*
Welcome, Guest. Please login or register.
March 28, 2024, 10:40:13 PM

Login with username, password and session length

Donate

We Appreciate Your Support

Members
Stats
  • Total Posts: 1686589
  • Total Topics: 118109
  • Online Today: 857
  • Online Ever: 2235
  • (October 29, 2023, 12:32:45 AM)
Users Online

Recent

Author Topic: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread  (Read 8504 times)

Offline Rhoderic

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1830
  • I disapprove!
The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« on: November 25, 2008, 12:48:36 PM »
OK, so I'm starting this thread more as a fun little exercise rather than something dead-serious. Just a "What warband would you collect?" kind of thing because we can't realistically pursue every project we come up with, but we can at least discuss them.

Basically, imagine you're making a warband of around 10-25 figures for a generic, D&D-style "anything goes" kind of world (using some ruleset such as SoBaH, or Mordheim with home-grown army lists). I'm sure I can't be the only one who regularly toys with ideas like this. Rough outlines will do perfectly fine and they certainly don't need to be anything fancy or unique.

I've just been playing Heroes of Might and Magic III and felt inspired by the "Tower" faction to come up with a wizardly warband. Something along the lines of a hermetic ivory-tower wizard and his servants (magical and otherwise), with a slight Harry Potter-ish tint over it all.

Elements I'd like to include:

- A wizard as the leader, obviously. And perhaps one or two apprentices as heroes. Some suitable figures would be LINK, LINK and LINK.

- Gremlin type creatures as the bulk troops. I'm imagining something goblinoid in appearance but mentally more like gnomes or Santa's elves, and wearing colourful robes. These could maybe be represented with LINK, converted somewhat to look tidier, less malicious and adorned with ornaments to evince their artisinal nature. (BTW, if anyone has any better suggestions for miniatures, I'd gladly hear them - this is an avenue I might actually want to follow sometime later)

- Clockwork metal golems using LINK or something such.

- LINK as an aetherial elemental.

- A living stone gargoyle or two such as LINK.

- Quirky familiars, from wherever I can find them.

I guess these are all based on units from HOMM3 to varying degrees. I'm uncreative that way :)
"When to keep awake against the camel's swaying or the junk's rocking, you start summoning up your memories one by one, your wolf will have become another wolf, your sister a different sister, your battle other battles, on your return from Euphemia, the city where memory is traded." - Italo Calvino

Offline Plynkes

  • The Royal Bastard
  • Elder God
  • Posts: 10212
  • I killed Mufasa!
    • http://misterplynkes.blogspot.com/
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #1 on: November 25, 2008, 01:05:46 PM »
For some reason I have a bunch of those Foundry nudie fantasy elves, and the massive angel-type creature. They were going to be used in a fantasy campagin that never got going. I suppose on their own they would make a pretty cool "Midsummer Night's Dream"-style fairy war band. Perhaps need a cool faerie queen to go with the big winged fellow, though.

I think they'd make a cool otherworldly 'nature' force to bash hell out of my LotR Uruk-hai, who are very metal and technological-looking. I like the contrast, like that between the Pagans (Trickster Worshippers) and the Hammers/Mechanists in the "Thief" video games.
With Cat-Like Tread
Upon our prey we steal...

Offline Mad Doc Morris

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1781
  • Olympus speaketh?
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #2 on: November 25, 2008, 01:21:15 PM »
Plynkes, I share your idea of an Elven warband inspired by Shakespeare's work (or the myths he himself drew it from). I've recently started this project for our Mordheim games. In terms of the rules they will stage as Amazons. However, I'm using a - quite apparently ;) - male figure as their leader, it's Hasslefree's Oberon. First models can be seen in the last two months' "What I painted in..."-threads.

Offline Gluteus Maximus

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5427
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #3 on: November 25, 2008, 01:26:11 PM »
Well, I'd have a "wizard", named Rincewind, a proper wizard [or maybe classed as a "Fighting Wizard", due to his love of crossbows etc]  ie Mustrum Ridcully, Cmdr Sam Vimes, Sgt Colon and Cpl Nobbs from the Watch. Nobby would, of course, be a thief. "Cut My Own Throat" Dibbler, as an assassin. The Librarian as a ranger. I'd have to have The Luggage, of course, as well... "combat-luggage". I'd also have to include Cohen The Barbarian and probably Corporal Angua of the Watch, as a werewolf is always useful.....

Well, you said it wasn't serious  lol

Offline Orctrader

  • Supporting Adventurer
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • *
  • Posts: 3719
    • Orctrader's Painted Figures
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #4 on: November 25, 2008, 01:30:13 PM »
I loved painting this Wizard and think the figure would make a great leader for your Warband.




From "Goodman Games."

