Last Monday I had a recurring thought: "This is one of the best days of my life". I was in Normandy, France with three friends and we were getting a tour of the D-Day battlefields from Colonel Oliver Warman (retired) of the Welsh Guards.
My father likes to recite the old ditty about the highest reaches of the upper class: "The Lowells only talk to the Cabots, and the Cabots only talk to God." Listening to Oliver, I often thought of that saying. Here stood a man who was shown around Normandy after the War by Hans Spiedel, Rommel's chief of staff. Here was a man who dined with Field Marshal Montgomery and called Major General John Frost (of Arnhem fame) "an old family friend". He served under General John Hackett (also of Arnhem) when they were both at NATO, and -- because of his decades long interest in D-Day -- had interviewed most of the battlefield commanders, including all of the Canadian leaders at Juno Beach.
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| Colonel Warman indicates where Rommel and Speidel stood when first inspecting the Normandy beaches |
Oliver seemed almost ashamed of this access. If we asked him about his acquaintance with King Hussein of Jordan or the Nazi hunter Simon Wiesenthal, he'd say sadly, "It's the old boys' club, I'm afraid." Or he would simply scratch his head and say "Well, you know, I am hideously old." His sense of shame was misplaced because I've never met anyone who put privilege to better use. During the tour it was clear that he'd spend 60+ years mulling over the Normandy landings. He had not just quizzed the generals -- he had paced the cow-paths, stared at the topography and questioned local farmers. The fruit of this labour is that he's the author of several books, the teacher of military courses and the leader of one stupendous tour.
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| Oliver takes cover in a sunken lane* |
We talked of why the Canadians took no prisoners during the Battle of Normandy, Rommel's defence strategy, and the bloody beaches of Omaha Beach ("Here the Americans caught a bad cold," he said in one of his more memorable phrases.)
At one point he said to me, "Small battles are what make up big battles." This simple but important thesis animated the entire tour. Time and again, he would point out how individual companies or battalions negotiated the hills, outflanked the enemy or fell into enfilading fire. (As a gamer, this gave me a new appreciation for the small skirmishes we play on the table-top -- such small engagements are indeed the building blocks of war).
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| We are not giving the Nazi salute. Instead, we are following Oliver's sight-line toward Caen and the beaches |
Using my phone, I recorded Oliver narrating the story of Operation Biting (aka the Bruneval Raid of February 1942). It's a wonderful piece of oral history -- you can see the way he frames the story around American perceptions of Britain's chances alone against the Nazis. (To be prosaic, I will point out that the Bruneval Raid actually occurred after the USA joined Britain's fight against Hitler. But that's the nature of oral history... there's a kind of truth that transcends details and can only be passed along through good story telling.)
After meeting Oliver, my friends and I headed east to see the Bayeux Tapestry in the town of Bayeux. The museum built around the tapestry is a gem -- the tapestry is presented flawlessly and without distraction in its own dark gallery. Up close, it's hard to describe how beautiful a work it is. No computer screen can capture its texture, life and artistry.
On the second floor of the Bayeux Museum, there are a series of exhibits, including some wonderful dioramas that would make any hobbyist gape. The picture at the top of this post is from a diorama of the stone quarries on the river Orne near the Norman city of Caen. This stone was shipped to England and was used to create many of William the Conqueror's castles.
Other dioramas included this lovely portrayal of Walkelin, the Norman Bishop of Winchester arriving at the village of East Meon shortly after the Conquest...
And then there was this magnificent recreation of the whole village of East Meon in Hampshire circa 1086. The scale is too small for Warhammer, but it did make my heart skip a beat... how I'd love to run Krapfang and his orcs through those prosperous streets!
To top things off, when I was in Caen, I found a model train store that concealed some hidden treasures. After poking around a bit, I found a near-mint 1/100 scale kit for a model Super Dimension Fortress Macross "Spartan" (also known to Battletech players as an Archer). It was a nice tie-in for my recent orgy of painted Battletech miniatures.
But it's not all fun and games. Both Oliver's tour and the Tapestry brought home to me the all-around shittiness of war. Seeing Oliver scratch out in the sand of Omaha Beach a diagram of the overlapping fields of German machine gun fire was as chilling and depressing experience as I can think of. And even in the Tapestry's glorious portrayal of the Battle of Hastings, there are reminders of how ugly and tawdry a battlefield can be. Here are some close-ups from the lower borders of the cloth showing the looters, hacked-limbs and half-men left over from the combat. Blech.
Well, if you are ever in the market for a WWII tour of Normandy (or for that matter, of Belgium or Tunisia), I can't recommend Oliver Warman more enthusiastically. In the truest sense of the phrase, I was honoured to meet him.
* Have you noticed the Welsh Guards tie affixed to the front of his shirt with what appears to be a diaper pin? The man is stone-cold.
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October 7, 2016, 10:31 am
I've been fascinated by infantry in Battletech ever since 1986 when I bought the CityTech boxed set, which expanded the original game by introducing ground forces, buildings and urban combat. The image of a platoon of soldiers trying to stand up to a towering armoured robot conjures up all sort of romantic images... the sailors of the Pequod taking on Moby Dick... the Japanese Self-Defense Forces against Godzilla... the Smurfs versus Gargamel. So when I went on my mech painting jag (see my Unseen Mechs here, here and here), I also set about painting some conventional forces.
My favourite source for the infantry in the appropriate scale (1:285) is GHQ Models. They're cheap, well-sculpted and diverse. They're not meant for sci-fi, of course, but at such a small scale, who can really tell. And after all, Battletech is still a game of machine guns, flamethrowers and missile launchers.
![Painted Mechanized Infantry for Battletech]( "Painted Mechanized Infantry for Battletech") |
| Mechanized Rifle Infantry supported by a COM-2D "Commando" |
Purists may be turned off by the fact that many of the vehicles I use for my mechanized and motorized platoons are from WWII, but anachronisms like that don't faze me. If I was going to take over the galaxy, I wouldn't be shy about doing it in a Sonderkraftfahrzeug.
Another useful source for more futuristic vehicles was Forgeworld's line of miniatures for Aeronautica Imperialis (the Warhammer 40K-based air combat game). Although most of the models were aircraft, Forgeworld created some lovely anti-air tanks and scenery that I gobbled up for Battletech.
![Painted Heavy Tanks for Battletech]( "Painted Heavy Tanks for Battletech") |
| A FSH-9 "Firestarter" mech with two Anti Air Tanks (originally Hydra Flak Tanks from Forgeworld) |
I had a lot of fun simply arranging the soldiers on each base... it felt like creating a mini-diorama, each with its own sense of movement or purpose. By using mere soldiers or a combination of soldiers and vehicles, I could conjure up the image of Foot, Motorized or Mechanized Infantry.
Anyway, I hope you enjoy my pictures...
Above we see a Mechanized Machine Gun Infantry Platoon and a Foot Machine Gun Platoon, supported by a VND-1R "Vindicator", all painted in the colours of House Kurita.
Here's another Kurita force: a platoon of Motorized SRM launchers and a platoon of Foot SRM launchers, accompanied by a PXH-1 "Phoenix Hawk".
And here we see two platoons of Foot SRM Infantry and one platoon of Mechanized (Wheeled) infantry with rifles. A CPLT-C1 "Catapult" is marching in support.
Above is my SCP-1N "Scorpion" leading a mixed squadron of conventional ground tanks (which are all sculpted by GHQ).
And finally, my personal favourite Battletech conventional vehicle... the H-7C "Warrior" helicopter, which I modelled using a AH 1W Super Cobra from GHQ Models.Thanks for stopping by!
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October 14, 2016, 12:23 pm
Heinrich Kemler, the Lichemaster, is the most iconic villain from the golden age of Warhammer Fantasy Battle. He was invented by Rick Priestly for Terror of the Lichemaster(1986), a boxed scenario pack that included a campaign book, counters and 15 cardboard buildings. The three sequential scenarios in Terror of the Lichemaster were extended by a fourth scenario called The Vengeance of the Lichemaster which appeared in the Spring 1986 Citadel Journal. Finally, Priestly and Carl Sargent resurrected the Lichemaster in Return of the Lichemaster (1989) a mini-campaign for Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay that revised and reconfigured the events of Terror.
So welcome to the first of several posts unearthing a complete painted set of the miniatures from the Terror of the Lichemaster.
