The Dead Rise... (for like the 100th time)

[Mr. Anderson]

If I'm being honest with myself I'd say my real hobby is finding inspiration (or excuses) to start new Undead armies. It just so happens to be that this here thing came along earlier this year, with everything unbuilt and still on sprue...

Spoiler

...and then throw in the identical unbuilt contents of a second box into the mix (no cardboard though), plus a couple extras, and there's the beginning of a real old school skeleton legion. My hobby speed has been rather slow this year but I've gotten to a point where a force has started to take shape and I figured a painting log here on the resurrected forum might be just what I need to keep it rolling!

Anyway, I think the plan will be to make this a Vampire Counts army rather than Undead (talking 5th edition here), and a focus on miniatures that were around in the 90s with some exceptions.

I will also try to keep this log as organized as I can, so this opening post will contain a posts index that I will keep updated, along with all the army pictures. I hope you'll enjoy the ride as much as I hope to!

Index

• Count Luthor von Carstein, Vampire Lord, and Helena von Carstein, Vampire Count. And their Familiar.
• Grave Guard
• Black Knights
• Fluffy, the Winged Nightmare
• Skeletons with shields (start of)
• Skeletons with scythes (start of)
• Skeletons (combined unit, wip)
• Frank, Vampire Thrall
• Dire Wolves (start of)

Army Shots

 

[Mr. Anderson]

So to start things off we've got the leadership of the army, starring the two Von Carsteins Count Luthor (he's actually a Vampire Lord) and his daughter Helena (an actual Count).

Luthor is really just the old Blood Bowl miniature of the star player of the same name with a sword put in his raised hand. Helena is a rather more involved conversion of several miniatures, with the body being from Anima Tactics and the sword being Gandalf's from the Gandalf & Balrog Lord of the Rings set. I think they combine together to make a fun pair of figureheads in the army, with Luthor's goofy face and style contrasting amusingly with his daughter's more serious look. I especially like the side-eye she gives her father in the pair picture. I didn't plan it, it just turned out that way.

Oh right, they've also got a little familiar to help them out. I don't think he's got a name yet. Little Red or Impy perhaps? Just look at that cute evil tail sticking out.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Next up is a unit of Grave Guard armed with spears, heavy armour and shields. They're built from the skeletons in the Skeleton Army box, armed with the cavalry lances and then given all the extra armour bits you can scrounge up. No rear attacks though, please.

Their blazon is a dripping bloody bat, something I figured would be easy enough to replicate multiple times.

The unit currently numbers 15 models, the plan is to add another rank and an appropriate champion for them.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Here's a small unit of Black Knights. They match the Grave Guard closely in style and appearance which is a pretty effective look. I especially like the banner top that I found from an old Ral Partha miniature.

The plan here is to also add another rank of knights and a champion to lead them.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

And lastly for the first batch of posts, here's one of the exceptions to the goal of 90s miniatures - Fluffy, the trusty old Varghulf who will play the role of a Winged Nightmare in this army. It's just such a fitting model for a Vampire Counts army and I just have to include it. As a bonus he's got a magnet drilled into his upper back to let Helena jump on top (she's got a magnet underfeet, see).

 

[Unas the slayer]

And lastly for the first batch of posts, here's one of the exceptions to the goal of 90s miniatures - Fluffy, the trusty old Varghulf who will play the role of a Winged Nightmare in this army. It's just such a fitting model for a Vampire Counts army and I just have to include it. As a bonus he's got a magnet drilled into his upper back to let Helena jump on top (she's got a magnet underfeet, see).

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She's lovely!

 

[Disciple of Nagash]

What a nice treat on my Sunday night forum viewing!

Very much enjoying the classic 90s look with the skellies, feel like I've been transported back *cough*30*cough* years ago! There's just something very charming about them.

On the vamps, both your models look like they were originally designed like that - great conversions. There's something about Luthor that just makes me think of a general that's cheering his troops on from the back, even as those skellies prove to be utterly useless he's still there knowing they are trying their best! As for Helena....honestly she reminds me of my daughter (18 now!)...that side-eye is disturbingly familiar!

Are you planning for your army to be a particular Bloodline?

 

[Mr. Anderson]

I finally come with something new for this army, although it's not very much in the grand scale of things. It's moving along at a rather glacial pace but that's just fitting for the winter season, right?

Disciple of Nagash this is a von Carstein army. I've always been partial to the blood dragons and their elite focus but the classic (and some would say... campy) gothic themes of the vonC's barely wins out in the end.

Anyhoo, here are 5 skeletons!

(The plan is obviously to have more but you gotta start somewhere)

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Another 5 skeletons, but with scythes!

(And a new army shot up in the first post)

 

[Mr. Anderson]

The dead keep awakening... at a rate of about one miniature per week, if even that fast. Anyway, I've got some new stuff to showcase here!

Halfway through the skeletons required for the two new regiments shown previously I kind of got fed up with painting them, so I took the easy way out and just combined them all into a single mixed group, complete with a standard bearer to keep them organized. The bunch is currently 17-strong and while the long term goal is to have two separate regiments, in the mean time I don't think it looks too bad.

 

[Mr. Anderson]

And I've also gotten a new character done up. Meet Frank, servant and enforcer of the count's will!

It is the old blood bowl miniature of Frankenstein (or Frank 'N' Stein if you will) put on a skeleton horse and given a club from a mummy. He'll be used as a vampire thrall in this army, or possibly a mummy tomb king if playing as Undead. The conversion worked out rather well and I think he's a fun addition to the gothic theme. I hope you all like him too.

 

[Zambula]

What a sight! They are glorious!
I hesitated to build an all-mounted Necrarch army because the winged nightmare is… boring. Owning several times that ugly model does not appeal me. But I love this giant bat!

So I may use the original nightmare, the bat, then maybe a dark Pegasus or a manticore, so I can have my flying circus of horrors.

Thanks for sharing!

 

[Mr. Anderson]

Zambula the original varghulf is indeed a great miniature, I think it'll fit your plans perfectly. I'm glad to have been of use to inspire.

And I've got a really small addition to the force. A single dire wolf.

That is all.



Painting has been going slow lately but I hope to get some more of these done before too long. I quite like how it turned out!

 

[Zambula]

Zambula the original varghulf is indeed a great miniature, I think it'll fit your plans perfectly. I'm glad to have been of use to inspire.

And I've got a really small addition to the force. A single dire wolf.

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View attachment 69945

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That is all.



Painting has been going slow lately but I hope to get some more of these done before too long. I quite like how it turned out!

I love it! Dark as night, with fangs white as the fullmoon

And with a green base! These are rare these days!