Mounted Damsel and Bretonnian Men-at-arms

 Chugging along on the Bretonnians, I present a mounted Damsel and 15 men-at-arms. The Damsels act as spell casters and can accompany units of knights to buff the unit. The men-at-arms are basic fodder drafted from the peasant rabble. They are terrible and can't be expected to stick around long, but they might hold a unit in place long enough for the knights to set up a charge on their flank. The men-at-arms were given a very quick paint job, since they're always crowded together in ranks and you only see their pole-arms and shields.

The full unit of 25. The other 10 were painted years ago.

Thanks for visiting.

Vanari Dawnriders for AoS

Vanari Dawnriders prepare to charge into battle. 28mm plastic figures from GW.

My surprise (even to me) Age of Sigmar project continues - here we have a unit of High Elf Silver Helms Vanari Dawnriders, the battle cavalry arm of the Lumineth Realm-lords in GW's "Age of Sigmar" setting. These are all 28mm multi-part plastic figures  from GW.

What lovely animation on these sculpts.

As I have said in all of the other recent posts on this subject the figures are...well, they really are lovely! I know that for many folks - myself included- it is hard to separate feelings regarding the demise of the "Old World" when contemplating these models. But even allowing for that frustration, I must say I was truly blown away by these models. I joke (lamely) above about the obvious starting reference point for these particular models being the High Elf Silver Helm cavalry from GW's long lost Warhammer Fantasy Battle Game, and that basic inspiration is, to me at least, obvious. But the sculptor/designers took that, and then went to town, hitting the sweet spot for what I would love to see when it comes to "High Elf Battle Cavalry". 

This, to me, is what "elf" cavalry should look like! Very cool.

I love how these models look - the proportions, the armour, the sense of motion and speed given by the mounts and the poses of the riders. They look like they would hit hard, hit decisively. And yet the armour, while glorious, is hardly overwhelming, and thus they retain that faintly delicate sense that, to me, an effective "elf" aesthetic should have when it comes to war - the glass jaw. This sort of cavalry will be successful because it arrives at the exact right moment to the exact right place on the battlefield, charges at incredible speed and hits a precise point on that battlefield with great precision. Support from powerful magicians and spellcasters doesn't hurt either, right? 

The connections to the base are, however, dangerously lean...just a plastic leg...yikes.

At the same time, while they can dish it out, they are not meant to take sustained punishment in any way. Their armour affords them both the cool, elegant "elf" look and the protection necessary when engaging on their own terms, but should they be caught unawares, should the powerful mages supporting them fail or otherwise be overcome...well, suddenly, it's time to get out of there. Besides, when you live forever, you can always wait for a better moment, right?

"Steedmaster" on the left, regular warrior on the right.

So yes, I loved these models, and would like to add more at some point to make a larger unit. But nothing is perfect, and there are some challenges to be advised of with these particular figures. I have said before that GW is the best when it comes to designing plastic multi-part figures, and I still believe that, but these Dawnriders show how this talent can start to push aside practical gaming considerations.

You get a beautiful standard with sculpted detail...again, the plastic connections all make me nervous, but so far, so good...we'll see how it does in an actual game...

This is particularly a concern when it comes to the connection between the mounts and the bases - generally on one leg only. One plastic leg. Yikes. Do these people never game themselves? Said plastic leg usually has an slightly enlarged bit of terrain or ground around it to ease and support this connection, but it is still pretty tenuous with everything going on up top with these figures. 

Another view of the standard bearer.

And that brings me along to the other issue with these models - like, they are pretty complicated to assemble. It's the flipside of all the beautiful details...but they are tricky as f*ck to assemble, and kind a tricky to paint. Looking back, I wish I might have taken them on in sub-assemblies...but even that is a little fraught, as there is nothing generic about them. Each mount only has one type of rider, and each rider has their own pose of legs and arms that only works with that mount. It is not that there are no options - quite the contrary, you can make the leader just a normal warrior, the standard bearer is totally optional too - it is just that there are a LOT of components to keep track of, they have only one overall set they can go with...it's just tricky. And that's fine! It's not a reason to avoid the kits - they are gorgeous! Just be prepared...

"Hey, look over there - a painting distraction. Charge!"

So with these five Dawnriders painted, I am closing in on completing all of the models that came with the initial impulse buy, the "Shining Host" box set. Stay tuned for more on this project - but other diversions of course! Thanks for reading, have a great day.  

Lumineth Scinari Loreseeker

Scinari Loreseeker, a Lumineth fighter/magician for GW's "Age of Sigmar". 28mm plastic figure from GW.

More Age of Sigmar painting for the Lumineth Realm Lord faction. Here we have a Scinari Loreseeker, essentially a character figure for a Lumineth Army. This is a plastic 28mm figure from GW.

Magic staff? Check. Big sword? Check. Let's fight!

The Scinari are, in general, more about casting spells than fighting, but the Loreseekers are advertised as being pretty good a both, able to toss a few powerful spells while also holding their own in close combat. I'm sure having a group of Bladelords handy for protection will help when it comes to the fighting part...

