Monday 30 March 2015

Pass, the Ogres on the Left Hand Side: Ogre Kingdoms vs Warriors of Chaos

A Scheduling Oversight!

It's All-Skype Fight Night!



After a number of failed attempts over the last fortnight, and a memory failure on my part, Kraken and I (Kas) broke out the dice and battleboard for another EndTimes-esque battle. In a break from tradition, I will be writing in normal font, and will leave Kraken to be bold.

I certainly am Bold. It's the real-life equivalent of Stubborn. Which I also am.

This time we would be playing non-Legion lists (Ogres vs Warriors) but would be trying the (now standard) composition rules from Archaon book. 

This is a format I had experienced before. Many years ago Leofa and I had played a game of this format; affectionately referred to as "Billie"... Why you may ask? "Because we want to!" (click only for nostalgia)

Sunday 29 March 2015

Now On Radio 4, The Archers

Finally, I add some more Core troops to my Wood Elf army (spoiler alert: they're the kind that go twang!).

Quite a lot of models (by my standards), and they should probably be separated into two units to be effective - but it's Sunday, so let's have an Archers Omnibus!

Wood Elf Glade Guard, Warhammer Fantasy Battle
"Pum pa-pum pa-pum pa-pum!"

Thursday 26 March 2015

Violent Tilting: Warriors of Chaos vs High Elves


No time to rewrite!
It's All-Skype Fight Night!


Is it strange to sit alone on your kitchen floor, surrounded by tiny plastic toys that are being commanded from a different country? No? Phew, I thought I might be in trouble for a moment there. 

Welcome back for the Skype Debut of both General Palafox and his High Elves, as they brave the swampy wilds of my Swedish linoleum! A simple match, with original and best 8th Ed rules and no secret boasts - just two easy-going armies beating the living kidneys out of each other in a friendly match to the bitter death. 

Tuesday 24 March 2015

Ambush Predator

I know I said it was going to be terrain next. I clearly lied.


Orlygg over on the Realm of Chaos 80s blog was challenging all comers to some speed painting the other day. And as it happens, I've got a skypeboot scheduled for tomorrow, for which Gen. Stylus has selected the lists. He went and included a Chimera, and I have a Reaper model for one. But it wasn't assembled or painted.

Placeholder image, for the truly wishful. Mierce, you'll be the death of my pension yet.


Monday 23 March 2015

King of Spew York

Having finished the High Elves, it was time to paint the rewards!

Guess who's coming to dinner?

Saturday 21 March 2015

That Cold-Hearted Birch

I like Drycha. She's one of the few unashamedly nasty characters in the Wood Elf fluff. So also plays a role in resurrecting Nagash (more out of spite than a deep-lying scheme, I think), so you can blame her for the End Times.

Drycha, Briarmaven of Woe, from Warhammer Wood Elves
Birch, please

Friday 20 March 2015

G'bye Elves



A final Helf check - a full army shot of the High Elves and their movement trays.

The trays are the GW plastic kit, which chops up into whatever shapes you want (hint - not round). With a bit of sticky-backed iron, some modelling concrete and a lot of PVA glue, the Helves now have their burnt deserty look finished.

There was a bit of touching up as well - gloss varnish for all the spear and weapon tips, a few missing feathers restored. And the BSB's eyes got fixed, because they were bugging me terribly! Here he is with the spearmen, who also have their pet dragon in place.

Thursday 19 March 2015

Marauder Dawn: Warriors of Chaos vs Empire

Prologue


Salaga contemplated the gold coins in his hand. "The Burgomeister is worried," he concluded. "He's never paid us in advance before."

The paymaster was busying himself among the mercenary regiments, freely distributing stipends and promising more if they fought hard. They'd marched a long way through the Border Princes to take this job, and it seemed their leader had doubts that they'd be marching back.

"He values our talents," Mechika looked up from slowly whetting his ceremonial knife to answer his fellow acolyte. "He pays out of respect for our master."

Salaga scowled, biting back his response. Mechika's words never revealed anything, no more than his face did. In all their travels, that cold snake had never let his mask slip, never questioned the motives of their Hierophant master. But Salaga was not deceived: both apprentices had been sent on this dangerous mission so that one might prove himself, and the other might die.

And Salaga would ensure that he alone triumphed. Once this renegade daemon had been banished back to the void, he would ensure that Mechika would follow close behind.

---

Mechika eyed his fellow acolyte, so hot with temper it might singe his topknot. Salaga had little control over his emotions; it made him powerful. And vulnerable. He would have to look after him in the coming battle, for the deamon Phlothos was not to be underestimated. If even half the stories were to be believed, this unclean one was indestructible, surviving a string of bloody encounters to emerge stronger every time.

Now Phlothos had corrupted a village of farmers and peasants. Even at this distance, Mechika could see the massive horde brandishing their wood axes and scythes, like a pack of beastmen bearing down upon them. These were indeed dark days, and it was the duty of every pupil to cast his own light against it.

"To battle, then." he nodded at Salaga and took his place among the crossbowmen.

"To battle." Salaga strode off to join the other unit of Tileans. At least they had been spared fighting in the front rank. Here, on this hill, they would be afforded some protection.

He would do his duty. And yet Mechika wondered why they had been sent here, to such a remote corner, to confront a daemon who was already leaving their lands.

And then it occurred to him that perhaps their master, wise as ever, had devised a means of ridding himself of two ambitious apprentices at one stroke.


Let All Wrongs be put Right!
It's All-Skype Fight Night!

As the Warhammer World is pitched into the writers' bin at GW, the epic journey of Phlothos is almost at its shattering conclusion! Tonight, having ascended to Daemonhood but lost his entire warband in the process, he's up against the stalwart steel of the Empire. Can he reach his final goal and extract vengeance on the dwarves? Or will these puny mortals thwart his schemes?

I alone, Kraken, shall chronicle Phlothos's deeds...

And I, Stylus, will once again captain the revolving-door of opposing armies - this time it's The Empire! (in the guise of greedy Dogs of War, bless 'em)

We're playing another of our variant magic phase rules, this time using standard 8th Ed magic rules but with End Times spell selection - so everybody knows everything, but has much less power to cast it with.


Tuesday 17 March 2015

Let Me Ent-ertain You

Lacking the time (or indeed the attention span) to stick with one army, I have flitted away from the Night Goblins once more and come back to the Wood Elves. The painting equivalent of a gadfly (or a Mangler Squig, if you've seen the way I do eyeballs).

I thought to reignite my interest in the Asrai with something large and arboreal:

Lord of the Rings Treebeard - Treeman
"I AM *NOT* GROOT!"

Monday 16 March 2015

Dragon it out


...aaaand that's a wrap.

Last of the High Elves painted, although I've still got the bases and movement trays to finalise before the job's a good 'un. Save the best until last, right?

Monday 9 March 2015

Reap the Rewards

Finally! A little over a year and a half after the paying end of things, my Reaper Bones II Kickstarter backer stuff turned up.

The armchair it's sitting on is only toddler-size, sadly. And thank you Blogger for your mystic ability to undo photo rotation, very helpful.

Seeing as I've been banging on about it for ages, I thought I'd do what middle-aged nerds of the internet generation seem to do and unbox it. Not as a video, I know that's the tradition. But I just don't have the power, sorry chaps.


So, what's in the box? Find out after the break!

Thursday 5 March 2015

Red Arrows

Jesus, Conrad! Same team!
 
The RAF website describes the famous Red Arrows as an aerobatic team. These guys can't fly, so they're merely an acrobatic display team. What more could you want from your sprightly light cavalry?