Topic: Graf von Carroburg's Tournament Diary (desperately seeking TVI and Atch...)

[Graf von Carroburg]

Brothers-in-arms,

I haven't played a tournament in about 18 months, as work and life intervened, more recently I held off painting while I waited for the new rule set - no use spending hours on something only to have it nerfed to the point of unusability (is that a word?). So without further ado, I present...

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Friday, February 9, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 42 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

Wow, it's good to be back. And the thought of having already gotten to work a whole six weeks before a tournament is a magical feeling. Especially after last time...

http://www.warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=7641.0

Memories of last time still haunt me, getting out of bed finally on the second day of the competition and hobbling along only to see a room full of armies I could have hit for six any day of the  week (well, some of them). This is NOT going to happen again. I am going to make SURE of that. Fortunately, having done this twice now (I struggled to finish my force for the 2001 GT, but having said that, I was also stuck in Grade 12 at that point of my life which really hurt painting time).

What I've learned

*There are some things you can do under pressure of time and sleep deprivation, such as basing or highlighting uniforms. Painting faces or banners are NOT amongst these things.
*Assembling things always takes much longer than you think it will, especially where conversion is involved. The earlier it's done, the better. Stick together the whole regiment so you can see how they look as a group, and make sure they're all moving/facing the same way. I never really used to grasp the importance of this, instead focusing on giving each figure a cool pose. On the battlefield, this is lost. Having pikes/spears/halberds/lances pointing in more or less the same direction is also good.
*Playtest at the earliest stage possible - otherwise you risk wasting time painting a unit that ultimately doesn't get fielded.
*When you're fielding a block of infantry 4-6 ranks deep, the amount of detail needed in the back ranks, especially on their legs, is diminished. If you have a sizeable banner (or two) in the unit, then this will also conceal a lot of models.

Colour scheme

A wise painter once told me that two main colours on an army is the maximum that will look good as a whole (apart from neutrals: brown, black, metals). In addition, I'd say that two accent colours are in order to make a force look really good - especially if the main colours are in the same range.

I am painting mine as Reiklanders in bone white and red. The accents will be a soft yellow and a little bit of pale blue. In this I am inspired by the old State Troops box cover, as well as the painting "Die Alexanderschlacht" by Albrecht Altdorfer (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/altdorfer/battle-issus/battle-issus.jpg).

Armour will be mostly silver with a dark gold trim, but some elites will have black armour plates with some freehand designs in white.

The Carroburg Duelling Society

By the way, I know that there's a lot of conjecture about the location of Carroburg. Fact of the matter is, it was a Reikish city when I started playing, and I'm not in the mood to change! As such, my vision of the town has pretty much remained unchanged since then. Please lets not get into that silly argument again - the materials are really equivocal enough to support either assumption. If it helps you sleep at night, pretend that this is a historical army from a moment of Reikish occupation.

One little bit of background I've written is for the Carroburg Duelling Society. I've had a Swordsmen detachment by that name for ages, but I decided to expand on it a bit. The Society started as a bit of a distraction for young nobles too idle to join the Pistolierkorps. They occasionally took the field but generally spent the battle hiding behind the Greatswords! But one day when the Greatswords were caught in a pincer movement, they found themselves with no choice but to fight, and acquitted themselves heroically, giving the Greatswords time to turn their back ranks, and the tide of the battle. In recognition of their heroics, the captain of the Greatswords invited the Duelling Society to wear the red livery of his regiment on the field.

Seeing the chance to make something of the disaffected merchants' sons, the Duke of Carroburg gave the Society his official patronage, aiming to create a breeding ground for infantry officers and Greatswords. Generations later, in the present day, it has thrived as an honourable institution, with the Greatswords and infantry captains its senior members, and the young initiates still taking the field in scarlet dress.

In my army this will basically translate to painting my sergeants and the Greatswords' detachment in the same colours as the Greatswords (red uniforms, yellow and white detailing) for some variety. The President of the Duelling Society is represented by a Captain carrying the Duke's banner.

This creates three pretty distinct looks in my army, using different permutations of the same colours - the state troops, Pistoliers and gunners in white with a little red, the Duelling Society in red with a little white, and the Reiksguard Knights in silver and black, with red and white accents.

So where does that leave us?

