All twelve armies from the 3rd Edition Warhammer Armies book (including the Norse).

This September will the the 30th Anniversary of me starting to collect miniatures and gaming (I started off with Napoleonic ESCI and Airfix plastics the year before in 1985), and this thought has got me looking through all the different odds and ends which I have collected over the years.

Now, a few years ago I started organising a lot of my fantasy miniatures into properly painted armies, based on the army lists from the 3rd Edition Warhammer Armies supplement. I did quite well (if I say so myself!) and got eight 3,000 point armies done. However,  getting them 'done' was the problem. I essentially assembled the armies and painted them up just so I had an army completed. Recently I re-visisted the armies, tinkering with their compostion, and removing any models which are not what is sometimes termed  Oldhammer era (1979-1992) miniatures. In the case of the Orcs/Goblins and Dwarves, removing any old solid based minatures for a seperate project (my 'Goblin Wars collection, cosisting of pre-slotta miniatures mainly from the Citadel 'Fantasy Tribes ranges').

Over the last few weeks I resolved to sort out and paint a 3,000 point army for each of the eleven main army list entires in the Warhammer 3rd Edition Warhmammer Armies book (the supplement of army lists for 3rd Edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle), plus a Norse army from the extra list which never made it into the book, published in White Dwarf #107. As mentioned earlier, I have made a conscious decision to just keep the armies composed of miniatures from the 1979 to 1992 era. I have done this to keep the armies as they would have been at the time, and how, as I owned several armies even then, were at the time.

This is a purely personal choice, I have no problem with collecters who mix and match old and new miniatures, even for 3rd Edition armies. However I wanted to take a purest approach, and because of the size of my collection this is an option. The miniatures I used are all 1979-92 era Citadel, Marauder,Grenadier, Ral Partha, Alternative Armies, Asgard, Harlequin (now Black Tree) and MB Games/GW Heroquest. In addition I sort of cheated in that, for the human armies, I used some of the currently back in production ex-Citadel miniautres from Wargames Foundry.

So, for the fun of it, I have assembled and photographed a roughly 3,000 point army for each of the army list entries. Some of the armies are finished and exactly 3,000 points, whilst others are an approximate. I do however have enough extra miniatures to allow a certain level of tinkering. For several armies, which I will point out as I go, I also have enough miniatures for an extra army or two for a list entry (primilarly the Dark Elves, High Elves, Chaos, Orcs and Goblins, and the Slann).  But more on that in later updates.

Enjoy :) 

  Warhammer Armies (1988).

  Dark Elves.
I already have a later 1980's Citadel/Marauder, but decided recently to switch the army over to consisting of pre-slotta miniautres only (except one) as I much prefer them. 

 Crossbowmen and Warriors.

 More Dark Elves!

 Mounted Spectre.
I painted him with fluorescent paint and white, to give him that ethereal  look. 

 Wood Elves.

I wanted a change in style from the ususal green clad Wood Elves, so I opted for an Autumnal look.
I really had fun paiting these and doing the bases, and would like to expand the army at a later date (maybe Autumn! LOL ).

 Warhounds, Archers, Scouts, Treemen, and a Zoat.

 Skarloc's Wood Elves.

 

 General and Mage.

 

 More Wood Elf Archers and Scouts.

 High Elves.

This is just a token 3,000 point force. I have a lot more infantry, and some cavalry, which I intend to bulk out the army if needed, as well use to build a seperate 3,000 point Sea Elf army. 

In addition (after some e-bay shopping)  I have a enough Eternal Champion range miniatures to make a 3,000 point Melnibonean using the High Elf list.

 40 of the RR10 Elwing's Elf Cavalry regiment, destined to be the core of the army as Silver Helms.

 Mounted Archers, General, and Mages.

 Side view, with some of the archers.
I have a lot of the Wood Elves Archers for the plastic regiments set from the 1980's as well, but they may end up with the Sea Elves.

Elven Attack Chariots. 

Points allowing, they will ride with the army too.

 Empire. 

I have opted for a slightly different take on the Empire army. Instead of the full on early 1500's Landsknecht look of later Empire armies, I have gone for a more mid to later 1500's/Elizabethean style, using the old 1980's Citadel 'Wars of Religion' range which has been re-released by Wargames Foundry.

Some of the artwork from the mid 1980's suggested a 'later' look to the Empire. and some of the miniatures from the Townsfolk and Fighter ranges also have ruffs and puffed doublet and hose.  So I have combined the Wargames Foundry miniatures, especially for the pike regiments, with more Landsknecht looking troops.

 Helblitzen.

 Ersatzsolder with pike. 

I have painted up a couple of test models. The idea is to have the pike, handgunners, and cannon with crew from Nuln. In both the older and later background Nuln is the area which is famed for pike and gunpowder weapons. 

The pikemen are Wargames Foundry, ex-Citadel 'Wars of Religon' pike, with an old Citadel C46 Villager 'Noble' as one of the leaders of the regiment above. I have two regiments of 30 pikemen in the army, and they will provide a good solid core for the army.

  Helblitzen with 'Wars of Religon leader.  

These will be painted up in a different colour scheme to the Nuln pike to suggest Helblitzen from another province, as well give more colour to the army.

 Reiksgard.

