So I finally finished painting up the core of my Protectorate of Menoth starting army. Having already built a Cygnar, Khador and Merc force, this was my next big Warmachine project.
The models pictured above include the BattleBox minis(Kreoss, Repenter, Revenger, & Crusader(shown as a Templar)) with a Heavy Plastic Warjack kit added(shown as a Vanquisher) and the Choir of Menoth as well. I also ordered the box set of Deliverers, but my first Delivers box actually contained Flameguard Cleansers by mistake. I liked them so I kept them...and ordered an additional box of Deliverers(which were Deliverers!). These two units are still unpainted(and thus not shown).
A couple of things I wanted to mention about painting. First, Menoth White I found to be very tricky. I used the painting technique suggested in the Forces of Warmachine book but as I start with a light grey primer and not a black one, my white ended up being too white so I had to adjust the approach a bit
Secondly, I chose a mosaic tile pattern for the base and I really liked the result. The basing them was a partially ruined Menoth temple that was reclaimed by Menite forces(this the partial tile/rubble effect).
I had a lot of fun magnetizing the heavy warjacks using this tutorial made by Plarzoid at the Privateer Press forums . I highly recommend K&J Magnetics for the magnets...great website, prices and prompt shipping. At any time I can run any two of the following in a battle now: Crusader, Crusader, Vanquisher, Templar. I call these guys my "Protectorate Action Figures" because of the nice, pose-able articulation that comes with magnetizing them.
I really like the Choir of Menoth figures- another example of Privateer Press having the best mini sculpts around!
I am excited to add to this army and I look forward to fielding it of course. For now I am on to Trollbloods but all of my armies, including the Protectorate one, will continue to receive reinforcements of course.
Kreoss and company emerge from the forest, ready to deal death to the Morrowan heretics!
For a more detailed description view the video version of this Figure Feature below...
Well of course everyone knows that Long Gunners only achieve their marksmanship(RAT) with many hours of training...thus the need for the Cygnarian Shooting Gallery!
The moving paper targets depicting Iron Fang Pikemen, Lich Lords and Helljacks provide the real-world combat situation of trying to hit a moving enemy(artwork by Clayman8 and thevampiredeo)...
The words above the firing stalls remind the trainees of an important truth: "One shot could save the kingdom"...
And of course the boulder backstop provides secondary targets in the form of the ever-threatening watermelons and pumpkins!(ever see Mail Call or Lock n' Load on the History Channel?)
The Watermelon/Pumpkin casualties up close(warning-some vegetarians may be sensitive to these images)...
The "Target Shack" where fresh paper targets are loaded on to the revolving chain...
A local villager has contributed a pumpkin for the good of the kingdom(target practice) as a worn-out chain and gear lay abandoned next to the shack...
If anyone has any questions about the project feel free to post them, or check out the vids where I describe the project in detail...
Historical wargamers have used coconut fiber mats for field grass and crops on their battlefields for over 30 years...and it's still a useful way to model fields. I incorporated the easily usable material into area terrain for my Warmachine battlefields. Tall grass makes a great +2 DEF cover terrain- not strong enough to stop a bullet and act as cover, but thick enough to obscure the target(especially a Rhulic Dwarf of course!).
Above you can see a "winter" version of the field grass being used in a game.
The individual based 'clumps' can be removed from the area base to make way for figures or they can be used separately on a terrain board without a larger base.
As you can see, even without the area base the smaller pieces can be used as nice "concealment" terrain.
The picture above shows a standard spring/summer version of the field grass.
And above you see some trenchers advancing through that version(sorry the pic is a bit bright).
For a complete "how to" make the terrain elements and to see how I use them in a WM battle take a look at the vids below...
Some of the greatest miniatures from the Warmachine line are the Rhulic(dwarven) forces from the Mercenaries faction. Plenty of fantasy settings have mountain-dwelling, forge-oriented dwarves...but adding the "steampunk" element gives them an extra dash of character!
The Grundback Gunners are fun little light warjacks that I like to think of as "walking guns"- I mean look at them! I do not yet have enough Rhulic units to field an entire Searforge army but I plan to jack marshall these gunners to my Hammerfall High Shields in the meantime in support of contract armies.
I painted these guys the standard Hammerfall Khaki. I wanted a clean, un-worn look but after my initial paintjob I decided to go back and given them a Gun Corps Brown wash to bring out the details a little more.
The newer Horgenhold Artillery Corps are some of my favorite Warmachine minis to date. I decided to call the main gunner "Red" after the color I chose for her hair. The armor was a combination of Hammerfall Khaki and Thornwood Green. I like the poses of the 'support' minis- the loader and the troop directing the shot. I used my usual baking soda-white glue-white paint mix to make the "snow" for the bases.
The only conversions I made to the model are visible from the rear. I replaced "Red"'s axe with a sword from my bits box and made sandbags out of green stuff as a backstop to the mortar. I am really looking forward to fielding this unit and the long-range punch that it packs.
And above you can see a "group shot" of my new Rhulics!
Double click on the video below for a full "Figure Feature" for these minis on my Youtube Channel...
So I am knee-deep in WM minis and that is not a bad thing. However I looked up at my desk this morning and realized how much I was juggling in various painting stages...yikes! So I thought we'd play "I Spy"-Warmachine style.
What different WM units/jacks/etc. do you spy in the photo?(click to enlarge)
I put together a simple little "Khadorian War Memorial" monument the other day(two versions as you can see below) as a little side project while painting up some Trenchers. Well of course I got carried away and the terrain became my main project and the minis my side project(as usual).
The idea was to create a village monument to fallen soldiers where their surviving loved ones could express their remembrance.
The idea of the candles was that loved ones would burn a candle, say prayer, use some wax runoff to affix a 'letter of remembrance' to the base of the statue and then affix the candle. My three red candles are to honor the fallen and the yellow candle(with no matching letter) is to honor a still-serving Khadorian son or daughter.
And here's just another look from the back.
I also put together a "destroyed" version of the memorial with a summer motif.
The story here is that some Cygnarian invaders(or perhaps spiteful Llaelese resistance types?) laid into the memorial and wrecked it.
For a complete video walk-thru discussing the construction, painting and detailing of these pieces double-click on the link below to my Youtube video...
Wanting a new type of road other than the usual for my Warmachine battlefields, I recently put together what I call "Patchwork Slate Road" sections:
These roads are supposed to be somewhat ramshackle, with stones being quarried from many different places to create their irregular, haphazard appearance:
They were basically constructed from matting board(as the bases), rectangular bits of cardboard and matting board(could use heavy cardboard) and caulking(for the side ridges. I mixed a base grey paint with white, black and blue respectively to achieve the multi-colored effect on the stonework. The static grass in Noch Spring mix. For more information and a complete tutorial, feel free to click on the three part video tutorial below...
Secondly, I chose a mosaic tile pattern for the base and I really liked the result. The basing them was a partially ruined Menoth temple that was reclaimed by Menite forces(this the partial tile/rubble effect).
