Dankelblarg » Hordes

Absylonia, the Terror of Everblight

Dankelzahn — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 15:00:21 +0000

Absylonia sports quite a bit of detail that takes painting well. She's very similar to the Forsaken in that respect - made up of different design elements of different models. It makes her relatively easy to paint as there's not really anything "new" to the Legion about her but the discord of her design stands out on the tabletop.

That said I think the model just misses what its concept art is going for. I can get behind the uberblighted look and feel of this model but there's something just... off that makes it not quite match up to the target artwork. I think it's the hands and skirt here. The proportions on the wing/fingers in the concept art just look more organic than those in the model. And the amount of skirt spread out behind the model makes it look shorter and more squat than the concept art.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Absylonia, the Terror or Everblight
Painted: 2010

Nephilim Soldier

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 18:00:37 +0000

I tried something a little bit different with the Nephilim here compared with the rest of my early beasts. Instead of using a Sky Blue to highlight my Midnight Blue I use for a base coat I went with Rain Grey, hoping the result would be slightly more muted when compared with the Carnivean and the others. I think the experiment was a success, and the more detailed musculature on the Nephilim here really brought out the difference.

The other change I made was to the wing tips. On my Seraph and Harriers I painted the last joint of each wing to be exposed carapace. For the Nephilim I decided to carry the skin tone all the way up the model for a change and I think it's a smoother look. I later used this look on my second Seraph and my Angelii.

Other than those changes everything else was done in the usual recipes I've developed up to this point. I really like this sculpt a lot and am pleased with the way it turned out.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Nephilim Soldier, Light Warbeast
Painted: 2007

Carnivean

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 17:00:02 +0000

Ah, the Carnivean. If not for the lack of opposable thumbs, he would overran the lowlands and rid Immoren of Everblight's enemies long ago.

This miniature is massive, and my decision to base him on a half-inch high plateau of rock didn't hurt either. My lack of forethought means I need a 4" foam tray to store this figure in now. To mount the Carnvean on his base I had to cut off some metal pads from under his three feet. I used a saw blade for my exacto knife to do so and didn't have any problems, but I made the mistake of asking my wife to help file down the feet as I was cutting them.

Make no mistake; she did a great job with the file. So good in fact that she decided to take it upon herself to give the Carnivean a manicure and sharpened his claws for him. It's an interesting touch - one I wouldn't have thought of and was glad she did, except she didn't mention it to me at the time. At one point during assembly of the lower body I snatched the piece off of the table quickly to move it, and stuck myself (somewhat painfully) on its outstretched claw.

That's when I realized that a hunk of pewter can qualify as 'bloodthirsty.' Fortunately primer and a few layers of paint have dulled the talons to a point where I shouldn't have to worry about that again.

With its increased size came larger expanses of flesh that needed blending together. As a result the Carnivean wasn't as simple to do as the Shredders - blending was a far slower and meticulous process. Upon completion I was initially concerned that there weren't any stark highlights along his back half, but then I decided that was a good thing. It gave him a much smoother, sleeker look than if I had gone too far and had very prominent clear razor highlights on his musculature.

The Carnivean: massive, agile, and hungry. Gotta love him.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Carnivean, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2006

Carnivean

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 16:00:03 +0000

For my second Carnivean I decided to change up its pose in two ways - I placed the head on facing forward instead of to the side (filing and greenstuffing the neck to accomodate this change) and I put a wrecked bonejack on the base under his front foot. Minor changes overall but just enough to make my two Carniveans easily differentiated on the table.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Carnivean, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2008

Seraph

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 15:00:06 +0000

Although I like the new bend in the wings I gave my second seraph, quality wise I don't think the paint job lives up to his older brother. I was trying to add some more definition to the musculature and the end result looks more unpolished than anything else.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Seraph, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2008

Seraph

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 14:00:04 +0000

This seraph was the first non-battlebox beast that I painted. I wanted to get it on the table and use it but I didn't want to affix it to the base before I painted it queued up next out of necessity. The Seraph is painted just like the rest of my beasts with the exception of the wings, which didn't have any precedent yet. I wound up going with a darker blue, similar to the color I used for the nyss' leather.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Seraph, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2007

Krueger the Stormwrath

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 13:00:01 +0000

Krueger was one of three models I painted up to give out as Christmas presents in 2006 to a couple fellow gamers. The recipient already had Baldur and Kaya, so there really wasn't an option as to which warlock he would want. His army is painted in an autumnal color scheme with lots of oranges and golden browns, so painting Krueger was a challenge. I didn't think an orange or red cloak would look right for a druid, so I was left with golden brown. Unfortunately Kreuger has a lot of open area that wound up being a single color so he looks a little bland.

