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Miniatures Adventure => Fantasy Adventures => Topic started by: PatrickWR on March 25, 2013, 07:09:22 PM

Title: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 25, 2013, 07:09:22 PM
Hey guys, I recently took some halfway decent photos of my fantasy minis collection and I'm planning to post them here. My group plays Song of Blades & Heroes (and all its expansions) so a lot of these figures were painted up as warbands for that game. Others are taken from my D&D collection...I GMed and played in a couple of old-school, wilderness-hex-map-based games a few years back.

In keeping with the spirit of Song of Blades & Heroes, my game group uses minis from all sorts of manufacturers and game lines. I'll try to explain the origins of the figures in my collection, though some may be lost to the sands of time.

You can follow along with my game club's exploits at our blog: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 25, 2013, 07:09:59 PM
(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kr8P5VEpuFM/UVB0EeWqb5I/AAAAAAAADig/9cqsuE1chso/s1600/20130324_174711.jpg)

Last November, I received my batch of loot from the fully funded Stonehaven Dwarven Adventurers Kickstarter campaign. As this was the first (and to date, only) Kickstarter I've ever been a part of, I've gotta say it was a great experience. The Stonehaven guys sent out timely, informative updates throughout the process, and my miniatures (15 dwarves covering a ton of possible archetypes and loadouts) arrived basically on time.

Since then I've been working my way slowly through them. Here's the first batch of completed figures. From left, we have: bard, berserker, fallen king, necromancer, mage, rogue and highwayman. Very cool figures, with tons of character! Those are resin flagstone bases that were supplied with the Kickstarter.

I undercoated these guys in light gray -- as opposed to black, my longtime undercoat -- and tried to give the figures a brighter, more colorful paintjob than I usually do. What can I say, the sculpts seem a bit more lighthearted than my the typical dark fantasy guy from Reaper or Games Workshop.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 25, 2013, 07:52:53 PM
Here's a bunch of adventurers! This picture is sort of a microcosm of my miniatures collection -- a bunch of different minis, different basing schemes, but with loads of character in each figure.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PLlSCWOOzvM/UVByqXTgStI/AAAAAAAADgg/yKZAibOApJ0/s1600/20130324_180306.jpg)

From left: Reaper knight with greatsword, Reaper elf warrior, unknown archer guy with cool armor made out of a lizard, Chainmail half-elf warrior
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: Damien on March 25, 2013, 11:52:52 PM
Hi Patrick, every mini looks fantastic! I really like your painting style, it is very smooth. Loads of minis with loads of character here and I like the different bases, I find that every base suits the mini.

Welcome and keep this thread going,
 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: Chaos Wolf on March 26, 2013, 12:07:43 AM
Great stuff!!

I checked out your groups blog; very nice. I'm really starting to get more of an interest in skirmish level gaming, SOBH in particular. I can foresee spending quite a bit of time reading through it.

In case you're interested, your unknown archer guy is an old Ral Partha figure. Chaos archer, or Chaos bowman or somesuch. I've got some of them around somewhere, if I remember correctly, they came 4 or 6 to a blister pack with multiple poses.

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 26, 2013, 02:40:18 AM
Thanks Damien and Chaos Wolf for the warm welcome.

If you guys would like to read more about SBH, check out this campaign page. We ran a SBH campaign last summer and played about 20 games over the course of 7 sessions. It was a real blast, and very inspiring. Writeups and photos galore.

http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/p/iron-isle-song-of-blades-heroes.html

More pics for this thread coming soon!

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: Imp522 on March 26, 2013, 03:00:36 AM
Good looking mins you have there. Those Stonehaven Dwarfs are full of character.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: beefcake on March 26, 2013, 04:46:04 AM
Looking good. I really like the dwarves you've done. Did you get the troll too?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 26, 2013, 01:38:17 PM
No, I didn't get the troll. I wonder if I've missed my chance?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 26, 2013, 01:43:52 PM
OK, up next are some mounted figures. I've always liked having a handful of cavalry figures on hand, either for skirmish gaming to to represent a fighter who found a horse or something.

These guys are Warhammer Chaos knights, so I painted them up in a generic "evil" paint scheme. You'll notice that a lot of my figures get the magic dip -- I'm an impatient painter and I game fairly often, so I tend to speed through the final steps so I can just get the mini done and onto the battlefield. Magic dip (in this case Minwax Polyshades) helps that process quite a bit, though I know I'll never win any painting awards for it.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-DuIO7UHQ-mI/UVBypolCY2I/AAAAAAAADgE/Tx9G4_hndjI/s1600/20130324_175038.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-6gSMRWx4qEU/UVBypTfgnfI/AAAAAAAADf8/dxinAsNBlT4/s1600/20130324_175027.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 26, 2013, 06:45:49 PM
I picked up this old Grenadier pack at GenCon a few years back for $1! It's one of my favorite sets: two versions of the same warrior, mounted and on foot, for maximum versatility in the dungeon or in the wilderness.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-gNwJhcSEZl8/UVByraOQxHI/AAAAAAAADhA/W_O4Oq2flwc/s1600/20130324_180913.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-npKoY_1xX9k/UVByrhVZhvI/AAAAAAAADhQ/uqVHKnLpsE4/s1600/20130324_180940.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [UP FIRST - Stonehaven Dwarves!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 27, 2013, 03:45:22 PM
Alright, time for some bad guys! These are the first (and only) gnolls in my collection, but they were loads of fun to paint. At least one of them is scheduled to hit the table tonight in an introductory game of Song of Blades & Heroes that I'm running for a friend.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-aiE68Dpwrdg/UVByqE9CBxI/AAAAAAAADgY/qutN5DLfvlU/s1600/20130324_175637.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 28, 2013, 04:41:31 PM
Ah, more bad guys. Ostensibly these guys are orcs from Nin-Gonost, a hybrid board/miniatures game released by Adiken. I typically run them as hobgoblins, though, as they look rather sneaky and my orcs tend to be more barbaric and vicious-looking (and green). Nothing special with the paint job -- just drybrushed armor, GW Dark Flesh for the skin and a few highlights. The basing scheme is supposed to look like cracked lava terrain...eventually I'll do a group of armor-clad paladins in the same basing to do battle against these guys deep underground.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-lmfI94-42v4/UVByr_-A5zI/AAAAAAAADhU/vwot6mbOHd8/s1600/20130324_181318.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: Damien on March 29, 2013, 03:20:13 PM
Hello Patrick, lets first start with the Grenadier warrior pack that you bought for a dollar! , you lucky ...... I love Grenadier miniatures and only find them on Ebay for way too much (I really have to find a convention near me)  :)  I really like how you painted him and as always the bases look good too. As for the Gnolls, really nice paint jobs on those old Chainmail miniatures, I have a few too and they are well sculpted; you really did a good job on them. I don't know anything about the last guys but they look pretty cool and the paint jobs are nice too.


Keep 'em coming,
 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 30, 2013, 05:21:29 AM
As for the Gnolls, really nice paint jobs on those old Chainmail miniatures, I have a few too and they are well sculpted; you really did a good job on them.

Ah ha, Chainmail! Thanks for helping me ID these guys. I'd like to pick up a few more, and now I know where to look!

The Adiken miniatures happen to have a pretty interesting backstory, which unfortunately is all too common in the gaming industry. The company grew too fast and collapsed, with lots of stock unsold and just sitting around in some guy's garage. I blogged about it a while back: http://rpgdiehard.blogspot.com/2010/04/adikens-miniatures-and-fall-of-gaming.html
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 30, 2013, 05:24:03 AM
Here's another GenCon acquisition: 2 blister packs of Grenadier Ratscum for $1 each! They sat around in my lead heap for a few years until last fall, when I decided that dammit, I was going to play my next game with some ratmen. So I painted 'em up! I've got to say, these are some of my favorite ratmen miniatures. Tons of character! They're still in production from Mirliton.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kd98U3FeTzQ/UD688bSZKfI/AAAAAAAACH8/T5Haqm_8gOo/s1600/ratscum.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: Imp522 on March 30, 2013, 03:46:45 PM
Really nice job on the ratmen, and they're grenadier which is always a plus in my book.

Dave
http://oldschoolminiaturesbulletin.blogspot.com/
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: Spooktalker on March 30, 2013, 06:42:38 PM
Nice to see some of those Stonehaven dwarves painted up and I like the rest of your stuff too.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: Damien on March 30, 2013, 09:46:35 PM
Stop! Stop regaling me with your stories of 1$ Grenadier blisters! Sob  :'( In all seriousness, these guys are really well painted, I have a few Ratscum but from a different sculptor. I really like how you painted the green, the dark metallics and really like the basing. Please keep on posting your eclectic mix of miniatures.

Cheers,
Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 30, 2013, 09:59:48 PM
Shoot, you ain't seen nothing yet. Twice a year the LGS here in Chicago, Games Plus, hosts a big ol' weekend-long gaming auction where people can bring in unwanted game stuff and the store will auction it off to the crowd. The minis auction lasts for about 10-12 hours. I regularly pick up grab-bags of old Grenadier and Ral Partha stuff for less than $1 per figure! If you're anywhere near Chicago, it's worth the drive. The next auction will be in early October.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 31, 2013, 04:00:09 PM
Here's a photo from a recent game of Song of Blades & Heroes. My undead warband is advancing from its deployment zone to assail the barbarians' hill fort.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-ekJjsHmVh58/UB7OhGCTewI/AAAAAAAAB9w/bjkTOPjMt5w/s1600/IMG_3584.jpg)

The skeletons are Mantic plastics, the wraith is a Reaper guy, and the pumpkin rider is from Blue Moon. I freakin' LOVE the Song of Blades games because I like to use all sorts of different miniatures from different game lines and companies in my games. This photo perfectly illustrates that.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: majorsmith on March 31, 2013, 06:33:57 PM
really nice mate!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: Damien on March 31, 2013, 06:49:18 PM
Those Mantic skeletons are really nice (and well painted)!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: DeafNala on March 31, 2013, 07:23:33 PM
That is quite a nice assortment of VERY COOL Undead Folk...some GREAT brushwork there! VERY WELL DONE!

I'm of the opinion (for whatever that is worth) that rules that are not set up to sell minis are the BEST sort of rules.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Cavalry and gnolls!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 01, 2013, 02:27:49 PM
Thanks for the comments! Here's another look at those Mantic skeletons. My big gripe with them is that they don't have enough bare skull heads on each sprue...so many of the heads are fully enclosed in helmets. Where's the fun in that?! I paint undead so I can paint grinning skull faces!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-n8Jycu8Gu6o/UD688zPttMI/AAAAAAAACIE/KfdbZkB0SlI/s1600/skeletons.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 01, 2013, 09:39:09 PM
OK, time for some more adventurers. These guys came from the yellow Grenadier D&D Fighting-Men boxed set, which I picked up at a game store auction for a few bucks. The box was in decent shape and the minis were pristine and unpainted inside!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_pQe9BnE6UdE/Sszb0UVAWgI/AAAAAAAAAdI/3Xv7nT8SCgw/s1600/IMG_1165.JPG)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_pQe9BnE6UdE/SszbzhChSiI/AAAAAAAAAdA/u7lNPxRCtsg/s1600/IMG_1167.JPG)

These guys have seem SO MUCH action on the tabletop over the last few years...they are so versatile. There's something to be said for good ol' generic fighting-men. They've been PCs, hirelings, mercenaries and bodyguards for dozens of wargame and RPG sessions.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-igPJnEyoxtk/UVByrXNTujI/AAAAAAAADg0/V9jlI1Ln9gA/s1600/20130324_180809.jpg)

Their unpainted buddies are resting safely inside the little yellow box. One day I'll paint the rest of 'em!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: Damien on April 02, 2013, 02:26:08 AM
I love those guys! I am painting two fighting men right now, if you look at your pic of the open box, I am painting the guy on the top right corner (with the axe) and on the bottom row, the third guy from the left (with the sword). I hope to finish them by this weekend so I can post them up.

On another note, stop, stop I am begging you, stop telling me that you are buying rare miniatures/boxed sets for 'just a few bucks'  :'( :'(    :D

Good work painting these guys, I like your painting style,

 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: DeafNala on April 02, 2013, 02:44:28 PM
GREAT ADDITIONS! I particularly like the Mantic Skeletons; re, they bring to mind Army of Darkness...a positive with moi. Keep up the FINE WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 02, 2013, 04:25:05 PM
More adventurers! Here we have two very different versions of the classic D&D cleric. The guy on the left is a pudgy, barefoot holy man with a staff and a big book. You can't see it in the pic, but he has a mace slung on his back. I have no clue where this miniature came from...any ideas?

The guy on the right is Kjeld, Battle-Priest of Vanir, my long-running PC from an equally long-running AD&D campaign. We've not played in a couple years, but when we last left Kjeld, he was a 4th-level cleric who was beginning to attract a small flock to his chapel-forge (blacksmith iconography is a big part of his religion). Anyway this was the first and only figure I've painted up to represent Kjeld, and he's spent hours and hours on the tabletop battlefield. I painted him a long time ago, but he'd held up decently.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3C5llvZjcU/UVByqoBEPoI/AAAAAAAADgk/P_RztvnIGKc/s1600/20130324_180356.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: stone-cold-lead on April 02, 2013, 08:19:57 PM
Like the skellies. Nice bold painting and the Mantic sculpts could almost be old school.  :-*
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: Faust23 on April 03, 2013, 06:43:41 PM
Hey Patrick, those look great!

I've been buried in my fantasy game board & rules of late, plus a vacation in the middle, so I missed this thread until now.

You will love the stuff that Damien and I have been working on with old Ral Partha & Grenadier figs.  Your's fit right in!  :D

Glad to see some paint on these guys.  I have the kicking fighter on my workbench waiting to get some love.  He was the first D&D miniature I ever painted.  I couldn't afford paint thinner, and I painted him with enamels from my plastic model paint set.  That was thirty some years ago....

Keep up the great work.  Love seeing these types of projects here.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 03, 2013, 08:15:35 PM
Glad to see the old-school stuff getting so much love! I'll see if I can dig up photos of more painted Grenadier guys.

For now, we have a couple of knight/paladin guys. The one on the left is definitely Grenadier, from the AD&D Fighting Men boxed set, converted with a helmet crest from a GW Bretonnian knight and a spiked mace. I'm not sure about the guy on the right. I'm thinking he's from Grenadier, too. Any ideas?

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-81tyu06oms8/UVByqAQiYSI/AAAAAAAADgo/l-HWJIG8KcQ/s1600/20130324_180002.jpg)

The basing scheme is meant to match the hobgoblins from page 1 of this thread...kind of a cracked-lava design. These two figures helped me learn to love helmet crests!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Faust23 on April 03, 2013, 08:32:47 PM
I think the guy on the right is a Fantasy Lords figure from Grenadier.  Someone more erudite in that line may correct me, but I seem to remember seeing him on the Mirliton site, IIRC.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Minohtar on April 04, 2013, 11:02:28 AM
He's a Metal Magic paladin, one of the first minis I ever painted.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 04, 2013, 02:10:25 PM
He's a Metal Magic paladin, one of the first minis I ever painted.

