SW's A War Transformed Forces and Terrain

[Snackelwolf]

Greetings all,

Going to post some step-by-steps of how my various armies and terrain unfold for a War Transformed.

Let's start with the Germans, using the tutorial provide to me found here:

https://scrivsland.blogspot.com/2015/01/more-wwi-germans.html?m=1&fbclid=IwAR08O4VjWKoVQgwvhj1gnx-_10DuOAZZhuqLv091HtzrpslbLlGwS5fe0Ng

I will be doing my own basing, deviating with the UK and French uniforms into unique color schemes for the era,  etc.  The great deal of hobby effort
will be going into the Manifestations, Witches and other characters / Terrain that make the game even more unique.

But first up, just some German infantry in gas masks. Here are two photos: partially base-coated, followed by fully a fully base-coated image with the suggested Sepia Wash.

As you can see in comparison, the wash / shading is crucial to toning down the bright or  slightly pasty colors from the recommended Vallejo range.

I feel the Sepia wash does quite a nice job of this, and I'll post my highlights very soon. One area I struggle in is knowing what all the gear is called and "what is what" on the model, but all in good fun; I look it up online or ask on Facebook, and don't stress too much about it.
But I digress, here you are, feedback welcomed.

[fred]

Good stuff - as you note the wash is key to making the figure look right!

I agree on the trouble (and fun) it can be to find out what all the various accoutrements are and what colour they should be. There were quite a lot of differences between WWI German gear and similar items in WWII, so you have to be doubly sure you have the right rear view photo.

Certainly wiht AWT you have some more lea way as part of the lore is that supply lines have broken down somewhat so you can always say some items are civilian or captured. Which gives me an idea, with the plastic kits you have options to actually swap some gear between nations.

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work on the figure.

[Snackelwolf]

thanks you two.

I'm pondering basing options.  Please tell me what you think:
 which base scheme:
1.) Left -- Cool Spring, a rather unusual static grass color
2.) Center -- Doggerland Awakening -- No static grass, just pine forest base, but more flowers
3.) Right -- Traditional Spring, a more basic green grass.
Note that with the minis on the bases, I won't have room for a lot of static grass. To add it will likely mean a few less flowers on average.  Thanks in advance for your votes or feedback.

[fred]

I think perhaps 2) - like the contrast of the flowers with the drab basic colour. But quite like 3 also.

Not a fan of 1, looks a bit like light snow, which doesn’t really work with the flowers - IMHO

[BeneathALeadMountain]

They look great Snackelwolf. I often get very stressed with my efforts painting (in the blocking stage) and it’s nearly always the application of wash and starting to do highlights when the model starts to come to life for me as it looks more as I intended.

From a basing point of view, and I’m going to be difficult  ,  I like the the second basing scheme (forest floor/mud and grime) to which I’d add small amounts of the brighter green materials from option 3.

I imagine the setting (I haven’t read the book) to look like it’s bursting back into life and would probably personally do drab bases (I often use greys for basing as they make most things pop - I’ll usually stipple some brown paint and add brown wash to make an indistinct ground colour) with some bright, splodges of botanical growth - maybe old logs where the branches are re-sprouting, maybe some dead foliage (to represent plants no longer in there chosen environment) being overtaken by the new. Tiny fish skeletons? Ferns are fast growing and you can get some really nice pre-cut paper versions.

There seems to be a great range of possibilities - and I know if this was me I’d get analysis paralysis over the best option and trying to get my imagination and ability to line up

How long has Doggerland been accessible in the setting? If it is set only weeks after the land surfaces there would still be plenty of unvegetated ground or old, dying aquatic vegetation (piles of seaweed) scattered about.

Really looking forwards to seeing your progress, I’m tempted by the game but trying to be sensible and focus on my other projects.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[Snackelwolf]

They look great Snackelwolf. I often get very stressed with my efforts painting (in the blocking stage) and it’s nearly always the application of wash and starting to do highlights when the model starts to come to life for me as it looks more as I intended.

From a basing point of view, and I’m going to be difficult  ,  I like the the second basing scheme (forest floor/mud and grime) to which I’d add small amounts of the brighter green materials from option 3.

I imagine the setting (I haven’t read the book) to look like it’s bursting back into life and would probably personally do drab bases (I often use greys for basing as they make most things pop - I’ll usually stipple some brown paint and add brown wash to make an indistinct ground colour) with some bright, splodges of botanical growth - maybe old logs where the branches are re-sprouting, maybe some dead foliage (to represent plants no longer in there chosen environment) being overtaken by the new. Tiny fish skeletons? Ferns are fast growing and you can get some really nice pre-cut paper versions.

There seems to be a great range of possibilities - and I know if this was me I’d get analysis paralysis over the best option and trying to get my imagination and ability to line up

How long has Doggerland been accessible in the setting? If it is set only weeks after the land surfaces there would still be plenty of unvegetated ground or old, dying aquatic vegetation (piles of seaweed) scattered about.

Really looking forwards to seeing your progress, I’m tempted by the game but trying to be sensible and focus on my other projects.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

Andrew you are a scholar and a gent -- thank you for your feedback.  It's rare to receive such thoughtful assessment on an opinion post. As a few of us old punks still say in California, "you're Rad."
 I went with the receded water terrain, sprouting with new growth.  I could not find anything I liked for seaweed, lichen or similar plants that appealed to me. So I see this as a bit more heavily traversed, with the return of the Doggerland established.
This will sync nicely with my terrain plans, which will feature some precise pagan features fully built -- I am getting the large Wicker Man model positively ASAP!