 Army General (centre) and two Wizards.

The General is the old ADD 18 Bard. Also on the right is Een McWrecker, from The Tradegy of McDeath, who looks flouncy enough to fit in with the Empire army! 

From left to right, another 'Wars of Religon' miniature, this time to be used as a Hakbutschutzen.
Centre is Citadel F2 Fighter 'Gunnery Captain', which I actually intend to use as a Bombardier!
Right is a F2 Fighter Mercenary Crossbowman.

 Bretonnians.
I did intend to change the Bretonnian army into a purely cavalry army, but realised that I really needed a few infantry. I have expanded the number of Knights, and decided to replace the models spears with proper lances.

 Archers and Knights.

 Crossbows,Villains, Knights, and Rascals.

 Close up of the knights.
 I have converted an old female Fighter whose spear had snapped off to be able to sit on a Warhorse. I think it gives a Joan of Arc look to the unit, and she be the units standard bearer.

 Wizards, Villians, and Ribalds.

 Chaos.
This is my Beastman Chaos army, based on the army of the 'Soulflayer' in the Warhammer Armies book, pages 74-5. 

I do have enough Chaos Warriors from the 1980's to do a separate army, as well as a full 3,000 point Chaos Nippon Army made up of a mix of 1980's and later Samurai miniatures. 

I am also in the early stages of working on a Pan Tang army.

Dragon Ogre, Chaos Sorcerers, Minotaurs, Harpies, and Medusa.

I did have two Reaper Miniatures Harpies in the army, which will be replaced with a pair of  Bob Olley Iron Claw range ones, when I find out where I put them!
I also do have the other mounted Sorcerer used in the Warhammer Armies book photograph, I just need to paint him up and swap him for the Citadel CH5 Chaos Sorcerer I used instead.

 Beastmen.

 Close up.

 Minotaurs.

 'Manits Man' leading the beastmen.

 The Soulflayer.

 Skaven.

This army is a completed 3,000 point army and needs no tinkering. 

Army standard and General.

The Standard is based on the band 'The Stranglers' album cover 'Rattus Norvegicus'.

 Posion Wind Globadiers. 

Again I used the fluorescent paint, this time to suggest Warpstone.
I also used the fluorescent paint on the Skaven's eyes to suggest that they are infused with Warpstone corruption.

 Weapon teams and Rat Ogres.

 The Skaven Hordes. 

Quick quick...

 Skaven Mages, servants of the Great Horned Rat.

 More of the little buggers!

 Orcs and Goblins. 

This is a tiny fraction of the Orcs of Goblins I have.

Closer up.

 Wyverns and Orcs back up the Goblins.

 Goblins!
I like Goblins :)

 Trolls and Mage.

 Stone throwers.

 Down the line of Goblins. 

I worked out that it is possible to take all 400 Goblins in the Orc and Goblin list, and the 100 Chaos Goblins, in one 3,000 point army list. Now there's an idea! :)

Goblins.

 Three Orcs mounted on Wyverns, because I can :)
I won't be having all three in the army though, that would be too much! 

 Dwarves.

 Dwarven King surronded by his army.

 War Machines.

 Prince Uther's Dragon Comapny, used as Clansmen.

 Magically bound Dragon, with Wizard, and some somewhat incredulous Goblobber crew.

Slann.

This again is only a fraction of the Slann army. I have been collecting Slann since 2nd Edition, and have enough for a 10,000 point Slann slotta army (using a doubled up list as a basis), and a seperate 3,000 point pre-slotta Slann army.

 Blowpipers, Aligator Warriors, magically bound Pond Dragon. Eagle Warriors, and Bull Slann.

 Eagle Warriors, Mages, with the Bull Slann and Spawn Band to the rear.

 Bull Slann and Spawn Band.

 Savage Jungle Braves, from the deepest Jungles of Lustria.

 Venom Tribes.

 Undead.
This is another army which requires no tinkering.

Bound Ethereal Host.

Fom Left to right, at the rear, a Mounted Spectre, Spectre; front, a Wight, Wraith, and Ghost.

 Grim Reapers, er, lead by the Grim Reaper!

 Skeleton Warriors.

 War Machines, Mummies, and more Skeleton Warriors.

 Necromancers.

 Carrion Riders.

 Norse.
This army is very much a WIP. It is a half Norse Dwarf, and half Norse Human army. A lot of the Humans are ex-Citadel F4 Vikings. 

The army is based on the army list released in White Dwarf #107.

Huscarls led by Kremlo the Slann.

For those of you unaware, Kremlo was a Slann who was adopted by Norse and was the subject of a 1st Edition Warhammer campaign. So I thought it would be fun for him to led my Norse army. He will count as a Level 20 Human. for gaming purposes.

 Heroes destined for greatness in a Saga, or Valhalla (or both!)
Thrudd, a pair of Mages (which I selected to look like Odin), BC3 Dwarf Lord of Legend 'Uther', and a Night Horrors range Giant Werewolf (Ulfwernar hero).

 Human Bondsmen and Beserkers.

Dwarf Bondsmen, Norse Dwarfs, and Beserkers.

Next weeks update might be on the Dark Elves, as I should really get some painting done, or it might be a follow up post showing some of the other armies.