BP's Warhammering Thread (New and Improved)

BP’s Warhammering Thread
Crappy thread title because my creativity was spent on what’s inside it.

As most people who know me personally know, I’m an avid collector and painter of Warhammer miniatures, specifically those of the Fantasy-themed Age of Sigmar range. While I mostly collect for the sake of collecting and painting, I have a number of coherent armies(-in-progress), complete with characters and narratives. These armies are as follows:

• House Silverstag of the Winterheart, my Wood Elves army set in the World-that-Was; Found in post #2.
• The Guardians of Life, my Order-aligned Age of Sigmar army consisting of Humans and Aelves; Found in post #3.
• House Flameseeker of Caledor, the first of two small, but heavily themed, High Elf armies set in the World-that-Was; Found in post #4.
• The Stormrider's Garrison, the second of my High Elf armies, built with the Elves from the old Island of Blood starter set; Found in post #5.

I also have a table-worthy army of Lizardmen, but I can't say much about those because Lizardmen lore is a lot more alien than that of the Aelves and Humans. So until I get a couple more of them named and painted up, my Lizardmen will be treated as 'assorted miniatures' along with any one-offs.

Assorted Miniatures
These miniatures do not belong with either of the four armies below: either because they belong to a different faction altogether, or because they do not fit with the army/armies of their faction flavour-wise.

Hunt the Weak and the Elderly (open) Hunt the Weak and the Elderly (close)

First of a few dioramas I've been wanting to make.
Duel; Hunt the Weak and the Elderly.

"Hunt only the Weak and the Elderly; so that the Young and the Healthy may feed us another season." - Kurnous, the Hunter.
The category for Games Workshop's Tilburg monthly painting competition was 'Duel,' so I made a simple hunting scene with one of my leftover Glade Riders and a Fenrisian Wolf. The text wrapping around the base, which I wrote out above, is dedicated to the Hunter God of the Elves in the World-that-Was. Sadly, I was the only one who had taken the time to make a Duel entry, and so it won by default, rather than by merit. Additionally, the base needs some more work- I plan to add more leaves and texture it as soon as I am able. I will update the pictures once I do.

Lizardmen/Seraphon (open) Lizardmen/Seraphon (close)

Named Seraphon in the Age of Sigmar lore, the Lizardmen are incomprehensible creatures that appear on battlefields to fight Chaos, and vanish as suddenly as they arrived. Nothing is known about them other than their hatred for Chaos and their alliance to Order.
Skink Alpha Terreka on Redjaw the Ripperdactyl
Formerly a Hero, the new rules do not allow for Skink Heroes to ride Ripperdactyls, so Terreka has been demoted to Champion of a Ripperdactyl Rider squad. I plan to make him a squad when funds allow (And most of my other minis have been painted), but for now he exists as a standalone miniature. The koi spots on the wings were inspired by White Dwarf's design notes mentioning that the overall shape of the Ripperdactyl was based on a goldfish; and I can recommend the 'Blood for the Blood God' paint, which is what I used to put the sticky blood on Redjaw's fangs and talons, to any hobbyist needing a blood effect.


They-Who-Herd-Fire:
Oops! You seem to have found a spoiler! ;)

Prince Tyrion (open) Prince Tyrion (close)

"Prince Tyrion is the High Elves' greatest living warrior. So valiant and skilled is he that the bards of Ulthuan sing that he is nothing less than Aenarion reborn- a tale that is given credence far beyond Ulthuan's shores. Since Tyrion's meteoric rise to fame, many have whispered of his destiny to lead the High Elves to a glorious future, and perhaps one day to take the Phoenix Crown. If Tyrion hears such gossip, he pays it no heed, for he is unswervingly loyal to Finubar. Thus does Tyrion concern himself only with the twin duties of protecting Ulthuan and its Everqueen. However, the latter is seen less as a duty than it is a calling of the heart- it is common knowledge that Tyrion is Alarielle's consort, and has been for many years." --Warhammer Armies: High Elves (2012 Edition; extract)

Tyrion is one of my favourite Warhammer: Fantasy characters from before the Age of Sigmar, and one of my favourite Character miniatures in the range. William King, the author who first wrote about him and his brother Teclis, describes him as 'a psychopath who's really good at hiding he's a psychopath,' and while Tyrion would never voluntarily fight for evil, he takes great pleasure in killing. It's a duality I don't often see, even in Warhammer characters, and his cheerful personality compared to Teclis's sourness makes him easy to like as a character.

You'll notice I've painted this particular Tyrion in the same colours I used for Sylvir and Irathir, and will in fact use for all of House Flameseeker. This is a conscious decision, as I wanted to be able to field him in my army without standing out like a sore thumb. I have a second model in my possession and plan to paint it according to his 'official' colour scheme, or at least closer to it.

To my knowledge, in Age of Sigmar Tyrion has become the God of Light, so he no longer exists as a character like he did in the World-that-Was, even if he is still fieldable.

Magissa the Scorned (open) Magissa the Scorned (close)

My first Dark Elf, and one that has a little bit of greenstuffing going on as far as her clothes go. Magissa is a member of the Cult of Pleasure, an Elven cult dedicated to the Chaos God Slaanesh, and as such has little in the way of decency or sexual modesty; I have an idea for a Dark Elf Army featuring her as an important character and its primary wizard, but that's on a VERY low side-burner at the moment.