Kemler has been an obsession of mine for years. But I'm not the only one who found him stalking me in my dreams. From the very beginning, the Lichemaster had a grip on the imagination of the Games Workshop studio. No other Warhammer character was portrayed so often or by so many different artists. John Blanche, Tony Ackland, Gary Chalk, Ian Miller and Dave Andrews all tried their hand at illustrating Kemler.
My favourite picture is Dave Andrews' frontispiece from Terror of the Lichemaster... a simple black and white affair resembling a woodcut. This portrait of Kemler is also the one that most closely resembles the Lichemaster miniature:
Tony Ackland, whose prodigious output provides the backbone of so many Warhammer publications, created two sketches of the Lichemaster for Terror:
John Blanche painted the cover for the Spring 1986 Citadel Journal, a dreamlike depiction of Skaven, monks and undead all battling before the gates of La Maisontaal. Here's a detail of Kemler's ghostly visage:
Ian Miller's cover art for the Spring 1987 Citadel Journal shows his talents in full flower: a Giger-esque horror mixed with flaring colours and composition. This painting was also used as the cover art for the 1987 re-issue of Terror:
Gary Chalk painted the original box cover artwork for Terror of the Lichemaster. And although Kemler doesn't appear by name in Warhammer 3rd edition (1987), the Orange Book does contain this portrait of the Kemler and his lieutenant, Mikael Jacsen (p. 164):
So who is the Lichemaster? According to Terror of the Lichemaster, he was a "necromancer and man of power" who studied magic in the great cities of the Empire. However, a life of dark magic ravaged his body until his enemies (witch-hunters? rival warlocks?) saw their chance and began hounding him from city to city.
At the very end of his strength and with his pursuers closing in, Kemler washed up in the remote Frugelhorn Valley in the Black Mountains. There he discovered the burial mound of a long-dead Chaos Warrior named Lord Krell. Kemler reanimated Krell and his undead soldiers but the rite sapped what little life was left in the necromancer. At the edge of death, Krell offered Kemler a hellish pact: assist Krell in leading his skeletal horde, and in return receive the power to extend his life by killing others. The Terror of the Lichemaster then follows Kemler's attempt to slay the inhabitants of the Valley, culminating in an attack on the village of Frugelhofen.
Even Heinrich Kemler's name conjures up some fascinating associations. His first name evokes Heinrich Cornelius Agrippa (1486-1535), the German occultist who traveled across Europe and frequently found himself accused of heresy. His name also closely resembles Heinrich Kramer, the author of the 15th century witch hunting manual, the Malleus Maleficarum. But the clearest influence on the Lichemaster is the legend of Dr. Faustus (circa 1480 - 1541), a scholar who allegedly bargained his soul to a demon for great magic powers. In other words, Kemler highlights the close connection between the Warhammer world and the German Renaissance, where secular learning opened up a new world of scholarly inquiry that would often challenge the accepted morality of the Church.
I think we also have to say something about his title, "Lichemaster". Dungeons and Dragons popularized the notion of a Lich as an evil wizard who uses powerful spells to animate his own body after death. But in doing so, Gary Gygax and co. greatly extended the meaning of the word lich, which originally meant merely a body or a corpse (hence Lichgate means the covered entryway to a churchyard and a Lich-house is a mortuary). For this reason, Lichemaster is a better term for Kemler -- his is a Master of Corpses. (It is delightfully unclear whether Kemler is himself a corpse now or merely suspended on the edge of death).
![Heinrich Kemmler the Lichemaster painted miniature]( "Heinrich Kemmler the Lichemaster painted miniature")
Although the Lichemaster might be an iconic Warhammer villain, his is a hell of a rare miniature (it seems that he was only available by special mail order to Games Workshop during the mid-1980's). This is one of the reasons I became obsessed with him -- I just couldn't find him! When I finally stumbled upon him on eBay a few years ago, I paid too much but never regretted my lightening fast "Buy It Now". He is a beautiful miniature (the work of Aly Morrison if I'm not mistaken). But his rarity and cost made me scared to paint him -- it took me a few years to build up the courage. Terror of the Lichemaster indeed!
Thanks for stopping by and stay tuned for the rest of the miniatures from Terror of the Lichemaster!
(And many thanks to Zhu who helped me with the provenance to some of the pictures featured in this post.)
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October 19, 2016, 8:17 am
Welcome to my second post about the miniatures of The Terror of the Lichemaster, a Warhammer 2nd edition campaign released in 1986. My first post detailed the Lichemaster himself. Today I want to take a closer look at some of skeletal minions...specifically Ranlac the Black and Lord Krell.
The Lichemaster's plan of campaign is simple. It's all set out in the map of the Frugelhorn Valley drawn by the talented Dave Andrews....
Starting from the burial mound of Krell at the foot of the Frugelhorn Mountain, the Lichemaster divides his forces and creeps south so that he can simultaneously fall upon the two nearby settlements,Gimbrin's Mine (the 1st battle) and the Bogel's farmstead (the 2nd battle). By picking off these isolated victims, the Lichemaster will gain new undead soldiers and prevent any warning from arriving at the Village of Frugelhofen at the very bottom of the valley. Then he will reunite his army and crush the village with its paltry defenders (the 3rd and final battle).
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| Ranlac the Black Sketched by Tony Ackland |
Ranlac the Black is the first of the Lichemaster's lieutenants that he dispatches down the valley. He is tasked with killing the dwarves at Gimbrin's mine.
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| Detail of Shield |
We are told that Ranlac is captain of Krell's guards, "more cruel in death than even in life." He's an Undead Champion and 20 Skeleton warriors are under his command.
Ranlac's miniature started life as an unnamed Citadel C17 Skeleton sculpted in 1984 by Michael and Alan Perry. This is a pre-slotta (aka solid base) miniatures of a very high caliber -- great detail and lots of character, thanks to the Perry Bros. I particularly like his flowing robes and samurai-like sword.
When I came to paint Ranlac, I wanted to keep the general palate dark and sombre. There's nothing I abhor more than a gaudy skeleton. But his shield demanded special attention, what with its tortured face. After trying several colour schemes and painting over them in disgust, I finally hit on a scheme I liked. I used a rusty metallic as background for a yellow crescent moon. It's just enough colour to grab the eye without being too flashy. And to my eye, it seems to create an unsettling dual aspect to the shield, where you can see two different faces peering out of the same features.
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The Lichemaster's most powerful ally is Lord Krell. He is described in Terror of the Lichemaster as "a bony horror" carrying "an evil weapon that had sent a thousand screaming souls to the chaos hells." In life he was a powerful Chaos Warrior and in death he binds Kemler to the Ruinous Powers in a dark pact. Within the game, he is a Major Undead Hero armed with a Magic Two-Handed Sword with Warp Attack and Degeneration Strike. Nasty.
Like Ranlac, Krell was originally a preslotta Citadel C17 Skeleton (1984) sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry. Because they were not specially produced for Terror of the Lichemaster, these two skeleton champions are slightly easier to find than the miniatures that were only created for the scenario and sold by mail-order (e.g. Heinrich Kemler or Gimbrin Finehelm).
Again, I kept my colours on the muted side for Krell. I tried to create visual interest mainly through the rust on his armour, and the dirt and decay on his robes. Krell is not looking to win a beauty contest.
His skeleton minions are all from Citadel's boxed set of plastic sprues, the Skeleton Horde (1986). To my mind, these are the greatest plastic skeletons ever produced: they are well-proportioned, simple and easy to customize. My paint job on these undead is as simple as pouring piss out of a boot. I use a basecoat of bone-white, followed by a wash or two of brown ink diluted 50:50 with water. The tips of the bones get a rough highlight with more bone-white, and deep joints get an outline of charred brown. It's the speediest of speed painting.
In my next posts, I'll set out Ranlac's prey... the dwarf Gimbrin Finehelm and his small band of doughty followers.
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| Lord Krell sketched by Tony Ackland |
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October 22, 2016, 7:26 am
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 3
The Lichemaster has raised an army of undead. His opening move is to deploy Ranlac the Black and a phalanx of skeleton warriors to ambush a handful of prospectors working a nearby mine. This is the necromancer's first step towards seizing the Frugelhorn Valley and raising its slaughtered inhabitants as zombies. But what Kemler hasn't reckoned upon is that this isn't any mine. This is the mine of Gimbrin Finehelm and his warband of beautifully helmeted dwarves.
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Terror of the Lichemaster doesn't give us very much information about the character of Gimbrin - just that he is an adventurer trying to resuscitate an old mine without much success. But he reappears in Return of the Lichemaster(1989), where we are told that he is a "thoughtful" and "powerful" leader", and "is thought handsome by Dwarven standards, having a beard of exceptional sleekness" (p. 83).
