@ZeroTwentythree It makes me wander why GW never made a mixed-race zombie set too, since our guys raise our victims to fight for us. Zombie orcs, dwarves, skaven, etc. would be totally cool!
The Undeadish
- Thread starter ZeroTwentythree
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Agreed, this would bring even more flair to big skeleton units and overall undead stuff.
Hellion Nox
Grave Guard
I agree.
It is too bad that GW has made the current zombies look so comic like. Compared to mantic zombies for example.
I can only hope we'll see the release of new models for them in 9th edition. *fingers crossed*
@Hellion Nox Yeh, out of GW's & Mantic's zombies, Mantic's takes the cake. They look more hunger driven and creepy. GW's looks like a bunch of very old people playing farmer fancy dress or something.
I agree about the Mantic vs. GW zombies. The GW figures are pretty old, too. As far as non-humans, at least it's easier to make/convert non-human zombies than skeletons, though.
I'm working on a small unit. I've got just a couple of the old Cursed Company figures. The old oversized GW skeletons I've got had a beast head. Plus I've grabbed a few other skulls from other places. But I'm still relying on human skeleton bodies, so it's not entirely convincing. Still adds a bit of variety, though.
I've previously been directed to a few other sources, but I haven't taken the dive with any of them, partially because they all seem to be overseas from me. The US always seems limited in alternatives & bits companies compared to the EU, and particularly the UK.
http://www.battlezone-miniatures.co.uk/shop/category/197
http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=221_222_46_228
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/sh...30_36/19305-undead-ogre-with-club-p-1190.html
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/sh...-30_36/19304-undead-ogre-with-axe-p-1189.html
Also some skulls from MaxMini, but just one or two in a pack, and once again, overseas shipping...
I'm working on a small unit. I've got just a couple of the old Cursed Company figures. The old oversized GW skeletons I've got had a beast head. Plus I've grabbed a few other skulls from other places. But I'm still relying on human skeleton bodies, so it's not entirely convincing. Still adds a bit of variety, though.
I've previously been directed to a few other sources, but I haven't taken the dive with any of them, partially because they all seem to be overseas from me. The US always seems limited in alternatives & bits companies compared to the EU, and particularly the UK.
http://www.battlezone-miniatures.co.uk/shop/category/197
http://www.scotiagrendel.com/Products/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=221_222_46_228
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/sh...30_36/19305-undead-ogre-with-club-p-1190.html
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/sh...-30_36/19304-undead-ogre-with-axe-p-1189.html
Also some skulls from MaxMini, but just one or two in a pack, and once again, overseas shipping...
Hellion Nox
Grave Guard
Do the D&D (floppy plastic) miniatures include any non-human undead? I picked up some metal Orc Skeletons from the Chainmail range, so it's a possibility.
I think they have a few different non-human skeletons, but I didn't care for the ones I saw.
Several non-humans here:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/adv...lue_id18=&extra_value_id19=&extra_value_id21=
Several non-humans here:
http://ironwindmetals.com/store/adv...lue_id18=&extra_value_id19=&extra_value_id21=
Quick paint test for the heavy skeletal infantry. Obviously I did leave the excessive paulrons off, and swapped out the skull from one of those I got from Secret Weapon. Pretty pleased with how it looks.
This was also a bit of a photographic experiment as well. I used my phone and a pretty well rounded online, Flash based image editor called Pixlr for the photo editing.
While I was cropping the photos, I also noticed some of the extra stuff in the perephery of some of the photos and thought I would post this tiny peek at other parts of my desk...
This was also a bit of a photographic experiment as well. I used my phone and a pretty well rounded online, Flash based image editor called Pixlr for the photo editing.
While I was cropping the photos, I also noticed some of the extra stuff in the perephery of some of the photos and thought I would post this tiny peek at other parts of my desk...
