New bases

I'm still searching for the recipe for my Troll Country bases. Below some tests, combining snow, grass or lichens, and rocks.

 I haven't glued any model yet.

Any advice?

Army of mini-me

I've been collecting Marauder Chaos Dwarfs for about 20 years, and so far, I have only painted two of them. I guess it is time to finally try assembling a small army of MM90 "mini-me" models  

As often with Marauder Miniatures ranges, the Chaos Dwarfs line is limited - only 24 models, all heavily armoured - and includes neither a musician, nor a standard bearer. Not particularly an issue, as it means I can modify some spare models and perhaps turn a few "regular" dwarfs to the chaotic charms of  the Dark Gods.

Something I want to change with this army is my usual basing style of rock and moss. As I imagine my warband as originating from the Troll Country, it means tundra, rocky terrain... and of course snow! All on 25 mm round bases, as I'm tired of trying to line up miniatures on those tiny 20x20 squares.

Below are my first trials (miniatures not glued yet): bases were prepared with pieces of slate, texturing paste, and fine sand. Over a black undercoat, I applied various shades of grey on the stone, then washed everything with brown pigments; a few tufts of static grass, some PVA glue mixed with white powder, et voilà! 

 

... except that I'm not convinced by the result. I need to try something else... Any thoughts? 

Conclusion

It seems that the curse of the army-without-a-painted-general has struck again. I'm unable to finish the White Lady :( I need fresh air and new colors!

In the meantime, what's left of the army escorting the remains of Count Heinrich...

 I still had a few ideas in the funerary theme, maybe later if I find courage to restart this army. Thanks for following this project! 

More processionaries

Useless models in an army, but fun to paint. The central model is a slightly converted astropath from the old Talisman range, flanked by two tiny servitors from meridianminiatures.

 

I still have a few ideas and remaining models on the desk, but the motivation is low. At the very least, I need to paint the White Lady to consider this army complete.

The Deflesher

While the Necrologist draws his power from the names of the dead, the flesh and blood of fallen comrades are essential components in the spells cast by the Deflesher. 

The Company's second sorcerer is responsible for performing the rite of excarnation. This ancient practice inherited from the Crusades against Araby, was intended to facilitate the return of the fallen to their homeland. The corpses were dismembered, boiled in water or wine, and then defleshed, so that only the bones would be transported back to the Empire. Under the command of the White Lady, this ritual, once reserved for nobles, has been extended to all the soldiers of the Company, ensuring them eternal rest in the gardens of Schädelheim, no matter where in the Old World they might fall. 

The discovery of the 'Mos Teutonicus' immediately conjured up images of a cauldron in which all kinds of bones were boiling. Fortunately, at the same time, GW was releasing the Cities of Sigmar and the Alchemite Warforger. Combined with the body of a Sigmar's warrior priest and the head of a Steelhelm, I had my Deflesher.

 Wizards. Done.

The Necrologist

Half-wizard, half-chronicler, the Necrologist seems to draw his power from the names of the dead of the Company that he has recorded in his registers. 

Still working on the assistants... 

The Marblers

In the wake of the Cult of the Mourners, the Marblers are sometimes seen, led by a Master Mason or "Maître Tombier" in Bretonnian. Obsessed with death, they work tirelessly on the tombstones and monuments that will celebrate the glory of those who fell in battle for the White Lady.

Londres, British Library, Estoire del saint Graal (ca. 1317) 

You will easily recognize the four crew members of the bretonnian field trebuchet, accompanied by an old C46 Militia miniature, "Malin One-Eye", whose arms I swapped with those of one of Zondara's Gravebreakers, and the strongman, another C46 villager.

And the whole band:

 

A great cannon

This great cannon is one of the (many) warmachines released for the Empire with the 4th edition of Warhammer Battle. As for the mortar, I have tried to link it to the story of the White Lady, by adding some candles and a skull hanging from the carriage. 

In terms of painting, it's the same old colours over a black undercoat: the wood received a basecoat of VGC Heavy Charcoal mixed with VMC Chocolate Brown, then highlighted with various mixes of Chocolate Brown and VMC Light Grey. For the metallic parts, I started with a basecoat of VMC Dark Sea Blue and VMC Hull Red, then highlighted using VMC Neutral Grey, VMC Field Blue, Light Grey, VMC Sky Blue, and white.

 

The barrel of the cannon deserved special attention, as it’s decorated with incredible detail. I can’t help but admire the dedication of the designer—these tiny ornaments are often invisible on dry-brushed models. In any case, I did my best to bring out all these elements on the barrel, which I kept in contrast as dark as possible.

 

As for the crew, nothing new in terms of painting. The keen-eyed reader will notice that the third gunner is not the original model: I couldn’t find him in my boxes, so I had to convert a beheaded halberdier by trimming his chainmail, gluing a new head, and swapping the blade for something more suitable for loading a cannon. Lucky me, black is great for hiding the imperfections in the conversion.