What I can tell you about Gimbrin is that he was the 2nd most expensive miniature I've ever bought.* It seems that he is the rarest of all the miniatures in this scenario pack, and never saw any release outside special mail orders during the 1980's. When he surfaced on eBay in late 2012, he represented the last Lichemaster miniature for my collection. And so I entered into one of those crippling bidding wars where, at the last second, you swoop in and bang a nauseating sum into eBay, assuring yourself that your stratospheric buffer is completely unnecessary. And then you wait the 2 or 3 remaining seconds of the auction to discover that some jackass has done exactly the same thing.
And when eBay tells you "You've Won", you feel poor, proud and stupid all at the same time.**
When all is said and done, Gimbrin is a beautiful miniature. His helmet is unique in the Citadel range of dwarves, what with its long rectangular visor and the short aventail (the curtain of chainmail hanging from the helm). I really wanted Gimbrin to stand out in the crowd -- I hadn't paid all that money for a wall-flower! -- so I gave his armour a bright blue accent. And doesn't his beard look sleek?
Well, thanks for looking, and in the next installment, we'll take a closer look at Gimbrin Finehelm's five well-helmeted warriors...
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| Gimbrin Finehelm sketched by Tony Ackland |
* The most expensive was Osrim Chardz from the Citadel scenario pack Blood Bath at Orcs Drift. But that's another story...** You also congratulate yourself for finding a phlegmatic girlfriend.
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October 31, 2016, 4:17 pm
It's Hallowe'en! And we've got a scary one for you this week, Kids! It's another in our fine line of horror classics: Doctor Tongue's 3d House of Cthuloid Monsters! We're going to look at examples from five different spine-tingling ranges of miniatures inspired by H.P. Lovecraft. Pregnant women and those on heart medication -- please stop reading.
First up we have the Hound of Tindalos. Brrr! Ha ha! That miasma of foulness will jump straight out of the angles of time! They are lean and athirst, Kids. That long tongue will suck the vital juices right out of you, faster than Count Floyd can drink a beer, I'm telling you.This Hound of Tindalos was carved by John Dennett for Grenadier Models in 1983 as part of Grenadier's "Call of Cthulhu" range. Many of Dennett's sculptures remain the creepiest interpretations of these creatures. No one has topped his Hound of Tindalos, his Mi-Go or his Byakhee.
Quick, Kids: Who said "Man is the cruelest animal."? Was it the crazy Teuton, Friedrich Nietzsche? Or was it the mad Arab, Abdul Alhazrad? It won't matter when you find yourself upon an apparently abandoned road which you had chosen as the shortest cut to Arkham; overtaken by the storm at a point far from any town, and confronted with no refuge save for an antique and repellent wooden building near the foot of a rocky hill. Because that's when you're going to meet him.This cannibalistic, ax-murdering Yankee is "The Hillbilly" from Citadel's Gothic Horror range of miniatures, sculpted in 1986 by Aly Morrison.
"Now the fact that adulterous drabs and whores are chiefly given to witchcraft is substantiated by the spells which are cast by witches upon the act of procreation...There is no doubt that certain witches can do marvelous things with regard to male organs." Thus wrote Heinrich Kramer and James Sprenger in their witch-hunting manual, the Malleus Malificarum(1487). And they should know! This witch is "The Sorceress" from Citadel's C18 Night Horrors range from 1986. This was a wonderful assortment of devils, ghosts and B-movie monsters that was designed to accompany the Gothic Horror adventurers. The Sorceress miniature went on to enjoy a second life as "Etelka Herzen" in Death on the Reik range.
Hey Kids, what Hallowe'en would be complete without a coven of cultists? The Church of Starry Wisdom is a good option. The Esoteric Order of Dagon is even better... well, either way, who knows who is under those robes. Perhaps it's your neighbour... perhaps it's your doctor... perhaps it's me...These cultists are "The Evil Acolytes III" from Otherworld Miniatures -- sculpted by Kevin Adams circa 2011. Otherworld is one of the very few inheritors of the spirit of Citadel's golden years in the 1980's -- especially Citadel's AD&D range. I just love what Otherworld does.
And finally Kids -- what's scarier than Dr. Tongue's House of Cats? Or Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Stewardesses? Or Dr. Tongue's 3-D House of Pancakes? Well, probably a black ropy, slimy, jelly tree-thing out of the woods. Yes, something that crawls up and flows up on its hoofs and mouths and snaky arms. Something black and hideous! Goddmammit! Who summoned the Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath![his Dark Young of Shub-Niggurath is one of the plastic miniatures released by Fantasy Flight Games for its Mansions of Madness boardgame in 2011. It's not the most elegant of miniatures... but it sure makes up for it in size!
Happy Hallowe'en everyone!
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November 11, 2016, 4:34 pm
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 4
If you go by the flyers published by Games Workshop in 1986, Gimbrin Finehelm is the only dwarf that officially goes with the Terror of the Lichemasterscenario pack. However, the campaign book written by Rick Priestly tells us that Gimbrin is accompanied by a small warband of five dwarf adventurers.So a hobbyist like me or you is left with a lot of elbowroom. What miniatures to use for these supporting cast members?
All we know is that two wield sword and shield, while the other three carry crossbows. Well, that leaves a lot of Citadel dwarves to choose from...
Gimbrin himself provides some guidance on what minis are best. Although a beautifully sculpted dwarf, he is noticeably on the small size. He fits in with Citadel's early range of Fantasy Tribe Dwarves (1982) or the C06 Northern Dwarves (1984), rather than the vastly more common D5 Imperial Dwarves (1986) which dominated the rest of the Eighties. These later dwarves are taller and stouter than their earlier cousins, and so using them would make Gimbrin seem puny.
So we need early, small dwarves. But which ones? More food for thought came from reading Orlygg's Realm of Chaos post about another scenario pack, The Tragedy of McDeath...
Orlygg's insight is that when dealing with these old scenario packs, it's wise to look at the painted card counters included in the original boxed set (these are the counters that you were to cut out and use in lieu of miniatures if you couldn't buy the lead). Since these counters were usually drawn (by Tony Ackland) with actual miniatures in mind, they show what the game designers were thinking in terms of models...
In this case, the game designers seemed to be thinking that Gimbrin's retainers would be one of the early models sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry in 1985 for the C06 range of Dwarves. Specifically, it's the "Bandit Dwarf" with the distinctive aventail or curtain of mail covering his face.
Great choice! This Bandi miniature is smaller in scale, and has always been one of my favourite dwarves. And then I realized what made him an especially good candidate: he has an eye-grabbing helmet. Eureka, I said to my cat. After all, we are talking about Gimbrin Finehelm! Clearly his followers must be similarly attired in fabulous head-ware. And so, I began combing through the Citadel back-catalogue for other old miniatures with stand-out hats.
And so, I present Gimbrin's Five Well-Helmeted Warriors...
First is Carling the Black. As a young and violent dwarf, he lost his way, wandering from his ancestral hold and taking up banditry in the Grey Mountains. But when he met Gimbrin, he saw a leader worth following, and decided to return to a proper dwarven existence: mining and honourable clan warfare.
The second swordsman is Molson Olson. Like Carling, he proudly carries the device of the Finehelm Clan on his shield. He is an old retainer of Gimbrin's family, known for his great strength and baritone singing voice. His helmet features a huge nasal-guard chased in polished brass. (Moe's miniature is a preslotta C06 Northern Dwarf from 1984).
Next comes the crossbowman Rickard the Red. The youngest of Gimbrin's dwarves, he's keen-eyed and often takes the role of scout. He claims to speak the croaking tongue of crows and jaybirds, a talent often ascribed to ginger-haired dwarves. His helmet is a riveted Great Helm of a type often used in 13th century Northern Europe. (Carling's miniature is one of Citadel's preslotta Fantasy Tribe D2 Dwarf Light Crossbow from 1981).
Moe Dyte is another crossbowman. It's said that he can smell veins of ore from 100 paces. But what with his allergy to mountain heather and horse dander, things haven't been going so well in his sinuses or in the mines. He wears a lovely reproduction of the Gjermundbu-style viking helmet from 10th century Norway. (His miniature is "No-Car Emol" from the C06 Northern Dwarf range sculpted in 1984.)