I spend at entertaining week working on my Reiksguard Knights and my first cannon, they're now finished. Pictures very soon. In terms of my draft army list (comments would be appreciated!):

http://www.warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=14760.0

I will need the following...

4 Characters (Finished the Wizard, but my others are all on foot, throwbacks from last ed. Might convert Luthor Huss into a mounted priest).
16 Greatswords (Half finished, the rest basecoated).
44 Spearmen (All assembled, about half finished).
24 Swordsmen (Going to use mostly the new models I think, as they're less ornate than the veterans in the core units. I have one box, need more...nothing assembled yet).
16 Handgunners (I don't love the new ones, but I detest the old ones. Shame, as I have quite a few done).
18 Flagellants (Will probably convert from plastics, but this will take some time. Might drop them for something else).
12 Reiksguard Knights (Finished one unit of six).
5 Pistoliers (Converted and basecoated from last edition, though I probably will get some of the new ones, they're pretty!).
2 Great Cannons (One finished, one assembled and basecoated).
Helblaster Volley Gun (Yet to purchase, I only have an old 4th ed one which I will use for practice games).

In total then, about thirty infantry to finish, and another 40-60 to do from scratch. Plus one or two whole units of cavalry. I'll do the Pistoliers last, as I can use my old ones if needed.

This only amounts to 10-20 models a week, which is totally practical. That said, the more that's done early, the less pressure later when I go back to work and uni, and the more time to practice with the complete force, and add details or build a display base.

I am torn between painting banners as I finish units, to make sure they all get done, or doing them all at once for consistency. I may do the latter, but do it early. They will then serve as a unifying aspect for my work.

Anyway, I promise pictures later today! Tell me what you think, and comment on my list!!

Cheers,


Eden
Last time was fun. Let's do it again...

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Sunday, February 11, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 40 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

Ah, the best laid plans! I intended to spend yesterday assembling extra models to give me a rough semblance of the whole force (proxies for the 2nd knights and using the ugly old HBVG), so I could get in some practice games at the club today.

What actually happened is that I was adding one last piece to a Reiksguard knight and struggling to get the lid off my glue bottle and (wait for it) so I twisted it really hard (come on, you know where this is going) and liberally doused the figure in poly cement!!

It actually was salvageable, as (ironically) his shield took most of the hit, the rest getting the horse's head and forequarters. I scrapped the horse, but found a test horse for the same unit which was repainted to match. I'm waiting to get some new black spray (being as after new paints, glue, figures, bills and drinking in the last week I have literally $7 to my name at last count) but once I've done a new shield I'll post a photo of the whole unit!

Being too annoyed by then to really focus on expanding the force, not to mention wary of anything involving glue (and kinda teary-eyed and twitchy and sniffling a lot), I eschewed my plans in favour of painting a second cannon, which was fun and easy and made me feel a lot better about it all. I've never really spent a lot of time on my artillery, but it does make a huge difference. Both guns are finished in wood grain in a shade which matches the tone I'm using on my handguns, spear shafts etc, and looking lovely. Crewmen are getting there too, and I'm trying to mix in some older metal models with the plastics.

Otherwise I went to pick up my ticket and confirm my place this afternoon. I understand the field will be very strong. I relish the challenge!! Since then just working on the dull but necessary task of bringing the back ranks of my Pikemen up to scratch. I am focusing on the faces, breastplates, shoulder slashing and hands (in that order), as these are the focal points. Below the waist is relatively invisible in a big block. The pikes are all getting little yellow pennants, which look really cool in a big block, and offset the very long (4 inch) pike shafts by creating a second focal point so they don't just look like they're sticking up into the ether.

I have a box of the new soldiers which I am just dying to start work on (as swordsmen for my detachments), alas with no spray this cannot happen. I think I shall be cruel to myself and hold off until the whole first Pike unit is painted, with banners and movement tray. I can then do their detachment as a reward!

Does anyone else enjoy playing mind games with themselves like this? Sad as it is to say, I rather miss the crazy frantic energy of last time, trying to get an earlier (and smaller) version of this force on the table in a mere two weeks! That said, recollecting some of the more terrifying moments of that fortnight is inspiration enough to press on!

Pictures tomorrow. Really, I promise. I shall do the knights individually, as they're still not quite ready as a group (missing shield, and still to do the banner). Also cannons and such.

