearer was particular challenging, though fun, to complete. The banner in particular was the biggest challenge as i used who Contrast paints to create a blended effect receding from a dark to a lighter blue ending in a purple tone. despite my best efforts I just couldn't get a photo that I feel is true to life for this model's colors. You'll just have to take my word for it at this point. 

And finally onto the unit leader, who I have dubbed "Gunner" due to his fabulous hair. That hair was done using Aggarros Dunes with a faint dry brush of White Scar. I guess 'frosted' is the best way to describe it? Perhaps I'll have to ask his fan club. Anyway, I am happy with how he turned out. I have happy with the sword especially as getting those mystic runes on the blades to look right was not and easy task. 

And that's a wrap, unit one is done! Now onward to unit two where I have more ideas I want to try out...

The Swordmasters (Part 1)

 

The Swordmasters. Or, more formally, the Swordmasters of Hoeth. Martial artists with really big swords. These guys were one of my favorites back in the early days of WFB 6th edition, not just because of their game stats back then, but 'I just love the 'batter's up' stance of everyone in that unit. If I recall, I had about 20 of the metal miniatures and ran them in one big massive block. (I still have PTSD from watching them being pulverized by orc rock lobbas...). 

A few months ago, around the time that the High Elf Arcane Journal was released,, I bought a second-hand collection of High Elves, most of which were from the Isle of Blood set*.  It had two 10-man units of Swordmasters however and I have since felt compelled to tinker on them. Rebasing them to 25mm bases really gives them a more beefier vibe**. With a desire to paint something that doesn't have a beard, horns or that wonderful (imagined of course) undead smell, I figured I would tinker on a single High Elf just to see how well it goes. 

Contrast Paints (first coat).

The Contrast Paints that I used for the basecoats are Guilliman Fleshwash for the flesh, Space Wolves Grey for the clothing articles that will end up white, Aggarros Dunes for the gold and hair, and finally Ultramarines Blue all over the rest of the model. 

Contrast Paint (second coat).

I was happy with the vibes I was getting from just the Contrast Paints alone! But I wanted to see it through and take him all the way to the finish. 

Metallics added.

On the next step I employed some metallic paints, classic and modern, to see this model through to the end. Retributor Gold was painted on the surface of the areas previously painted with Aggarros Dunes (except the hair). On the blue areas (except for the helmet's top knot) I painted over that with Polished Blue. And I got to say, I think this really pops! 

The translucent effect this achieved was a pleasant surprise.

Mithril Silver, another classic Citadel Colour paint from decades ago, was highlighted onto the blue metals. The heaviest application of it was on the sword as I wanted it to standout the most.  

Auric Armour Gold was the next layer over the gold followed by a highlight of Stormhost Silver. 

Mitheril Silver highlight.

And that's essentially it. There are a few gem stones that need to be dealt with, but I'lI get to them, as well as the base trim, when I knock out this next batch:

"We're next. Hopefully."

*Sadly, it didn't include White Lions, Sea Guard or that sweet Griffin. 

** We are talking about Elves here, so...

Square Base Adaptors

 Finally! I managed to find some cheap adaptors to extend the square bases on some of my finished Warhammer miniatures. Most of my old WFB miniatures are on either 20mm or 25mm bases respectively. And since The Old World launched last year (2024) a good portion of the older Warhammer miniatures have had their bases increased by one stage. Part of the reason I have started new armies (Dwarfs, Beastmen and Vampire Counts) is because I did not have the heart to rebase my Orc, High Elf and Empire miniatures. Or the time to do it even if I wanted to. 

The adaptors arrive. These are the 25mm ones.

Back when Warhammer 40k extended the round Space Marine bases from 25mm to 32mm,  it seemed that 3rd parties were quick to make adaptors or extenders for them. The first ones  I bought were made from resign and some of the later ones were plastic. But when The Old World did it's big base refresh it seemed to take a bit longer for these cheap and simple adaptors to show up.  In the interim I found some plastic ones but they were over priced for what they were. Or the cheap ones I found were MDF,  and that's a material I'm skeptical about using for this purpose. Recently, I found a seller on eBay that sells both 20mm-25mm square adaptors and 25mm-30mm square adaptors. They're plastic (a major plus!) and fairly priced. 

On the day they arrived in my mailbox I was eager to try them out.  I wanted to update one of my older miniatures so I went with a wizard who was the last model I had painted for my High Elves back in the WFB days.

Elven Wizard on 20mm base. 

It wasn't too difficult working the adaptor into place, and once I was satisfied with the dry fitting, I applied some superglue to make the bond permanent. 

Elven wizard, now with a 25mm base.

Then I added some grit and painted it to match the existing base. I followed that up with a grass tufts and a few fallen leaves. 

Flocked and painted. 

And yes, I chose to stick with a Goblin Green base. My old High Elves have Goblin Green bases, and even though this project could be a good opportunity to depart from that tradition, I just feel that the Goblin Green just works well with the High Elves. 

Anyway,  I'm pleased with this product so far and I am very likely to get more! 

AOS Square-Based Skeletons (Part 2)

 ...and they are done! 

A view of the command group.

