Warhammer Underworlds VERSUS Time

“Warhammer Underworlds: Shadespire features arguably the best range of miniatures that Games Workshop/Citadel has *ever* produced in its decades long history!” 

... proclaimed a slimmer, more vigorous and optimistic version of the author, upon the release of the hybrid board/card game in 2017...

“I will master this system and extract life affirmation from the process!”.

Time passes.  

Mordheim Five-a-Side Challenge

One of the less consequential knock-on effects of a pandemic, is that I have been playing “Mordheim: City of the Damned” on PS4 with a few friends.  The fun that we had with that led me to dig up some unloved Mordheim figures, add a few more and get stuck in to a long overdue project.

Rather than keep this enthusiasm to myself, I twisted some notoriously rubber arms and decided to make a voluntary group project out of it, criteria as follows:

COMPLETE A MINIMUM OF FIVE FIGURES, APPROPRIATE FOR USE IN MORDHEIM GAMES AS PART OF THE SAME WARBAND.

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Wizard

Last to the party, but still with monsters following behind him, comes The Wizard!

Fistion the Fabulous (The name given to him by his parents was Reginald, but seriously who's going to be in awe of 'The Mighty Reginald'!?!) jogged through the dimly lit corridors. A drip of something cold fell from the ceiling and ran down inside his tunic.

Buffdar the Buffoon (something that Reggie promised himself to say out loud one day) had gone into the next room and Fistion could hear the clash of steal. It was probably more orcs; Buffdumn always roared that way when fighting the greeskins.

Fristion heard a grunt from his cerebrally challenged companion and immediately reached into his pockets for his spell cards.  Looks like the big fellow was going to get the healing spell again. Fristion really hoped that the diminutive grumpy one managed to release Mydicyn... er..... Medicanyc...  er..... The Elf from the lat trap. He hated having to use his staff on orcs - it wasn't fair! They had more dice than him!!

I volunteered to paint the wizard almost straight away. I have long planned to paint my heroquest set and what better way to start than as part of a Creep project. I started him only shortly after Cheetor started his dwarf and almost immediately stalled. This has been the most difficult model that I have ever painted! He has no details other than the ripples on his cloak. I have been told to avoid free-handing a 28mm face and I now know why - it destroys your soul!

However, after getting an awesome Secret WIPster present of Mongrol, I set myself the restriction of not being allowed to paint anything else, until the wizard was done.

So, here he is (he's not perfect, but I'm reasonably pleased with how he came out):

I really hope we get the chance to put all these HQ models together for a game one day.

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The first Orc

Hi everyone! Suber here reporting for duty! I'm coming on board of this sweet, crazy HeroQuest Hero Quest project. So let me take my hat off to all of you and get down to work.

When I was approached for this, I thought 'fuck, I've already painted all my HeroQuest minis!'. No sweat. I'm ready to strip and repaint whatever you throw at my face. Ha!

Yes, I know. The most obvious answer would have been buying more stuff. Under general circumstances I would have done so. But I was so excited I couldn't wait!

I'm in charge of an Orc. The reliable backbone of any self respected Evil Army. The quintessence of dungeoneering. The... well, you get the idea. I chose this mini as starting point:

Huh? What's wrong with me?

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Chaos Sorcerer

Best thing about Heroquest is the CHAOS SORCERER. 

First of all, he's a cracking figure to begin with, the details are sublime and just sharp enough to be visible without being too obvious to let the painter some freedom of judgement about what is what.

Best thing about the sorcerer is clearly his evocative Y shaped pose making anyone think about whether he's doing aerobics, preparing a genkidama, giving a hand for airport traffic or simply showing his dad how big a fish he's caught.

Best thing about this guy is that he has big muscles for a sorcerer, that's just how badass he is really. Instead of spending all his time in the library reading, whining about how heavy the books are, this one is doing one-armed pushups and squats while reading unholy tomes.

The HeroQuest Quest : The First Goblin

'Allo Creepers -  Littleleadperson here!

In the latest instalment of the HeroQuest Hero Quest we have the most fearsome creature of all! Behold and despair for he will tear down your towns and eat your daughters - it is the horrific, the earth-shaking.....

Goblin

Let's be honest this little grunt would be lucky if he got to scrape the Barbarian before having his green arse flattened like a pancake.

To paint this little punk I followed some techniques I unearthed from the White Dwarf number 97. 

I've been poring over the 'Eavy Metal and Blanchitsu articles from those early days and the work of Richard Wright struck me with his very clean but subtle work. 