Lord Skreek (open) Lord Skreek (close)

Before we had a Games Workshop in Tilburg, the one in nearby city Breda participated in the national painting contest The Fang. I painted this Grey Seer for that contest; and while he did not place us in the national finals, I'm still happy with how he turned out. Lord Skreek is, however, no longer in my possession: I've given him away to a friend who needed a Grey Seer for his Mordheim Skaven Warband, since I neither play nor collect Skaven.

Wood Elf Army: House Silverstag of Atylwyth
The-World-That-Was Army

The Wood Elves branched off from the High Elves of Ulthuan a long time ago and took up residence in the enchanted forest of Athel Loren, where time and space don’t obey the laws set in the rest of the world. Athel Loren is alive, and vicious, with Forest Spirits defending it as feverishly as the Wood Elves do. The forest has been split into twelve distinct areas, each with their own quirk- such as Torgovann, where the finest blacksmiths reside, or the eternal night of Modryn.

Atylwyth, the Winterheart, lies to the central South of Athel Loren, and is steeped in an unending Winter. Since the Wood Elves are traditionally spring- or summer-based, this gives an opportunity for a very characterful and heavily-themed army, as well as imposing some restrictions. For example, I can’t use Forest Spirits (Dryads, Tree Kin, and Treemen) as liberally as an army from another section of the woods can. Instead, I have to focus on my Glade Guard and Eternal Guard, since the absence of the Forest Spirits means that Atylwyth is home to some of the most disciplined and numerous Elven regiments in the forest.

Characters (open) Characters (close)

Prince Tharien Silverstag
The official and primary leader of House Silverstag is Prince Tharien, who holds supreme command over all troops and leads them himself, charging into battle on the back of a white-coated Great Stag. He is reckless and blunt, but also devoted and skilled, and wise enough to leave more delicate tasks in his sister’s hands.


Princess Aelthryn Silverstag
Prince Tharien’s co-leader of House Silverstag is his younger sister Aelthryn, who is both smarter and milder-tempered than him. She serves as chief tactician and diplomat, as well as one of the two main magic users he has at his disposal. Most of the Forest Spirits that ally themselves to Silverstag were forcibly roused by Aelthryn’s magic.


Captain Fataris
Fataris is a pivotal figure within the household, as he is the main commander of Silverstag’s Eternal Guard. He decides who makes the cut, controls the patrol and training schedules, and collects reports from the Eternal Wardens to deliver to Prince Tharien. Brave and faithful, Fataris is always at the front of every battle, mowing down the enemies of Athel Loren.


Princess Ynraith
Tharien's fiancee, Aelthryn's best friend, and the second magic user in House Silverstag. While originally born to Modryn, over the course of her engagement Ynraith has decided to keep living in the eternal winter rather than the eternal night. She may be modest and shy, but her power is not to be underestimated.


Lord Witherthorn:

An immensely powerful spirit who spends his time sleeping in Silverstag territory but can be roused by Aelthryn and Ynraith's magic. He does not tolerate hostile intruders on his grounds and smashes through them with his enormous branch-like limbs and his powerful magic.

Specialised Squads (open) Specialised Squads (close)

The Silverhooves
While House Silverstag leans on its Eternal Guard and Glade Guard for the most part, they boast a small cavalry force that is not to be ignored. The Silverhooves have the vital role of harassing and flanking, sending enemies running where they might otherwise have become a problem for the main forces. The force is led by Horsemaster Daiyani, a particularly skilled huntress who demands high standards from the men under her command.


The Brotherhood
Named by themselves because they consider each other as their brothers, the Brotherhood is a small squad of Warhawk Riders descended from Silverstag Elves who ventured into the mountains. Although they did not grow up under Tharien's command, they are happy to take orders from him in battle and remain loyal to House Silverstag.
Note: Warhawk Riders are sold individually, so I only have one at the moment. I plan to expand this squad to number five.

Order Army: The Guardians of Life
Age of Sigmar Army

Descended from a Grail Knight and his family and attendants who were saved by the Lady of the Lake herself, a clan of Humans calling themselves House Durendale lay claim to a particular area of Ghyran, the Realm of Life, and protect it against the invasion of Chaos. Led by Maria, the daughter of their bedridden liege lord Alderic, and her second-in-command Bastien, they form an army to be reckoned with, although they are more interested in defending their homes and families than they are in actively repelling Chaos from the rest of the realm.

Although Humans make up the majority of the Guardians' army, they are joined by small kinbands of Aelves from the forests. While the two races are vastly different, they find common ground in their love for Ghyran and their worship of the Lady of the Woods: Alarielle, the Goddess of Life.

Damsel Aelika (open) Damsel Aelika (close)

Aelika is the spiritual leader of the Guardians of Life, forming their most direct link with the Lady of the Woods. She is mysterious and ominous, disregarding the normal chain of command and wielding her magic in defense of the army, letting others take care of the offense.

