Bodacious

Funny - this is actually one of the smaller units I've painted in the last few months, and it seemed to take the longest. I'm not counting cavalry units of five (Horses count double, I reckon), so perhaps I'm getting close to a burn-out. Once I've got this Helf army done, definitely time for a rest.

But for now! Here's the obligatory archer unit for Palafox's Elves. Sticking with yellow, red and gold for the basic palette, very much in line with what's gone before.

Bases still a work in progess - I'm going to go back round the whole army and add a bit of grass later, I think

Squaaaaaaawk

Part of the reason it took longer than usual is that I changed my mind twice about paint schemes while I was doing them. Initially the sleeves on their coats were also yellow, but that made them awfully samey. And look, if you're an elf and have the opportunity to wear gigantic flouncy sleeves, surely you're going to take it, right?

Seconds later, in an absent moment, the banner was fired towards the enemy

In the same first draft, the arrows had blue fletching. But then that rather diminished the impact of the blue gems. And I couldn't really do rubies on red sashes, and anything else just felt wrong. So I redid the arrows in a deserty yellow and brown instead.

I know the rule is that champions have swords, but it's kind of daft for archers. Couldn't he have an extra fancy bow? 

For elves with some of the worst hairstyles in the entire GW range, these guys paint up pretty well. A few odd poses, too. How some of these supposedly professional archers are going to reload with their quivers all over the place, I've no idea. Perhaps they've been watching too much Lars Anderson.

Yeah, grimace away. It won't get the arrows any nearer. 

Ahah! The enemy! Perhaps now I shall draw my bow. 

Painting Guide:

• Yellow - Averland Sunset with Golden Yellow and Bad Moon Yellow layers. Agrax Earthshade wash for contrast, Hexos Palesun for drybrushing
• Arrow Decals - The Black Laundry Pen made it through this unit before my wife spotted what I was up to with it. Back to paint brushes again for next time
• Red - Khorne Red with Blood Red layer, a rather sparing Wild Rider Red drybrush
• Gems - As previous, although the unit champion has purple ones instead. Genestealer Purple with Lucius Lilac stripes, Pink Horror second stripe and a White Scar light dot as usual. The heart shaped ones didn't come out as well, I haven't quite got the shapes of the light reflections right yet

This one came out best

• Fletching - Zandri Desert Yellow with Agrax Earthshade. Over White Scar shaded with Thingy Nightshade and Teclis Blue stripes, if you want to be really accurate
• Byronic Sleeves - Kommando Khaki base with White Scar layers, then a bit of touching up with both Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade washes
• Leathers - XV88 with Agrax Earthshade wash and Tyrant Skull drybrush
• Hair and Bags - Abaddon Black with Pallid Wychflesh drybrush
• Skin - Dwarf Flesh with Agrax Earthshade then Flesh Wash
• Feathers - Rhinox Hide with XV88 drybrush, then Abaddon Black and White Scar stripes up top; Zandri Desert quill stripe

In a final, determined return to form, there is a character again this week. It's General Stylus's conversion of an Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower crewman. Why do the bolt thrower crews come with scrolls so often? Fantasy notepads and pens, I suppose, that they work out the trajectory maths on. Feels a bit daft to me, like if they haven't practised enough to have a decent feel for the equipment before the fight, hurriedly carrying the ten isn't much going to help hit a charging Ogrestar. Still, maybe that's why they miss so much.

Blast! I dropped my spaghetti on the scroll again.

The scroll seems much better on a wizard, I reckon. The only thing I added was a sprig of dried grape stalk that I found lurking conveniently on the kitchen table. The wizard is now in the process of consuming the scroll, sucking the magical energy out before unleashing it on the foe.

Owing to a mix-up at the shop, he found himself casting a Destroy Scroll Spell. 

That's the larger units more or less sorted for the High Elves! Now for the fun stuff - characters and horseys.