Praetorian Imperial Guard/Astra Militarum test models.

 I have recently been re-reading a few of my books on nineteenth century British colonial wars, and this, coupled with a conversation on the Steampunk genre with a friend of mine, had got me thinking on my old Warhammer 40k Praetorian Imperial Guard (now Astra Militarium) army. So I decided to revisit the army.

This was an army which I always liked and wanted to collect at the time, and back in the 2000's I finally assembled and painted an army. However, I was never pleased with the result, and last year I paint stripped the whole lot!  When considering their re-painting I was always torn between the classic Nineteenth Century British and iconic 40k Praetorian Red Coat look (think of the films Zulu, and Zulu Dawn, as well as a lot of Steampunk and nineteenth century art), and the later nineteenth century khaki colour (more the films Young Winston, the Four Feathers (1939 version), Khartoum, and the whole Edwardian 'Boys Own' era of illustrations). I decided to go for the khaki, as it would be easier to paint, less cliched and Zulu war looking than the red, and also I like the look. But after looking at Google photographs, and watching Youtube painting videos, I thought I might try out a couple of red coated chaps out of interest.

...and then I ended up going for the red coats.

By following a couple of Youtube painting guides, it turned out that the red coated look was not as difficult as it seems, nor as complicated it was when I painted them the first time. They also looked quite good, not Golden Demon standard, but good enough for gaming, which is the plan. I am enjoying using the painting guides for a change, and also following GW's suggested sets of colours, which I am finding quite useful.

So anyway,  I am going for the red coats scheme, with blue for artillery troops, and rifle green for  special weapons. I do still plan on painting a platoon of Praetorians, and a heavy weapons squad, in the khaki, just for variation.

Below are the links to the Warhammer/GW Youtube videos, (just ignore the rather silly conversions of  'Praetorians' they used!).

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WlnyTUil-og

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=04qmyJ810d0&t=1012s

My plan at the moment is paint a couple of platoons, a few Las Cannons teams, a tank, and a few odds and ends, just to make a start. I am looking to start either a 1980s Iron Claw Goblin project or a Mithril Miniatures Orc project soon, and so I am not too concerned about completing the Praetorians yet. I want to dip in and out of this project, and as I am planning to replace my old tanks with newer ones, and I am looking to do this gradually rather than spending a lot of money on tanks for an army for 40k which I might not be playing for a while at the moment.

Enjoy :)

Praetorian Infantry Squad.

Sergeant and Grenade Launcher.
The lighting was a little bad (English Summer!) and so they look a little darker than they actually are.

Rear rank Lasguns.

Front rank Lasguns.

Heavy bolter.
I don't really like the gun shield on the heavy bolters, and they are a bit of a faff, so I left them off. Also, they are slightly reminiscent of the nineteenth century Maxim gun. 

A couple of random test miniatures, a bugler, and flamer. I wanted to pick a colour for flamers, and so I selected yellow and decided to see how it looks, which I like.

Las cannon.
As mentioned above, I have opted for a Royal Artillery blue uniform for the Heavy Weapon teams which are not part of infantry or command squads. To tie-in with the rest of the army I have painted the epaulettes and jacket cuffs the same red as the infantry tunics, and the same off-white for the belts/pouches.

Rear view.

Special weapon squad Melta gun.
To add a little more colour and nineteenth century Britishness to the army, I wanted to have some troops in a Rifle Green. I thought having the Special Weapon squads might fit as they fulfil a light infantry role on the battlefield. As they are small squads, and small in numbers, they should not detract from the whole look of the army.

Rear view.
I went for a more muted look, with black for the epaulettes and belts, and a more subtle use of red on the cuffs just to tie-in with the rest of the army (which was also used in for the British Royal Rifle Corp in the latter part of the nineteenth century).

Khaki test model.
I was going for the Sudan 1898/Boer War look with this, with a khaki uniform and white belts. I also painted the Lasgun khaki because it just seemed to fit.
I used Vallejo Khaki for the uniform, shaded with Nuln oil, and re-highlighted with khaki.

