Standard Bearer for Skeleton Sperman Unit

Quick update on my skeleton spearmen unit. Just finished painting this awesome mini from 1993. Always loved the model! Originally the mini had the banner pole only, so I had to do some cutting and adjusting the banner which I found in my stash of bits. Don't know where is it from but it fits the mini nicely. I also did some free-hand on the cloth. I'm happy with the final result.

Marik Varma

Being a gypsy from a long line of fortune tellers, Marik can easily read people's minds and manipulate them. This helped him win the favor of blood-thirsty Valdemar whom he now serves. Marik was born in the Kingdom of Ind where he was raised in the circle of nomadic, gypsy sorceress. He was very gifted and learned fast. In his early adulthood he already realized he surpassed the knowledge and skills of his masters and he wanted more! Simple magic, charms and fortune telling were simply not enough for young Marik. There was another thing that separated him from the bright nomadic society and made him a black sheep - his perverted fascination with all things dead, which he fetishized. 

It is believed that at some point in his early life his path crossed with Al-elib Iblis, a mad necromancer traveling in a chariot filled with putrid corpses. The madman was fascinated by the boy whom he caught sniffing the carcasses of small animals behind the graveyard gates. Al-elib saw in a boy a kindred spirit who shared his obsession for everything dead, rotten and putrid and who reminded him of himself as a little boy. The boy enjoyed his little bag filled with corpses of small animals just as much as he did his corpse cart loaded with rotting bodies. By all accounts he took young Marik under his wing and introduced him to arcane necro magic. Like his elders before, Al-elib was impressed by the speed at which Marik was learning, but this time the dark arts. After traveling together for many years and spreading terror all across the Old World, they finally arrived as peers in Sylvania and went separate ways. Marik was a grown man at this point but looked way older then his age. Hunched, with cold grey eyes and rotten teeth he truly was personification of death. Today he serves Valdemar Von Todtstein, a vicious vampire whom he helped win many battles by raising endless waves of animated corpses. Impressed by his loyalty and service, Valdemar presented him with an unique gift, an ancient artifact – Soul Furnice. This magical crown belonged to the legendary necromancer Melkhior. It sucks the souls of recently deceased into its core, where they are being devoured and channeled as potent arcane energy into the body of its wielder, making the caster of necro magic far more potent and dangerous. When the vast undead army lead by Kruger Wargner himself faced the army of Averland at Kleiberstorf, Marik Varma and Al-elib Iblis got reunited on the battlefield and wreak havoc on long lines of enemy archers and artillery by casting the Akar'aran spell, making the ground open to reveal a portal through which long-dead knights rode to do battle. This was the first time, but will not be the last that these two powerful necromancers, a father and son almost, meet on the battlefield.

For Marik Varma I have used Heresy Lab Necromancer miniature. As I said in earlier post, 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.

Champion & Musician for Skeleton Spearmen Unit

Last few weeks there's been a lot going on in my life and I wasn't able to find time for the hobby. However, I did manage to paint the champion and musician for my skeleton spearmen unit. For the champion I converted armored skeletons standard bearer. I simply cut off the hand which was holding the banner pole and replaced it with one holding the sword. The musician is an old model from 1993.

Vampire Counts Banshee

Finished the first Banshee for my Vampire Counts army. At first I wanted to paint it in dead/pale skin colors but since Banshees are ghastly spirits of evil women (according to the Vampire Counts army book) I decided to try to depict that with bright green colors. I imagined the core of the creature full of energy that bursts out accompanied by the terrible shriek.  Not sure if it makes sense to have material clothes and jewelry on such a creature but I didn't want to paint the whole figure in green tones. I think it looks way more interesting with contrasting colors.

Oldhammer Undead pt.4

Painted another Game Workshop skeleton form 1987. This one looks like it might be from the Blood Bawl game rather then Warhammer but I'm not sure. Anyhow, I like the model and it will be added to my oldhammer skeletons unit. :)

Oldhammer Undead pt.3

Finished another oldhammer skelie. This time it's a skeleton warrior with an axe from 1987. Love the sculpt!

Skeleton Spear Unit Update

Here is a quick update on my skeleton spear unit. I'm done with 36 out of 50. 14 more to go. The last quarter is always hardest when it comes to the big units. It becomes grueling to paint the same models over and over again. 😫 The only thing that keeps me motivated is the idea that I'll be seeing the completed unit in all it's glory very soon. 🙂

Oldhammer Undead pt.2

So I recently finished two more skelies from the '80s and wasn't completely happy with them. I figured it's the glowing green in their eye sockets. While I use this effect on my middlehammer skeletons and love the way it looks, for some reason I dislike it on the oldhammer deaders. It's seems like they loose their face expressions (or should I say skull expressions :) ) when I do the "eyes" this way. I'll post photos with and without glowing eyes and you can be the judge. :)

Oldhammer Undead

I have started a new side project...and yes, it's deaders again. :) I am starting a true oldhammer Undead army. The army will comprise of miniatures that were released in 70s and 80s and maybe some from early 90s, up to '93. Miniatures that are released in '94 and onward will be a part of my main Vampire Counts army which is mostly comprised of midhammer models.

The main reason I am separating the to armies is the style and size. Older models are way goofier and smaller. Also I wanted to do different (forest) bases on these old models.

Here is the first model of the skeleton unit. Games Workshop skeleton with sword 21, from 1985.

Chariot Of The Harvester finished!

I have finally finished my second Corpse Cart! It is a Chariot Of The Harvester model from Gamezone Miniatures. I must say I am glad this project is behind me. It gave me headaches at times. The thing that was especially annoying was paint constantly chipping away during the painting process as I was handling the model. Also, there was a lot of green stuff-ing involved because there were huge gaps after I assembled the model. All in all I am pleased with the final result and I think this will be a nice addition to my Undead Legion.

Chariot Of The Harvester WIP pt.2

Quick update on the corpse cart. I finished the two banners. I was surprised that I managed to paint them in one afternoon. Next I'm gonna be painting wheels and other the wooden parts.