You know what 'ol Jack Burton says at a time like this...

A time like this being Sunday evening after a pretty tiring weekend - he says post some old pictures of a vaguely Lo Pan inspired Sorcerer and his motley gang!

Der Verlorene Haufen: The Mutated and the Dead

Captain Lukas Heinriksen quailed as Todeswunsch pulled the letter he had but two hours ago written, sealed and pressed in to the hand of a loyal runner. The paper was torn and judging by the bloody stains, the runner had met a sorry end too. Todeswunsch tossed the ripped missive on to the table before him and stared coldly at Heinriksen,

"I see you are not enamoured of the new additions to our little expedition Captain. Not only that but it would seem you seek to share your views with our masters back in Ostermark. Would you care to explain yourself..."

A Return to the East (and the blog!)

Well it's been a while but I'm back and with some new stuff!

Sects and Thugs and Bosch and Troll

 Apologies for the terrible pun in the title - it's not even entirely accurate as there's no Bosch I'm afraid...

Cult of the New Colossus - In My End is My Beginning

So we come to the end of the fourth Old World Army Challenge and I have finally joined the hallowed ranks of OWAC veterans! If you haven't already, do go and check out the other entries - they're all fantastic! Time for one more literary reference I think by way of reflection over the last six months. As Eliot says in his Four Quartets, "What we call the beginning is often the end and to make an end is to make a beginning. The end is where we start from." Well that's definitely where I'm at with this project! I've heard it said many times that an army is never finished and it seems almost a shame if one should find themselves guilty of such a thing. Again to paraphrase Eliot, to finally finish something and put it to rest or reach a final end is to arrive at "the still point of the turning world. Neither flesh nor fleshless; Neither from nor towards; at the still point, there the dance is... Neither ascent nor decline. Except for the point, the still point, there would be no dance, and there is only the dance."  Other than all the dancing and not dancing, it sounds a bit sterile and lifeless to me so I think the Cult of the New Colossus will live on - but more on that later.

Cult of the New Colossus: Angels We Have Heard On High

This is the end, my only friend the end! My last painted entry for the Old World Army Challenge IV. I'll save all my gushing and introspection for the wrap up post I have to write for July as well as the whole army shot. The last hours of last month were spent furiously painting banners and I reckon I've sold the last remnants of my soul to the ruinous powers to get these last bits done. Hopefully the low figure count won't be an anti-climax when compared to my earlier entries but I thought it best to lavish a bit of attention on this unholy quartet as the leaders of the Cult. I've certainly tried to up the level of epic in the narrative to make up at any rate!

The Cult of the New Colossus: Feeling Bullish but a Little Horse...

 Wermius clutched his head in an attempt to steady the reeling of his mind. How far could he go in comprehending the works of the Colossus and the beloved Godhead? He a mere man. It felt as though some sphinx of flesh and brass had bashed open his skull and eaten up the brains inside. A sphinx much like the enormous creature, some brutish union of Ogre and Dragon, that reposed nearby in all its impossible majesty. How far did it go Wermius feverishly wondered. The Beastmen had been a revelation and confirmation of the power of the living God he and his brother clergy had pledged themselves to. Yet there seemed no end to the diverse forms of creatures that now flocked to the banner he held dear. His very frame of reference to the real physical world seemed to be spiralling out of his grasp as he encountered each new example of the mutability of flesh. What future had mere men in the plans of the Colossus other than utter destruction and ruin?

Cult of the New Colossus: Beauty of the Beast

Brother Olaus Wermius Augustine surveyed the scene before him, eyes bright with both academic fervour and the reflected light of the pallid moon that waxed and leered horribly above the unearthly scene. However his nose still hadn’t come to terms with the wall of musk and noisome odour that assaulted it and his ears still rang with the cacophony of squawks, yelps and guttural snarls emanating from the braying crowd. Yet still he endeavoured to focus all his concentration on the task at hand. For he was Cataloguer and Compiler of all the wonders and miracles the New Colossus felt fit to bestow upon the world. It was his calling to codify and crystallise the teachings that could be learned from this munificence in to the one, all embracing orthodoxy that would inevitably bring the word to the world. The endless march that was their mission to bring truth to the unbeliever had been called to a halt for the night and his brother clergy, terminators and the rest of the Crusade were setting up pickets or bedding down for a few hours sleep. However, this brief respite was an excellent opportunity for Olaus to observe the behaviour and mien of these most outlandish followers of their God and he must not waste it. 

