From BruceR: Still Warmaster just new army, Vampire Counts (257 points)

It's been in the deep freeze here in the North US so easy to stay inside and paint.  I continued on with my Warmaster  project/obsession with a new army.  

Over the summer I had painted a box of Wargames Atlantic Orcs and tried out ordering 10mm 3d prints from etsy.  More Orcs so an army was formed.  I took off the shelf a Byzantine army I had painted while deployed in 2008, which had never found an opponent.  My empire force was born.  A gaming compadre flew in before Xmas and we played no less than 5 Warmaster games and the crew was hooked.  I maybe somewhat of a driving force with our crew and why not.  Now four others have launched armies, but who knows how long before they will be ready, so....

I ordered a Vampire Counts 1000-point army to add to my Orcs for flavor.  I usually seem to play good or at least not evil forces so I thought I would give them a shot being a couple of the mates have used undead when we had played WHFB.  

Who doesn't need an evil vampire lord or lady terrorizing the villages and hamlets of the empire.  

Wait!

That's more like it.

I set to work on one unit, then another, then another, .....Oh well.  I Have 80% of the 1000-point force done.

The force requires two skeleton units and two zombie units.  So, these were done first.

Lots of speed paints and a few highlights.  Grey base coat.  Mix of washes for the bone and then blue speed paint for clothes and shields.  

Skeleton Regiment #1

Skeleton Regiment #2

On to the Zombies.  I tried to hit the flesh with a light green color (dead flesh).  Some white highlight were bone shows.  Next in with differing colors for clothes/rags.  A wash and done.

Brains!

Zombie Regiment #1 command stand

Zombie Regiment #2 Command Stand

Madness continued and on to the ghouls.  Decided a very lighter flesh was what I wanted and already used green for the zombies.  Once they were white primed, I hit them with speed paint light flesh. Decided they needed something else and went for some blood on hands and faces.  Not really into gore, yet they needed something and being wee figures doesn't really show unless you zoom into them.  Scraps of clothes hit and done.  The ghouls are not undead in Warmaster so can initiative charge, unlike the other undead forces.  Plus, they have 4 attacks per stand.

Ghouls

Next up was the ethereal host.  Terror causing phantasms.  These also ignore benefits when attacking defensive positions.  These might be cheating to claim points for painting.  Primed them white and hit them with speed paint (plasmatic bolt-army  painter).  Based them and done.

Ethereal Host

 

I next started the Grave Guard.  Armored skeletons, as medium infantry.  These I primed black and started by giving them a light brown dry brush to bring out detail.  Next highlighting the bone areas.  Red cloaks and armor.  I left the shields black with the light brown highlight and hit the skulls embossed on the shields.  

The "Mortis" Grave Guard

To control these walking dead the army came with a number of character figures.  I choose a vampiress and a necromancer.  

The vampire is mounted and really is a cool looking figure.  Some red, some black, some white skin and tried for a red lip.  Very fun.

To assist the general is the necromancer.  I still am in awe of 3d sculpts.  This guy is raising skeletons and you barely see the magic smoke leading to a hand coming out of the dirt.

These shambling dead took the field this weekend past.  A friend, who played undead in WHFB years ago, used them and almost wiped them out to a man/undead.  They have been blooded or unblooded.  Not sure.

The undead horde.

Before the game Sunday I did need another hero for the forces of good and hit this Witch Hunter before the game.

Deiter Von Helmutstein

Whew, that's it for me this week.  Very productive and the game was great with 5 of us playing with around 3000 points of baddies attacking a village defended by about 2300 points of humans.  Humans won as the undead and orcs were unable to destroy most of the village and the citadel.  Fun stuff.

21 stands of 12x 10mm undead @ 1pt      = 252 pts

 2 characters on foot @ 1pt                        =    2 pts

 1 character mounted @ 3 pts                    =    3 pts 

Total                                                             257 pts

Skull dual entry (108 skeletons + 24 skull emblems and assorted skulls) Total 132.

I have been honored with skull of the week earlier so feel obligated to join.  

I hope you enjoy.  Thanks to everybody once again.  I do believe this group helps support the hobby and at times us personally.  I would be fooling myself if I didn't think hitting my hobby desk helped me to pull away from the news and the absolute S#&t show we have been subjected to in the past week.  

So, Thanks.  Be well and safe.

Bruce

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Sylvain: There is so much details in your tiny figurines that it blows my mind. Your variations in color, nicely done, bring a level of realism to your fantasy miniatures. I'm sure your army must be quite the attraction among your gaming group and most certainly a "trigger" for collecting armies. I adjusted the points because one of your heroes is mounted. Bravo!