Tomb Kings: First painting completed in ages

After the intense painting spree of the AHPC XIV Challenge, I've not really touched a paintbrush in anger, however, this week I got my mojo back and completed a batch of 25 Tomb Kings.

The eight Skeleton spearmen

Spearmen from a different angle

The figures were obtained for a steal on eBay and were a mixed batch, see photo below. I started pretty much from scratch on all thes guys, fixing broken limbs and torsos before undercoating in a cream coloured acrylic.

Two of the four skeleton Standard Bearers

Next was the Skelton Horde contract paint before a light drybrush in cream again.

Nine Skeleton Archers

A slightly different view

Weapons, shields and quivers were picked out in sky blue, as were some other details, shields and quivers were also given a blue ink wash, to suggest aging and to add depth. 

Hoplite Gold was used to block in all metal before this was highlighted in brass and then some touches of silver.

Another two Skeleton Standard Bearers.

All cloth for streamers and bandages waspicked out in Light Sand before highlighting with white and a wash to add depth.

Three skeleton musicians

Detail was added to banners and musicians in form of writing on some of the streamers/ bandages etc.

The figures as obtained fom eBay!

All in all, I'm very happy with results, I'll have to do a 'show and tell' on the whole army at some point in the future, maybe I'll finally get to build and paint the last two chariots after a 10 year wait!!

Off the Workbench: Salute models and others

Finished figure - a good looking Jarl for the Viking Army

Nigel was kind enough to give me two of the Salute models (from 2020 & 2023) to bring home and paint, here are the results!

The 2023 figure has been put onto a round mdf base so that it can be integrated into my Viking army, as such he will be representing a Viking Jarl, who is celebrating a successful raid, having looted what appears to be a local King's treasure chest.

The blinged-up Jarl. A horn of foaming ale,
a King's crown and  other looted treasures

I opted t give this portly guys a red tunic, arguably he could have been bare chested but I went for the big colour splash for dramatic effect. The fur cloak was done using, rather aptly,   Citadel 'Ogre Grunta Fur', the lining and belts were rendered in a buff colour to represent natural leather.

With Green trousers and brown calf bindings and boots the figure was nearly complete

Rear view, Speed Paints make doing these type of fur cloaks so easy these days.
No more dry-brushing required!

I finished it off with Oily Steel for the weapons, lashings of gold bling and then some appropriate washes to at depth an shading.

The second Salute figure was a small boy, playing with a toy Spitfire, as he runs across an bomb-site, this was from 2020. 

I'm quite pleased with the outcome, 

I opted for a light grey school uniform, trimmed in maroon. As usual I did a white undercoat and then used a mixed white / black speed paint to do the uniform and regular paints to do the flesh. I then highlighted the uniform with Ash Grey and spent some time on the model aeroplane and the rubble base to finish t off.

Rear view.

Next up is an old Night Goblin standard bearer that I found in my drawers, painted it up and it turned out OK, another model to add to the Goblin Hordes!

I was always a sucker for the toadstools on the Night Golblin figures

Finally, again on the Warhammer theme is an old Empire Huntsman, that I found lying around. I added a head from the Wargames Atlantic Conquistador set and then gave him a couple pistols.

The Wargames Atlantic Head seems to fit in well with the Games Workshop body.

Shame I sold my Empire Army on eBay a month or so ago!

Rear view.

Oldhammer Skeleton Plague Cart

I was browsing through eBay the other day - as you do - and I stumbled across an old Warhammer Fantasy model - the Undead Plague Cart. What caught my eye the most was the price being asked for the instances that were there, anything form £49 - £70.

Full details of the model ad how it could be used in Warhammer,
taken from an old White Dwarf Magazine

I was flabbergasted!

What was even more interesting was that I knew I had a copy of this model in a box not far from my workbench - as I have been painting and completing my recent Egyptian Undead Army, so I dug out the model.

Given that I remember paying only a couple of quid for my model some 30+ years ago, I did a little research n the internet and found the following...

Confirmation that the model originally sold for £2.50 in 1989.

Sadly I messed up on the photo of the model in the state that I found it - needless to say it was unbased and the skeletons (human and bovine) were in a gaudy red wash finish. It needed repainting badly!

Also the wheels were literally hanging off the model...

...So I broke it up and drilled out holes to make a new axle for the wheels. I painted the bones with 'Screaming Skull' paint and allowed to dry, the driver was painted in a dark grey and the Cart its-self with a Khaki / Earth finish. 

The renovated Plague Cart, an hour or so work painting and basing and a day's lapsed time...

When dry I gave the bones a Mid-Brown / Dark one wash, the driver's cowl was given a think Nuln Oil wash and the cart and wooden parts took a mid brown wash.

A view of the model from the front - high lightimg the cowled driver

Once all the washes were dry the model was glued together and to the base, the given a matt varnish finish, the base was then finished with fine sand and then static grass was applied and grass tufts added to taste.

The Grizzly bit, contents of the cart

I then put the model onto eBay with an initial bid price of £43.75 and sat back to wait and see what would happen!

Final Model view