Finally, we have Hockley Darkbrew, the third and last crossbowman. He is taciturn, even by dwarf standards, and his companions report that the only phrase he's uttered in the last three months was "Pass the tatties, ye nugget." His helmet has a Phrygian peak and a facemask, making it similar to the helms used in the Norman kingdom of Sicily in the 12th century. (He is another Citadel preslotta Fantasy Tribe D2 Dwarf Light Crossbow from 1981).
I thoroughly enjoyed exploring the range of dwarf miniatures from the early 1980's, what with their fine sculpting and foundation in historically accurate armor. Stay tuned for my next post in the Lichemaster series... Mikael Jacsen and his zombie dancers warriors.
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November 17, 2016, 8:23 am
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 5
In 1984, Michael Jackson's hair caught fire through an imprudent combination of hair spray and pyrotechnics. This was just a year after Jackson had released the Thriller video, which co-opted George Romero's cult classic Night of the Living Dead (1968) and evermore installed zombies in pop culture. Jackson's fiery accident clearly overwhelmed the sensitive emotions of the Citadel Design Team, and in response they created the miniature Mikael Jacsen, Lord of Zombies.Mikael Jacsen (also spelled Mikeal Jacsen) is one of the undead minions of the Lichemaster, Heinrich Kemler. The warm appreciation of the boys at Games Workshop for Jackson's contribution to pop music is clear from the description of Jacsen in the Terror of the Lichemaster campaign book:"By [the Lichemaster] hung the stench of decay, the rotting zombie legions and their Lieutenant, Mikeal Jacsen. In death, Jacsen was a great dark skeleton, long and thin, and with a skull that burned with an unnatural light, and from in between his huge dead teeth there issued a foul, thin shriek that few could listen to without sickening."
I've already written about how in the Lichemaster campaign, Kemler dispatches Ranlac the Black and his skeletons to ambush Gimbrin's Mine. The second prong of Kemler's attack on the Frugelhorn Valley is an attack on the farmstead of the Bogel family. That's Mikael's job...
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| Mikael Jacsen (detail) by Gary Chalk (1986) |
Mikael Jacsen is another devilishly rare miniature in the Lichemaster set, being only sold by mail order in the mid-1980's. Based on the style of sculpting (big boots, gangly limbs and comic flair) I am confident is ascribing this miniature to Aly Morrison, who sculpted many of the C17 Citadel Skeletons. Jacsen's grinning shield is from the vintage range of SH1 Metal Shields released in 1987.
Jacsen is accompanied by a pack of 10 zombies. Naturally, I selected most of them from Citadel's C18 Zombies sculpted in 1986 by Kev "Goblinmaster" Adams. These are some of the best fantasy zombies ever sculpted: by turns they are hilarious, disgusting and scary. They also have some execrable puns as names (something I think we can blame on Tim Pollard), such as Kand-Meet and Deadringer.
Here are a few of Mikael's legion:
- "Rustbone" C18 Zombie sculpted by Kev Adams (1986):
- "Jin" C18 Undead Samurai sculpted by Aly Morrison (1985):
- "Pek-Gregri" C18 Zombie sculpted by Kev Adams (1986):
- "Peeceez" C18 Zombie sculpted by Kev Adams (1986):
- "Kay-Bob" C18 Zombie* sculpted by Kev Adams (1986):
Thanks looking! And next week, we'll meet Mikael Jacsen's victims, the Bogel Family...
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| Mikael Jacsen by Tony Ackland (1986) |
* This beautifully sculpted miniature is sadly without a name in the old Citadel flyers, so I gave him the most Tim Pollard-esque name that I could come up with... Kay-Bob. But nothing will ever beet "Pek-Gregri".
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November 22, 2016, 4:47 am
About a year ago, I painted up the complete set of 70 miniatures released by Citadel for the board game Talisman 1st & 2nd edition. The primary sculptor for the Talisman miniatures was Aly Morrison (with some help from Trish Morrison). Inspired by game illustrations by Gary Chalk, the Morrisons created an incomparably exuberant and fanciful range of miniatures. It is an apex of Citadel's golden age in the mid-1980's.
In an effort to help other fans of Talisman collect, paint and enjoy these miniatures, I spent some time this past weekend refurbishing my galleries. I created a new Talisman Main Menu to assist navigation. This directory will always be available on the left panel of this site, under the listing for "Miniature Galleries".
The individual galleries are broken down by expansion (plus galleries for the five Talisman toads and for variant miniatures):
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December 1, 2016, 6:50 am
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 6
The Heinrich Kemler has sent his undead servant Mikeal Jacsen to destroy the isolated farmstead of the Bogel family in order to prevent them from warning the village of Frugelhofen. Can any of the Bogels escape? Who will be left behind? This is the second battle in the Terror of the Lichemaster scenario pack.
There's Hunk Bogel, his wife Lorabeth and their three children. Rounding out the family is the halfling stable-hand, Samgaff, and Fritzy the dog. Lightly armed civilians cornered in a lonely farmhouse by a mob of zombies - It's right out of Night of the Living Dead (or the Thriller video).
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| The Bogel Family by Tony Ackland (1986) |
There's also a dollop of The Waltons since the eldest son is named John-Boy. However, when the undead attack, we learn that the the family is not entirely like the Waltons. As the campaign book tells us...... the Bogels some to the sudden realization of what is happening, and, in the true pioneering spirit, the women-folk begin to load crossbows for the stern-faced men.
"Whatever happens," Hunk whispers to his eldest son, "save the last two bolts for Corabell and your mother."
John-Boy nods and grimly replies, "I know you never liked them, Pa."
That's just the way things are when you are trapped in a little house on the prairie and Mikeal Jacsen is closing in. In any case, let me introduce you to the family.
First up is Hunk Bogel, the patriarch of the family. His miniature is originally one of the unnamed C46 Villagers and Townsfolk released in 1985 (and almost certainly sculpted by Trish Morrison). For a collector, he's a frustrating miniature. He's rare and he's an integral part of both the Lichemaster range and also the range for Bloodbath at Orc's Drift. As a result, he's much sought after when he hits eBay. And yet, he's actually quite an ugly sculpt -- his hunched posture makes it look like he's battling heartburn, not zombies.
Hunk's wife, Lorabeth Bogel is another unnamed miniature from Citadel's C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985) sculpted by Trish Morrison. Like her husband, she's a "refugee from the west", which (I think) means that she came to the Frugelhorn Valley to escape the violence of the Empire. Bad choice, Lorabeth, because your children are about to be eaten by zombies.
John-Boy is the eldest Bogel child. He is the "Herdsman" from from Citadel's C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985). He's a common miniature, and will also be familiar to fans of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, where he features in Tony Ackland's illustration for the herdsman career.
Willy Bogel is the youngest child - another common miniature from Citadel's C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985). Doesn't it look like he'd have a delicious brain? Yeah, you better run, Willy.
Corabell Bogel is known for her "come-hither" looks. Any why not... her miniature is the "Libertine" from the C46 range of Villagers and Townsfolk (Trish Morrison, 1985). But I hope she knows how the sexually liberated usually fare when the zombies show up...
The Bogel's family dog is Fritzy, described in the campaign book as "aged and rather cranky" (Tell me about it, Fritzy.) Later, we're told that he is actually "completely insane" and is as likely to attack a Bogel as he is an invading zombie.
I've painted Fritzy to look like a German Shephard, but in fact he's a Blink Dog. That is to say, his miniature originally comes from Citadel's range of licensed miniatures for Advanced Dungeons and Dragons (1985). This is a great range (check out Richard Scott's mind-boggling collection at The Stuff of Legends. Seriously, check it out. I'll wait.) Fritzy is one of the four Blink Dogs sculpted by Aly Morrison for ADD80.
And finally we have the loyal halfling retainer, Samgaff (whose name sounds suspiciously like Sam Gamgee or his father Hamfast "The Gaffer" Gamgee). Samgaff is one of the excellent miniatures carved by Michael and Alan Perry for Citadels's C11 Halflings Range. Originally, this miniature's name was Dery Podgebelly. He's a great sculpt: dramatic, finely detailed and nicely proportioned. But he inexplicably has a cowbell tied around his neck.
It is watchful Samgaff who first sees the zombies coming, and he tries to wake the Bogels with the help of his cowbell...
If only the Bogels had more cowbell, they might have survived the zombie attack...
Join me next time when we'll meet the last bulwark against the Lichemaster, the heroes of Frugelhorn. Thanks for looking!