Fantastic, thank you! Someone dropped him on his head a long time ago and bent one of the ears of his bull's-head helmet crest. I say it gives him character!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 04, 2013, 03:25:00 PM
Here's a couple more mounted figures. These two guys were packaged as "thanes" from Alternative Armies, so I'm thinking they were originally designed for historical gaming. Oh well, that's never stopped me before.

Alternative Armies stuff is generally on the large side, and these guys were no exception. They tower most of the vintage 25mm stuff in my collection -- but they scale quite nicely with newer Reaper-sized figures. The guy on the right was originally holding a standard but I didn't want that, so I replaced it with a long-handled hammer from a Warhammer kit. Paint job was simple and quick -- because these guys had to get on the battlefield ASAP!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-XOg0lVjIHz8/UVByp7FaLsI/AAAAAAAADgM/Bc9ukEMt5_s/s1600/20130324_175157.jpg)

I love the redbearded guy's pose. If there was a text bubble coming out of his mouth it would say "COME AT ME, BRO!"
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Minohtar on April 05, 2013, 11:22:17 AM
Fantastic, thank you! Someone dropped him on his head a long time ago and bent one of the ears of his bull's-head helmet crest. I say it gives him character!

You're welcome. :)  Meant to say how much I'm enjoying this thread, great job on some wonderful old lead.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 05, 2013, 07:40:11 PM
Here are some more fighting men. The guy on the left is from Reaper, but it was the old-style packaging on the blister pack. The middle guy is a modern Reaper sculpt...he's a bard and his left hand was carrying a lute, but I cut that off and replaced it with a shield, and suddenly the sculpt looked normal.

The guy on the far right in the green cloak...I'm not too sure where he came from. I acquired him half-painted in a grab-bag of miscellaneous lead. He had a slot-tab under his feet, rather than a Reaper-style pedestal. Maybe Warlord? Any suggestions?

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-IT67dxmz4co/UVByp8YMhfI/AAAAAAAADgQ/YSdodd1Co_Y/s1600/20130324_175352.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Damien on April 06, 2013, 01:15:02 AM
Hello Patrick, love the paint job on the Reaper minis. The guy in green is 14037: Sir Conlan, Crusaders Sergeant, from the Warlord range. (Btw the Thanes are fantastic as well).


Cheers,
 Damien

ps I'll pm you this weekend.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Blackwolf on April 06, 2013, 01:24:57 AM
Nice work on some wonderful figures :)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 08, 2013, 02:33:39 PM
Thanks guys! This thread is turning out to be a great way for me to puzzle through the origins of some of my miniatures.

Here's another pair of figures that have seen a lot of action on the tabletop. The fellow on the left is the only halfling in my collection...I'm not sure where he's from, but his style reminds me a lot of the old animated "The Hobbit" movie. His paint job has not aged well...it's too dark and smudgy. I guess the wash I used was too heavy.

The huge guy on the right is Drac Mac Syro from Rackham's Confrontation game. He was, I believe, the last metal miniature they released before switching over to prepainted plastics. He's clearly an analog for Conan the Barbarian and Bran Mak Morn, and he looks fantastic. I painted him up 5 years ago and he's been used in virtually every game that features human raiders or barbarians. I've had to touch up his paint job a half dozen times over the years.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hk2MgeDMzGQ/UVByrKQnqHI/AAAAAAAADg4/Wr8AuNVqU5M/s1600/20130324_180637.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 10, 2013, 02:25:24 PM
Here are a couple of stout dwarf fighters. The one on the left is an old Citadel miniature, I think...he was holding up a standard, but I replaced it with a halberd (featuring a blade that is almost as big as his body!).

The guy on the right is a simply glorious Grenadier sculpt. So much expression and detail on that stumpy little guy! Say it all together now: "AND MYYYY AXE!"

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-1L6UR6sdc8c/UVBys3SGE8I/AAAAAAAADhw/GVfSo2zD-A0/s1600/20130324_182212.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fighters, paladins and clerics!]
Post by: Faust23 on April 10, 2013, 03:01:38 PM
Hello Patrick, love the paint job on the Reaper minis. The guy in green is 14037: Sir Conlan, Crusaders Sergeant, from the Warlord range. (Btw the Thanes are fantastic as well).


Cheers,
 Damien

ps I'll pm you this weekend.

Drew also owns the Sir Conlan figure. Although he renamed it to "Suck Justice!"  lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, Conan-style barbarian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 11, 2013, 03:15:49 AM
And here are some dwarven warriors from Mantic. The jury's still out on them -- they have a very distinctive style, but I'm not sure if it's my "dwarven ideal" for how the little stunty guys should look. You be the judge.

I purchased one of Mantic's grab bags that they sell around the holidays, which usually features 100+ miniatures for $55 shipped to the U.S. I split one with a friend, actually, and we each got a dozen or so troops from all of their fantasy armies (elves, undead, dwarves, orcs).

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ETzqnGLEKqI/UVBysVrlipI/AAAAAAAADhg/xL10VKRsVpo/s1600/20130324_181843.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, Conan-style barbarian!]
Post by: stone-cold-lead on April 11, 2013, 07:57:32 AM
I love the mix of different models in this thread.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, Conan-style barbarian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 12, 2013, 03:01:15 PM
Thanks, stone-cold-lead. And would you believe I regularly get 'em all on the game table together? These days my group only plays games that don't restrict what minis you put on the table, so we can collect and paint whatever strikes our fancy.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, Conan-style barbarian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 15, 2013, 02:56:50 PM
More adventurers! Actually, I don't know if you can rightly call these guys adventurers. They mostly just carry loot from the dungeon back to town. I have a real soft spot for miniatures that look like they're doing something other than fighting, and aren't obviously carrying weapons.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-4IASRAsZxfA/UVBysuJ9GgI/AAAAAAAADhs/tHr4F3zF5TY/s1600/20130324_182036.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, Conan-style barbarian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 15, 2013, 02:59:23 PM
And here's an odd pairing -- I wasn't sure where to put these 2 figures. On the left is a pack mule, outfitted with a sturdy frame for use in the dungeon or in the wilderness. I can't remember exactly where I got this mule...he came in a 2-pack with another slightly different sculpt. On the right is the first dwarf I ever painted -- I believe he's a Citadel berserker? He literally looks like a gigantic beard with arms and legs. Yes, that is a severed head on his hip.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-vwL9B_5USI4/UVByr1LRj1I/AAAAAAAADhM/4vf0FaHArQw/s1600/20130324_181545.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: Constable Bertrand on April 15, 2013, 08:54:45 PM
 :o  :-*  :-*

You mean there are little fellows an mules that carry all the loot back to town? I always wondered how my adventurer could carry so much treasure and scrap!  lol

I really love the fellow with the box on his back. Is he OOP or still available somewhere?

That's an amazing paintjob on the dwarf, great effort!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 15, 2013, 09:31:54 PM
I really love the fellow with the box on his back. Is he OOP or still available somewhere?

That is a Grenadier figure from the 1980s and, I believe, he is long OOP. The thing he is carrying on his back is actually a big ol' treasure chest! It's hard to see because of the angle.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 19, 2013, 02:29:11 PM
Who the heck is this guy? The package labeled him as "Duke Ice Falcon" from Crucible. But I painted him up as maybe a dark elf warlord or something. I'm not entirely sure what I was going for with this paint scheme. But I do remember that I wanted to use purple paint!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-NbL78NjSkm0/UVBysFgEvyI/AAAAAAAADhk/XjqlxbutV58/s1600/20130324_181654.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: Damien on April 19, 2013, 03:57:31 PM
Hi Patrick,
 He is from Ral Partha, they came up with a warhammer type game called Crucible with different types of armies etc. He is painted up really well, I like the purple armour and the hex base.


Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 19, 2013, 08:37:36 PM
Oh, that's good to know. I actually have several other minis from the Crucible game line, still boxed up in the blister packs. Guess I better paint 'em up!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: Spooktalker on April 20, 2013, 12:42:52 AM
I like the mule and grenadier figs and agree that henchmen really add a lot to the experience. Have you seen the grenadier potion tester?  lol  I need to get that guy. The huge-headed dwarf is Heartbreaker Hobbies from the nineties. I have one or two and I don't know what to do it with. Maybe a huge face chaos mutation figure.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: Nedo on April 20, 2013, 07:41:15 AM
Nice minis.....
However, I would have made the bases a little more homogeneous....maybe all round bases.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon explorers, pack mule!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 22, 2013, 01:56:53 PM
However, I would have made the bases a little more homogeneous....maybe all round bases.

No way! I like the glorious mess that comes from having a mishmash of bases on the table. Perhaps this stems from my RPG background...I originally painted these guys up for D&D, not wargaming, so it wasn't essential to have a uniform basing system. And now I play skirmish games that also don't require uniform basing. So it all works out in the end.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 22, 2013, 02:02:08 PM
Alright, here's a kit I picked up, half-painted and poorly assembled, at an auction back in March. It's a Reaper Skeletal Dragon, 02705 by Bob Olley! I put it in paint stripper for a few days, scrubbed off most of the old, cracked paint, and started over from scratch. I have a pretty big undead army, so this guy will definitely be the centerpiece of some future battles.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-A7E84jJwQ0M/UWRmbr5iwQI/AAAAAAAADmI/etSK7SYRHsk/s1600/20130409_131827.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-pX9UL9vcaS0/UWRmbcEuXqI/AAAAAAAADmE/gFfulykBsck/s1600/20130409_131915.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: majorsmith on April 22, 2013, 03:57:00 PM
love the dragon, and that purple armoured dude!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 22, 2013, 04:16:44 PM
love the dragon, and that purple armoured dude!

Thanks! And that's how we refer to him in games. "OK, I'll have my goblin warrior charge that, uh, purple armored dude."
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 23, 2013, 02:25:22 PM
My game club freely mixes old school and newer figures. Really, our whole goal with our skirmish games (both sci-fi and fantasy) is to just paint up whatever looks cool to us at the time. Case in point: these Mantic Orcs. I split Mantic's big holiday grab bag (basically 100 random sprues from all their figure lines) with a few other guys in my club, so we all ended up with a handful of figures from each race and faction.

These Orcs are nice because 1) they're really close to true 28mm, leaving room on your table for something "bigger than Orcs" and 2) they've got decent armor, including some fully enclosed helmets, which you don't often see for Orcs.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-3vg8RQXfzR0/UVByqzFvscI/AAAAAAAADgs/aPifuDrrApc/s1600/20130324_180525.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: Damien on April 24, 2013, 02:26:05 AM
Cool Orcs, but that Dragon  :-*. I have been eyeballing that mini for a long time; you did a great job on him (and I love the mish mash of bases too).


Cheers,
 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 24, 2013, 02:15:34 PM
Cool Orcs, but that Dragon  :-*. I have been eyeballing that mini for a long time; you did a great job on him (and I love the mish mash of bases too).

Thanks! (I won't tell you what I paid for him.) This is the first dragon mini I've ever painted, so it's something of a milestone.

Here's a little change of pace...a few photos from a Song of Blades & Heroes campaign game we played last summer. My undead guys were defending a watchtower from some marauding raiders.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-m9ONbwwdn7I/UB7Oi3uU2XI/AAAAAAAAB-I/Km47ec7Hq60/s1600/IMG_3588.jpg)

The undead met their foes at the foot of the watchtower, with the Pumpkin King riding around to catch them on their flank.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-XlCF2vZqzc0/UB7OiFNjnEI/AAAAAAAAB-A/IJ6zwmuOdj8/s1600/IMG_3587.jpg)

The barbarians brought terror bird cavalry!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-jKXQKAW0fUY/UB7OjIBycKI/AAAAAAAAB-Q/N1_sGuZFJJ8/s1600/IMG_3589.jpg)

....and a massive winged coatl!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-_aS0i0oavV4/UB7Oj1sBm8I/AAAAAAAAB-Y/3kAZ0_pD9ow/s1600/IMG_3590.jpg)

Here's the epic scrum that developed at the gates of the tower. Turns out one of the barbarians was in fact a werewolf...and he turned into his wolf-form once he was taken out of action!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-mSlciPIs2mA/UB7OlkoUvII/AAAAAAAAB-o/7dn4kft7V0A/s1600/IMG_3592.jpg)

High atop the tower, the coatl attempted to go toe-to-toe with my liche lord...and it failed! The coatl's death caused a morale check for the barbarians and they fled the field in defeat.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-JMN3qke6JQM/UB7OmfBHY_I/AAAAAAAAB-w/vc0405LIITk/s1600/IMG_3593.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 29, 2013, 02:43:08 PM
Now, we all know this is an illithid, or mindflayer, but of course Reaper can't use that terminology, so they had to package this guy as something else. He's D'Khul, Bathalian Sorcerer (14511) and I got him in a random bag o' lead a while back and just now got around to painting him. As with most of my painting, it's a quick, no frills 'job designed to get him onto the battlefield fast! He'll probably be leading some undead legions in my next game!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Yrtk4xLr3mk/UWRmcfLoN0I/AAAAAAAADmY/-xmu69rFwu4/s1600/20130409_132033.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Skeletal Dragon!!]
Post by: Jevenkah on April 29, 2013, 05:21:59 PM
I really enjoyed the tabletop pix. I don't know much about different rule sets, but a game where you can put anything you fancy together sounds fun!

I'm all about the fun in this hobby.

Jev
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: einarolafson on April 29, 2013, 06:10:35 PM
I like it a lot!!  :o :-* donīt know what a mind flayer is but It could be a perfect Lovecraftian creature!!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 29, 2013, 09:25:10 PM
Thanks for the kind words, folks.

I was at Little Wars, a game convention outside Chicago, last weekend and I picked up a big bag jammed full of old Bob Olley Dwarf Warriors from Ral Partha...got the whole bag, maybe 50 figures in all, for $20! Talk about a bargain...but now I have to paint it all. So you might not get many updates from me in the next few weeks as I start working on these dwarves. I've already settled on a paint scheme that looks decent.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 30, 2013, 07:03:21 PM
Here's another little vignette. Most of these aren't my miniatures...they belong to the other guys in my game group. Tim and I put together a pretty cool dungeon + cavern layout, filled it with monsters, then covered the whole thing with pieces of paper. We revealed the dungeon bit by bit as the players explored.

Here you can see Karl's elven warband at the entrance to the dungeons.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-67shFA23dCc/UDerlN-PoWI/AAAAAAAACEQ/hLy4uxSLE7U/s1600/game+nite+8.22+014.jpg)

More nasty creatures appeared as the warbands ventured deeper into the caverns beyond the dungeon. Is that a mummified body .... or a victim covered in spiderweb?!

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-k5CuVAr7JQw/UDermYNfOzI/AAAAAAAACEY/QRIgG4faRmQ/s1600/game+nite+8.22+015.jpg)

Here's an overhead shot of the entire layout: dungeons + cavern.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-U6IFhrRWQzw/UDerovtHoDI/AAAAAAAACEo/mp6NeASs8jw/s1600/game+nite+8.22+017.jpg)

As the evening drew to a close, the adventurers found themselves face to face -- in true dungeoncrawl fashion -- with a majestic red dragon and its accompanying treasure horde! They fought off the dragon, but a frost giant lurking deeper in the caverns convinced the explorers to beat a hasty retreat. They survived the dungeon, but only barely!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-igVnZNr8ztM/UDerwWPt-HI/AAAAAAAACE4/qD8ghyhVdjU/s1600/game+nite+8.22+019.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: DeafNala on April 30, 2013, 07:16:38 PM
This is a TREASURE TROVE of COOL minis & interesting/inspiring ideas. VERY WELL DONE!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: Damien on May 01, 2013, 02:44:45 AM
What DeafNala said! Great dungeon and cavern, I am really enjoying the pics with all those different minis on the table top; we need more of those.


