65,000 views, Slann WIP, and a plan for the blog.

This evening my blog has reached 65,553 views! Thank you to everyone who has viewed my blog and taken an interest since I started it in 2013.  :)

My plans for the blog in the future are the following:

• I am planning to finish assembling and painting the Warhammer Fantasy Battle 3rd Edition Slann army this year. This will involve painting some 200 Slann infantry, 70 Slann Cold One Riders, 60 Lobotomised Human Slaves, 40 Lizardmen, 10 Troglodytes, and many odd and ends such as Wizards, monsters, Pygmies, and Heroes.I am also going to have to go back to the already painted a part of the army to add shield details and tinker with standards and troops.
• To write up a full army list for the Slann army for the above. I think it will be about 20,000 points.
• Given the successful reception to last weeks update on the anaylsis of the Slann army list from Warhammer Armies, I plan to write a similar up anaylses for each of the other 10 armies in the book, as well as the Norse list. As I have miniatures for each of the armies (the Norse needs some additions), and for most of the army list entries, I will keep the same format; a mix of text, excepts from the book, and photographs of the relevant miniatures. I won't be covering each of the ally contingents, but will mention them via the armies where they can used. 
• Keep building up various collections and things I want to collect. Some of these are small projects and ideas, others will be picking up random miniatures. 
• I will continue to do occasional focuses on a particular range or release of miniatures, such I have done with the first release Rogue Trader Eldar, and the Tom Meier Troglodytes.
• Occasional random updates, as random stuff always happens! 

Concerning the anaylsis, I will update on an army list every other week. This will allow me keep my blog full of my WIP's and other stuff one week, whilst keeping the analysis of the lists to the other week. I was going to logically start at the begining and work my way through the book. However, that does mean I end up looking at three Elf Armies in a row, so I might mix up the order, but still start with the Dark Elves.


Now I have'nt done any painting this week, but I have been some mundane sorting out and organising the Slann army ready for the paint! Apart from spending money on e-bay to finish off regiments, I have been doing three main things:

The first is going through the already painted Slann army, removing musicans from regiments, such as skirmishers and Bull Slann, which don't really need them. As some of these models were conversions of broken models, I have replaced them with undamaged unpainted models or ones in need or re-painting to suit the rest of the unit.

Secondly, I have a lot of random Slann models, broken models or models left over from conversion projects for, Warhammer Fantasy, 40k or BloodBowl. I have been sorting some of those Slann to become Cold One Riders who will be converted with spears, extra plumes, and shields.

Thirdly, those Slann not destined to ride Cold Ones will end as baggage! Not a burden, but as part of a Slann Baggage train. Back in the 1980's I started converting up some Slann and Human Slaves to act as a baggage train, but no one ever used them, so I scrapped the idea, despite some initial conversion work.
However, looking at the army the other day I felt that the army was missing something, and that thing was a baggae train. A Slann baggage train is bigger than most other armies, requiring 5 Slann and 5 Slaves per 1,000 point. Now obviously it would be insane to try to have a baggage train for the entire Slann army, so I will create one of a 3,000 point army. This is still 15 Slann and 15 Slaves.

Added to this, the painting of the miniatures mentioned above, and going back over the army to paint shield designs, and I have a lot of work ahead of me. :)

After clearing off the books from the shelf, the already painted Slann now can have some fresh air out of their boxes!

A solid based Slann hero on a Cold One, with a converted attendant Slave fan bearer.

I am looking forward to painting these! 

Thanks to e-bay I now have assembled a regiment of 10 Solid based Cold One Riders: 1 Slann Hero, 1 Lizardman to convert to a standard bearer (counts as a Slann), and 8 spear armed Slann riders.

Sorting out the other Cold One riders, and some infantry.

Some of a dinky mail order from Wargames Foundry, allowing me to...

... start to re/convert up some Slann and Slave baggage train.
Some of the other Slann and Slaves require some re-sculpting of hands and arms, but I plan to have them finished soon and ready to paint. I think they add a certain character and completeness to the army. 
I have a Dwarf figure to add as Guzunda Wallrattler too ;)

Filling in the gaps of the last 80 Spawn Band.
These take ages to paint, but look great on the battlefield. 

 C24 Citadel Troglodytes, sculpted by Trish Morrison, who also sculpted most of the 3rd Edition slotta based Slann. I am unsure whether to paint all of these the same skin colour, give them a variety of colours.

The next update should be on the anaylsis of the Dark Elf army list in Warhammer Armies.