Although Krueger wasn't the most striking of miniatures upon completion, I think he wound up as a relatively clean job. Now I have to face his three-round Feat when he hits the table... makes me reconsider giving him as a gift.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Circle Orboros
Mini Name: Krueger the Stormwrath
Painted: 2006

Morvahna the Autumnblade

Dankelzahn — Fri, 19 Aug 2011 11:00:52 +0000

I painted Morvahna up to give away to a local circle player a few years ago. I spent most of the time working on the wet blends on her cloak - everything else seemed to come together quickly. Morvahna's flesh was done in all P3 paints in an effort to experiment & practice using them and I'm happy with how they came out. They're smoother than some of the other female skin tones I've done before.

The only other painting of note is the filigree on her armor. Most of the PP studio Circle models have a gold/brass armor with green fill between the filigree. I didn't own any green ink, so I experimented with blue ink and thinned yellow paint and got some great results. I washed that over a base coat of P3 Brass Balls and then after some post-ink re-highlights the armor was done.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Circle Orboros
Mini Name: Morvahna the Autumnblade
Painted: 2007

Strider Deathstalkers

Dankelzahn — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 18:00:58 +0000

Even though they suffer the "2D" affliction that's affected many of Privateer's recent sculpts, I do like the Deathstalker models. Plenty of cloak to play with blending cloth on and enough different surfaces that even a monochromatic scheme can be executed without looking boring.

At 2 points each the Deathstalker is versatile enough to have a couple to fit into armies from time to time. Each model can put two shots into an army each turn, which can really help out against armies that rely on specific lynchpin models that they can snipe.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Strider Deathstalker
Painted: 2009

Blighted Ogrun Warmonger War Chiefs

Dankelzahn — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 16:00:51 +0000

Enough time had past since I painted my initial Warmongers that I was worried about being able to match their skin tones, but the War Chiefs turned out pretty close when I was done with them. That's one of the biggest hurdle I've come cross as my Legion army grows - matching blends I did on previous models.

The second model here is the stock pose of the Warmonger War Chief. It's not bad but the way the weapon hangs out over the base can make it difficult to maneuver around other models, especially under Rhyas' feat. The first pose was my solution - by propping up the model's front foot on some rock I was able to lower the polearm to a more vertical position and minimized base overhang and make the model easier to use on the tabletop.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Hordes
Mini Name: Warmonger War Chiefs
Painted: 2009

Shepherds

Dankelzahn — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 15:00:01 +0000

Apparently Everblight developed a fondness for bellbottoms some time during Hordes: Evolution and the Shepherds sure do emphasize that. Other than the cutting and reposing of one of the Shepherd's left arm there's very little special about these two -- my typical Nyss colors on average Nyss sculpts.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Shepherds
Painted: 2008

Blighted Nyss Striders

Dankelzahn — Mon, 15 Aug 2011 14:00:03 +0000

Once I finished up my blighted archers I decided to go ahead and get the last nyss unit, the Striders, done as well. Although I had been looking at blighted elves long enough I wanted to get the Striders done while I was comfortable with to the techniques I was going to have to use. I could have waited, but with my luck that would have resulted in the Striders looking differently than the archers.

The flesh and armor were painted just like the Blighted Archers and Swordmasters, so there was no surprised there. I wanted the miniature to remain monochromatic so I decided to try change my colors up a little for the cloak. For the leather armor on my Nyss I had started with Appelbarrel Midnight Blue and highlighted up to Dutch Blue, which results in a more intense blue color. For the cloak I started with the same Midnight Blue, washed it with P3 Armor Wash, then started highlighting up by mixing Delta Ceramcoat Cape Cod Blue (a grayish light blue) into the Midnight Blue. The result was a more neutral dark blue cloth to compliment the intense blue armor. The difference is subtle on the table but I'm satisfied with how it looks.

