Saving Somebody Else’s Seraphon

I tried to find more colorful reptiles and came across the agama. I never heard of these lizards before but it seems like they’re quite the invasive little things in Florida. To accompany the dimetrodon/axlotl there is a trio of skinks working as herders to match the other lot.

Monster Rancher never gave me the impression that the job was this difficult.

A proper warlord of these lizardmen sits atop a rather ornery dinosaur. I was inspired by the Red-sided California Red Garter Snake and put a leucistic leader to stand in contrast. The only downside to the model from One Page Rules is the weight brings it forward ever so slightly and required a pin in the raised foot to keep it all leveled. In general, my friend will now be able to run forth and eat his foes.

Some kroxigors came in the second load of minis and I decided to play against type. Leopard geckos are so damn cute that they can’t be seen as violent engines of living destruction. In that vein, I took the most interesting pattern I could for the figures and ran with it.

My final addition to the force are a pair of fliers. Given lists for Great Kingdoms or as a small flying monster I thought to have my friend go back to the One Page Rules figures and make some. The skinks are still bright as all hell but the pterosaurs are painted up with inspiration from Dances With Blue People (some might know it as ‘Avatar’) like the harpies. Using a mask from AK that would normally be purposed for armor and aircraft camouflage I gave the membranes of the wings some mottling.

No, I will not be painting an Uruk Makto for this army. I am, in fact, almost done with the painting part of the project. I just needed to finish the trays and play a game.

I was smart, this time around, and performed copypasta for my entry.

So here is the completed pair of display/transport trays. I’ve used aquarium plants, HO scale ferns from JTT Scenery and resin print scatter stuff. This is how you hide God awfully bright lizards in the jungle.

I’m now off to listen to some wonderful goa/psytrance and lose my head in the music unless I get moved to to other crazy things in painting. Oh, there is that game thing to do now I guess. Ugh, I’m beat and will leave it for next weekend.

I’ve decided to call this project complete as I haven’t played a game with the friend who I painted for and I don’t know when he’ll have a chance this month. In spite of this, I’ve had two games with another friend that has been chomping on the bit to use his army he’s put together for Age of Crusades. We’ve both rehashed the rules with some dice throwing and both bouts were losses for me. Good learning all around with the simple 4 point refreshers.

From having done the work on someone else’s stuff and handing it back to them in better condition (kinda like some kids) I’ve found motivation for doing more of my stuff. My Harryhausen Hellenics are getting some love and I picked up the models of my KS Amazons from Titanforges Raid on the Temple of Serpents that I’ve had halfway painted for much longer than I care to consider. This isn’t helped by the fact I’m about to move again. Nothing is permanent but impermanence.

With Giftmas generally taken care of and only needing fancy wrapping I’ll set about to take care of my own crap for a while. I like my stuff and I think that painted, it presents a lot better. With that, I’ll knock out what work I can before my residence shift happens.

I was surprised by my friend with a last minute call to get in the game promised. As a true completion to this project here is the batrep.

Deployment: C

Special Rule: Slaughter

Arabian Knights – The Horde

Seraphon – Lords of the Wild

So the Arabian Knights take to the field once again under the command of Hasn al Qlb al Akrab, this time against an unnamed mass of scaley invaders. With the blessing of Nuffle the raiders of the dusty wastes went forth.

Beginning the battle the bloodlust burned in the veins of Hasn’s men and they charged forth to thrust forth their spears and make merry in a dance of death. The first charge of Warriors met the enemy and fell back while the second rode out and pushed away the unit of opposing Levy.

Seeing mixed results for their first move the reptiles came to try and draw blood from the brave men of the desert. This was less effective than hoped for in their opening gambit with Hearthguard. They were forced to fall back from staunch Warrior defenders holding their own.

Watching the losses suffered by the raptor riding Hearthguard, a wisened sergeant of the warriors charged in to finish them off in the moment. This action was a calculated risk that the cold blooded killers countered with a counter strike which almost cost the desert men the unit.

Hasn, seeing the tide of battle, chose to ride forth for a coup de grace and destroy another unit. The attack was fierce but not enough to pierce the armored hides of all his opponents. They fled back, tiring out the leader with a spirited attack of their own.

Using the treacherous tactic of wearing down the enemy leader, a fresh group of Hearthguard moved in for a final thrust of lances to fell the great leader of men from atop his great scorpion.