Maciek's undead - Death riders part 2 (215 points)

Rank and file month #3

March was a month of much coffee, little sleep and many work deadlines. Zombies would have been more appropriate subject of painting to reflect my general state, but given time shortages I decided to stick to Death Riders. So here goes my entry for March including: 4 Death riders, one champion (level 10 hero) and one standard bearer for the total of 215 points.

These guys were fun to paint (nearly all preparation was done in December). They did require some assembly after painting (rider, horse, sword and shield) and since they are not the best fit with the horses, this time I pinned and numbered them before painting. This reduced the risk of damaging the paintjob when putting them together. I kept the same dark colour palette as last month with increased use of non-silver metallic colours for the helmet details. 

Just to make my life harder, I gave the champion alternating rows of steel and brass/gold scales. I like how it came out (visible on the back shot) and will be using it in the future for high elf heroes ;-)

The standard bearer was a later addition to the force. It took quite some effort and cursing to put together properly. In its default setting the big crossbar of the banner pole is right above the winged helmet so good luck fitting any banner there. I had to cut, reposition and pin (along two axes) the banner pole at a different angle so that it can take the banner and fit into a regiment. The big helmet wings with tiny attachement points took three attempts to glue on straight. It's a pretty but fragile model, so I will definitely be magnetising it to the movement tray. The banner itself was a quick inking job and will fit right with the skeletons (see my January entry), but I am tempted to replace it with something more elaborate - let's see if I can do that during the "Characters" month. 

Lastly, a regiment shot with combined outputs from February and March, coming together into a full unit.

 

Main lessons from this (and previous) month for me are: painting skeleton horses takes much longer than expected, so best to adjust expectations.  This refers to layering highlights - dry-brush would be much faster, but in my experience is never as smooth. Second I'll still have to work on establishing a systematic daily painting routine for the following months. Despite good progress in first week of March, I had to pause due to work commitments and then paint like crazy in the last week to make up for it.

For April, I will switch from painting bone and will move to something more fleshy, squishy and hungry for brains: zombies!

Cheers, 

Maciek

Maciek's Undead - Death Riders (120 pts)

Rank & File Month #2

For February I decided to stick with the skeletal theme, but switch to cavalry. I present you five Death Riders: undead knights risen to charge into battle once more. Armed with spears, shields and light armour, for the total of 120 points. 

 

My initial plan for this month was to do six or seven models including a standard bearer. Alas, multiple work deadlines and other commitments meant that this month I had to stick to the basic quota of models. The minis are pure 90s - 4th and 5th edition. I love the character, aesthetics and the level of detail, which is just right (not too much and not too little). The design makes them rather delicate (plastic horse, multipart metal rider) but they make up for it with great presence.

 

Unlike for the foot skeletons, I did not do the rust effects and focused on cool, dark colours for the riders so that they contrast well with the bony horses.

My favourite sculpt in this batch. If you're a skeletal knight, it is very stylish to impale another skull on your spiky helmet...

 

Those of you with photographic memory may notice that the above model was added after my opening post. This is because I got it in January and swapped places with another rider that will be used as standard bearer.

 

These riders are a back rank of a bigger regiment. Next month I will continue with the front rank including the comannd group. That's it for for February, already looking forward to March!

Cheers, Maciek

Lissanne's Undead-The Black Queen chants the Funeral march (103 pts)

OWAC goal done- completing a 2000pt army in 6 months!  Oh wait, did I get the number wrong?  But I did finish up all the undead in my stash (well, the ones that don't have a piece missing) including all the odds and sods.

Finished the Zombies of Karr-Keel!  Done till they put out more, LOL!  that would be
1 Death Rider- Dennis Moore, the Dandy Highwayman!

And the last 5 Zombies of Karr-Keel
The violinist, done to match the other musicians

the Zombie Highwayman

Zombie Puppeteer

Zombie Witch

And the zombies aren't done until the Bagpiper plays!

And also

I finished the 15 hobbit zombies that were a gift.  I don't know what I will do with hobbit zombies, but it's probably like a sharknado, if I have it, I will think of something! (Do I have sharks for a sharknado?  Why yes!)  They were an odd slick plastic not easy to paint, so a tabletop job.

