I blame the film the Mummy, http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120616/ with Brendan Fraser and Rachel Weisz, and with an excellent supporting cast too. I had always liked Ancient Egypt, and had even planned to do a 3rd Edition Undead army complete with Mummies and chariots (maybe a retro project for the future?), but after watching the Mummy it inspired me to collect a Tomb Kings army when the range was released a few years later.
In the older, first edition of the army book (2002) there was a bit about a Khemri King named Setep, and a magical weapon description in the magical weapons armoury belonging to him.
Both read:
5th Dynasty
Setep
So it is said of Setep: He made himself king of Khemri. He restored the Necropolis and replenised the priesthood.
And in the magical weapons section:
Blade of Setep.
This Highly ornamented curved sword belonged to King Setep of the 5th Dynasty, and it's edge shimmers with blue energy that can shatter armour.
Rather than make up a King or choose another one, and as I used the magical sword (in the game it negated armour saves, and after the first hit on a model wearing magical armour it destroyed it), I chose Setep, and stuck with him when the 2010 book was released.
Painting wise I liked the turquoise, red, and gold colour scheme for Khemri, so stuck with that. Later on I added more bits to the army, and replaced the metal Tomb Guards for the nicer plastic ones. I loved painting the army, both back in 2002 and in the later update in 2010.
It is a shame that I no longer play the current Warhammer rules as I dislike the increasing over-competative playing style and the 'arms race' of monsters and magical items. Even in 2010 it was more of a painting project than an attempt to create an army for gaming purposes, although I did assemble the army according to the lists.
I still have a about 100 Skelelons, 4 Chariots, the old Tomb Guard regiment, the 2002 limted edition Army Standard Bearer, and the metal Settra model to re/paint, but they are all low down on my 'to do list' .
Enjoy :)
2010 Army Book.
The painted army photograph, minus the Horse Archers which I forgot to place on the board!
Lord choices: Special Characters.
On the left (a metal) High Queen Khalida, and on the right Prince Apophas. The latter is one of only two 'Finecast models' I own, of which I am not a fan. Nice model, terrible quality resin.
Mounted Liche Priest, and the Prince/King model from the Warsphinx kit.
Two converted Liche Priests, on the left converted from a metal army standard bearer using plastic kit bits, and on the right a plastic model comverted from a spare Prince/King model above.
Another two Liche Priests.
Left is my other 'Finecast' model, and right an old Marauder Miniatures Liche (with the orginal end of his staff broken).
Tomb Prince, and old 1990's Citadel Mummy (both Metal).
Setep's Regiment of Chariots.
Above.
King Setep.
I swapped his large two handed sword for one of the plastic Tomb Guard ones.
Setep's Charioteers.
As they are part of Setep's personal Chariot Regiment I decided to add some the spare parts from the Tomb Guard set to suggest a mounted Tomb Guard. I also chose the other style of chariot fronts to differentiate from the other 'ordinary' chariot units.
Tomb Herald, the Army Standard Bearer.
The model is very top heavy so instead of a plastic skeletal horse model, I mounted him on a Warmaster Sphinx model. I had to greenstuff the saddle a little.
Close up of the mount (still counts as skeletal mount).
Troop Choices: two regiments of Chariots.
Close of of the ordinary Charioteer;
the Musican (using Tomb Guard horn);
Standard Bearer;
Champion.
30 strong Swordsmen Regiment.
Side view close ups showing the verde gris and bone colours.
Leader, made using a spare Chariot crew body, and musican with drilled out horn mouth.
Some of the swordsmen (and archers below) are moutned on regimental bases.
80 Archers.
I like the Tomb Kings archers, cheap and always hit on a 5+.
Close up.
Regimental based Archers.
Some of my characterful conversions/poses.
Side and rear views.
Two regiments of Horse Archers, always handy for flanks and hitting on the same 5+.
Close up.
Special Choices:
The 'new' Tomb Guard regiment.
Command models.
For the front rank I added two models wielding the Chariot crew halberds.
Regimental base.
Side Views.
Ushabti.
These are the old metal versions, and I made the regiment up of one of each of the sculpt types.
Hawk and Jackel.
Crocodile and Snake.
Sepulchral Stalkers.
I bought these purely because I love the look of the models.
Right.
Centre.
Left.
Metal Tomb Scopions.
Tomb Scorpion scurrying over ruin stone (spare part from Sepulchral Stalker set).
Each of the legs are seperate and had to be glued on and held. Fiddley.