Yet the young cleric couldn’t help but marvel at how far he had come after escaping the shadow of his former teacher. That old fool’s inhibitions and petty worries had threatened to bury Olaus in all the stultifying blanket of dogma and petty moral precepts that the Royal College of Magic cowered behind. How could that old vulture not see that the interminable hours spent in studying the complex symbolism and endless rituals needed for even the most minor spell were such a waste. The memory of the acres of dusty parchment and ancient forbidden magical texts that were fearfully hidden away because of the knowledge they contained still filled him with a burning anger. No - magic was a living, dynamic thing and true power and knowledge could be had only if one were to commune with those who would share it. If one had the courage and force of will to reach out into the black gulfs of essence and entity, to push the confines of mind and spirit beyond all spheres of force, matter, space and time then one would find themselves in the company of those other Gods!  How fitting it was that that pathetic shadow of a man had died as he lived... afraid. His death had been at the hands of one of the foetid and rushing, airy presences that the old Wizard had so greatly feared. To the old man's surprise, Olaus had been its summoner.

Cult of the New Colossus: Defenders of the Faith

Loud blared the horns of war and the air was rent with the staccato rhythm of blades clashing. Giudas stood on the small raise above the battlefield and looked on, eyes ablaze and the blood roaring in his ears like thunder. This was it - his moment of vindication, his one shot at glory with the town lying at his feet, ripe for the taking.

Cult of the New Colossus: Literary Philistines

 

Kurtz drew his foot languidly through the ash that blanketed the ground. Absent-mindedly he toyed with an old finger bone that lay in the dust with the worn toe of his boot. The scene before him was a familiar one - men, women, others - sat huddled together in small groups or alone, cloaks wrapped tight against the keening wind as the brackish waters of the river rolled sluggishly by. Yesterday they had marched and fought and waited and they would do it all again today.

A New Challenge - The Cult of the New Colossus

 Well hello strangers - been quite a while since I was here last and what a time it's been! I hope this post finds those of you who still check in on this blog as well as can be. I'm afraid the Dr Who Battlefield project kind of fell by the wayside thanks to a combination of homeschooling, redecorating and work worries in the form of a restructure. Thankfully that all worked out in the end and I once more find myself furloughed and with time on my hands. 

On to pastures new...

I do have an update on the Dr Who stuff - lots of model/conversions I had fun with back in Lockdown 1.0 but no painting yet. I'll share that with you as soon as I get round to taking some WIP photos. Instead of that I present a new project as I head back to old school Warhammer fantasy. Having admired the Old World Army Challenge from afar for some time now, I’m very glad to have been able to join the noble ranks of OWAC challengers this year! If you've not heard of the challenge before head on over to the blog and acquaint yourself with the fruits of past and present entries - we've already got our January entries in. Basically the idea is to paint up an army of at least 1000 points over six months and hopefully not fall prey to the vagaries of real life or painter's block and join the fallen on the Field of Bones! My entries will of course be posted up on the OWAC blog first but once the 24 hours grace period is over I am free to share my pictures as I see fit. If you haven't already then please do follow the OWAC blog and check out the Facebook group - the more traffic there the better!

BOYL 2014 - The Engines of Avalone: A Hasty Retreat!

The dust has settled, the internets are awash with pictures and the sacrifice of countless miniature heroes are but a memory. 

Yes BOYL 2014 has come and sadly gone.

