Friday 10 February 2017

Cool Armour, Bro

A handful of Dungeon Saga models from completion, and yet my attention has wandered. What could possibly be responsible this distraction?

One of these things is not like the other...

Let's lift that veil...


Yes, it's the Knight-Questor from the Silver Tower. My first Stormcast Eternal, and consider me all-in for the Age of Sigmar!

Stormcast Eternal Knight-Questor for Warhammer Quest, Silver Tower
ONLY THE FAITHFUL!

A few posts back, Kraken made an offhand comparison between Stormcast and the mighty Valandor and so while I was painting up Mr Fancypants himself, I thought I'd throw a few splashes of paint onto a Knight-Questor, just to see how they stood up.

It turns out, a few splashes of paint are all you need to get a a Stormcast Eternal looking very table-top respectable, The process of painting him was unbelievably quick and easy, considering the final outcome.

This, I suspect, is the real genius of the Age of Sigmar's poster boys. Not that they are heroic and mighty superhumans, but that you can go far with a modest amount of painting skill. Large model; good surfaces to wash and layer; and best of all - no eyes! With just a few paints, any beginner could get a really nice looking model at the end of it. Unlike the rest of us, who had to struggle through a long process of painting really crap miniatures, a Stormcast army will get you on the table quickly and with an army you'd be satisfied with. There are better looking models out there, but this is a masterclass in design.

Now I've stopped drooling, the model himself. Being of limited imagination, I'd always seen Stormcast as the Hammers of Sigmar 'all-gold' look. But Leofa has already bagged that scheme, and I've been listening to the Hunt for Nagash audio drama, where the Hallowed Knights battle through the Realm of Death. I wasn't sure about the silver-and-gold armour, but fluff wins out (it always does) and so it goes:

  • Armour: Leadbelcher base, Drakenhof Nightshade wash, Ironbreaker drybrush, Stormhost Silver drybrush
  • Gold trim: Retributor Armour base, Reikland Flesh wash, Golden Griffon drubrush
  • Kilt: Wazdakka Red base, Nuln Oil wash
  • Plume: Khorne Red base, Nuln Oil wash, Mephiston Red drybrush
  • Shoulderplate & Shield: Ultramarine Blue base, Drakenhof Nightshade glaze
  • Cloak: Calgar Blue base, Drakenhof Nightshade wash, Caledor Sky drybrush
  • Trim: Ulthuan Grey base, White Scar highlights
  • Sash: Flayed One Flesh base, Seraphim Sepia Wash, Flayed One Flesh drybrush

Stormcast Eternal Knight-Questor for Warhammer Quest, Silver Tower
(only the lonely)

So I'm very happy with the outcome, and already eyeing up a Stormcast starter army (for as long as my resolve holds not to buy anything new until I've cleared the leadpile a bit more).

But let's see how he stacks up against Dungeon Saga's armour-clad superman...

Games Workshop vs Mantic
Cool armour, bro.

Your choice, no hurry.

Wet Palette

And before signing off: a public service announcement. I'm sure you're all responsible painters and use two thin coats of watered-down paint (the Gospel According to Duncan).

However, if you're a lazy sod like me, you might just skip that step. Because even though thinned paint applies better, and most pots desperately need it - when you've thinned your paint in a jamjar lid, it inevitably dries to a solid crust within minutes - and why bother with that.

What you need to get (and probably have got - I must be the last hobbyist to cotton on) is a wet palette. There's a video below from the excellent Tabletop Minions on the tools you'll need for its construction (spoiler alert: it's a tupperware box, wet paper towel and piece of baking parchment).


Anyway, I'm very impressed with the effects. I had to thin down a batch of my old Ultramarine Blue - a week later, and it's still wet and usable. So I'll be thinning my paints in future, and it will certainly come in handy for mixing colours.

Just remember to take your sandwiches out of the box first.

2 comments:

  1. Some of those Stormcast models are really good, creepy gothic pieces. There's some relic bearer with a skeleton in a box, for example, who looks great, and I haven't seen many paint jobs (metallic or otherwise) that don't work. I'm almost tempted, especially by the forthcoming light cavalry and minigriffon packs.

    But dammit, I also feel like I want to give that big goof Valendor another try, see if I can't improve him somehow...

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    1. I bet those new units would mix up well with Space Wolf heads and cloaks to make some kind of Arctic vanguard. Shame you don't have much experience in painting snow bases...

      And in sure Valandor is totally salvageable. He just needs a head swap. A weapon swap, an arm swap, a body swap, a leg swap and a new cloak, and you're there! His base is fine.

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