Rear view.

A close up of the base.
I have used a lot of GW's Bracken and human skulls on the bases. I chose the bracken to give a harsh terrain and scrubland feel to the bases, rather than a plain desert look. 
The actual bases were a three stage process:
1. Citadel Colour Technical Armageddon Dust.
2.Citadel Colour Contrast wash over the above.
3. Dry brush of Citadel Colour Layer Ushabti Bone.

The next update will be more Praetorians, As mentioned, I am looking to start either an Iron Claw Goblin, or a Mithril Orc project soon, and so I am also sorting out both of those as well.

More Unreleased Slann, and the Warhammer Armies Slann Regiment from page 115.

One of my ongoing interests is collecting 1980's Slann, especially the unreleased ones. I already have some unreleased Slann, as well as a good number of the Slann from the general releases. A few weeks ago I was lucky enough to buy a batch of unreleased Slann from someone, some of which I have wanted for a long time. It has also enabled me to start, and nearly complete a slightly mad Oldhammer project.

The crazy project is simple. On page 115 of the Warhammer Armies Book (1988) is a photograph of a Slann regiment, and I am going to collect my own version of it. I have done this before with an Empire Regiment from Warhammer Armies here:

http://goblinlee.blogspot.com/2022/04/helblitzen-regiment-project-part-two.html

However, there is a caveat. As a long time Slann collector it always concerned me that there are several miniatures in the photograph which I had never seen in blister packs at the time or seen listed in catalogues. This always puzzled me until I found out that the Citadel sculptors sometimes made miniatures which never made it to release for some reason. That could have been due to casting problems, that they were just conversions which were given a test casting, or that they might just never got around to releasing them. Several of those in the photograph seemed to fit into that definition,
and so I put the idea to the back of my mind, until a few weeks ago.

As I mentioned, I managed to buy at four of those unreleased miniatures in one go, as well as another which is unlisted. This got me re examining the photograph, and over several evenings I think that I have managed to identify all of the miniatures used, with one possible exception. Leaving aside that exception for the time being, I found to my surprise I now only require one Slann to complete the regiment.

Anyway, below are the Slann from the batch which I purchased. Also there is a quick run through of the miniatures which I think are used in the regiment. If anyone has any better information please feel to let me know. I don't intend starting painting this regiment yet, but it has definitely got me thinking about the Slann again. Anyway, all of the Slann in the regiment appear to be from the slotta based C32 Slann releases sculpted by Trish Carden (at the time Trish Morrison), or conversions of her work from the range. There is a great reference for all the released Slann at the CCM Wiki page here:

http://www.collecting-citadel-miniatures.com/wiki/index.php/Slann_-_Collectors_Guide#White_Dwarf_96_.28December_1987.29_-_C32_Slann

Enjoy :)

The batch of Slann.
All of the Slann here, except for the bottom left one, are unreleased. The bottom left one was uncatalogued, but not particularly uncommon in blister packs.

This Slann is armed with a dagger, and has a boss for a shield. The body appears to be sculpted from the Slann 'Unlisted with club '. The dagger is the same as the one used on the Slann 'Toltec'. 

Side view.

Rear view.
Unlike the 'unlisted Slann with club', this Slann appears to have more of a flower headdress and less of a fur cape.

Slann with sword.
He appears to be a conversion of  'Itzadodyl' , with the addition of the sword from 'Nanuazin', and the feather headress from 'Allda'.

Rear view.

Slann with, erm, something!?
I think it is a type of double handed weapon or Slann Scythe in the shape of a birds head. Alternatively, given an interesting paint job it might be used as a standard. Anyway, this Slann appears to be located at the rear right of the regiment.
He appears to be a conversion from 'Cupacocoa'.

Rear view.

