ewar's Tomb Kings - The Emerald Legion of Dja

[Maglok]

I might just steal the concept of those unit fillers. I only have one atm, 4 skellies carrying a chest, and I could use more!

[ewar]

I might just steal the concept of those unit fillers. I only have one atm, 4 skellies carrying a chest, and I could use more!

Steal away! I really like unit fillers to add height to infantry units and try to break up the ranks of infantry. The arcane ruins set is a godsend for TK players, I've built a full temple as a scenery piece and still got so much left over I could build another 3 units fillers at least. I just don't want them to become too samey. I think the next ones will try to make use of the necrosphinx parts left over from my warpshinx - the wings especially would look great half buried with skeletons clambering over them I think...

Your finished skellies look fantastic well done, really like the colour scheme and I am a massive fan of unit fillers and I really like yours. Keep up the good work, looking forward to see how you tackle the warsphinx?
Andy

Cheers mate, very nice of you to comment - I have several units I need to get done before our Badlands campaign starts, so lots of painting to do!

[Count Zero]

Hey,


- no marching was a pain and I forgot about it for the first 2 turns of game 1 without realising

that's a raised eyebrow you know

the unit fillers do look good, although need a few more skelies on single bases for ease of unit sizing next!

and i know what i need - more mortars!!

[ewar]

Update time - no doubt the regular readers will have been waiting with baited breath...

So I've now finished the archers from the battalion, with the unit filler I made, which means I've finished all of my infantry now. The next thing on the table is either the 3 chariots or a liche priest, I haven't made my mind up yet.

[Maglok]

Awesome!

You should do some shot where you have it all in some desert based scenery, should look awesome.

[themasterofstyx]

I like your skeletons! The colour scheme is the "basic" one but you've done it in a much more grittier and toned down way so the skellies look ancient. Good work on that. Also the unit fillers work. As they shouldn't be really fillers, but to add something to the unit when done properly. With your skellies, they really look like they are rushing between the columns, swarming all over the place. Looks great.

[ewar]

@Maglok: thanks mate, glad you like them. I think the desert terrain will be a while in coming I'm afraid, however I will be making some movement trays to fit the army using the tiles.

The pictures here of the banner bearer and his slightly lifted tiles are really bothering me - I think I'm going to have to go back sort that out, I guess there is something on the base stopping it sticking down properly.

@themasterofstyx: Cheers - it's always nice to get good feedback so thanks for posting! Although I do like the GW colour scheme, I find the eavy metal highly polished and clean Tomb Kings to look like they've just stepped out of an Undead salon, so I was going for a kind of sandblasted ancient look - hopefully it works!

I have a few more unit fillers planned - as eventually I want to get to at least 3 units of 50 skellies (preferably 4, but I'm not sure I can be bothered to paint that many!)

[Maglok]

You could add some sand to fill the gap in the base, but I know the feeling that is nagging on you. People won't see it, usually, but you KNOW it is there. Argh!

[themasterofstyx]

@themasterofstyx: Cheers - it's always nice to get good feedback so thanks for posting! Although I do like the GW colour scheme, I find the eavy metal highly polished and clean Tomb Kings to look like they've just stepped out of an Undead salon, so I was going for a kind of sandblasted ancient look - hopefully it works!

With some armies bright and polished works fine but your way with the Tomb Kings is definately better. I only praised on my previous comment, I forgot to give "constructive criticism" so here we go:

-you might try is to add a subtle almost white highlight to the bone, would add bit more depth. Or if you want to keep the bone bit darker, try devlan mud here and there, on the darker areas to create shadows.
-also you could tidy up the models bit better, some very visible mold lines are to be seen for example in the bows of the skeletons
-paint the eyes! Those one-eyed skeletons with their bone white eye really catches my... eye. I notice because Ive painted like a million of them. Black eyesockets are fine but one of those old skeleton heads has one eye left, like the one standing on the pillar.

Well, that something to consider. Looking forwards to seeing more!

[ewar]

You could add some sand to fill the gap in the base, but I know the feeling that is nagging on you. People won't see it, usually, but you KNOW it is there. Argh!

That's a good idea, might be less hassle and will just get rid of that dark line... will have a look at it.

