Urien, Teyrn of Mon on foot review

August 6, 2015, 5:21 am

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In this article I shall be reviewing the Urien, Teyrn of Mon on foot model from Mierce Miniatures for their Byrthoniaid kindred. Apologises for no WIP pics of it being built as I had built and painted him a while before writing this article.

Detail

First of all the detail on this model is pretty damn good for an infantry sized model, ranging from the intricate metal work on the shield to the dagger on his belt. This detail was quite intimidating to a more average painter such as me as you want to do the model justice given the high quality. One thing I was very fortunate about with this model, indeed every model I have bought thus far from Mierce, is the resin being such high quality meant al the flat surfaces were so not suffering from a rough texture some resin can be prone to. On top there were no air bubbles in the one I got so this is another plus for me as it can be devastating to lose key detail this way.

Putting together

For the most part the model goes together quite well (sorry no WIP pics as I built him a good while ago) I would personally recommend you glue each part on and give that part a few extra minutes for the bond to be secure as I found being a bit over zealous I kept risking undoing the work I had already done. A key issue however with this model and from what I have been told by my friend who collects the Anglecynn faction a lot of the infantry models can suffer from is an inherent weakness around the ankle joint. If too much pressure is applied to ether cut the sprue from under the feet or scrape them you risk snapping the ankle joint. This did happen to me with his right foot though fortunately (somewhat) the break was clean so a quick dab of glue and he is back together. The only other issue I found putting this guy together was applying the arrows to his quiver as the contact point is so small and it is so easy for you to let go too quickly and they fall off (which mine have done) so this is one of those things I emphasise take your time whilst gluing just to be safe.

Painting

Once he was built I gave him overnight (mostly as it was late when I put him together) for the glue to completely harden and then primed him in GW black primer. After this the paint went on like a dream the smooth resin made it so easy to apply paint though washes were a minor problem on the shields back with it being so smooth. with the model being so good I had to spend my time thinking how I wanted each part to look as not only did I want to try and do the model justice it would influence my later infantry schemes.

Final Thoughts

Overall I would rate this model 9 out of 10 for me my only minor niggle being he is a bit static in his pose but that is a personal preference of mine that I like my characters to have a sense of motion. The price tag of £12.34delivered is about in keeping with single character models I am used to from companies such as Games Workshop and  I am more than happy to say it is of at least comparable if not superior quality to these. I know the price might be a bit of a deterrent which for Mierce I know it can be but the sheer quality of the miniatures and customer service from the company themselves I would enthusiastically recommend this model. If you want to make a bit of a saving on him I would suggest the Urien, Teyrn of Mon on Foot and on Horse pack which effectively reduces the cost of the on foot version by a small amount.

Thank you for reading and I look forward to a new article soon.

Jonathon

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Stormcast Redux... Inspirational Thoughts on the top three

August 7, 2015, 9:19 am

≫ Next: Getting Into New Games: Infinity

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Stormcast Eternals have arrived, and the #paintingchallenge is complete.. Let's delve back into it with a critique/celebration of the top three vote getters.

            Wow, this photo is fantastic.. A well taken photo is so essential to be able to take a proper look at a mini.  The well balanced tones chosen for the colors.. The blue is striking for its' color alone, but it balances the gold so nicely that both colors IMHO enhance the other.  Another really nice aspect of this mini is the even and well painted whites.  The solid color seems to bring out the depth of transition in the rest of the tones on the mini. Through a nicely shaded and highlighted blue, Les has done a great job of making the armour look like multiple pieces instead of simply a blob of color, keeping interest in each joint and visually separating the mini into many parts.    

             A very interesting choice that was made as well is the asymmetrical spot colors.  I would consider these colors the white and the silver.  The white is on the shoulder pads and shield, creating a bit of visual weight on the right hand of the mini. This has been balanced by the silver on the tabard and hammer creating weight on the left of the figure moving the viewers eye around the whole model.  Typically a single spot color will be balanced throughout the figure, but Les has done the same with two.

                   If I had to pick out two areas for improvement, I would choose (ironically) the picture ;)  I would like to see more angles of the paint job, so just add more pics ;).  Number two, the black of the axe haft, belt, and tabard.  From this angle it does not look to have as much depth as the other colors.  

That being said, This is a very dynamic and beautiful mini, and the votes it received absolutely reflect that. 

               Chris has done a great job with a simple head swap and weapon swap..  The character of the mini is completely changed.  The paint job again has white shoulders , but switches the white shield of Les for the white Delf head.  By creating a straight line of white and adding more contrast to the face in the center, there is a distinct focus on the helmet.  This draws the viewer to the changes made and the unique character.  A well done conversion should look seamless and this one does.  The weapon swap also changes the silhouette of the figure, the length of the sword balancing the weight of the shield on the opposite hand. 

The shield itself would provide a large visual weight if painted in a solid color, but a nice choice to paint a checkered formation breaks up the size.  These two spot colors are echoed on the bottom half of the figure, creating a weight to the figure. 

The freehand is used in a way that accentuate the shoulders breaking up the larger white fields of the shoulder pads to allow the helmet dominate the line of sight.  

If I had to pick two areas of improvement, the first would be that the pink and blue spot colors really accentuate each other in close proximity.. I would like to have seen the alternation continue on the leather skirt and leather pommel across the miniature.  The second is that I wish the top white highlight on the helmet matched the top white highlight on the shoulder pads.  I like the depth of the brown, but I think the head would pop a bit more if it matched the brightness.  These are rather finicky things I know ;)  

And finally Bishmeister's entry.  

This a fantastic conversion of the figure as a whole that really transforms the mini.  I talked about the silhouette on Chris's mini, and this one takes it even further.  The amount of detail is managed well with a smaller number of colors.  The red, white, and black scheme gives a nice balance to the stance and allows the eye to rest a bit.

The gold spot color also enriches the palette quite nicely by drawing the eye to shield and hammer with their beautiful freehand.   Speaking of the freehand, it is really nice to see the lighting and hammer of the stormcast background rendered so nicely.  My favorite bit of conversion on this model is the bit that you don't recognize.  Namely, the 3-D lightning scraped off and replaced with that fantastic freehand lightning.  

This mini has IMHO fulfilled the gravitas and weight of a legend of the past rising once more to fight the good fight.  