I've never been one for sensibility, and I hear you on the project overload.  This is a true labor of love here, as I will have to provide both forces to play. Yet, I will not complain -- most of my gaming circles are a, "we'll try anything twice" crowd, so I know it will be good fun here and there.

Enclosed are my first four test models.  Full squads should go faster now, with the slightly adjusted paint recipe logged in my google docs. Feedback welcomed.

Cheers.

[fred]

I’m liking those figures! They have a not quite WWI feel to them, which feels right for AWT.

For variety, you could add camouflage or mystic symbols to helmets. The putees can be various colours too. No need to change anything on these guys - just ideas for the next batch.

Some good thoughts on terrain from Andrew- I’ll certainly be adding them to my thinking. The lore suggests that growth is greater where blood has been spilt which gives good options for adding plants and growth to more typical WWI terrain.

[BeneathALeadMountain]

Snacklewolf I try and edit my nonsense but it tends to be an overexcited splurge/stream of consciousness in excitement of talking to fellow hobbyists  . I think your troopers look great, don’t get too stressed trying to achieve everything (you want) with the bases, as long as they match in with the bigger terrain blocks (same colours/tones/thematic objects) the bigger stuff will tell the story (the miniature bases just nail it all down) in my opinion.

The lore suggests that growth is greater where blood has been spilt which gives good options for adding plants and growth to more typical WWI terrain.

Urk I have brambles like that in my garden  . I could see judicious use of flocked, rubberised horse hair and some carefully painted and manipulated model Barbed wire (15mm) would make nice tendrils creeping from impenetrable mass of greenery. Judicious application of model blood (maybe some in puddles with a thirsty, straw like tendril) on some points and scattered bones around/in the bushes. Wish I had someone to play it against now…..

Keep up the good work (going off to think about doing this in 15mm now…..)

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

[Snackelwolf]

I’m liking those figures! They have a not quite WWI feel to them, which feels right for AWT.

For variety, you could add camouflage or mystic symbols to helmets. The putees can be various colours too. No need to change anything on these guys - just ideas for the next batch.

Some good thoughts on terrain from Andrew- I’ll certainly be adding them to my thinking. The lore suggests that growth is greater where blood has been spilt which gives good options for adding plants and growth to more typical WWI terrain.

Thanks for the reminder about arcane and mystic symbols to the helmets. I need to come up with some original designs, or look at some of what reflected in various circles of the time period.

As for the putees -- that's a good idea, I may mix it up a bit on the Germans. I've already decided my French are going to be more colorful overall.

Finished a Witch for Germany. She's a bit dirty from all the outdoor... festivities.

I used the Slap-Chop method on her, with traditional acrylics mostly only on skin and metal.

Shoot I just realized something --  the staff, making it metal over the skull and at the bottom of the wood as I did -- in the Lore that would harm her magic potential, yes? I haven't had a chance to read a lot of the storyline yet.

[fred]

Like the witch, especially the bunch of flowers!

In the lore iron disrupts magic - certainly large chunks of iron like tanks! Not sure there is any mention of witches avoiding metal weapons. The staff could always have silver trimmings?

[Ultravanillasmurf]

Nice work on the witch (if you wanted to use it for a British force it could be a Cunning Person).

[BeneathALeadMountain]

Iron is the classic nemesis of magic and the fair folk. As Ultravanillasmurf puts it a “cunning person” - for which I’d read hedge witch (without knowing the book) I could see great value in a practitioner that has strong ‘roots’ in plant life and their understanding as if the landscape is predominantly filled with new and unknown, but potentially dangerous flora. They’d be vital as a guide and all round assistant to your troops in just keeping them up and fighting.

Andrew
Balm

[Steelwraith]

They look great Snackelwolf. I often get very stressed with my efforts painting (in the blocking stage) and it’s nearly always the application of wash and starting to do highlights when the model starts to come to life for me as it looks more as I intended.

From a basing point of view, and I’m going to be difficult  ,  I like the the second basing scheme (forest floor/mud and grime) to which I’d add small amounts of the brighter green materials from option 3.

I imagine the setting (I haven’t read the book) to look like it’s bursting back into life and would probably personally do drab bases (I often use greys for basing as they make most things pop - I’ll usually stipple some brown paint and add brown wash to make an indistinct ground colour) with some bright, splodges of botanical growth - maybe old logs where the branches are re-sprouting, maybe some dead foliage (to represent plants no longer in there chosen environment) being overtaken by the new. Tiny fish skeletons? Ferns are fast growing and you can get some really nice pre-cut paper versions.

There seems to be a great range of possibilities - and I know if this was me I’d get analysis paralysis over the best option and trying to get my imagination and ability to line up

How long has Doggerland been accessible in the setting? If it is set only weeks after the land surfaces there would still be plenty of unvegetated ground or old, dying aquatic vegetation (piles of seaweed) scattered about.

Really looking forwards to seeing your progress, I’m tempted by the game but trying to be sensible and focus on my other projects.

Andrew
BeneathALeadMountain

I'm glad there's somebody else out there who gets stressed when they see the results of their block painting. My efforts look like a little kid's work until that coat of Agrax Earthshade and Nuln Oil get applied.

[Metternich]

Quite like your witch - she looks like a crone from a Grimms' fairytale (properly Black Forest).