Blipvertus multigame Dwarf army
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About the Project
It started out simple. I wanted a Viking army for Saga but I wanted it to be different because everyone does Vikings. So instead I did seven other armies. I finally hit upon the idea of using Dwarves as my Viking stand in. Dwarves are also a part of Norse mythology and they’re ill tempered and armed with axes. Seems like a natural fit! When Oathmark came out with a plastic Dwarf infantry box I found everything I’d need for a Saga army. You can make dwarves armed with bows, something that is pretty rare for most Dwarf models, as well as spear and axe armed dwarves. You can also equip figures with a weapon in each hand making them a great substitute for Berserkers. One of the nice things about this box is all the figures are wearing chainmail and to me, that’s quintessentially dwarfish. Originally I was going to make the spear armed dwarves my warriors and my axe and sword armed dwarves as my hearthguard. But Oathmark came out with a box of Heavy Infantry Dwarves so I may use them as hearthguard. These also feature chainmail but also have segmented armor and some platemail. They also feature a lot of steel face masks integrated into their helmets. This is something I love because Tolkien mentions something similar in The Silmarillion about the dwarves in Middlearth. With my Viking army all planned out and a couple of boxes of minis, I was set. Huzzah! Then Age of Magic arrived. And Warlords of Erewhon. The unit options in both games increased the variety of units a Dwarf army could take. So I set about trying to find suitable minis that would look good together. I found a nice set of crossbow armed dwarves from Conqueror. Conquer also had dwarves armed with two-handed axes. Both units are also in chainmail thus making it easier for them to blend in. I then found some chainmail wearing handgunners from Mirliton. Because I’m getting minis from several different ranges I worried about how to make them look like a cohesive army. I asked our local guru, Sean Twiddy. He’s one of the smart guys that teaches art at one of the local universities and uses miniature painting in some of his lessons. Sean is also an avid Saga player. He suggested using the same color pallet for the whole army in order to tie it all together. So I tried it and painted up a test color scheme and I think it’ll work. The header/thumbnail photo is of the test minis. I’m going to try to document how I got to those finished images. I’m going to try to show and explain every step as well as show the sources of the materials used.
Related Game: SAGA
Related Company: Studio Tomahawk
Related Genre: Fantasy
This Project is Active
Bear Rider
I picked up some Kuzaarik from DGS Games awhile ago. They’re for their Freeblades game. I’m not sure I’ll ever play Freeblades but they’re some nice models so I’m going to paint them up in the same color scheme.
A Stoneclaw Savage from DGS Games. Dwarf King finished
I added some shields from the plastic Oathmark kits to both the King and the musician whom I’m still calling Horatio. Like the other shields, I painted the back with Army Painter Fur Brown and waded with GW Seraphim Sepia. The metal rims and boss are Army Painter Plate Mail Steel.
I used one of Little Big Man Studios transfers from their Viking range for the Dwarf King’s shield. The musician also got his shield transfer from LBMS but from the Oathmark Dwarf range. Note that the 1.29mm sized Viking shields fit perfectly on the plastic Oathmark shields. Of course as an alternative, you could get the Victrix plastic shields and use them instead. 
After attaching the shields with superglue I gave them a final matte coat varnish. After it dried I used GW Ardcoat gloss on the jewel in the King’s ring, the jewels on the sword’s cross piece and hilt as well as the single jewel in his crown. 
A few glamour shots and first outing.
The king still isn’t done but I did bring him out to play a game; the first time this army has hit the table.
Played a game of Saga: Age of Magic. I brought out 1 Wizard, a Lieutenant, 3 points of Warriors, 2 of Hearthguard, 1 of Levyies with bows and a unit of 2 bipedal creatures.
This single unit was on my far right flank. 
A ten dwarf warrior unit backed up by the wizard and next to a unit of archers. 
The Lieutenant at the other side of the archers. Both units are hidden behind a forest. 