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December 5, 2016, 5:40 am
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 7
The third and final battle of the Terror of the Lichemaster is "The Defence of Frugelhofen". The previous scenarios ("the Assault on Gimbrin's Mine" and "the Attack on the Bogels Farm") were just preambles determining the conditions under which this last struggle will be fought. Will the villagers get warning of the coming onslaught? Will there be enough refugees to bolster the ranks of untrained townsfolk? Or will the Lichemaster's legion be swollen with fresh members of the walking dead?
The Defence of Frugelhofen conjures The Seven Samuria(1954) or The Magnificent Seven(1960): A handful of heroes must lead a rabble of villagers in a makeshift defence of their homes. The village of Frugelhofen contains five such champions: Albi Schutz, Grimwald Calaco, Gim Gundel, Antonio Epstein and Riolta Snow. If Gimbrin Finehelm and Hunk Bogel also escaped, there will be seven brave heroes in all.
What's the battle going to look like? The village can muster 40 fighting men, 20 of whom have bows. The heroes also have the benefit of several magic items from Albi's store like an Adamantine shield and sword. If the Bogels or Dwarves survived to bring warning, the defenders may dispose their forces anywhere on the table. If not, the defenders are confined to the streets of the village. Worse, the magic weapons are undistributed and are sitting inside a chest in Albi's store.
The Lichemaster has 20 skeletons and 10 zombies led by Lord Krell, plus any remnants from the strike-forces of Ranlac and Mikeal Jacsen. More importantly, he himself is a powerful necromancer who is able to regenerate magic points whenever a villager is killed. Plus the Lichemaster has the advantage of attacking from a number of angles, and if the villagers are caught unaware, the undead can steal a march on the first turn.
Let's take a closer look at the five heroes of Frugelhofen...
First we have Albi Schutz. We're told that he is the "former inter-valley wrestling champion" and that "Being a popular hero never sat easily upon his shoulders: for one thing he could never overcome a basic urge to throw people to the ground and twist their legs together." And so he retired to Frugelhofen "in an attempt to get away from drunks, fight enthusiasts and people who wanted to give him things." In the game, Albi is a Major Hero in full armour. His miniature is The "Knight" from Citadel's C01 Fighters range sculpted by Jes Goodwin in 1986.
![Grimwald Calaco painted miniature for Terror of the Lichemaster]( "Grimwald Calaco painted miniature for Terror of the Lichemaster")
Second is Grimwald Calaco. He's an anarchist and a fugitive from Bretonnia, where he is wanted for an "abortive assassination attempt on the mayor of Quenelles." Like every true anarchist, he carries a bomb -- a handy weapon when dealing with a horde of undead. In game, he's a Minor Hero. His miniature is from Citadel's C04 Thieves range and was sculpted in 1984. (This miniature also makes an appearance in the 1985 Blood on the Streets scenario pack, where it represents the mysterious "Grey Man" who haunts The Riding.)
Gim Grundel the halfling is our third hero. All we know about him is that he's a runaway from the Empire, and that he appears to be wearing a chamber pot on his head. I tried to lend him a little dignity by painting his shield with the insignia of the mouse that roared. He is one of the C11 Halflings sculpted in 1984 by the Perry Brothers.
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| Gim Gundel by Tony Ackland (1986) |
Fourth is Antonio Epstein. The campaign book tells us that he "is travelling through Frugelhofen on his way to an exotic party in the land of Italia to the south (where he hopes to meet and force himself on a wealthy heiress). However, he has delayed his journey due to the mesmerizing presence of Riolta Snow - a young elf adventuress." Graeme Davis left a comment on one of my posts about Jewish miniatures where he said that Antonio Epstein is probably based on Tony "Ep" Epworth, who worked at Citadel in the early days. Sounds like Ep had a bit of a reputation viz. the ladies.
In the game, Antonio is an unarmoured Champion. He is so befuddled by Riolta's beauty (and wealth) that he must stay within 4" of her at all times. Before Terror of the Lichemaster came out, his miniature was originally called "Ali" and belonged to Citadel's C01 Fighters range sculpted by Jes Goodwin in 1986. (The name Ali makes me wonder whether this sculpture was originally based on another Citadel employee, Aly Morrison. After all, the other miniatures in this range have names like "Celric Doomwarder"... Ali sort of sticks out).
And finally there's Riolta Snow, the aloof object of Antonio's affections. She's described as "an amazingly successful and talented archeress" making a grand tour of the Old World (which is how she gets caught in Frugelhofen during the Lichemaster's attack). She also constantly antagonizes the natives, referring to their manners as gauche and calling everyone cutey. Well whatever... as a High Elven Major Hero, she is by far the best fighter in Frugelhofen.
Her miniature is the "Archer" from the range of C08 High Elves, sculpted in 1984 by Aly Morrison.
Riolta Snow has the distinction of being the only named character to appear in two of Games Workshop's scenario packs from the 1980's. She debuted in The Magnificent Sven by Richard Halliwell (1984). There we encounter Riolta on safari in Lustria, shooting rare animals aboard Sven Haslefriesian's river boat, the Volstvagn. She joins up with Sven when he decides to go up river to defend the village of Vastervik from a warband of Slann banditos... but that's another story...
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| Antonio Epstein & Riolta Snow by Tony Ackland (1986) |
In my next post, I'll look that the village militia defending Frugelhofen... thanks for stopping by!
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December 14, 2016, 6:11 am
Terror of the Lichemaster, Part 8
A dog in the village begins to bay. But then commences to whine. Is that a wind scratching the dry grass? Or is something shuffling out there in the darkness? Disturbed from sleep, the villagers throw open their shutters and peer at the gloom. Who can see? What is there? Nothing. No, nothing. And then, the filthy clouds part, and the moon leers over the fields north of the town. The land is strange and alive, like a corpse is alive with worms. The dead have risen! The Lichemaster has come to Frugelhofen!
Our parade through The Terror of the Lichemastercontinues. Last week, we looked at the heroes of Frugelhofen. Today, I want to look at those whom they will be leading -- the rank-and-file villagers. As with Gimbrin's dwarves, there are no "official" miniatures for this militia, so the hobbyist is left to his own devices.
I decided that I wanted to make the militiamen as pathetic as possible. Rather than stout soldiers, I thought the drama of the final battle would be heightened if these villagers were old, lame and inept. Fortunately, Citadel is well supplied with old, lame and inept townsfolk. I was especially drawn to the miniatures sculpted -- chiefly by Trish Morrison -- for the Blood on the Streetsscenario pack (1985). Trish Morrison gets mixed reveiws as a sculptor, but these miniatures show how even her weaknesses can be strengths. Her penchant for odd proportions and unlovely faces is perfect when you want a mob of villagers who look inbred.
Without further ado, allow me to introduce you to some of Frugelhofen's brave defenders...
This is "Ned the Beggar" from the Blood on the Streets range and from C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985, sculpted by Trish Morrison). Barefoot, bandaged and be-crutched, he's ready to take on the Old World's most diabolic necromancer.
The only thing more pathetic than a beggar is a leper. So here's "The Leper" from Blood on the Streets and C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985, sculpted by Trish Morrison). In the Blood on the Streetscampaign book (written Andrew "Pank" Szczepankiewicz), the Leper is described as a "Breton noble who fell foul of a wizard, and was cursed by leprosy as a result... his sole valuable is a gold ring with which he will never part... this ring is the source of his affliction, and... causes leprosy to anyone who holds it."
Our cavalcade of champions continues with Oswald "Pegleg" Grunge. He is also from Blood on the Streets and C46 Villagers and Townsfolk (1985, sculpted by Trish Morrison). Nice comb-over, Oswald.
Here we have an unnamed member of Citadel's C46 Militia (1987). I transformed this miniature into a gravedigger (graverobber?) by giving him a spade and a pet rat. The club comes in handy if the body is not quite dead.
This is one of Wargames Foundry's "Ex Citadel" miniatures from their MED125 figure pack. Originally he was sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry and released by Citadel in 1984. Foundry's Ex Citadel range is a great way of getting certain old sculps without the hassel and expense of trawling through eBay. It's especially useful for filling in some gaps in the Blood on the Streets range or finding old C01 Fighters, C26 Men at Arms and C37/C38 Medieval Adventurers.
Why hello there, it's Ian Livingstone, co-founder of Games Workshop, author of innumerable Fighting Fantasy books and first editor of White Dwarf Magazine. How do we know? Well, the miniature is called "Livingstone the Editor" and he comes from the White Dwarf Personality Box (1984). He's a wonderful preslotta sculpture... a dynamic posture, lots of character and fine details (I mean, look at that mustache!). And after dealing with the crew at Games Workshop, I'm sure that a horde of zombies will be a nice change for Ian.