And on to the 0 point models!
First the podium, last of the Catacombs of Terror figs.  It is a terrain piece, I guess.

AND---my big 0 pt contribution, the Throne of Bones.  IMHO, one of the most ludicrous models ever marketed, and I bought it!  This monster has been sitting unbuilt and in addition has suffered at least 3 serious failed starts over the decades, but it is finally done!   What a horror to paint and build!  If you are thinking of getting one, I recommend don't.  Probably the most difficult assembly I've ever done, and I've done a few.  Plus I did a whole lot of painting on parts that don't show at all. A WHOLE lot.  But it looks pretty cool now that it's together!    Dirge certainly will need another necromancer in back to control all those skeletons that are falling down and shifting apart at odd moments, so she can relax in front!   Dirge the lich, celebrating her victory!

Dirge is victorious!  The citizens of Merchant's Reach who remain are now have become part of her undead army.  Surrounded with the bones of the vanquished, she appears in the form of a beautiful woman.  Onward to build and destroy another temple!

For this final month of OWAC III
1 Death Rider  23 pts
20 zombies  4pts each  80 pts (final)
1 podium   0 pts
And...the Throne of Bones 0 pts
total 103 pts

So- OWAC goals achieved
Finish all the Catacomb of Terror figures- done!
Finish all the Zombies of Karr-Keel figures- done!
Paint all the huge undead models lurking around the basement- done!
And if I had to paint 60 skeletons to do that, so be it.  Praise be to Skeleton Horde contrast paint!

And on to July, wrap up post and the picture of the army if I can find someplace big enough to lay it out!

Lissanne's Undead- Zombie Helper! (637pts)

Three Cheers for my third successful OWAC!

In my original planning, I had found 3 wraiths to be used for zombie helper, as zombies are only 4pt models.  They represent 3 former head priests of  temples Dirge the lich destroyed.  I almost didn't need them for points though, but they were a good backup.

Finally! the Catacomb of Terror WQ figures are done, except for a 0pt podium which I will do next month.  Hooray!  Here is Leopold, a L10 necromancer, and his trusty zombie friend Igor.
 

After last month's problem with the horse and rider that didn't fit, here is the beleagured courier, the star of the Karr-keel rider set on the burnt horse.  The bright colors look better there than the bandito would have! 

And here is the bandito who looks great on the death white horse, so win-win!  So two more death riders

Three Zombies of Karr-Keel were finished too, the drummer, the trumpeter, and the sign boy. Monthly goal done. Do zombies even have musicians?  Well, mine do.
 

I also finished the remaining OSM marginalia, so there are 4 beastmen, and a pair of camp followers.  The bagpipe rabbit doesn't count because it joined my bunny beastmen unit. Here they are with original marginalia.  Unit done!
Donkey vs Snail

Snail knight

Satyr with pig head on butt

and the camp followers

And a surprise-
  
While looking for more skeleton riders, and finally organizing my figure pantry, I found the other wing to my skeleton dragon!. (But no skeleton riders yet)  So here is Bonecrusher, the skeletal dragon, my big zero point extra of the month.  In 3rd edition WF, it matches absolutely nothing, so zero points.  And having gotten a bit damaged, it needed care and conversion. But another long time lurker finished!

So:

3 wraiths `(150pts each)  450pt
4 beastmen 40 pts
2 Death riders (light armor) (23pts each) 46pts
Leopold-Necromancer level 10       85 pt
4 zombies  4 pts each, 16 pts
Bonecrusher, the undead dragon   0 pts
Total 637 pts

As Dirge's forces move inexorably towards the temple, Leopold the Necromancer raises the undead dragon Bonecrusher from the grave.  The citizens of the city flee in panic!  The temple is hers!  Victory!

This is not the finish for me though.  I still have some Karr-Keel zombies, a death rider and many hobbit zombies to go. So next month as many zombies as I can paint, and likely a big zero point extra!
See if you can guess what it is! (sneak pic)