Shadespyre's Lizardmen - Karnac's Return (2675 points) - Wrap Up and Reflections

Wrap Up

It's actually so long since I finished working on this project that I almost forgot that I needed to do this bit...

Army Shot (minus the extra bits and bobs)

Compact, isn't it? Just 61 points scoring models. I think some of you painted units bigger than that.

Army List

I've pretty much thrown away the available "official" listings, which straddle 2nd and 3rd edition, and worked this up from the 3rd Ed WHFB book and Warhammer Armies. Also I wanted to "level up" Karnac into a proper Dwarf-kingdom-threatening-badass.

To my surprise, due to the cost of characters, this tots up to 2675 points! A few magic items could take this to 3000, I should think. It's a lot of Wounds in a small model count, I've no idea how it would play.

Karnac's Raiders

Karnac (level 25 Lizardman Hero)    - Bow, Light Armour                                     - 278 points
Huris (level 5 Lizardman Hero)        - Bow, Light Armour, Shield                           - 80 points
13 Lizardman Raiders                        - Bow, Light Armour, Musician, Standard    - 420 points     

Karnac's Other Raiders

10 Lizardman Raiders                        - Bow, Light Armour                                     - 280 points 

Karnac's Teeth

The Black Lizard (level 15 Lizardman Hero)    - Great Weapon                             -  174 points
7 Lizardman +1 Shock Elites            - Great Weapon                                                -182 points

Karnac's Scales

Champion (level 5 Lizardman Hero)    - Shield                                                        - 74 points
14 Lizardmen                                        - Shield, Musician, Standard                        - 352 points

Karnac's Slaves

Slavemaster (level 5 Lizardman Hero)    - Spear                                                    - 72 points
9 Lizardmen Slaves                                - Spear    -                                                 198 points

Witchdoctor (level 15 Lizardman Wizard)                                                               - 245 points

Shaman (level 5 Lizardman Wizard) -                                                                     - 70 points

Baluk's Bane (level 1 Dragon)                                                                                 - 250 points

Reflections on my first OWAC

How Did It Go?

For a project that I barely put any planning into - not bad at all! Colour schemes, basing, unit make-up were all established and changed on the fly as I bought extra minis or had new ideas. I was glad to get off to a good start and once I was into my stride I was flying through it - most of the painting was done by March, I think. Which was just as well as my back and other health issues have caused a few problems since then... I would *try* and plan more - both do more planning AND plan to paint more models - for the next OWAC, I think.

I didn't end up hating the miniature range, and I'm pleased with the results, so that's all good.

Favourite Bits

It's always nice to finish the first unit, that's always the moment when you know a project is a goer. Painting a dragon is always a high point, and fiddling around with mushrooms, stalagmites and the little dwarven influences was fun. The foolish checkered banner was a challenge, but came out okay and I think I could do better next time.

What Went Wrong?

Apart from the back problems, there were two main issues. One was the expense and difficulty of getting more minis, which is the main reason why there isn't a proper spear armed unit - I just wasn't prepared to spend £150-200+ that even a 15 strong regiment would have cost, if I could even find enough models.Actually, that brings up the "Meso-American" problem. Those spear armed minis especially are just too junglified to match in with the Dwarvish basement lurkers theme, even if I could source them.

The second was the basing scheme, which seemed like a good idea for the first 20 models and then became dull and laborious to do, especially as my supply of slate started to dwindle and there was less material to choose good bits from. Ultimately, I think this would stop me adding more than a few more minis to the unit - making another movement tray would be a big hassle.

Expansion Plans?

If a dozen more spearmen fell into my lap I'd have to find a way to include them as another unit. The same goes of course for the three or four rare minis from the range that I haven't been able to find. As I think I said during the project, I considered making Baluk's Bane be a Balrog or similar, and I think that is the most likely future addition - a big scaly demon!

What's Next Time?

One of:

Citadel Fantasy Tribes Goblins

Citadel Pre-Slotta Dark Elves

Ral Partha Tom Meier High Elves

Citadel Pre-Slotta / Early Slotta High Elves

Rogue Trader Eldar / Space Elf Pirates

I have an almost endless pile of potential projects, but these are the most OWAC compatible choices

Quin’s Lizardmen of the Black Marsh - This is the End

This is the end

Beautiful friend
This is the end
My only friend, the end
Of our elaborate plans, the end
Of everything that stands, the end
No safety or surprise, the end
I'll never look into your eyes again

Can you picture what will be
So limitless and free
Desperately in need of some stranger's hand
In a desperate land

Woo! With my first OWAC finished here’s what I’ve accomplished, looking at each unit with point values.

9 Lizardmen with Hand Weapons & Shields  including standard bearer and musician - 22 points each +40 (238)

Farang Gix, level 10 Lizardman with double handed weapon - (128)

9 Lizardmen w/ spears including banner bearer & musican 22 points each +40 (238)

Thurgix Sauriv, level 5 Lizardman with double handed weapon - (74)

10 Slaves 4.5 points each (45)

Priestess of Umbraxakar, level 5 wizard (60)

Cold One Warhound (8)

5 Troglodyes with Hand Weapons & Shields 40 points each (200)

Vargus Yrev, level 15 Lizardman with Flail (182)

5 Troglodytes w/ double handed weapons 44 points each (220)

Pothoc, level 5 Troglodyte w/ bow (210)

Ioth Ssissith, level 25 Lizardman on cold one (292)

Umbraxakar Urathear, Level 1 Dragon with Flight (300)

Total Points - 1813

With no good places in my home for a decent photoshoot, I took the lizards out for a hike. 