Continuing on from last time I managed to get the whole unit of 20 completed. And I am quite pleased with how they turned out. 

The whole rabble.

I repeated this process 19 times: I edged highlighted the cloth scraps using Fenrisian Grey and washed over that with Drakenhof Nightshade. Then I kind of drybrushed the metals using Canoptek Alloy over the Gor Grunter Fur base coat.  

A view of one of the ranks. 

The banner (see the first pic) proved tricky as I had attempted to use a decal on it. But it was so old that it disintegrated when I tried to apply it. Then I attempted to hand paint an icon (the folks at Den of Imagination makes it look so easy!). But I was not happy with those results either. In the end I just decided to leave it black. This way I can just say it represents whatever banner suits me at the time. 

The undead gather

And with that, here they are gathered with the rest of their fellow Undead ilk. I am really enjoying this project and I hope you are as well! 

AoS Square-based Skeletons (Part 1)

 

After I finished the Black Coach for my Vampire Counts and gathered the whole (painted) army together to look upon my progress so far, it became apparent that I needed more Core units to support this army. Enter Skeleton Horde #2. This unit was part of the AOS Soulblight Gravelords Vanguard set that I recently picked up. Unlike Skelly Horde #1, these fellas are better proportioned, better armored, and look bad-ass. After getting them on to 25mm square bases and playing around with ranking them up, I am confident they'll work out just fine in the game. 

Assembled and gritted.

And yet, that older style of Skeleton Warrior isn't without it's charm. I have enough left over to assemble another unit (Skeleton Horde #3 will have Hand Weapons and Shields). Oh and those really old ones I posted about awhile back will likely be joining these guys as well.  Just for kicks, I thought I would take some of the leftover  bitz from this new kit and see how well they would work on the older ones. 

...and I think it works well! 

Anyway, I painted these things almost entirely using Contrast Paints. All of the cloth areas were painted using Black Templar. The spear shafts were painted with Baal Red. All the leather bits, straps and sheaths, were painted with Snakebite Leather. The bulk of the models are the armor and Spearheads which were all painted with Gore-Grunter Fur which makes a great base for rusted metal. 

Basecoats with Contrast Paint.

I wasn't so sure about this direction, so I decided to take a single Skeleton Warrior up to a nearly finished state. I edged highlighted the cloth scraps using Fenrisian Grey and washed over that with Drakenhof Nightshade. Then I kind of drybrushed the metals using Canoptek Alloy. 

One guy mostly done.

And dang! -I am very pleased with these results. Now I have 19 more to go...

An undead mass.

This Old Black Coach (Part 3)

Not that there was all that much to finish from last time, I still managed to finish this. Well, mostly. 

He's here to do the reaping.

The biggest change is that the driver is now fully painted and mounted onto his seat. I used the same color palette for his skin that I used on the ghosts. His robes were painted up from black to a light gray and then washed over using Naggaroth Nightshade. The blade of his scythe was painted with a dark brown, then a bit of old Tin Bitz was dabbed on it before finishing it with an edge highlight of Stormhost Silver.

I imagine this thing bouces a lot. 

Also, this post was a chance to re-photograph this thing with a different color background so that the ghosts stand out better. They blended in a bit more than  I would have preferred with the previous one.

Rear 3/4 shot.

The coach is now securely attached to it's base. I added a few tufts of grass on the road edge. I think I might go back and place a few leaves as well, but we'll see if I can remember to do that.

Profile shot. 

The last thing to finish is the coffin and it's resting occupant. He was fun to paint, although a bit challenging. I have wonder how challenging sculpting this was for the artist who produced this. I had an idea to try to magnetize the lid using thin straps of sheet magnet. This, however, utterly failed. I think it was a polarity issue and after several attempts, I decided to abort the whole magnet idea. Frustrated, I stopped there for the night. 

Sheet magnets on the coffin rim.

The next day I looked at it and decided the sheet magnets had to go so I stripped them off, repaired the damaged paint, and applied three tiny magnets. These magnets were acquired back when the misguided notion of slapping out Marine special weapons was something I was keen to do.. Anyway, after attempting to reverse some of polarity on these new magnets I was impressed when they actually worked! 

Small magnets added. 

There is a significant gap between the lid and the coffin, but without getting really fanatical about the whole thing, I decided I would live with this. If I had known how this would've resulted beforehand I would've attempted to add a small green LED light to the inside of the coffin to make the light seep out of that gap. That might've looked creepy-cool. 

Not as a tight a gap as I wanted but it'll do.

The coffin fits in the Black Coach now and I am not at risk of losing the coffin lid. Well, unless I lose the whole thing, but that would be far worse blunder. 

Happy trails.

I think this is a good opportunity to take a look at all of the Vampire Counts miniatures I have built and painted so far. Interestingly, since I started painting models for Warhammer: The Old World last summer, I seem to have painted more for this army than I have any of the other ones. I suppose the Dwarfs are coming in second in that race but we'll see if they can retake that spot back over soon. Note the cluster of primed pirate zombies over to the right, just waiting for their paintjobs to enhance their grossness. And I have a few more vampires waiting as well. Currently, the only painted vampire is conked out in the back of that Black Coach! 

The spooky crew so far...