Following his methods as described by John Blanche in this edition of Blanchitsu I undercoated him white and mixed Goblin Green with Citadel Yellow Ink to give him his skin colour.

Then with a very thin brush tip I built up the colour and highlights by mixing in white layer by layer. I added blue ink to the mix to shade down in the crevices. Adding some black Nuln Oil to the mix i then shaded between the goblin flesh and other surfaces.

For his belt, boots and tunic I did much of the same with paint mixed with inks to create the light and shade. For the sword I also followed Wright's M.O. and this time covered it in a diluted layer of blue ink and adding more and more grey to the mix I applied a progressively lighter drybrushes.

I really enjoyed this technique - it brings out the detail early on and so the character of the figure is easily and quickly apparent.

Now on to the entry of everyone's favourite Frenchman JB !

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Third Fimir

Unlike the lovely chaps who are running and participating in this HeroQuest painting challenge, I have never actually played HeroQuest. Or any of the quest-y type games. I'll just let that sink in for a moment while you pick yourselves up from the floor...

Nor have I ever painted any of the plastic figures that came with the quest-y games, having previously viewed them with an abhorrence that is usually reserved for the dubious brown mush you find under your shoes after a stroll through a park popular with dog walkers.

But I was wrong. Well, at least in this case. I chose to paint one of the Fimir because I had picked up a bunch of them in bare plastic a little while ago because I saw them for sale on the cheap. The first figure I pulled out of the group had appalling mould slippage on the plastic, and I nearly decided to call it a day at that point. But on the off-chance I thought I'd check out another figure in the group, and it was fine. I had no idea that mould slippage variation like this was a feature of the plastic figures. Live and learn....

So, after small amount of mould line cleaning and a bit of green stuff filling of a hole in the small of the Fimir's back (some sort of plastic injection side effect?) it was time to think of a colour scheme. Well, actually, I'd already had one in mind. I was going to go full 1980s on this one:

I went with Foundry's Bright Green triad mixed with a little of their yellow for the main body colour, with a bit of a yellow glaze at the end. I was pleasantly surprised how much I liked this sculpt, and it was a complete joy to paint.

I decided to keep the base very simple because I didn't want it to detract from the rather fetching layout I've put him on. I don't think it's a piece of HeroQuest board, but I found it in my stash of scenery boards and I rather liked it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Next in line : Ashley

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Second Skeleton

Don't you love it when stuff coincides? Back in the summer I painted a load (over 200, not that I'm bragging or anything...) of miniatures, mostly for the big Morcar-themed battle at BOYL. That meant loads of HeroQuest minis. So last month, when a certain Asslessman asked me to contribute a figure for the HeroQuest Hero Quest I had already painted all my orcs, goblins and fimir... that meant I was turning to the forces of undeath... but wait! Aren't I just about to start a skeleton army? Why yes I am. Sounds like a good opportunity to decide how I'm going to paint all these bones.

I do owe quite a lot to the HeroQuest skellibob with his big scythe (and big bones!). HQ got me into Citadel Miniatures in the first place and I was always more keen on the forces of undeath than on the greenskins. My first army (at least 50% of which was HQ miniatures from the main box and Witch Lord expansion) was undead (4th ed, although we used the 3rd ed book, 4th ed "get started guide" and I actually had the 4th ed undead armies book- a Christmas present from my parents). Sadly that army was given away along with most of my miniatures collection when I went through a brief spell of adulthood. With the Fimir done (for now) I have decided it is time to set myself a new army and want to recreate my first undead horde- recreate it as I would have liked it to have been back then that is!

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Second Fimir

Today, the Creeps are happy to let our friend Phreedh present his own addition :

When the handsome fellows on the Scale Creep blog invited me to join their HeroQuest Hero Quest, I could hardly turn them down. After all, I had already embarked on this journey myself and could use an incitement to revisit the project. A week later, I can offer up a rough looking bog cyclops for your viewing pleasure!

I chose to submit a fimir, because it was… already a work in progress. For me, the hobby is all about cutting corners and reaching results with the least level of effort. 

I’m a firm believer in “80/20″. Applied to the modelling hobby, one can say a model reaches 80% of the potential result when you’ve spent 20% of the total effort on it. 

For me, that’s a pretty good spot to stop in. Could I do another level of highlights? A few more glazes? Maybe a free hand pattern? Sure. Would it matter, in the long run? Nope. 

Instead I can spend the same time finishing another few models to an acceptable level… or browse interwebz forums. At least, it’s better than my old paint jobs from the early 90s.