Cheers,


Eden
I was gonna assemble a Swordsmen unit...but then I got high! (on glue fumes)

P.S. Dear Mods, I wonder if you could move this to the Elector's Forum? Although I'm planning to post some pics, this thread will mostly end up being a chronicle of my thoughts on tournament prep, some stuff about background and theme, as well as the outcome of trial games etc. Pretty pictures will just be a sideline, and I'd like to make sure I get this read by the hardened tacticians for whom such frivolities may be a mere distraction! Thanks in advance...

[CM Dante]

Sounds like a nice and well themed force, the duelling socitey in particular sounds like a nice bit of fluff. Looking forward to seeing pics!

Cheers,

Dante

[Vivendi]

I see that you're talking about pikemen? That is very interesting! Will you use them as pikemen or just as spearmen? And I'm dying to see some pics of your force. The one's you did last time where amazing.

[Graf von Carroburg]

@ Dante: Cheers for being the first person to reply! I rather surmise that the first post was intimidatingly long. I've done quite a bit more thinking about the army background, essentially the way that I plan to resolve the Carroburg question is to suggest that it was occupied by Reikland troops belonging to a count who'd long held a claim to the throne, during the Storm of Chaos.  As the city's Middenland troops, as indeed most Middenland troops, were based in the north defending against the dark powers, the count "generously" offered to send his own forces across the river to make sure that Carroburg was "defended". He himself fought with the Carroburg Greatswords (who formed the elite force of his own estate in Reikland, which bordered on the river where Carroburg was located) heroically defending Middenheim, the former ruler of Carroburg himself dying at that battle with a large part of his army.

After the Storm was over, he simply remained in occupation of Carroburg, its original forces being too depleted to complain. As a means of cementing his power, he funded and encouraged the Sigmarite faith, culminating in his appointment as Lector of the city. There being no rival to the throne as the old count died without children, and the new Lector having the backing of the Church as well as the support of the merchants of the city whom he courted with tax breaks and subsidies, not to mention a substantial army in occupation and his status as a war hero, the city eventually confirmed him more or less willingly as Prince-Lector, the temporal and spiritual ruler of Carroburg.

As such, even if the city is still technically in Middenland, it is under Reikish occupation, hence my army still makes a sort of sense. Its after these events that the Duelling Society etc becomes part of the story.

I was inspired by the Bishop-Electors of the Holy Roman Empire to some extent in dreaming this up, they were all cynical and politicised to a greater or lesser extent. Indeed, during the Thirty Years War, one was a brother of the Duke of Bavaria (a Wittelsbach), another was a Metternich. My general is not a wholly cynical man, he genuinely believes that he has done a good thing bringing the Sigmarite faith to the backward Ulricans and indifferent businessmen on the city. And if that happens to coincide with his personal ambition, so be it!

@ Vivendi: I first made pikemen for 5th ed, where the Empire foot troops were so bad that it was necessary! With the new detachment rules, however, I'm just using them as spearmen. It's a real shame the promise of half-pikes in the new book was never carried through...I guess they really didn't want to make the models!

Pictures very soon, I promise!

[Bogenhafen]

I followed your tournament diary with interest the first time round, and I have to say your army is amongst the best I have seen on the site; up there with Racticas and Justin Hunter's in my humble opinion.
Your conversions are subtle and well executed and your painting style gritty, I look forward to pictures of your new units (and perhaps some of the old ones that never made it into the first blog?)

I'm sure that this will be a well followed thread. Oh, and better luck this time!

Bogenhafen

[CM Dante]

Sounds like you have put alot of effort into your armies background. I like that alot, it adds a little something special to a force when you know the creators reasoning behind why it is the way it is.

Are you using many units from your previous go round? I remember you posted a pic of a converted Kurt
Hellborg some years ago now, any change of a re-post? It was such a nice mini!

Good luck with this, I'll keep checking back for progress!

Cheers,

Dante

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Tuesday, February 11, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 38 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

Thirty-eight days doesn't seem like a lot when I look at what's before me, but it's infinitely better than last time! The gains I made last time I worked on this army have been somewhat overwhelmed, as I will be scrapping all my old Handgunner figs, which took a lot of time to do (as they're such bad figures I needed to spend extra time to make them look presentable!).