Carrion.
Body type 1.
Body Type 2.
Here Kitty, Kitty... two Khemri Warsphinxes.
These look great on the board, and in the few modern games I have played, they are useful to have. Even better having two!
Howdah and crew of the one on the left.
Right side.
Howdah and crew of the left hand Warsphinx.
Rear view.
Side view of the first Warsphinx.
I went for the sandstone paint colour for the body rather than black or anything else. It seemed to fit better with the army and was more suggestive of the desert to me. It also looked a littl more like the colourations of Ancient Egyptian cats.
Rare Choice:
Necrosphinx. Big, scary, and it flies!
Torso and head shot. I chose the Skull head over the King head as it seemed to fit the army better.
Side view.
From this angle it looks very Persian or Babylonian. The design notes stated that the Khemri/Tomb kings range were not just inspired by Ancient Egypt, but were a composite of all the ancient Civilisations of that era and area.
View from infantry eye level.
Casket of Souls.
Top view, with added skulls from my bits box.
Liche Priest.
Altar Tomb Guard.
Rear view.
Screaming Skull Catapult.
Certianly a lot bigger than the 3rd Edition one.
Side view.
Crew.
Bone Giants, now re-named as the Necrolith Colossus.
I choose the plain skull head as personally I thought the other head option was a little too over the top.
The one on the right is the standard unaltered model. The one on the left I repostioned to stand side on, did'nt add the metal base, and slightly twisted the arms and body for the pose.
It's a shame there are several good rare choices now for the army as these are a great army choice and models.
Body of the right hand one.
Rear view.
Side on of the left hand one.
King Setep, stepping out from his tomb.
I filed down the sides of his base slightly so he could be fitted onto the back of his chariot, or used dismounted. I also, in accordance with the magical blade description, painted it with blue ink over silver to give that shimmering blue energy look. I also glued a shield to his back so he can still have that great 'hand out grasp powers pose'.
Not sure what next weeks update will be on. I need to get down to some serious painting, and have'nt decided whether to plough on with the Slann, have a look at the Slaves to Darkness era Emperor's Children army, or tackle something new.
A very nice army. I really like how you avoided too bright colours for some more worn-out look and the limited palette really helps to give the impression the army is thousnad years old.
ReplyDeleteBrilliant.
Oh and may I say I'm even more impressed now I know your collection of recent models is on par with your retro collection?
Glad you liked them and noticed what I wanted to do :)
DeleteI wanted to give that impression of an ancient army whose equipment may have once been bright, but time has aged it. I chose the limited palette to achieve this and also so the overall look of the army did'nt look too busy.
With my more recent models I still like to take the same effort as with the older stuff, although sometimes I find the models do lack the character of the older stuff. I find using the army books a good guide, even if I don't end up gaming with them, and it's fun.
Your love of the hobby is heartwarming, whatever you choose to exhibit next I can't wait.
ReplyDeleteThank you, very kind of you to say.
DeleteAlthough I don't game with the army anymore I did enjoy collecting them, arranging the army, and painting them. I really liked the background too, and overall feel of the army. I am pleased with how the army turned out, I think I got the look and feel of the army style I was going for.
As I mentioned above to Asslessman it's all about the fun, and this army was enjoyable to complete. Unfortunately a lot of current gaming often (but not always) requires bucket loads of dull plastic models that just need to done to complete an army, and so it's easy to lose that character and connective feel which you get with older models/armies from the earlier editions.
Personally I think gaming and collecting should'nt end up being a chore, nor should one end up pouring money into a project because it 'has to be done' to complete it or buy the lastet model that you 'need' to game with. The Tomb Kings were slightly different to that, and that is probably why I liked completing them.
I'm tempted to finish off my current Edition Ogre Army now. I was halfway through painting and converting them up when I got disillusioned with modern gaming. The background to the army was an Ogre army of Ind, basically Indian Ogres, complete with turbans and moustaches!
That's a very nice looking army. I would like to do a Khemri force someday, but too many other projects to even consider it any time soon.
ReplyDeleteIt was only as I was looking through your pictures that I realised that the skeleton archer miniatures are all left-handed archers.
I'd never noticed that before.
Thank you,
DeleteI know the feeling, so many new projects that would be great to do, but lots of old ones not yet completed.
It's an enjoyable army to collect and paint, and can be painted and themed in several different ways. I am even tempted to do a second one as a painting project.
It took me a while to notice the archers are left handed, and even despite me being left handed myself! LOL