The Eternal Court of the Carmine Rose

[Shadespyre]

A few additions to my skeleton hordes...

And here's my Werewolf, from Heresy Miniatures. I love the dynamic pose on this guy:

He (and he's definitely male!!!) is a good fit on a cavalry base, a good size to lead a pack of Dire Wolves or even as a counts-as mounted character.

AND he's currently yours for just £6 in the Heresy Miniatures sale...

http://heresyminiatures.com/shop/in...c7e591ceb195d0903b1cfcee4d5&keyword=were+wolf

 

[Farmer7574]

@Shadespyre That werewolf mini is cool. I've been thinking about including werewolves as a 'counts as' option in my army but am not sure what I'd use them for. Can the pose be varied?

Nice fillers.

 

[Shadespyre]

There's some scope for reposing, only one leg is fixed to the body and the limbs are slender enough to bend a little.

TO DO LIST:

*Skeleton Dragon
Vampire Lady on Dragon
1 x mounted Vampire Lady
3 x armoured Vampire Ladies
2 x Unarmoured Vampire Ladies
at least two more Lady Necromancers
some monstrous infantry sized models which might be counts-as Crypt Horrors?
*4 unit fillers
*2 more random skellies

 

[Borgnine]

Nice job! The werewolf with that spine covered looks much better than the one on their website in my opinion, really a nice piece Also, a skeleton dog!? AWESOME!

BTW, I wanted to ask, from where do you get shields for your army, the ones you later stick roses on?

 

[Shadespyre]

Thanks, I preferred to leave the spine as if skin covered, at least. The protruding spine changes the model a bit.

That skeleton dog is an old Grenadier one, may still be available from Mirliton? I've also used OOP ones from Chainmail, and the plastic dogs / rats from the Mantic skeleton sprues.

The shields I've used are all old Citadel ones, either from the old Soldiers of the Empire box or (even older) the ones that used to come with the 1980s metal Fighter characters! Gathered at some expense from ebay, or recycled from old minis.

New models - skeleton "characters"...

These are all repaired (the first two from a C17 Skeleton and a C18 Undead Samurai) or converted (from the old Reaper model Carnessa The Terrible)

 

[Farmer7574]

@Shadespyre Your conversion of the undead elf(?) holding the banner is nice, a decent simple touch that makes her blend in well with your rose theme.

I like the undead bishop guy too, the weapon & shield additions gives him a pose very similar to the old metal grave guard. Also, I like the idea that he has a 'churchy' look to him and he's undead

 

[Shadespyre]

Cheers! Glad you like them. Much as I love collecting these old minis in mint condition I also enjoy rescuing damaged ones for re-use. Often it's just broken weapons, but the Black Bishop got new hands and a foot too. The mace head is off an equally old Runequest Troll, I think. The Samurai had lead rot, he has new booted feet, a new forearm and a different sword hilt. Carnessa was originally a BSB option, but she's downgraded to a spare unit command figure now!

 

[Ol'timer]

Been missing for a bit with life, but I see you've been busy! Awsome work as normal and the unicorn is perfect.

 

[Borgnine]

Rescuing old minis and turning them into such pretties - your efforts are commendable! I love the warm colors you give them And they will go into a skeleton unit? Together with the stabbed tree?

 

[Shadespyre]

Thanks guys! Yes, those skeletons will join all the others, I'm not sure how many I have now, there will probably be more before I finish the project. Along with the tree and anything else I can stick on a base to fill a gap!

Also, I finished my biggest model yet over the weekend, and can't show you proper pictures because Photobucket has been buggered up all weekend! Very frustrating!

Let's update the list anyway:

TO DO LIST:

Vampire Lady on Dragon
1 x mounted Vampire Lady
3 x armoured Vampire Ladies
2 x Unarmoured Vampire Ladies
at least two more Lady Necromancers
*2 monstrous infantry sized models which might be counts-as Crypt Horrors?
*2 unit fillers

I've been thinking about rebuilding my Corpse Cart for a second time, because it has zombies pulling it and there are no other zombies in the army so far. Or making another corpse cart model. Or something like that. I have a spare chariot base already made that needs something on it!

 

[Borgnine]

What a tease this photobucket thing has created! :frown: I wonder and wonder, what could be even bigger than those dragon and mammoths. Perhaps something standing on that base with a stone?

Maybe try some other picture uploader? Imgur seems to work nicely.

 

[Shadespyre]

Let's see if this works...

Not optimised, but at least I can upload them. I'll re-adjust them in my normal manner when Photobucket sorts itself out.

