Reign of the Lichemaster- Some characters of note

My final (for now) post of Lichemaster miniatures focuses of some named characters previously not included or with less-than-brilliant photos. The only newly painted piece here is where we shall start...

Kristoffe Earlee, vampiric necromancer lord, was the 2022 BOYL exclusive mini. As a Bob Olley sculpt he naturally divides opinion, but since my Lichemaster is a Bob Olley sculpt it seemed rude not to include him. The intention was to fit as many references to a late-lamented popular actor as possible. How many can you find?

I've shown Kemler himself before, but worth repeating with better lighting and a funky backdrop! As mentioned he's a slightly modified Essex miniature with (I think) a Reaper steed.

Some of the dead dwarves of Gimbrin's mine, including Gimbrin Finehelm himself and Bardak the Loremaster (a modified sculpt by Curtis Fell from an old Circle of Chaos Kickstarter).

The Bogie Bogles and former agitator Grimwald Calico, complete with bomb. The similarity in garb and poses between the Boney Bomber and model given for Calico in the scenario pack can't be accidental, surely? Yes, Corabell has a pet rat.

And finally, my three skull chuckers that don't really fit anywhere else.

Reign of the Lichemaster: Dead Bretonnians

 

Duc Tancred II of Quenelles rushed to the relief of La Maisontaal... according to the rehash of the Citadel Journal scenario published in Warhammer Chronicles. Unfortunately he and his Bretonnian contingent were also soundly thrashed by the unstoppable might of the Lichemaster and now serve him in undeath. According to my research blue and white is the 'canon' colour scheme for Tancred's forces. Though the pegasus head I have not adopted, opting instead for a classic fleur de lys motif- defaced with Kemler's orange spider/crab mark.

Mostly Heartbreaker (from their Fantasy Armies Packs range) undead archers with a few RAFM and the Fenryll champion (displaced from Krell's chariot) make up the 'more armoured' archer unit. 

Mostly classic Citadel plastic skeletons with a few RAFM and some Mantic heads make up the 'unarmoured' archer unit. Lead by a Celtos (Brigade Models) miniature.

In death all are equal... and so the elite foot knights have been crammed into a unit alongside regular peasant levy. They have crowded together at the front at least!

Celtos (Brigade Models)

More Celtos

A couple of classic plastics with 5th ed skeleton ram heads, drum from an empire model and 'beater' from (I think) a 6th ed regiment set

Heartbreaker (two different ranges), Grenadier, RAFM and Dark Arts Studio

Classic Citadel

It feels like a Bretonnian force would include a fair number of men at arms with polearms so there are two large spear units. A very mixed unit of spearmen with some light armour and shields...

Mantic plastics. They were cheap so I thought I would check them out. Not a fan really, but they make ok rear rank troops for variation.

RAFM and Heartbreaker. I think these older Hearthbreaker sculpts are now available through North Star.

Hooray! More Celtos

And more Celtos

And yet more Celtos

...and just regular spear skellies. Yet more Celtos! Yes, I did score a job-lot of cheap Celtos skeletons... but I also love them very much and would have bought them new (but perhaps not so many!) had I not been able to pick up the bundle. They're mostly just bone and metal so can be really quick to paint, especially if you daub Modelmates Rust on instead of painting the metal as I have done. I did balance this out with quite a bit of highlighting though.

Some RAFM crept into the middle to bulk out the unit. Their stance is so wide that it was better to put 3 on a 40x40 base rather than try to fit them on 20mm squares!

And the chariots. I guess Bretonnians are not fabled for their chariots? But since these are made of bone they were probably raised by Kemler from some remains of giant oxen preserved in the La Maisontaal vaults and men at arms delegated to crew them. The first plastic kit I ever got was a skeleton chariot (long after the awesome Skeleton Horde box had been discontinued) and I remember it being such a pain to stick together. I love the kit, but even with years of practice it is still a pain to keep assembled and fell apart several times whilst painting! Not helped by the substitution of some metal parts it must be said. These were picked up in a lot of broken skeletons so have had some mending and alterations to get them back on the road.

Alternative Armies chariot driver. A RPE skull (I do love them so!) replaces a lost plastic head on the archer.

Machineries of Destruction steeds replace the plastics for variation. The two-headed, three-armed skeleton was like that in the job lot so I kept him.

Head plate from the Black Coach to add some variation to the plastic horse. Mix of Skeleton Horde and 5th ed plastics in the crew, but not too noticeable I think.