There’s not much to say about the finished fimir. Gretchin Green base coat, washed with Devlan Mud and highlighted with Gretchin Green mixed with Vallejo Pale Flesh and Bronzed Flesh, and another wash of Gryphonne Sepia. The basing used is the same as on all my fantasy models. A 25 mm metal washer, with painted sand and static grass. Simple things!

It’s a bit more traditional in colour scheme than what the godfathers of Fimir (Mr Saturday and Fimm) have used, but I’m pretty happy with how it turned out. I spent some unnecessary effort on the eye. A yellow eye ball with a black pupil would’ve sufficed. Instead I did a white eye ball, black dot, yellow iris and then a black pupil. Doesn’t even show in the photo. Nuts!

Coming up next, Curis – master of elbow painting and sphincter trumpeting! Knock it out the box, Curis!

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Elf

Cheetor said: "No-one will want to do the elf, it's a pile of plastic crap*."

I said: "I'll do it, I quite like it actually..."

*paraphrased

So I volunteered to paint up the Elf, happily one of the few HQ figures I happened to have lying around in a box. Something about Elves has always pressed my buttons anyway - I don't like buffoonish Orcs or gruff, humourless Dwarves. I do like long-haired folk wearing tight trousers dancing around with rapier-sharp blades though...

Anyway, here is the classic red plastic of the HQ Elf post stripping of the previous paint job. Note the added dagger in his right hand. This was an addition by a previous owner and I decided to keep it, because it may very well have been a contemporary addition (so kind of doesn't break the "no messing" rule too much). Plus it looks cool.

The Elf. Unmodified (nearly).

 

Haemo-Erotic Tag 7: Grigor "Veinrip" Flangegrinder

Grigor Flangegrinder see's a world of blood. Preferring to bludgeon his victims into submission with his bronze skull flail he opens up his victims arteries and revels in the spray of arterial blood.

See - World of blood, told ya.

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Fimir

Milton Bradley: "So guys, everyone knows about orcs, goblins and mummies and stuff, but what about these
 'fimirs' we're putting in the game? Tell me all about them!"

Games Workshop: "Uhhhhhhhhhhh...." 

Woooooooooooooooo! Look at me playing with the big boys! Hello to everyone, this is Rochie from Buried Under Lead, and thanks to the lads for taking the fence down and letting me in for a bit!

Haemo-Erotic Tag 6: Scabastian “Scabby” Ballswinger

Kill! KILL! KILLLLLLL!

One of the Citadel Chaos Thugs from the 1980s, this goofy looking guy was my first choice for Gorechosen duty.  I have a few other also-rans, but this character, with limited vision, restricted breathing, single trouser leg and spiked ball on a rope showed the perfect disregard for more or less any sensible behaviour.

The HeroQuest Hero Quest: The Dwarf

Few names resonate harmoniously through geeks of a certain age like HeroQuest does.

Even geeks that did not embrace the hobby for life - known as “dropouts” or "fly-by-nights" at Scale Creep Mountain - have fondness for the game, due to it being one of the few GW properties that truly became mainstream.

The enthusiasm that this game generated in kids also means that there are likely more naively painted HeroQuest models in existence than likely any other miniatures.  They usually look balls.

So we have decided to redress this balance a little.

THE CHALLENGE:

• Paint one of the models from Heroquest.  
• Dont muck around with it too much, a reinterpretation isnt what is desired, just a new paint job on an old model.  
• Rebasing is allowed. 

HQHQ #1: The Dwarf

White Dwarf magazine was relaunched this weekend.  I enjoyed the first issue a lot.  

One of the features in the magazine was about using Grombrindal - the legendary character in the Old World/Mortal Realms - in games of Silver Tower.  I like Silver Tower.  I decided that I wanted a Grombrindal to use in that game, so I painted it this weekend.

WD #90 from the late 1980s features a pretty definitive "White Dwarf" on the cover.  The John Sibbick illustration was reused for the character card in HeroQuest and the design was used for the HeroQuest dwarf miniature, so I decided to paint a version of that.

As might be expected from a plastic model design from almost thirty years ago, the sculpt is a bit iffy in places. All the same, it was undeniably fun to paint something n the to-do list since 1989, even if a few bits are pretty fudged.

I kept the colours largely based on the White Dwarf magazine cover image above, but with a few tweaks here and there to add a little more variety as the colour reproduction in the cover image is a bit dodgy I expect, everything is brownish-grey.  I kept the palette close to the classic Tolkien dwarf definition as i remember it though, earthy.

I think that the final result worked out pretty well.

Either Just John or TheOttoVonBismark will post up the next HeroQuest fig.  Or maybe Captain Crooks.  There is some jostling currently.

