24th Cathayan Expeditionaries

[Mephistofeles]

Basic Background of the 24th Cathayan Expeditionaries

Commander Taizu was for many years a regular officer in the Cathayan Army. He was the commander of a small contingent set to guard the eastern coast of Cathay from raiders, both human and otherwise.
After having guarded the coast for many years, that which Taizu long had dreaded one day happened: a large force of Dark Elves landed on the shores of his territory, and with ruthless savagery they destroyd several villages and slew all who came in their path, children and elderly alike.

Taizu gathered his host and attacked the elven raiders, but was swiftly driwen back into the woods on the borders of the province. There he rallied his men, gathered a sizeable force of the local peasantry which had also been driven into the woods from their homes, and attacked the Dark Elves with renewed strenght. He managed to beat them and drive them back to the sea, where he and his force utterly annihilated the elves to the last man, and set their whole fleet alight and sent it back over the seas as a warning sign to all other would be invaders not to come near the shores guarded by Taizu again.

When word of Taizus great victory reached the court, he was immediately summoned to the capital and appointed General Commander. He was granted command over a vast warhost and was sent on a mission to expand the borders of Cathay westwards and on the way set up trading posts, outposts, found villages and trade with the foreign peoples of those far away lands.

On his journey westwards he has brought a small community of merchants, soldiers-families, bearers, animal handlers, cooks and all manner of other camp followers, not to mention the whole herds of chickens, cows, sheep and all manner of other creatures needed to supply the force on its great mission.

[Zodiac]

I really like your story, what about your commander having a dark elf head beneath his foot, to show you didnt just make it up before the game ?

[Mephistofeles]

I will probably not have a dark elf head on his base, but I'm thinking of giving him some other token which he took from the Dark Elves commander after he beat him in single combat (with some help from his family heirloom pendulum). I don't quite know what though...

Or I just model him standing on a dark elf shield...

[bobert the great clen one]

or give him a sea dragon cloak .....

[Mephistofeles]

Yeah I was thinking about that, but it didn't seem right that he would carry the armour of his fallen enemy, it seems to be a bit "dishonourable" for him, to lower himself to looting in that way.

I'll see what it ends up as...

Small update: I have now primed and painted the red on 12 handgunners and 12 free company, hopefully they will be ready to dip by thursday, and then you might have pictures by friday, hopefully of the whole army (almost 800 points)

[Arhalien]

Have you got the greatsword models yet? And I;m looking forward to seeing this new update (as ever ). It's nice to see a unique project log like this, not only fantasy but non-GW.

[Mephistofeles]

I have not gotten the greatswords yet, but i think they are the next ones I'll order (on thursday or something like that). I have settled for 25 of them, with a 10-man Free Company Detachment. I'm just trying to figure out how to do the banner for them...

I also don't know how to make the BSB, I want him to really stand out from the rest of the force. He will be the only mounted model in the army as it seems know, but i don't know how to make the banner. I am thinking of making a HUGE banner and print the heraldry on it. I want the motive to be something like this: http://www.draconika.com/img/chinese-dragon-black.jpg

What do you think?

[Arhalien]

are you going to have a unit of cavalry then for your bsb to be in (didn;t see it in the original list), or are you just going to ahve him in an infantry unit?

That banner motif should look nice.
edit: maybe the third mini along oin the mounted commanders page with a banner stuck on his spear for the bsb?
http://www.perry-miniatures.com/index2.html

Edit2: I;ve just had a look at the crusades knights, and I was thinking how good they'd look as a bret army. Just a random little point

[LordGoatee]

Your story behind the army sounds great by the way.
For the commander: why not give him the dark elf's sword? It may seem like looting but surely he's showing respect for his opponent by using his sword from then on? (Also it would probably look cool)
I must also say that I love the way you've taken the baggage train into acount:

On his journey westwards he has brought a small community of merchants, soldiers-families, bearers, animal handlers, cooks and all manner of other camp followers, not to mention the whole herds of chickens, cows, sheep and all manner of other creatures needed to supply the force on its great mission.