High Elf Army: House Flameseeker of Caledor
The-World-That-Was Army
The High Elves inhabit an island kingdom known as Ulthuan, which is itself split up in ten realms. Each of these realms have their own quirks, history, and specialised units. In particular, Caledor houses the Elves with the most titanic arrogance on the island. Considering these are Elves, that says something, but their confidence is well-deserved, as they are also the fiercest warriors a High Elf general can field. Out of all of Ulthuan’s realms, Caledor has the closest connection to dragons, which are commonly found in its heraldry. As such, Caledor is the explicitly stated realm of origin for Dragon Princes and Dragon Mages.

House Flameseeker is one of the noble houses in this realm of Ulthuan. They are not free of the arrogance and overconfidence that taints their kin, but they have earned it; Prince Makaris is a Dragon Prince of great skill, and his sons Helion and Sylvir are both prodigal wizards in their own way. They maintain good bonds with their neighbours, and in particular with the horsemen of Ellyrion and the wizards of Saphery through Helion and Sylvir's classmates.

Prince Sylvir and Irathir the Sun Dragon (open) Prince Sylvir and Irathir the Sun Dragon (close)

Sylvir is the youngest of Lord Flameseeker's two sons, and like his brother, he is a mage of some power. However, unlike his brother, he rides into battle on the back of Irathir, a Sun Dragon who shares his aggression and recklessness. Irathir's fangs crush bones while Sylvir's fire magic sears flesh, so they are a welcome sight on the battlefield.

High Elf Army: The Stormrider's Garrison.
The World-that-Was Army.

Before we had Warhammer: Age of Sigmar, there were eight editions of Warhammer: Fantasy, and the ones I was around for all had Starter Sets; boxed sets with the beginnings of two opposing armies to help kick off new player's collections and familiarize them with the game rules. For the Eighth Edition, this was the Island of Blood set, featuring an army of Skaven and an army of High Elves. While I don't have anything with Skaven, I took the High Elves for myself and am currently painting them.

Following the battle for the Island of Blood, Althran Stormrider and the mage Caladris, as well as all survivors, have been employed by the Phoenix King and the Everqueen to guard and/or reclaim precious magical artifacts and sacred sites for Ulthuan. They are a small, mobile force, but their achievements make them famous and respected.

Caladris the Mage (open) Caladris the Mage (close)

"To Elven standards, 150-year-old Caladris is young. He is one of many Elves with a natural gift for magical powers. What's more, he can manipulate the Winds of Magic to a degree that is far beyond the Wizards of lesser races. Along with a decade-long study of magic under the Archmages of the fabulous White Tower, this makes Caladris a mighty Mage.

Caladris and Althran first met during the battle for Stormkeep. The Mage saved the Prince from a couple of Trolls by preventing them from devouring the Prince with a few magical fireballs. That's when their friendship began, and Althran values Caladris's expertise and advice, especially when it comes to mystical and magical items.

In preparation of a battle, Caladris spends many long hours reading old texts to prepare himself for the trial before him. With his Channeling Staff, he can unbind the magic of his opponent and with a mere glance, he can incinerate entire enemy units. Additionally, his presence has a reassuring effect on the rest of the army, for as long as he lives, all are assured of victory." --Island of Blood introduction booklet (liberally translated)

Caladris is the Garrison's primary -and only- magic user. His chief responsibility is to protect the others by shielding them and dispelling the enemy's magic. His friendship with Althran appeals to me greatly -just look at all the tight friendships and family bonds I have within my own armies- and I'm happy to see that it accounts for a special rule in Age of Sigmar. I've loved this miniature since I first got my hands on it, but never got around to painting it for the same reason Tyrion, Witherthorn, and Orion took forever; I was afraid to screw it up.

The Mage-Guard (open) The Mage-Guard (close)

Caladris was provided bodyguards by the Tower of Hoeth. While they are most proficient on the frontlines and by far the finest warriors the Garrison has, Althran mockingly refers to them as the Mage-Guard for their single-minded dedication to their charge.

Current project: Irathir the Sun Dragon
Okay, so for in-game purposes he’s a normal Sun Dragon (The fastest and weakest of the three types of Dragons available to the High Elves), but I like to name my important characters and their mounts. Many of Caledor’s noble houses are connected to a Dragon, and Irathir is that Dragon for my House Flameseeker, and provides the main colour scheme adopted throughout the rest of the army: Red and green, with gold armour, white mounts where appropriate, and black cloth.

Current progress: Body, head, and front legs basecoated; most other parts primed.

Since red is the main colour in this army, it was an easy decision to make Irathir’s scales that colour. Since I want to layer up to a vibrant, bright red fitting the youngest of the Dragons in the lore, I made his scales reddish-brown and used a thin, dark brown ‘wash’ to shade between them. For the belly, I had two options with my chosen colour scheme: white or black. I went with white for a few reasons: the horses of my Dragon Princes are white with black cloth, and I wanted to keep that consistent; black would have made the dragon too dark; and I like the contrast with the darker scales.


For armour, again, I had two options: gold or silver. Most High Elf armies use some sort of blue, and thus silver armour, but I always felt that golden armour went better with a red main colour. I could have gone with silver accents on the armour, too, but I use green as a spot colour on this army, and there was no chance to put that on Irathir himself (except his eyes) where it wouldn’t be jarring, so I put it on his armour. For the helmet I did plan to use silver accents, but I was afraid it would be too out of place compared to the rest.