A couple years later I added the Officer and Musician to the unit, which are painted far better than their predecessors. Their armor plates are highlighted much better overall and even their skintones are cleaner. A couple years practice makes a ton of difference.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Striders with Officer & Musician
Painted: 2007, 2009 (UA)

Swamp Gobber Bellows Crew

Dankelzahn — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 17:00:33 +0000

I started up the Swamp Gobbers while I was painting Rineholdt a while back. Although they're pretty basic the figures have a lot of character and were a lot of fun to paint.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Minions
Mini Name: Swamp Gobbers Bellows Crew
Painted: 2007

Gudrun the Wanderer

Dankelzahn — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:00:32 +0000

I painted Gudrun towards the end of 2008 as a diversion from the Legion models I had been rapidly turning out. His color scheme was primarily chosen to let me test out P3's Ordic Olive color, which I used on his cowl.

The fleshtones are my Vallejo Model Color Rose Brown/Medium Skintone/Sunny Skintone combination that I use for a less pink tone. I usually mix just a bit of a medium flesh color in to add a hint of pinkness to the skin but for the Orgun - a relatively monstrous race in the Iron Kingdoms - I went with the stock colors listed above, which results in a slightly more yellow tint.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Minions
Mini Name: Gudrun the Wanderer
Painted: 2008

Alten Ashley

Dankelzahn — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 14:00:31 +0000

Even though I only really use Alten with my Protectorate forces for mixed games, and even then almost primarily in Mk I, I really like the model and wanted to get it painted. He really captures the 'dirty old hunter' look and the bell-shaped riffle barrel is a nice touch.

In addition to trying out the P3 flesh wash on Alten's skin, I experimented with mixing P3 and RMS paints with my craft paints to see how they did. As expected the model paints with their higher concentration of pigment dominated when mixing but it was easy to account for on the fly.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Minions
Mini Name: Alten Ashley
Painted: 2007

Raek

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 19:00:33 +0000

I wish that the Raek was as good in-game as it was as a model. I love this sleek, bitey little guy but I don't see him hitting the table very often. He receieved a much-needed boost in Mk II but I always seemed to spend his points on other options.

Effectiveness aside I like the Raek model a lot. I used the sculpt to try and work on duplicating the musculature effects I achieved on the Nephilim Soldier, including some slight striations on some of the more pronounced muscles.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Raek, Light Warbeast
Painted: 2008

Teraph

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 18:00:20 +0000

Just like most of the other Legion models, Hordes fans either love the Terpah or they hate it. I tend to fall on the positive side myself. There's something about the sleek draconic look that I find visually appealing.

Like the Carnivean, the Teraph was cursed with unsightly footpads cast beneath its talons. It took some work with an exacto knife and a jeweler's saw to remove the excess material but I think the result was worth the extra work. The pads on the feet of the stock model as displayed on Privateer's site are really ugly.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Teraph, Light Warbeast
Painted: 2007

Typhon

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 17:00:41 +0000

Typhon proved to be a little more difficult for me to paint than even my Carniveans have, but I was able to get him done before GenCon 09. I wound up missing the Hardcore event I planned on fielding him in but that was different story...

I tried to add some texture to his tail but I'm not sure how well it came out. The photograph exaggerates it a bit more than I'd like but it is what it is. I would have liked a smoother transition I got to the point where I just wanted to be done. That sort of frustration is my biggest hurdle in becoming a better painter - I paint so slow but before long I just get fed up with a project and want to move on to something new.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Typhon, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2009

Shredders

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 16:00:32 +0000

The Shredders were the first part of the Legion of Everblight battlebox that I decided to tackle. I figured that they were small enough that they'd be quick to finsih and I'd be able to see my intended color scheme to determine if I liked it. They became a template I would eventually follow on other beasts as my collection grew - light blue skin, bone carapace, and pink gums. Since Shredders are little more than walking mouths in Hordes, I wanted their toothy maws to be suitably prominent.