If I had to pick two things to improve this mini , they would be (and they are very picky) to either fill in the script on the ribbon from the stormcast's hip and paint it to match the ribbon to the cherub, or freehand script on the ribbon to the cherub to match those two flowing lines, and second.  I really wish the shield (and hammer) on the cherub had the same gorgeous lightning freehand as the mini's shield and hammer.  (As I said very very picky)

Thanks to Les, Chris, and Bishmeister for allowing me to critique your minis, and to all, please let me know what you agree/disagree about! 

Getting Into New Games: Infinity

August 10, 2015, 8:14 am

≫ Next: Speed Painted StormCast Army Method & Model Review!

≪ Previous: Stormcast Redux... Inspirational Thoughts on the top three

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So as you may well know there has been turmoil in the fantasy war-gaming community with the launch of Age of Sigmar(AoS). Personally I'm finding a lot of fun with AoS having played 10ish games now it is a great laugh with mates and a few beers. Being super critical I'm not sure about it as a tournament game but until I play at one I'll withhold judgement. Regardless I have gone balls deep and have a full 40+ Mo points of Stormcasts on my painting table as we speak. Will do a blog post reviewing the models and how I went about speed painting them, it's looking like I will have spent 10 hours to get the following speed painted to base coat and wash standard:

Lord Celestant on Dracoth
Lord Celestant on foot
Lord Castellant
Lord Relictor
20x Liberators
9x Retributors
9x Prosecutors

Still to be painted:

20x Judicators
5x Decimators
5x Protectors
1x Gryph Hound

So anyway on to the main content and point of this post, branching out to other games! So a lot of other people are doing this (I'm delving into 40k, BFG, Darklands, Infinity, Guildball and maybe Xwing) and what I want to do is dispel the negativity around branching out, it is not necessarily a sign of "GW Hate" and equally liking/enjoying AoS is not necessarily a sign of blind GW fanboi-ness. It's fine to be on the fence and just enjoy rolling dice with friends and the stigma of taking or not taking side is annoying me no end on twitter!! I'm quite happy on the fence thank you very much!!!

So the main function of this post (and the posts that follow in this series) is to have a blog post with links and info on new games to help others out (and my own sanity/need for enforce order and control on things!) when starting up a new system. As I am no expert in Infinity I will be shamelessly stealing/promoting content from others to make things easier. If you have any other useful links or info please hit me up via twitter or as a comment to this post. This is a living post and I will update as an when I can :) 

Game Synopsis:
Infinity is a near future table top war-game focusing on small armies/skirmishes (10-40 models) with a focus on objectives. It's USP is being a very "reactional" tactically in depth game, this means you still need to act and give orders/make decisions in your opponents turn. The rules are free to download (see below) and the models are in my opinion beautiful.

Best first buy (what Scott and I have gone halfsies on!)
Basically a 2 player game all in one box! Operation Icestorm: http://elementgames.co.uk/wargames-and-miniatures/sci-fi-miniatures-games/infinity/infinity-essentials/operation-icestorm-standard-edition-

Forums:
http://infinitytheforums.com/forum/forum/4-vergilius-personal-assistant/ 
http://www.data-sphere.net/

Rules (free to download):
http://infinitythegame.com/archive.php

Podcasts:
https://riseofrlyeh.wordpress.com/2014/10/02/infinity-podcasts/

Factions:

PanOceania

PanOceania is the leading nation in terms of influence, the Number One, the top of the pyramid of power. Thanks to its strong, healthy economy it can boast the best example of a welfare society, and even a leisure society, in the Sphere. Pioneering space exploration and the development of the ALEPH AI, PanOceania was able to harness its technology to gain an edge over other powers. It sees itself as a model for others to follow, and is willing to fight anyone who would threaten its station. In order to maintain its status, the Hyperpower uses the full extent of its influence in international policymaking, safe in the knowledge that it is backed by an army furnished with the most advanced and destructive technology in the Human Sphere. If life at the top is your thing, your place is in PanOceania.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_PAN.php



Yu Jing

Its challenger, its perpetual opponent, the other great power, is Yu Jing (pronounced you cheeng), the Asian giant. The whole of the Far East, united under the banner of what once was China, has produced an integrated, but heterogeneous, oriental culture. Equipped with a blooming industrial sector, state-of-the-art technology and astounding economic growth, Yu Jing is ready and willing to demand the dominant position to which it feels entitled.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_YUJ.php



Ariadna

Ariadna was founded by the descendants of the first human colony ship, thought lost when it disappeared into a wormhole. Left to their own devices on a hostile, resource-poor planet, endurance and mettle had to make up for the lack of state-of-the-art technology. Cossack, American, French and Scottish fought each other and they all fought the planet, and from all the fighting emerged Ariadna, where only the toughest survive. Welcome to Ariadna. Welcome to the army.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_ARI.php



Haqqislam

HAQQISLAM: (from the Arabic Haqq Islam, New or True Islam) Religious doctrine derived from Islamism, and its associated Neomuslim culture. A modern interpretation of the set of dogmas and precepts of the Quran that permeates the everyday lives of its followers. Founded by Farhad Khadivar in the late 21st century, the Haqqislamic movement proposed a philosophical and theological revisionism of the classical Islam, in order to adapt it to the society of its time. Haqqislam proclaims Humanism, the Search for Knowledge, and a set of Metaphysical axioms influenced by Sufi scholars, as the foundations of its doctrine, while simultaneously rejecting religious hierarchies and Sunnah, ‘tradition’, as dogma. Their doctrine is profoundly concerned with political and social issues, and the culture built around it has rekindled the scientific and artistic heirloom of the golden age of Islam.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_HAQ.php



Nomads

Three gargantuan spaceships endlessly traverse the Sphere, doing what others cannot or will not do, sticking it to ‘the Man’ and contesting ordinary definitions of normalcy and acceptability. Do you prefer to think for yourself? Do you want to travel? Then you might have a Nomad spirit.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_NOM.php



Combined Army

The Evolved Intelligence, an alien AI with a vast wealth of knowledge and a cold, relentless will, has conquered, subjugated and annihilated entire civilizations to fulfill its ultimate ambition: Transcendence unto a higher evolutionary plane. To that end, the EI has created a well-honed instrument of conquest: the Combined Army. In it, the AI has gathered some of the most dangerous species from its cosmic domains: the viciously brutal Morat, bred for war and war only; the insidious, sly Shasvastii, capable of anything to guarantee the survival of their species; the Sygmaa Trihedron, race traitors, biotech virtuosos, death dealers. Headed by combat incarnations of the EI itself, they are the most formidable war machine this galaxy has ever witnessed. Now they have set their sights on the Human Sphere...