Tongue or no tongue this thing will eat you if you get too close!Provided my dice roll the way I want them to.

Status Update: Irathir the Sun Dragon
I’d meant to post this two weeks earlier, but I felt I didn’t really have anything substantial to share so I held it off until I reached a significant stage in progress.
Current progress: All parts primed and basecoated; appropriate parts layered, drybrushed, and/or washed for the first time.


These are all the parts that make up the Sun Dragon miniature. As stated above, all parts have at least two layers of work put into them at this point, and the project is nearing a level of completion where I’m comfortable putting most of it together. I only need to layer two or three more colours, and then I can attach the main body to the rock on the right and the headfrills and throne to the main body, leaving the reins and the wings as the final parts. You may notice a number of black ‘nubs’ across the miniature, most notably hanging from the reins- those are gemstones, and will be the very last things I paint because they’re easy and quick, but require four or five layers and it’s very easy to accidentally paint over them.


The eagle-eyed among you may notice Irathir now has a tongue. He also has pupils and a glint in his eyes now, so not only can he eat things, he gets to see WHAT he eats. Vast improvement, for he is wise enough to know what is and isn’t nutritious, but he does need to see his options before he can make a wise decision. Also, maw-eye coordination is terrible when you’re blind. Fact.

As explained before, I used red to layer his scales. I plan to add another, brighter, red for a final highlight. Wish me luck on that one as I highlight EVERY. SCALE. INDIVIDUALLY. The things I do for love the centerpiece of my army.


Warhammer Dragons have quite an impressive wingspan, and I hope that the wings will help balance the miniature to the point where it won’t tip over. Balance is a neverending nightmare for me, especially ever since I had to balance Sir Bastien, my Bretonnian Battle Standard Bearer. It’s released in Finecast now, which weighs next to nothing, but used to be, it was executed entirely in metal… that was an adventure. That being said, plastic is a lot lighter than tin, and I’m sure Games Workshop has sculpted the miniature such that it will be relatively balanced… right?

I hope to update this again within the month, maybe in the last week of March or the first week of April. And when I do, I hope to be able to show a fully painted and assembled Irathir the Sun Dragon!

Finished Project: Prince Sylvir Flameseeker on Irathir the Sun Dragon
It is done! This is the largest kit I have ever finished, and I am VERY proud of how it turned out. Spoilertagged because my camera can only take gigantic pictures.

LOOK AT IT THOUGH (open) LOOK AT IT THOUGH (close)

Sylvir is the youngest of Lord Flameseeker's two sons, and he is temperamental, reckless, and straightforward. He holds great magical power, but unlike his brother, he can only efficiently weave the Wind of Fire. Walking the path of the Dragon Mage, Sylvir is a Fire Mage who rides into battle atop a Sun Dragon; in his case, the beast's name is Irathir, and shares Sylvir's aggression and recklessness. In addition, however, Irathir possesses an insatiable curiosity, which is part of why they are so rarely found at the Tower of Hoeth or the Flameseeker Manor; they more commonly fly around Ulthuan or other parts of the Old World, exploring and training, although they always respond to summons by their family. Sylvir doesn't work too well with others, in part due to Irathir's inconvenient huge size, but will never hesitate to help those in need.

This settles Sylvir and Irathir, but not my Warhammering thread. I'll be sure to post in another month, with updates on my next two projects.

Finished Projects: The Lothernmobile, Waywatcher Sentinel Ombrin, Wardancers

The Lothernmobile:
So, some of you have already heard me talk about this one. A little while ago, I suddenly heard that the local Games Workshop was going to hold a Chariot Race (which ended up being chaotic, violent, MarioPartyKart levels of awesome). I wanted to participate, but the only chariot I have is one I want to use for a diorama and am NOT willing to rush; and I only had a week to get one ready. So, I purchased a Lothern Skycutter (which I'd been eyeing since it first came out), painted it in seven days, and used it to participate. I totally had a good chance at winning, too, but ended up coming in second place.

The Lothernmobile FOR GREAT JUSTICE!

The Lothernmobile is great for a chariot race, but in battle, it's a bit of an oddball. Mind, in Caledor they're a pretty common sight, since they're the only chariots that can move freely in the mountains. However, the Lothernmobile has a bit of an... eccentric crew.


The master of the Lothernmobile is Prince Justis, who carries a large banner so everyone can identify him easily. He never passes up an opportunity to make himself known, and has a love for dramatically and spectacularly assaulting enemies that are objectively out of his league. Normally, he comes through by sheer luck.


Although the bird himself is friendly and amiable, save for his habit of eating all the food for the horses, it has been named Zuff the Pigeon by its eccentric master. Its white plumage further makes the chariot stand out (and was chosen this way to cut down on the time needed to paint it, helping me finish the whole thing in a week's time.)

Waywatcher Sentinel Ombrin:
I love the Waywatchers, my Rare Unit of choice, which are the very best snipers a Wood Elf general can field. I've had great experiences with their Champion in the past, but to my dismay, there's no 'proper' Waywatcher Sentinel miniature that I could use to denote him, and I have two of the tallest normal Waywatcher. So, I bought myself a Shadowblade miniature and made some small alterations to it to represent Ombrin the Waywatcher Sentinel.