Slann with skull on a stick and dagger!
This Slann may have been sculpted to be a Mage/wizard, or maybe a standard bearer/totem bearer?
He appears to be a conversion from Alligator Warrior 'Pek'.

Rear view.

The Slann 'Unlisted with club'.
This miniature, as mentioned above, was unlisted in any catalogue or release sheet, but wasn't uncommon (but by no means as common as the other C32 Slann) to see in blister packs at the time.

Rear view.

The Slann regiment from page 115 of Warhammer Armies (1988).

My interpretation of which Slann were used in the regiment.
From left to right, and starting with the front row:

Hacienda, Lumholtz, Huemal,Unlisted with club, unreleased Slann.

Toltec, unreleased Slann, Zipanzuma, Naxlatl,Unlisted with sword.

Unreleased Slann, Huastecan, Unreleased Slann, Unreleased Slann with axe (missing from my collection, see below), unreleased Slann.

Nanuazin, Allda, Potzalco, possible TSF18 Space Slann 'Scoitz',* unreleased Slann.

*Concerning the possible TSF18 Space Slann 'Scoitz', I have only identified him by his head. It is possible, and likely, that there is a conversion of him using the same body. I have a vague recollection of seeing a conversion of the Scoitz miniature with two heavy swords, similar to Nanuazin's one.

The unreleased Slann with axe is the only miniature which I am sure of missing. I have only seen it pictured twice, once in the Warhammer Fantasy Battle 3rd Edition rule book, page 232 (pictures in the centre of the above photograph), and secondly converted into a standard bearer in a White Dwarf (I can't recall the issue number, it's from about 1987). 
Needless to say, I would like to acquire this miniature, not only to complete the regiment, but as I have always wanted one anyway.

Regimental Leader, the Slann hero on a Cold One.
The hero is quite straightforward. It is a converted 'Hacienda' miniatures, riding the Cold One 'Runner', neither of which are really that rare (well, for Slann anyway!), and a long spear with a spear tip from the Slann 'Quinenz'.

Unreleased Slann.
As an aside, this is another unreleased Slann miniatures which I have. This one is based on the body of 'Zipanzuma'. He has been given an extensive (looted?) chain mail coat, and an unusual looking axe. Given the extensive use of unreleased Slann in the Warhammer Armies Slann regiment, it is possible that this miniature may have been used, rather than the ordinary Zipanzuma model. I will investigate the photograph again, and maybe swap them around, just so this unreleased model is with others.

Rear view.

Next blog update may be on a number of things. I am currently sorting through my old 40k Praetorian army with an eye to repainting and reorganising. I have also been sorting out my early Rogue Trader collections, namely the Orks, Tyranids, and Imperial Army. Also, I have been looking again at my Slaves to Darkness era Daemon armies. As of yet I haven't settled on a project.

The Last of the Tomb Kings (for now).

 For now, at least, this is the last Tomb Kings update. I have finally finished the army, although I do still have one regiment converted from old Khemri Blood Bowl miniatures on hold, but the army is essentially finished. Also, given GW's impending released of new Tomb Kings miniatures (later this year?)  I am sure I will be painting a few more before the year is out.

In truth, I had finished painting these miniatures in May, but the photographs have been in the 'reserve' awaiting a blog update. In the meantime I have been addressing other projects, which I am eager to make a start on, and I have also felt that this project has gone on long enough. This is the main reason for this last update with everything left to blog about in this one update.

I have thoroughly enjoyed painting the Tomb Kings, and loved giving some attention to a lovely old range of miniatures which I felt I had neglected for years. I have learnt a lot about different and new styles of painting and colours, and enjoyed returning to both Undead, and revisiting real world Ancient Egyptian history and mythology as I painted the Tomb Kings. 

Enjoy :)

Converted Liche Priest.
I have used the Necromancer body from the Mortis Engine, an Old Tomb Kings head, and a Tomb Kings chariot spear blade. I love the floaty menace he has! 

