April, Ranks and Files. The Golden Month
Always by the skin of my teeth...
It's 10:48 PM on April 30th as I'm about to write this month's report. I've said many times that for me, photographing, editing, and writing the blog are the hardest parts. I don't like spending time on my phone; it takes me hours each time. I'm one of those people who can paint dozens of details on miniatures, but I get impatient after just a few minutes of technology. I feel like an old boomer.
I'll try to keep this short because it's late and I'm tired.
This month is the golden month. Every model I've made has a powerful metallic and gold component. Why? Because I felt like it.
COMMISSION: Dwarf mercenaries
A few models. 8 old-metal ironbreakers. Few, but good, I'd say. They are some original Marauder sculptures, Imperial dwarves. The client was undecided whether to include them in his Reiksguard unit or as the front of his Tilean pikes. Ultimately, he chose the second option. Gold, flat red, and triangular shields with a simple freehand, to match the style of his army painted many years ago. A work neither infamous nor praiseworthy.
RANKS AND FILES
More ironbreakers, this time from our collection.
I managed to find ten metal models, with a complete command group. I spent a small fortune sniping on eBay, and I limited myself to the bare minimum, mostly to have them in the collection. They're gorgeous. Gold, steel, and blue livery. Simple and elegant.
Did you expect that? More ironbreakers! 18, more than enough for a decent unit, this time... A few years ago, I won two boxes in a painting contest: I've never really been interested in them; I've built some for conversions or experiments, but without interest. Every now and then, I've received some loose models from mixed batches, which is why the unusual number. Along with them, I also built four Irondrakes, which I hate, but as mentioned, no dwarf will be left behind, so I painted everything. The flamethrowers will remain as a side element, just because they're there.
Slayers. 3. Let's slowly move forward to complete the unit. I promised you more lore, and they'll come, don't worry. But not today.
Oh! Rangers! I finally got my hands on the command group! I loved them, I had so much fun. I even added a couple of extra rangers and a warrior that fit perfectly, so I managed to bring the regiment to 15 rangers (16 including Bugman)—quite an achievement!
Note on the banners: finally, after four months of waiting, I've found a solution I like. Beautiful printed paper banners with different designs but a similar style, perfect for homogenizing such a large and varied army. A friend of mine made them, and I jumped at the chance. I didn't feel like drawing them all by hand, because, damn, I have a life, too, and I didn't want simple totems. I needed color, so here's the perfect solution. Okay, maybe I'm getting lazy, but the number of models is so huge, I'll have to get by somewhere...
DWARVES TREASURE HUNTERS (evil)
A few more models from my personal collection. These are some chaos dwarves operating war machines or cannons. I had them. I'd painted them poorly. I rediscovered them and freshened them up a bit, perhaps waiting to build or find a demonic machine to give them. In the meantime, here they are. No dwarf will be left behind (and who knows, maybe they'll have a chance to redeem themselves one day). In this group of bastards, I also included an old Marauder dwarf warrior, who I didn't know where to put and who still had a malevolent appearance (closed helmet and armor with nipples), and a Reaper Bones dwarf, decidedly huge compared to the others, but the "no dwarf will be left behind" rule must always be respected, so here he is in this section.
DWARVEN AUTOMATA
Another new entry. Dwarven automatons. Obviously, these, especially the centurion, are inspired by the Dwemer from the Elder Scrolls. Especially Morrowind! But also a little Skyrim. The two smaller ones and the most bizarre one were created many years ago with Space Marine bodies and Chaos warrior arms for a DeD campaign (the smaller ones) and an old Kinder Surprise (the funny one), while the larger one is a more recent composition, starting from a toy found on the street by chance. In all cases, they were painted crudely and unsuitable for the current project, so here's the opportunity to improve them, changing a few details and refreshing the color scheme. And now they're ready to defend the inner halls of the mountain again!
As of today, the army is composed as follows (updated the number of finished models and updated the point cost for banners and command groups where applicable).
And now I'll leave you, as it's 11:32 PM and I still have to upload the photos to the blog. Sorry, I don't have the time or energy to edit them properly; this time you'll get them straight from your phone.
I'm tired. But I'll keep painting and staying Old School.