Ombrin (open) Ombrin (close)

Shadowblade comes holding two knives, but while Waywatchers have two Hand Weapons, he lacked a crucial aspect of a sniper- the bow. Fortunately, I had some bows and quivers laying around from my Glade Guard/Riders and Peasant Bowmen, so I cut off the knife in his back hand, cut up a bow, and attached the two halves of the bow to either side of his hand in such a way it didn't obstruct the cape. Because Waywatchers DO have two hand Weapons, I also put the knife back together and placed it on one of his hips. The quiver was easily glued to his other hip to complete the Wood Elf sniper. Of course, he still has the Dark Elf armour, but that's why I've given him rather elaborate backstory compared to my other Champions.

Wardancers:
Wardancers have been nerfed in the current army book, but I have always liked the idea behind them and I feel no Wood Elf army is complete without at least a little troupe of them. Besides, they add a little Melee prowess to an otherwise mostly archer-based army list. And above all, I have them anyway- so I might as well get them into the Silverstag colour scheme, even if it's only for the collection!

Wardancers (open) Wardancers (close)

This is a troupe of 7 Wardancers, complete with Bladesinger and Musician. They bear the colours of House Silverstag, but aren't necessarily related to them; they just pop up whenever they like and don't take orders from Tharien. It's likely they only dress the way they do so the household knows they aren't enemies and don't accidentally shoot them in the heat of the battle.


Bladesinger Sylvia is the leader of this small troupe, and... frankly I don't have much for her flavour text yet! I should point out, however, that she and one of the others are old, retired models that are no longer available anywhere- they were given to me by a veteran Wood Elf player at GW after I expressed that I'd have to go and find them second-hand somewhere because I loved them.

I have also started work on Lord Witherthorn the Treeman Ancient, as well as on the only Warhawk Rider I own, but I don't have anything to show for those yet because the Chariot Race came up unexpectedly. So tune in next month for updates on those, I guess!

Finished Projects: ‘Hunt the Weak and the Elderly’ and Magissa
While I honestly forgot to update the thread for May, I consciously chose to hold off the June update for reasons I will explain later in the post. Sadly, over the course of the past few months I haven’t finished a whole lot of miniatures, although I’ve made great progress on both Tyrion and my Warhawk Rider as well as starting work on a test model for my Pegasus Knights. I do, however, have two finished products to show.

Duel: Hunt the Weak and the Elderly
The subject for the Painting Competition in May was ‘Duel,’ which is a very challenging but also very FUN category to work in. Sadly, I was the only one to take time out of her army painting to throw together a diorama, so my victory was by default rather than by merit, but I’m still very satisfied with it and I think it came out really cool.

pictures (open) pictures (close)

The text wrapping around the base says ‘Hunt only the Weak and the Elderly, so that the Young and the Healthy may feed us another season.’ It’s a quote I attributed to Kurnous, the Hunter, who is both the Elven god of the Hunt and the supposed Father of all Elves.

Magissa
My First Dark Elf miniature painted to be a Dark Elf, my first attempt at adding modelling snow to a base, and my first description that is not entirely SFW and potentially ideologically sensitive. Character description for Magissa is in the spoiler for this reason.

Magissa (open) Magissa (close)

Magissa is a High Priestess of the Cult of Pleasure in Naggaroth, dedicated to Slaanesh rather than Khaine. As befitting one of her order, she is a cruelly sadistic woman who draws pleasure from shedding the blood of her enemies; she even claims that the killing of High Elves in particular makes her ecstatic. She is involved in a romantic and sexual relationship with her elder brother, something her fellow priests and priestesses commend her for and has given her as much of her status as her magical prowess has.

Age of Sigmar
As previously stated, I deliberately postponed the June post in this thread. This was because I knew that between July 4th and July 11th, a whole new ruleset for Warhammer Fantasy would be announced, and it has been announced now: Warhammer Age of Sigmar replaces Warhammer Fantasy. I wanted to know what would happen to my current armies in it, and I have to say… I am pleasantly surprised.

With the removal of a points system and the categorization of Core, Special, and Rare units, it’s now easier and cheaper than ever to make a properly themed army. Also, it appears the current range is going to remain available for purchase, so I can safely expand my current armies without worrying that they’re going to disappear- Games Workshop has even been kind enough to make the new rules for the existing miniatures available entirely for free.

This means I plan to make the following armies using the new rules for Age of Sigmar:
1). House Silverstag of Atylwyth (The World That Was)
House Silverstag will remain mostly the same as it was. Two groups of basic archers, two groups of spearmen, and a group of snipers form the core, with variable units such as fast cavalry, flying cavalry, and forest spirits bolstering them as they fight under the command of the characters I have. Their lore remains unchanged, too- House Silverstag remains in an eternal pre-End Times timeline.

2). House Flameseeker of Caledor (The World That Was)
Similar to House Silverstag, House Flameseeker will not change much. Building heavily on a core of heavy cavalry and two dragons, they will likely get some magic reinforcements and some ranged options, but their lore as a household of proud and arrogant warriors will not change. Just like House Silverstag, House Flameseeker’s lore remains pre-End Times and will not be changed to reflect the new Age of Sigmar.