This is Nethyrmaul, a Bones (i.e. PVC) "miniature" from Reaper Miniatures. I put the last picture in to give an idea of size! It's enormous, and bendy, and quite daunting to paint. I basically went with my standard methods: base coat + wash + drybrush + minimal highlight and it works okay, I think. A better (or just more patient) painter could work wonders with all those scales and so on, I'm sure.


And on a smaller scale, I also finished these guys:

 

[Borgnine]

Ok, that IS really big! I wanted to have that dragon once, but got afraid of his bendiness... You did mighty fine job on him, rotten colors fit him well and the base is nicely decorated. Maybe there are no tiles, but it still looks like one of your bases. Seeing that dragon now I wonder why Nethyrmaul and not Kaladrax, than guy would fit with all the skeletons Or maybe that's a future project!

Little guys are also cool, nice how they seem to be fighting on your photo I never envisioned that cat as a siamese - looks properly regal though, that jewelry fits her well

 

[Shadespyre]

He IS big, and he is also bendy. But despite worrying about it, there is no sign of the paint cracking, it just bends along with the model - I haven't tried deliberately breaking it of course! There is actually a tiny bit of floor tile at the back of the base, but I would have needed a much bigger base to have flat space for it, so... Kaladrax is enormous, not just height - he'd need a 20 x 20 cm base, minimum. Of course I've got one

Glad you picked up on the fight vibe, that's what I was going for. I'm going to make two more bases to go with them, perhaps containing something they are arguing over?

 

[Farmer7574]

@Shadespyre That dragon is beautifully painted, and enormous to say the least! He makes an impressive zombie dragon. I think you've done a great job with it - the scales look good in the photos.

Love the fillers too. As Borgnine said - they DO look like they're fighting :lol:

Great work.

 

[Devour the Cabbage]

Hooooleeeeee bejebus, can't say much more than that about that dragon, blimey, scary looking sod that and done it justice with the paint. And heres me looking at the mortarch and thinking its rather too big

 

[Raizi]

Holy sweet piece of sweetness! That dragon is fantastic. Where is that dragon model from? Did it come as such or did it require converting? Also, is the base something that comes with it or your own handiwork?

Great job!

 

[Shadespyre]

Photobucket is cooperating once more, so here's another view of that dragon, as you all love him so much!

@Raizi He's from Reaper Miniatures - https://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/Bones/latest/77190 - I added the rose vines and the bones to the base, but the rock is exactly as supplied, just glued onto a rectangle of plasticard. He comes in half a dozen or so pieces, so even assembly isn't too hard. I'm looking forward to having a go at some more big Bones in the future (I've got most of the dragons, for a start!)

 

[robtion]

That dragon is fantastic :|

Great choice of colours and tops painting and I like how you have made it fit your theme with the basing. Bravo

Also dig the cat and crow. Great little fillers.

 

[Shadespyre]

Thanks, especially glad that you like it. Maybe not so many "Undead" models of this size in the Bones range, but I'm happy to recommend them after this experience.

My next intent is to make a push on more character models, which I still have lots of to do. Using the new Painting Contest as a spur, I'm going to throw colours onto a whole bunch of ladies and see which ones I get a "feel" for. Hopefully I'll end up with one for the Contest and a few more finished or at least started in the bargain. Because of that there are now WIP asterisks all over my list:

TO DO LIST:

*Vampire Lady on Dragon
Yet another skeletal dragon
*1 x mounted Vampire Lady
*3 x armoured Vampire Ladies
*2 x Unarmoured Vampire Ladies
at least two more Lady Necromancers
*2 monstrous infantry sized models which might be counts-as Crypt Horrors?
*2 Grenadier Skeleton Archers
*2 Ethereals

The last two entries have appeared from my bits box and from a donation from my gaming buddy. I'll probably add both archers to my War Mammoth howdahs.

 

[Shadespyre]

Two bonus ethereals crossed off the list...

The Wraith had lost his head (!) and scythe, so a quick fix with GS and bits. The lady is just a basic casting I picked up from someone - I think I used another from the same source as a statue a while back?

 

[Sharkbelly]

Very nice! Very ghostly.

 

[Shadespyre]

Probably the last bunch of skeletons thrown together from my bits box...

There's a couple of really sorry C series sculpts in there, so rotten they were barely savable even as Undead. A couple of other models I got with them have gone straight into the melting pile!

 

[Ol'timer]

As far as the corpse cart, I'm changing mine to horses. Main thing is figuring the yokes. Been toying with the old plastic chariot from the army box. In the old books, they use it as a cart also, at least in the drawings

 

[Shadespyre]

Hmm I've got some spare skeleton horses but I think it'd need a bigger base? Worth a look though