Cheers,
 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 01, 2013, 09:35:20 PM
I should mention that I am a backer of the just-completed Dwarven Forge Dungeon Tiles Kickstarter....it's scheduled to ship in November. So by late 2013 I expect to be doing even more dungeon delving with my new toys!

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/dwarvenforge/dwarven-forges-game-tiles-revolutionary-miniature
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game pics, and Reaper Bathalian!]
Post by: Teshub on May 01, 2013, 09:39:18 PM
Wow, that's alot of really nice terrain you have there.  That's the kind of dungeon crawl i could get into!   >:D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeoncrawl!]
Post by: sundayhero on May 01, 2013, 11:53:43 PM
Your idea of making dungeons and caverns without a floortile is just great ! I never thought about that. It's the best way ! and it's always possible to make an entire table with hexes or squares and put the scenery on it....Very clever. And simple. And good looking !
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeoncrawl!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 02, 2013, 03:33:49 PM
Your idea of making dungeons and caverns without a floortile is just great ! I never thought about that.

Yes, we did it out of necessity at the time, but you're right -- the dungeon terrain and caverns look quite decent on a black felt mat. I've also considered using actual vinyl floor tile pieces to create large areas of flooring on the cheap.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeoncrawl!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 02, 2013, 03:37:33 PM
Here are a couple of brave (or reckless?) old-school adventurers from Grenadier. I am absolutely in love with old models that are doing something other than fighting....so we have a lantern-bearer advancing cautiously with sword drawn, and a thief about to throw a flask of oil, probably onto an unsuspecting orc guard!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Lcl2WBt3WgM/UYJ_7VbYatI/AAAAAAAADsE/xhw7k9ohFCM/s1600/20130502_080256.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-9ase9vw2qaM/UYJ_5kwXRJI/AAAAAAAADr8/nh6UzvTXCCA/s1600/20130502_080151.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: Damien on May 02, 2013, 11:24:46 PM
Great paint job on some old Grenadier minis, I really like the one with the lantern.



Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: DeafNala on May 03, 2013, 01:03:00 PM
When I first came across those Rogues I was a relatively young man. While they are no longer "state-of-the-art" minis, you did a SPLENDID job on the Old Lads! GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 03, 2013, 02:07:23 PM
Great paint job on some old Grenadier minis, I really like the one with the lantern.

Thanks! You might not be able to tell, but that's not his stock sword. The original was all bent up, so I clipped it off and replaced it with a plastic sword from a Mantic undead sprue. Sidenote: Mantic's plastic bits scale really well with old 25mm stuff.

When I first came across those Rogues I was a relatively young man. While they are no longer "state-of-the-art" minis, you did a SPLENDID job on the Old Lads! GREAT WORK!

Why thank you! I agree, they're old sculpts, but full of character. I've got more old stuff in the lead mountain, including a personal favorite: the Grenadier potion-tester!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: aggro84 on May 03, 2013, 02:31:17 PM
Wow!
What a cool collection of painted miniatures you have assembled!
The games look like a lot of fun!
 :-*
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: einarolafson on May 03, 2013, 02:40:56 PM
Very nice!! your solution for making caves and tunnels is very interesting!!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 03, 2013, 02:43:30 PM
Very nice!! your solution for making caves and tunnels is very interesting!!

Thanks! They are actually torn-up pieces of mattress foam, sprayed black and brown. Another guy from my game club did a whole tutorial on how he made them. Check it out here --> http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2012/08/terrain-tutorial-caverns-and-rocks-fast.html

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-lZ8C-6u5oTI/UD6EE0Lo_iI/AAAAAAAACGw/pZPbHJPrVs4/s1600/7+done.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: Damien on May 03, 2013, 11:29:27 PM
Now that is an original idea, thanks for the link, I hope to do this someday soon.

Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: Jevenkah on May 04, 2013, 02:21:05 AM
Your idea of making dungeons and caverns without a floortile is just great ! I never thought about that. It's the best way ! and it's always possible to make an entire table with hexes or squares and put the scenery on it....Very clever. And simple. And good looking !

I was trying to figure out what I liked so much more about this dungeon set than some others, and it took sundayhero's post to point it out! It seems organic. And the mattress foam rock-hewn section is great, both visually, and imagining my character as she passed from temple/dungeon to the rocky unknown.

And you can't have a dungeon and dragon without a hoard! So old-school. I love it!
Jev
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: WitchfinderGeneral on May 05, 2013, 06:44:30 AM
My favourite mini from the hirelings box are the two carrying a chest. I made a quick shot of them, next to a similar mini from Reaper:
(http://www.witchfindergeneral.de/miniatures/hirelings_henchmen.jpg)

Anybody knows if those old Grenadier fantasy figures are still available anywhere?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 06, 2013, 09:26:41 PM
My favourite mini from the hirelings box are the two carrying a chest. I made a quick shot of them, next to a similar mini from Reaper:
(http://www.witchfindergeneral.de/miniatures/hirelings_henchmen.jpg)

Anybody knows if those old Grenadier fantasy figures are still available anywhere?

I wanna say I have that Grenadier sculpt, the two guys carrying the treasure chest. Not sure where it might be, though.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Grenadier Hireling and Thief!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 06, 2013, 09:34:01 PM
Here are two ugly dudes. The guy on the left is an ice demon from Reaper's Warlord series. His sword is awesome in a menacing, over-the-top kind of way. Perfect for a villainous creature. The guy on the right is a Ghost Miniatures troll from Old Glory. He also has the distinction of being the most overtly terrifying miniature I've ever painted! If I was a kid this thing would give me serious nightmares! I was at a convention in April and managed to pick up all the other troll sculpts from the Ghost Miniatures line, so I'll be painting up his buddies very soon....

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-7WxG4TA9auA/UWRmbJsJWVI/AAAAAAAADmA/gm3gDBh3UpA/s1600/20130409_131642.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Old Glory Troll!]
Post by: DeafNala on May 07, 2013, 03:31:37 PM
YET ANOTHER trip down Memory Lane...with moi, it's actually a slum. The one really Old Grenadier that has stuck in my memory is a crossbow armed Halfing hiding in a hollow tree trunk...Grenadier had a flair for dramatic minis back then.

The last two are ones that I hadn't seen before. They sure painted up VERY NICELY. Having no will power whatsoever I'll have to check them out. Thanks for the lead...I think.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Old Glory Troll!]
Post by: Faust23 on May 07, 2013, 08:00:59 PM
YET ANOTHER trip down Memory Lane...with moi, it's actually a slum. The one really Old Grenadier that has stuck in my memory is a crossbow armed Halfing hiding in a hollow tree trunk...Grenadier had a flair for dramatic minis back then.

I had the boxed set with the Halfling assassin in the tree trunk with the crossbow....I loved the Monk with the spear, and the half-elf fighter/magic-user.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Old Glory Troll!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 08, 2013, 02:28:49 PM
Here are the results of a fun little project last weekend. In between weeding and planting our herb garden, I tried to see how fast I could paint up these Ral Partha skeletons, which I purchased for 50 cents a piece at Little Wars in April. Approximate time spent through the entire weekend: 90 minutes! (Also, Minwax dip is a wonderful thing.)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-OLMRMbxg1As/UYlTRoAHrBI/AAAAAAAADwY/_eNtXNGooVU/s1600/20130505_205330.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Ral Partha Skeletons!]
Post by: DeafNala on May 08, 2013, 03:32:00 PM
Speed painted & dipped or not, the Undernourished Lads turned out TERRIFIC...they all look so happy, although I guess they can't help that things being what they are. GREAT additions to a FINE Project!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Ral Partha Skeletons!]
Post by: Jevenkah on May 08, 2013, 04:53:27 PM
Awesome! I love those skeletons! We just unearthed Lord Soth's Charge from our box o' lead and you've made me look at those skellies in a new way.

Keep 'em coming,
Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Ral Partha Skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 09, 2013, 08:21:00 PM
Thanks, Jevenkah and DeafNala. At 50 cents each, I wish I would have bought another handful! (But then again, I have a few sprues of the old Games Workshop plastic skeletons waiting on me to assemble them....)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Ral Partha Skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 09, 2013, 08:24:45 PM
Here's the first freshly painted figures from that huge batch of Bob Olley Ral Partha Dwarves that I picked up a few weeks ago. They were so much fun to paint! I'm giving serious consideration to painting all 50 of 'em, so I can truly say that I have a fantasy "army" if someone ever asks. Currently my undead force is the closest I have to an "army"...probably 40-50 painted figures at this point. Just barely enough to play a typical game of Warhammer! But anyway, on to the dwarves!

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZyW85IFo4_k/UYvZtvYzPtI/AAAAAAAADwo/0-ZcW1bJI7U/w901-h507-no/20130505_205848.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: OLeary on May 10, 2013, 07:58:11 AM
You've got a magnificent collection here. Those Ral Partha are wonderful and Bob is still turning out great work.  I saw that you opened this thread with the Stonehaven Dwarfs. I got those as well and I really like them. I'm waiting to receive my Gnomes from their most recent Kickstarter. Did you get in on that one?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: Engel on May 10, 2013, 10:09:39 AM
Great looking dwarves, so full of charachter and charm.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: Imp522 on May 10, 2013, 10:25:10 AM
They look good, Have around 100 of those to paint up. Have you seen the ram riders that go with the range?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: Damien on May 11, 2013, 12:21:42 AM
Love those dwarves! They are all sculpted by Bob except for the one on the right with the big pick axe; he is sculpted by Tom Meier.


Cool stuff,
 Damien
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead skeletons!]
Post by: Heldrak on May 11, 2013, 06:41:38 AM
More adventurers! Here we have two very different versions of the classic D&D cleric. The guy on the left is a pudgy, barefoot holy man with a staff and a big book. You can't see it in the pic, but he has a mace slung on his back. I have no clue where this miniature came from...any ideas?
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-F3C5llvZjcU/UVByqoBEPoI/AAAAAAAADgk/P_RztvnIGKc/s1600/20130324_180356.jpg)

The barefoot cleric is from the Heritage Miniatures "Dungeon Dwellers" line.   ;)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: aggro84 on May 11, 2013, 11:16:02 PM
Nice updates.
I am loving this thread!
 :-*
The barefoot cleric is from the Heritage Miniatures "Dungeon Dwellers" line.   ;)

I been noticing a lot of those Heritage models were really cool sculpts!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 14, 2013, 12:00:43 AM
Thanks for the sleuth-work to ID that cleric! He's been bugging me for years....

Here's a little update, in the form of a pair of skeletons I painted up to lead my undead hordes. I'm using Ral Partha, GW & Mantic skellies as core troops, so I'm always on the lookout for unique skeletons to serve as champions for my legions. The guy on the left is from Celtos (I think) and the guy on the right is from RAFM.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-ibrXzIL_7V4/UYvZ0_4C6EI/AAAAAAAADxI/Lz0nKqHTsa0/w988-h495-no/20130505_211624-1.jpg)

And continuing the undead theme, we have three wraiths from Reaper's Warlord range. Needless to say, these guys painted up quickly and simply in no time flat. In a pinch, these figures could serve as squad leaders for my skeletons hordes.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-PbksEUN5YfY/UYvZxo_V1MI/AAAAAAAADxA/e-GIZ5lTu0s/w905-h509-no/20130505_211115.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves from Ral Partha!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 14, 2013, 12:03:18 AM
Love those dwarves! They are all sculpted by Bob except for the one on the right with the big pick axe; he is sculpted by Tom Meier.

Excellent, thanks! I am loving them too. So many interesting poses and expressions. I'll take a photo of the dwarves I've got left to paint...it's an imposing pile o' lead.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 16, 2013, 02:46:59 PM
But first, here's some more undead stuff! This is a lich lord from Reaper's Warlord line. He was among the very first undead figures I painted up when I started collecting this army a few years back. As such, he has hit the table in countless games, either leading my undead hordes or conspiring with my *other* undead leader (a vampire lord) in even larger games.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-BNSMuqJZ4uU/UYvZwVj2eJI/AAAAAAAADw4/xfr694wsSEo/w747-h778-no/20130505_211502-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: dijit on May 16, 2013, 02:51:23 PM
Cracking stuff! I'm really loving this thread.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: beefcake on May 16, 2013, 07:04:51 PM
Cool.
I always liked older versions of WFB where you just had undead, not split into two groups. Although the necromancer was probably one of the best characters in the game on a small base
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: Diakon on May 16, 2013, 08:05:25 PM
Wow nice thread. Everything looks nice but particularly impressed with the undead. Love the wraiths and those quick-painted skellies look great. Inspired me to get a crack on with my fantasy stuff since I've only really done sci-fi for ages. Time to crack open the box of mantic ghouls I've had sitting around for nearly 2 years.  :D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 16, 2013, 08:41:02 PM
Cracking stuff! I'm really loving this thread.
Thank you! I'm still painting (and photographing) so I've got plenty of new stuff to get up here.

I always liked older versions of WFB where you just had undead, not split into two groups.

Me too! I never understood how undead got separated into "skeletons who live in pyramids in the desert" and "European vampire lords." Both of those genres sound awesome to me!

Wow nice thread. Everything looks nice but particularly impressed with the undead. Love the wraiths and those quick-painted skellies look great. Inspired me to get a crack on with my fantasy stuff since I've only really done sci-fi for ages. Time to crack open the box of mantic ghouls I've had sitting around for nearly 2 years.  :D

I have had generally positive experiences with Mantic's stuff so far. I have a few sprues of their ghouls and zombies waiting to be assembled and painted. So yes, join us here in the realms of fantasy!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: OLeary on May 17, 2013, 04:24:49 PM
Those wraiths look really good and I like the way you handle black. I still have a hard time getting it highlighted properly. Do you work up to your highlights using lighter shades of grey or do you use very light blues?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 17, 2013, 04:32:34 PM
It's actually all drybrush, starting with dark grey and working up to almost white. Never tried the blue as a starter...sounds like a challenge!  :D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead wraiths and skeletons!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 31, 2013, 08:17:05 PM
OK, here are some photos from a recent game night! Six players showed up and we managed to play 6 games of Song of Blades & Heroes in my tiny little basement game room. You can read the full blog post here --> http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/05/back-in-saddle-with-song-of-blades.html (http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/05/back-in-saddle-with-song-of-blades.html)

My undead took to the field to defend their captured keep against a band of roving adventurers. Here they are forming a shieldwall as the attackers close in.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xqw8Vxnfhs8/UaipTbSYDnI/AAAAAAAAD2o/Ye81dva87LM/s1600/20130530_204618.jpg)

The battle was joined basically right in front of the watchtower, which I unfortunately wasn't able to photograph in these pics. It's a cool 2-story affair made of Hirst blocks. Here are some skeletons moving into the big fight that was developing.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AvzRBTY4ZQ0/UaipUvVEoNI/AAAAAAAAD2w/Lg5JnCNE05I/s1600/20130530_210309_1.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-WveI-lbrO6A/UaipbRhOIEI/AAAAAAAAD3Q/E_BYJ4L0Z4s/s1600/20130530_212344.jpg)

As my opponent's mouse knight (yes, it was a mouse in full plate armor with a sword) was moving to seize the objective, my undead wraith fell upon him, scythe a-swingin'.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-bGqcTYKXDwA/UaipisEq2hI/AAAAAAAAD34/96Zmc6-vprU/s1600/20130530_213134.jpg)

Later that night, my dwarven warband withstood a charge by a cohor of chaos knights. It was a fierce fight, but the dwarves' secret weapon -- a giant bear! -- won the day.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fA-Dx9_zjDM/UaipPPICd3I/AAAAAAAAD2Q/KxTxfLQY9Qc/s1600/20130530_210831.jpg)

All in all it was a great game night. Check out the blog post for tons more photos!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: dijit on May 31, 2013, 09:18:12 PM
Good stuff - keep posting!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: aggro84 on June 01, 2013, 01:19:05 PM
Awesome miniatures and terrain!
It looks like you guys had a great time.
 :-*
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: DeafNala on June 01, 2013, 01:29:34 PM
VERY COOL STUFF! To appreciate just how cool, a visit to the Blog is a must...the additional photos are WONDERFUL.