3). House Durendale of Bretonnia (Age of Sigmar)
My first, and most likely main, Age of Sigmar army will be House Durendale, my Bretonnian army. Now that I can combine factions, I plan to add a handful of Empire units to it for variety, but for backstory purposes these will be Bretonnian knights all the same. The lore of this army is as yet unwritten, although the main characters do have names and some backstories; I’m waiting to get my hands on the Age of Sigmar fluff so I can come up with something.

Finished Products: Tyrion, Caladris, Ynraith, Pegasus Knight Hornblower, and Warhawk Rider.

With Summer Break almost at an end, boy, do I have updates for you. Over the course of July and August I have finished a whopping five miniatures, all of them either cavalry or characters (or both in the case of one), and I'm fairly happy with how they turned out.

Prince Tyrion, the Defender of Ulthuan
Tyrion is a Special Character from the High Elves Army, and a very powerful one at that. With 6 attacks in both Shooting and Close Combat, a good Save Roll, 6 Wounds, and a special rule that lets him revive with all 6 Wounds on the roll of 2 or more, he is a great general for an Aelven army. Unless you roll like crap, of course.

Pictures inside (open) Pictures inside (close)

"Prince Tyrion is the High Elves' greatest living warrior. So valiant and skilled is he that the bards of Ulthuan sing that he is nothing less than Aenarion reborn- a tale that is given credence far beyond Ulthuan's shores. Since Tyrion's meteoric rise to fame, many have whispered of his destiny to lead the High Elves to a glorious future, and perhaps one day to take the Phoenix Crown. If Tyrion hears such gossip, he pays it no heed, for he is unswervingly loyal to Finubar. Thus does Tyrion concern himself only with the twin duties of protecting Ulthuan and its Everqueen. However, the latter is seen less as a duty than it is a calling of the heart- it is common knowledge that Tyrion is Alarielle's consort, and has been for many years." --Warhammer Armies: High Elves (2012 Edition; extract)

Tyrion is one of my favourite Warhammer: Fantasy characters from before the Age of Sigmar, and one of my favourite Character miniatures in the range. William King, the author who first wrote about him and his brother Teclis, describes him as 'a psychopath who's really good at hiding he's a psychopath,' and while Tyrion would never voluntarily fight for evil, he takes great pleasure in killing. It's a duality I don't often see, even in Warhammer characters, and his cheerful personality compared to Teclis's sourness makes him easy to like as a character.

You'll notice I've painted this particular Tyrion in the same colours I used for Sylvir and Irathir, and will in fact use for all of House Flameseeker. This is a conscious decision, as I wanted to be able to field him in my army without standing out like a sore thumb. I have a second model in my possession and plan to paint it according to his 'official' colour scheme, or at least closer to it.

Sadly, Tyrion does not appear to be present in the Age of Sigmar. RIP Tyrion: you will be missed.

Caladris the Mage
The current Starter Set for Age of Sigmar involves Stormcast Eternals and Khorne Bloodbound, but the last Starter Set for Warhammer Fantasy 8th Edition contained an army of High Elves and an army of Skaven. I've taken the High Elves, but I didn't feel right reducing the characters in it to semi-generics under command of Makaris and Helion, so I'm making a second, smaller High Elves Army based around the Island of Blood set. Caladris is the Wizard in the Island of Blood, and served as an introduction to the Magic Phase for new players.

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"To Elven standards, 150-year-old Caladris is young. He is one of many Elves with a natural gift for magical powers. What's more, he can manipulate the Winds of Magic to a degree that is far beyond the Wizards of lesser races. Along with a decade-long study of magic under the Archmages of the fabulous White Tower, this makes Caladris a mighty Mage.

Caladris and Althran first met during the battle for Stormkeep. The Mage saved the Prince from a couple of Trolls by preventing them from devouring the Prince with a few magical fireballs. That's when their friendship began, and Althran values Caladris's expertise and advice, especially when it comes to mystical and magical items.

In preparation of a battle, Caladris spends many long hours reading old texts to prepare himself for the trial before him. With his Channeling Staff, he can unbind the magic of his opponent and with a mere glance, he can incinerate entire enemy units. Additionally, his presence has a reassuring effect on the rest of the army, for as long as he lives, all are assured of victory." --Island of Blood introduction booklet (liberally translated)

I've liked Caladris's miniature since I first saw it and I'm glad to finally have gotten around to painting it. His friendship with Althran appeals to me greatly -just look at all the tight friendships and family bonds I have within my own armies- and I'm happy to see that it accounts for a special rule in Age of Sigmar.

Princess Ynraith of Modryn
And with the pre-named characters out of the way, I want to move on to my own characters. I am really happy to see how useful Spellweavers have become in Age of Sigmar, especially since I always planned to use two in my Wood Elves army. Now that they can restore fallen units, shield existing units, AND attack, as well as getting a free dispel per game, I am more justified than ever in fielding both Aelthryn and Ynraith!

