LBs Fantasy Project Log (Averland Empire, Dark Elves and sundries)

[eldargal]

I'm not sure the nail polish on the cockatrice works. Still nice effort for your first monster. I do like the cannon though, and Bambamberg hehe.

[LordBest]

Right, well, it has been too long since I posted anything fantasy related. So here is a Dwarf slayer I've just finished. Just need a little work on the base:


I'm really very happy with the flesh. I've always felt that flesh is one of the things I have trouble painting at all well, particularly on characters. But with this I put the time in, mixed some paints and got a really good skin tone. The pictures really don't show it that well which is extremely irritating. If I had the space for it I would get a proper photography light box, that would probably help. I'm less happy with the metal, but it isn't as scrappy looking as the pictures imply. I'm quite pleased with the trouser stripes as well, I managed to get them fairly straight. Damnit, I just noticed I forgot to and touch up the stripes on the back.

[eldargal]

Nevermind stunties, show us some more Empire.

[LordBest]

Nevermind stunties, show us some more Empire.

Here you go, then.

A good time to be inspired to finish painting up some of my Empire, it seems. Managed five more halberdiers, getting the hang of painting them now. Going from the relatively clean Eldar sculpts ot these ornamented things was a bit of a culture shock:

This picture is rubbish, they may not be beautiful but they are considerably better than they appear. I'm rather pleased with the highlighting on the yellow and it doesn't even show up on the photos.

A picture of the regiment thus far, rather more respectable:

The red feathers will be repainted to match the new colour. Ten more halberdiers to go and I can start work on handgunners. Then I'll have to buy another ten halberdiers.

[eldargal]

About time, too. I think the second batch do look better, pity you couldn't get some nicer pictures though. Now go paint some more!

[LordBest]

Ten more halberdiers done, in record time by my standards:



A little happier with the paintjobs than with the previous batch, still a little sloppy but I'm not willing to spend the ridiculous amounts of time required to pick ut and neaten every little detail. My first movement tray too, something I am shamefully enthused with. Ran out of primer before I could make it a uniform black.

Next up on the WFB painting table are ten Ironsides handgunners and a mage.

[Boreas_NL]

Nice progress! It seems the forces of Averland are coming along nicely! The Halberdiers have a good uniformal look, keep it up!

Looking forward to see your Ironsides, it's a shame there aren't more of those around on the forum...

Like your bases, too

[Superdan21]

awesome looking stuff, i do like averland very cool

Also really like the theme and your lady general nice to see some character and different stuff, your other stuff is looking good to, that slayer looks beastly can't wait to see more

[eldargal]

Finally someone other than me comments. The second batch of halberdiers look a bit nicer, also looking forward to seeing the Ironsides. So twenty halberdiers down, twenty more to go? The joys of Empire.

Post some more fluff.

[LordBest]

Nice progress! It seems the forces of Averland are coming along nicely! The Halberdiers have a good uniformal look, keep it up!

Looking forward to see your Ironsides, it's a shame there aren't more of those around on the forum...

Like your bases, too

Thanks, I'm quite pleased with the progress so far though I wish I could paint the statetroops better though at least I'm not embaressed to look at them now. Slight delay with the Ironsides on account of running out of primer, all washed and ready to go once I get some more.

The bases are great, aren't they. If only someone on Warseer were producing and selling them at a bargain price...

awesome looking stuff, i do like averland very cool

Also really like the theme and your lady general nice to see some character and different stuff, your other stuff is looking good to, that slayer looks beastly can't wait to see more

Thanks, glad you like it. I'm actually aiming to have most of the characters in the army female, barring one Warrior Priest, 2 wizards (I want one for each school) Captain Dain and the Preceptor of the Groetbad Knights of the Blazing Sun.

Finally someone other than me comments. The second batch of halberdiers look a bit nicer, also looking forward to seeing the Ironsides. So twenty halberdiers down, twenty more to go? The joys of Empire.

Post some more fluff.

Well updates have been sporadic and the painting not quite as good as that in my Eldar and Dark Eldar project log, so less interest. I have a list calling for thirty halberdiers. It has been ten years or so since I last had a game of WFB so I have no idea how competitive (on a friendly level) it will be:

Countess Drusilla
Sword of Might, Full plate, Shield

Warrior Priest
heavy armour, dispel scroll

Lv2 Wizard

30 Halberdiers
Full Command
-10 Handgunners

21 Greatswords
Full Command

Great Cannon

1000

or

Countess Drusilla
Barded Warhorse, Full plate, Shield, lance

Warrior Priest
Heavy armour, dispel scroll

Lv2 Wizard

30 Halberdiers
Full Command
-10 Handgunners

10 Knights
Full Command

Great Cannon

1000

Some more background:

Biggleswoetheburg:

Population 60, low stone wall.

An hour’s ride outside of Ludwigeburg lies the old seat of the Ludwige-Biggleswoethe’s, now used primarily as a hunting lodge and summer retreat. The estate’s Gamekeeper is also in charge of managing the Forest of Ludwigeburg, a position of great authority. While he and his family live and work primarily in the nearby town, their traditional home on the estate gives them the air of minor nobility and indeed in the past one of the younger scions of the House married the daughter of the Gamekeeper. Despite no longer being the seat of the families power, it is a large, well built complex that has undergone a series of expansions and renovations rendering it as large and opulent as any Elector Counts hunting lodge. In the summer months it is often host to lavish balls and hunting parties, frequented by much of the nobility of Averland and the greater Empire.

Mines of Minging:

Population c1500 (transient), wooden palisades and watchtowers.

