Self-Flagellation for Fun and Profit
A bit of a cheeky update this time around, it features painted models but I’ve not painted them myself. I’ve gotten my mitts on some very old Flagellants with some very old paint on them, as well as some slightly newer Flagellants with some slightly newer paint on them. The ancient Flagellants will most definitely be getting stripped down then re-painted, but the newer ones may stay as they are but with a little bit of a touch up. Sharp eyed viewers may spot Wilhelm Hasburg rocking around with the purple Flagellants, he will no doubt end becoming another Warrior Priest for the army, he is one already after all.
Rainy July Days Have Their Upsides…
So, eine kleine pictorial update and another apology for the length of time between updates.
First things first, things are going fantastically well in my new job – I was taken on a temporary contract to cover maternity leave and I’ve now been offered a permanent job and have been promoted too. I have more responsibilities now and its the first step on the ladder to management, which is cracking! Also as I work in one of our UK stores and therefore The Mother Ship it’d be quite easy for me to transfer to one of our overseas stores, and working in North America somewhere quite tickles my fancy.
With the increasing responsibilities at work comes more hours in work, so less time for hobby but more pennies come payday. Some good, some bad there. Once more I turn to the one constant in my life, this hobby and the community around it which has gotten me through some hard times in the past.
So with all that said I suppose you’d like to see some pictures, eh? Not a huge update but it shows that work has happened on this army. We’re currently are organising a big Storm of Magic game for mid-August so I need to get 3,000 points of these built by then.
So in the hobby time I’ve managed to sneak in over the last week I’ve managed to get a unit of ten Pistoliers cleaned up and assembled. Like a lot of the army these are the older 6th Edition models, something I lusted over as a teenager and now can afford. They’re teeny tiny metal men, on teeny tiny horses but I love these models.
To the left of the Pistoliers you can see a wee hunched figure with moose antlers on its bonce – that is a now out of production i-Kore Shaman that I got in a deal off of the lovely Boreas. Indeed, many of the above pictured Pistoliers came from Papendrecht with the Shaman. The plan with the Shaman is to use him as an Amber Wizard in friendly games in the local club, whereas being a non-GW mini I can’t use him in the local store to play.
Apologies for the images being a bit fuzzy, I’ve lent my camera to a friend travelling around Europe so have been using my HTC Desire. It takes good pictures, the majority of those in this log were taken with it, it just lacks the macro function. Thinking of buying a new camera in the near future though as I want a good camera for taking pictures of interesting things like old churches etc.
Monster Commute – a Steampunk Travel Comic
So something a little different for today’s post. Today I am going to be telling you all about the wonders that are Monster Commute and Steam Crow Press. In brief Monster Commute is “a free webcomic about the endless daily commute of a robot and a beast, stuck on a monster highway.” Bloody brilliant it is too, gorgeously drawn comics, great dry humour and fantastic overarching plot lines make for a very compelling read.
Now all that is very interesting but its not the main reason for this post. Indeed not! The main reason for this post is to show off some swag what I got this morning. Let me set the scene…
It’s 7:30 on Saturday morning and you’re lying in bed, fast asleep. All of a sudden you are awoken by a thunderous cacophony. It takes a few moments to realise that it is in fact the postman, and not someone trying to break in. Panic averted, let’s go answer the door. Instead of telling the postie what you think of him, whilst pointing out the doorbell is perfectly serviceable thank-you very much, you smile blithely until he hands you a box. You look down at the box, giggle and then shut the door after a bemused postman saunters off.
The only reason I didn’t murder the postman this morning was because he had delivered my Monster Commute Book 1 & 2. Glee, joy and other happy feelings abound. The books arrived in a standard posting box, but the attention to detail even on something as mundane as a posting box is amazing. The best thing about that is this is just the beginning…
Every single face of the box is covered in these stamps although my favourite stamp isn’t on the outside of the box, but on the tissue paper that everything was wrapped in inside the box.
That’s the creators and owners of Steam Crow – Daniel M. Davis and Dawna Davis. This husband and wife team create absolutely everything that comes out of Steam Crow, and their thought processes can be seen if you follow the link further up the page. Inside the tissue were the two books I had ordered, both wrapped in some lovely wrapping paper with a very swish ribbon wrapped round it. The only thing better than receiving a package in the post is receiving a package with gift-wrapped contents!
As I had pre-ordered the second book my name is in it, towards the back, which is very cool indeed. The books are something else though, they’re beautifully rendered and a fantastic showcase for Daniel’s skills both as an artist and a writer. The first book features two of the main characters on the front – Chadworth Machine and Beastio Agyris Wand. The second book features a Crowbot, the murderous maniacal enforcers of the law of Monstru – the land of Monster Commute.
Now obviously with these being the books of a webcomic they contain lots of lovely comic strips, but on top of that every page contains extra information about the world of Monstru and its inhabitants. The amount of information imparted by these little snippets is tantamount to the love and passion Daniel has for his creation.
Each and every book ordered has a one off ink drawing at the back, and each is signed by Daniel. My books had a Halloween Golem, a type of mechanical humanoid originally created for harvesting and a Troll. Trolls are cool.
