As of today my blog has recieved 45,116 views since I started the blog 16 months ago! Again a big thank you to everyone who has taken an interest in my Blog.
I still have a lot of stuff I have'nt photographed as well as several projects still to do. :)
Painting wise I have'nt really done a lot this week. I finished off the 66 Skaven Slaves and paint stripped and undercoated the Skaven command models and other odds and ends that needed it. I have made a start on the Gutterrunners though. For the Skaven army I need to paint the 5 Command Groups, 10 Gutter Runners, 20 Stormvermin, and the Army Standard. Assuming I actually focus on painting a little more I think I could finish the army in about two weeks. This is a little later than planned, but I did add 40 more models to the army, and I have been distracted by the summer sunshine. :)
Chaos Nippon Army.
As I have mentioned before on my blog I have always wanted to collect a small 3rd Edition Army of Nippon, the Warhammer World equivalent of Japan (Cathay being thier China, Ind being thier India). In the 2nd Edition there was a Nipponese army list in Ravening Hordes, but for 3rd Edition there was only a mercenary list which could only be chosen by Dark Elf armies.
So instead of just doing a small Mercenary force, or making up a list (Warhammer Historical has an army list, but I decided not to use it as it would require too much conversion and I wanted the army to be 3rd Compatable) I decided to use the Chaos army list in Warhammer armies.
Why?
I wanted to use largely old Citadel models and the re-released ex-Citadel range from Wargames Foundry. The Empire, Norse, and Bretonnian armies did'nt really fit the range of models, and so I decided on the Chaos Army. The Chaos Thugs in the army list are the equivalent elite humans of normal armies and it fits the idea of the elite Samurai. In addition the Chaos list allows added extras such as Beastmen and Minotaurs which can be used as Oni (Japanese Demon folk). The backgound idea of a a Chaos Nippon army, perhaps forced to be renegades or have chosen to leave to seek glory, appealed as a back story. Finally there's the aesthetic modelling reason in that I think that the Samurai/Oriental models look better on the 25mm bases which Chaos Thugs use, more room for the models to be seen.
Paint scheme wise I plan to paint the Samurai armour and some of the clothes black, with constrasting colourful silk cloths for other items of clothing. I think this will stop the army looking too much like a mass of colour, give a Chaotic dark feel, and be close to a lot of dark armour used by actual Samurai. I also plan to add a mid green to sashes and other details as an overlall army colour. The reason for this is the computer game Civilisation 3, which allowed you to build up a Civilisation from scratch, and when I played the Japanese, the icons were always green on my edition. So I always thought if I did a Samurai force, it would have green on it somewhere.
The army list which follows is a provisional list as it needs to be tided up, but the basic framework of the army is more of less finalised:
Army General: Chaos Knight, heavy armour, Hell Honed Blade, shield, mounted on Chaos Wyvern =
469 points.
Level 20 Chaos Sorcerer = 240 points.
Level 10 Chaos Sorcerer = 85 points.
5 Minotaurs, light armour, double handed weapon = 280 points.
5 Minotaurs, light armour, double handed weapon = 280 points.
24 Chaos Thugs, heavy armour, spears, Standard bearer, musician, with a Chaos Warrior leader =
334 points.
24 Chaos Thugs, heavy armour, double handed weapons, Standard bearer, musician, with a Chaos Warrior leader = 361 points.
24 Chaos Thugs, heavy armour, hand weapons, Standard bearer, musician, with a Chaos Warrior leader
= 307 points.
10 Thugs, Heavy Armour, Longbows = 120 points.
24 Beastmen, Light Armour, double handed weapons, Stand Bearer, Mucisian, Level 10 Hero, Hell Honed Blade = 478 points.
Total = 2954 points.
As I said, I need to tinker with the list as I still have 46 points left, but the main regiments will stay the same.
The basic tatical plan for the army is to advance into close combat as soon as possible. The big blocks of Thugs have a good rank bonus, and the Beastmen/Oni will be a tough regiment to break as it has 51 wounds. The Minotaurs will act as flank guards and be used to go for other monsters, the double handed weapons delivering Strength 5 attacks. The Chaos Champion on a Wyvern will land on anything that require special attention.
Here are the photographs of the army, still to be painted. I will see about painting them after I have completed the Skaven.
Enjoy :)
Army shot.
Black Hat Miniatures.
I placed a small mail order to Black Hat Miniatures to add some of their models to the army from their Tale of the Dragon Kings Range, found here: http://www.blackhat.co.uk/online_shop/index.php?cPath=121_147&osCsid=3ac36918b8500e9f1feeb9b6e1647987
Although the models are more Chinese Myth, I think they work fine for a Nipponese Army as well, and I could'nt resist having an actual Oriental Minotaur in a Oni/Minoatur unit.
I bought the Goblin because he looked cute :)
Army General onWyvern.
The Wyvern is a converted Grenadier/Mirliton Oriental Dragon model I bought whch only had three legswhich I have converted into a Wyvern. I have kept the front arms and removed the back leg to give the impression of a Wyvern/Snakeman creature, and in place of the wings I assume that it is similar to Oriental Cloud Dragon, flying on a cloud, and so came up with the idea of a 'Cloud Wyvern'!
I still need finish off greenstuffing the saddle and scales. It is a huge and heavy model.
Hero mounted on the Wyvern. He is one of the Ex-Citadel Samurai models from Wargames Foundry designed by Aly Morrison in the early 1980s'.
I plan to paint the helmet fan to match the colour of the Cloud Wyvern.
Close up of the face.
On the left, the Level 20 Sorcerer on a Dragon Cloud, by Black Hat Miniatures.
On the right is the Level 10 Sorcerer, 'Dragon Man', from Hasslefree Miniatures.