I always try to do this with my armies (limbers for cannons etc) as I think it makes it much more believable- an army is not just the bit that fights!
Are you going to model ALL of the baggage train?

[Mephistofeles]

Arhalien: Yeah, that guy would suit very good as a BSB, but then I would lower his arm a little bit so that he holds the banner upright...it might work good. Thanks for the tip.
He will be with a infantry unit, I will have no cavalry in the army at all actually, at least not in 2250 points.

LordGoatee: I will try to model the whole baggage train, I will plan it tonight and write a suggestion for what it will consist of later tonight.

I will think about the dark elves sword, it would be cool I think, but I'm not sure, the dark elves swords are so big, but I'll check what my options are. Do you have any suggestion for what sword he might have?

[Zodiac]

I will have no cavalry in the army at all actually, at least not in 2250 points.
---- any suggestion for what sword he might have?

If you are planning a GT, you will need 75% GW models!
Did you know this? Cause it sucks I think.. and it makes a little sense.

You can use the weapons from the witch elves! Or even a dark eldar one if you must, but the metal weapons are smaller than the plastic ones!
Will look good... Hope you can use it!

[Mephistofeles]

I thought I had to have 100% GW actually, so I was not aiming for a GT no :P

I live in sweden, and here non-gw models are allowed at (nearly) all bigger tournaments, so I had no worries about that.

I am (hopefully, I'm on the reserves list) attending a 2250 tournament on the 19 (I think) of March, and I am trying desperately to have the army done by then. I have painted 85 models, and I thus have 160 left...it's going to be HARD to get them done in time, but I can always hope.

I have one or two holidays to work on, christmas and some spring break, I'll make those count.

It's hard to paint 250 models in 6 months, especially when you have a girlfriend :P

[Mephistofeles]

Small Update: Managed to finish 24 models today, I painted them this past monday and today, making them now completely finished, in 9 hours of work!

That almost 1 model every 20 minutes...*brag brag*

I'll try and post pictures of the army tomorrow, it now consists of:

60 Spearmen
24 Free Company
24 Handgunners
1 Cannon

Roughly 750 points.

[Mephistofeles]

Ok, I am the only one writing in this thread, but never mind, I'll talk to myself :P

I just completely finished the bases and all the last things on my handgunners and free company, I will post pictures of both them and the whole army tomorrow. 108 models, 752 points.

[Khrangar]

It's hard to paint anything with a girlfriend most of the time :P. I've been keeping an eye on this thread but haven't posted in it.

I'm here to say good job and keep it up.

Khrangar

[tancrede]

i think the same as khrangar.
i keep an eye on your thread (mainly because i have a personal interest on japanese things, but your army is original), as i do on some other, but i can't post a word to everyone...

keep it up!

[LordGoatee]

108 models, 752 points.

Blimey all that done already? You're more motivated that me... takes me ages to do anything substantial.
I don't know too much about DE swords but the metal ones do look smaller.
For the wagons, I must voice that they should be pulled by yaks, 'cos it would look cool. Maybe a 'wickerwork' effect on th sides would look cool?
Maybe have a wagon with monks brewing tea in.

This is why I never get round to things- too many ideas!

[Stouty]

Just read through this whole thing and I must say I'm very impressed and awaiting further updates!

I'm interested in how fantastical you'll make you're characters though, at the mo it seems very historical.(not saying that as an altogether bad thing)

[Mephistofeles]

Khrangar & Tancrede: Thank you very much ^^

LordGoatee: The Wagons will be pulled by oxens as it seems now, it's damn hard to get hold of Yak Models. But I might try to make one wagon like that :P

The monks would be cool to, at least to have a wagon full of pots and stuff.

Stouty: Thank you very much.
I will try to make the characters very fantastic, the BSB will be the only mounted model in the army, and he will have a HUGE banner with a blazing Chinese Dragon on it, and the Wizard Lord will be based on the new Eldar Farseer with some add-ons and another head and such things. Hopefully that will work.

[Mephistofeles]

Ok, and here comes the promised army picture, it's about two fifths the final army, 108 models our of 260. Hope you like 'em!