The King and Horatio, another ten dwarf unit of Warriors and a Hearthguard unit. My opponent was playing an undead army with a warmachine and a piece of terrain that made his undead regeneration shenanigans more effective. As I was worried about the war machine with its unlimited range, I started a retrograde maneuver with my warriors while sending the creatures forward to either tempt the warmachine or force him to send a unit forward to prevent them from smashing into the warmachine.
I lost my creatures but my opponent’s Hearthguard unit is battered. 
That enemy Hearthguard unit eventually reached my Warriors on the right flank and mauled them then went after the archers. Here my wizard does his shenanigans and temporarily removes the forest giving my archers a few shots on an approaching enemy unit. The Lieutenant also takes a few pot shots. 
My wizard then boosts my infantry’s movement and they surge forward into an undead unit that thought it was safe. 
With that undead unit weakened, it falls back and the enemy Necromancer combined with the sacred ground of the pillar regenerates it’s warriors. My wizard and warlord combined their powers to order forward the Hearthguard with an extended charge range. I then threw in all my Saga abilities to get 11 hits. The undead player plays one, cancels my 11 hits, takes 4 fatigues and suffers zero casualties. I fall back. Game ends with this being the final position. Base Work
I spread some PVA glue on the base then put the whole base in a tub of sand. I also used a brush to paint on some matt lacquer.
I added PVA glue and sand to add text. 
Once the glue dried I used Army Painter Leather Brown on the base. 
I drybrushed the base using Army Painter Skeleton Bone
After dry brushing the base I added Army Painter Winter Tufts, Gamers Grass Lavender Flowers and Army Painter Battlefield Debris to the base.
Final details and painting tactical rocks
I gave Horatio’s beard a second wash of Seraphim Sepia then got some Vallejo Silver to add an edge to the king’s sword and Horatio’s axe. I also used Army Painter Plate Mail Metal to highlight the ridge on top of the king’s helmet. I then added a little Vallejo Gold to the king’s crown and a few highlights to the sword hilt, belt and beard jewelry.
I painted the rock Army Painter Uniform Grey but decided it was too light so I repainted it with GW Eshin Grey then drybrushed that with Army Painter Uniform Grey followed by Army Painter Stone Golem.
I also drybrushed the kings cloak with GW Chronus Blue.
I drybrushed this on the king’s cloak. 
Additional highlights were added with these colors. 
Final Washes and basing compound
I used GW Apothecary White on the King’s beard, GW Nuln Oil on his cloak, GW Seraphim Sepia on all the leather gear, brass and pants as well as Horatio’s beard. Army Painter Blue tone was used on the tunic sleeves and hem.
Last set of washes and contrast paints applied. 
All washes applied. After they dry I may apply an additional wash. While the washes are drying I applied some filler to the recessed base. I used 4Ground basing compound.
I applied this with a small flat artists knife normally used for artists oil paint. 
Base render applied. I left a small area behind the tactical rock clear so Horatio could be glued in later. Jewels and Washes
I glued the cork into place then pushed the wire rid on the King’s foot into the cork. I then pulled it back out and applied super glue and then reinserted the rod.
Once in place, I painted the jewels on the sword, the crown and the kings Kringle. I used Army Painter Pure Red, Greenskin and Crystal Blue.
I’ve used Crystal Blue throughout the army as my version of magic so it appears on the King’s crown and ring as well as on the elemental creatures and magically powered war machines and on the wizard characters.
These colors were used for the jewels on the sword, crown and ring on the king. I started on the washes and used GW Reikland Flesh Shade on the hands and faces and then GW Nuln Oil on the chainmail, sword, axe and helmets.
First two washes applied. 
With only two washes applied the figures improved dramatically. Adding a Tactical Rock
After painting the King I noticed his eyes were downcast and he had a slightly hunched look. I decided to put him on a rocky outcropping to make it look like he’s looking down the side of a mountain and urging his troops forward.
I used cork and tore it by hand to give a rough outline. Here I’m just working out the size and shape. I should have done this before painting but I cut off the puddle base with some clippers, then used a metal file to neaten things up, then drilled a hole and inserted a wire rod in the foot.
I’ll have to do some touch ups because of cutting off the base but at least the bottom edge of the cloak will be easier to get to. 