Similarly, I will be using all new Swordsmen models, the poses and weapons are much more suited to the feel of a detachment, I think. However, my old ones won't go to waste, they'll be used to bulk out the Pikemen units, with a simple weapon swap. Extras will be placed aside with a view to a third regiment in future.

Tomorrow I'm back at work at long last, it won't eat too much into my painting time as it's only casual at the moment (I'm a barrister's clerk). It will give me some cash in hand, and I intend to purchase most of the figures I need to complete the force, to wit, the following:

*Battalion box (10 Swords, 10 Handgunners, 5 Pistoliers, 8 Knights, Cannon/Mortar which will be spare for now)
*Extra box each of Swords and Handgunners
*Volley Gun
*General kit to make mounted BSB

The Flagellants are still a question in search of an answer, I really need to playtest them before making the models. I'm thinking that converting a big unit may be too much of a task, I might settle for say 12, and spend the extra 60 points on some extra magic toys and a Marksman for my Pistoliers.

At the moment I have two units basically finished, the Reiksguard and my first block of Pikemen. I tried to take some photos last night, but my camera skills are decidedly subpar, as is my camera. I shall get a friend to help on the weekend with a better digicam, by which time I should have added banners and movement trays.

Right now two questions are really vexing me, and I'd be grateful of your collective assistance on these:

*If the bulk of the unit is in bone white with a little red trim, will having unit champions in all red and black stick out too much and look out of place? This ties back to the Duelling Society idea. I'm thinking of modelling them with Greatswords too. Incidentally, the mounted Priests leading the units will already be in red robes on black-barded horses.

*I want to make an army display board, nothing too scenic but just a nice base with a wooden picture frame edge and some gravel and some miscellaneous dead Orcs and stuff. I'd like to have sunken regiment slots, but this a) would be a nuisance getting them in and out before games and b) locks me into one way of composing the army if I want to use the board in future. Has anyone had any success with non-slotted display boards, getting them to look good? One solution I thought of was making extra slots and then making extra pieces of terrain to slot in when they were empty, this still would mean anticipating fairly exactly what I'm going to use in future though.

Thanks for your ongoing support! Dante, I still have the Kurt model, though with the release of the new metal, I have downgraded him to unit leader for the Reiksguard and he's just getting a crest like the others rather than the big helmet wings. I shall post a photo of him with the rest of the unit in a few days time, but in the meanwhile, here's a couple of blurry reposts!

Cheers,


Eden
"In the absence of orders, find something, and kill it." -Rommel

[Racticas]

Right now two questions are really vexing me, and I'd be grateful of your collective assistance on these:

*If the bulk of the unit is in bone white with a little red trim, will having unit champions in all red and black stick out too much and look out of place? This ties back to the Duelling Society idea. I'm thinking of modelling them with Greatswords too. Incidentally, the mounted Priests leading the units will already be in red robes on black-barded horses.

*I want to make an army display board, nothing too scenic but just a nice base with a wooden picture frame edge and some gravel and some miscellaneous dead Orcs and stuff. I'd like to have sunken regiment slots, but this a) would be a nuisance getting them in and out before games and b) locks me into one way of composing the army if I want to use the board in future. Has anyone had any success with non-slotted display boards, getting them to look good? One solution I thought of was making extra slots and then making extra pieces of terrain to slot in when they were empty, this still would mean anticipating fairly exactly what I'm going to use in future though.

In my opinion, the champions will look fine standing out, so long as they're not so elaborately unique that they can be easily mistaken for characters.  I actually thought that was something kind of cool in the NEB, that they used various Mordheim and other figures for champions, even though they weren't WYSIWYG.

I wouldn't slot my board.  I'm not sure what to advise you, except to make sure your regiments are based to match the area of the board you plan on placing them.

[experiment 626]

wow!  i love the champion there!  lovely work on the free hand,  plus it's great to see that metalics are still being used!  (too many players in my area are all going NMM sadly...)

as for the champs,  why not try using a model with a more armour on it?  that way the red and black gets broken up a bit more,  plus the chainmail/mythril silver of the armour will still help keep some lighter colour in keeping with the rest of the regiment's bone coloured uniforms??!

as for the movement tray,  try getting your hands on some rare earth magnets.  granted you'll need them for each individual base,  but honestly,  it works a treat and is also much safer for actual playing too!  (little timmy bumping your table doesn't send half your missile troops tumbling to meet the floor...)

hope this helps!
cheers!