Awesome miniatures and terrain!
It looks like you guys had a great time.
 :-*

I can but echo those sentiments. Keep posting!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: Jevenkah on June 01, 2013, 10:01:16 PM
Just fantastic! Both the minis and the surroundings look so well done. Great details! Awesome paintjobs! I'll be on your blog soon to read about the whole adventure.

Looks like a fun group!

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: eilif on June 01, 2013, 10:44:35 PM
Glad you guys enjoyed the pics and blog. Patrick did a great job of hosting and it was the first chance most of us had to play on the new batch of buildings and dock that he recently added to the terrain collection.  A great time was had by all.

My force was the Chaos Knights.  We soundly defeated the Celtos Orcs in a Treasure hunt, but our second battle against the dwarves went differently. Though we quickly found the magic item, we were killed or fled so completely that at the end of turn 5(?) not one of us was left on the table and the dwarves had only taken two casualties.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: Knightofspades on June 04, 2013, 10:31:20 PM
Such nice work, your gaming area looks great and the miniatures are very nicely painted indeed. Great work. Very cool stuff.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game night pics!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on July 05, 2013, 07:43:34 PM
Hey guys, I've been experimenting lately with using movement trays to enable my circular-based skirmish guys to fight in ordered ranks. We've been looking at playing some larger-scale games, maybe Kings of War, so I'll need a way to quickly move big blocks of troops around the table. Here are some work-in-progress shots of my two dwarf regiments in their movement trays. These are made by Litko and come with 26mm circular holes cut for each figure.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-u9uj2KoLwrE/UdcfxDtfAOI/AAAAAAAAD6s/bAJsrqS6Wvc/w958-h539-no/20130704_203353.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-0lenxuPxnpo/UdcfwAFdcsI/AAAAAAAAD6k/UOGrdzDM_8A/w958-h539-no/20130704_203438.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: northtroll on July 05, 2013, 08:34:30 PM
It's nice to see someone else play with old Grenadier and Partha figs. I find the amount of detail on them to be very surprising. I have to admit your posts are inspiring me to get out my figs and build up some warbands!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: Bloodysword on July 06, 2013, 03:14:31 AM
I really enjoyed the battle reps. spent some time looking through the blog, nice job.  I really love that Chaos Champion. Great figure and nice paint job.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: eilif on July 06, 2013, 04:29:37 AM
I really enjoyed the battle reps. spent some time looking through the blog, nice job.  I really love that Chaos Champion. Great figure and nice paint job.
Thanks!
   He was fun to paint. Unfortunately someone had cut off the left arm weapon before I got him, but a shield covered it nicely.
(http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2013/5/25/499921_sm-Dipped,%20Fantasy%20Warriors,%20Grenadier,%20Vintage,%20Warhammer%20Fantasy.JPG)
(http://images.dakkadakka.com/gallery/2013/5/25/499920_sm-Dipped,%20Fantasy%20Warriors,%20Grenadier,%20Vintage,%20Warhammer%20Fantasy.JPG)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: dijit on July 06, 2013, 09:32:33 AM
Those Dwarfs are very nice - especially the top set. Are they Grenadier minis?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: Spooktalker on July 06, 2013, 05:05:23 PM
Looks like mighty fine adventuring to me. Love the figures, carry on!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: Little Odo on July 07, 2013, 06:59:15 PM
Nice batreps and I especially like those dwarfs on their movement trays.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarves, rank upon rank!!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on July 09, 2013, 10:04:09 PM
Thanks for the comments, guys! Unfortunately I've determined that my chosen movement bases are a little bit too big for Kings of War (our preferred system for large-scale fantasy). They're like 120mm wide by KOW calls for 100mm frontage. I'm now trying to decide if I should hack off a column or just use 'em as-is and see if the game can handle it.

In the meantime, I wrote a blog post about my dwarven warband for our fantasy campaign. Check it out here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/07/expedition-to-hearthspire-dwarven.html (http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/07/expedition-to-hearthspire-dwarven.html) There's some fluff, too!

Here's a pic showing Brynwulf, the Fallen King, flanked by Hurskegr, Thane of Vildeburg, and Rykker, journeyman wizard.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-0sTDpR4veiE/UdxoH_zQMpI/AAAAAAAAD8g/XOHXZLJ324s/w958-h539-no/20130709_132658.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband for SBH campaign!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on July 15, 2013, 05:26:11 PM
We played another campaign game last week and had a great time! My dwarves faced off against a band of orcs that were assaulting the dwarven encampment. Only the timely arrival of two knights of Vildeburg (the main city in our campaign world) turned the tide of the battle. Here's a link to the blog post: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/07/dark-days-of-qaarra-session-2.html

And here are a few pics from the game.

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/7-11-13game/content/images/large/P7111371.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/7-11-13game/content/images/large/P7111382.jpg)

The bear is on my team, don't worry!

And here are the saviors -- two knights of Vildeburg, riding to the rescue of their dwarven allies.

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/7-11-13game/content/images/large/P7111373.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Campaign session report, 7/15!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on July 22, 2013, 06:11:02 PM
More pics from last week's game night, which featured a 4-player fortress siege scenario! My dwarves hit the field, along with Karl's chaos knights, Tim's kobolds and Josh's assorted anthropomorphic adventurers. The game featured prominently in our ongoing fantasy campaign. You can read the full blog post (and view tons of pics) here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/07/dark-days-of-qaarra-session-3-defense.html

And here are a few pics of the tabletop action!

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-WMESeMV8w6s/UemkxnvG7BI/AAAAAAAAEEs/TcDH3mnzibM/s1600/20130718_191348.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ibBb9PrupN0/UemmFucUrjI/AAAAAAAAEFE/o0qLdAZc_WQ/s1600/20130718_201419.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/07-18-13SOBH/photos/P7181415.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fortress siege, 7/22!]
Post by: DeafNala on July 22, 2013, 06:42:17 PM
The actions scenes in both posts are TERRIFIC! The LOVELY terrain shows off the minis WONDERFULLY...& vice versa. GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fortress siege, 7/22!]
Post by: PatrickWR on July 25, 2013, 04:23:25 PM
Thanks for the compliment!

Next week we are going to try out Kings of War, so expect some photos to come in this thread. It's not necessarily skirmish gaming, but it is a dead simple ruleset that allows you to play with any generic miniatures you might have in your collection. Thus, it makes the cut!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fortress siege, 7/22!]
Post by: DeafNala on July 26, 2013, 01:58:21 PM
COOL! Enjoy the game...I'll keep my eye open for the Battle Report.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fortress siege, 7/22!]
Post by: eilif on July 26, 2013, 03:56:34 PM
Just wanted to chime in. I was the Chaos (mostly red guys) attackers in this scenario.  It was a great game with lots of action. Made the club very happy to have recently purchased the Mage Knight Castle seen in the report. 

I was wiped out nearly to the man, but afterwards the members graciously agreed that the scenario really necessitated that I stay in the game and not retreat (as I normally would have done) so I was allowed to skip the rolling for casualty phase and simply escape with almost no experience points.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Fortress siege, 7/22!]
Post by: PatrickWR on August 05, 2013, 09:56:31 PM
Alright, here's a big update about a big game! Last week we played Kings of War, a mass combat game that necessitated just about every single undead miniature I own (plus some allies!) to play. I was playing against fellow LAF member eilif, who fielded an army of chaos warriors. Both of our armies were full to the brim with old-school miniatures from Ral Partha, Grenadier, RAFM and many other vintage companies, as well as a few Reaper Bones from Karl's kickstarter haul.

This was my first time playing large-scale fantasy with ranked troops and movement trays and unit facing and all that jazz. Very exciting, and a big change from our typical Song of Blades & Heroes skirmish games!

Here's a link to the battle report. (http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/08/kings-of-war-battle-report-and-game.html) See below for a few photos from the game.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Rp67kb5LE9w/UfvLbJasbOI/AAAAAAAAEJ0/zUgOsXpgqsA/s1600/20130801_201701.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/8-1-13csw/photos/P8012826.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-V0HZgFabs4o/UfvLTSL_b1I/AAAAAAAAEJA/NchoCd-pjac/s1600/20130801_192520.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: Diakon on August 05, 2013, 10:29:11 PM
Looks like fun. Been thinking of trying out Kings Of War. All yr lovely skellies look ace all ranked up too.  :o
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: Vermis on August 05, 2013, 11:52:53 PM
Nice report and excellent pics. :)

Hope you don't mind if I ask a couple of questions, 'cos this is something I'm constantly dithering about. What tipped the balance in favour of KoW for mass battles, compared to say, HoTT, or other options? After the wee bit of disappointment  with manoeuvres in the game, do you think other rulesets would better handle this; or do you think bulking out the troops to the recommended 2K points would help the matter?

Looking forward to further reports that'd answer the last question, anyway. :)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on August 06, 2013, 02:59:37 AM
Hope you don't mind if I ask a couple of questions, 'cos this is something I'm constantly dithering about. What tipped the balance in favour of KoW for mass battles, compared to say, HoTT, or other options? After the wee bit of disappointment  with manoeuvres in the game, do you think other rulesets would better handle this; or do you think bulking out the troops to the recommended 2K points would help the matter?

For us at least, the game had to be generic, without too many compulsory troop choices and easy to create allied armies. We have tons and tons of old-school miniatures and we don't like games that require specific miniatures to represent units. That ruled out Warhammer. Another guy in our club had played around with HOTT and described it as rather "chess-like," if that makes any sense. We liked the Kings of War damage mechanic, where you never remove individual figures, since that makes the battlefield (and the photos!) look more attractive. We also liked how quick and simple KOW was, because we don't typically have more than 2.5 or 3 hours to play in a given game night. With KOW I've heard it's quite possible to play two 2000-point games in a single evening -- something I really look forward to.

It looks like we misinterpreted one of the special rules that would have restricted maneuvering and brought it more in line with my expectations. So hopefully we'll play it correctly next time.

And yes, playing closer to 2,000 points (which could easily mean 60 additional skeletons for me) seems to be the way to go.  :D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: eilif on August 06, 2013, 07:48:27 PM
I was
Nice report and excellent pics. :)

Hope you don't mind if I ask a couple of questions, 'cos this is something I'm constantly dithering about. What tipped the balance in favour of KoW for mass battles, compared to say, HoTT, or other options? After the wee bit of disappointment  with manoeuvres in the game, do you think other rulesets would better handle this; or do you think bulking out the troops to the recommended 2K points would help the matter?

Looking forward to further reports that'd answer the last question, anyway. :)

I was the one on the other side of the table and it was my first time with KoW also.  I was looking for a game that was going to be streamlined and fun, yet still have a fair amount of flavor.  I have the HoTT 2.0 rules and have read them and spoke to the same guy who described them as "chess-like".  For me though it came down to a few things.
1) HoTT was too abstract, even for me.  KoW is fairly abstract, but there's still quite a bit of variation in units.
2) Base sizing and # of figures required. Though KoW can be played as an elment game since there is no casualty removal, I wanted to stick with a more WHFB'ish basing convention.  The group had already kind of shot down my efforts to play Mighty Armies in 28mm.
3) Presentation.   It's kind of shallow, but the HoTT rulebook never inspired me much. I found the rules explainations less than clear (though our friend could have taught us) and the presentation values were poor. KoW on the other hand was glossy, incredibly easy to understand, and very clear in explanation and presentation.
4) I had already played Warpath 1.0 (which is pretty much KoW in space) and really enjoyed it so I knew what I was getting into.

As for the future, I plan to bring my army up to 2000 points and see what happens. In the blog post I also laid out a potential way to make smaller games more competitive by limiting unit sizes.

I don't think I'll be going to Mighty Armies or HoTT.  I tell myself that I might try WHFB some day, but the though of having to buy an army book (that costs more than the KoW rulebook) and then a big expensive rulebook, makes the whole process very unpalatable.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: Vermis on August 07, 2013, 01:12:43 AM
Thanks Patrick and Eilif. :)

2) Base sizing and # of figures required. Though KoW can be played as an elment game since there is no casualty removal, I wanted to stick with a more WHFB'ish basing convention.  The group had already kind of shot down my efforts to play Mighty Armies in 28mm.

I'd decided on KoW with Impetus-style unit bases, but I thought it'd take me a while to build up the necessary troops. (I'd previously read about KoW working better with larger armies, and I'm glacially slow with these things) Wondered about HoTT for smaller games in the meantime (that or God of Battles), but the element conventions aren't exactly compatible, are they?

Still, having a second look at the report, 1,300 points doesn't look insurmountable. Do the dragons and wolves suck up many points?

Quote
I found the rules explainations less than clear

I hear that! I'm trying to have a proper read of them: I figure the likes of '200p'  might mean '200 paces', but I'm struggling to find out how many dice you use for combat.

Quote
I tell myself that I might try WHFB some day, but the though of having to buy an army book (that costs more than the KoW rulebook) and then a big expensive rulebook, makes the whole process very unpalatable.

I hear that too. :)

Anyways, I've taken up enough space here. Thanks again!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: eilif on August 07, 2013, 12:37:50 PM
Thanks Patrick and Eilif. :)

I'd decided on KoW with Impetus-style unit bases, but I thought it'd take me a while to build up the necessary troops. (I'd previously read about KoW working better with larger armies, and I'm glacially slow with these things) Wondered about HoTT for smaller games in the meantime (that or God of Battles), but the element conventions aren't exactly compatible, are they?

Still, having a second look at the report, 1,300 points doesn't look insurmountable. Do the dragons and wolves suck up many points?

I hear that! I'm trying to have a proper read of them: I figure the likes of '200p'  might mean '200 paces', but I'm struggling to find out how many dice you use for combat.

I hear that too. :)

Anyways, I've taken up enough space here. Thanks again!

The Conforntation Wolfen suck up a ton of points, and since they are available for less than a buck each from Miniatures market and are prepainted (I did a few touchups, repositions, a rebase to squares and dip) you can bulk up your forces quickly.  6 Werewolves are 285 points and are counted as infantry so they can ally with any "Evil" force!

