From HerrRobert: Frostgrave - The Captain's Hot Press (25 points)

Pomponia ponders her recruiting options

Pomponia Valeria Exuperantia sighed, as best a skeleton could, anyway. The necromancer and his apprentice were preparing for another delve into the ruins of Felstad and the Captain's warband was a bit . . . sparse. No archers, no knights, barbarians, no markskellies, no templars, no infantry, just five skeletons-at-arms. Hardly suitable for a delve into the Frozen City, even with the necromancer's very generous health plan and afterlife benefits. Nor did the necromancer have much in the way of gold to spread around the taverns and brothels of the villages surrounding Felstad. 

Nothing for it but a hot press. Pick a promising tavern, stage a quick raid, and recruit those promising into the Company. Just like they'd done during her tour in the Royal Navy . . .  

My fifth entry to Painting Challenge IX is the expansion of another warband for Frostgrave. I'd already submitted a test skellie as my first entry to the challenge. This entry sees the rest of the sprue.

My first Frostgrave game was at my first California con: ConQuest 2016. I played a necromancer in two games, leading an army in HoTT, and then a warband in Frostgrave. The rest of the warband were skeletons. The idea stuck. It would make a good theme - bringing the dead back as undead, should they be lost in the campaign.

First up is the captain of the necromancer's warband, Pomponia Valeria Exuperantia. The red I chose for the uniform rags and the chainmail said Roman Legionnaire, and the purple plume fit with the theme. I decided she was female based on the Roman name generator hitting on Pomponia. Hey, Felstad is equal opportunity!

The miniature is a metal Games Workshop armored skeleton champion, I think, purchased off Ebay. I did my usual conversion work on the slotta base, cutting it off, filing it down, and gluing it to the Renedra cobblestone base. 

I'd originally done her in the glossy Game Color Blood Red, but then overpainted that with Delta Ceramicoat's Burgundy after some of the darker reds seen here in the Challenge. I like it much better. The only bit not washed with Army Painter Strong Tone is the purple plume.

Next up are four skellies-at-arms. All four are from the Games Workshop plastic skeleton pack as the test skellie. Frostgrave says a skellie-at-arms is armed with a hand weapon, shield and leather armor. Close enough. I did the usual bone mix (Delta Ceramicoat Bamboo, then Apple Barrel Toasted Marshmallow, then Delta Ceramicoat Antique White), and the same shield details as the test skellie. Somehow, the wash on my pallate got mixed in with woodgrain, so the one skellie is darker and earthier. Eh, it works. I also did glowing read eyes on the one skellie.

Ready for recruiting poster duty, ma'am!

Here's the two sentry skellies with the necromancer and apprentice painted sometime in 2016:

They look pretty similar. And here's the whole band:

So that's 5 28mm infantry for 25 points, putting me right at 299, 1 point shy of my upped total of 300. My next post should kick me over.

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Very noice Robert, very noice indeed. I love the name of the boss: Pomponia Valeria Exuperantia. As odd as it seems, it kinda rolls of the tongue. :)

Nasty looking crew HerrRobert, and I mean that in the best way possible. I really like the cobbled bases and the single nefarious red eye on that one chap is an ace touch - it's all very Harryhausen. Well done!

- Curt