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_CA.php



ALEPH

ALEPH is the name of the single Artificial Intelligence that oversees the data network of the Human Sphere and most major international technological systems. The scope of its responsibilities is so broad that, in service of Humanity and under O-12 supervision, a whole organizational structure has been created around it to assist in its functions. To fulfill its mission, ALEPH oversees a sizable fraction of all human activity as a sort of friendly, inconspicuous Big Brother whose only goal seems to be aiding us. And yet ALEPH does have enemies. The Nomad Nation has a bitter hatred for the only legitimate AI, convinced that Humanity is but a hapless puppet furthering its secret agenda. And there is also the Evolved Intelligence, whose confrontations with ALEPH are clashes of titans on an epic scale.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_ALE.php



Tohaa

The Tohaa are an advanced alien civilization currently waging an open war against the EI and its Combined Army. Guardians of one of the great treasures of the universe, the Tohaa have withstood the EI’s onslaught longer than any other race in this galaxy. The Tohaa are masters of biotechnology, capable of building terrible viral weapons and impervious symbiont armors, but also of altering other species, granting them more intelligence so they can fight by their side. The Tohaa need allies, and Humanity seems fitting for the first line of the fight against the Combined Army.

http://infinitythegame.com/faction_TOH.php

Videos:

Speed Painted StormCast Army Method & Model Review!

August 11, 2015, 7:59 am

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So over the past few weeks I have been working on my Stormcast Eternal Army for Age of Sigmar. I have been super busy with work, wedding prep and exercise so fitting in painting has been a challenge! That said I did commit (stupidly) to getting my Stormcasts base coated and washed before the wedding (which means Andy can borrow them for a tournament!) so naturally I “had” to get the army done.

This presented a bit of a challenge as I only had roughly 1hr slots to fit in getting it done and so I decided to try a method I heard about years ago on a Garagehammer interview. They were interviewing a commission painter where they specialise in turning round armies in very short spans of time. Their method was to just work on one part of a model (eg a boot) then put it down and move on the next model and work through the whole pile.

So on a very long drive last week I broke down all the processes and stages I would need to complete to finish the army and planned how I would action each stage. The goal was to pick up the project, minimise fucking about and just dive straight into “value added” time immediately. Super stripped back and before starting I would have already mentally planned exactly which paint and which process I would tackle in my hour slot. All of this meant that in 2 weeks (approx. 12 hours paint time) I painted a full army. I managed to do 99% of this late in the evenings once all my tasks were complete and there would be zero distractions (typically 11pm-Midnight).

For those interested here were the steps:

• Assemble Models (admittedly completed two weeks prior) – Models just super glued to bases
• Spray Silver (5 mins) – wait to dry (went for a run)
• Wash whole model black (45 Minutes)
• Paint gold all models (60 minutes)
• Wash Gold Sepia (45 Minutes)
• Paint Blue (60 minutes)
• Wash Blue (60 minutes)
• Paint Red (30 minutes)
• Wash Red (30minutes)
• Paint Cream (60minutes)
• 2^nd Layer Cream (60 minutes)
• Wash Cream (60 minutes)
• Take Models off bases (10 minutes)
• Sand and slate bases (50 minutes) – Dry 24hrs
• Spray Bases (5 minutes)
• Wash Bases (30 minutes)
• Dry Brush Bases (60 Minutes)
• Glue to bases (30 minutes)
• Paint Black Rims (30 minutes)

And the done! Will go back and paint to a higher standard later but in most ways this is just as good a quality as my models are post wash so quite happy with this method! It is mentally taxing and brutally efficient but it does work! Can’t see how anyone can have an excuse not to have a painted army to this level.  I managed to fit in around what most people would call an extremely busy schedule!!!

So regarding the actual stormcast models now I have built and painted a load of them? I think they are pretty cool in theory but the execution is subpar compared to normal GW models. The retributors and character models are excellent, top notch (except for the stupid hammer cape on the Lord Celestant, that is bloody terrible!!!). The Prosecutors mould/sprue design is terrible, so hard to remove them without damaging them, I lost patience with it and I am a very patient person!!! The liberators are unfortunately the worst however, the mould gap running straight down the shoulder pads is borderline lazy design. It even goes through the sigmar hammer logo! Shocking really. The shoulder pads should have been separate parts, I understand that this may have been to stop Bitz resellers selling the shoulder pads to 40k Marine collectors but it is really a terrible idea.

Im looking forward to building and painting the Judicators (bow bros) and Protectors (standalone retributors) to see if there is a difference in quality in model design. Overal purely from a model point of view I rate the stormcasts as a 6/10 (10 being GWs best plastic kits). NB this does not take into account aesthetic preference, which if it did I would rate it at 4/10 purely from my point of view!

Oh also another finding, Army Paint Spray is NOT (NOT) a replacement for GW leadbelcher. Came out super thick, speckled and very dark. Second bad experience I have had with Army painter sprays (despite shaking them for 2 minutes!!) not impressed and wont be ordering again I'm afraid!

Anyway let me know your thoughts guys, how have you found the models? Do you like them? How are you going to paint them?

Dark Elves For Sale

August 12, 2015, 3:15 am

≫ Next: Announcing the Last Kings Podcast!

≪ Previous: Speed Painted StormCast Army Method & Model Review!

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So I'm currently coming to terms with impending Fatherhood and part of that means I'm looking to scale down my armies and to put some money aside. So with a heavy heart I'm looking to sell my Dark Elves and will be using Dwarfs and maybe High Elves as I try out Age of Sigmar.

This is a breakdown of what's for sale. All painted models are painted to a very good standard and I'm looking for around £500 delivered to the UK. I can deliver elsewhere but would need to check postage costs etc.

If you're interested hit me up on twitter @stuntymike or leave a comment. Thanks!

PAINTED:

Sorceress on Dark Steed (oop Unicorn)

Sorceress on foot.

Converted BSB on Dark Steed

Converted BSB on foot

2 x Peg Riders - coverted from Cold Ones

8 x Cold One Riders inc. BSB, Master/ Dreadlord. None of riders stuck down so can be swapped between pegs as required.

10 x Warlocks

15 X Darkshards

9 x New Darkiders (one more unbuilt on sprue)

5 x Converted Dark Riders

5 x oop Metal Dark Riders

14 x Metal Black Guard  + Standard & Champ though just basecoated. Couple of halberd heads have been repaired.

