Countess Abigail's Black Coach

When Mortreich was roaming the lands of the old world in search of a magical blade “Nightfang", he never expected to find a partner in his un-life. In one of the temples of Lahmia he encountered Abigail and was instantly stricken by her beauty and charm. Abigail was a Lahmian Vampire and she felt immediate infatuation towards him. Thus Mortreich returned to Sylvania not only with an ancient relic of great power but also an eternal companion. Soon after his return, they became a famous couple, inseparable. Abigail was Mortreich’s most valued confidante, and the only vampire whose advice he trusted. For decades they fought side by side until the fateful day when in the battle at the gates of Wolfenburg, Grandmaster Boris Von Raukow of Ostland decapitated Abigail. Seeing this happen, Mortreich’s eyes became bloodshot and sudden deafness engulfed him. After few moments of disbelief he went into a frenzy, piercing Von Raukow’s full plate with his fist and ripping his heart out. After letting out a terrifying shriek, he ate the Grandmaster’s heart and stomped his head to a pulp. On that day Mortreich swore to kill every member of the Raukow family. Abigail’s loyal Dregs collected the remains of their bellowed mistress and retrieved them to Sylvania. Mortreich ordered the best carpenters in the province to build a magnificent Black Coach which will hold her remains inside the ornamented casket. The Black Coach will serve to transport the remains of Abigail into places of slaughter, for a Vampire can never truly die and can still be resurrected should all his remains be placed in a casket and sent to places saturated with Death Magic. In order to transport Abigail's rejuvenating form to places of slaughter, Black Coach is always present when Mortreich’s Legion marches to war. Driven forward by a pair of Nightmares and a scythe-wielding Wraith, the Black Coach soaks up the dark energies slowly revivifying Countess Abigail.

For me this is one of iconic Warhammer miniatures. The classic Black Coach is just perfect. I decided that my coach will be predominantly made of wood, so I carved the wood grain in the plain surfaces. At one point I was thinking about replacing the skeletal steeds with black horses covered in black cloth, but in the end I decided to keep the original Nightmares. I ditched the impaled skeleton which originally goes behind the wraith. It seamed somehow out of place to me. Overall I am very happy with the result. 

Project Log: Altburg - Townhouse II, Part 6 - Showcase

Time to showcase the painted version of the Timbered House II! I decided to go with the same color scheme as I did on the first one. I think this way they look really nice together. You can see them side by side on the above photo. I had a Kickstarter campaign with Tabletop World for this model and it was quite successful.

Here are the photos of the house from all sides:

The interior is also fully modeled and playable. Each floor can be removed to access the rooms:

I'll be posting a painting tutorial on how I paint dark timber and terracotta plaster very soon. 

Cheers!

Knights of the Putrid Wind

Housed within the stronghold of Vampire Kain, the Knights of the Putrid Wind represent one of the deadliest Vampire Blood Knight orders of the Old World. Known for their unnatural speed and vampiric strength, they cause terror in enemy ranks of any race. Apart from being the fastest armored cavalry unit within the New Night Order, they are also infamous for spreading unbearable stench on the battlefield. The vampires are mounted on decaying zombie steeds who are animated by the dark necro-magic, also responsible for the putrid stench that leaves the enemies nauseated and incapable of fighting back in full effort. The pale riders are clad in full plate armor and draped in black capes that do their deadly dance in the wind when charge commences. 

The leader of the unit, Neghan - the Pale Duke is not your average vampire. Extremely brutal and merciless, he has a habit of decapitating his victims and impaling their heads onto his helm for decoration. When Knights of the Putrid Wind partake in battle, the soil of the battlefield remains dead and infertile for decades, deepening the misery of common man.

The miniatures I've used for this unit are Mournful Knights by Gamezone Miniatures. I always loved the models for they menacing and vicious look but above all, for their poses, they are packed with action. That being said, there is a downside to these old models. The miniatures are metal and there are some gaps that needed to be filled with modeling putty. Also it is sometimes hard to differentiate what is what on the model. Finally, if you are playing WHFB like me, you will struggle to fit all the bases together, side by side. It takes careful planing and positioning of the models to do so. All in all I really like the final result and can't wait to put them on the battlefield! 

To see all the posts concerning Knights of The Putrid Wind follow the blood knights label. 

King's Mausoleum

I've been very busy lately and didn't find time to post anything new. To fill the gap I am posting one of the older works - the Kings Mausoleum which was the final stretch goal in Tabletop World's Graveyard kickstarter. You might recognize the base of the model because I've used it for the tutorial on how I paint stone. :)

And here are some shots of the interior and the sarcophagus. I am very pleased how the sarcophagus turned out. I think it looks very realistic:

Soon I'll be posting photos of the painted Townhouse II!
Cheers guys! ;)

Project Log: Altburg - Townhouse II, Part 5

After filling the gaps and making final touches with green stuff, the only thing left to do prior making the molds is a new balcony. I kept the form but made a new design which fits better with the rest of the house, in my opinion.

And finally, here is the prototype cast in resin:

Next is the fun part! Painting the model. :)

Black Coach WIP pt.2 + New Necromancer

A little update on my Vampire Counts. I continued to work on my Black Coach. I have painted the Wraith, two torches and the coffin. The flames on the torches I painted in vibrant green color. I use the same green color on the eyes of the skeletons and everything magic related. This way I get a nice contrast with the red/black color scheme of my army. Next I need to paint two Nightmares and make a base for the model.

I also painted another Necro for my Undead force. This time it's a Heresy Lab miniature. Usually I am not a big fan of those crazy, over the top flaming crowns, which you can also find on some of the Age Of Sigmar miniatures, like Flagellants or Hexwraiths, but it kind of fits this mini. I wanted to make a blood dripping effect from the skull so I experimented with a small piece of plastic nylon which I glued to the necro's hand and reinforced with super attack so that it doesn't bend. Then I painted it with Blood For The Blood God color. I think that the effect turned out ok. Now he needs a name and a background story. :)

Project Log: Altburg - Townhouse II, Part 4

I have finally finished adding the plaster and exposed stone to the plain surfaces inside the timber frame. Next step is to fill all the small gaps between plaster and timber with modeling putty. I will be changing the balcony. This one seams a bit to fancy. I think I'll make a more massive, wooden variant that will fit the house much better.

Black Coach WIP pt.1

Recently I acquired one of iconic Vampire Counts models (at least for me), the classic Black Coach. After stripping the paint from the old model I started to work on the main body. I decided that my coach will be predominantly made of wood, so I carved the wood grain in the plain surfaces. I am very happy with the look so far. I'm thinking about replacing the two torches that come on the roof with two lanterns, but I haven't decided yet. Also I think I might replace the skeletal steeds with black horses in black cloth. I think the coach will look darker and more sinister that way. We'll see. :)

Project Log: Altburg - Townhouse II, Part 3

Moving on with the house. I have finished the roof, all timber work and the chimney. The build is basically done. Next I will be adding plaster to the walls. After that I will be doing interiors and adding final details. :) Only thing I am not completely satisfied with is the balcony. I might change its design.