Offline JollyBob

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4411
  • I've only had a few ales...
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #5 on: November 25, 2008, 01:37:21 PM »
Curiously, I've just been discussing something similar on the Latest Miniature Recieved thread, in that I'd like to build some alternative Witch-hunter and Undead warbands for Mordheim using Black Hat's Dragon Kings Chinese Fantasy range.

I've more or less got it all worked out in my head:

The Vampire Hunters would serve as Witch Hunters and a Warrior Priest, use Monks as Zealots, one of the Chinese Heroes as a Captain, and maybe some others as a Flagellant and other warriors.

The Undead would be the Vampire, Necromancer and Zombies packs, maybe the Ghost figures as well, although I would prefer to use them as random encounters.

Make a game board representing an abandoned temple and graveyard, rules would mainly play out the same with only a couple of tweaks to give more oriental-flavoured special skills (i.e. Kung-fu: +1 in unarmed combat, or Iron Eyebrows: Entangle opponents within 4", that kind of thing.)

I reckon it could be fun.  :)
« Last Edit: November 25, 2008, 01:47:33 PM by JollyBob »

Offline Plynkes

  • The Royal Bastard
  • Elder God
  • Posts: 10212
  • I killed Mufasa!
    • http://misterplynkes.blogspot.com/
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #6 on: November 25, 2008, 01:37:43 PM »
Mad Doc Morris, I just checked out your Oberon. He's a beauty, ain't he? Fits the theme better than the Foundry Angel. Still, that Angel-thingy remains a nice figure which one day I may even paint.


Thinking about it, I think that Angel would make a good baddy. I like the idea of a Lucifer-style figure that doesn't look like your average red-coloured horned devil. He'd be a great alternative "Dark Lord" figure for a fantasy army. Bad guys don't always have to look evil. So that's another potential war band there. Maybe he could lead the Uruk-hai? Or have his own little gang of devils.

Offline Heldrak

  • The Dark Elf
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2277
  • LPL IV Bronze Medalist
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #7 on: November 25, 2008, 02:12:47 PM »
- Clockwork metal golems using LINK or something such.

I have occasionally toyed with the idea of an Undead warband lead by a Victor Frankenstein-style Mad Scientist, and using either heavily converted plastic GW 40K Necrons as clockwork troops or Frankenstein's Monster-style flesh Golems (don't know what I'd use for them)...


- Gremlin type creatures as the bulk troops. I'm imagining something goblinoid in appearance but mentally more like gnomes or Santa's elves, and wearing colourful robes. These could maybe be represented with LINK, converted somewhat to look tidier, less malicious and adorned with ornaments to evince their artisinal nature. (BTW, if anyone has any better suggestions for miniatures, I'd gladly hear them - this is an avenue I might actually want to follow sometime later)

Not to continually recommend "Evil Empire" figures, but plastic GW Gnoblars might fit the bill very well- They're made to be rather more "cute" than menacing...
2012 Lead Tally: Painted:0

Offline JollyBob

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 4411
  • I've only had a few ales...
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #8 on: November 25, 2008, 02:17:47 PM »
Lots of good minis in the WestWind Vampire Wars range for flesh golems, Heldrak, pretty nice too. I got the Failed Experiments pack for my Weird War stuff.


http://www.westwindproductions.co.uk/catalog/index.php?cPath=2_19&sort=2a&page=1

Offline Heldrak

  • The Dark Elf
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2277
  • LPL IV Bronze Medalist
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #9 on: November 25, 2008, 02:28:13 PM »
You've opened a real can of worms here, Rhod' ;)

Inspired by Jolly Bob's excellent converted BPRD figures, I've also been toying with the idea of a converted Science-Fictiony warband based on characters from Futurama. You could easily make up a "Fantastic Worlds" warband with just Fry (Traveller), Leela (Hotshot Pilot), and Bender (Robot) or with Zap Brannigan (Star Commander) & Kif Croaker(Science Officer).

Any recommendations for figures to use as a basis for conversion? I have to imagine that Hasselfree has some good stuff for a start...

I'm also a bit of a fan of the sleeper-hit anime-themed strategy video game Disgaea: Hour of Darkness for the PS2, and I've thought about trying to convert up a warband based on the characters from that:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disgaea:_Hour_of_Darkness



Offline PeteMurray

  • Parapsychologist
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2330
  • Cardinal Murray
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #10 on: November 25, 2008, 02:30:15 PM »
Well, I'd have a "wizard", named Rincewind, a proper wizard [or maybe classed as a "Fighting Wizard", due to his love of crossbows etc]  ie Mustrum Ridcully, Cmdr Sam Vimes, Sgt Colon and Cpl Nobbs from the Watch. Nobby would, of course, be a thief. "Cut My Own Throat" Dibbler, as an assassin. The Librarian as a ranger. I'd have to have The Luggage, of course, as well... "combat-luggage". I'd also have to include Cohen The Barbarian and probably Corporal Angua of the Watch, as a werewolf is always useful.....