As for element compatibility. probably not, but KoW is pretty flexible and is more concerned with the size of the base than # of figures. You could build elements for a smaller game and then put them on larger movement trays for KoW.  Or just base individually and buy-or-make appropriately sized unit trays for whatever game you want.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Kings of War game, 7/31!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on September 09, 2013, 08:35:05 PM
Here are a few photos from a recent game. My dwarves (you can see them on pages 7-8) were attempting to conduct a ritual atop an enchanted clifftop but were stymied by Tim's kobolds! Then my dwarf mage lost control of the magic he was summoning, and a massive portal opened in the aether atop the cliff....with zany results! Read the full blog post here --> http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/08/dark-days-of-qaarra-session-5.html

And here are some pics from the game!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-_FlezWHDlas/UiEIdGkk8zI/AAAAAAAAERM/WlftuosZ1Mk/s1600/8-29-13game-2.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-ug-A1oUwrXA/UiCk5H7QkGI/AAAAAAAAEPg/NiHMp9d-47c/s1600/20130829_192809.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-qxuMfvuiC2E/UiCk37Vo0TI/AAAAAAAAEPY/znEHCNHtGJc/s1600/20130829_192708.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-xV6piQVsbuw/UiCk2lfqorI/AAAAAAAAEPQ/Gkv_ZEA73PM/s1600/20130829_192650.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: SBH game, 8/29!!]
Post by: dijit on September 10, 2013, 12:17:27 PM
Looks like a fun game.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: SBH game, 8/29!!]
Post by: DeafNala on September 10, 2013, 01:28:35 PM
The Games & the minis involved in The Adventure are SPLENDID! GREAT REPORTS & PHOTOS!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: SBH game, 8/29!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 06, 2013, 05:07:50 PM
Long time, no update! Well, let's remedy that. I busted my hump and managed to get a decent amount of my Dwarven Forge dungeon tiles painted in time for last month's game night! Josh and I ran through a medium-sized dungeon using the Song of Blades & Heroes basic rules (even though they have a fantastic dungeon-crawl supplement called Song of Gold & Darkness). Here's the blog post from our game: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/10/exploring-underworld-with-dwarven-forge.html

And here are some pics to get you started. I ran a warband composed of my Grenadier Ratscum guys, plus some old Chainmail gnolls and a Reaper Swamp Shambler. Josh's warband was a group of Hordes Circle guys, and we quickly found that 30mm and 40mm circular bases are way too big for dungeoncrawling! They look great on the table but they make it very difficult to move around the cramped corridors of the dungeon.

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/10-24-13game/photos/PA243221.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/10-24-13game/photos/PA243234.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/10-24-13game/photos/PA243211.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/10-24-13game/photos/PA243233.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2013/10-24-13game/photos/PA243228.jpg)

Props to Josh for the atmospheric photography!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarven Forge dungeon, 10/28!]
Post by: Jevenkah on November 07, 2013, 06:31:14 PM
Those tiles and figures look great together! Is the treasure horde Dungeon Forge too? Awesome looking adventure!

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarven Forge dungeon, 10/28!]
Post by: DeafNala on November 07, 2013, 07:06:04 PM
That's a change...Beasty Guys vs other & larger Beasty Guys. The minis, dungeon terrain, & game look FANTASTIC. GREAT STUFF!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarven Forge dungeon, 10/28!]
Post by: Elbows on November 08, 2013, 05:29:36 AM
I'm not sure it's the same one, but yes the DF kickstarter had a treasure pile available.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarven Forge dungeon, 10/28!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 08, 2013, 02:05:05 PM
Thanks for the comments, folks.

The treasure pile is a plastic piece from Acheson Creations. They've got some great stuff at really affordable prices...I picked up this particular piece from their booth at a game convention a few years back. It fits really well with the Dwarven Forge stuff!

If you're curious, Acheson is running a Kickstarter right now for a motley array of fantasy terrain and monster figures. It's an odd mix of stuff but I pledged a few bucks because they're a good company that has given my group a lot of fun over the years (and truly, that's what Kickstarter should be all about...rewarding companies you appreciate, rather than racing to unlock pledge goals).

http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/244627251/fantasy-worlds
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarven Forge dungeon, 10/28!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 13, 2013, 09:41:02 PM
The lead parade marches on! In this update, I've gotten started on a unit of dwarf cavalry. These are boar riders from Ghost Miniatures, and I got a whole bunch, armed with a variety of weapons, from my LGS on clearance for about $1.50 per figure. They're not the best dwarf cavalry out there, but they do have a nice old-school vibe going. These two guys are armed with blunderbusses.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-fAw_-c9pxWo/UoPYaue7zvI/AAAAAAAAEyg/x7hynx3NyJ4/w996-h656-no/20131113_130754.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf cavalry, 11/13!]
Post by: DeafNala on November 14, 2013, 12:46:48 AM
Not state of the art perhaps, but the Dwarf Boar Fellows look SPLENDID...VERY NICELY DONE!
Ghost seems to have a nice assortment of cool minis at very reasonable prices...now if I could just make a dent in my backlog.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf cavalry, 11/13!]
Post by: **GS** on November 14, 2013, 07:52:34 AM
HI, I really like the coat of the right hand one. Good work!

Cheers
GS
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf cavalry, 11/13!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 14, 2013, 05:12:41 PM
Not state of the art perhaps, but the Dwarf Boar Fellows look SPLENDID...VERY NICELY DONE!
Ghost seems to have a nice assortment of cool minis at very reasonable prices...now if I could just make a dent in my backlog.

I agree, Nala! They've got kind of a primitive charm to them, for lack of a better phrase. I think they'll look quite decent in a big ranked unit of 10 riders (that's my goal anyway).

HI, I really like the coat of the right hand one. Good work

Thank you! Y'all correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Ghost Miniatures used a bunch of Old Glory sculpts.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf cavalry, 11/13!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 15, 2013, 03:12:11 PM
I haven't been neglecting my undead army! It's big enough for a medium-sized Kings of War game right now, but I've got plans to expand it even more, starting with these two standard bearers. They'll work great in either KOW (where they count as independent models that move around the table and inspire units of troops) or skirmish figures for Song of Blades & Heroes (which has some nice, simple rules for standard bearers on the battlefield).

This guy is a converted Cryx pistol wraith from Warmachine ... I cut off the pistols and replaced them with a custom-made standard and a sweet-looking sword.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-mAWhY0cR7E0/UoPYfdTeRFI/AAAAAAAAEyQ/qiSC2LxO1NE/w635-h656-no/20131113_131011.jpg)

And this guy is an actual Citadel Undead standard bearer from Warhammer. I got this one as part of a swap with a fellow club member who knows I do undead.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-rL1wBh2n20E/UoPYdH2Ja_I/AAAAAAAAEyY/WRmnK0XKTZI/w540-h656-no/20131113_130925.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead standard bearers, 11/15!]
Post by: Diakon on November 15, 2013, 06:53:29 PM
Wow love the Cryx conversion and I've always enjoyed that particular GW one too. Looking good on the PJs and basing too.  :D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead standard bearers, 11/15!]
Post by: doowopapocalypse on November 15, 2013, 07:22:21 PM
Love the minis! Is coatl from Black Tree?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf cavalry, 11/13!]
Post by: eilif on November 17, 2013, 01:16:41 PM
Thank you! Y'all correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Ghost Miniatures used a bunch of Old Glory sculpts.
You're on the right track. Ghost miniatures is simply one of the many brand names that Old Glory has used for their miniatures.  You can still order them from old glory for not too much more than you paid and AFAIK, they were always Old Glory miniatures.

Great work on the Boars and Standard bearers. I'm glad my Citadel Standard bearer worked out for you. It looks really nice!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead standard bearers, 11/15!]
Post by: PatrickWR on December 09, 2013, 05:10:39 PM
Hey guys, here's a much-delayed update. We played the seventh session of our Song of Blades & Heroes campaign a couple weeks back. The scenario pitted my dwarves against an old-school chaos warband. The dwarves won, but the victory came at a steep cost. Check out the blog post here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2013/11/dark-days-of-qaarra-session-7-hills.html

Here are a few pics from the game (more on the blog):

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-svmCoel_R5s/Uo91AEyZ-3I/AAAAAAAAE0Y/TeIJbCsXZVI/s1600/20131121_200442.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-2lj0IYb0p5I/Uo908AEYceI/AAAAAAAAE0Q/MFj7wRnW678/s1600/20131121_195256.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-wA-8cn9hJ_k/Uo90-20hnYI/AAAAAAAAEzk/TwxWv3RgSvc/s1600/20131121_200351.jpg)

(These are the dwarves featured on pages 7 and 8 of this thread.)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 12/9!!]
Post by: DeafNala on December 09, 2013, 06:03:35 PM
LOOKIN' GOOD! Your games remind me of the ones we used to have in the basement of the Mai Tai Bar long ago with friends long gone, If I were that type, I'd be envious.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 12/9!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on December 09, 2013, 06:12:16 PM
LOOKIN' GOOD! Your games remind me of the ones we used to have in the basement of the Mai Tai Bar long ago with friends long gone, If I were that type I'd be envious.

Yes indeed! There's one thing we have lots of here in Chicago, and that's basements. They're great for gaming!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 12/9!!]
Post by: aggro84 on December 10, 2013, 03:23:21 AM
Awesome!
Your group really gets together for some amazing games!
 :-*
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 12/9!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on December 12, 2013, 04:47:19 PM
Awesome!
Your group really gets together for some amazing games!
 :-*

Thanks, we've got a fairly regular schedule at this point, which lets us plan ahead for some pretty fun games.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 12/9!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on December 12, 2013, 04:48:30 PM
Here's another small update: a group of three wights for my undead army. In Song of Blades & Heroes these guys will be warband leaders and champions, but in Kings of War they'll be fielded as a 3-man elite unit. The figures are all from Reaper, acquired in a big grab bag of undead stuff from ebay.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-00aTwUJh348/Uqnkm4MSPJI/AAAAAAAAE08/0XEdCafRKBQ/w1013-h656-no/20131212_080308.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: A trio of wights 12/12!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 28, 2014, 09:14:54 PM
Ah, a long time has passed without an update. Here's a meaty one with lots of pics! We played 3 games of Song of Blades & Heroes last night. The games were set in Qaarra, our campaign world that we explored in last summer's campaign. It's still going strong! http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/p/dark-days-have-come-to-lands-of-qaarra.html

Here's a link to the full blog post from this week's game: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/02/dark-days-of-qaarra-session-8.html

In the first game, my ratmen tried to seize some supplies from Mattias's world-weary chaos raiders. They raised the alarm, though, and my rats were soon fleeing with their tales between their legs.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wNfswiyknUU/UxCrC61LCwI/AAAAAAAAE-4/142_En8-Izw/s1600/20140227_194959.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Q-q5l9mJVfA/UxCrHaHCb1I/AAAAAAAAE_Q/BEGrRSBkBeE/s1600/20140227_201947.jpg)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-TzEPcvSndkc/UxCrJvqyFQI/AAAAAAAAE_g/ofIL7J1P_KY/s1600/20140227_203701.jpg)

In the second game, Tim's otherworldly monstrosities were attempting to drive my rats back into the sewers from whence they sprang. The tower in these photos is the pumphouse with a drain inside that leads into the sewers.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-fSWihVeO6ks/UxCrQsyyYYI/AAAAAAAAE9g/JjQBKJwMT58/s1600/20140227_205403%25280%2529.jpg)

Here's my big troll, moments before he scored a gruesome kill on one of Tim's burbling beasties, causing a cascade of failed morale checks that pretty much won the game for me.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-PeBwcncTugw/UxCrVKDXipI/AAAAAAAAE_8/2Zm5Z945KOY/s1600/20140227_213429.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report 2/28!!]
Post by: Patsuriku on February 28, 2014, 09:52:39 PM
That looks like a nice campaign you have going on there. The scenery is impressive!
Where do the burbling beasties come from ? They look spiffy.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report 2/28!!]
Post by: eilif on March 01, 2014, 02:08:02 AM
Where do the burbling beasties come from ?
Most (maybe all?) of the beastie warband is made up of figures from the Descent Boardgame.  I watched them being painted up a couple months ago and they are nice figs.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report 2/28!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 02, 2014, 12:20:14 AM
Yep, they're from Descent. Tim's goal for our game night was to field an entire warband of painted beasties from the Descent board game. MISSION ACCOMPLISHED.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report 2/28!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 03, 2014, 02:21:32 AM
I've got another game coming up this week, and I wanted to knock out a couple of terrain projects over the weekend.

First up, I wanted to create some "town square" pieces to give a little bit of structure to my medieval village. I had a roll of that cobblestone vinyl mat, so I went about cutting a couple decent-sized pieces and affixing them to MDF. After that it was a little bit of paint and flocking -- lots of flocking, actually. The finished products should work well either as the base for cottages or as empty space between buildings.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-Sq2EOTPMkVk/UxPglgiOJuI/AAAAAAAAFCw/Lhp7WZycdCg/w991-h553-no/20140302_193539.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-xNAMaJZ04Rs/UxPgmyWT7iI/AAAAAAAAFCo/ln3AwJQtyJQ/w1000-h553-no/20140302_193623.jpg)

And here's a little vignette I put together so I could convince myself these would be useful on the tabletop.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-gMgU_sokUV4/UxPgunL7zgI/AAAAAAAAFBw/qCESAhI4B90/w924-h553-no/20140302_195005.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-cy_0i4zhoH0/UxPgvx-WpuI/AAAAAAAAFBo/9p1hJ6mV-mc/w983-h553-no/20140302_195101.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-6y2Mdh414wE/UxPgxBH35dI/AAAAAAAAFBg/BGGuYYQXeL8/w983-h553-no/20140302_195136.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report 2/28!!]
Post by: Doomsdave on March 03, 2014, 02:23:02 AM
Nice job on the town square pieces.  I have some of that mat, and now know what to do with it.  Thanks.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 03, 2014, 03:59:38 AM
Cheers Dave. I've got quite a lot of that vinyl cobblestone mat leftover, so let me know if you spot any other inspiring uses for it!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: Doomsdave on March 03, 2014, 07:48:28 AM
Will do.  I bought a bunch of it on sale after Christmas from Michael's.  I figured I would just use it as-is.  Gluing it to MDF is brilliant though. 
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: dijit on March 03, 2014, 11:51:13 AM
Great idea with the town square, I think I'll have to borrow that!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: DeafNala on March 03, 2014, 01:16:22 PM
They look SPLENDID...a nice open, paved area for festivals, market days, public executions/excruciations , & other civic gaiety. GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 04, 2014, 03:51:30 AM
Thanks guys! Nala, I guess I will have to go about building a little stockade or gallows to put the fear of god into my little villagers.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 06, 2014, 12:20:48 AM
Here's another small terrain project that's been kicking around my workshop for some time now. These graveyard pieces came from Acheson Creations, and it was always my goal to base them up and create a proper graveyard for my undead army. But even though this was going to be a small project -- just 3 resin pieces on an MDF base, painted and flocked -- I kept putting it off in favor of other projects.

Well, that all changed last weekend, when I decided to just finish it once and for all. Here's the finished product:

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-iQzk5Qa8bUw/UxPgpO5rs3I/AAAAAAAAFCY/EzW9gXQe2GY/w847-h553-no/20140302_193704.jpg)

The MDF is painted a dark olive green but for some reason it caught the light in these photos and appears much lighter. It blends in pretty well with the flock in real life.


