From StuartL - (Un)Death and Taxes - 99 Points

Hi all,

    I almost didn't get a post in this week. Work has started again after a long break and I have had plenty of non-hobby related things to do. Luckily, I was able to get something finished and uploaded just in time. (I hope...)

    So, on to the topic of today's post. There are many things I like about fantasy wargames, particularly GW's Old World/Warhammer Fantasy Battles. I like the models, even some of the older ones have a certain charm about them. I like the narratives that unfold as an Orc horde invades some peasant village, or an Elven expedition encounters wandering bands of chaos worshippers. I like the variety of armies and uniforms, the bright colours or grim-dark gothic-ness. In fact, the only thing I don't really like are the rules. Having looked at dozens of different systems and tried a fair number out, there has been nothing that really grabbed me. WFB/TOW is just a skirmish game with strict movement rules. Dragon Rampant is really generic. Kings of War looks great, but I can wander off to get a coffee when it isn't my turn. Hail Caesar counts one unit as being largely the same as any other. I want something that has the character and variety of WFB, the aesthetics of KoW and the ease of play of HC. On top of all that, I want something that keeps me actively involved in the game as much as possible. Sadly I haven't found anything that quite fits my target yet. However, I am usually happy slapping my own rules together based on the parts I like from other systems, so at some point I will need to do that. In the meantime, I put together a test unit of models. 

    

    This is a unit of 17 Grave Guard from WFB, though the central command figure is a 3D print from Monstrous Encounters on MyMiniFactory. They are all based together on a 12cm x 12cm square of plasticard. I went for a dark blue theme for the unit, rather than the more traditional red or black often seen on undead. The armour is GW Leadbelcher with some bronze trim here and there. Everything was then given a wash of Vallejo Brown Wash to make them look dirty, rusted and old. 

    As I said, I like the aesthetics of multibased models. Individually based figures are fine for a skirmish game, having a unit move and fight as one on the tabletop just looks better. You can decorate the bases, position the models more dynamically, and most importantly, by the middle of the game you aren't left with three guys wandering around with a flag and a trumpet between them. I chose plasticard for the base as it is relatively cheap where I am and readily available. The area I live in is pretty humid and I have found that MDF sometimes develops mildew patches, and real plastic bases require quite a large order to be viable with international shipping. With plasticard, I can cut the bases to the size I want easily.

    

    Like I said, this is a test base. The figures are glued down with superglue, so if I don't like it, I can pop it in the freezer, flex the base and most of them should pop off easily. By using a large-ish base, I can keep the models away from the edges (for less breakage), and have plenty of space to arrange them. I figured that the undead probably wouldn't form neat lines, so they are all jostling for position here. The only downside is that it needs a lot of tufts to cover the base. The basing material is from Tamiya and it comes out of the pot in this simple brown. Looking at it, I may need to add a wash or a highlight as it seems quite flat.

Hoping to make it into Barks' highlight reel for the next Skull Update with this one....

    The banner was hand-painted. I wanted something simple, but effective. The old banners I saw in White Dwarf growing up often featured very simple motifs, so I went for a simple fanged skull and a couple of swords. Easy to do and looks okay to me. It also adds an extra skull, because why not. These chaps are all skulls, with some on their shields, pauldrons, sword guards and helmets, for a grand total of 65 between them. Plus they add one to my Squirrel score as well.

    For the second part of my post, I don't have any gaming models to show off, but these are figures that I painted.

    My local dollar (100 yen to be accurate) store frequently has little ceramic ornaments for sale. My wife found these two rabbit musicians and decided A) to purchase them and B) ask me to paint them for her. Each is about 40mm high, but they were really simple to do. A quick base coat, wash and highlight later and they were ready for a coat of gloss varnish. By painting these two decorations, I could get a free pass for spending a lot of the holiday in my hobby room, brush in hand.

    So, for the scores, I have 17x 28mm minis, plus the two rabbits, which were pretty straightforward, so maybe should also count as 28's rather than 40mm's? That should net me 95 points, pending minion approval.

    My ongoing duels information:

Skulls - 206 (+65)
BSRoD - 16 (+11)
Squirrels - 10 (+1) - D&D Animals, 30K Militia, Plague Clowns, Afghans, Robots, Anglo-Saxons, Medieval Polish, Clan Smoke Jaguar, 81st West Africans, Undead

From Millsy:

Grave guard are some of my favourite Warhammer Fantasy models of all time.
I have these same ones in my collection Stuart and absolutely love them. The 3D printed command fits in perfectly and even I wouldn't have known he was a ringer had you not mentioned it. Lovely work all round!

Despite the fact the rabbits were straightforward to paint you've done a lovely job and I'm sure the Mrs is well pleased with her commission. The problem you have now is you've set a precedent!

99 points for your total mate. Nice one.

Cheers,

Millsy