[CM Dante]

For the champions why not try making the torso and legs in the red and black clothing (You could try putting some slightly fancy patterning with this such as stripes on the legs or diamonds) of carroburg with the arms in the white of Reikland, that way they are clearly something special but still fit with the unit.

As for the display board, you could always make the actual base (ie the wooden frame and bottom ontop of which you would presumably mount some foam that you would cut into and apply sand to etc to create the recess) and then make a number of different removable inserts with recesses cut for the units, then simply sand and paint and decorate the inserts with the desired pieces of shredded orc etc! It would allow you to use the base frame for any army in any setting with removable inserts made to fit for each army.
Hope that makes sense, in a bit of a rush!

Cheers,

Dante

[Wolfshart]

Wow great stuff man! It must be serendipity but I have just started back work on my Empire army and had not settled on a color scheme from last edition. I flirted with the idea of a carroburg force but I only ever finished 1 handgunner and 1 FC as test models then dropped out of the hobby for a long while. Now that I got back I was muling over a new slant to my color scheme...especially when I saw the NEB and the settling of the Middenland/Reikland debate. After thinking about it for a long time I came to the conclusion of a Reikland force that was dressed in the white/bone and red black quartered color scheme. I reasoned alot of similar fluff to you and similar colors. I'm only a little bummed that my idea isn't as original as I thought but it is cool to see that I wasn't totally off base. Great job man and keep up the good work! Now get back to painting!

[Racticas]

Wow great stuff man! It must be serendipity but I have just started back work on my Empire army and had not settled on a color scheme from last edition. I flirted with the idea of a carroburg force but I only ever finished 1 handgunner and 1 FC as test models then dropped out of the hobby for a long while. Now that I got back I was muling over a new slant to my color scheme...especially when I saw the NEB and the settling of the Middenland/Reikland debate. After thinking about it for a long time I came to the conclusion of a Reikland force that was dressed in the white/bone and red black quartered color scheme. I reasoned alot of similar fluff to you and similar colors. I'm only a little bummed that my idea isn't as original as I thought but it is cool to see that I wasn't totally off base. Great job man and keep up the good work! Now get back to painting!

YaY!  Welcome to Reikland.

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Thursday, February 15, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 36 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

A moment of concern swept over me there, before I realised that 36 days is still five weeks, give or take. Difficult as it is, I am thinking that I really ought to force myself to paint all my infantry before I do any more cavalry or "fun things", as they are what will give  the army it's majesty on the field. And yet, frankly, I don't want to!

It will be a week or more before I get my hands on my incoming package of stuff, in that time it would make me really happy if I could finish the stuff I have kicking around, another 20 or so Pikemen, a Swordsmen detachment, and the Greatswords.

I'll try to use the new Swordsmen to break up the monotony of the Pikes, as I've never painted them before and they look like fun! The GS unit is vexing me, largely because of the lack of variety in the figures and the difficulty of converting them, as well as the not-so-well sculpted faces. Though they really ought to be a centrepiece, I think I'm going to probably end up hiding the unit behind the two banners, and doing headswaps for the whole front row. This might be an issue for the expansion of the force, though it does also offer a possible replacement for the Flagellants.

With that out of the way, I'd then have another 24 infantry to do, 11 cavalry, and a Volley Gun, and that ought to leave a comfortable amount of time for characters. Famous last words, I know. It's a hard call with characters, if I do them early, the temptation will be to spend way too much time, if I leave them too late, that's a problem too. And I still have no idea at all what I even want my Lector to look like.

I'm really grateful for the advice that you've offered on the little issues that plague my mind. The course I've decided to adopt for my champions will incorporate a bit of each. I'm actually using converted Mordheim Marienburgers, for the nice skirted doublets and fancy hats. I think what I will do is replace the sleeves with slashed ones, and maybe also the right armoured leg below the knee (to match the Greatswords). I will paint everything but the doublet in red and black, but the doublet will be white, as if they're wearing Greatsword uniforms with the doublet on top so as not to stand out too much (though part of an infantry captain's job description was actually to be a little flamboyant as if to defy enemy snipers, thereby emboldening his men through his bravery). I think this is enough to look cool, but not so different as to detract from the Priest/Lector in the unit.

