Christmas and Other Wars: A Restless Spirit

This is primarily for the Bodyguard of my WoE Undead Warlord (The Defiler), but it fits nicely in my Christmas Display Story, so it will feature there very soon.

I t took me longer to paint than it looks, as at first the Gryph-Charger Grey Contrast Paint did not create as much cntrast as I wished for, so I figured out that the ancient Citadel paint 'Elf Grey' would be a nice fit for some highlighs. It was but not quite as light as I hoped, so I mixed up some Elf Grey and White for an even lighter drybrush. It turns out that Elf Grey - and the lighter mix - looks lighter when wet, and the mix did not turn out as light as I thought. I still used it though, and I'm not going to do more about it this time around (except, maybe have a look at the weird 'highlight' near the point of the scythe), but I think I'll mix some of the lighter tone up with some more white to create a more striking highlight hue.

During the process I noticed several 'bubble damage', casting artifacts, and dust specks in the surface, and I had to mend those, which meant using blade and needle files, and consequently some repainting.

The next one I shall examine more thoroughly prior tp painting, as it is very annoying to have to do the same work several times, but, well, lesson learned, I guess ...

I am going to try out other Contrast hues for the next Oldhammer Ethereals (a lot of new colurs have been issued since I purchased the original release, and I hope to find one that matches the colour of the Army of the Dead from LotR: Return of the King, but for now I shall have to try out some of the colours I already own.

November Output

November was fairly productive, even a few more models finished than the previous month.

4 Skeleton Archers painted, one Leader rebased.

3 Skeleton Catapult Crewmen painted-

5 Revenants/Skeleton Guards painted.

2 Small Tents painted.

1 Mines of Moria Aragorn painted

4 Mines of Moria columns/pillars painted-

1 Warhammer Quest Barbarian painted.

2 Gravestones painted.

1 Mines of Moria Peregrin Took painted.

2 Middle-Earth Rangers painted.

2 more Gravestones painted.

Another 2 Gravestones painted.

Yet another 2 Gravestones painted

1 old Metal Magic Rogue rebased and repainted/paint repaired-

Yet another 2 Gravestones painted.

1 Mines of Moria Meriadoc Brandybuck painted.

1 Ranger of Ithilien rebased and repainted/paint repaired.

If I have counted correctly, I painted 35 models and rebased and repainted/paint repaired 2 old models in November.

That's OK, I think. December will see a lower count, as I have a lot of iconic pop culture characters and other nice stuff lined up in the pain(t) queue, and they will need more attention than some of the rank.and-file I did in November.

Skeleton Guards for WoE (Oathmark Revenants)

'Tomorrow' became 'the day after tomorrow', because, real life, but here they are.

I experimented a lot with Citadel Contrast Paints on these, had to highlight the purple with a drybrush and shade the 'skin' and a few details with Agrax Earthshade, but all in all a relatively quick and easy paintjob.

The metal parts are Agraxed Vallejo Old Gold; works a charm for bronze!

I shall have to build and paint five more of these to max out the Skeleton Guard unit for Warlords of Erehwon, but right now my butterfly mind has set itself on getting some LotR stuff ready, and preparing for some Sellswords & Spellslingers (I have to make a new set of cards, as I cannot for the life of me remember where I've put the set I made years ago - AND the printed deckholder 😒 )

Skeleton Crew 2/3

I finished Screaming Skull Catapult crew #2 (still not done with the actual catapults). With those finished I can focus on getting my 'Skeleton Guard' (Oathmark Revenants) off the pain(t) station, and I expect to show them off tomorrow.

More Skeleton Archers

I don't know why the pic is partly unfocussed, but, well ...

I finished painting the four archers today (I did not paint the leader, he was already painted when I purchased the job lot back then, so I have only rebased him), and all in all this is now a valid minimum unit for WoE.

As my Undead warband is licking its wounds somewhere in the Northern Wilderness, I have time to reconfigure it a bit before Emil and I can meet up for another tussle.

I expect to field Archers and Skeleton Guards along with a Giant Scorpion next time we play, but I am still pondering what opposing force to build - maybe Elven reinforcements have arrived from the Capitol, or some Wood Elf tribes are gathering in support of the Allies.

October Output

Taken into account that I came back to the hobby some days into October, I think I have been relatively productive.

Four games played, one of them a solo introduction game, which took me several days to work through, as I had to refer to the rulebook a lot until I had the basics down.

During the week up to the Hell'O'Weekend I prepped, based, and painted up almost an entire sprue's worth of Renedra headstones (17 in all), and a resin pile of skulls I got from a small independent manufacturer some years ago (I sincerely don't remember whom).

These three guys got some TLC and joined my Army of Darkness, hurling stuff at their mortal antagonists.

The archers were a direct consequence of the games I've played, as I felt the need for packing some ranged punch against the mortal instruments of Law and Order.

Finally, this venomous arachnid finally got ready for the table. I started rebasing it onto a large washer a LONG time ago, but in the process of removing from its old plastic base, I broke one of its hind legs, and I kind of dreaded the task of getting it fixed back in its proper place. As it turned out, it was a bit fiddly, but I am pretty chuffed with the final result. It seems that my Undead Host will comprise a Monster Unit next game 😃

All in all 31 minis painted, and one big creature rebased (and quite a few prepping/painting and/or rebasing WIPs on the side). Not too shabby, innit?

2022-10-19, Warlords of Erehwon Campaign: The Battle of Temple Hill

It's been a while as I have been busy getting the living room ready for this Hell'O'Weekend, tidying up after several gaming sessions and decorating with all kinds of dead things.

But the day after Emil and I duked it out at Knightsbridge, Kevin visited my humble abode for an introduction to WoE.