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Ynraith is not native to Atylwyth- she is instead born to Modryn, which lives in an eternal night. Originally a diplomatic envoy from her father, she grew close with Aelthryn and ended up as Tharien's fiancee, staying in Atylwyth to get settled into her new position. She's a little shy, but holds immense power (in 8th Edition, she was a wielder of Dark Magic whereas Aelthryn used Life or High Magic) and has no inhibitions when using it against the enemies of Athel Loren, much like any other asrai.

Warhawk Rider
Normally I wouldn't show off a single rank-and-file model, but Warhawk Riders can be fielded as single models as well as as units in the Age of Sigmar rules. I plan to add another four Warhawk Riders to the set, but since they're sold individually this is a bit of a financial endeavour. For now, this one will have to handle himself on the battlefield- not that that is a problem, since FOUR wounds is unheard of for a normal unit.

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Pegasus Knight Hornblower
Much like the Warhawk Rider, under normal circumstances I would wait until the whole unit is finished before showing this off. However, since this is the very first painted unit of my new-ish Bretonnian/Empire/Free People/Human army, I would like to post this regardless because it establishes the colour scheme and heraldry I'll be working with.

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I should note that I did not come up with this heraldic device, however. Vice drew it up way, way back when, for a specific country in FEP's original setting RP. Now that that board is gone or at least changed beyond recognition, I felt safe using it because I really liked it.

Well, I think that's all for now. Stay tuned though, because I have a lot of stuff lined up for future posts!

Finished Products: Lord Witherthorn, The Mage-Guard, and Damsel Aelika

College has begun again, but I’ve managed to get some things done regardless- one of which is very big. I’ve done a bit of restructuring of the thread, in the first five posts, to get some more order in some armies. So be sure to check that out.

Lord Witherthorn the Patient
While I cannot use too many Forest Spirits in House Silverstag because of the eternal winter in Atylwyth, I couldn’t bring myself to not use at least ONE Treeman Ancient. They are awesome wizards, and they hit like fantasy trucks. Also, they can hop around the battlefield like nobody’s business if you’ve got a few Forests on it. What’s not to like?

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Witherthorn is the oldest and strongest Forest Spirit in Silverstag territory, and is friendly towards the Elves in the forest. However, he does not tolerate other intruders on his grounds and is a force to be reckoned with in battle. Fortunately for invaders, he spends most of his time asleep due to his age and the eternal cold, but Ynraith and Aelthryn’s combined magic can rouse him and his handmaidens to bolster the Elven lines.

For those of you who want to know just how big this bastard is, I'd like to refer to my Photobucket where I have a size comparison with my hand.

The Mage-Guard
The Island of Blood boxed Set contained a set of Swordmasters of Hoeth, specialized meleeists who are dedicated to protecting the wizards and loremasters of the High Elves. They’re pretty neat exclusives that can no longer be gotten elsewhere- the Swordmasters of Hoeth available on the webshop are similar, but not the same.

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The Mage-Guard have been assigned to Caladris as his personal guards and are always either at his side or on the frontlines, depending on how badly they’re needed. I wasn’t sure about the stars on the banner at first, but it ended up pretty nice, and they look neat when in formation.

Damsel Aelika
I’ve had a number of Bretonnian models for a long time, but never painted them properly or made a full army with them. People who saw the old thread may remember Aelika; I painted her in this particular colour scheme to call back to my Dark Mage character in the Tellius RP on FEP.

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Aelika is the sorceress and spiritual leader of the Guardians of Life, their most direct link with the Lady of the Woods, and exists outside of their normal hierarchy. She protects the army from harm, mostly leaving the offensive to others.

The Guardians of Life; planning
I mentioned before that I’m making my Bretonnians into a Free People army, but I figured I might as well take full advantage of the freedom offered by the Age of Sigmar rules and go wild (for my standards) with combinations. The core will remain Bretonnians, but with additions of Aelves (Wood Elves for thematic reasons) and a few Empire here and there- although I would like to put Bretonnian knights on the backs of the Empire mounts. The entire army will be cavalry-based, except for Damsel Aelika, who can also be fielded on foot.

If I’m going to go Age of Sigmar, I might as well go all the way, so I’ve opted to start re-basing the ones I had and put them on round/oval bases. I already did Aelika on foot because I had a slotted round base laying around from an related project- but for everything else, I need a particular kind of base that I don’t have at the moment.

It can wait, I want to have my Wood Elves done first, but I’m really excited to get to work on this army!

That’s all I have for this month, but stay tuned for October, when I hope to have the Stormrider’s Garrison completed!

Finished Projects: Prince Avalon, Captain Aleis, Captain Elvita, Waywatchers, and Hunting Hounds
Belated happy 2016, everyone! So, I've been long overdue for a post here, for reasons of my own- mostly that I kept forgetting and/or didn't have that much to show. But over the course of December I have gotten a LOT of shit done and I'd like to show you!

That said, let me preface the pictures by saying that taking them in the presence of my very excitable 2-year-old Rottweiler who had never seen a DSL before was quite an adventure.

Damsel Aelika on Chakora
Back in the old days, Damsels of the Lady came in 2-packs containing one on foot and one on horseback. Come to think of it, they still do! Because it's hard for me to justify TWO divine envoys in one army, I've used the same colour scheme on both and declared them the same character, just with or without her steed.

