The Zealous

 

This month's Odds and Sods Challenge theme is 'lunatics'. "Bum", I thought, "I need to be painting dwarves", not sure being obsessed with ale and gold really makes you a lunatic. But wait! Didn't I have some Slayers on the shelf that needed painting? Could I use that as an excuse to get the rest of my dwarves on the table? Hmm, only one Slayer unpainted. One Slayer doth not a challenge entry make. What else have I got that might fit?

I know... what about those Witch Hunters? They're suitably crazed in their zeal to be applicable.

There certainly is a dwarf among them, probably also a Slayer, just a Vampire Slayer rather than a Troll, Dragon, or Daemon Slayer. His name is Ivan Hellsinga, though I was tempted to give him a big sword instead of his axe to match his long leather coat. On the horse is Raoul Sloier, the worst kind of pedant, with his big tome of decrees. I was tempted to have a go at painting the cover as the 3rd edition Armies Book (where it all started to go wrong in some opinion) but wimped out. I might yet give it a go. The good ol' WHQ Witch Hunter was missing his sword hand. Originally I was going to give him a book or scroll but the band already has a lot of textual props in it so I opted for this ex-Hinchliffe now Broadsword Miniatures skeleton on a cross instead. A recent heretic cleansed of their opinion. The final figure is from the same Foundry pack as Raoul, a mounted and on-foot version of the same mini. 

I also had a bunch of monks, a cardinal and a musketeer type chap in the same box so I thought I would lump them in together. Here is Cardinal Khum Fitcher (with an acute over the e) and his Red Missionaries, including his loyal bodyguard Rich Aloux. The Cardinal is Essex I think? Don't know what the musketeer dude is but he has a very fine wig.

These identical monks must be Old Glory or something like that. Their hands are massive and banana-y so maybe I should have given them purple gloves? They are, after all, the Estalian Inquisition (nobody expected that). The red robes were decided by my already having pale-robed cultists, ecclesial purple cultists and brown-cassocked monks in my collection. I wanted something different but still appropriate. Only after I had started painting them red did I realise they actually look quite a lot like Father Carden from Cursed. Once I had seen it I had to go along with it! I'm not sure how well the crucifixes fit in with a fantasy world, but as a form of torture/execution favoured by a conquering power I imagine it would still be present just without the same religious association. Or perhaps they're stylised axes/hammers.

They join my existing Witch Hunters from various sources. The guy with the sword and big hammer I don't remember where he came from but I wish I did, he's very cool. Perhaps someone can tell me? The musketeer and three fine gentlemen below are 28mm ECW miniatures I collected (they were painted and mounted on small wooden plinths) going around re-enactments and castles as a kid. I think they all came from Basing House and Basingstoke Museum actually, so maybe someone in the Basingstoke area was batch painting and selling them through those outlets? If it was you, thanks! I bought loads and they were proudly displayed in my parents' Dining Room for years. I got rid of my Romans and Medieval figures but kept the ECW ones and decided to repaint them as Witch Hunters so they did get stripped (sorry about that). I think they might be Bicorn but I'm far from sure. The lady in red is from Ral Partha Europe. I had her in mind to be Angua in a Discworld Guards band before I sculpted my own version so the colour choices are a nod to that.

The last two are these chaps from Westfalia. Halfling Witch Hunters, Van Halflings? Already did that pun earlier, sorry. My halfling peasant farmers (from Midlam) are painted in a puritanical, amish kinda colour scheme using a dark green (because halflings still like green even if not as bright as usual!) so I carried that over into their hats and cloaks as opposed to the charcoal grey on the other Witch Hunters.

The Barbaric Tribe of the Horny King

 

I've put pictures of these guys up before, but as I was playing a game with them at the weekend I thought I would use the opportunity to take some new, better photos documenting the full force. Only thing is I may need to find three more archers... Anyhow, without explanation, here are some pictures.

Book of War- a Barbarian Battle!

My good matey Mike of Broadswords and Beasts came over to provide alternative entertainment on Saturday. Apparently some geezer in the big smoke was getting a glittery hat but we had our attention caught by two warring Barbarian clans- My earthy, celtic, Slaine-influenced clan of the Horny King vs. Mike's Heavy Metal Marauders.

Mike brought along Book of War Original Edition Delta by Daniel R. Collins (2011). A ruleset designed to handle mass combat in D&D, so very much the flavour of 1st edition Warhammer without the need for tables. It ran fast and smoothly, though we had to make a few 'common sense' calls re. crossing scenery, wheeling, passing through narrow gaps etc. This was probably all covered in the advanced section of the rules but we wanted something simple so just played the basics. The only maths involved was a morale calculation based on losses from combat that turn. Once you had run it a couple of times it was second nature.

Now to the fun part... photos!

Forces arrayed for battle... The Slainians are a bit outnumbered, but they do have a mammoth!

Movement is fast! A 'light' cavalry unit can get halfway across the table in a turn and even ponderous infantry has a 9" move.

Spikes and skulls are clearly the order of the day amongst the Metal Heads. The deliciously fluffy doggies sadly didn't get a chance to chomp on succulent biceps as they lost most of the front rank to arrows from the mammoth howdah and quite literally turned tail. Fast movement doesn't give you much chance to recover from a rout!

An imposing unit of Hecatrons (Hecatri?) advance on the left flank.

Grim banners and heavy chariots advance to the pounding of war drums and scream of distorted guitars...

The Hecatri swarm the hedge to set upon the retinue of the Horny King. 

It would be a drawn-out conflict, but little by little the ranks of Hecatri fell to the gae bolga.

On the right flank the Marauders had the upper hand (bedecked in studs and with two fingers raised no doubt!). Heavy bear cavalry and chariots made short work of the shoggy beasts before turning their attention to the geriatric veterans...

...who soon hobbled off in brisk retreat!

The mammoth stood its ground as hordes swamped it from all sides. A unit fell beneath a sweep of its trunk but it was no match for the mighty giant axeman.

Enraged by the losses to a small group of archers (longbows seem like the most effective weapon on the battlefield) the mighty Metal Warlord and his heavy chariot mows straight over them. No survivors. Meanwhile the remains of the Horny King's retinue are surrounded on three sides and pushed from the table. But they shall return to exact their revenge! And probably bring more bows next time...