1 x RBT 

1 x Finecast Hydra

14 x Witch Elves (+ 6 more unpainted and built as sisters of slaughter)

19 x Executioners 

2 x 5 Shades 

32 x Spearmen (+ unpainted bits for a few more)

10 x Converted Harpies 

1 x Metal Assassin (not painted by me)

Unpainted

6 x Sisters of Slaughter (as mentioned above)

1 x Finecast Assassin

2 x Beastmasters

Sorceress on Cold One

Dreadlord on Cold one (missing shield but I'm trying to find it)

Here's a few more pics of some of the units.

Announcing the Last Kings Podcast!

August 13, 2015, 5:32 am

≫ Next: Rebasing for AoS

≪ Previous: Dark Elves For Sale

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So intrepid readers, what launches here is a new podcast from bonnie Scotland discussing all things wargaming with a focus on Games Workshop Fantasy Warhammer and the Scottish gaming community. We will also discuss Hobby (painting/modelling), Warhammer 40k, Guildball, Darklands, Battlefleet gothic, Infinity and anything else that takes our fancy! We hope to bring you a variety of topics, points of view and tips!

We are obviously just starting out so please bear with us on quality, quantity and questions! We do intend to improve and grow so we appreciate feedback and comments (unless it's negative shooo away you troll!!!). We hope (pray) to have our first episode up on iTunes by the end of next week and have recorded our first episode.

So who are we? Our fearless Host Dice fail extraordinaire Mike "Misfire" Callaghan, our endeavouring editor and hoarding specialist Scott Smith, the Filth Meister General Andy Currie and the infamous, self promoting exclamation(!) monkey Rich "PaintHammer" Payne. 

We hope you like our episodes and content!

The Last Kings Cast Blog can be found here:
http://thelastkingscast.blogspot.co.uk/2015/08/first-post-post-that-hurts-most.html

Rebasing for AoS

August 14, 2015, 5:25 am

≫ Next: Age of Sigmar: Stormcast Eternal "Lists"

≪ Previous: Announcing the Last Kings Podcast!

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Lets open with the history of WFB, apart from ungors it has never really been an issue for WFB players, barring a few things like monsters which by their nature tend not to be the mainstay of armies bases have remained unchanged throughout the editions. AoS has torn that up and thrown it away in that they are now a skirmish game and the models are now being sold with round bases. That said GW have specifically allowed for this in the rules and it makes absolutely no difference what you put the model on if you go strictly 'by the rules'.

That said everyone I know is mostly ignoring the rule of 'ignore bases' and as a result many people are rebasing armies. I've decided to join them, as much for the 'rule of cool' than anything else after a couple of experimental models I've decided that rounds just plain look better.

So what does this mean in practice, well first off I had to pick which army to rebase, after some umming and ahhing I've settled on the army I've most enjoyed playing since I started it and that was my TK. It also helps that they're generally not that good under 8th barring the magic gunline with Snakes/Morgasts for combat which I never ran.





8th Ed Tomb Kings

So army decided I then went through my model collection:
100ish Skellys
40 Tomb Guard
30 ish cavalry
13 Ushabti
9 Chariots
12 Necropolis Knights
3 Scorpions
2 caskets
2 catapults
2 bone giants

So pretty much everything in the book and a fair number of them, plus you'll notice that this army ticks off pretty much every base size you could possibly use! The big thing for me was the lack of any ovals in my collection so I turned to the internet for possible options. Googling MDF Oval bases gave me a few options and I finally settled on:

http://shop.eastridingminiatures.co.uk/ovals-226-c.asp

No idea if they're cheapest, but they had a really wide range of options which I figured would cover everything I should need and would only need one order placed.

I then sat down with the options and my model collection and was pointed to a basing guide someone had already posted up on the net:


http://plastickrak.blogspot.co.uk/2015/07/age-of-sigmar-base-conversion-chart.html

It's not perfect, there are some inconsistencies but it was a pretty nice start point for me. I should point out there were some base sizes per that guide which didn't match the seller I'd found so a few got trimmed to the nearest possible match and I ended up with the list below:

Tomb King Hero 20x20mm 32/40mm
Tomb Herald Hero 20x20mm 32/40mm
Liche Priest Hero 20x20mm 25/32mm
Necrotect Hero 20x20mm 25/32mm
Skeleton Warriors Infantry 20x20mm 25mm
Skeleton Archers Infantry 20x20mm 25mm
Tomb Guard Infantry 20x20mm 32mm
Tomb Herald on Skeletal Steed Hero/Cavalry 25x50mm 30x60mm
Liche Priest on Skeletal Steed Hero/Cavalry 25x50mm 30x60mm
Skeleton Horsemen Cavalry 25x50mm 30x60mm
Skeleton Horse Archers Cavalry 25x50mm 30x60mm
Tomb King in Royal Chariot Hero/Chariot 100x100mm 70x100mm
Skeleton Chariots Chariot 50x100mm 70x100mm
Ushabti Infantry 40x40mm 50mm
Carrion Beast 40x40mm 50mm
Tomb Swarm Swarm 40x40mm 50mm
Tomb Scorpion Beast 50x50mm 60mm
Necropolis Knights Cavalry 50x100mm 70x100mm
Sepulchral Stalkers Beast 50x100mm 70x100mm
Bone Giant Monster 50x50mm 70x100mm
Royal Warsphinx Hero/Monster 50x100mm 90x120mm
Khemrian Warsphinx Monster 50x100mm 90x120mm
Necrosphinx Monster 50x100mm 90x120mm
Casket of Souls War Machine - 90x120mm
SSC War Machine - 90x120mm

I haven't tried the chariots yet but I have a suspicion those bases might be a little too tight, but we'll see!


From what I've based up so far I'm pretty happy with the change, everything is looking sweet.

Various TK on round & oval bases

You'll also note that I've taken the opportunity to update all my basing.  Originally my TK lists was speed painted for an ETC (first one after the book came out).  As a result the bases were incredibly simple (just painted sand).  I decided to move them to a red/orange earth/stone colour.  Then shoved on a few tufts and it just felt like something was missing and I had a dig through my box of basing material and found the yellow flower tuft things which I've added on a few of the bases.  The little bit of colour scattered around just adds a little to the look that I'm quite happy with it.