Last but not least, Tancred himself and his contingent of knights. Tancred is a Ral Partha rider but I didn't like his horse, I believe that's a Grenadier one he's riding? Could be wrong. He has an attendant wizard (probably Jade judging by the scythe?) and two champions. At some point I may do a Tancred on a pegasus as he is represented in the Warhammer Chronicles book, Grenadier have a half-decent one but it's not quite right... A project for the future, maybe. Between them these heroes will lead a unit of knights and one of mounted men at arms.

Citadel (and a Mantic) on lovely Essex (now available just as horses) and a RAFM steed

Citadel and RAFM (and Mantic) on Citadel, RAFM and Essex steeds

Classic Skeleton Horde undead horsemen joined by later Citadel riders on Esex and Citadel steeds

RAFM on RAFM and Essex steeds

One more to go next week!

Reign of the Lichemaster: Macabre Monks of La Maisontaal

What did Kemler do after he had decimated the settlements in the Frugelhorn valley? He went to the abbey of La Maisontaal where he had once enjoyed shelter and learned camaraderie from the brothers. That turned sour when Kemler's studies become more overtly dark and the Lichemaster was cast out to wander gibbering in the wilderness. The reunion was not to be a pleasant one...

So runs the tale in Vengeance of the Lichemaster (Citadel Journal Spring 86) which introduced the villainous Skaven for the first time. It's also featured as part of the Lichemaster WFRP campaign, adopting different names once again. La Maisontaal existed before the concept of the nature god Taal had been thoroughly explored so its resident brothers as described and shown in the painting by John Blanche (above) for the cover of the Journal don't immediately conjure up images of what a modern WFRP player might expect from Taal-ites. But that's just as well because I never was orthodox in my interpretation of Warhammer fluff. My brethren have adopted the red robes and yellow trimmings of the Blanche painting. 

There are two 'types' of monk described in the campaigns. The 'Warrior Monks' are the 'younger' initiates... yes, they are kung fu monks. There aren't this many in the WFB scenario (indeterminate number in the WFRP campaign) but this doesn't seem an unreasonable amount for a decent-sized abbey. In the WFRP campaign there's a small village adjacent to the abbey and those villagers are porbably among these ranks now as well, plus of course there would be some extra recruits already in the graveyard... Since he's pissed off with the monks I reckon Kemler would find it amusing to arm former followers of Taal with agricultural tools. They are lead by Bagrian (the Master of La Maisontaal in the Journal) and Jean-Louis Dintrans who succeeds the dying Master at the start of the WFRP campaign.  

Fir Bolg Shadow Lord from Celtoc (Brigade Models). He straddles two bases!

An assortment- Citadel, Ral Partha, North Star, Zealot?

Gary Morley Wraiths and standard

Marauder/Night Horrors/Citadel

Harlequin (Black tree Designs)

Then there are the 'Wizard Monks' (magical monks of La Maisontaal), older brothers who have made a study of the mystical arts. Again there are more of these than in the WFB scenario, the extensive crypt of old Masters has been raided for the purpose! I've given these more decorative trim to their robes to show their status. They are lead by Rene de Muscadet, the Master who dies at the beginning of the WFRP campaign and who was responsible for driving out the Lichemaster, mortally wounding him in the process. The former Master is forced to carry his skull, a ram's head being placed on his neck as form of humiliation by Kemler.

Past Masters- Ral Partha, Chronopia and RAFM

Alternative Armies

Citadel, gotta love those old barrow wights

Later LotR... Ringwraiths more colourful than they've ever been before

Alternative Armies, Citadel and ?

Of course the monks aren't the only asset residing at La Maisontaal. Thanks to Bagrian (in the Journal scenario) or de Muscadet (in the WFRP campaign) the abbey is also the current resting place of the Black Ark, a powerful chunk of Warpstone, and the Mechanical Warrior. The Skaven of the original scenario have been repulsed and Kemler has retained possession of the Ark which he is using to increase his power. The Mechanical Warrior he has kept in service as a novelty. In the original scenario the warrior is a Dalek (Citadel released their licensed Daleks in the same Journal issue) but I have gone with a more tin-man style animated suit of armour... until I find a Dalek model that is. The Black Ark is being stored in an ox-drawn casket so Kemler can take it with him should he need to tap its power whilst out and about. The Skaven will not have forgotten where it lies...

The Ark is a repurposed Black Coach with the original coachman now an outrider, dethroned by the Plague Cart driver. I never liked the Black Coach model, it always felt rather too silly, even for a fantasy wargame. The oxen are from the Fenryll chariot.

Next week- the defeated forces of Bretonnia!