goblinpaladin's Gnomes - a January update [200 points]

This project is being kindly sponsored by Old School Miniatures.

I'll admit that I was very worried a few weeks ago. The smoke was blanketing my city, meaning that I couldn't undercoat.* This put back my timetable by several weeks, or so I thought...

quarrelling gnomes

I sat down, planned out the next five months, and based the first 200 points. This meant that I was at least moving forward a little - and then (glory be to Ringil) the smoke cleared enough for me to hastily get down some undercoats. Heck yeah:

• 10 Armbrust Gnomen. 80 points
• 10 Guarden Gnomen with light armour. 120 points

• Total: 200 points

I put together some resting or rear-ranking crossbowmen and assembled up the block of elite Guarden Gnomen who will be guarding the Cantonal Standard. I then figured out what I wanted to do for a colour scheme and went down to gnome town.

The crossbowmen got the same greens, browns and undyed cloth as the fox riders I had done before the challenge. This fit into these being recruited from the local furrier guilds; they aren't going to be equipped at the city's expense in uniform coats and be-ribboned with finery.

These were painted traditionally, although the brown wash I gave them did dull down most of the variant colours I originally used on their hats and coats. The beards are mostly either washes or the new Snakebite Leather contrast, which is a really nice paint.

The regiment of Guarden Gnomen, as befitting their status as professional soldiers, have been given handsome blue coats and red felt caps. A few of these soldiers are also veterans, judging from their white and grey beards.

The colour scheme is absolutely based on David the Gnome, and please don't let me ever pretend otherwise. The red hats also lets me pretend I'm giving a nod to the redcaps in English folklore, although I am not reinterpreting these gnomes as some kind of grimdark savages on the border of Fairy.**

These guys used a bit more of the new contrast, especially on the basecoats for the red caps, blue coats, and leather belts. I then highlighted as traditional, although I think I could have made the halberds a bit brighter - they look a bit more like wrought iron than the steel of a city's elite soldiers.

the cantonal standard shines bright! (because it's not painted)

Coming up next month: The rest of the Guarden Gnomen and crossbowgnomes. Need to come up with a design for the banner...

= = =

*Or breathe. Or walk to work. Hell, the smoke drifted through the library stacks and the university shut down. So.

**Although that is a cool idea, and someone else should steal it.