Somehow the leadpile hasn’t shrunk so I’ll be back for another if you kind folks will have me.

sewers.of.estark signing off-

Quin’s Lizardmen of the Black Marsh - Behold the Shadow Lord (300)

 Wild Card month

  

Something Something, Hidden Dragon

  Ruler of the swamp, revered as a god by his followers for his incredible strength, cunning and mesmerizing gaze. Umbraxakar’s scales echo in shades of black while reflecting luminous color in near darkness. Tales are told by the explorers and inhabitants of Lustria that when Umbraxakar takes flight his wings block the sun and the jungle falls into complete darkness, however no one claims to have seen it themselves. It is on a rare occasion that the dark god reveals himself, preferring to stay in the solitude of his depths, counting his horde of gold and slumbering with the heart of the earth. 

Welcome to Wild Card month. For the sake of the current iteration of my army, Umbraxakar will be counted as a level 1 dragon with flight. I had planned on including a few other extras and bumping him to a level 3, but by the time that June rolled around I was getting tired of painting lizards, so instead I’ll just tell you about them;

Here’s one that actually got finished a few months back with another unit of lizards, Uljar Legatus the Blue. Equipped with a double handed weapon and hidden bow. With aspirations to lead a unit of lizardmen archers I haven’t converted or painted..

Maybe after a few other projects.

    Tending to stay above the others, Levethix usually dwells in a musty pool trapped on a nearby mountainside. Rarely he will visit the others, bringing his mystic fortunes to the brood warning of impending doom or incredible fortune. In times of war he is called upon by the great dragon Umbraxakar to protect his home. 

I’ve already decided how I’m going to convert this guy, just haven’t gotten around to it. Going to replace his two handed sword with a nice long staff & give him a floppy wizard hat complete with stars and moons, a classic wizard lizard. Someday...

Levethix the Recluse 

Point Values:

Level 1 Dragon with Flight, Urathear Umbraxakar - (300)

Uljar Legatus level 20 lizardman with double handed weapon and bow - (252)

9 lizardmen warriors with hand weapons and bows 24 points each. (216)

Levethix the level 15 Lizardman Wizard - (245)

Total for June - (300)

Shadespyre's Lizardmen - June - Wildcard - Baluk's Bane and other strangeness (250 points)

 Wild Card Month

With everything I *needed* for the army finished a while ago, it has remained only to dream up some extra bits and pieces to fill it out a bit and tidy up loose ends. So I found a few models which seemed to fit, only one of which is really part of the army and so worth any points. 

Baluk's Bane

As noted back at the start, the background for Karnac and his raiders is basically a rip off of Tolkien's Moria story, only the Dwarf lord gets eaten by Karnac, not the Balrog. I strongly considered digging out one of my many old Balrogs to add to this army, to play to that theme, but firstly I couldn't decide which to use and secondly since I buggered up my back I can't climb into the loft to look for them. It's something I might come back to.

The next most obvious choice was to include a Very Big Reptile in the army, either a dinosaur or a dragon. My available dinos are all modern plastic models and very, very big, and I wanted to use something old and lead if possible, and more of an Oldhammer scale. Going through my Dragon spreadsheet (I do like Dragons!) I decided a wingless model would seem more subterranean, which sent me looking at old Grenadier dragons because I knew there were a few to chose from. 

My first pick was the Iron Dragon, because it came with Dwarves which it was fighting, but the pose doesn't suit use in an army. And then I found it - my spare Swamp Dragon i.e. the one missing it's long froggy tongue!

One other problem - he comes modelled on a swampy base, not a rocky one, so I had to fix that with a lot of milliput, as well as sculpt a new tongue. And so here he is:

The second picture gives more idea of scale. For colours, I chose to keep him more lizard than dragon, and so used the same palette as the Lizardmen, in bands. A very quick paint job as the same shade and highlight was applied to all the colours to tie them together. The base was much more work than the mini!

Let's says he's a Level 1 Dragon, wingless of course, for 250 points

Purple (and Pink) People Eaters

I promised our Overlord pink, so pink (and purple) he shall have. These are some of the more "exotic" Lizardmen models which I didn't want to use in the main force, so I have painted them in more "exotic" skin tones...

I considered collecting enough of the spear poses to make their own unit, but it would have meant spending another £100+ on minis and I'm not *that* fond of them! I'm still missing a couple of rare poses, I suppose if they turn up I'll add them to this group.

Not a unit, so I'm going to award myself nil points for these. 

Unit Fillers / Bits and Bobs

This little chap has been sitting around my desk for ages, thought I might as well paint and base him to go with this project. Doesn't have a particular role, he's on a cavalry base so he could add two spaces to fill out a unit, maybe?