Another converted Liche Priest.
This Liche Priest is converted from GW's current plastic Necromancer miniature, with another old Tomb Kings head, and a Tomb Guard blade 

Metal Tomb King.
This was the Army General of my first Tomb Kings army at the time of their first release, and so I was pleased to be able to give him an updated paint. It's a lovely miniatures, with the outstretched arm seemingly grasping for more temporal power.

Tomb Prince.
Again, another old metal miniature from my initial Tomb Kings army. Again, a lovely miniature, especially the shield (see below).

Tomb Princes shield.

Converted Tomb Herald.
I wanted a bodyguard looking Tomb Herald miniature, and so used an old metal Icon Bearer miniature as a basis, then added a pair of plastic skeleton warrior arms, and an old metal Tomb Guard shield.

Left hand view of the converted Tomb Herald, showing the shield. 

Two regiments of 40 Skeleton Warriors.
Both regiments are armed with swords and shields, and in addition have light armour.
When constructing all of the Skeleton Warrior for the whole army, I took care to keep the torsos with armour to one side in order to equip these regiments with them.

The first regiment.
This regiment has the straight swords from the Skeleton Warriors set, as well as the helmets heads from the same kit.

Command group.

Three Warriors with their straight swords.

The second regiment.
This regiment is equipped with the curved swords from the Skeleton Warriors kit, although not with the helmets.

Command group.

Swordsmen.

Archer regiment.
I have a few plastic skeletons left at the end of everything, and so bought another few to make a further archer regiment of 20.

Leader.

Standard bearer and musician.

Archers.

More archers!

Mummy.
I had an old 1990's Mummy miniature laying around, and so painted him up. He will probably end up as a Tomb Prince of Liche Priest.

And that's it, for now. As I mentioned before I have a few odds and ends Tomb Kings left to finish off, but I will revisit them when the new GW releases appear.

The next few updated will be returned to some older Oldhammer miniatures.

Tomb Kings: Settra the Imperishable.

The great ruler of Khemri himself, Settra the Imperishable.

I had been putting off this miniature for a while as it was a complicated one to assemble, and also required me building a special base for him to sit on. This is the old pewter metal one which I have had sitting in a box for about 15 years! It is a lovely miniature, surprisingly fun to paint, and fun to do.

First of all I had to build him a specific base, as he wasn't supplied with base big enough, and I didn't have a plastic base big enough. The base was simply a piece of plastic card cut to size, and then modelled with Milliput. I added a variety of spare bits to add some flavour to the base, and added the skeletal horses to the Milliput whilst is was drying so they were embedded strongly onto the base.

Once the base was built, it was on to the construction of the metal Settra and his chariot. Both of these were again more straightforward to assemble than I thought they may be. I assembled, and then kept  Settra and the chariot separate, so they would be easier to paint, with the idea of assemble them together at the end.

Painting was easy. I used the dusty method, which worked well with the model. I added a few more details that I would normally have done, but there was nothing too problematic in the painting, or in the painting of the base.

And that is it. It's a lovely model. It will be interesting to see if GW produce a new model for Settra in their forthcoming Warhammer: The Old World releases, and if they do what he will look like.

Enjoy :)

Settra the Imperishable.

Slightly closer view of front.

Thundering across the desert.

Side view.
I was quite impressed by the detailing on the chariot.

Close up of Settra.

Scarabs fleeing Settra's oncoming chariot.
I wanted to convey a greater sense of motion and dramatic onslaught to the model, so I added the flying scarabs from the various Tomb Kings plastic kits.

More Scarabs.

Random skull decoration from the GW Arcane Ruins set.

Skeleton (spare from the Casket of Souls), scarabs, and skulls.

I only have one more update on the Tomb Kings left to do, and then they are finished. Well, until GW releases the Warhammer: The Old World.
Meanwhile, I am looking to paint some goblins at some point, and I am also returning to my 1988/90 Realms of Chaos Daemon Legions as well.