@ZeroTwentythree Great job on those bane thralls, much more VC now with that replacement head and without those aeroplane wing-sized pauldrons 
Finished the first small unit of skeletal elite. Only two fit on a base, which is fine. As long as they appear to have the same "mass" as the other formed units, I'm OK with that. I ended up going back and "dusting" the bottom of the robes, and giving the the edges of the armor & weapons a bit more detail. I like the way they turned out, and think they will look good with the army. I may do another set like this at some point in the future. But I've still got plenty of other stuff I'd like to get done first.
@ZeroTwentythree Great job on those grave guard, they look waaay more menacing than the GW ones! Great choice of colours too.
I might steal that idea of putting two on a 40mm base! Really looks like they're swing those axes! Nice work!
I wasn't at all convinced by the original models, but your alterations (and painting) have made them much better.
Thanks!
I actually like the GW grave guard, but I was just after a different look. I also like the old metal grave guard, and I was originally thinking about trying to get enough of them for a unit. Now that I've finished these figures, I'm glad I went this route -- I really like the way they look with the changes I made.
Finished my first group of Undeadish cavalry. It may seem like I've become a painting machine, but they have been mostly done for quite a while. I just quickly (maybe a little too quickly) finished them up whenever I could get a few minutes to work on them recently.
I actually like the GW grave guard, but I was just after a different look. I also like the old metal grave guard, and I was originally thinking about trying to get enough of them for a unit. Now that I've finished these figures, I'm glad I went this route -- I really like the way they look with the changes I made.
Finished my first group of Undeadish cavalry. It may seem like I've become a painting machine, but they have been mostly done for quite a while. I just quickly (maybe a little too quickly) finished them up whenever I could get a few minutes to work on them recently.
@ZeroTwentythree Nice work on those horsemen, the colours you've kept running throughout your units suit their undead nature well.
I've decided to start working on a gaming table in the attic. After (far too much) consideration, I decided to go for a quick & easy solution first, with the option to switch to one of my more complex ideas later. This has several benefits: I will get a decent gaming surface in play pretty quickly, and everything can be "upgraded" in phases. So before I started overthinking, I picked up the minimal basics while I was running some errands today: one more set of cube shelves and two flush hollow core interior doors. Next step will be to texture and paint them. I've already got the glue & sand from a previous project.
Here's a couple of pics of them in place. Please excuse the mess. I'm still in the process of cleaning, unpacking, setting up & organizing the attic. My painting/sculpting table off in the opposite corner, on the left side of the second photo.
Here's a couple of pics of them in place. Please excuse the mess. I'm still in the process of cleaning, unpacking, setting up & organizing the attic. My painting/sculpting table off in the opposite corner, on the left side of the second photo.
@ZeroTwentythree Nice looking gaming surface! Decent as well as you can stand the doors against the wall and use the shelves for storing your armies, etc when you're not gaming.
I'm done with the basic table top.
The summary of my decision/design is that I went with something I could put to use quickly, and easily. I can add, upgrade, create modular tiles, etc. later. I ended up going a little oldschool with the paint scheme. I've been digging some of the Oldhammer aesthetics I've been seeing lately.
One of the collateral benefits of terrain projects is that I get to grind some green paint into cheap brushes, which gives me a new batch of tall grasses to use for bases and other terrain pieces.
I painted a couple of test models from Mantic. Not the best pic, but I think they came out ok. When I'm at a proper keyboard (instead of a phone) I'll type out some comments on the figures.
I'm still digging around & cleaning out my attic storage. I found this over the weekend.
My plan is to try some big battle games, but when I pulled this out, my mind started to wander off to thoughts of a secondary skirmish project. I've had this since it was new, but have never played it in spite of the fact that I really like some of the mechanics. Have always wanted to give it a try...
The summary of my decision/design is that I went with something I could put to use quickly, and easily. I can add, upgrade, create modular tiles, etc. later. I ended up going a little oldschool with the paint scheme. I've been digging some of the Oldhammer aesthetics I've been seeing lately.
One of the collateral benefits of terrain projects is that I get to grind some green paint into cheap brushes, which gives me a new batch of tall grasses to use for bases and other terrain pieces.
