The Axeman Cometh

Last painted Delves before Christmas. They nearly didn't make the cut.

Defer! Defer!
To the Lord High Elficutioner!

Seeing as all Elves are one now, I guess the fact that these aren't really Har Ganeth Executioner models really makes no odds. They're Wood Elves at heart, Wildwood Rangers in fact, although General Leofa's deft touches are scattered around the models to make them a little darker. Paint them evil and you'd never know, right?

I'm not bad. I'm just painted that way.

Keen to cut corners as ever, I didn't paint any eyes on this lot. This is because from table height, you can't see their faces. Those deep cowls shadow them entirely, and I reckon it's a bit cooler if they're lost in shadow. Might need a darker wash to achieve this better, having seen the photos, but in real life the lip of the hood keeps the eyes very much in the dark.

There you go, that's the look they generally sport when not being hit in the face with camera flash.

They aren't the greatest model in the GW stable, I have to say. Not bad at all, mind, but I find their poses very static. There's not much sense of movement beyond a steady march, and no impression of swinging those lovely choppers. 

One alone, the unit champion, is the genuine article. Looks pretty Darth in that helmet, I'd say.

Leofa! I am your father!

There's a chance that these chaps can double as Shades, the Dark Elf premium skirmishes who can take double handed weapons. You can probably use these bat'leths glaives to bung arrows at people, right? Or they have concealed crossbows in the hilt. Yeah, that.

Why be content with head removal when you can cut people in half through the heart with your ludicrously outside axes?

Painting Guide:

• Purples - basecoat with the usual washes and highlights
• Cloaks - Abaddon Black bottoms with Deadly Nightshade tops. The tops were washed with Nuln Oil and layered with Shadow Grey, the bottoms layered with more Deadly Nightshade
• Armour - Rhinox Hide with an XV88 drybrush
• Belt and Shinguards - Brass Scorpion, Agrax Earthshade wash and Ancient Gold drybrush
• Skin - Kislev Flesh, Flesh Wash and Kislev Flesh layer with a Pallid Wychflesh drybrush
• Gems - XV88 base, Golden Yellow, Bad Moon Yellow layer, a lick of Brown Ink and then a White Scar dot. Yellow is a bitch to paint gems with, I've decided, this needs practice
• Facecloths - Emperor's Children (to tie in with other units) and a Pink Horror drybrush
• Scale Tabard - Glistening Blue with Nuln Oil
• Weapons - Abaddon Black, Mithril and Runefang silver layers
• Axe Handles - Bleached Bone, Agrax Earthshade wash and White Scar drybrush

As ever, a character to round off. Almost the last of these ladies, I keep finding more in the lower recesses of the boxes.

Not blood in her cup - partly because she's not skimming the relevant cauldron, partly because why not try new Arctic Raspberry Delfaid?

This isn't the original Leofa conversion, her dagger had snapped midway along the blade in transit and the top half of it was missing. I trimmed down a Chaos Warrior blade for her instead, which is a little clumsy-looking. Probably hurts more though.

You twit.

No unit next week. It's Christmas! I'd only paint them red and green with candycane weapon handles, and then Kas would make me redo them.