Lovely details once again on this figure.

These Lumineth figures have all been great fun to paint so far, and this fellow was no exception. The detail on the plastic figure in really excellent, and paints up quite nicely. He carries both a sword and a fancy staff, nice visual cues that support his intended dual-role on the battlefield combining elite fighting and magic use.

Loreseeker and Bannerblade join up with the Bladelord bodyguards.

Just this one figure in the post for today, although more Lumineth figures are currently under the paint brushes, so watch this space for more. Thanks for reading, and have a great day!

Vanari Bannerblade

Vanari Bannerlade for the Lumineth Realm Lords. 28mm plastic figure from GW.

The rollout of the Lumineth Realm Lord figures continues, and here we have a Vanari Bannerblade - i.e. the "army standard bearer" for a Lumineth force. This is a 28mm multi-part plastic model from GW.

Every army needs a good symbol to rally the troops around, and when it comes to the Lumineth, this guy will clearly do the job. Just look at that flag!

I guess the back of the banner won't rally anyone, but you can see there is quite a lot going on to keep the whole "solarsilk" production upright and visible to the Lumineth troops!

While the figure bearing the banner is quite lovely, the banner itself is obviously intended to the be the main act of the show here. The design of this thing is an impressive feat of hobby engineering, and the sculpted detail on the "solarsilk" banner gives one a shot at painting up the design nicely, although the logistics are not simple...the banner holds together remarkably well, for plastic, but it is still just plastic and it makes me kind of nervous in terms of safe transport and handling on the table...

Close up of some of the details on the banner. That image is kinda...different? To my mind, it is an example of how the GW sculptors are searching for a different vibe for the "Lumineth", while trying to keep the clear points of inspiration from the old High Elves.

Sure, the flag is fancy, but the fellow carrying it around is no slouch either! He means business with that sword...

Anyway, whatever might happen in the future, it was fun to paint this fellow, to take a stab at all of the sculpted detail on the huge banner, and good to get another component from that "battleforce" box completed. Thanks for reading, and watch for the rest of this project to be completed soon-ish-I-hope!

Questing Knights of Bretonnia

 I completed another unit of knights last week, but have only gotten to posting them now. This is a unit of Questing Knights. In Bretonnian lore, Questing Knights abandon their knightly duties in favor of seeking the Grail through an arduous quest. They drop their lance and pick up a great sword. In the game they are for attacking monsters or units you may need a few turns to deal with. The models here are actually converted from the Knights of the Realm box armed with empire great swords. GW did make metal models of Questing Knights, but those were outrageously expensive and at the time I was living on student loans. The Doer Government ended up forgiving most of those loans a few years later in their ongoing quest to buy votes, but I didn't know that at the time.

Still a few more units to get through, so stay tuned!

Vanari Bladelords

Vanari Bladelords, here to slice up your problems - 28mm plastic figures from GW.

Here we have a group of High Elf Sword Masters Vanari Bladelords, elite warriors of the Lumineth Realm Lord faction in GW's "Age of Sigmar" game. These are 28mm multi-part plastic figures from GW.

Seneschal, leader of the unit (and clearly into cool sword poses).

I'm still all pretty new to the setting, but from what I can tell, these fighters land more on the elite end of the spectrum for the Lumineth forces. In particular it seems that they are charged with protecting the magic-using/spell-throwing heroes in any Lumineth force. 

Another view, showing some detail on the back banner.

They certainly look the part of an elite-protection-detail, with fancy helmets, fancy clothes, fancy banners and - most important - fancy swords! You have a choice in terms of armaments - the Bladelords can either carry two smaller swords or one big sword. I opted for the one-big-sword approach, because I think big swords are a big part of solving big problems...

Couple more of the "regular" Bladelords.

More detail on the back set up...that is quite the get up. Does all that stuff interfere with the sword play? I guess not...

Again, I continue to be really impressed with the sculpting quality of these multi-part plastic figures. Of course I made a sarcastic reference to the famed High Elf Sword Masters of Hoeth - which were such lovely metal figures from "back in the day" - and that inspiration is clear in these sculpts of course. That said, they still have enough of a different and unique look, sitting well with the look and feel of the overall Lumineth lineup.  These models are beautiful, and were a lot of fun to paint. 

You can see a bit of the detail of the characters on the big sword blade...my efforts to capture that detail were mixed at best, but it was fun to try.

As a group of five models, this unit should do fine in smaller games, but for a larger scrap, or to confront a larger bad-guy beastie, an increase in the unit size might be called for down the road. That said, I am still trying to get through painting this first "battleforce" box before muddying the waters with even more new stuff (but don't watch too hard to see long that resolve lasts LOL).

Let's carve up some bad guys!

That's all for now - thanks for reading. I hope the weather where you are is nicer than the weather where I am...spring in Canada is f*cking useless...

Sisters of Battle Canoness, Retributor Squad and Rhino!

