Dwarfs of Monte Trocchio (September 30th - Avatars of War warriors)

[Luigi]

Thank you everyone for your suggestions.
Since using a hotwire cutter is exactly the type of thing 17 year old me would have done with extreme gusto, I decided against it. I  just decided to remvoe the bases with a sharp blade and plastic snippers.

I also tried to get some  painting done the past couple of evenings. My 20 months daughter, ever curious to what I was doing, sat next to me and joined my painting sessions.
She seemed to grasp the concept of transferring colour from a palette onto a model via a brush very quickly. After painting for a bit she decided that it was time to reorganize my paints.



I'll admit it's a bit of an unorthodox method  but she insisted I took them out of the box and piled them on my working area.

On a side note, my new place is much too dark for any sort of continuous paiting. Any suggestion for a small lamp (I'll get two anyways) that is cheap, effective and easy to store/remove?

[Luigi]

Yesterday I got a package in the mail from Spain.
After travelling thousands of miles and surviving a postal strike the package was never brought to my place and was dropped off at nearest post station for...reasons.

Anyways, here's what I got.


That's 100 new dwarfs from Avatars of War. They  had a 50% sale in mid December and I couldn't resist. Combine with free shipping and I ended up getting one of each selection from their plastic dwarf range.

I'm looking forward to (eventually) getting to paint them, especially the slayers I've already seen a bunch of bits in that kit that's giving me plenty of inspiration for kitbashing.


Also at work, I've also managed to get 5 more EM4 Dwarfs debased.
I ended up following dadlamassu's advice and just sliced them off the base, it took a bit of practice to find the best technique but I think I got it down.
I might be able to get them done sooner than I had originally thought.

[Ragsta]

The painted Dwarf host looks formidably good, I do like your coooyr scheme and the wacky flyers add some spice!

Congrats on getting your own place!

[Luigi]

Thank you Ragsta!

I've got another update for you all.
I believe I have removed enough bases for now. as of last night I was left with this.



those are 18 Crossbowdwarfs; 29 Dwarfs with 2 handed axe and 33 dwarfs with spears.
Once I find/convert/suitable command figures I should have 2 large melee units and 2 smaller harassing units.

I also started building the AoW slayers. They're great models and I believe these are from the only plastic slayer kit ever produced by anyone. I'm not in love with the style (befetting of a grimmer, darker and more realistic WHFB) but they're good models that I'm looking forward to paint.


the only thing that I don't like is that their axes are comically oversized, ridiculously large even by GW standards. The guy in the middle is a quick kitbash i did using a GW standard pole and a GW axe blade. His weapon looks much more reasonable (and deadly) than whatever his colleagues are wielding. I might go back and replace their blades as well. I also have a feeling these are going to be a major PITA to rank up, so I'm planning on multibasing some of them, although that does mean I have to paint them before basing.
Did you guys know that GW gives out free miniatures every first Saturday of the month? Well, neither did I!
But a few months ago I got hold of 3 of these minis
 
While I dislike the head disappearing into the jacket and being way too small for its body, I did think it had some potential.
I found a (badly) stripped mantic head in my bits box and though that the resulting guy could work as a master engineer of sort.


Except... GW miniatures have gotten huge; this is supposed to be a dwarf/squat but it towers over the other miniatures.


Hell, even the AoW slayers, already slightly bigger than other dwarfs, only reaches up to its shoulder.
I will still paint it, since as a single character out of units I don't think it'll be that much of a problem.

[Luigi]

Alright folks, we continue with more slayer kitbashing and conversion.
The more I assemble the AoW slayers, the more I like them, but I really find their weapons way too big and cartoony. Not a problem at all, and finally I get to use all those bits I've had around for almost 20 years.
I did 2 more last night.

The first one  has had his right axeblade switched with one from a broken 2handed weapon; I just split the double edged blade in 2 and stuck it on the original handle.
The left hand is a piecemeal switch with an axe from the quarrelers box. The GW hands are slightly smaller, but you really can't tell once assembled.
and I gave the second slayer 2 pistols. I thought it'd look cool and it could help with adding some variance to a unit that is meant to be less organized than your regular dwarf troops.


I also found this old tied up slayer in my bits, so I thought I'd add him to the unit. It's a nice little marker and a neat model. It also helps in raking these big boys up.


I then prepared a few more weapons; I think I'll replace all (or almost all) of the AoW axes.

they're cool blades though and they make perfect replacement heads for 2 handed weapons so I can still get some use out of them.



I also started basing some of the spear dwarfs, experimenting with double basing.
these models are flat enough that painting them shouldn't be a problem.


Also, at work during lunch, I based all of the ones with great axes. Seeing them all nicely ranked up is tempting me to just go ahead and finish all the EM4 dwarf I have.

