This thing was a real joy to paint again. I didn’t go all out as I did before but the end results were very satisfactory. I’ll complete the crew tomorrow.
Now I had designed this model to pose as both a Warspinx and Necrosphinx but it didn’t work out as I had hoped. Installing the howdah on it’s back scratched the paint pretty badly. So no wings for this bad boy…
Crap!
Double Crap!
I do however like the winged kitty look of this kit and may use it in the future.
Next on the chopping block will be the stalkers and crew for the Warsphinx.
I got to put in some real time with the sphinx kit yesterday and with some time I was able to modulate it. It’s not as easy as say a dreadnought but it can be done if you take your time and are careful. I love you Dremel.
I also was able to use the torso for a new design for my Heirotitan. The Conduit concept works well for my army scheme but does not scream monster enough. This is closer to the idea I originally had.
Getting three models out of one box is pretty cool.
It’s been a hectic last few days! First of all I got my TK book in on Thursday and as soon as I cracked the cover I noticed something I didn’t see before that gave ideas! (more on this in a sec).
First up is I finished that unit of Skeletal Archers. I hate to admit it, but they look pretty good with a decent paintjob. I would prefer newer models, but these can suffice. Hell, knowing me I’ll end up loving them in the end…
Now about that idea I had. There is a little hieroglyph on the bottom middle of the first illustration in the TK book that spawned a slew of ideas for me. It has been pointed out that I like floating stuff (And I do! Big whoop, wanna fight about it?), here is a prototype of the ideas that took root: The Conduit.
My idea was this was made of stone cut from the black stone of Nagash’s Pyramid like the casket conversion I made. Floating over the battlefield it acts as a focus for Liche Priest magic as well as throwing curses of it’s own. While I like it this concept and it fits in nicely with my army scheme, it needs work on several levels. First it does not give off the “AHHH! Monster!” vibe it needs to. Second being that it has no real facing (I marked the base to show the front). It function till I get the elements I need. I’ll be picking up 3 Warsphinx kits today.
It was built using blocks from my pyramid and another Hirst Mold (#56). The top is held aloft via rare earth magnets (REM). Unfortunately I had a resin mishap and the mold got ruined. I have it soaking in degreaser at the moment and will upgrade to mineral spirits if this fails.
Now for some weird stuff. I’m a tad compulsive. So when I do something I feel driven to go all the way. So this is my dice cup. XD
The Necrosphinx planted a serious painting seed and when I gave into it the first thing I needed was an appropriate dice cup. My first idea was for a large canopic jar and I found a few really nice ones the problem is they were all either too large or too narrow to hold the sea of dice I intended to pour into my foes’ units. Then I found this beauty on Amazon. It’s called a ‘Bronze Scrab Box’ encase you want one for yourselves.
With some slight modification using some REMs I have the lid significantly secured. I love this thing so much I had to get matching dice. Did I mention I was compulsive?
Yesterday we had a 1000pt vet night tourney at the hobby shop and I decided to use my new TK. I had a BLAST and won Best Army and these were my prize! I can’t wait to paint these bad boys up!
Lastly, he’s home. And mine. I was given him last night along with the Stalkers. I was so happy I almost squee’d
Squee
Intransitive verb
1. A noise primarily made by an over-excited fangirl, however it has spread rapidly and is now widely spread among the web community.
2. A random ecstatic exclamation
Retrieved from Urban Dictionary.
My Casket of Souls conversion is now complete! I’m calling it a Black Dais until I can come up with a better title. I like this conversion a lot but I see room for improvement and will likely revisit this model in the future (The rear pillars are not working for me…)
The priest came out ok. Not tops for a character but definitely tabletop quality.
I finished the Necrotect last night. He painted up really quickly and I like this version better then the one they currently have in the rulebook.
Since it’s raining again I’ll have to wait a day or so for the humidity to clear up so I can varnish my completed units and get some more stuff primed. In the meantime I guess I have to start on these pieces of crap…
This sucker took a while to get done but the results are quite appealing! I was unsure last night while on the red stage but once one was finished I was really glad. Two units now done so I can reward myself with painting a character or to 2. (Do your units first or your army will never get done…)
Next on the block will be the Dais Priest, Necrotect, and Dais Guard.
Here are some new pictures for my Black Dais (Casket) and a unit filler for my skeletons. I’m liking this design so far!