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| Ian Livingstone, back in the day |
Next week, we'll continue our inspection of the villager militia by turning to the archers of Frugelhofen.
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December 21, 2016, 7:51 am
Terror of the Lichemaster: Part 9
When the Lichemaster attacks the village of Frugelhofen, the best hope of the village lies with its archers. We have already met the militia, and they are not impressive: toothless hicks, lame ex-soldiers and lepers. But the bowmen are a different breed: sturdy hunters, silent trappers and poachers. Assembled and led by the marksman Riolta Snow, these mountain men just may be able to hold the line.
Once again, there are no "official" miniatures for the archers of Frugelhofen. Some guidance of what miniatures to use comes from the paper counters in the Terror of the Lichemaster boxed set. There we see what the game designers had in mind...
The counters depict one of the C26 Men at Arms sculpted by the Perry Brothers in 1984. This is an underappreciated range -- overlooked these days most likely because they are chiefly preslotta miniatures and originated as historical figures. But they are a great resource for anyone trying to assemble an army for the Empire or Bretonnia with an Oldhammer feel.
Thankfully, Wargames Foundry has re-released these classic miniatures in their Ex Citadel range. Above we see the picture of the MED122 figure pack from Foundry's catalogue.
I found one of the original C26 Longbowmen on eBay and painted him up as a test figure for my Frugelhofen archers. I really liked this bowman, but I realized that the militia would look too professional if every archer was cut from this sort of cloth. I wanted rugged survivalists, not a drilled garrison. And so, I turned back to Citadel's Blood on the Streets range and other sources of wilderness adventurers. Here are some of the miniatures I chose...
Above we have "John the Trapper" beautifully sculpted by Michael and Alan Perry in 1985 for Citadel's C07 Rangers range (and for Blood on the Streets). His name is a none-too-subtle reference to Trapper John, a character from M*A*S*H*. Just to hammer home this point, in Blood on the Streets, we're told that his best friend is another hunter called "Hawkeye".
This is "Arathon the Ranger", also known as "Longbow" from Citadel's C07 Rangers (Michael and Alan Perry, 1985). If his name seems to ring a bell, perhaps you will enjoy his description from Blood on the Streets: "Arathon is usually to be found in the Green King Inn in the shadiest corner he can find. Ever since he accidentally broke his sword, he has been pursued by a gaggle of Halflings. They claim he is the long lost King of Gonad... He just wants peace and quiet to do what rangers do, and is hiding from his pursuers."
Here is "The Targeteer" sculpted by the Perry Twins in 1985 for the C07 Rangers. Fans of Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay (1986) will remember this miniature because (like several others in this range) it was used as the model for Tony Ackland's illustrations of various careers...
The miniature and the picture are an excellent likeness of Errol Flynn as Robin Hood.
For a less dashing figure, above we have the "Poacher" from C07 (Perry Bros, 1985). His bare feet and felt hat give him a sort of Huck Finn appearance. I particularly like the rabbit popping out of his sack. Like Arathon and the Targeteer, the Poacher was reused in 1987 as part of the suite of miniatures for Death on the Reik.
I also threw in one of my many, many Talisman miniatures. I worked on Talisman partly out of love for the game, but also because I thought the miniatures would be useful in all sorts of other games like Advanced Heroquest, Saga, Descent and - of course - Warhammer Fantasy Battle. Here we have the "Scout" from the Talisman Dungeon.
For something a little different, I threw in this preslotta "Thief" from Citadel's C10 Half Orcs (1984). Half Orcs are found throughout the Old World and the Frugelhorn Valley is no different -- they skulk around the edges of society, subsisting as mercenaries, poachers and bandits. But even a Half Orc knows that if Frugelhofen falls, there will be no escape...
That's it for the miniatures of Terror of the Lichemaster. Next week, we'll reflect on what it's like to play out the campaign... I hope you'll join me!
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December 25, 2016, 10:35 am
The lead-up to Christmas always makes me nervous, so it was a pleasant diversion when some friends came over a few days ago and indulged me by asking to bust out my painted set of 2nd edition Talisman. We decided to do the full catastrophe, including the Talisman Dungeon, Talisman Timescape and the Talisman City. What followed was a rude and raucous afternoon.
Any lingering anxiety about the holiday season was more or less dispelled when I was assigned the Ninja as my character. Nothing says "I am going to win this magical quest game from the 1980's" like being a Ninja. Other cast members included the Halfling, the Leprechaun, the Gladiator and the Astropath (who was played by Mrs. Oldenhammer-in-Toronto.)
Here's the starting board...
I immediately did what I do best: aggravating all of my friends by trying to kill them. In rapid succession I used the Ninja's "secret strike" capability to wound the Halfling, the Leprechaun and the Gladiator. I would have assaulted the Astropath, but she was in another plane of existence. So I had to content myself with beating up some local wildlife...
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| The Ninja Makes a Nuisance out of Himself by Assassinating Flora and Fauna |
Well, the Astropath was having her own adventures. Traversing the strange dimensions of the Timescape, she was finding the tools that she would need to storm the Crown of Command, including the mighty Psi-Helmet. But it wasn't all cake and ale. She was detained by the Judges at the Sentinel Outpost, stalked by a Star Predator, and beaten up by a warband of Space Orks in the Negative Zone.
Perhaps it was time to escape from the Timescape...
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| The Astropath wanders an Unfriendly Multiverse |
My favourite moment of the game was a complex confrontation that occurred in the Talisman City. Wandering in search of healing, the Astropath found herself Conscripted by a press gang. Her only hope of escaping servitude was to find another character to take her place as a galley slave. So she tried to attack the Halfling who was nearby and (vainly) attempting to make a name for himself at the Anarchist's guild.
Her attack looked like it was going to come off, but the Halfling escaped by dispatching his Dancing Girl (his only follower) to distract the Astropath. Apparently, not even a blind Astropath can't resist a gyrating blonde.
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| A Dancing Girl Breaks up an Unusual Duel between a Hobbit and an Astropath |
The Gladiator was having a hard time making progress. He found no one to train. Talisman can be a cruel game.
Meanwhile, my Ninja followed the Leprechaun into the Talisman Dungeon, hoping to finish him off. God, don't we all hate Leprechauns. Well, I lost the little bugger in the twisting caverns. Only at the end of a long, dangerous journey did we meet at the Dungeon's branching exit. The Leprechaun emerged in the Temple... and I rolled a 6 and emerged smack dab on the Crown of Command. It was the Ninja's lucky day!
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| The Ninja Gets Lucky after Chasing the Leprechaun through the Long Dank Dark |
Only the Crown of Command wasn't the Crown of Command. Using the random endings from the Talisman Adventure, I discovered instead... Pandora's Box. As the rest of the characters tried to struggle toward the Inner Region, I used the awesome power of Pandora's Box to harry them with spells, monsters and misfortunes. In just a couple turns, I finished off the Leprechaun with 3 fireballs, 2 dragons and a partridge in a pear tree.
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| The Finished Table, in all its glory |
The other characters were weak or dying, so we called it a day. Many insults had been exchanged. Many wounds dealt and repaid. Many cries of victory, and lamentations of defeat. It was all a self-respecting Ninja could want for the holidays!Merry Christmas everyone! And a Happy New Year!
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Terror of the Lichemaster. Part 10
Cut is the branch that might have grown full straight,
And burned is Apollo's laurel bough,
That sometime grew within this learned man...
Whose fiendful fortune may exhort the wise
Only to wonder at unlawful things,
Whose deepness doth entice such forward wits,
To practise more than heavenly power permits.
(Dr. Faustus, Christopher Marlowe, Act 5, Scene 3)
Welcome to the finale in my series on The Terror of the Lichemaster, the classic campaign published in 1985 for Warhammer 2nd edition. To assist other hobbyists, I've created a permanent gallery of all my painted miniatures for Terror and, like my other galleries (hello Talisman!), you can find it on the menu on the right.
I have not yet played through the campaign. Will the Lichemaster's Faustian bargain lead to his downfall? Or will he consume Frugelhofen with magic and malice? To finish things off this series of ten posts, I thought I'd share some ideas on how to run the three battles that compose the campaign and decide Kemler's fate.
