The Fae Folk - and army of Forest Spirits

[Corai]

So, another day another Project! I was hoping to get my Secrets of the Third Reich stuff finished before even starting another project but as of 13.08 yesterday the clock on this is now ticking. At that time I ordered my ticket for Heat 1 of the UK WFB GT, and having sold off my ogres, and refusing to add anything to my warriors of chaos army until the actual book comes out, I’m in need of 2000 points of WFB to send marauding around the field of the GT.

I’ve decided to run with an all forest spirit wood elf army. It’s something I’ve been wanting to do for a while as I really like a lot of the models, and the wood elf tactics are such a divergence from other WFB armies there should be a new challenge. Of course it’s unlikely I’ll be able to get any practice games in before the GT so will have to hope that I can remember how all those forest spirit armies that kicked my ogres collective heads in over the years went about it!

First up is the Dryad I painted as test model for the army. It uses a micro-art studios resin base (plus various clump foliages) and plenty of citadel washes. You may have seen the dryad elsewhere on the forum as I tried to ascertain whether I liked the result or not, but now I’m happy to press ahead.





Last night I assembled 4 treekin who are going to get similar treatment this week. I’ve also got 3 units of 8 dryads, drycha and 2 converted branchwraiths, 2 treemen and 6 wildriders waiting to be built and painted.

The treemen are going to be built from the plastic GW trees with copious amounts of greenstuff thrown in for good measure, and the wildriders are going to be centaurs as I think it’s a little more in keeping with the forest spirt/fae-folk aesthetic than some drugged up elves

The GT is on the 4th-5th October and so far I have 1 model for the army painted. Time to get going!

Thanks
Corai

[silverstu]

Lovely start- the base really makes it. Should be a great army- has alot of atmosphere already.. good work.

[Mr Feral]

I don't usually like Wood Elves, but the execution of the test model make me think otherwise.

I look forward to the Treemen and Centaurs!

[Anardakil]

Wow! Damn I like that dryad much better than mine. That mossy effect really nails the model : )

Now paint some more

[alchimist]

Nice project, I also make plans for a Forest Spirit army, but first my Empire army needs to be done
I'll definitly follow your progress considering your project log

[Corai]

Thanks for the encouragement guys

Last night I put together 7 more dryads to accompany the test model and began work on my first branchwraith. Since, AFAIK, there is no branchwraith model (except Drycha, who has to play herself in my army) I was torn between how to represent them modelwise. I wasn't sure whether to try converting up just a bigger, badder looking Dryad to stress the hero/combat element of the character, or have them raised off the base mimicking one of the woodelf mage models to drive home the wizard role they play in the force.

In the end I went for a conversion to try and show the model in the middle of casting the treesinging spell. It uses one of the resin bases but has a branch from the plastic trees bursting fromt the centre. The dryad has been cut down to merge into the branch as it moves forward. I just need to add some procreate the blend the joins together and make it look more like the branch and the model are one thing. Pics tonight when I've finished the sculpting.

Thanks
Corai

[Corai]

AS promised, some WIP pics of the branchwraith (and a second one I started tonight). The GS still needs a little smothing (and eventually some sanding) when it dries and the pics aren't the best (but hey are only WIP shots, of course).

Imagine them with some clump soliage on the tips of the branches they are emerginf from







Do you think they look suitably characterish to pass for branchwraiths and not jut bog standard dryads?

Thanks
Corai

[Kasrkin 666]

Freaking AWESOME!

-Sunny

[Rahveel]

Do you think they look suitably characterish to pass for branchwraiths and not jut bog standard dryads?

yes. very nice!

if you are worried about it though, just give the branchwraiths owls, and dont put any on the normal dryads. maybe ive just seen secret of nimh to many times, and associate owls with old trees though.

[Morglum Necksnapper]

Very wonderful so far. I really like the bases also.

[silverstu]

They look great- especially like the second one bursting from the tree- looks awesome! Now get her painted and give us a look!!

[75hastings69]

The second one is SUPERB!!! It works better as a Branchwraith than Drycha does!

[Nephilim of Sin]

That is looking really great. I loved well done conversions, and those are well done without trying to be over-the-top.

Great paintjob on your test model, as well. Can't wait to see more.

[Shamfrit]

Wood Elves might not be a favourite army of mine, but the aesthetics and painting of them is something special. You've gone beyond that, consider this watched - I want to see how the Branchwraith turns out too

[Corai]

Thanks for the feedback guys (keep it coming ). Glad to hear the branchwraith idea works.

I've been reconsidering the centaur idea. I still think centaurs fit the idea of fae-forest-folk but I'm not sure they'll gel aesthetically with the rest of the army of walking trees. I've not totally scrapped the idea but have come up with an alternative I could use your opinions on:

I'm going to try for having a horse literally emerging from some tree branches (in the same way as the 2nd Branchwraith above) with the limbs turning into branches as they reach the treeline. The aim is to go for a sort of horselike apparition emerging from the edge of the forest. I'll convert some dryads to be riding side saddle (they are ladies after all ) and also fading into the forest in the same way. Do you think this sounds like it could work?

Thanks
Corai

[silverstu]

Sounds interesting on the centaur idea- did you see the conversions a guy did for his wild riders in a winter themed list? It was in white dwarf and on the uk website? He used horse bodies, beastman torsos and head and limbs of dryads- it was very cool looking and might suit your theme? Worth a look if you haven't seen it..

[Vasteye]

I was going to suggest the same as silverstu, you could have horse bodies with dryad torsos and heads, or as in the white dwarf beast torsos and dryad heads and arms.

I have to agree with everyone else, that second branchwraith looks awesome

[EmperorNorton]

These look great, I might have to steal some of your ideas.

[Corai]

I've had a productive couple of days. First off I knocked up a test conversion for the tree-wild-riders. I'm happy with the way the horse is emerging from the branch, but the side saddle sculpting of the dryad went a little (as Al would say) 'ka ka'. I've not got enough models to redo it, but needless to say, the other dryads wil be casting aside their lady-like etiquette and riding their horses like men! Alas I forgot to take a photo of the conversion when I had the camera set up so pics will have to wait until I've finished the whole unit.

I've also built and painted the first Dryad unit:

[Corai]

And painted the unit of treekin. For years I've been unimpressed with the treekin models (mostly as I stared across the table at them!) but upon assembling and painting them I'm really impressed with the qualiy and design of the sculpts. They're really dynamic, characterful anthropormorphic trees and I thourougly enjoyed painting them.