Need suggestions for Blood Servants

[Argonor]

I have finished reading Chaos In Carpathia, and have already dug out some old GW and Metal Magic vampires.

I need some suggestions for Blood Servants for a Romanian Vampire, though... I'm not sure how 'gangrel' they should look, as it is stated that they do the daytime work for their masters (and the description makes them sound just like 'Ghouls' in VtM/WoD).

I guess they could be gypsies or plain peasants, or the likes - but I do wish to arm them with pistols and/or rifles to give the Warband a little ranged firepower.

Woddoyouthink?

Btw, I'm going to get the vampire in bat-form from Heresy for use when the head vamp is transforming himself 

[Rhoderic]

Can you describe what they're meant to look like a bit closer? I'm not really familiar the WoD setting (though I used to know a lot of VtM LARPers. Crazy buggers... I never did learn how to make them stop reciting turgid poetry at me).

Are we talking horrible, ugly servants that grovel at their vampire lords' feet? Or are they some kind of handsome, eye-pleasing "court" that the vampires like to surround themselves with? I did an image search for "gangrel" and it seems to suggest the latter, though with a certain muscle-bound "aryan master race" twist (just going by the pics I'm finding).

Edit: Actually, scratch that last bit. Looks like "Gangrel" is also the name of a wrestler and many of the pics that came up were of him. Doh!

Edit again: On yet closer inspection it appears that this Gangrel fellow is named after the WoD vampires of that name, so maybe don't scratch it after all?

[Argonor]

They are (in CIC) described as humans who are fed blood by the vampire - which gives them some supernatural powers. They are, however, able to walk among humans at day, so they should not be too.... 'monstery'.

I'm just now looking through Westwinds Vampire Wars range, I may find something there....

[Luckyjoe]

I was thinking about using "dregs" from Mordheim. They are a little monstery though.

Luckyjoe

[Argonor]

These would have been fun, if they just had firearms 

[Argonor]

I may go for some Cossack Henchmen (Westwind) instead, until I figure out what kind of models to use for Blood Servants.... 

[Malamute]

As you have said Westwind would be my first point of contact and go fromthere. Let us know what you come up with.

[dodge]

I think westwind would be my first choice to look for that sort of thing 

dodge

[dusser]

You might be able to find some suitable pirate figures, ones in a broad hat or bandanna would look suitable gypsy-like.  Whatever you choose I could see them painted in such a way as to accent their unholiness, extra pale/slightly purplish skin, dark mono-chromatic cloths etc.

[Argonor]

Hmm, yeah, pirates may be the way forward....

[vikotnik]

There are a few in Blue Moon's 'Romanian Civilians' box that seem to be almost perfect, I think:



The others could be 'warped' a bit by a headswap or something similar and almost all of them could be given firearms. There even are women amongst them! How terrifying is that? 

[Argonor]

I shall most certainly acquire some of the Blue Moon sets later on - right now I'm trying to find single- or small set-models to fill the ranks of a Werewolf Pack and a Romanian Vampire Coven...

I already have the Master vampire and his two mistresses (an old GW Warhammer vampire count and 2 Metal Magic female vampires), and I have ordered some cossacks from Westwind for a couple of Henchmen groups.....

I really feel the 'rage' of Victorian/Gothic Horror surge through my veins right now..... and I shall base my collection of models for Victorian Pulp/SF/Weird Adventure around these meager beginnings 

I got the wolves for some wolf henchmen groups yesterday, and I got the large Alpha Werewolf from Heresy (among other goodies) a couple of days ago - and the lesser lycanthopes should be underways from Westwind with the Cossacks 

Got 14 Ral Partha wolves (the kind on the left, 7 different poses) - and the stunning beauty is one of the female vampires mentioned, painted more than 10 years ago:



EDIT:
Also the wolf in front was painted back then - both the vamp and the wolf have been removed from their square bases for rebasing on washers 

[vikotnik]

 

WOW!
What a bird!
 

[fourcolorfigs]

Thanks for buying into Carpathia!

Just as an aside, the more games of CICarp that I have run, the more I realize that the human warbands are at a bit of disadvantage in campaign games. To rectify this, I have been using the following adjustments in my games:

--Monster and Treasure Hunter warbands get an additional pool of 5 fate dice at the start of each game in which they face a monstrous warband opponent (i.e., Vampires or Werewolves). These additional 5 fate dice may be used for any model on any roll. Once they are used, they are gone for the game.

--Post-Battle Resources: Human warbands earn the normal 2 GBP for each goal scored, but monstrous warbands only earn 1 GBP for each goal scored. This will keep the monsters from growing to quickly, and better matches the idea that a monstrous warband should have a tougher time earning cash in the post-battle because, well, they're monsters!

Anyway, give these fixes a whirl and let us know what you think!

Scott

[Argonor]

Thanks, we shall, as soon as I get some warbands up and running (I'm kind of primus motor among my wargaming buddies, trying to pull them away from the Evil Empire ).

I do not have much time for the hobby at the moment, as I currently work in Copenhagen (2½-3 hs each direction to and fro).

It's top priority, though, but I'm starting out with Werewolves and Vampires - then I'm planning on Treasure Hunters.