I painted a couple of test models from Mantic. Not the best pic, but I think they came out ok. When I'm at a proper keyboard (instead of a phone) I'll type out some comments on the figures.
I'm still digging around & cleaning out my attic storage. I found this over the weekend.
My plan is to try some big battle games, but when I pulled this out, my mind started to wander off to thoughts of a secondary skirmish project. I've had this since it was new, but have never played it in spite of the fact that I really like some of the mechanics. Have always wanted to give it a try...
@ZeroTwentythree Nice work in that surface, and smart idea about that paintbrush by the way!
Those skeletons work well, I like the lighting & shading contrast you've done on the shields. Your blue/grey colour scheme really works!
Those skeletons work well, I like the lighting & shading contrast you've done on the shields. Your blue/grey colour scheme really works!
Thanks!
Painted up my first group of Mantic skeletons. They are a mix of the regular ones and the Revenants, which I thought look too similar to the regular skeletons to warrant use as some other troop type.
They are OK models for the price. I'm not a huge fan of Mantic's figures in general. But I was more optimistic with the undead after seeing photos online. Once I got them in person, and now after I painted them I am less impressed. Some of the detail is very shallow and just doesn't show up with the paint. Some of the poses are a bit awkward (a few of them reminded me of the Warlord Celts,) including the way some of them were holding their weapons. I'm not really a fan of the "expressive" (cartoon-y?) skulls, either. They're not horrible figures. And they might look better in mass numbers. I'm just not a huge fan so far.
They're also a lot smaller than I expected. They look OK next to the ancient Germans I'm using as "undeadish" and should scale up OK with Perry WotR figures that will end up on the opposite side of the battlefield. But they really look miniscule next to GW and other fantasy figures. This wasn't entirely unexpected, but the difference is more noticeable than I had thought it would be. (At least on the painting/photo table -- I'll have to see how they look on the gaming table.)
Painted up my first group of Mantic skeletons. They are a mix of the regular ones and the Revenants, which I thought look too similar to the regular skeletons to warrant use as some other troop type.
They are OK models for the price. I'm not a huge fan of Mantic's figures in general. But I was more optimistic with the undead after seeing photos online. Once I got them in person, and now after I painted them I am less impressed. Some of the detail is very shallow and just doesn't show up with the paint. Some of the poses are a bit awkward (a few of them reminded me of the Warlord Celts,) including the way some of them were holding their weapons. I'm not really a fan of the "expressive" (cartoon-y?) skulls, either. They're not horrible figures. And they might look better in mass numbers. I'm just not a huge fan so far.
They're also a lot smaller than I expected. They look OK next to the ancient Germans I'm using as "undeadish" and should scale up OK with Perry WotR figures that will end up on the opposite side of the battlefield. But they really look miniscule next to GW and other fantasy figures. This wasn't entirely unexpected, but the difference is more noticeable than I had thought it would be. (At least on the painting/photo table -- I'll have to see how they look on the gaming table.)
@ZeroTwentythree Yeh those guys are pretty cartoony and that's the only thing that really put me off Mantic skellies so far, but I can see what you mean about the lack of decent detail in some areas. It seems as though the recesses in the bones don't show as well as the GW ones.
Still, that said, you've done a good job painting them up.
Still, that said, you've done a good job painting them up.
Thanks.
I got a bit frustrated with the jaw/teeth area. Seemed like the detail just wouldn't show very well with washes or drybrushing, and I don't have time to carefully pick out all of that type of detail individually. Like I mentioned above, though, maybe in a large group it won't be a big deal.
I got a bit frustrated with the jaw/teeth area. Seemed like the detail just wouldn't show very well with washes or drybrushing, and I don't have time to carefully pick out all of that type of detail individually. Like I mentioned above, though, maybe in a large group it won't be a big deal.
@ZeroTwentythree I find it's worth spending time on the teeth especially, whether you're drybrushing, washing or dipping. Going over the teeth and the brow of the model with your base colour or lighter colour really makes them pop, even if you only want to spend the minimal amount of time painting.
You've done your guys justice, regardless!
You've done your guys justice, regardless!