Sláine: Kiss My Paintbrush!

One upgraded unit of crossbows, with the three extra bowmen from the new box.  Now they should be a bit more effective in game as Formed Archers rather than Skirmishers.

Next the berserkers who are metal Ral Partha Europe miniatures from the Chaos Imperium line.  More traditional 28mm proportions here so not as tall as the nearer 32mm of the Warlord miniatures so I stuck them onto GW plastic bases rather than the flat Warlord rimmed ones I’m using in this project.  Instantly taller and no longer looking too short next to their brethren.

I love the Warlord Slough Feg miniature and was very pleased with the wet blend I did on him.  I wasn’t happy with his base though.  In Midgard I use a round 3 hole sabot for the commanders.  A level 2 commander gets two models on this base (with a blanking base for the final slot).  A Level 3 commander, like Slough Feg, gets 3 models.  I had him with a couple of Skullswords before but I need them to make up an extra unit and I never really liked them with him, he’s normally on his own in the graphic novel.  Then I remembered the skull pile I got as a freebie from Alternative Armies.  That would be great and would mean I could give him a skull covered base like the image of his cave from The Horned God where his pose is copied from.  I ordered an extra skull pile so now his base will have 3 “models” to indicate he is L3, himself and the 2 skull piles.  I also covered the base in skulls from a GW base conversion set of plastic skulls.

Now here he is in all his glory, with the page from The Horned God behind:

It isn’t quite as strong as Conan’s ‘What is best in life?’ speech but it is right up there.

Next for the Midgard points upgrade are the Drune faction.  Their 300 point list is as follows:

Heroes (101 pts) :
Lord Slough Feg (Level 3 Army Commander) – 41pts
Slough Throt (L2) – 34pts
Megrim & Robym the Dwarf (L2) – 26pts

Troops (155pts):
2x Drune Tribesmen (on horde bases of 11 models)– 24pts
1x Half Dead (on base of 7 models plus menhir) – 14pts
2x Skullswords – 50pts
1x Skullswords with crossbows – 22pts
1x Madb and the Badb – 15pts
1x Berserkers – 15pts
1x Werewolves – 15pts

Monster:
Giant – 44pts

I’ve already got most of these but needed to add a box of Warlord Drune warriors to cover the second Skullsword unit and expanding the crossbows from a skirmish unit of 4 into a formed archer unit of 6.  I added 3 beserkers from Ral Partha Europe.  Finally I am putting together two big units of basic tribesmen to bulk out the force which otherwise is quite small numbers and elite.  I have some of the old GW plastic Marauders and their design aesthetic will be perfect for this force.  That late 90s Chaos vibe was very heavily influenced by Bisley’s Slaine art in the first place so to me, it feels like this kit is coming home.  Counted up what I had and it was only 6 miniatures.  I have the sabot bases already and they hold 11 each so I need 22.  I found 5 metal barbarian miniatures so will need 11  more.  Then spotted this rescue on e-Bay.

Not it great nick but I’ve got spare arms and there is nothing Dettol can’t handle – even very thick layers of acrylic like these ones have.

After a day in the orangey juice of joy here is what we get.  I’ve put four of the metal castings I’ll use alongside.  These are old Harlequin minis, Kev White sculpts probably.  I’ve got a female one somewhere that will complete the unit:

Now onward to undercoating.

The Fomorian 300 point force is finished.  Not the best photo but it shows them all done:

This is the third and final unit of “Big Fomorians”.  It is made up of two different Balor models.  On the left is the one from Brigade Models Celtos range.  On the right we have the one from Alternative Armies Erin range.  They are suitably impressive and different enough to give the diversity that I’m after.  I didn’t attach the back banner to the Celtos model, I don’t like the look of it, it unbalances the sculpt in my opinion.  It will make a good standard for another unit.

Here are the first two parts, the commands of the two magic users.  The Shaman has the Beastmaster trait to help him manage the mammoth so his command includes that and then two units of skirmishers. The new models are the shaman and familiar by Brigade Models and the archer scouts who are orcs by Alternative Armies.

Next we have the Sorceress and her units, one of ‘Big Fomorians’ and two of the horde bases.  She is a Brigade mini, her maw beasts were a recent freebie from Alternative Armies.  The big models are also AA, Morc and Conand Horses Head.

The AA command group are in these units.  The drummer and standard in the first and the leader with helmet and cape in the second.  I used LBMS banner transfers for the standard.  The armoured commander in the second unit is a  new Brigade Model although his shield is by AA.

I’m upgrading the main factions to 300 points each.  This will be the Drunes, Tribes of the Earth Goddess and the Fomorians.  I’m starting with the Fomorians and worked out a 300 point list as follows:

Heroes (99 pts) :
Balor of the Evil Eye (Level 3 Army Commander) – 41pts
Sorceress (L2) – 33pts
Shaman (L2) – 25pts

Troops (165pts):
6x Fomorian Hordes (on bases of 10 models) – 78pts
3x Big Fomorians (on bases of 2 models) – 63pts
1x Scouts with bows – 13pts
1x Skirmishers with javelins – 11pts

Monster:
Mammoth – 36pts

Part of the point of doing this is to be able to get some more models that I like to add to these forces.  Warlord were liquidating their range so an extra box of Fomorians were ordered.  I already had a couple of bits including the old Eastland sculpts that North Star put out occasionally and from Alternative Armies Morc and Conand of the Horses Head.  I went back to Alternative Armies for some of their new Fomorians, including the command group and a big model (their Balor).  I also scoured their classical fantasy range and found some great old school orc sculpts that will be great for the scout archers and some with minimal clothing as horde warriors.  Then I went to Brigade Models who make the Celtos range.  I chose some beastmen and armoured orcs from them as well as another big model (their Balor).  I was lucky enough to find a pack of four Black Tree Designs Celtic Orcs on eBay.  Finally I spotted a new Fomorian from Lucid Eye so stuck that on a small order to them.

When everything arrived (except the Lucid Eye one) I primed in grey with a white zenith and will paint as per my step-by-step from earlier in this project.  This is what everything looks like.  You can see the force divided into 3 columns each led by one of the heroes.

Talos was a bronze figure who defended the island of Crete in ancient times.  In this fantasy setting in Antidiluvian Europe I am hoping to broaden the forces by introducing a Minoan faction.  I’m starting with a giant.  Talos the Man of Bronze.  He is a resin miniature by Mierce Miniatures.

He was painted in AP Speedpaint Bronze which was then mixed with some dots of green, red and brown and the bronze was dotted with the mixed paints to add some interest and variety to the colour.  He has some corrosion sculpted on so next this was tackled with some dark green and then GW Technical paint Nihilakh Oxide neat, then mixed with white, then neat again.  Finally the glowing face and eyes were started with red ink, then red speedpaints then working inwards; Vallejo Fluro Magenta and Orange, Orange, Orange and Yellow and fianlly neat Yellow and two tiny whit dots for focal points in the eyes.