2019-12-08

Frostgrave Gnoll Warband

The painting goes ever on and on. This time something non-historial and non-piratey (no, I'm not just a Blood & Plunder blog, appearances aside). Instead, it's Gnolls for Frostgrave. And Frostgrave: Ghost Archipelago. And wherever else a bunch of hyena-dog-men can make do. Always attempt to make models as multi-use as possible.


All in all, it's 22 gnolls, with a variety of weapons. For the games currently planned, I doubt I'll ever field them all at the same time. For further utility, they can either be used as non-player wandering monsters (bags of XP), or form a coherent crew for a player. Basing has been kept intentionally simple, with just plain dirt and a bit of dry grass. Works equally well on warm, barbaric islands and in cold, abandoned cities.


First up, the low-level, mediocre threats. These would be crewmen in FG:GA and Thugs (spotted ones) and Thieves (stripes) in FG. Most weapons are also heavily rusted, not getting enough care and/or getting cast-offs from the bigger and fiercer gnolls.


Next up, a pair of raiders (Treasure Hunters, Tomb Raiders), running around with speed and a plethora of weapons. These hounds have better, less worn weapons than the thugs and thieves, and even some old bronze blades found in the ruins, still surprisingly sharp.


Of course, sometimes picking up a shield to help you avoid getting your skull bashed in is helpful. Therefore, 4 of these fellows. One of them has dark greyish fur and skin, signifying an inherently stronger foe (always useful to have easy visual distinction between almost similar models). As with the raiders, weapons are better taken care of, and occasionally sharp bronze treasures found.


Although a shield can be useful, sometimes you just have to rely on bashing the others head in before he does yours. For that, grab a big sturdy axe, or a long spear (with a nice, bronze cleaver as spearhead!). Once again, one stronger dog goes in shades of grey.

 
In case prey refuse to get close to you/let you catch them, some ranged weapons can be useful. Three shades of archers (sandy with brown spots, plain brown and a surprisingly wolflike grey, for increasing danger and strength), and one rare crossbowdog.


To lead this pack, someone with a good bark is needed. Call him Alpha, Captain, Heritor, Chieftain, or just "Will hit you if you dun do as 'e says", he can have many names. And of course the strongest wolf has an almost pure black fur (and a missing eye that doesn't seem to slow him down any), as well as a honking big sword (and a smaller sword. And a shield. And...)

In a caste for themselves are the mages and shamans, signified by their almost albino white fur, going ever purer with age and experience. The apprentice is more of a very light grey, while the master mage is next thing to white in these dirty circumstances.


As a unifying mark, a significant portion of them have dabbled a crude, red cross on their shields or clothes, to signify their packs for anyone who sees them, gnoll or non-gnoll/interloper/dinner.

In case anyone is curious (and because I want to remember for myself, in case I expand them), I noted down which colours I used for the various fur shades. All colours were Vallejo Model Color

  • Thieves and Thugs have Iraqui Sand fur with Mahogany Brown markings (spots for the Thugs, stripes for the Thieves).
  • Brown-furred gnolls have Mahogany Brown fur, with either Tan Earth or (Game Color) Parasite Brown bare skin.
  • Grey-furred ones have Grey Green fur with some Medium Sea Grey bare skin portions.
  • The Leader have Black Grey fur, with a little bit of Grey Green skin showing.
  • The Shamans have Deck Tan fur and skin, with the Master Shaman getting a White drybrush over it.

That's one more new years promise (2 years delayed), and one project closer to starting on some of my newer ideas. I hope they offer inspiration.

/Fool Out.

2019-12-01

Blood & Plunder Fluyt

It only took me half a year, but another Blood & Plunder ship has been finished. I seriously need to up my painting time for these. Especially since my effective painting time isn't all that long, it's just that I keep procrastinating and painting smaller stuff (painting gods know how that will work with the Galleon)


Anyway, one fully armed bathtub Fluyt is now done and ready to battle it out on the table. Painting inspiration is somewhat from Kalmar Nyckel, with my usual judicious application of "this color seems nifty here".


The jack (front-most flag, for us not so nautically inclined) was a bit of a rushjob, but it will do for now. And until such  time that I manage to decide between red och orange on my dutch flags, she will get to fly both.


As is usual, I have of course given her a female name, Amelia in this case (as it is suitably dutch-sounding... and close enough to Maarten Tromps ship, Aemilia). Historically, there should have been a painting here, but until I trust my freehanding skills, I will go with names.


The interior is relatively sparse in various shades of wooden browns. My first try with a lighter deck color, and... I think I like it, will have to do similar with more ships.


Of course, it doesn't feel right to have an empty ship. Much better when she's filled up with dutch seamen. Also allows us to get a sense of her space. Just for fun, I drew up an almost fully WYSIWYG 300 points list.


The larger decks have 2 units of 6 models each, with a commander on the rearmost full deck, while the subsection to the rear (the poop deck, unless I mangle my naval terminology again) only a single 6-strong unit. From this, we can see that the rearmost full deck is full (the subsection could probably fit a single model more), while the front deck have some space left... and the middle deck has plenty of space, one could probably fit another 6 models here without problems. Perfect space for some larger cannons...


And a swift change of flags, and she's suddenly belgian (Ostend Privateers, almost-dutch except under spanish command). Truly, she's a versatile ship.


And a somewhat shitty joke to finish us off. Sorry, but I've been itching to make this joke for a year by now...

Now I just need to figure out how to best transport Amelia. The (very) tall stern structure makes my usual boxes insufficient...

/Fool Out