5 Minotaurs, acting as Large Oni or Ushi-Oni.
I will be painting the armour the same as the rest of the army, black lacquered with green detailing, but I will paint the flesh a mid red.
Black Hat Minotaur armed with Oriental maces.
Two Grenadier Giant Oriental Orcs from the 1980's.
Two Ral Partha (I think) Oriental Ogres with added weapons from my bits box.
The second unit of Large Oni/Minotaur.
Citadel C23 Oriental Ogre, really fitting for the army.
2 Ral Partha Ogres, again with bits box weapons. I bought these (and the one below) ages ago, and never really had a use for them, but looking at them they looked to have a Chinese/Generic Oriental style of armour. The faces also looked a little Oni-ish to me, and so thought once painted they will be fine.
The third Ogre, and a random Oriental model, another Ral Partha model, I have collected from somewhere.
25 Oni/Beastmen.
24 of these models (including the unit leader) are old Alternative Armies Oriental Orcs from the early 1990's. I painted them as Eastern Lord of the Rings style Orcs back in the early 1990's. The models came with spears, but they will be re-equipped with double handed weapons before painting. I think they will make good Oni/Beastmen, and like thier larger cousins, will be painted red fleshed.
One of the models, second frm left, is an old Essex or Dixon Orc, I cannot recall.
Close up of some of the different types.
25 Chaos Thugs with Spears.
I have mixed the various Samurai, Oriental Heroes, and Ninja models together to give a variety in each regiment.
I have mixed the various Samurai, Oriental Heroes, and Ninja models together to give a variety in each regiment.
On the left a converted (he was already broken) Citadel Oriental Hero Model OH 2 Samurai, centre one of the Oriental looking Realm of Chaos era Chaos Warriors, and right Hasslefree Miniatures Mineko, who will be used as a Musicain (a singing Geisha).
Spearmen: Citadel OH 3 Rampaging Ronin, Sohei 2,3,and 1 (I also have 4 and 5 in the unit).
OH 5 Oriental Champions 'Chee' and 'Pong', just on of two Citadel models with comical names.
Right, OH 5 Oriental Champion 'Min', centre 'Ping', and right an OH 1 Ninja 'Spear 3(a)' .
25 Thugs with Double handed weapons.
Left a random crew member I have from the Nipponese Skyrocket crew, which I will use as a standard bearer.
Right is another of the Oriental looking Realm of Chaos era Chaos Warriors, one of my favourite models.
Left to right: OH 2 Samurai, 'Sword 4'; OH 4 Ronin Renegades 'Sword 2'; and OH 5 Oriental Champions 'Yen'.
Two OH 1 Ninja 'Akria' and 'Sudo', and on the right Hasslefree Miniatures 'Hanako'.
C01 Fighter, 'Wolfhead', an Oriental armoured fighter with two handed mace and wearing a wolfpelt.
25 Thugs with hand weapons.
On the left a converted/repaired OH 3 Rampaging Ronin, and right another OH2 Samurai 'Two Sword 1'.
OH2 Samurai 'Two Swords 3', and Black Hat miniatures 'Chinese Princess playing flute'.
Two OH 3 Rampaging Ronin 'Sword 4' and 'Sword 1'.
OH 4 Ronin Renegades 'Robes 1 and 2'.
More OH 1 Ninja!
'Shuri-Ken', 'Dim Sum', and 'Sulu'.
OH 4 Ronin Renegades 'Yakuza 5', and a Marauder Miniatures MM62 Citizen, an Oriental cook!.
On the left another Black Hat Miniature, a Chinese Wizard which I will use as an ordinary warrior as I have the two Wizard models already.
The other two models are ex-Citadel C05 Oriental Heroes range still produced by Wargames Foundry.
10 Thugs with Longbows.
Again, 3 ex-Citadel C05 Oriental Heroes range still produced by Wargames Foundry.
OH 1 Ninja with Blowpipe 'Chow', and OH 2 Samurai 'Bow 5'.
I had several broken models, archers and non-archer models. So I added some spare Samurai quivers I had in the bits box to two of them, and then bent brass rod to look like longbows to arm them all with.
OH 1 Ninja 'Tong', aka 'Toshimoto', a Ninja armed with a .45 pistol. Unfortunately I did'nt have room to add him in the army, but thought I could'nt leave him out of the update.
Back to the rats!
66 Skaven Slaves painted.
Next on my list is are the Command models.
Close up front view.
I kept the overall colour brown to give that dull slave look.
Rear view, sowing the small amount of grey cloth and the different coloured pouches.
Next update should be more painted Skaven :) .
I am in awe at how fast you're getting your Skaven done mate, you'll have a hoard ready in no time!
ReplyDeleteThank you,
DeleteI hope to have them all painted in the next two weeks and based and varnished by the end of the month. They are fun to paint and lovely old miniatures.
Truly inspiring to see that much bare lead/plastic finished so quickly, and the fact they're skaven.... Well that just speaks to your excellent taste, good looks and charming personality. Those ninjas are ace too and so fecking hard to find. Lucky bugger!
ReplyDeleteThank you very much :)
DeleteIf I had'nt been so tired from work and distracted by the summer sun I might havegot further.
I love the Ninja, I really wanted to make sure I had some in the army, they are a great range.
That's a great collection you have for your Nippon army, what a fantastic project.
ReplyDeleteThank you, I have enjoyed collecting them, and looking forward to getting them painted. They are a great range of miniatures, and really full of character, very suitable for a fantasy Nipponese army.
DeleteI might have to delay painting them for a while as I need to finish off the Skaven, and I am planning to pay a 5,000 point game with the Slann so might have to finish off some of them for the army.