So there we go, commitment to AoS has been made, hobby progress is underway and operation 're-base' is full steam ahead.  My first event is likely to be the Maul in November so I'll be watching the updates to MoComp which is going to be used and then picking my army to base up on that but in the first instance I'll be aiming to run my all construct army I desperately wanted to be able to run in 8th but couldn't, so now I finally can I'll make it happen!

Age of Sigmar: Stormcast Eternal "Lists"

August 14, 2015, 8:04 am

≫ Next: Painting Challenge 3: Araloth

≪ Previous: Rebasing for AoS

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So since speed painting up my Stormcast Eternal Force I have been figuring out a few army lists for them. I have been looking at the Azyr comp and Mo/Clash Comp systems so see where we stand! So Here is a break down of my total collection:

So total collection = 43 Mo Points and 73 Azyr Points and is 180 wounds.

Here is a "deployable" 20 Mo Point list:

Lord Castellant (2)
9x Prosecutors (6)
6x Retributors (4)
20x Liberators(8)
Total (20)

A sideboard army of Stormcasts:

Lord Castellant (2)
9x Prosecutors (6)
9x Retribuors (4)
20x Judicators (8)
20x Liberators(8)
Total (30)

Neither of which satisfy the formation requirements unfortunately :(

A 30 points "Battle" Azyr lists:

Lord Celestant on Dracoth (5)
Lord Relictor (3)
9x Prosecutors (6)
6x Retributors(8)
10x Liberators (8)
Total (30)

This list does satisfy the teleportation formation! From what I have seen these lists feel pretty small compared to the "Old World" lists so I think might need looked at comp wise. FYI above lists are not probably the best given my full collection but can be fielded fully (speed) painted from my collection!

What do you think? Has anyone else written lists under the above comp systems for Stormcasts? Or do you feel these are equal to your non stormcast lists? 

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Painting Challenge 3: Araloth

August 17, 2015, 4:58 am

≫ Next: Age of Sigmar List Building Website: Warscroll Builder

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Hey guys! So it's month 3 of the PaintingChallenge and Domus/Steve Herner (Last month's Winner) have chosen the awesome End Times Goddess Loving Bro Araloth!

The goal is to challenge yourself to paint something out of your comfort zone, try a new technique or just try a new paint! Official start date is the 17th of August but if you have started recently we can be flexible about it and the submission deadline is the 4th of October (I'm away for 4 weeks!!!). Aim would be for me to do a blog post at the end of the month with all the entrants models shown and let the comments/votes/#RichHate begin!

Rough plan would be as follows:

• Paint one GW plastic hero kit, starting 17th August with Submission by October 4th (2359 BST). 
• Feel free to go nuts and be creative with conversions but please keep the original model as the key focus of your project.
• Each entrant gains one vote (vote by saying your choice as a comment in the wrap up post) and innocent bystanders can vote too as long as they state their twitter or forum handle
• Please submit pictures of your my via DM on twitter by the above stated date and time.

Let me know if you are interested in joining or have any suggestions, please sign up below (as a comment) if you want to get involved. Please tweet with the hashtag #PaintingChallenge Hope you guys like the idea!

Age of Sigmar List Building Website: Warscroll Builder

August 18, 2015, 2:12 am

≫ Next: ANGRISLAUG, DRAIGGOCH OF ERYRI Review

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Hey guys! Super quick post to let you know about an awesome new age of sigmar list building website http://scrollbuilder.com/ . It is linked to to two popular comp systems, Mo's Independant Pool System and the SDK points system. It is super easy and quick to use so not much else to say other than give it a go and send your feedback to the creator (warscrollbuilder@gmail.com)! 

Brilliant effort on their part!

ANGRISLAUG, DRAIGGOCH OF ERYRI Review

August 18, 2015, 6:46 am

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Recently I purchased the Draiggoth model from Mierce Miniatures and I shall give my thoughts upon the miniature as well as a bit of a step by step of how I painted him.

Building

When he arrived in good old Mierce space saving fashion I was like a kid at Christmas. I took all the pieces out of of the bag and looked for any dreaded miscasts and breakages that may of occurred during their time in the hands of the postman. 

After a good luck the only miscasts I found on important places were three of the side spikes on the side of his tail and a spike on the lower jaw was missing. There were a few of the pin plugs on the joints that had filled in but these were easily worked around as all the affected areas still had another one. This was very good overall on such a large model I feared far worse.

After cleaning up the casting sprues and the small number of mould lines I set about to put this big beastie together. I first took to assembling the head/neck which with a bit of trimming went together fine though I was a little overzealous with some of the trimming around the neck frill but this was easily fixed with a bit of greenstuff. When it came to the arm that supports the Draiggoths weight when cutting the claws from the sprue be very careful as what appears to be a small piece of sprue is actually a pin that slots into the fingers so don’t cut these off else you will need to pin these as the contact area if very small and will have a high chance of snapping if not done. The last major thing to take into account is the horns, due to there being no instructions it can be easy to not know which ones to go where. The way for them to be attached is that number one (the numbers are on the sprues) go on the dragons right most horn and they move over in order. I did find swapping three and four made them fit better so make sure they fit properly before gluing.

As you can see there were a few gaps but nothing that a whip around with greenstuff would not fix. Most of these were most likely made by be being over/under zealous with the knife to trim bits down so a lot of these gaps could be minimised or avoided all together. After the greenstuff cured I sprayed it black and was ready to get this big boy painted.

Painting

I started with a Mephiston Red base coat for where the red would be followed by a layer of Evils Suns before applying a wash of Carraburg Crimson. After the wash dried I gave everywhere a drybrush of Evil Suns, followed by a 3/1 of Evil Suns and Flash Gitz Yellow missing the wing and tail membrane. The last red layer was a 1/1 of the same colours which was only then applied to the back scales.

For the underbelly the first layer was Rakarth Flesh, a wash of Reikland Fleshshade followed by drybrushing Rakarth and mixes of Rakarth and Pallid Wych Flesh up to pure Pallid Wych Flesh. 

The tongue was a simple Xereus Purple base with highlights of Genestealer Purple and a wash half way with Druchii Violet. The final touches were Abbaddon Black with Eshin Grey drybrush on the spine spikes and a simple Flash Gitz Yellow on the eyes with Abbaddon Black pupil.