The first order of business is to point out that the maps in the Lichemaster campaign book are defective. As beautiful as they are (thanks to Dave Andrews), they are supposed to indicate where the undead and humans are to be deployed in each battle, and they fail to do so. This problem was recognized back in 1987. In a flyer entitled "Terror of the Glichmaster" Games Workshop helpfully provided amended maps. I reproduce them here:
Incidentally, this same flyer lists the original price of the entire suite of miniatures for the Lichemaster. This is not just the 18 central characters (which are pictured in the original advert), but also the 105 rank-and-file miniatures necessary to play through the whole campaign: 40 skeletons, 20 zombies, 20 militiamen, 20 archers and 5 dwarves. That's 123 metal miniatures in total. Guess how much! Go ahead, guess...
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| "I will bankrupt you." |
It was 50 GBP (in 1987 currency) for all 123 minis, equal in today's currency to about 132 GBP or $165 USD. When I saw that, I nearly choked but instead I perished of heart failure. Gimbrin Finehelm alone cost me quite a bit more than that. Sigh... I guess that's the way of all collectibles. They start out as junk and time alchemizes them into gold.
Well, back to the game! One of the core principles of the Oldhammer movement is a relaxed approach to game balance. As Zhu wrote in the Oldhammer Contract, "As the Spartans will tell you, warfare has never been about perfectly matched armies squaring off at each other, and fantasy warfare even less so." You can see this axiom in the Lichemaster scenario itself, where it's never clear who is really the underdog, and there's certainly not mention of the point values of each force.
But because I am a curious little monkey, I calculated the rough point value for each side. In fact, in a fit of mania, I calculated the points in both 2nd edition Warhammer (which was the original rules set for the Lichemaster) and 3rd edition (which represents a more accurate refinement of the system of points values).* It's a rough estimate since some characters (like Gimbrin or Kemler) have idiosyncratic stats, and because characters from 2nd edition don't line up perfectly characters from 3rd editions. With those caveats, here are the results:
Battle 1 - Assault on the Mine
Dwarf Hero + 5 Dwarves = 135 points (2nd ed.) or 148 points (3rd ed.)
versus
Undead Champion + 20 Skeletons = 81 points (2nd ed.) or 294 points (3rd ed.)
Battle 2 - The Attack on Bogels' Farm
2 Human Heroes + 1 Halfling Hero + 3 Humans + 1 Crazy Dog = 83.5 points (2nd ed.) or 139 points (3rd ed.)
versus
Undead Champion + 10 Zombies = 19 points (2nd ed.) or 74 points (3rd ed.)
Battle 3 - The Defence of Frugelhofen
3 Human Heroes + 1 Elf Hero + 1 Halfling + 40 soldiers + 4 magic items = 810 points (2nd ed.) or 862 points (3rd ed.)
versus
Heinrich Kemler + Undead Hero + 20 Skeletons + 10 Zombies + 3 magic items = 1227.5 points (2nd ed.) or 793 (3rd ed.)
What conclusions can we draw from these sums? It seems to me that the first 2 scenarios favour the humans/dwarves in a toe-to-toe fight, whereas the final battle is more evenly matched. But in all these scenarios, the forces of good will rout if they fail a single fear test or get pushed back in battle (since skeletons & zombies, of course, cause fear). This vulnerability to fear is especially pronounced in the first 2 battles, where the forces of good are so few in number. Thus these two battles will most likely hinge on just a couple of dice rolls.
The fact that these battles might come down to a few fear rolls brings me to my last point. As much as I love Warhammer Fantasy Battle, I'm not sure it's the ideal rules set to bring to life The Terror of the Lichemaster. The first two scenarios are on a much too small scale, involving only 5 or 7 models for the forces of good. (In my view, this reflects the fact that in the early days, Games Workshop branded WFB as half role playing game and half war game). Even the last set piece battle seems a little awkward for WFB since each side is unlikely to have more than 2 or 3 massed units, and that doesn't leave much room for strategy or maneuver. And finally, as I already mentioned, the rules for fear in WFB are so unforgiving that it might mean that the battles end before one side can even complete a charge action. It seems a shame that a scenario that takes years to collect and months to paint might be over in a few minutes.
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So what are the alternatives. Whiskey Priest and Warlord Paul once made the excellent point that Mordheim (aka Warhammer Skirmish from the 6th edition of the rules) would be a better way to implement small-scale scenarios like the first two battles in Terror of the Lichemaster. This option requires little modification from the existing rules, and allows the players an easy transition from using skirmish rules for the first two battles and then slugging out a traditional, full-scale Warhammer Fantasy Battle for the finale.
I think Saga is another strong contender. Although traditionally a historical wargame, Saga boasts a special expansion for an undead faction ("The Revenants") led by a necromancer who bears a striking resemblance to Heinrich Kemler. (All the minis for this expansion are sculpted by Citadel alumnus Bob Naismith). In scale Saga is perfect, especially for the first two battles of Terror. And Saga's unique rules would allow for a dramatic, story-driven battle. By using Saga instead of Warhammer, the undead lose the game-ending power of fear, but gain the power of re-animating the fallen as they die on the battlefield.
Finally, another option is Otherworld Miniature's Fantasy Skirmish Rules. I'm a big fan of this rulebook (some of the artwork in the book was devised by Oldhammer stalwart Zhu Bajiee). By using this system, the players would be allowed a broad scope to customize and personalize each of the personalities in the campaign. It would take a lot of time to reconfigure Terror of the Lichemaster for Otherworld, but I think the effort would be repaid with rich dividends.
Now I have to turn my mind to which system to use... I will keep you all posted on my progress and I hope to have a battle report in a few months. Thanks for sharing this journey, to wonder at Heinrich Kemler's unlawful things...
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* For rules-junkies like myself, I will add a few observations about Warhammer points systems. When applying the 3rd edition point system, I've included the gloss contained in Warhammer Armies (1988) that equipment costs are not multiplied if the base figure is 10 points or more. Even with that gloss, it's interesting that the points calculation from 2nd edition to 3rd edition doesn't change much when examined from a macro scale, except that skeletons and zombies are cheap in 2nd edition and become more expensive in 3rd edition (much more expensive for skeletons, leaping by 2.5 points for a base model to 10 points). Also, magic users and magic items are very expensive in 2nd edition and become cheaper in the 3rd editions (which is why Kemler's force is worth less points in the 3rd edition, even though his skeleton guard leaped in price).
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January 13, 2017, 4:37 pm
A rope of drool unspooled from my mouth when I opened Jabba's Realm, the latest expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault. I knew it contained the Rancor, the reptilian monster from Return of the Jedi, and I knew that the Rancor miniature would be big. But it had never occurred to me that it would be so big. And so beautifully sculpted.
Before starting to paint it, I studied the stills from Return of the Jedi in order to find the right approach. At first glance, the Rancor Monster is one ugly mass of brown. This can make for a very boring paint job. But if you look closely at the photos from the film, you see that there is a lot of subtle and seemingly random variegation within the brown hide: splotches of red, green and burnt sienna. These discolorations are what gives the Rancor a sense of life.
Quickly, I realized that this was a great opportunity to bust out my oil paints. Only oils could allow me to make these blotches of colour seem natural. But I'm getting ahead of myself. Here's my step by step process for painting the Rancor:- First came a basecoat of light green-brown using Vallejo acrylics. The back plates and bone spurs got a different basecoat of khaki brown.
- I applied a couple washes of GW's Agrax Earthshade (mixed with green ink) to the whole surface, and then layered darker washes with recessed areas to increase the sense of shading.
- I applied touch ups to remove blotchiness, and to begin colouring in the mouth.
- Varnish with Testor's Dullcote.
- To add that oily quality that the original Rancor has, I added a layer of Army Painter's Quick Shade "Strong" to most of the model, paying special attention to back and shoulders.
- Fun with oils. Using very small amounts, I would apply random patches of green, red, pink, purple and brown paint, and then blend it into the surrounding flesh by diluting it with mineral spirit (aka white spirit) and pushing it around the model. Red and pink were especially effective when applied on the edges of the Rancor's gums, eyes and nostrils.
- I waited 24 hours for the oil to cure and applied another light layer of varnish to seal in the oils
- More touch ups to the hide in order to ensure that the discolorations looked smooth.
- Final details, mainly the eyes and highlighting the claws and teeth with increasingly whiter shades of bone.
- Final varnish.
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I was happy with the sense of depth created by the combination of oils, inks and washes. The whole package turned out slightly greener than I had originally intended, but I guess the alchemical process took on a life of its own.
He's got a face only a mother could love.
Stay tuned for my next post with the heroes from Jabba's Realm...