One of the great things about getting these books, beyond all the steampunk awesomeness contained within, is the amount of extra stuff that is included in the package. There are i.d. cards for Beastio and Chadworth, a large denomination Hell Dollar bank note, an Exchange and Mart style poster for different Steam Cars, an exclusive print of Chadworth, a load of business cards and stickers as well as a Troll Jazz bumper sticker. All this stuff is the cherry on the cake and again shows how much Daniel loves the world he has created, as well as how much he values his fans – or Patriots as they’re better known.
As you can imagine I read these almost straight away, after slowly unwrapping and photographing everything that came in the box, and I’m glad I bought the books. They’re gorgeous, the extras are wonderful and all in all it was a great decision to buy it. Not only that, but I also get a warm glow on the inside that comes from knowing that I’ve helped an independent artist and his studio.
Little By Little
Thinking on the Ogre issue Bulls do sound like a better bet, though Maneaters have been suggested but I don’t know if those guys are quite Maneater material physically.
I’m looking forward to painting the Ogres, but they’re going to be untouched for quite a while – they’re not getting painted until I’ve got my 2,000 point list painted up. I want to start playing with my Empire as soon as possible but I can’t stand playing with unpainted models.
To that extent I’ve done some test-priming today. An interesting concept but I basically wanted to see if I can work with the Army Painter colour primers I’ve spent so much money on, or if they’re going back in the drawer and I’m buying more Tamiya. At this early stage I prefer the Tamiya, but I’ve heard that with Army Painter you need to perservere and practice with the sprays to get the best results.
So, not a whole lot of an update here, but I present a primed Wizard Lord and a primed Battle Wizard. One is a Jade Wizard, the other Grey and in grave danger of becoming known as Greystache… Subtle I am not.
The Jade Wizard has been hit with a few light coats of Army Painter’s Human Flesh spray, and the Grey has had Tamiya Gray Surface Primer, which has a lovely light consistency but with a nice pigment level. The greatest test of the Army Painter system though isn’t going to present for at least three days – how well I can use spray varnish. The instructional videos on the Army Painter website suggest giving the models a good long drying time before painting, so I’ll not be doing that until tomorrow. They then need 24 to 48 hours to dry completely after dipping, hence the wait to see how it all works out.
The Grand Army of Nordland
So, big title for not that impressive an update, but an update nevertheless.
First up is my work in progress army list, its a 2,000 point list. Any thoughts or suggestions would be awesomesauce. As you can see it is based purely on models I own currently, though I am happy to add to my collection.
Army List
Grand Army of Nordland
Total points: 1997.0
================================================================
Section: Lord – 310.0 (15.5%)
—————————————————————-
Wizard Lord – 310.0 Lore of Shadows
Book of Ashur, Talisman of Endurance
Level 4 Wizard
Section: Hero – 487.0 (24.35%)
—————————————————————-
Captain – 113.0
Battle Standard Bearer
Full Plate Armour, Banner of Arcane Warding
Battle Wizard – 150.0 Lore of Life
Seed of Rebirth, Grey Wand
Level 2 Wizard
Warrior Priest – 129.0
Armour of Fortune
Great Weapon
Warrior Priest – 143.0
Talisman of Preservation
Heavy Armour, Second Warhammer
Section: Core – 845.0 (42.25%)
—————————————————————-
40 Halberdiers w. Shield, Full Command – 260.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners – 80.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners – 80.0
20 Free Company w. Full Command – 120.0
20 Swordsmen w. Full Command – 145.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners – 80.0
Detachment – 10 Crossbowmen – 80.0
Section: Special – 307.0 (15.35%)
—————————————————————-
6 Pistoliers w. Champion w. Repeater Pistol, Musician – 132.0
Great Cannon – 100.0
Mortar – 75.0
Speaking of wanting to expand my collection, lookit what I got off of the eBay…
Yup, that’s Golgfag, Skaff and three of their closest drinking buddies. I’ve also got a sixth Ogre, meaning I can run them in two ranks, but he’s not in this picture. What I need to decide with these guys is whether I am running them as Golgfag’s Mercenary Ogres to get access to a slightly better sergeant type model, or as Bulls from the Ogre Kingdoms book to get access to Bull Charge. Any ideas?
Grand Army of Nordland
Total points: 1997.0
================================================================Section: Lord – 310.0 (15.5%)
—————————————————————-
Wizard Lord – 310.0 Lore of Shadows
Book of Ashur, Talisman of Endurance
Level 4 Wizard
Section: Hero – 487.0 (24.35%)
—————————————————————-
Captain – 113.0
Battle Standard Bearer w. Full Plate Armour, Banner of Arcane Warding
Battle Wizard – 150.0 Lord of Life
Seed of Rebirth, Grey Wand
Level 2 Wizard
Warrior Priest – 129.0
Armour of Fortune
Great Weapon
Warrior Priest – 143.0
Talisman of Preservation
Heavy Armour, Second Warhammer
Section: Core – 845.0 (42.25%)
—————————————————————-
40 Halberdiers w. Shield, Full Command – 260.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners – 80.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners – 80.0
20 Free Company w. Full Command – 120.0
20 Swordsmen w. Full Command – 145.0
Detachment – 10 Handgunners - 80.0
Detachment – 10 Crossbowmen - 80.0
Section: Special – 307.0 (15.35%)
—————————————————————-
6 Pistoliers w. Champion w. Repeater Pistol, Musician – 132.0
Great Cannon – 100.0
Mortar – 75.0
There’s Forty Schillings on the Drum
As I actually have a proper post I’ll do away with the obligatory welcome post, though I’ll most likely subsequently add one.