The display base is still a bit of a mystery, but as the time mightn't even be there to do it, I am putting it out of my mind for now.

I am getting a lot of inspiration from looking at other people's stuff, especially Racticas and Bogenhafen's (from the old site). I'm actually quite amazed how many things that Bogenhafen and I have done similarly, including the use of the Marienburg Captain, the Marksmen of Miragliano drummer, and the painting of eagles etc on the top of drums. Psychic link, I swear. One other thing that I think is very cool is this (http://coolminiornot.com/123491):


 Although I was initially anti-Ogre, I am now tempted to have a go at making some, using 54mm Landesknecht bits to give them a very imperial look. I'm not sure if there are any good plastic 54s available though, but I'll damn well find out! I'd really like to do some Ironbreakers to look like oversized Greatswords!

I have also misplaced my converted Life wizard (seen here unpainted, and without the top of his staff glued on: http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v629/thefalseprophet/Wizard.jpg). This could be a sign from Sigmar to switch lore, or drop the wizard altogether. Or it could be, y'know, Eden being disorganised and vague. I'd like to have a model for each of the lores, or at least the two or three I tend to use, and switch it before each battle depending on what I take. I see no real problem with this, as it just prevents my opponent forgetting what I've taken. Likewise, I'm hoping that putting my mounted characters on 40mmx20mm bases (made from two bases glued together) shouldn't be a huge problem if I ensure attacks are still distributed properly. It will look about a million times cleaner in the unit.

I was at work yesterday, and didn't really get much done today, especially as the evening was spent playing Risk and drinking Riesling, leaving me in no state to paint. Now that I'm clear on how the Pike champion will look, I'll do him and the standard bearer tomorrow, with flag, and also the movement tray, completing the unit. Then, my loyal colleagues, it's photo time at long last!

At this stage the worst that could happen is that I finish the force only to find it drastically weak in playtesting, but I don't even want to think about that!

Cheers,


Eden
"God is on the side of the big battalions." -Voltaire

[Jarrett]

I've enjoyed reading your blog so far.  I've shared the same struggles with painting for a deadline, and it's good to see some applied discipline working. I'm convinced ranked infantry are the hardest thing to paint. They're very much mundane w/ row after row of similar poses and large numbers. But you've got to do it! I tend to paint the rank and file best with a movie on - you don't paint quite as fast but you'll get through two hours without noticing. Rotating between swords and pikes is a good idea as well. Perhaps treat yourself with a knight for every rank of infantry (5) you do?

One thing - where are the pics? I may have missed something but so far I've only seen pictures of your pikes (after digging through your links) and your cavalry (of which only one is painted). I read promises of future pics - have you just not gotten around to it, can't, or are they somewhere I've missed? This is not a complaint, just wondering.

By the way, your army list looked pretty solid overall. I wouldn't drop anything for that other infantry block you mentioned, 3 + the detachments is solid. I think you can go forward confident that you're painting pretty much everything you're going to want. A couple of points: Why 16 greatswords - new ranks are 5 wide, so why not 15 or 20? Dropping the 6th knight in each unit will give you some points to play with. I personally like 5 man, minimally costed knight units. These are minor efficiency tidbits, not a big deal, but cutting corners like these often yields me another unit.

[Racticas]

Man, you're driving me to work on my own guys more!

[Graf von Carroburg]

After thinking about it for a long time I came to the conclusion of a Reikland force that was dressed in the white/bone and red black quartered color scheme. I reasoned alot of similar fluff to you and similar colors.

Man, you're driving me to work on my own guys more!

This is really good to hear! I want to see pictures of *your* stuff too, we can get like a little Reiklander sewing circle going...

One thing - where are the pics? I may have missed something but so far I've only seen pictures of your pikes (after digging through your links) and your cavalry (of which only one is painted). I read promises of future pics - have you just not gotten around to it, can't, or are they somewhere I've missed? This is not a complaint, just wondering.

I took a few photos, but the quality was disappointing so I'm going to borrow/buy a new digicam I think. I also want to put banners on my units before I photograph them to get the full effect.