Haemo-Erotic Tag 5: Chodus Virilius Clungerender

Challenged by Mr Saturday Night, I have painted my Old Skool GoreChosen of Khorne.

Meet Chodius Virilius Clungerender:

Chodus Virilius Clungerender stands ready awaiting all opponents.

Haemo-Erotic Tag 3: Hyu-Jigo the Pin Rat

After Asslessman's Willy and Crooksie's Guntsplitter, I figured it was time to share my Hyu-Jigo with you all.

Just to remind you of the premise for this tag along, pick a muscle-bound, barely clad, large weapon-wielding loon a inspired by the subtleties of GW's new Gorechosen game.

My lead pile was somewhat sparse of suitable figures, so I delved into my bits box and created the sort of muscle-bound meat head who's clearly been forgetting leg day!

Hyu-Jigo the Pin Rat is renowned in the fighting pits for his over-large blade and over large arms. After a neat decapitation, the slick blood-drenched fighter loves nothing more than flexing triceps, kissing his biceps and showing off his heavily sculpted back. But in the locker room there are sniggers and cruel taunts. For all the superb musculature on his top half, Hyu-Jigo tends to skip leg days. And it shows!



Haemo-Erotic Tag 2 : Willy Gutshagger the ever running

WILLY GUTSHAGGER

THE INFAMOUS THUG OF KHORNE

SPREADING MADNESS AND BOWELS WHEREVER HE ROAMS.

Following the excellent Captain Crooks and Halfdan Guntsplitter, here's my own take on the GORECHOSEN tag.

For this challenge, I just went through my box of chaotic lead and picked the one that inspired me the most !

Haemo-Erotic Tag 1: Halfdan Guntsplitter, Aspiring Gorechampion of the Blood-god

The skies roiled with inky black clouds, shook with thunderous crashes of thunder and was rent with forks of hideous red lightning. A new champion of the Blood-God was in ascendance, heralded by rains of gore and the screams of the dying. It was time for the bloodening to begin. It was time for...

HALFDAN GUNTSPLITTER, ASPIRING GORECHAMPION OF THE BLOOD-GOD!

"ARRRRGH YOU GUYS THIS REALLY HUUUURTS!!"

Haemo-Eroticism

Games Workshop is due to release a gladiatorial combat game in September.  I enjoy GW boardgames more than battle games: they represent the distilled best of the hobby to me when done well.

Gladiator games have particular appeal too, due to featuring a low miniature count and the option to play simple and fun multiplayer games about dramatically killing people.  A game like this is a must-have for me.

Name: Giuseppe.  

Likes: blood, flaming blood.  

Dislikes: big moths. 

“Gorechosen” is based on what I regard to be the most single mindedly dull faction in the rich and occasionally nuanced Warhammer settings: followers of Khorne.

Name: Vincent.  

Likes: blood, nosebleeds.  

Dislikes: lack of blood, team sports.

I doubt that “Bloodbound” brush their teeth, but if they do then they brush them with a sharpened, bloody femur, doused in O-positive while showering in blood in their Bloodhouse, Platelet Crescent, Scab Drive, Slaughter-Upon-Blood.

Name: Howard.  

Likes: blood, arterial spray.  

Dislikes: choosing something to watch on Netflix.

Weirdly although this dull single mindedness makes Khorne projects generally too one-note to interest me, they are funny to talk about.
The Creeps had an amusing discussion about the Bloodbound game and these sorts of characters the other day.  As a result we decided to get the drop on the new game when it comes out, by each of us painting a frothing, monomaniacal psychopath in advance.

Name: Eugene. 

Likes: blood, long soaks in the tub (of blood).  

Dislikes: poor wi-fi connections on public transport.

I dont speak for all the Creeps when I say that I find the stupendously OTT characters in the box quite appealing in their gross absurdity.  They amuse me and I feel a surprisingly strong urge to paint them.

Regardless, due to all of the participants having ready access to some suitable old Citadel figures, we decided to go with them in our project instead.  Several of the figures likely to appear come from the old Chaos Thug range.

We will be using models such as these in our project.
Picture borrowed from solegends.com (we love you guys!)

Captain Crooks has (blood)volunteered to post the first Haemo-erotic model ASAP so watch this space. Then in turn he will (blood)tag another (corn syrup)Creep to be the (blood)next to sub(lood)mit.

The Dorty Double Dozen

What a special treat we have today, fellow creeps. As the first of the battle reports from the amazing Knavecon weekend in Ireland, we are proud to present:

And 'friends', in