Once more we are faced with the drab grey of reality. Our battles now are more concerned with staying sane in the real world rather than living vicariously through our miniature armies. Initiative no longer decides who strikes first in combat - only better chances of promotion if we choose to show we have some in the work place. The outcome to the many, varied and entirely dull encounters in life can no longer be decided by the roll of a D6.

Yes, dear reader, I am struggling to come to terms with life after BOYL. Not surprising really considering I have just immersed myself in three (three count 'em!) days of amazing gaming with an amazing, gentlemanly and thoroughly bloody good bunch of chaps.

Actually this is a little disingenuous of me as I am currently typing from the beautiful Lake District and have a few more weeks of School holidays to enjoy!

Clean Up in Eilnein

Ajax Van Ish met the piercing gaze of the Elven Sorceress with a hard stare of his own. The weariness of five days on the road was barely detectable in the Count's grim countenance as he thanked his new ally.

"Your assistance is greatly appreciated my Lady. The heretics we track are not far but travel in strength. If we are to rescue our countrymen, or avenge them... our best chance is to surprise them in the Woods of Eilnein."

"Our watchers have observed closely the progress of your enemy. Now that they have dared defile the sanctity of our domain we share a common foe. Their pestilence must not be allowed to corrupt this sacred realm."

Lenor Ambypure closed her eyes and shuddered at the thought of the presence of Nurgle's followers despoiling the woods. She rose from the table in one fluid motion and gestured towards the trees that surrounded the glade in which the small council of war had met,

"Count Van Ish, my Gladewatchers will direct your soldiers to a place of ambush. Together we will cleanse this stain from Eilnein."

In the gloom of the dawn, Man and Elf  crept stealthily to their positions. Harnesses were tightened, weapons checked and bow strings strung. The forest road lay still, a darkened artery upon which a terrible infection travelled inexorably on...

Welcome folks to another battle report - this time between a desperate Alliance of Men and Wood Elves and the dread forces of Nurgle that we played some weeks ago. This was also the first time I went down to my local gaming club, York Wargames Society - a great venue and friendly club that I hope to spend much more time at, real life permitting...

Gaj graced us with his convivial presence thanks to a business trip to York and Warlord Paul kindly stepped in as GM. Setting up was slightly unusual as Paul suggested I record my deployment on a sketch map to simulate my forces waiting in ambush. So it was left to Gaj to assemble his column of Chaotics and human prisoners on the road, nervously eyeing the trees!

The Nurgle column shambles along the forest road after a happy few week's of raiding and pillaging.

Ere, Gutrot - you 'eard them tales aven't you? It's always the buggerz at the back wot cops it furst...

Chaos Goblin warriors lead the order of march.. Behind them comes the heavy tread of a unit of Chaos Warriors, followed closely by their dread leader and his three pet Trolls. A unit of Chaos Goblin archers bickers ahead of the unfortunates that have been taken prisoner - best not to linger too long on their fate... The vanguard is led by the Chaos Dwarves and their infernal Bazuka while a second mob of Chaos Goblin archers brings up the rear.

Unseen eyes mark their progress and wait...

I know you can smell them already but wait till you see the reds of their eyes boys...

Baron Kraust's Band of Lost Souls

Well I seem to be turning procrastination into a higher art form! Here's hnother army list instead of some painted minis. This one, however, has had a bit of fleshing out and a back story thought out for it - I'll be lavishing the same treatment on my Orc and Elf armies when I get round to it.

The Baron's army came about as a result of the smattering of chaos minis I had bought on a whim and the remnants of the old Skeleton army box set that were still knocking around in my collection. The Chaos warrior in bone armour (seen posing on the ridge in the pic to the left!) inspired me to join the two forces together - and hopefully save me a bit of money by getting 2 armies for the price of one!

If you missed the Baron first time round here's a little reminder -http://teasgettingcold.blogspot.co.uk/2010/07/disdain-sanity-and-scholarship-loftiest.html

So on with the list - this time I have gone to town a bit with the magic items as it seems to fit in more with the character of the army.