(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-9CjdRyNrYIU/UxPgn7872UI/AAAAAAAAFCg/n285EsfEgds/w1044-h407-no/20140302_193652.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-LGpxSAiAVfc/UxPgqIjQEpI/AAAAAAAAFCQ/os1cG0VAuFU/w944-h553-no/20140302_193723.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-igRHzQCZWNA/UxPgrPcsJuI/AAAAAAAAFCI/HbZszi2t4zA/w904-h553-no/20140302_193735.jpg)

Here's the graveyard with a wight from my undead warband. He  looks right at home!

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-lE4xm259MJA/UxPgsTgWRhI/AAAAAAAAFCA/qPTYHxzNz10/w844-h553-no/20140302_194129.jpg)

And here are a couple of RAFM skeletons getting a feel for their new home.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-31oU9f4wZ_g/UxPgtaULLNI/AAAAAAAAFB4/wZlCbBmEhqE/w960-h553-no/20140302_194205.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Town square 3/2!]
Post by: DeafNala on March 06, 2014, 12:39:05 AM
Now that it's done, the graveyard looks SPLENDID... &the Wight seems to be a Merry Fellow. This may give me a push to get back on track with my own W.I.P. Graveyard. VERY WELL DONE!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Graveyard 3/5!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 17, 2014, 07:40:40 PM
Here's a bigger project ... a frost giant from Reaper's Bones line! I skipped the Bones Kickstarter but nonetheless got my hands on plenty of figures, since virtually everyone else in my game club went in on that Kickstarter. So I've got plenty of white vinyl minis to play around with.

I started with this fellow. He's going to be a frost giant for my dwarf army, and I'll also run him as a god if my club dabbles in Of Gods and Mortals (several of us picked up the rulebook). So look for this guy to get on the battlefield soon, in a variety of ways!

He's pretty big, although I didn't put a figure in there for scale. His base is probably equivalent in size to 3x or 4x traditional 25mm slotta bases.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-qseBkvTITp0/UydOZs0FQvI/AAAAAAAAFFQ/VAuc-lrBBik/w576-h627-no/20140317_133302.jpg)

I was originally planning to dip him in Minwax Polyshades Tudor, as I often do, but I decided against it. The dip can sometimes impart a slight yellowish hue to miniatures. Usually that's fine (and I paint mostly using earth tones to take advantage of that effect). But in this case, combined with his bright blue skin, it would have resulted in a GREEN FROST GIANT! And no on wants that. So, no dip.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-8w9wjV79XZo/UydOZk87QYI/AAAAAAAAFFA/1-Q_gCcAiL4/w576-h426-no/20140317_133134.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-da4s79EjDtE/UydOZssTyxI/AAAAAAAAFFE/-PSzLJU_ffk/w417-h656-no/20140317_133416.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Frost Giant 3/17!!]
Post by: DeafNala on March 17, 2014, 08:32:34 PM
That is a SPECTACULAR piece....GREAT color choice & your brushwork made the most of a cool mini. The contrast between the warmth of the base & the cold of the Giant's skin tones adds to the pieces appeal for moi. VERY WELL DONE!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Frost Giant 3/17!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 18, 2014, 02:12:11 PM
Thanks! After I posted these pics I went back and did a bit more brushwork on this guy...big figures like this are never truly done, don't ya know? I'll try to post another pic of him as soon as we play again.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Frost Giant 3/17!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 14, 2014, 08:19:05 PM
I spent most of this weekend laboring over this terrain piece. It started life as a prepainted 3-piece inn from Blue Moon. It's been on my shelf for more than a year and I've always planned on polishing it up a little bit. The painting was OK but I knew I could do better. Here's the original:

(https://www.bluemoonmanufacturing.com/images/EP300.jpg)

As I got to work this weekend, though, I noticed that the sculpting was a little soft, particularly on the brick walls. Thankfully the whole thing is made of rigid foam, not resin, so I was able to take a ballpoint pen and score the brickwork to make it pop a little better.

But of course once you start down that path, it's hard to stop! In the end I ended up redoing the brickwork on the entire building by hand.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-6VUJlp-Hm7A/U0w8fYs-zGI/AAAAAAAAFG4/TIm-jqIF-HA/w902-h666-no/20140414_125233.jpg)

I stuck it on a piece of MDF and added some greenery to the fringes. Most of my medieval village stuff is similarly based so this will fit in well.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-IaQjonSh5Rg/U0w8gnduVhI/AAAAAAAAFHA/LpH6evL-WLc/w861-h666-no/20140414_125321.jpg)

I'm not sure if I'll glue the three sections (base, middle, roof) together so it's 1 solid piece. That was my original plan but the interior of the two levels are hollow and could be used for storage.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-19OQtLQ36iU/U0w8h_XDr1I/AAAAAAAAFHI/LKkfA7OJtpo/w934-h666-no/20140414_125341.jpg)

Here's a closeup of the hand-drawn brickwork.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-r2Dqrs-iU-c/U0w8jA3IFFI/AAAAAAAAFGE/GQVE5hSIdPs/w1184-h666-no/20140414_125352.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-VxmZUrhQxBU/U0w8kd_y0lI/AAAAAAAAFHQ/tpDkRp0HOe8/w395-h666-no/20140414_125437.jpg)

I'm planning to feature this terrain piece prominently in a game of Song of Blades & Heroes this week. Stay tuned for a battle report!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: Elbows on April 14, 2014, 08:41:03 PM
Very nice, though I chuckled a bit at the rear stairs which appear to be 2-3' tall a piece!  NO HALFLINGS ALLOWED!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 14, 2014, 08:43:11 PM
Very nice, though I chuckled a bit at the rear stairs which appear to be 2-3' tall a piece!  NO HALFLINGS ALLOWED!

Yes, it's funny but *very* practical for wargaming purposes. It's practically screaming for a swashbuckling sword fight up and down the stairs.  :D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: Elbows on April 14, 2014, 08:56:47 PM
Yeah I totally get it...far too many structures feature realistic stairs which don't help figures sitting on 25mm bases.   lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 15, 2014, 01:58:16 PM
Here's another building I just finished up. It's kind of a mystery -- I bought a big bag of loose terrain pieces in an auction, and contained therein was this structure, in resin pieces (4 walls and a roof). It went together just fine but I have no idea the origin of this building. It's nice and small so I'm thinking it will be a guard house for the outskirts of my town, where the civilized streets and alleys of Vildeburg give way to the northern wilderlands.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-MvzehIxNQxs/U0w8o1t0_6I/AAAAAAAAFGs/XW4I_ljmAjs/w1184-h666-no/20140414_125714.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-yITjDzk_63c/U0xAVyNQAPI/AAAAAAAAFHY/HLMv2nYWpX0/w1184-h666-no/20140414_125728.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: krieghund on April 15, 2014, 04:58:01 PM
Nice work on the inn,you can come and re-point my house. lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 15, 2014, 07:52:25 PM
Thanks! What can I say, I just got tired of looking at it. lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: The Inn, repainted 4/14!]
Post by: DeafNala on April 15, 2014, 10:32:18 PM
VERY NICE additions to your terrain! The Inn is a STRIKING piece with lots of Swashbuckling/brawling potential. AND the other piece is intriguing; i.e., it is a cool little building & attractively painted, but its function or possible inhabitants are a mystery. That's what I really like about it. GREAT STUFF!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Guard Shack, 4/15!]
Post by: Jevenkah on April 16, 2014, 06:13:56 PM
Your inn looks fantastic! Great job with the brickwork. I think you may have just given me the inspiration I needed to redo some wall pieces this holiday!

Always fun catching up on your stuff,
Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Guard Shack, 4/15!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 16, 2014, 07:01:36 PM
VERY NICE additions to your terrain! The Inn is a STRIKING piece with lots of Swashbuckling/brawling potential. AND the other piece is intriguing; i.e., it is a cool little building & attractively painted, but its function or possible inhabitants are a mystery. That's what I really like about it. GREAT STUFF!

I agree, it's ... generic, but in a good way. Thanks!

Your inn looks fantastic! Great job with the brickwork. I think you may have just given me the inspiration I needed to redo some wall pieces this holiday!

Glad you are inspired. I feel that way whenever I come onto these forums and see everyone's fantastic projects!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Guard Shack, 4/15!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 22, 2014, 01:50:38 PM
We got together for a game last week and managed to craft a wonderful large-scale skirmish game using Song of Blades & Heroes set in the main city of our campaign world. It was a 2 vs. 1 game, with me controlling the  merchant guild and some town militia vs. two smaller chaos warbands.

Check out the full blog post here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/04/blood-soaked-back-alleys-song-of-blades.html

Here's the setup at the start of the game:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-q6RYjnUFV1w/U1ErCO7PshI/AAAAAAAAFHo/ccwGLHmEM6c/w1184-h666-no/20140417_182125.jpg)

The chaos warbands entered from several different points on the map, and I was tasked with dispersing my merchants to different locations, which led to a bunch of different small fights erupting in the back alleys of the city.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/tv63_j-TRFF-LTZasTM51dO3JTiApbEyJKGT0x-zMxs=w561-h666-no)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-4GPudpO9mgE/U1ErRNVXHhI/AAAAAAAAFL4/BGzRhoOROEQ/w759-h553-no/20140417_200123.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-AQmMZpiZ564/U1Erf2TsYkI/AAAAAAAAFK4/5hxp2n2HC7g/w1184-h666-no/20140417_221812.jpg)

Lots more pics at the link above!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: DeafNala on April 22, 2014, 04:05:41 PM
If the game played as well as it looks, you Guys must have had a grand time. GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: manic _miner on April 22, 2014, 05:41:48 PM
 Great looking board set-up.Nice collection of miniatures too.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: Elbows on April 22, 2014, 06:51:12 PM
That board looks pretty cool, I'd love to game there.  lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: Jevenkah on April 22, 2014, 07:49:34 PM
The re-touched and new buildings made a great backdrop for your game. Sounds like it was a fun time! Glad to hear your winter might be over too!

Thanks for the update,
Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: eilif on April 23, 2014, 11:27:38 PM
If the game played as well as it looks, you Guys must have had a grand time. GREAT WORK!

I was one of the players in the game and I can attest that it did play as well as it looks.  The "moving objectives" and the use of some improvised height rules (making it more difficult to go up and down) really brought a new dimension and interest to the scenario.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 05, 2014, 02:41:45 PM
Hey guys, just a brief update here. I had been struggling for months to get inspired to finish this guy. He is some sort of undead monster from the World of Warcraft board game. I've found that these "miniatures board game" type of games tend to have really awesome, unique miniatures, so I've been keeping an eye out for cheap pieces here and there.

Anyway, I stooped to my task earlier this month and got him in passable tabletop condition. He will be a monster for my Song of Blades & Heroes games, or a god in my Of Gods & Mortals games, or some sort of loathsome behemoth in my Kings of War games!

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-L_Hree8lBuE/U0w8lYTRTLI/AAAAAAAAFGU/Nxcx5XI33gE/w1180-h664-no/20140414_125524.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-pJ-D56ScrRI/U0w8mhtv9RI/AAAAAAAAFGc/pYYzaKuzqSM/w1180-h664-no/20140414_125536.jpg)

Look closely, he wants to give you a big hug with his splintered ribs.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-WQHBcYxMBYc/U0w8nrkSVTI/AAAAAAAAFGk/DDuodla3uB8/w1180-h664-no/20140414_125549.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: DeafNala on May 05, 2014, 03:13:56 PM
In any game setting or simply in a display case, that Big Dude will freak people out. You did a FINE job on a WONDERFULLY disturbing mini. VERY WELL DONE!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: Jevenkah on May 05, 2014, 08:50:47 PM
That is revolting! Well done!

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 4/22!]
Post by: PatrickWR on May 15, 2014, 08:34:43 PM
OK, time for another game report. We were excited to try out Of Gods & Mortals, written by Andrea Sfiligoi and released last year by Osprey. The game might be best described as large-scale skirmish featuring gods, mortals and legends drawn from history and mythology clashing on the battlefield. Based on our reading of the rulebook, OGAM games are quite a bit larger than the typical SBH game, with maybe 20-25 figures per side in OGAM compared to 6-12 figures for SBH.

Both games share the same basic rules engine, which means we already knew 75% of the rules before we even opened the rulebook. We've been looking for a good framework for doing large-scale SBH games, so Tim and I carved out some table space at last week's club night to try out OGAM.

We built two 900-point armies: Norse/Celt-inspired undead guys for Tim, and Egyptian-themed undead guys for me. Undead vs. undead -- what could go wrong?!

Read the blog post here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/05/of-gods-mortals-game-report.html

And here are a few pics from the game.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-J8tAGZO3TnA/U3DR_XudBeI/AAAAAAAAFP4/KY7ZrhZC_Bg/w535-h664-no/20140508_191649-1.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-n7epzryTzlo/U3DSVc6dddI/AAAAAAAAFRY/bOzlPL0LyhE/w1180-h664-no/20140508_202855.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-N1lRcCgYuGk/U3DSY-yI6LI/AAAAAAAAFRo/rB1kjs5kzKE/w1180-h664-no/20140508_210134.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Game report, 5/15!]
Post by: PatrickWR on June 29, 2014, 04:12:31 PM
We've started our third annual summer fantasy campaign using Song of Blades & Heroes, which means its time for more battle reports! Check out the campaign synopsis here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/p/quake-and-mourn-song-of-blades-heroes.html

Our first session brought 6 players, and over the course of the evening we managed to play at least 6 games (switching players & battlefields between games). Here's the report from the evening: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/06/quake-and-mourn-campaign-session-1.html

And here are some pics of my warband in action! I was playing a hodgepodge chaos warband featuring all sorts of evil and nefarious figures that I have been wanting to get on the battlefield, including a mindflayer, gnoll, orc, necromancer, dark templar and a few others. Sometimes it's fun to just eschew the typical "orc raiding party" style warband and just put together a bunch of evil dudes.