Unfortunately the whole 5 infantry/1 knight thing doesn't work so well for me, because I lose consistency with the colouring on the knights. I will, however, do pikes, swords and handgunners all together, I think, as they all have the same colours anyway.

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Friday, February 16, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 35 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

Today I came to the unsurprising realisation that, when you have a densely packed block of troops with 4" pikes, as well as a mounted character, it's really really hard to fit a banner in. That's slowly sorting itself out, meanwhile I have converted my first champion, as discussed, to have slashed sleeves and carry a greatsword.

Otherwise, I assembled a unit of the new swordsmen as a detachment for the pikes, and I'm really looking forward to painting them! After looking at Dante and Ciaphas Cain's renditions, I feel that they're very promising, and the quality of the scupts is very high. I'm irritated by the lack of detail in the faces, as well as the more pirate-y hats and huge feathers, these don't blend so well with the older figures.

I've also thought of a solution to my dislike of the handgunner figures. I will try to beg or trade for some of the new handguns and accoutrements (ie powder cartridges) from someone who is assembling theirs as crossbowmen. I will then proceed to glue these onto the unarmoured swordsmen bodies which I am keeping from the boxes I'm getting, and voila, marching handgunners, without the leotard bodies!

Any volunteers to send me some muskets for a good cause?

Cheers,


Eden
"Zis is deine musket. Zere are many like it, but zis is yours. You vill give it a Fräulein's name!" -Captain of the 1st Carroburg Arquebusiers.

[mindtaker]

that's all well and good in theory but 7 out of the ten models in the missile troop box have pre-sculpeted left arm's attached to the torso and there arn't enough components to build 10 of each option.  If someone were to donate spare handguns you would need to do a considerable amount of converting to re-create the left arm. this was something i discoverd when i brought my missile box. I had intended to build the handgunners straight from the box and use the crossbows on some militia bodys to create a destinctive Tilian look. Looks like i'll be using either the militia crossbow's, which look tiny in comparison to the newer style ones. Or putting in more hours to convert them than i had origionaly planned.

[Graf von Carroburg]

Welcome to the forum, Mindtaker. Is your screenname a Harvey Birdman reference, perchance?

Once you've been around for a while, you'll find that us Reikland kiddies aren't afraid of a bit of conversion work! In fact, nearly every model in my army will be converted one way or another!

I am quietly confident I can pull these handgunners off...

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Sunday, February 18, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 33 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

Two things are bugging me right now, men and flags.

The footsloggers

I had a "moment of truth" yesterday where I set myself the task of painting a whole 8 man detachment after lunch. The short version is, I failed.

The long version is more complex. Stormy weather here meant that my assembly efforts were hampered by glue not drying properly, and the lack of natural light meant electrics on full blast which left my eyes stinging after a few hours. Having been busy with knights, I didn't realise that my Kommando Khaki and Graveyard Earth paints were pretty much empty, and very dry. My fine detail brush was also hurting. Then I got distracted watching TV etc etc.

The bottom line is, I probably could do it if my heart were in it, 8 men in about 10-12 hours. I think I will make 90mins per infantryman my target number for working on the remainder of my army. Cavalry are a question mark, as I tend to get carried away with horses and they can take a really really long time (I must've spend the better part of a day on Tyrion's, though that was admittedly for Golden Demon...top 5 "runner up" indeed!).

The new figures also have a lot more detail than the old ones, and assembling them with their arms across their bodies also makes breastplates reasonably hard to get to. I like the dynamic poses, they suit the more aggressive character of a detachment, whereas the more sedate older figures in my parent units wait patiently to receive the charge. What really hurts them is the new faces, which are a stark contrast to the dignified old figures. Frankly, they look like a bunch of yokels. And the hats are too pirate-y for my tastes, and too different to the old ones. Rather than a manly full beard, they appear to have either chin-beards or goatees. The exception is the excellent unhelmeted combover head, who looks very imperial and stern. The handgunners box looks to be a little better.

I could add heads from the old kits, but I've already reused the same four or five so many times that I worry. I've even mixed in a few Catachan heads from 40K, but they too look quite rough, even with a nice hat on!