Also here is a unit filler for my Skeleton unit. It really adds character to the unit and I’m growing more fond of the floating elements of this army. Reminds me of Stargate a little…
Nagash has been one of my favorite characters in the Warhammer Fantasy world. I guess it’s because he is so heavily designed after Vecna from D&D who IS my favorite character from a RPG standpoint. But I digress.
Painting that Necrosphinx really has my hobby mojo flowing and I feel like painting an army again. This project will be for Arkhan, Nagash’s chief lieutenant. I’m still trying to pin down the color scheme but I think what I have will work fine. I’ll likely expand on it as I go. I’ve a real love for ancient Egypt. Everything they created has/had such character it’s a real thrill to recreate it in miniaturized form. I’ve painted a TK army in the past but had to sell it off to pay some bills. It will be fun to do it again I think.
Colors Scheme:
Detail – Dark red or black
Metal – Dark brass, gold highlighting w/ patina
Skeletal Bodies – Krylon Almond (satin), directional dry brushing, ivory highlighting
Mummified Flesh – Dark brown, flat earth highlights
Leather – Terracotta > tanned flesh > pale flesh
Gems – Unknown at the moment. Likely red.
Construct Bodies – Onyx (hopefully he marble technique I used for the Necrosphinx will translate)
Current Range Model Concerns:
Heroes
Kings/Princes – Good to go w/ new kits en route.
Liche Priest – Eww! Converted (see Below).
Herald – Really unbalanced but satisfactory
Core
Chariots – Great kit. Conversion (See Below).
Cavalry – Satisfactory.
Skeletons – God help me… (see Below)
Specials
Ushabti – Nice though expensive
Scorpion – One of my Favs.
Swarms – Acceptable but pricy & uninspired
Rares
Giant – Still like this kit. Conversion ideas brewing…
Catapult – Satisfactory.
Casket – Very sexy kit. Converted (see Below).
On Skeletons…
The current model range for this army is unusual. It contains new kits combined with some really OLD bits. Most of the range looks good together but some kits are really showing their age (Skeleton Warriors). This kit is so freaking antiquated GW really needs to put these sprews out to pasture. I can’t bring myself to use them and I’ve been searching for alternatives.
I’ve found that the current vampire counts skeleton range will satisfy the foot troop niche nicely if you are careful which parts you choose. I used 9/10 legs in the kit with the bare torsos, and bald heads. The spears work perfectly as they appear sufficiently ancient and their state of decay fits in nicely with this theme. Add in some TK shields and you’re done.
The archers are a different problem altogether… I don’t have an answer for this kit. I hate these models so much. If anyone has any ideas on how to circumvent these horrors please let me know.
On Liche Priests…
Currently there are only three LP models. One mounted/foot blister and the LP from the CoS (Casket of Souls) kit. I hate the blister and the casket kit is doing the ‘Big Arms’ thing (Eddie Izzard ref) and does not rank up so I converted them.
Now I’m not really satisfied with these conversions but I think they will suffice until GW releases some new models. They do fit in well with this army theme so I’ll likely grow to love them.
On the Casket of Souls…
I love this kit but an idea struck me yesterday that I just had to follow. Nagash created a huge pyramid made out of obsidian to show the world the degree of his badassness. I had an idea that his followers would use small replicas made from the original glass as artifacts of war.
I designed this kit to float on a dais with a LP reading from a cursed tome to activate it. The dais is a Dragon Forge Temple base I had sitting around unused, and the base is made from acrylic sheet. The two guards will walk next to it as they are unworthy of hitching a ride.
On Chariots…
The current models for the chariots are pretty cool. The only problem I found was that they are not very character friendly. Normally the chariot is too narrow for ‘based’ heroes to be used but I found a work around. I like to keep my models modular if possible and this was simple. I Dremel’d out a nice groove along the base of the two sides of the chariot so you could fit a character inside that was mounted on a base. The Prince/King clicks right in. Sweetness…
I have to turn this beauty in today so I could not give the arms and tail the attention they deserved. And to tell the truth I’m more disappointed about that then I thought I would be. But alas this model does not belong to me. (Why am I rhyming?)
This was a real pleasure and I’m sad to see it go incomplete. Perhaps if I get him back I’ll put some more work on those parts.
I hope you all enjoyed this journey as much as I did.