Metal madness continues with more Sisters of Battle, this time a converted Canoness, Retributor Squad, Sister Superior, melta-gunner, and Rhino. 

First up - the Rhino. This one was built from a boxed kit I'd had in my collection for oh, maybe 10-12 years? It's been modified slightly with GW metal side hatches from the original Immolator kit (found in my bits drawer after purchasing from a stash maintained by a local shop, again maybe 10-12 years ago), front fleur-de-lys emblem and purity seals from Troll Under the Bridge, and resin headlights and book from Wargame Exclusive. 

The model was painted in my standard Sisters Style - panel highlighting with Vallejo Dark Rubber, edge highlights with Celestra Grey, and light dirt weathering to reflect the late-1990s Games Workshop aesthetic. I used some Dirty Down Rust Effects on the exhaust pipes. 

The book looks neat eh? It's resin, detailed with transfers from the new Adepta Sororitas sheet.

Of course no Sisters Rhino is complete without the hand-painted air recognition insignia on the top hatches. I've left the top hatch unglued so it can be swapped for a turret weapon mount.

Here's five Sisters with heavy flamers making up a fearsome Retributor Squad. Cleanse the unbeliever with fire!

They're painted in my standard Sisters style.

A little bit of dust weathering on the hems.

Of course the Retributor Squad is led by a Sister Superior. I've put flower tufts on her base just because flowers. Also seen here is a melta gunner that snuck into the shoot.

Lastly, here's a Retributor with Multi-Melta. Wish I had a few more of these and some heavy bolter Sisters, perhaps I'll pick some up eventually.

Lastly, the Canoness. When I got the model she was missing her backpack and another special bit, so I took the opportunity to add some aftermarket conversion parts from the Troll. 

The resin icon attached nicely to the top of a Space Marine backpack, with the bunting concealing the join. I like the monocle the Canoness is sporting too. 

Out back there's some more purity seals and a fleur-de-lys from the Troll, and a skull from WarEx. Looks OK I think.

So now the count is up to three Rhinos and 34 Sisters, a good start. Stay tuned for more of course!

Something Different - Vanari Auralan Wardens for Age of Sigmar...?

A group of Vanari Auralan Wardens for GW's "Age of Sigmar" game. 28mm plastic figures from GW.

Here we have a group of Vanari Auralan Wardens, warriors for the High Elves, sorry, I mean "Lumineth Realm Lord" faction in GW's "Age of Sigmar" game. These are 28mm multi-part plastic figures from GW.

[Insert record screech sound]Age of Sigmar? Really?

Those are some loooong spears...watch out, bad guys!

Yes, really. Having played in a demo game here in Northern Ontario, and rather enjoyed hacking some monsters to bits, I picked up a battleforce box of these proto-high-elves and I have to say it has been fun to build and paint these figures. Does this mean I find "Age of Sigmar" to be a fitting replacement for "Warhammer Fantasy Battle"? Well, no, of course not - it is a wholly different game, and wholly different game experience - but one that, separated from the emotion of GW's decision to blow up the beloved Old World - is in fact a fun, not-too-mentally demanding scrap on the table with some quite lovely figures.

Rear view, showing the Wardens carry swords for when battlefield matters get a little closer.

My understanding of the game and the world is still pretty limited, but as you would expect with an elf-type faction, the warriors hit hard, but with a bit of a glass jaw, and seem to rely on magic to succeed in battle. The Vanari Auralan Wardens are a basic sort of infantry unit for the Lumineth - although as you can see by the armour and the weapons, still pretty fancy. This makes sense when you consider nature of this faction. 

The High Warden, leader of the unit.

Some extra flashy kit for this fellow - and of course, he has to stand on a piece of terrain because reasons.

The sculpting quality of the Lumineth figures is tremendous, and these were a lot of fun to paint. Now, these pike-length spears are not the easiest things to manage in terms of logistics of moving the models around, but they are quite nice to paint - I pause here to strongly recommend painting the shields separately, an approach I took and it worked out well.

Lots of lovely details on the shields as well.

The particular aspect of the sculpting that really pleased me was the proportions on the figures. The high elf models for Warhammer Fantasy were certainly very nice, but the multi-part plastics, at the time GW ended the Old World, had actually lost their proper sense of proportion - in particular, I recall the cartoonish size of the hands on the basic warrior frames. They were getting cartoony and goofy. 

These Lumineth sculpts, on the other hand, show how to do heroic-scale 28mm "elves" while maintaining proper proportions. These sculpts also show that GW continues to raise the bar overall on the design of multi-part plastic miniatures. There are so many lovely details, lots of options for shields, slight differences in helmets etc...all very nice, and lots of fun to paint. 

Coming soon to a gaming table in Northern Ontario...

This group of Wardens is the first AoS unit I have painted. The "Battleforce" box contained enough models to put a small force out for a game, and I'm continue to paint them up, so watch for more in this space! Thanks for reading, and I hope you have a great day.