With some armies bright and polished works fine but your way with the Tomb Kings is definately better. I only praised on my previous comment, I forgot to give "constructive criticism" so here we go:

-you might try is to add a subtle almost white highlight to the bone, would add bit more depth. Or if you want to keep the bone bit darker, try devlan mud here and there, on the darker areas to create shadows.
-also you could tidy up the models bit better, some very visible mold lines are to be seen for example in the bows of the skeletons
-paint the eyes! Those one-eyed skeletons with their bone white eye really catches my... eye. I notice because Ive painted like a million of them. Black eyesockets are fine but one of those old skeleton heads has one eye left, like the one standing on the pillar.

Well, that something to consider. Looking forwards to seeing more!

All good comments, thanks for the input. I'll try and get round to painting the random eye - it just really bugs me that it's there! Perhaps I'll paint it black or drill it out - I'm not sure how an eyeball survive a thousand years buried in the desert...

As for mold lines, I know, they're one of my weaknesses... they don't look too bad in real life, but magnified in pictures doesn't look great. Unfortunately hobby time is restricted and building/painting takes priority so I can get useable armies, however I will try and run a file over the next set of bows, as they the really obvious ones!

[King Thor]

The paint scheme is amazing!!! What recipe did you use for the shields?

[ewar]

The paint scheme is amazing!!! What recipe did you use for the shields?

Cheers mate, glad you like them. The shields are painted:

- black
- several thin coats of dark angels green, leaving plenty of black
- edge highlight of goblin green
- weathering with graveyeard earth drybrush/stippled on along the lower half of the shields
- thinned devlan mud wash to dull the green back

Hope that helps!

Anyway, here is an update at last - it's been a little while now. I've been working on the first character from the army, Liche Priest Thesh, second to my High Liche Priest Neheb in the hieratic order.

I tried specular highlights for the first time - let me know how you think it went, I was quite pleased with the result, though it looks a bit harsh in the photos.

[themasterofstyx]

I think it looks very cool. Might add just a tiny amount of even lighter colour to the eyeballs and around the eyes but then again, because the whole paint scheme is "dulled" I think it works brilliantly as it is. Good work. (Oh boy, Im want a Tomb Kings army soon ... :P )

[Count Zero]

looks good buddy, i like the gem on his wrist too.

with those glowing eyes make him stand out so at last makes it fluffy when my mortar crew pick him out every turn

[ewar]

I think it looks very cool. Might add just a tiny amount of even lighter colour to the eyeballs and around the eyes but then again, because the whole paint scheme is "dulled" I think it works brilliantly as it is. Good work. (Oh boy, Im want a Tomb Kings army soon ... :P )

Looking at the pics in the cold light of day this morning, I can see that they're terribly underexposed, so he looks a lot duller than he does in RL. I'll take some close ups of his face tonight and post them and then let me know what you think - as it's the first time I've done the source lighting thing, I didn't want it to be too garish (it was hard enough putting bright green paint on his face having spent time highlighting it already! )

looks good buddy, i like the gem on his wrist too.

with those glowing eyes make him stand out so at last makes it fluffy when my mortar crew pick him out every turn

Haha, very amusing - he must have a giant flashing 'Hierophant' sign above his head, the amount that mortar crew try to shoot him directly!

[Elfboy]

I really like the colour scheme, hieroglyphics and the unit fillers, great stuff.

[ewar]

I really like the colour scheme, hieroglyphics and the unit fillers, great stuff.

Glad you like them! Will try and keep the updates coming...

Here are some different pics of the priest, not sure they're better (I tried tweaking the colour cast etc), hopefully a bit clearer than the first ones...

[Shush]

I think he looks really good. That's one of the things I'd like to try with a terminator eye glow but I've been a bit nervous. Yours looks really nice. I honestly didn't like that model before but I love the way you have painted him

[Garr]

He looks like he's run away from an old people's home after failing to take his calming medication.

Looking forward to sending him home in a couple of weeks!

[Garr]

Any more models to add to the plog? Progress so far is really impressive! Think you've picked (as always) a really good colour scheme for your army, and you've done a good job of making them look fresh-out-the-tomb.