The Mines of the Minging mountain range are not one large complex but dozens of smaller ones, each connected to Nerdlingen by road and protected by wooden palisades, watchtowers and regular patrols of County militia. Around fifteen hundred workers are present in the mines at any given time, including miners, foremen, carters and cooks. Iron is the primary ore, though respectable quantities of gold and silver are present in some mines and various gems in others.

On the WFB painting table at the moment, while I wait to get more primer are five Witch Elves (basecoated), ten Crossbowmen (in the process of basecoating) and an Empire chapel also beibg basecoated.

[LordBest]

It's been a while since my last fantasy update, but I haven't been completely idle:


I started a new Vampire Counts army. Turns out that while I love the idea of an Empire army, I really hate painting state troops. I'm not giving up on them, just taking it slow. I really loved painting these skeletons and I'm absurdly pleased with how they came up. This is the first proper Warhammer regiment I've painted (Ihave 20 halberdiers but they don't count as my list calls for 30) and based. I know I could have neatened them up more but for basic troops I'm happy with both the quality and the time spent. Currently working on a Vampire Countess if the light holds out. Th one thing I'm not so satisfied with is the clumps of grass on the bases, some of them just look liek clumps of grass glued on, not sure how to ease the transition.

[eldargal]

Well, you kept that secret, I thought you were sticking with Empire and Dark Elves. What about the Dark Elves, you don't mention those? I like the skeletons, lovely blue. Paint the vampiress already. Also background, I know you can't paint a thing without at least four pages of background.

[Boreas_NL]

Those are some nice Skeletons! The dirty blue really works!

Can't help you with the grass as I have no experience with the stuff...

[LordBest]

Well, you kept that secret, I thought you were sticking with Empire and Dark Elves. What about the Dark Elves, you don't mention those? I like the skeletons, lovely blue. Paint the vampiress already. Also background, I know you can't paint a thing without at least four pages of background.

Well I thought it would be nice to actually get something done for Fantasy then surprise you. I've just bought some Dark Elf Warriors to paint, if I enjoy those I'll continue working on my Dark Elves alongisde VC. If not they will go to a secondary army like Empire. I'm still working on the background.

Those are some nice Skeletons! The dirty blue really works!

Can't help you with the grass as I have no experience with the stuff...

Thanks Boreas, I am rather pleased with teh blue myself.

May I present Countess Elspeth von Vornehmstein:


Poor pictures, it was starting to rain and the lighting was all over the place. Should get some idea. I found this model really hard to paint, lots small detail and some quite hard to reach. I'm pleased with what I've done with her but the flesh and gold could be improved a lot more. Picture A shows the flesh better, for some reason it looks horribly blotchy and grainy in the second one. It's not great but it isn't that bad either.

[eldargal]

Neuteufelbusten? That is just so apt. I like the skull conversion, very nifty. The dirty petticoat is a nice touch, too. Why the different base?

[LocaLicious]

They look rly good, and indeed the blue works out fine for you! The basing style also compliments the skellies I think .. I was going to mention the grass , but you already did I dno how to come about it tbh - I guess you use those premade tufts of grass? You could try going for the dead grass flock and sort of make your own tufts. I use that method. You can check it out in my log of you want.
Good stuff, want to see more.

[LordBest]

Neuteufelbusten? That is just so apt. I like the skull conversion, very nifty. The dirty petticoat is a nice touch, too. Why the different base?

I thought you'd like it. The skull is a counts-as shield, I lacked the skill to reposition the hand to be wielding a shield convincingly but this worked quite well. Originally I was going ot use Boreas' excellent cobble bases for the VC as well, representing their urban Lahmian background. But I decided to differentiate them completely from my Empire army.

They look rly good, and indeed the blue works out fine for you! The basing style also compliments the skellies I think .. I was going to mention the grass , but you already did I dno how to come about it tbh - I guess you use those premade tufts of grass? You could try going for the dead grass flock and sort of make your own tufts. I use that method. You can check it out in my log of you want.
Good stuff, want to see more.

Thanks, I appreciate it. Yes, I used some of the GW grass tufts. I'll certainly be investigating alternate grass tuft methods, though these really are quite convenient even if they look a little off. I did think about putting the tufts down first then applying pva and sand to help cover the transition but I'm not sure how that would work out.

Another update, yes, three in three days. I believe that is a new personal best:


Love this model, enjoyed painting it an I'm really happy with how the ghostly greenish white came out. I'm really enjoying painting VC, I'll be trying out Dark Elves next but it is all I can do not to go and buy a lot of VC stuff. But I have a great deal of other things that need painting.

[LordBest]

Is Steampunk fantasy or Scifi? No matter, I'll post this here anyway:


A Dystopian Wars Britannian Battleship. I bought this when DW first came out and only got around to painting it today. I'm pleased with the result and it was really rather fast (for me). I think I'll buy some more.

[eldargal]

I like the ghost and the battleship has come up nicely too. I want to see a full battlegroup done by the end of next month. With a dreadnought.

[LordBest]

I have some more Britannian ships in the mail, including a dreadnought.

Painted up a Wight King, love the sculpt:


Put a bit more effort into the bone and blue, very happy with the result although the photo washed out some of the highlights. The fur is quite a bit nicer than it appears. I know about the big gap on the back, but I painted each piece seperately to get at all the detail. I should fill it but I'mtoo lazy to at the moment, most of it looks liek shading in person. That's all my VC models painted up, I'll be buying some more in a few weeks (hopefully). In the meantime I have 16 Dark Elf Spearmen and a few other things to do.