Each Shredder comes in three pieces - the body and two legs. I mixed and matched the pieces among my Shredders to make each one unique. I continued that thought by varying the types of rock outcroppings and amounts of snow on their base. I added some designations on the back of the bases post-photography so I could label damage grids but slight differentiation between the models looks much better on the tabletop than the usual Privateer Press repeat-a-pose.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Shredder, Lesser Warbeast
Painted: 2006

Harriers

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 15:00:34 +0000

To be honest I'm not all that thrilled with how my Harriers turned out. I don't think the skin is highlighted just right and the gums could have used some more work before I called these guys done. Painting these little winged demons was just a chore, though. I'm not sure why that was. Maybe it's because I already painted four similar models in my Shredders but I just couldn't find any enjoyment in working on them. Still I needed to get them done - I had left them off of their bases so painting would be easier but that made temporarily affixing them to their bases for play difficult.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Harrier, Lesser Warbeast
Painted: 2007

Angelii

Dankelzahn — Fri, 12 Aug 2011 14:01:29 +0000

I've found that the serpentine miniatures are some of the most difficult to paint, and the Angelius is the most serpentine Legion miniature there is. I had some good success with my Nephilim and Raek as of late primarily because of the more detailed musculature on those models whereas the more serpentine beasts with their smoother expansive areas of flesh seemed more difficult to pull off realistically. There's not as many wrinkles, creases, or other hints where to place shadows and highlights.

For the Angelii I decided to start with the white primer I normally use on Legion beasts, wash with my usual first color, then just manually add shadows in the deepest recesses. This worked fairly well, adding texture to the bodies of the Angelii but I'm not overly thrilled with the converted model's tail or either models' wings. I went ahead and sealed these guys but there's plenty of room for improvement on the wing spines.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Angelius, Heavy Warbeast
Painted: 2008

Thagrosh, the Messiah

Dankelzahn — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 18:00:57 +0000

I painted Epic Thagrosh up just before DieCon 9 to use as the centerpiece of my Hardcore army, and as of now he's still my favorite model in the Warmachine and Hordes lines. It doesn't have the full metal fantasy look of the Warmachine side of things but he's just an impressive model.

Epic Thagrosh is mostly painted in the same techniques as my Warmongers - there weren't a lot of aspects of the model that weren't done using a recipe I already established for my Legion. The first is Rapture, his weapon. I had to come up with a way to do the organic portion of the weapon between the blades. I think it's a little bright at this point but it does stand out nicely on the model.

Not really a whole lot else to say - Epic Thagrosh is a fantastic sculpt and was a joy to paint. I just wish he was a little easier to store...

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Thagrosh, the Messiah
Painted: 2009

Saeryn, Omen of Everblight

Dankelzahn — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:30:34 +0000

I'm not as big of a fan of the Saeryn sculpt as I am of her sister Rhyas, but she's not too bad. Her daggers aren't that great and the sculpt is rather flat, though. PP seems to be going that way with a lot of their smaller models to save on production costs.

Blues, grays, silver, and black. Yup, another standard Nyss color scheme for me.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Saeryn, Omen of Everblight
Painted: 2007

Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight

Dankelzahn — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 14:00:33 +0000

I picked up Rhyas as soon as she came out and got her assembled the next day. I was ready to start painting her when I realized it would be better to wait for Saeryn, her twin, to be released. With my luck if I had painted them separately they wouldn't look anything alike. A month later Saeryn was finally released and I was finally able to start.

It's getting to be hard to not end these comments on the Nyss I've painted with "everything is pretty much my standard colors scheme." I mean it certainly is, but who wants to read that over and over again? At least on Rhyas and her sister I had something different to do in the scarves. I tossed around a couple colors for those including a few reds but wound up choosing the gray. The other options would have thrown in a splash of color but considering the monochromatic scheme I use that wouldn't have worked.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Rhyas, Sigil of Everblight
Painted: 2007

Thagrosh, Prophet of Everblight

Dankelzahn — Wed, 10 Aug 2011 13:00:32 +0000

I decided to try and switch up my flesh tone color a bit for Thagrosh from the typical Nyss blue. Instead of going with primarily blue colors, I started with a gray base, washed with a dark navy blue, then highlighted back up with a mix of the two. This resulted in a more neutral color scheme that was close enough to the Nyss to look natural next to them but was different enough to make him stand out.

I've seen some neat conversions for Thagrosh using Warmonger legs, and seeing those always made me wish I would have thought of it at the time. Thagrosh was never my favorite sculpt. Between the weird big hand, the piercings, the the wedding train he's always been a little odd. Then again that's Everblight for you.

Manufacturer & Line: Privateer Press - Legion of Everblight
Mini Name: Thagrosh, Prophet or Everblight
Painted: 2007