Funny you should mention that! I painted up some fairly standard fantasy fighters as the Treacle Street Watchhouse Specials for Stacy and Michael Weaver, as payment for services rendered long ago. I suppose I ought to actually send them out now, eh?

My new fantasy warband is Karl Lowtharhund's Most Puissant Retinue of Ogres, LLC which you can't see because I'm saving them for the next LPL competition when they will sweep all before them.

Offline Heldrak

  • The Dark Elf
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2277
  • LPL IV Bronze Medalist
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #11 on: November 25, 2008, 02:52:13 PM »
- Quirky familiars, from wherever I can find them.

GW has recently re-released some of their classic Chaos Familiars as an over-priced "Collector's Pack",
Ral Partha Europe also have some Familiars, Rackham had some excellent Familiar figures (in their glory days), and I have to believe that Reaper has some (since they have practically everything D&D related...).

Offline Rhoderic

  • Mastermind
  • Posts: 1830
  • I disapprove!
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #12 on: November 25, 2008, 03:04:07 PM »
I loved painting this Wizard and think the figure would make a great leader for your Warband.




From "Goodman Games."

That's an awesome paintjob! That said, I'd feel inclined to not use brimmed Gandalf-style hats for my wizards. I think that (brimless) conical hats would suit the theme better.

- Gremlin type creatures as the bulk troops. I'm imagining something goblinoid in appearance but mentally more like gnomes or Santa's elves, and wearing colourful robes. These could maybe be represented with LINK, converted somewhat to look tidier, less malicious and adorned with ornaments to evince their artisinal nature. (BTW, if anyone has any better suggestions for miniatures, I'd gladly hear them - this is an avenue I might actually want to follow sometime later)

Not to continually recommend "Evil Empire" figures, but plastic GW Gnoblars might fit the bill very well- They're made to be rather more "cute" than menacing...

I'm sorry to say Gnoblars don't really fit, on account of being too ragged-looking to jive with the "hallowed halls" kind of theme I have in mind. Just to give you an idea of where I'm drawing my inspiration from, there are some pictures of the HOMM3 Gremlins at LINK (they're red-and-green-robed in the first few pictures, then blue-robed after that). I really like the idea of robes and pointy gnome-like caps for my Gremlins.

And anyway, I've long been considering the Gnoblars for another project: Nordic faitytale trolls. They just need hair (LOTS of hair) sculpted on their heads, and they should fit John Bauer's image of trolls quite nicely. Sure, they'll be small, but trolls aren't always big dumb brutes in the Scandinavian fairytales. Complemented with some bigger Ral Partha trolls (which I already have, because I couldn't resist buying them after seeing the ones that the Prof painted a few years back), they would also make for an interesting warband.

Offline Poliorketes

  • King of the Congo
  • Scatterbrained Genius
  • Posts: 2031
  • Never look back
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #13 on: November 25, 2008, 03:22:56 PM »
I'm planning to do several fantasy adventurers parties for LPL3, but not on a warband scale. Should I go for a warband, the obvious choice for me will be dwarfs. It's always dwarfs, after all.
If you come for the king, you better not miss (Omar)

Offline Gluteus Maximus

  • Galactic Brain
  • Posts: 5427
Re: The "Design any fantasy warband" thread
« Reply #14 on: November 26, 2008, 12:32:19 AM »
Curiously, I've just been discussing something similar on the Latest Miniature Recieved thread, in that I'd like to build some alternative Witch-hunter and Undead warbands for Mordheim using Black Hat's Dragon Kings Chinese Fantasy range.

I've more or less got it all worked out in my head:

The Vampire Hunters would serve as Witch Hunters and a Warrior Priest, use Monks as Zealots, one of the Chinese Heroes as a Captain, and maybe some others as a Flagellant and other warriors.

The Undead would be the Vampire, Necromancer and Zombies packs, maybe the Ghost figures as well, although I would prefer to use them as random encounters.

Make a game board representing an abandoned temple and graveyard, rules would mainly play out the same with only a couple of tweaks to give more oriental-flavoured special skills (i.e. Kung-fu: +1 in unarmed combat, or Iron Eyebrows: Entangle opponents within 4", that kind of thing.)

I reckon it could be fun.  :)

Off you go, then!

Always good to see Chinese figures, especially those from that lovely Dragon Kings range  :D

 

Related Topics

  Subject / Started by Replies Last post
3 Replies
2273 Views
Last post December 01, 2010, 03:15:15 PM
by richarDISNEY
11 Replies
3317 Views
Last post February 14, 2011, 09:30:31 PM
by YPU
2 Replies
2182 Views
Last post August 24, 2012, 04:57:57 AM
by tnjrp
30 Replies
8061 Views
Last post August 01, 2013, 10:53:03 PM
by Sangennaru
29 Replies
11416 Views
Last post September 14, 2014, 08:59:11 PM
by Devoted of Slaanesh