Here they are slaughtering some orcs:

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/Ht8mTJxN4YeboPWWpOkZLR4Ei5-RS7yO8qr5ceEFtto=w434-h553-no)

And here they are receiving a cavalry charge:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-7Lqfe2ekTH4/U6RAHrew68I/AAAAAAAAFfA/tgV4ZkYTaOc/w983-h553-no/20140619_203357.jpg)

And here are the warband members posing atop this rocky outcrop:

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2014/06-19-14game/photos/P6193541.jpg)

(http://www.jlopatin.com/pictures/2014/06-19-14game/photos/P6193540.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Campaign kickoff, 6/29!]
Post by: PatrickWR on September 10, 2014, 09:50:24 PM
I finally got around to painting up Nethyrmaul the Undying, that huge undead dragon from the Reaper Bones Kickstarter. Maybe he'll hit the battlefield sometime soon!!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fwaIuwgRZj8/VBClG0MD2kI/AAAAAAAAF84/g8ek5HdbfhE/w448-h664-no/20140910_125048.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Campaign kickoff, 6/29!]
Post by: nic-e on September 10, 2014, 10:00:32 PM
I finally got around to painting up Nethyrmaul the Undying, that huge undead dragon from the Reaper Bones Kickstarter. Maybe he'll hit the battlefield sometime soon!!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-fwaIuwgRZj8/VBClG0MD2kI/AAAAAAAAF84/g8ek5HdbfhE/w448-h664-no/20140910_125048.jpg)

He looks amazing, but he must be GIANT compared to the mini's you're already using?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead dragon, 9/10!]
Post by: Elbows on September 10, 2014, 10:07:28 PM
And there is nothing wrong with that...bring on the giant dragon!  lol
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead dragon, 9/10!]
Post by: eilif on September 10, 2014, 11:02:48 PM
Awesome work Patrick,
     Beautiful and ginormous!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead dragon, 9/10!]
Post by: PatrickWR on September 10, 2014, 11:06:18 PM
It is indeed huge! I'm guessing 12 inches from base to wingtips. Probably too big for skirmish gaming in all but the most specialized scenarios, but ideal as a centerpiece for a larger game!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Undead dragon, 9/10!]
Post by: PatrickWR on October 27, 2014, 02:14:27 PM
We're planning a game of Kings of War in a week or two, so I pulled out all my dwarf miniatures to see if I could piece together a playable army. Here's what I came up with. I think this might equate to about 1250 points for Kings of War ... probably not quite enough to play an average sized game. Still, it's nice to see them all ranked up together. Most of the foot troops are old Ral Partha figures sculpted by Bob Olley, with an assortment of other sculpts thrown in for good measure.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nCQA9uxe01M/VE5SWSkpEDI/AAAAAAAAGfI/0ijKOY-f-l0/w1278-h436-no/dwarf-army-crop.jpg)

Here's a link to a slightly larger version of that pic: https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-nCQA9uxe01M/VE5SWSkpEDI/AAAAAAAAGfI/0ijKOY-f-l0/w1278-h436-no/dwarf-army-crop.jpg
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: Jevenkah on October 27, 2014, 04:15:14 PM
Sweet collection! That's a great army. Can you use mercenaries from different races to fill out your numbers or would it have to be dwarves? Perhaps some down-on-their-luck orcs would take the job?

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: timlillig on October 27, 2014, 08:34:39 PM
Nice looking dwarves, I'll look forward to seeing them.

If you do need some mercenaries, I can see which unscrupulous generals in my collection are looking for some work...
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: qazbnm on October 28, 2014, 08:31:38 PM
Great looking dwarves! The movement trays work really well, transforming a skirmish force into a ranked army.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: DeafNala on October 28, 2014, 09:18:14 PM
That is a MOST IMPRESSIVE array of Dwarven goodness! You've assemble & painted a VERY ATTRACTIVE array of the Little Folk. GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: Argonor on October 28, 2014, 10:35:45 PM
Wonderful thread! So much inspirational stuff  :)

That dwarven army could almost pass for God of Battles, too (and then it could have barbarian (thousand tribes) allies  ;) )
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: eilif on October 29, 2014, 12:58:16 AM
Looking good!  I assume that will also be seen in games of "Of Gods and Mortals", yes?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on October 29, 2014, 03:51:59 AM
Thanks for the kind words, folks. I did a quick tally and I can muster about 1000 points of dwarves for Kings of War, so perhaps enough to ally with another player. I can easily do 2000+ points of undead, so that will be my go-to army of choice of Kings of War.


Looking good!  I assume that will also be seen in games of "Of Gods and Mortals", yes?

Yes, that too!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf army, 10/27!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 10, 2014, 10:31:59 PM
When I first decided last year that I wanted to build a dwarf army for Kings of War, Song of Blades & Heroes and similar fantasy rulesets, I didn't drool over photos of cannons, flamethrowers or organ guns. No, my tastes tended toward the more wild and primeval parts of dwarven mythology. I wanted a bear rider.

So last weekend I painted up this chap. He will take to the field later this month as the club tries out "OPEN COMBAT," the new fantasy/medieval skirmish game.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-IMgJpgTcQZ0/VGENUISqn1I/AAAAAAAAGrY/VRIg0SNrfh0/w826-h664-no/20141110_130614.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-glsQnDpyZIA/VGENVxiEfSI/AAAAAAAAGrg/Km-qmaReBoA/w733-h664-no/20141110_130628.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf Bear Rider, 11/10!]
Post by: eilif on November 10, 2014, 10:49:57 PM
That is all kinds of cool.  Where is the fig from?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf Bear Rider, 11/10!]
Post by: PatrickWR on November 10, 2014, 10:51:58 PM
He's a stock sculpt from Reaper Warlord! Thorvald, Dwarf Bear Rider (14136)

http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2014/11/reinforcements-on-way-dwarf-bear-cavalry.html
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf Bear Rider, 11/10!]
Post by: PatrickWR on December 01, 2014, 04:33:39 PM
The club got together last month to play Open Combat, the new fast-play skirmish ruleset written by a former GW creative. Check out this thread for some thoughts about Open Combat: http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=73128.0

But if you just wanna see some pretty pics from the game, see below! My dwarves fought it out with Tim's fishmen in the dim stone halls of the dungeon. The layout was constructed from Dwarven Forge Game Tiles, which I picked up in last year's Kickstarter.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-keudHhx4hTQ/VG6945dZNBI/AAAAAAAAGwE/Ys3VrldUKEI/w927-h664-no/20141120_201307-1.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-oWXcbeudo4k/VG6-IEtHjJI/AAAAAAAAGwc/tuNTfGUbM3E/w1065-h664-no/20141120_202245-1.jpg)

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-PtMpSy5HdUo/VG69bggmJSI/AAAAAAAAGuE/5W0FHYeap3g/w882-h664-no/20141120_191819-1.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-TrsfaUe-6Qg/VG69c0FPeuI/AAAAAAAAGuM/ONIDW_PO_CE/w1180-h664-no/20141120_191853.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-nybCX5WJvVg/VG69jP7ZehI/AAAAAAAAGu0/cw64SdARANo/w935-h664-no/20141120_193634-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon battle, 12/1!]
Post by: Modhail on December 01, 2014, 06:29:18 PM
Impressive pics! Looks like it was a fun game...  :-*
The big fishmen look very cool.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon battle, 12/1!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 24, 2015, 03:38:19 AM
More reinforcements! I recently finished up some field artillery for my Kings of War dwarf army. The organ gun and small cannon are the Mantic plastic kits, paired up with some gun crew figures from Ral Partha.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-mDOKLlFUPcM/VMMD-dxp1eI/AAAAAAAAHE4/NB3gIqFDU1c/w875-h553-no/20150123_192043-1.jpg)

Hmmm, now that I see these pics, I think I need to go back and bore out the barrels with my pin vise.

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-OBuhc3tVayQ/VMMEClF7kdI/AAAAAAAAHEo/I2T4e6lB-3A/w818-h553-no/20150123_192133-1.jpg)

And here's a shot of the gun crew.

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-dkMbd4TyY8Y/VMMEAWoZqnI/AAAAAAAAHEw/P46mLd7K7Fw/w786-h553-no/20150123_192103-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dungeon battle, 12/1!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 24, 2015, 03:40:54 AM
These artillery pieces are prepainted units from MageKnight -- I just popped them off the clicky bases and glued them onto something more appropriate. Cheap and easy!

This one is HUGE!

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-WC8IL1J8xJw/VMMED_rg70I/AAAAAAAAHEg/rUIDqXEgIS8/w783-h553-no/20150123_192159-1.jpg)

And here's a bombard or mortar or something.

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-IDsFcs0_ztU/VMMEEhykF9I/AAAAAAAAHEY/6OWUQP8DuMM/w650-h553-no/20150123_192240-1.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-unVNshCUQEg/VMMEFj0nWkI/AAAAAAAAHEQ/cccABWQRY9k/w729-h553-no/20150123_192310-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: beefcake on January 24, 2015, 04:04:45 AM
Very nice. Love the skin colour. All dwarfs should be like this really if they are hole dwellers.
I'd just paint black circles instead of using the pin vice. Much quicker.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: eilif on January 24, 2015, 01:54:51 PM
Nice!
That's a fearsome set of artillery!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: DeafNala on January 24, 2015, 03:06:21 PM
As I remember them, the Ral Partha Dwarfs were exceptionally tiny little Guys. As such your brushwork is EVEN MORE impressive. The Lads lack of stature make the artillery look truly potent. GREAT WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 24, 2015, 03:58:03 PM
Ha! What you call "tiny" i call "actual knees and elbows," Nala!

The flesh color looks a bit washed out in these photos. It's Reaper Elf Flesh and it has a faint pinkish hue. Still you're right that under-dwellers ought not to have robust tanned faces. :-)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: Jevenkah on January 24, 2015, 06:21:31 PM
Great cloaks on those guys! And the metal helms look sweet to top them off.

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 26, 2015, 12:32:49 AM
Thanks, Jevenkah!

More reinforcements ... just an assortment of dwarves, ready to take to the battlefield. Again, photo is slightly washed out.

Manufacturers, from left: Ghost Minis, Heartbreaker, Warhammer Fantasy, Ghost Minis, Ghost Minis

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-1IJYbkK4sVk/VMMEGg6lS7I/AAAAAAAAHEI/M9CRaDR1zkQ/w762-h553-no/20150123_193450-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: DeafNala on January 26, 2015, 01:40:13 PM
Despite the machinations of an uncooperative camera, the Little Fellows look TERRIFIC...brushwork & bases are SPLENDID. GREAT WORK!
I haven't seen much of the Ghost miniatures before; they are really quite nice.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: eilif on January 26, 2015, 02:26:53 PM
Excellent work.  I'm not sure I've ever seen any other pictures of Painted "Ghost miniatures" dwarves.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 26, 2015, 03:11:48 PM
They're from the same product line as those boar riders...I think Ghost Miniatures are just rebranded/repackaged Old Glory? Is that correct?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: eilif on January 26, 2015, 10:50:41 PM
Ghost miniatures is one of Old Glory's home brands/lines, kind of like the "Revenge" packaging that some Medieval's I purchased came in.  If you buy them today they still might come in Ghost miniatures packaging with "Old Glory" in small letters on the back of the bag header.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: killshot on January 27, 2015, 01:12:10 AM
Really nice, I'd forgotten about the Ghost Minature line.  They really do look good.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 27, 2015, 02:52:16 PM
Really nice, I'd forgotten about the Ghost Minature line.  They really do look good.

Why thanks. They are not cast from the strongest metal, so those halberds and swords needed some adjustment, but overall the figures bring some nice old-school charm to my dwarven army.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on January 27, 2015, 02:59:56 PM
Here's a figure that I've had perched atop my lead mountain for many years. This is a Grenadier Dwarf Flame Belcher that I picked up at a flea market, new in blister, for $1. The figure is an obvious precursor to the dwarven fire artillery that would come with later editions of Warhammer.

The sculpt is OK, not great, and the base is absolutely atrocious. The base of the flame belcher just sort of dissolves into squiggles of texture and flash. So I had to really cover up the base to make the miniature serviceable. I did this by adding some pieces of wood bark, painted to resemble rock slabs, as well as copious tufts of flock. The end result is a serviceable mini that will no doubt see action in Song of Blades & Heroes, Kings of War and Open Combat!

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-M5ogAw0NzVs/VMMEHn7UyQI/AAAAAAAAHDo/3XwR_Bx25E4/w798-h662-no/20150123_193520-1.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-ZIzKM3fTBqI/VMMEIoQe4XI/AAAAAAAAHDw/YrV2brnXk64/w791-h662-no/20150123_193541-1.jpg)

(https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-2_j6T8mz-rk/VMMEJwam7-I/AAAAAAAAHD4/vaH0u_8RCWc/w781-h662-no/20150123_193557-1.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: eilif on January 27, 2015, 03:56:16 PM
Nice update of an old-school miniature.  I've also found that good basing goes a long way. Both in giving new life to figures that I might otherwise pass over and in bringing unity to a force composed of different brands of minis.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 08, 2015, 05:54:08 PM
I finally got some pics of a few terrain pieces I completed over last summer, fall and winter.

These pieces started when I acquired the Scotia Grendel Ruined Keep kit, a very nice resin collection of tumbledown walls and ruined turrets. I knew I didn't want to assemble the kit exactly as it appeared in the studio photo (see below), so I decided to try my hand at carving stones and brickwork into blue foam chunks, then attaching the resin pieces on top to create a larger, more robust ruined fortress.

(http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/images/Grendel%20Historical/f0068_ruined_keep.jpg)

It was a good learning experience. In retrospect I don't think mortared areas between the stones came out quite dark enough to provide good contrast between the gray slabs. Otherwise I'm pretty satisfied.

This is the biggest piece from the lot: a broken wall capped by two ruined turrets. The whole thing is slowly being overtaken by the wilds, which fits perfectly with my fantasy wilderness setting.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-Bk282Y7Uraw/VNea661gxFI/AAAAAAAANrE/e1dRTDue8wQ/w1044-h362-no/IMG_20150208_112019649.jpg)

(https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-KNYc1dbgMLI/VNea9EDNimI/AAAAAAAANn0/WzeelFNRMkg/w983-h553-no/IMG_20150208_112035151.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-JAqIyL3ilHo/VNea_nA159I/AAAAAAAANoA/UnLAjHS10ks/w983-h553-no/IMG_20150208_112054766.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 08, 2015, 05:56:50 PM
Here's the next piece that came out of that Scotia Grendel kit: a ruined corner turret. This is just the resin piece attached to a larger wedge of blue foam, with stonework carved by hand into the base.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cLiUbwA5hYs/VNebY1eoU-I/AAAAAAAANoM/I8BGLUTt-ng/w737-h553-no/IMG_20150208_112232278.jpg)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-2ytpsJ9-1Gk/VNebgKI_gBI/AAAAAAAANoY/DuI2hqk6E1I/w737-h553-no/IMG_20150208_112244811.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-gQWncwY4Fo4/VNebjFiuxEI/AAAAAAAANq4/XXkE__mGgI8/w737-h553-no/IMG_20150208_112307646.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Dwarf reinforcements, 1/23!!]
Post by: Patsuriku on February 08, 2015, 06:42:56 PM
It was a good learning experience. In retrospect I don't think mortared areas between the stones came out quite dark enough to provide good contrast between the gray slabs. Otherwise I'm pretty satisfied.

I think it's pretty good, ruined keeps or castles tend to gain a sort of uniform color when the wilds take over them. You could maybe just add some more heavy green whashes and a few more growing vegetation at the base of the walls (kinda like this https://ruine.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/morimont-ruine-r-crozat.jpg (https://ruine.files.wordpress.com/2014/01/morimont-ruine-r-crozat.jpg).)
Looks way cool as it is right now anyway!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: DeafNala on February 08, 2015, 08:24:31 PM
LOOKIN' GOOD! You matched up to the Grendel stonework in SPLENDID fashion. VERY WELL DONE!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 09, 2015, 10:49:10 PM
Patsuriku: It's funny you should mention green washes on the stone. I recently completed another piece (photos forthcoming) and tried that technique to great effect! (Well, I think it's great, anyway.)

For now, I have pics of the last piece I've built from the Scotia Grendel kit. It's a corner piece with a small ledge for minis.