Here he is in all his glory:

Final Thoughts

So in the end I loved every second building and painting this guy and would thoroughly recommend anyone to get him. It isn’t a kit for a newbie to the hobby or with little experience with big kits. Washing the kit beforehand is a must as the resin mould release agent is highly likely to have remained on the model (though not as obviously as Forgeworld kits) and although I personally did not use any pinning I would recommend it simply for that little bit extra strength in the joints. The price of the model at £95 after the discount could easily discourage someone from purchasing the Draiggoth but I can say without a doubt it is worth every penny both in terms of cast and sculpting quality, the head of the dragon is easily higher than the old Bloodthirsters head.If you're debating between Forgeworld and Mierce for a centrepiece dragon, I think this is where Mierce goes past the Forgeworld equivalent without a shadow of a doubt. It's an amazing centrepiece in any force you want to include it in whether for Darklands, Age of Sigmar or any other fantasy system.

Thank you again for reading and soon I will be writing an article on my initial thoughts for a tournament called The Maul which will be multisystem including Darklands. 

Just Married!

August 23, 2015, 11:14 pm

≫ Next: Clash of Swords 2015

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Hey guys! Super glad to let you know that I got married at the weekend and I'm off on honeymoon with my beautiful new wife for 3 weeks! So very unlikely there will be any blog posts from me but a few of the guys have some awesome posts planned whole I'm away! Speak soon!

Clash of Swords 2015

August 24, 2015, 9:49 am

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Me and Chris, Table 1 Game 4 - renewing the rivalry in Age of Sigmar!

This weekend I attended Clash of Swords, the UK's first Age of Sigmar two day event down in what turned out to be quite summery Cardiff. The event was held at Firestorm Games, which is without doubt the best venue that I have been to for a war gaming event. The shop is outstanding, there is plenty of space and the whole venue appears to be run in a very professional manner (staff, cleanliness, attention to detail). I would definitely attend another event here.

The event itself is run by Mo Ashraf and it is very much geared towards having a fun social time rather than being a very focussed gaming event such as Blood and Glory (coming up later this year). There is five a side football (won by a team captained by yours truly), fancy dress, and a very keen social scene in the evenings due to the venues location close to the city centre.

I'm not going to try and do a gaming review of the tournament - I had a great time, played five excellent opponents, had four close games and one non game. Pretty standard war gaming fare.




Jon Warmington - Lizards, Best Painted!

What I do want to try and put across are some of the feelings and impressions that I got in terms of how Age of Sigmar plays as a tournament game.

Firstly I think it is important to state that I don't see any reason why the game cannot be played as a competitive tournament game. Yes it needs a number of key fixes and cannot be played 'out of the box.' However coming from a Warhammer Fantasy background I am used to playing in such events and they were common place. Events that used Swedish comp or ETC comp heavily changed army selection rules and the basic rules of the game so getting our knickers in a twist with GW and their no points approach seems somewhat daft from a competitive point of view. I actually think it is more of an issue for a friendly game that has no structure in place. The pool system that Mo used is not perfect (check it out here), but it is a solid start and can be developed however tournament organisers see fit. It allowed players to construct lists and certainly didn't limit synergies in any way. I think its fair to say that some lists had awesome combos that could really change games, and players now need to seriously think these through and the potential damage they can do to your army.


Steve Smith - Ogres - 3rd place painting

Through discussion with players and TO's that were there things like stacking Mystic Shields appeared to be something that limited the fun during some games. Magic in general appeared to be controversial in places - some were of the view that  it doesn't stack anyway, and even that you can only cast one spell once per phase, thus making every spell unique. All of these are valid options. Dispelling is an issue as wizards generally are behind the army so its easy to buff, but almost impossible to stop a spell going off. From my point of view having no mages was a huge hindrance as a few timely Mystic Shields would have helped me out a lot!

Some of the Warscroll abilities I think will flat out disappear from the game. Things like the Engine of the Gods ability to grant the lizardman player extra game turns or Greasus Goldtooths bribery ability are frankly ridiculous and do not make for a fair, and more importantly, fun game. If you listen to the next episodes of Heelanhammer and Face Hammer you will hear how these directly affected the outcomes of games.

Mark Wildman - 2nd Place Painting with High Elves

I found that Mortal Wounds were a massive issue. In two of my games I was taking between six and fourteen mortal wounds a turn, and there is nothing you can do to prevent this which I found frustrating. Now that I have experienced 'Mortal Wound' spamming this will be something that I am keen to look at so that I know what needs to be targeted early in games. Often it is understanding synergies that will help you to prevent this. I had the issue against a double Hurricanum/War Altar empire build and it turned the game into a complete non event.

If we continue with the pool system its possible that formations will become part of the pool choices. The Knightly Order one and the Skink Patrol were both popular and powerful, and if Sylvaneth Wildwoods were a point in the pool system (needed for a lot of synergies in the Wood Elf List)  then pricing formations in the same way seems sensible. You could also give discounts for formations that are particularly weak or themey rather than out and out power builds which was a nice idea that Chris Tomlin from the Black Sun floated as he was dismantling my army in game 4!

My personal thoughts about my list were that, although the Wood Elf monsters are powerful, they are also fragile. They have limited attacks and lose effectiveness very quickly. Once these guys went down I did not have much power left in the list. Shooting is not particularly effective unless you have it in huge numbers (two units of 30 Glade Guard with a lord for example), and Dryads and Treekin rely on Wild Woods, magic and Sylvaneth heroes to make them effective. Smaller units of Wild Wood Rangers or eternal guard would have been much more useful over the weekend, but I had none painted and didn't have the time pre event to get any done.

The character models from my Wood Elf army

Armies still looked terrific, and I want to shout out some of the people who had completely rebased their armies on to rounds. These were particularly good and looked extremely effective on the table and when displayed for painting.

Overall I was thought the event went well and I am keen to see how the tournaments develop in the next six months or so as we build towards the South Coast GT.

Richard Ciereszko - Dark Elves

 

The Boss - Beastmen

Ian Scovell - Dark Elves



Dom Hook - Skaven

Wayne Kemp - Skaven

 

Dom Hook - Skaven

 

 

 

Dan Broxholme - Vampire Counts

 

My First Darklands Model

August 28, 2015, 7:39 am

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A while ago I invested quite heavily in the Mierce Miniatures kickstarter and have a large Ysian force that I have not started painting. I recently had my first Darklands intro game and was quite excited by the level of challenge and how the game plays. It's a complex skirmish game that is totally different from what I usually play and I decided I needed to start painting up my army. As this wont be main game (I'm still all about the Age of Sigmar!) I wanted to try and do this as a painting project to try and push my skills up in different ways.  