Major Characters and Rank and File

Baron Kraust
Level 25 Necromancer
2 handed weapon (Parasitic blade) and chaos armour
400 points





Undead

3 units of 10 Death Riders
Each unit includes a Level 15 Skeleton hero and standard bearer
Shields, lances and hand weapons
Total points - 328

Undead Chariot with wheel scythes
Crew have handweapons, shields and include a level 10 skeleton hero
167 points

20 Skeleton Warriors
Handweapons and shields
Level Hero and standard bearer
278 points



10 Grim Reapers
Scythes
 Level 10 champion
120 points

12 Skeleton WarriorsHand weapons and shields
Level 10 hero and standard
187 points







16 Skeleton Archers
Bows and light armour
224 points

20 Zombies (1 bought so far!)
Level 10 Undead hero
Handweapons
138 points

Undead Giant
Haven't seen any 3rs ed. stats or points value for this so have used regular Giant's stats.
250 points

2 Screaming Skull Catapults
170 points





Ethereal Host

3 Wraiths
450 points

Spectre
200 points




Chaos Allies

Chaos Knight Contingent Leader
Chaos steed, barding
Heavy armour, shield, hand weapon and lance
289 points

4 Mounted Chaos Warriors (2 to source)
Warhorses, barding
Heavy armour, shields, lances and hand weapons
Magic Standard
657 points

Level 10 Chaos Sorcerer
85 points

5 Chaos Centaurs
Double handed weapons and light armour
Level 10 Champion
324 points

10 Beastmen
Hand weapons, shields and standard
Level 10 Beastman champion
Heavy armour and two handed weapon
242 points

2 Minotaurs
Hand weapons

80 points

11 Thug Archers

Light armour, bows, hand weapons

Musician and standard

Marauder Champion - light armour, pistol and two handed weapon

171 points

 

 

10 Thugs

Light armour, shields and hand weapons

Chaos Warrior champion - heavy armour, shield and hand weapon

176

13 Monks of the Red Redemption

Hand weapons and shields

Champion, Standard bearer and musician

170 points

14 Chaos Dwarfs

Heavy armour, shields and hand weapons

Level 10 hero, standard and musician

409 points

Beastmaster and 3 Chaos Hounds

86 points

Chaotic Host -

Jabberwock

200 points

Manticore

 200 points

Hippogriff

200 points 

Basilisk - I have the mini but can't find any mention of it in the 3rd ed. bestiary or Army book. May be being a bit blind so if anyone knows any stats for this beastie let me know - otherwise I'll just make my own up.

2 mutant Ogres
Hand weapons/flail
84 points




Dark Elf Allies

Dark Elf Sorceror
Level 10 - Contingent commander
118 points

5 Dark Elf Doomdrakes (2 to source)
Light armour, shields, hand weapons, lances and repeating crossbows
Level 10 champion and standard bearer
347 points





The Dark Elves may turn into their own little skirmishing force - been quite tempted by the marauder Dark and Witch Elves for a while now...


Total Points value -  (quite fittingly almost!) 6600 points

Beauty and the Beasts...

Another old LPL entry and a great excuse to rescue these fellas and fella-ess from the lead pile!

Looking forward to making up a daft scenario and names for these and getting a game in some time soonish....

Hasslefree Kalee

You know much that is hidden, O Tim...

... Quite.

I've also been busy with the bad guys - as I haven't tried the new Skulldred magic system it seemed a good excuse to paint up a few minis I've been wanting to get to grips with for a while.

This chap is another ebay impulse buy - mainly because he reminds me of Tim the Enchanter from Monty Python's Holy Grail! No bonus points for guessing where I got the inspiration for my colour choices!

So here is Tim the....  Necromancer!



Not sure where the mini is from - I'm assuming an old C series preslotta evil wizard or something similar?

But how will he figure in The Larder of Doom?

Where have all the Orcs gone?

All will be revealed... when I get round to playing it!

I should also introduce his somewhat unpromising apprentice - Big Tim!