[Pattus Magnus]

Sweet! I always enjoyed working on conversions based on the EM4 figures. It’s fun to see how a new weapon or adjusted pose adds some variety. I’m looking forward to seeing your guys as they progress and get some paint!

[Luigi]

Thank you PM.
I was actually inspired by your comment and played around with some more axe heads.


These would make for perfect champions in their units. The spear dwarf actually looks like a promising base for a dwarf halberd/polearm unit. I might convert a few more just for fun.


I also assembled 4 more slayers.


including an additional standard bearer and a musician (I might leave one of them bald)


And 2 regular trollslayers.
I'm going to try to multibase 4 of them together. I'm usign PVA glue for now so that I can easily remove them for painting.

[SgtSlag]

I love the idea of making the Dwarf Spearmen into Halberdiers.  Never occurred to me until your post.  Thanks for that!  Cheers!

[TileaG]

Good to see you here Luigi.  Look forward to following your progress here.

[Luigi]

Hi TileaG, yeah this is also a great forum. Different vibes from our other one, but definitely worth the time.

SgtSlag, they do indeed make for a perfect and easy conversion. the only thing stopping me being the lack of bits for a full unit.

Minor update today.







These are 147 EM4 Dwarfs with their integral base removed, with the mold lines mostly cleaned off, and glued to 20mm bases.
I actually run out of 20mm bases, so much so that most of the crossbow dwarfs had to be glued to 20x40 bases.

Next will be putting sand to the bases, get their shields ready and then priming. Hopefully by March I'm already in the process of painting them.
Looking at them all ranked up I'm both dreading and looking forward to paint them.
They'll look great all ranked up, and all these models will be an important chunk of my pile of shame. But I know it's going to get rather tedious painting them.

[SgtSlag]

I need to look for some halberd heads!  A Dwarven Halberd Unit would be a lot of fun.  Besides, it would give me an excuse to buy more em4 Dwarves...  They're easy and fast to paint up, and the conversions would be fast and easy, as well.  Not sure why I never thought of it before as it makes a lot of sense to have Dwarven Harberdiers!

Within the 2e BattleSystem rules I use for my fantasy games, the 2nd rank of Halberdiers can attack with the front line.  They would make a truly fierce Unit of Dwarves!  Off to search the Internet for 28mm Halberds I go...  Cheers!

[Luigi]

Let me know if you find some!
Halberd and pike dwarfs are something I could definitely use more of.

[SgtSlag]

I found them at Essex, sold in packs of 8 (not 20, that is their model/product number:  X20).  I ordered 24 Halberds, which meant that I needed to order 24 em4 Dwarven Spearmen to be converted to Halberdiers!

Here are the links, if interested:  Essex model # "X20" Halberds, sold in sets of 8, not 20; em4 Dwarven Spearmen.

I checked the 2e BattleSystem rules to make sure they were worth the money, time, and effort...  Regular Dwarves attack with a d6, but Halberdiers attack with a d8, and their 2nd Rank gets to attack as well.  This definitely makes them a force to be feared.  The same is true of Dwarven Spearmen, as far as the 2nd Rank attacking, but they use a d6, not a d8.  Dwarven Axemen (Battle Axes) attack with a d8, but their 2nd Rank has to wait for someone in front of them to fall, before they can swing!  I love me some heavy-hitting Dwarves who can reach out and kill some Orcs!

"No waiting to slaughter Orcs for those in the 2nd Rank with Spears or Halberds..."  Give me a Blue Light Special on killing Orcs!  YES!  Cheers!

[SgtSlag]

I will likely cut the spear shafts off, above and below the hands, then drill out the hands, to slide in the halberds.  This will make the halberds that much stronger, compared to attaching just the upper head portion of the halberd to the hand of the figures.

You got me to thinking with your comment that you could use more Dwarven Pikemen...  I have a pack of brass spears/pikes, sitting on my workbench.  I may employ those into some of the Dwarven Spearmen, as well.  I have some hobgoblin Pikemen, already.  With Pikemen, the 2nd and the 3rd Ranks can attack!  That gives the Hobgoblins a serious advantage over the Dwarves.

Dag' nabbit!  I should have ordered another 24 Dwarves!  Shipping would have been affordable as it would have been one charge, but now it will be two.  It sucks to be me.     Cheers!

[Luigi]

I've actually downloaded a copy of Battlesystem myself because I was so very intrigued and it seems like a great ruleset.
But honestly I don't need much of an excuse to model dwarfs with polearms. Regardless of settings, I think long reaching weapons make the most sense for disciplined and well trained regiments of dwarfs.

as per your conversion, make sure to show us some pictures once done, i'm curious to see what they look like.