I wanted to start with the Ax Drunes and so set to work on the banner bearer of the squad of ten. One of the things I tried to do with the model is work on my blending. I have recently been binge watching the Painting Budha videos on YouTube and they really demonstrate a high level of painting skill. They are also very long and informative! One of the things that I picked up was how you can create a gradient of paint on a wet palette and then select your colours from it to create really smooth (or in my case reasonably smooth) gradients. By keeping the gradient on the palette you can also fix mistakes and improve transitions with relative ease.

For this model I decided to create all my blends using a base colour and then highlighting and shading using only black and white. I also deliberately didn't use any washes, but I did try and keep the paints thin, almost like a glaze consistency so that they would blend smoothly. This was a big change to my usual painting style which is similar to the GW base coat/wash/highlight way of painting. This worked really well for the majority of the colours, but for red I swapped out the white and replaced it with Games Workshops Wildrider red as I didn't want the model to turn pink!
 

The basing was made up of bark and various Vallejo pastes, a Secret Weapon Miniatures skull and some Tundra Tufts from the Army Painter. Its similar to my Wood Elf basing style, but hopefully different enough to make these models stand out.

Overall I am really happy with how the model has come out, although I am less happy with how long it took (6 weeks on and off!) but I have not really done that much painting so I hope I can work through the other models a bit faster. I need to swap back to my Armies on Parade entry now though, so the Darklands stuff will go on hold for a bit again.

The Last Kings Podcast. Episode 2 - We could be Heroes!

September 4, 2015, 12:58 am

≫ Next: Stompy in the Age of Sigmar

≪ Previous: My First Darklands Model

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In our second episode we talk more Age of Sigmar, go through some of the recent releases including some of the warscrolls for the now-a-real-army Chaos Dwarfs/The Legion of Azgorh! And we have an interview with two friendly East coasters Graeme & Chris from ELG about their forthcoming AoS 1-day tournament 'Forgotten Heroes' (with added Edinburgh Megamix...)

(Please note, this episode contains 33% less positivity due to Rich being away on Honeymoon....#RichLove)

Check us out on iTunes, on the blog thelastkingscast.blogspot.co.uk or get the RSS feed here lastkingscast.libsyn.com/rss . 

We're also on twitter @LastKingsCast

Enjoy!

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Stompy in the Age of Sigmar

September 5, 2015, 7:10 am

≫ Next: Inspirational Musings... Color Choice

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Welcome readers to my first and forever mini love, Stompy.

               This bad boy kickstarted my Warhammer renaissance and was included in the first army I painted to a decent gaming standard. I did a repaint for my last 8th edition tournament, with a heavy heart as I was not optimistic that he would get rules for AoS (being now out of production.)  The results were predictably incredibly terrible.  Stompy's rules have always been about 1 or 2 editions behind the current ed, and this tourney was no different ;).
               I watched with hope in my heart as Dan Quirk rampaged across Ol' Blighty with his fantastic rendition of this amazing miniature.  However, in a competitive environment, Stompy is simply too slow, impossible to miss with cannons, and far too low in initiative to avoid imminent death.  I recall these battles not for pity (though I accept that as well,) but simply as a small taste of my competitive tournament experience with these rules.  I have accepted that every time I put him on the table, I am hamstringing my army, and am playing for the joy of the game, instead of for the win.

Then along came Age of Sigmar.... For the first time, rules actually make sense, and seem intuitive.  Stompy's battlefield presence could actually be a part of a cohesive strategy, and my army theme (of only marauders) has been included in the synergy. (They made a new character not legal since

Lustria, the Marauder Chieftan.) (please check out the rules from forgeworld for further clarification;) http://www.forgeworld.co.uk/resources/fw_site/fw_pdfs/aos_warscrolls/warhammer-aos-tamurkhans-horde.pdf )

So why make a post?  

I post simply to encourage you to find your old minis resigned to the too many points/too slow/too terrible dusty corner of your storage and give them a try.  Also maybe go assemble that gorgeous mini still in shrink wrap ;)

Age of Sigmar is not Warhammer Fantasy Battles, and Stompy and I couldn't be happier ;) 

Inspirational Musings... Color Choice

September 8, 2015, 8:06 am

≫ Next: Pjschard's Ponderings... Perceived Value

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Color choice is the first artistic decision we make when painting a miniature. It can be an arduous and harrowing decision (especially if we spent hours upon hours converting a miniature.) 

                                       "Goblin Shaman" by Jaroslaw Camelson Drabek
                                              http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/498
           Jaroslaw has taken a bit of a bold move here by combining green skin tone with some blue body paint (on the chest.)  Color theory tells us that green (blue combined with yellow) has an opposite of red.  The mushrooms and the ponytail contrast very nicely with the green and provide a harmonious balance.  Blue however, doesn't belong in any color scheme based on the color wheel.  It's just too close in color to the green to be complimentary, so it has to be used in contrast.  The shaman has this contrast used to great effect by making the face in green pop out from the chest in blue to truly bring your focus to the center of the figure. Nicely done.

"Chaos Dwarfs" by Florian "Tuffskull" Weinheimer

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/617

               Florian has used the same formula here, but switched the blue to the primary color, with green as a solitary spot color for his hero.  A rusty orange provides the contrast in this unit, present on the hellsmith as well as the flame.  The blue armour provides a fantastic contrast to the dark look of the unit itself, elevating the figures beyond the background and into the viewer's focus.  The bright green goblin shrunken heads provide a fantastic spot color to allow the viewer to pick out the hero even while on the edge of the unit composition, in contrast to the freehand loincloth of the hellsmith.  The difference highlights the magical nature of the caster, and provides a great narrative without words.

                                              "Trolls Fight" by Jaroslaw Camelson Drabek
                                                http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/493
           And now, we're back to Jaroslaw ;) Scroll back up and take a careful look at the Goblin Shaman once more.  If I'm not mistaken, you'll see almost every color in this diorama is present on that little shaman as well.  The solitary missing tone is the red contrasting tone from the mushrooms and ponytail. By eliminating the red, Jaroslaw has formed a very cohesive tone pallette, with muted colors providing a contrast that is not present in more traditional color theory.  The blue and green providing a striking contrast to focus the viewer on the defender suggesting as well the eventual winner, making the right troll appear more virile and stronger.             Choosing a non-traditional color scheme can really make a piece stand out from the competition, but it truly requires an exceptional skill level to "sell" the complete composition.  Also, try a test model first (such as a clampack mini ;) ) to make sure you can put the vision in your mind onto the sculpted surface.  This juxtaposition of traditional color theory and color tones most likely contributed to the golden demon this diorama won.