A few more scenic bits, including a dead Dwarf

It seemed wrong not to use this deceased dwarf here...

And talking of dead Dwarves, how about some Undead Dwarves - if that old Lizardman Witchdoctor is going to be a necromancer, he needs a few corpses?

These are from Midlam Miniatures, they come naked except for weapons so I bent their metal joints a bit to change the poses, then added the shields and some scraps of clothing so that I had something to paint in my three Dwarf cloth colours to tie them to the rest of the army.

All that lot - no extra points (unless using them as unit fillers I suppose)

What Next?

Just the July army shot and a completed army list. It's changed a bit from when I started (mostly by buying more Lizardmen) so it'll be interesting to see what the final points tally is!

Quin’s Troglodytes of the Black Marsh 2: Electric Boogaloo (382 points)

 Rank & File #4

Born in a wretched pit, Vargus had to fight to survive. Eating his siblings until he was strong enough to dredge his way out of the hole. It was there that he was taken under the wing of the great lord Umbraxakar, where he was taught to fight and forage. And so he served Umbraxakar for many ages, growing fond of the savage nature the Troglodytes held, Vargus spent many of his years of serving by training the old reptiles new tricks. Now not only were the troglodytes killing machines, while Vargus was around they would be efficient, emotionless crushers. They can also sit, roll over AND stay.

 My final Rank & File month, I painted my second unit of troglodytes, this time with hand weapons & shields. To finish my unit I included a level 15 lizardman hero leading the party, Vargus Yrev the Thighsnapper.

Vargus Yrev

Vargus Yrev

Vargus Yrev

Point Values:

5 Troglodyes with Hand Weapons & Shields - 40 points each (200)

Vargus Yrev, level 15 Hero with Flail (182)

382 points total

Shadespyre's Lizardmen - Karnac Returns - Finally, Karnac ACTUALLY RETURNS! May (793 points)

Leader Month

It's May, and it's finally Leader Month! The one thing that has been missing from Karnac's Raiders so far is Karnac himself. Well, wait no more: here at last is some of the Raiders with their commander

Karnac is described as being white, so white I painted him! A quick google search showed that white crocodilians are a rare mutation, and typically have blue eyes (they are not true albinos so no pink, sorry Oh Overlord!). And so it made sense to give him a stolen blue Dwarf hood to match.
 

The Raiders champion is the brutish Huris, who has a horrid reputation second only to Karnac's (despite a disappointing stat line!). He's described a green, and for that to be notable I thought he should be much more green than his greenish fellows. Being an early slotta era model, he also needed a plastic shield so I found him this natty polished bronze number to go with his stolen helmet.

Nothing much to say about the musician model...

I feel a little guilty about the plain green standard, though it's quite eyecatching of itself. The shape and drape of it doesn't lend itself to a design, and I lacked immediate inspiration. Plans to come back to it were scuppered by my inability to sit and paint in April, and though I'm recovering now I've grown used to it looking like this. It has got a mummified Dwarf head, so that's nice. I like the purple skin / red tunic combo, but a lizardman wearing gauntlets feels a bit odd...

There's also now a command group for the sword and shield regiment. The champion, you might recall, was going to be Huris until I found the "proper" Huris model. I painted him green anyway, but less so. This is another model where I have no clue what is meant to be on top of his head, it's like a skull and a wig or something? That's how I painted it... I like the big old axe he's toting.

Oh, here's the same musician figure, painted in a green cloak. It's a nice enough mini.

The standard bearer is a conversion, of course, so at least that's not a repeat. Lots of this spearman mini turn up for sale broken (still for a tenner, ridiculous) so I don't feel bad about it. Sticking with the "stole it from Dwarfs" motif, I painted it up as a fancy Clan standard. Same anvil as on Huris' shield, you see? Sometimes I do plan a little bit. The red and green check pattern drove me crazy, it'll just about do I think. Good practice for painting Space Orks perhaps?

And here they are as a big happy family. To round the numbers up there's a guy on the right hand side with another of those plastic shields - it's one of the repeat sculpts from my great weapons unit.

Last month's Rank and File update included The Black Lizard, so that's it for Hero and command models - just these two spellcasters to finish with.

I think of the hunched red witchdoctor - smothered in skulls, wigs and gods know what else - as a venerable old wizard. Maybe he dabbles in Necromancy and Demonology and that sort of thing. Ancient horrible secrets and lots and lots of blood. And then the bright, upright one - obviously I took inspiration from "modern blue lizardman" fashions - is younger and more active and probably knows flashy battle magic or elemental spells or somesuch. 

Points and such...

Karnac            174

Huris                25.5

Standard          48*    this is the WA (3rd ed) points value, not the 120 listed for 2nd ed

Musician          48

Extra Raider    24

Champion        25.5

Standard           44 

Musician           44 

Level 1 Wizard 180

Level 1 Wizard 180

Total Points:    793 points !

What's next / left?

June will be Wild Card month. There will be any ragtag Lizardmen models which don't fit into the other units, maybe some scenic elements, maybe something bigger and scalier... let's see!

I'd also like to write up a nicely formatted army list, Warhammer Armies style, but we'll see how much work that looks like.