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Although Aelika is the only person in the entire army to ever take to the battlefield on foot, she, too, prefers the swiftness and the safety that a horse provides her. Her black mare Chakora is as mysterious as she is; although it socialises with the other mounts and eats as a normal horse, it is as old as its mistress, rumoured to remember the days of the World-That-Was.

Captain Aleis
I have an inordinate number of characters for House Silverstag, which is entirely because I had the miniatures and I wanted to use them. However, Aleis is one of the characters I currently feel I could no longer do without, considering her important position in the army. She's one of my favourite miniatures of 2015 in spite of her simplicity.

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Daughter of Princess Aelthryn and Captain Fataris, Aleis is second in line to become leader of House Silverstag unless her uncle Tharien produces offspring of his own. However, she does far more than sit around, and makes herself useful as supreme commander of the archery division of House Silverstag- commanding the Glade Guard, Glade Riders, and potentially the Waywatchers. Despite her young age, she's a prodigy both at archery and at navigating the forest, and never takes to battle without her familiar, Mist-Beak the minor Forest Spirit.

Captain Elvita
Battle Standard Bearers are no longer as universally useful as they were in Warhammer Fantasy, but it feels better to me to have one for each army that I field; they're a rallying point and if well-painted they just look damn good. Elvita is that Battle Standard Bearer for House Silverstag, despite having taken a MASSIVE nerf as far as I'm concerned.

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Elvita is an illegitimate cousin of Tharien and Aelthryn's- it's a long story and not one she wants to dwell on. Undyingly faithful to her cousins and devoted to Athel Loren, she's Tharien's number two on the battlefield and bears Silverstag's Banner of Athel Loren into battle to provide a rallying point for their men.

I've taken two different approaches to the two different sides of the banner. The front is derived from the Banner of the Hunter King, King Orion's royal standard, as it was depicted in the old Wood Elves Army Book. Originally, I intended to COPY that banner, but my painting skills weren't up to par and it ended up being a derivation instead. Still, I'm glad with how it turned out, and that I at least did something with it, considering that Silverstag is more devoted to Orion than to Ariel.

That said I told myself 'fuck me if I'm going to repeat that on the other side' and I decided on a different style on the back. First is the little tree/heraldry of Atylwyth, the realm of Athel Loren where Silverstag is located. Second is a rune representing the Bow of Kurnous- Kurnous being the Hunter God and Father of All Elves, whose avatar is Orion and whom Silverstag worships above other gods. The final rune represents the restoration of balance, which is something all Wood Elves are obsessed with.

Prince Avalon
Avalon is one of those characters I included because I had the miniature- much like Ynraith, he hails from a neighbouring part of Athel Loren and represents one of the alliances Tharien has made. This is why he's been painted in a different colour scheme from the rest of the army.

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Avalon is the son and heir of one of the many noble houses of Cavaroc, the least densely wooded realm on the border of Athel Loren and Bretonnia. Cavaroc's soldiers are primarily mountees, so it's no surprise that Avalon is rarely ever seen without his stallion Balcamir, even when visiting Atylwyth. He greatly looks up to Tharien, who is worthy of riding a Great Stag and has ridden with the Wild Hunt several times, and is the closest thing to a boyfriend Princess Aleis has.

The Shadowy Snipers
Waywatchers. WAYWATCHERS. They've received a bit of a nerf from Warhammer Fantasy to Warhammer Age of Sigmar, but they will probably ALWAYS be my favourite unit type in Warhammer, or a very close contender for it; the only competition they have right now is Dragon Princes. I always bring these babies to any battle I play, and I'm so happy they're finished!

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The Shadowy Snipers are the absolute finest of the archers serving Tharien, but also the most unknowable. They are incredibly unsociable, spending very little time in the presence of their kin or even each other, and it is unknown even who they report to directly- Aleis, Tharien, or someone else altogether. However, fact is that they are eerily accurate and deadly with their bows, and they are never far away when Silverstag goes to battle.

The Pack
A new addition to the Wood Elf list is that of Hunting Hounds, a weak and fragile, but fast unit type that can be used as a distraction or as harassment. I only have four because I used the fifth wolf in the box for my 'Hunt Only the Weak and the Elderly' diorama, but that's alright- Hunting Hounds are classified as a unit consisting of any number of models. It should be noted that I used Fenrisian Wolves from the 40k range for this, since Hunting Hounds are otherwise not separately available.

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These are a small pack of wolves that Tharien uses to hunt and run with him as he joins the Wild Hunt and any normal battle on Silverstag soil. It is unknown what their origins are- most Elves think they are either common wolves or Forest Spirits, but rumours abound about the beasts being the only things that remain of intruders in Silverstag territory, their souls re-moulded into a form that could serve the Athel Loren and placed under Tharien's command. Regardless of what they are, they are vicious and loyal.

By the end of January I hope to have finished my Glade Guard. This doesn't sound like much, but they're 32 Elven Archers. Yyyyeeeeeaaaaah I'm not looking forward to that, but no pain, no gain. Once those are done, I'll post the pictures- as well as compilations of the entire Archery Division, since the Glade Guard are the last miniatures required to finish that!