After their defeat at Knightsbridge, the Dwarves of Hammerdeep fell back along the track towards the Heartlands of the Elven Realm, and at the intersection of Temple Hill they met the pickets of a Human force arriving from the Northwestern Jarldoms.

The two forces assembled just Southwest of Temple Hill and awaited the arrival of the Undead horde with grim determination.

And, arrive they did along the same path from the Northeast as used by the Dwarves.

While the Allies deployed from the Southwest.

Both sides used the first turn to deploy further. The Skull Chucker got a shot in on some Vikings with its Howling Horror ammo.

On Turn 2 I had a blunder. My Skeleton Riders advanced too soon, which made them vulnerable to an attack from the Hounds of Odin, who would soon annihilate my Zombies.

Lots of carnage on my right flank. The Skeleton Riders aren't all that tough when they don't get to charge (Str+1) with their lances (SV3), and their low number dwindles quickly against a numerous adversary.

A unit of Skeleton Spearmen finished off the Wolves, while the rest of my force attacked head on over Temple Hill.

Which, in retrospect, was a mistake; too many missile armed units on the other side got a chance to shoot at a single target all the time.

At the end of Turn 3, my army had taken serious casualties, and even my Undead Champion failed to do much damage in a brawl with the Dwarven Hero.

In Turn 4, my warband broke, and the Dice Gods did not let me have a last chance to even the score a bit. My Champion even got banished by some Vikings.

I made two grave mistakes in this game: Not keeping my shock cavalry back to strike at the enemy with a charge, and pressing on across the hill. Being heavily 'outgunned' by the opposing force I should have stayed behind the hill and let the enemy come to me, so I could chose how to respond, but I got cocky because of the three concecutive victories of the Undead, and I paid the price.

The Defiler fell back into the Northern Wilderness to regroup and plead for reinforcements from his master, the Necromancer.

Skeleton Crew

I have had these guys in my possession for more than 30 years, so I think it was about time they got painted and saw some action (well, actually, being dead they probably didn't notice, anyway ...).

It is the crew for one of my three Screaming Skull Catapults (of which one is missing a vital part, namely the (literal) arm), and they have already been fielded a couple of times in WoE games, but the first time I had not completely finished the paintjob on the operator (some mail and the fur edge on his expensive rags had to be drybrushed).

But, here they are in all their Undead splendor. I have another crew in the painting queue at the moment, but they will have to wait until the next archer group has been shifted.

An Archer Unit for Argonor's Undead Host

I have felt the need to field some additional ranged firepower in my Warlord's og Erehwon games (a small catapult just doesn't cut it against Vikings and Dwarves with a lot of bows and javelins).

I worked on this group as an 'unofficial' left hand job in between other hobby tasks - and, lo and behold, all of a sudden I had a new unit ready for the table, without any actual effort (or so it seemed).

A lot of bone, gold, and red, and a generous amount of Agrax Earthshade, and Bob's your uncle!

The picky observer will have noticed some moldlines, and, yes, these were part of a second-hand lot I acquired a couple of years ago, they were already assembled and primed, and rather than going over all those thin limbs with a sharp X-Acto, then having to give them a second coat of primer, I opted to just go with the flow (although it hurt every time I put a brush to one of those moldlines).

I rebased them them on 20mm washers and did my usual filler, sand, paint, and flock job on them, so that they will fit in with the rest of the army.

I already have another unit in the works, going 'on the side' like this one (my 'official' task right now is to paint up some Oathmark Revenants to use as Skeleton Guards in WoE (for now), but they are partially on hold because of the need for more headstones for my Halloween display on the 'Sideboard' (I think it's called in English). Pics will follow, when it is finished in all it's glory.

2022-10-18, Warlords of Erehwon Campaign - The Defense of Knightsbridge

After the defeat at the ancient watchtower, the surviving Elves fell back to the hamlet of Knightsbridge where they met up with a contingent of Dwarves from the mountainhold commonly known as Hammerdeep (situated in the mountains somewaht east of Desolation Pass.

Hoping that the heavily forrested terrain would slow the advance of the Undead host, the allies took up position in and around Knightsbridge.

Unbeknownst to the defenders, though, the Defiler had called upon the foul magic of the Necromancer and made most of his warband 'Spectral', so the woodland did not hamper the advance of the restless dead.

Early on there were clashes on the defenders right flank; the Skeleton Riders and the Dwarves duked it out repeatedly.

A small detachment of Zombies and Skeletons made rapid advance along the trail, being met with a hail of arrows and Baruk Khazâd.

It was clear that the defenders were relying on the hegderows for a defensive perimeter - and for now they succeeded in keeping the shambling horde from entering the fields around the hamlet.

But not for long - to the surprise of the Elves the hedges did not pose any hindrance to the Skeleton Warriors. The archers routed after a brief melee.

Then, the Skellies ran into the Dwarven Hero.

Something happened on the trail ... I need to set the camera to flash in this kind of light condition.

At the end of Turn 3 the defences still held - but for how long?

At the end of Turn 4, the Allies were broken, and the Dice Gods did not favour their attempt to stand fast. The game ended with an Undead victory, but a close one this time, as the forces of Darkness were only one unit away from breaking, too.

The Dwarves fell back along the south-western trail leading from Knightsbridge, hoping to meet up with reinforcements from the Elven heartlands.

Making almost the entire warband 'Spectrtal' was quite expensive, points-wise, and I don't think that is something I am going to do very often, as I prefer using my points for extra troops instead.

This batlle was close, and had the dice allowed for another turn, my warband might well have been broken, which would have meant that we would have to count points to determine the winner.

Emil seems quite keen to get another go at defeating my Undead, and I shall have to find a day for us to get together again for a tussle. In the meantime, I had an encounter with Kevin the day after which I shall write up during the upcoming weekend (we have friends over tomorrow, so I shall not have much time on my hands).