Pjschard's Ponderings... Perceived Value

September 9, 2015, 8:25 am

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                                 "Price is what you pay. Value is what you get." -Warren Buffet

"Nagash Supreme Lord of Undeath" by Jonathan Hart

http://www.puttyandpaint.com/projects/6925

How much is this mini worth?  

Jonathan has done a really nice job painting this mini.  I think we would all agree that its' value has increased due to the paint job and basing.  Jonathan is a pro, so obviously he makes money doing this.  

Quick straw poll here though..  How many of you would pay for a mini with a nice paint job to add to your collection?  If not, does this mini have any increased value to you?  

How about this Nagash?  Is this Nagash worth less to you than the previous?  I know some people would rather pay someone to assemble them rather than try to do it themselves.  Games Workshop says that this miniature is worth $130 US or 65 Pounds.  But I bet it's not worth that much to you.  I bet it's worth the price that is the best discount you can manage. For me it's 20% off at my LGS unless it ends up on the sale shelf at 40% off.  Even then for me it's a question.  I prefer to buy units and convert characters from the bits to what I want.

How about now, using the rules in this book?  I can guess that to most of you, the addition of just the picture of the end times book made this mini worthless to you.   The rules are no longer current, and besides, Nagash is so broken, no one will play against him.  Some of you thought of this book upon the first glimpse of the figure and immediately dismissed it as worthless.

Let's try for a minute and focus on that thought.  Why is this figure now worthless?  The model making skill is still (let's be honest) one of the finest demonstrations of miniature making ever created.  The engineering, vision, and physical details have not changed, and it is an epic, epic figure.  The figure still assembles in a remarkable and intuitive way despite it's dynamic and impressive presence.  

           There are no rules included in the purchase of Nagash (it has been reboxed yet.)  Why do rules matter in the purchase of this figure?

                  The simple and obvious answer is that this is not just simply a figure.  This miniature is a playing piece that has a use within a game.  Even the largest idiot can see that.

                      So let's extrapolate here and get some real talk into the equation.  Why do you care if someone uses this mini for Age of Sigmar?  Or Warhammer End Times?  Or Warhammer 8th ed?  Or Kings of War?  Or Warhammer 9th ed?  Or home-brewed rules? 

At the end of the day, it truly doesn't matter to you unless the person you're arguing with has the ability to stop or limit you from using your model.  The number of people that this is true for is really quite, quite small.   So why does it matter?  

          Simply, because of your perceived value.  You have an amount in your head. I don't know what that amount is, but it's there.  That amount is how much this mini should be worth if you've decided you don't want it anymore.  Someone is expected to pay you money for your used goods because this figure is part of your investment.  Your investment in the hobby of miniature gaming.  If no one is willing to buy this mini after you're finished, the value goes down, and your investment plummets.  Your decision to make this purchase goes from a good investment to a bad choice.  

        I'm here to tell you, as long as you have a group of guys who care to play miniatures with you, the previous paragraph is a pack full of lies.  Why would you sell miniatures that you are using with a great group of guys and potentially girls who want the same thing out of the hobby that you do?  You wouldn't.

          So at the end of day, it really doesn't matter what someone the next county or next continent over thinks about your game.  It's your game.  Whichever one you choose, you will get far more mileage out of building up a community of like minded gamers, than trashing someone else's idea of fun half a world away.                  So if you want to increase your enjoyment of this hobby, just keep gaming and please stop trying to win the internet.  Because, I really just don't care what you think ;)  I care about my hobby.

A Short Time Ago, in a Kitchen Just Down the Road...

September 14, 2015, 2:24 pm

≫ Next: The Skragglegut ogres at forgotten heroes.

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For my birthday I received a copy of Imperial Assault by the excellent Fantasy Flight Games. The game is really cool, and based around the Descent engine. The thing that really appeals to me though is the miniatures and the chance to paint up some figures from Star Wars was just too tempting to resist. So far I have painted the Royal Guards, and hopefully I'll be able to work my way through the rest of the set as the weeks progress.

The Skragglegut ogres at forgotten heroes.

September 15, 2015, 8:00 am

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So Scotland's first Age of Sigmar tournament has been and gone, and seemed quite successful. 20 people playing 3 games each over a day. This was the first time the Ogres have left home on their new, shiny, round bases. 

The games were fun. AoS can definitely work as a tournament game; I enjoyed it more than 8th. I took two lots of 3 ironguts, two lots of 3 maneaters, 2 gorgers, 2 mournfang, a butcher, a giant and my obligatory stonehorn. The games were entertaining, though short with this army. Game one I stomped Stuart. His ogres had no luck what-so-ever, with his thundertusk failing to do the 6 mortal wounds turn one, then being gobbled up by the maw immediatly afterwards. I lost my butcher to the maw as well but that was it. 19-1 win.

Game 2 was ogres again. I was facing a unit of 9 ironguts and 6 leadbelchers. There were other things too, but they are effectively what ground me out. Fun moment of this game was the firebelly trying to roast the giant....and getting squished. Lost 18-2

Game 3 was against a filthy stormcast eternal list, all paladins and shooty guys. It ended as a 11-9 loss, held to that only by my last unit of ironguts cowering behind a hill. Best moment of the game was undoubtedly turn one though. I took first turn, moved up stonehorn 12" forwards, ran it, then charged into the opposing general (on the cat-dragon-thing), taking it off before it could even respond. It lead to a slow, inevitable death for Fluffy though, but he got a good feeding first. I was surprised at how well my list did against the stormcast. A single gorger ate his way through a 5-man unit of archers, the giant stomped some hammer guys and maneaters did the same. I was ultimately ground out by shooting though. 

More importantly to me than the games though is that I finally won a best army trophy. I'll argue whether it was deserved compared to Tim's Orcs and Goblins (still the best army I've seen in person) but the effort I put into re-basing the fatties was worth it. Thanks to everyone who voted for me.

I didn't take some pictures myself, but here's some that Stuart (@AosBatrep) took. 

Fluffy, the young stonehorn.