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-cK-otfkoxUo/VNeb21_JGSI/AAAAAAAANow/PdpeesvSobU/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112432510.jpg)

(https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-smL32hKvuZk/VNeb-rwi5HI/AAAAAAAANo8/vKqEXy1owTc/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112444210.jpg)

(https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-CFwl_d0l_OA/VNecJMaj-QI/AAAAAAAANpU/0kwLMzsIbOs/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112535912.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: Jevenkah on February 11, 2015, 06:34:23 PM
Great work on the stonework! That's a wonderful way to spread the ready-made pieces out. Your mini bases look right at home on that ground.

Jevenkah
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: Knightofspades on February 16, 2015, 08:05:24 PM
Amazing looking terrain man. Great work.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, 2/8!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 18, 2015, 04:08:12 PM
Here's one last piece of terrain. We've all seen these nifty WArhammer 40k plastic ruins on tabletop battlefields for the better part of 18 years (has it really been that long?). When I acquired these two corner sections, one of them was missing the second-story ledge. So I fashioned a makeshift floor out of balsa wood, which gave me a great excuse to use a color other than gray on this piece of terrain!

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ykRGn1O51YM/VNec6nQYK5I/AAAAAAAANqE/CsVEjT-7faQ/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112853172.jpg)

I splashed some brown and green washes on the gray walls to add a little more color, then liberally applied flock and static grass to represent just how long this little ruin has been sitting in the wilderness, untouched and unexplored.

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-wLqXUFrUOUk/VNecmLb3T0I/AAAAAAAANpg/k9nesUGkbEs/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112743510.jpg)

The rubble in the center is composed of broken Hirst Arts pieces, small stones and gravel. I used Gorilla Glue on this area, which is tricky to use since it expands as it dries. I used this to my advantage to fill gaps between the rubble bits. Pro tip: After you've laid down your Gorilla Glue and arranged your large stone pieces, let it stand for 20 or 30 minutes, then come back. The glue should have expanded and foamed up quite a bit -- now, sprinkle some sand or gravel onto the expanding glue to add more texture. This is a great way of building up volume quickly and easily without having to wait for subsequent glue layers to dry.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-kXejb_m2R60/VNecstnHENI/AAAAAAAANps/SHzBtAIvxY8/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112810592.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-8-W4zRlKcPw/VNec3v_S23I/AAAAAAAANp4/9-PO3W5gUmc/w883-h662-no/IMG_20150208_112823471.jpg)

Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, Feb. 18!]
Post by: Patsuriku on February 22, 2015, 01:17:26 AM
Very nice! It really looks like the wilds have taken over that ruin.
I wonder what treasures are hidden under it !
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, Feb. 18!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 24, 2015, 11:16:42 PM
I recently did a big ol' blog post where I attempted to catalog most of the warbands that I've put on the table over the last five years of skirmish gaming. Some are veterans of the wilds, others are unblooded (so far). Most of them fit into the fluff of the club's campaign world.

You can read the full blog post here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2015/02/the-warband-project-part-one.html

Some of the pics include new (improved!) photos of miniatures that have already been showcased in this thread. Here are a few of the choicest selections:

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-b8OQAG1Rbxk/VOVIZ_t6p8I/AAAAAAAAOAA/6kbzuAN_BgA/w753-h553-no/IMG_20150218_202013819.jpg)

The Cursed Horsemen of Frostvale

In the wind-scoured wastelands of the far north, where snow-frosted trees cling to craggy mountains and men wrap themselves in furs the year round, a band of horsemen sallies forth to raid the barely civilized lands to the south. In their wake, men whisper of a terrible curse that lies heavy upon the warband -- and of unspeakable barbarity that grips the fighters in the heat of battle. Woe to those who spy the Cursed Horsemen of Frostvale at the gates of their village of an autumn evening!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-QLFMr-kYhVs/VOVFonyzAWI/AAAAAAAAN_o/DiCHIIXZSoI/w1027-h553-no/IMG_20150218_200820508.jpg)

The Scourge of Longrieve

After the doom-cloud had swept across Qaarra and the fearful population had been left to quake and mourn, the mysterious Leathern Gate in the northern mountains opened once again, briefly creating a portal between Qaarra and the Wyrdwold. From the grimacing doorway came the Scourge of Longrieve, a band of raiders, cutthroats and foul creatures bent on looting the jewels of Qaarra. They broke like a wave upon the idyllic village of Longrieve, earning their name through senseless butchery and slaughter.

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-wgR93DRu4rM/VOVKoPDIWdI/AAAAAAAAOAQ/7WhrYVWk7r0/w1168-h662-no/IMG_20150218_202945720.jpg)

The Hour of the Rat

When the Clock of Omens strikes thirteen, families know to bar the door and place their heaviest cook-pots atop open drains and sewer pipes. For it is the Hour of the Rat, when the chittering hordes surge from the under-depths, led by fearsome chaos ratmen armored in scavenged mail and plate, and wielding blades of corrupted steel. They visit the surface world to raid for treasure and slaves -- but the day may yet come when these ratmen do not slink back into the catacombs at dawn, but instead stay to rule the realm that they have conquered.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: DeafNala on February 25, 2015, 01:57:51 AM
INSPIRING STUFF! The War Bands with the small numbers of BEAUTIFULLY painted, WONDERFULLY diverse miniature warriors & rich background material are really most appealing to moi. AND I LOVE the Mega-Mushrooms! OUTSTANDING WORK!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: manic _miner on February 25, 2015, 06:54:20 AM
 Nice work on the scenery and a great mix of miniatures in your warbands.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: affun on February 25, 2015, 09:37:01 AM
A very nice read.

Collecting various fantasy-warbands is a particular affliction of mine as well; it's nice to see and read how other people go about it.

Is the Mindflayer a reaper one? Its a pretty cool mini.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: PatrickWR on February 25, 2015, 03:24:53 PM
INSPIRING STUFF! The War Bands with the small numbers of BEAUTIFULLY painted, WONDERFULLY diverse miniature warriors & rich background material are really most appealing to moi. AND I LOVE the Mega-Mushrooms! OUTSTANDING WORK!

Thanks! The mushrooms are from Acheson's Kickstarter from last year. My friend Josh painted them up as part of a painting swap!

Collecting various fantasy-warbands is a particular affliction of mine as well; it's nice to see and read how other people go about it.
Is the Mindflayer a reaper one? Its a pretty cool mini.

Yes, he's D'Khul, Bathalian Sorcerer, from the Reaper Warlord line I think.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: eilif on February 25, 2015, 07:32:03 PM
Really nice work.  A cool retrospective and some figs I had forgotten about.

Yes, he's D'Khul, Bathalian Sorcerer, from the Reaper Warlord line I think.

Also, the same figure is now available in Bones also, simply called "Bathalian"...
https://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/bathalian/latest/77020
...if one were on the fence about picking it up.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: affun on February 25, 2015, 07:36:02 PM
Well, I would rather prefer him in metal - The material and detail alone being well worth the price in my opinion. (The staff is all bendy :c) Bones is great on ogre-size and up miniatures, but not so much on the humanoid sized ones Ive picked up from time to time.

At any rate, reaper-stuff is tricky to get hold of here in Denmark. There's not an awful lot of european retailers, and all of them never seem to have the minis I want  ::)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: Argonor on February 25, 2015, 07:50:32 PM
At any rate, reaperstuff is tricky to get ahold of here in Denmark. There's not an awful lot of european retailers, and all of them never seem to have the minis I want  ::)

I usually buy from Miniature Giant, they are US-based, but they seem to be very well stocked, and always sell under RRP.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Warband The Project, Feb. 24!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 14, 2015, 04:17:18 PM
My newly painted chaos ratmen came out to play a game of Open Combat with a few friends last week. Here a couple pics of the rats in action!

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-9TIa1Dxhi9Q/VPmy-xko8mI/AAAAAAAAOXM/t8U4kDyui1M/w410-h664-no/_20150306_075523.JPG)

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-wQJOMiLkRQc/VPmyfzYAdvI/AAAAAAAAOV8/xlpHFNSqQiM/w1180-h664-no/IMG_20150305_194656214.jpg)

And somehow I forgot to post this pic, one of my favorites of my new (old school) chaos ratmen.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-zI68YZnD_tk/VOVK8RwjFyI/AAAAAAAAOAY/8roQHOSycNI/w1023-h662-no/IMG_20150218_203107704.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, Feb. 18!]
Post by: Vermis on March 14, 2015, 08:37:42 PM
When the Clock of Omens strikes thirteen, families know to bar the door and place their heaviest cook-pots atop open drains and sewer pipes. For it is the Hour of the Rat, when the chittering hordes surge from the under-depths, led by fearsome chaos ratmen armored in scavenged mail and plate, and wielding blades of corrupted steel. They visit the surface world to raid for treasure and slaves -- but the day may yet come when these ratmen do not slink back into the catacombs at dawn, but instead stay to rule the realm that they have conquered.

You made that sound more Lovecraftian than GW has managed to do. :D Nice work on the minis! How difficult was it to get your hands on them?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Terrain update, Feb. 18!]
Post by: PatrickWR on March 14, 2015, 11:27:39 PM
You made that sound more Lovecraftian than GW has managed to do. :D Nice work on the minis! How difficult was it to get your hands on them?

Thanks! I acquired the Skaven at a game auction last year. They were poorly painted, bouncing around loose in a plastic bag, and the seller obviously didn't know he had vintage Citadel metal on his hands. I paid less than $1 per figure I think!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Chaos Ratmen, 14 March!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 01, 2015, 03:43:52 PM
I'm on paternity leave at the moment, but here's a look at the last terrain piece I completed before pivoting away from modeling to raise my new baby. It's a Hirst Arts Wizard Tower that I acquired fully assembled but unfinished. I painted it and attached it to an appropriate scenic base.

Read more about the project here: http://chicagoskirmish.blogspot.com/2015/03/repainting-hirst-arts-wizard-tower.html

And here are a few pics of the finished piece.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-tYZvyKF0wNs/VQS2wNdVMcI/AAAAAAAAOlo/POvwaZ5Npw0/w393-h664-no/IMG_20150314_172419.jpg)

Built-up rocky foundation on the base.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-EZu9-vkENAg/VQS2twAeJJI/AAAAAAAAOlg/XBQ7VUdZzUM/w790-h664-no/IMG_20150314_172324.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-HAfOIryrNTI/VQRnvdatZ7I/AAAAAAAAOig/DQwqktgsw1Q/w1180-h664-no/IMG_20150314_115327516.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Wizard Tower, 31 March!]
Post by: Vanvlak on April 01, 2015, 03:51:54 PM
Congratulations for the baby!
The tower is brillant, as are the Skaven  8) 8) 8)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Wizard Tower, 31 March!]
Post by: deathjester25 on April 01, 2015, 04:09:41 PM
I really like that tower. I need to get some hirst stuff. I also like the BTD dwarf.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Wizard Tower, 31 March!]
Post by: eilif on April 01, 2015, 07:06:23 PM
Had the opportunity to see the tower in person yesterday evening.  It's really nicely done.  I've seen a number of examples of this exact model (It's the suggested starter model for HA casting) over the years.  I don't recall the exact precision of construction of the others, but this example has far the best presentation and basing jobs.  Nicely disused without making it look like a ruin. 
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Wizard Tower, 31 March!]
Post by: Little Odo on April 01, 2015, 10:25:20 PM
Some absolutely gorgeous stuff you have created there. Keep it going!
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Wizard Tower, 31 March!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 12, 2015, 08:31:08 PM
I'm slowly developing bits and pieces of Frostvale, my homebrew fantasy setting, which will exist alongside our club campaign world to create fun options for scenarios and crossover games. The setting represents my fantasy ideal -- a windswept, Scandinavian-inspired land of teetering mountains, dark forests, mysterious runestones, benighted dungeons, tumbledown ruins, overgrown altars, lonely watchtowers, hardscrabble villages and plenty of unexplored wilderness.

(http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-ERlf8AxcIEM/VSlu6v3LxTI/AAAAAAAAPN8/lX9Ti68p_Eo/w952-h553-no/IMG_20150411_135832.jpg)

My newest addition to the world of Frostvale is not really a warband per se ,.. rather, it is a collection of barbarians from the countless hill tribes that occupy the foothills of the Blue-Rime Mountains. I have been wanting to try painting up some ridiculously muscled dudes for quite some time, and half-naked barbarians seemed like the perfect excuse to do so.

(http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-H0IKdVNemso/VSluzhdyHWI/AAAAAAAAPNs/WYWv4Lf97pI/w779-h553-no/IMG_20150411_135554.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-OhYaxFsIbQ4/VSlu5HyIaXI/AAAAAAAAPNc/q5BG34IZ1-4/w725-h553-no/IMG_20150411_135633.jpg)

(http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-kM7CRZD8IkU/VSluyBVzHhI/AAAAAAAAPNk/q2D94wAuY-4/w642-h553-no/IMG_20150411_135707.jpg)

(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-ragfr8wV-K4/VSlu3zPsLjI/AAAAAAAAPN0/NV68KkM1zp8/w789-h553-no/IMG_20150411_135533.jpg)
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: kaiser on April 13, 2015, 07:54:17 AM
Looking good. This thread is a great inspiration. Looking forward to your next skirmish battle report, I always enjoy reading those. Where are those barbarian miniatures from?
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: affun on April 13, 2015, 09:33:00 AM
Looking good. This thread is a great inspiration. Looking forward to your next skirmish battle report, I always enjoy reading those. Where are those barbarian miniatures from?

They look like Em4/mirliton Fantasy Warriors -  that is, the in-current-production version of the old grenadier sculpts by Mark Copplestone.
They are some great miniatures by one of my favorite sculpters :)

As always: great paint jobs and a cool warband!
The bases work very well even though I usually am a bit adverse to lipped bases. Now I want some barbarians for my own (shockingly similar both in concept and process) fantasy setting.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: PatrickWR on April 13, 2015, 01:43:49 PM
They look like Em4/mirliton Fantasy Warriors -  that is, the in-current-production version of the old grenadier sculpts by Mark Copplestone.
They are some great miniatures by one of my favorite sculpters :)

As always: great paint jobs and a cool warband!
The bases work very well even though I usually am a bit adverse to lipped bases. Now I want some barbarians for my own (shockingly similar both in concept and process) fantasy setting.

Yessir, they are from EM4. Great sculpts at a great price!

I don't usually use lipped bases but I went for it in this case. Even though the minis are not huge, the slightly larger basing makes them feel a bit more epic and imposing, which is exactly what I want for these barbarians.
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: Faust23 on April 14, 2015, 02:44:36 AM
Always top tier my friend!  :-* :-* :-*
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: affun on April 14, 2015, 05:11:21 PM
Yessir, they are from EM4. Great sculpts at a great price!

I don't usually use lipped bases but I went for it in this case. Even though the minis are not huge, the slightly larger basing makes them feel a bit more epic and imposing, which is exactly what I want for these barbarians.


It certainly works out!

I had to order some more round slotta-bases: Those guys sparked my fancy (or hoarders compulsion) in a way that I just had to add a couple of barbarians to the order as well.  ;D
Title: Re: Fantasy warbands for skirmish gaming [Latest: Barbarians, April 12!]
Post by: Jimboba on January 16, 2016, 04:26:13 PM
Got to love Copplestone Barbarians. His 15mm ones are outstanding.

Coincidentally while digging through some old unpainted 28s for inspiration I came across a horde of these fellas that must be 18+ years old. Just in time for Frostgrave  :)