The Empire is a large and diverse nation, home not only to men but to Dwarfs, Halflings, Ogres and more. Though many great rivers run through the Empire the only coastline is to be found in the Grand Barony of Nordland. It is here, in Nordland, that the brave men of the northern Empire fight daily to keep their nation free from marine invaders.
Ostensibly one of the Empire’s poorer provinces the fortunes of Nordland are not quite as they seem. The Coastal Road running to Marienburg brings much gold into Nordland by way of wary merchants not willing to brave the Drakwald. Countless tollbooths straddle this thoroughfare and each toll-keeper will have his due. Hundreds of Imperial Crowns are collected each day along the Coastal Road, though precious few of them seem to make it to the Imperial tax collectors.
It is this money that keeps Nordland, and thus the Empire, safe. With it Count Gausser maintains the large state army of Nordland as well as employing numerous mercenaries, acquiring the latest technology from the Imperial School of Engineers and keeping up his dues with the Colleges of Magic. As the Nordlanders often fight those tainted by Chaos the Church of Sigmar is only too happy to lend its aid to the troops of Nordland.
Once more I am taking part in a play by post Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay game and once again it has ignited my passion for Warhammer. Like the last time we started playing WFRP I have been inspired to start an Empire army. However, unlike last time, I have managed to get a cracking deal on eBay for a decent sized army, mostly still on the sprues, comprising of the lovely 6th Ed. minis.
I spent this afternoon cleaning up some assembled Handgunners as well as some Pirazzo’s Lost Legion, which I intend on using as crossbowmen. I’ve had the Legionnaries since I first started in this hobby over a decade ago, and so the little paint that is on them was applied with gumption and good intentions but no skill. My skill hasn’t improved much since then, so this army will primarily be getting dipped. Not dunked, but washed with Army Painter’s Strong Tone. This will allow me to have a nice looking army that I can play with, as playing with unpainted minis is unconscionable.
Now I’m sure a lot of people only post fluff with their models once they’re fully painted, but as I only started working on them today that’s not possible. That, and I have an overactive imagination and love writing these little snippets even if they don’t get read. I know I’m guilty of just flicking through logs for pictures at times. I’m afraid the pictures aren’t the best as it was taken with my HTC Desire, which takes lovely distance shots but doesn’t have a macro function for closer up work. I do however have a proper camera, it is just in need of batteries currently.
Fernando Pirazzo had once thought he would never live to see his beloved Tilea again. He had signed up on an expedition to Lustria with some merchants from Tobaro. It was here that he and his Legionnaire’s quickly learned to fight with a mixture of crossbows and pikes, the surest defence against the vicious denizens of that benighted continent. Now in the employ of Count Gausser the Lost Legion has discarded their pikes in favour of being exclusively armed with crossbows, reasoning that they are better suited to naval warfare. Once more Fernando wonders if he will ever return home to Tilea.
These look rather shiny as they had just been washed to remove any grease and much that they’ve accumulated over the last decade. It was quite a bit, let me tell you! The plan with these is to paint them in a scheme similar to the one shown on the GW website, but using blue and yellow as spot colours on sashes and feathers etc. In the army they will simply be fielded as Crossbowmen, though whether they will have the Full Command or not is currently up in the air. They will be getting a banner made for them, but I’m not sure what is going on there yet.
Handgunners form an important part of the army of Nordland, the damage they can do to invaders and their ships in invaluable. Whilst not as powerful as some of the larger contraptions from the Imperial College of Engineers the handgun does a mighty service to the safety and security of Nordland.
Again, not the best picture I’m afraid, but it gets the idea across. I’m a big fan of these 6th Ed. plastics, they’re just more my cup of tea than the newer State Troop plastics. That isn’t to say that the new plastics won’t be integrated at some point, but for I’m going to try to stick to 6th Ed. as far as possible.
Now, just for funzies, is a comparison shot between a Lost Legionnaire and a Handgunner. There must be something in the water in Nordland as the Handgunner is a good bit bigger than the Tilean, either that or Tileans are just midgets.
Below is the list of all the models I have currently to build and paint, colour coded to show status.
Red – Unbuilt
Blue – Built
Orange – Painting in Progress
Green – Complete
Warrior Priests of Sigmar – w. Great Weapon
Grey Wizard
Amber Wizard
Jade Wizard
Engineer
10 Handgunners
Captain on Foot
20 Swordsmen
Templar Grand Master
Warrior Priest of Sigmar – w. Two Hand Weapons
20 Spearmen
20 Handgunners
20 Free Company
2 Cannon/Mortar
6 Pistoliers
8 Knights
10 Greatswords
Steam Tank