The banners

I also tried to work on a banner yesterday, but this is really something that needs quite a bit of planning and can't be made up as you go along. Mostly I used to sketch these on paper, but I'm using plasticard for these which is harder to draw on, more so when black undercoated.

The other thing is that it's really hard to fit a banner in a unit with 4" pikes and a mounted character. Without knocking stuff over constantly. May just have to model a left-handed pikeman to go behind my standard, I think that would keep out of the way better.

In other news...

I picked up a new brush and paints today, at a cost of $19 that would better have been spent on more troops, so I'll finish the swords tomorrow. In the event I can't steal a good digicam, I shall photograph some individual models lying down, easier to light that way.

I really would like a Rocket Battery in my army, and inspired by some of the work here, may try to convert one. I shall hunt out historical pics for inspiration. I could even make an extra-large siege mortar, which would then revert to duty as a regular, albeit flamboyant, mortar when the model finally comes out. It really is frustrating knowing stuff's coming, but needing it now!

Cheers,


Eden

[Racticas]

Have you considered doing banners on the computer?  I paint mine on paper, about 4 inches wide, then scan them and print them out on photo paper.  If you carefully tear off the plasticky backing, you can glue both sides of the banner together and shape it how you want, or even leave it so you can pivot it slightly to dodge those nasty pikes.

[Graf von Carroburg]

Tempting though that is, I really want to paint mine for a few reasons. Not least of all is so the colours match those on my models exactly. I know I have the steadiness of hand to do it, it's really just going to be an issue of planning.

I am inspired by the stark, simple geometric and heraldic designs in Die Alexanderschlacht (http://www.ibiblio.org/wm/paint/auth/altdorfer/battle-issus/battle-issus.jpg). What will really make them "pop" is giving the banner plenty of movement, and then shading and highlighting it to follow the folds of the banner. I have been practicing on my Reiksguard's capes. Tomorrow we try again!

[CM Dante]

Have you considered doing a little sculpting work on some of the faces for variation? Beards are easy to add and can create an original look for variation.
Looking forward to some pics!

Cheers,

Dante

[Graf von Carroburg]

REIKSMARSHALL'S LOG. Monday, February 19, in the 2007th year of our Lord Sigmar. 32 days until the "B.I.G. March Tournament".

I'd really like to try that, I like the look of beards on my soldiers, it makes them look manly and experienced, not young and green. Any sculpting tips Dante? You seem to have the hang of it!

I haven't done much today on the army, I got wrapped up sorting out work and uni issues. I did put some time into finishing one Swordsman to the highest standard possible, to really give me a feel for the new models and try to bring out the best, and I'm very pleased. He has the ruffled sleeves, and the bare head, and thus avoids both the too-plain look and the ugliness that plagues so many of the new figures. I think I will mix in more old sleeves, as well as trying to add beards and hats for both aesthetics and conformity with the parent regiment.

One thing suggested to me was to replace the swordsmen with halberdiers with shields, giving the HW&S option in combat but also the chance for higher strength. I think the uses for this are pretty limited, but likewise the bonuses of swordsmen over shielding halberdiers are fairly marginal. Halberdiers would look nicer too, the new weapons are lovely. And that would leave the only swordsmen as the Duelling Society detachment with the Greatswords, which would make them more special. I hope to have the time to make basket-hilts, flamboyant poses, etc!

Another list change is that I want to reinstate Huntsmen in my army, for reasons I expound here http://www.warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php?topic=14932.msg168635#msg168635 and also because there's a double saving to my painting time - not only do I not have to convert some of the Flaggies, but I already have the Huntsmen built and half-painted from last edition. And they look pretty sweet.

Tomorrow I will sketch some banners until I start to get my ideas straight, improvisation is just not working here. I'll scan some of the better ones for feedback and also for others' use.

At this stage, I am starting to feel more comfortable about it all. I have been mining the archives for inspiration, unfortunately the pics of TVI and Atch's Necronomicon and GT forces aren't there. I'd really like to see those again. In fact, dammit, where are those guys? Lying low, no doubt, and authoring the definitive NEB Battalion lists of all-conquering. About time they show their heads I say!

Cheers,


Eden
Fast approaching the point where I will utter the phrase "sorry guys, can't come out for a beer, I need to stay in and paint toy soldiers. Although, if the pub had good lighting and spacious benches, hmm...