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January 19, 2017, 6:54 am
Coming at you are Vinto Hreeda, Shyla Varad and Onar Koma -- painted versions of the three main characters from Jabba's Realm, the latest expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault (If you missed it, check out my Rancor from the same set).
I am developing a love/hate relationship with Imperial Assault. My frustration comes from the fact that Fantasy Flight Games continues to release miniatures at a glacial pace. We are living in an age teeming with interesting characters to be rendered in miniature: Rey, Kylo Ren, Sabine Wren to name just three. But since coming out in 2014, Imperial Assault hasn't even covered all the basics from the original trilogy, let alone miniatures from The Force Awakens. Admiral Akbar? Nope. The Emperor? Nope. Grand Moff Tarkin? Nope.
This is because Imperial Assault is not merely a range of miniatures -- it's a highly curated competitive game system. This means that every figure is accompanied by an elabourate set of cards that must build upon (without unbalancing) all the previous releases. If you want a glimpse into the hundreds of hours of play-testing and rules-lawyering that goes into each expansion, listen to the excellent interview with game designers Paul Winchester and Todd Michlitsch on boardwars.eu. While I appreciate this painstaking work, I'm a painter foremost and I wish I had a range of miniatures as rich as the Star Wars universe itself.
On the other hand, one of the things that I absolutely love about Imperial Assault are the Rebel characters that Fantasy Flight has invented. Although these characters are unique to the game, they all have a great deal of authentic Star Wars flavour. And the three characters from Jabba's Realm continue this excellent tradition, but give it a twist by making these fellows more like anti-heroes. We may not get Grand Moff Tarkin, but we do get these original personalities...
First is Vinto Hreeda, a Rodian mercenary. Like all the best miniatures, Vinto tells a story through his appearance alone. Ever since Greedo, all Rodians have a whiff of the underdog to them, and Vinto is no exception. The left side of his head bears a vicious scar, and the same wound seems to have severed part of his ear and one of his antennae. Combined with his Wild West-like coat and pose, this gives Vinto a dusty, hard-bitten character. As his enemies say of him during the campaign, "Same old Vinto: too weak to succeed, too cowardly to die."
Shyla Varad is a young bounty hunter from Mandalore. Like Boba Fett, she wields a wrist-mounted whip-cord thrower and wears traditional Mandalorian battle armour.
As she develops as a character, we learn that her mother was a member of the violent splinter group known as the Death Watch, and that Shyla aspires to her birthright as a member in this faction. That's a nice tie in with the animated series, The Clone Wars. But it also makes Shyla seem like a hero striving to be a villain.
Last but not least is the hulking form of Onar Koma. He's an bodyguard from a subspecies of the Aqualish race named the Ualaq. Unlike the standard Aqualish, the Ualaq have four eyes and light skin. Combined with the mandibles, the four eyes give these aliens a spider-like visage that is almost disorienting (it reminds me of an Umber Hulk from AD&D). If I seem well briefed on Aqualish biology, that's because back in 2015 I anticipated Mr. Koma by creating some Ualaq conversions for Imperial Assault.
In the Jabba's Realm campaign, we learn that Onar Koma once worked for the crime syndicate called the Black Sun, which is another nice tie in with The Clone Wars and the larger Star Wars universe.
Well, Vinto, Shyla and Onar - good luck against Jabba the Hutt...
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February 2, 2017, 6:38 am
I just wanted to share a couple pictures I just took of the new miniature for Luke Skywalker for Star Wars Imperial Assault.
This is the first variant miniature that Fantasy Flight Games has produced for a named Star Wars character -- that is to say, after releasing a young Skywalker with the original set ("Luke Skywalker, Hero of the Rebellion") in 2014, they have now produced his mature self ("Luke Skywalker, Jedi Knight"). Let's hope more are on the way (ahem, Princess Leia, cough, cough).
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| The Original Luke miniature |
I'm normally bad at painting faces to look like real people, but for some reason I'm happy with the way that Luke turned out. It is a testimony to the fine work of the miniature sculptor, Thomas Sincich. Although it's a simple sculpt, the figure has lots of dynamism and energy. My only complaint (as usual) is the bendy lightsaber, so I replaced the plastic original with a thin, straight length of copper wire.
Does he look ready to take on the Rancor?
Thanks for stopping by, and stay tuned for more Star Wars miniatures soon...
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February 17, 2017, 6:59 am
It's took six weeks, but I finally finished painting all the miniatures for Jabba's Realm, the latest expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault. I've already posted pics of the alien heroes from the set, plus the gigantic Rancor. Now it's time to look at some of the rank-and-file miniatures, like the Weequay Pirates, the Gamorrean Guard and the Imperial Jet Troopers.These are the first miniatures that I've painted using reading glasses. Or rather, painting glasses, since my optometrist kindly configured them so that things held very close to my face would be most in focus. I've never had to use reading glasses before, but age has made me dim and decrepit. It's now a race to see how many minis I can pump out before the Grim Reaper finally claims me.
Above we see the Weequay Pirates -- made famous for manning the desert skiff used for Luke's execution in Return of the Jedi. The association of the leathery Weequay race with piracy goes back (I believe) to the first season of The Clone Wars (2009), where Count Dooku is captured by just such an outlaw band and observes of them "They are devious and deceitful and most importantly, stupid."
In any case, I'm quite pleased with these sculpts. The armour is right out of Return of the Jedi, while their long rifles are a new touch -- they evoke an Afghan Jezail, thus enhancing the sense of primitive desert banditry. But the best innovation is their skull-like face with its H.R. Giger-esque contours -- it makes them even more menacing than they were in the movies.
These Gamorrean Guards are completely faithful to the originals from Return of the Jedi, right down to the armour, the skull-cap and the vibro-lance. With their porcine snouts and green skin, I've always appreciated the Gamorreans as a direct reference to the pig-faced orcs of early AD&D (and before that, to the "goons" from Sleeping Beauty). And apparently, they taste just like bacon.
The Jet Troopers were created especially for Imperial Assault, although jet packs (of course) go right back to Return of the Jedi and Boba Fett's unfortunate ignition. These miniatures are well sculpted if somewhat plain, and so I added an extra flare by utilizing foam to sculpt a stream of fiery smoke for each exhaust port. I like the airborne pose, although it makes the trooper seem almost carefree, like the bouncing blonde from Jackie Treehorn's trampoline party.
In a phalanx, however, the Jet Troopers seem more threatening...
Thanks for stopping by. In the next couple days, I post pictures of the new Imperial Assault Figure Packs, like Captain Terro and Jabba the Hutt. See you soon for more fun in the desert of Tatooine...
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February 20, 2017, 4:09 am
I've gotten some questions about the desert skiff that I used in pictures from my last post on Jabba's Realm, the new expansion for Star Wars Imperial Assault. So I thought I'd quickly post to explain how I kit-bashed this skimmer (also known as the Bantha-II Cargo Skiff) for use in 28mm or 30mm games like Imperial Assault.
But first, some grousing... Fantasy Flight Games failed fans with their slapdash approach to scenery (like desert skiffs) in Jabba's Realm. The sequence above the Sarlacc Pit in Return of the Jedi is one of the most exciting action scenes in the Star Wars films. Appropriately, FFG attempted to create game scenarios that involved both the Pit, Jabba's barge and the smaller desert skiffs. But the map tiles meant to represent these locations are miserable. The barge is a bland, generic interior; the Sarlacc Pit is inexplicably cut in half; and there are no skiffs at all (instead, players use featureless interior hallway tiles to mimic the skiffs). None of this makes any sense to me. The joy of Imperial Assault is that you replicate almost anything you want on the tiles... it just takes a bit of cardboard.
Well, in any case, since FFG cheaped out on giving us desert skiffs, I decided to create my own. I started by finding a couple old Micro Machine Dune Sea Desert Skiffs on eBay. These are nicely detailed models, but much too small to be used as a skiff in Imperial Assault, since the skiffs must have a flat playing space of 5" by 2" (or 5x2 maps squares). My simple plan was to extend the deck on the Micro Machine while keeping the distinctive features of the skiff itself.
Above we see the original skiff.
Step 1: Disassemble the skiff by removing the screws.
Step 2: Chop up the bow and stern of the top part of the model. Leave the bottom part intact.
Step 3: Reassemble the bottom part of the vessel with the stern.
Step 4: Cut a piece of balsa wood with a 4" by 2" area, plus a projecting beak for the bow. (Not shown: I also cut out a 1" by 2" piece for use as a 'rear deck" to mount on top of the stern. Together, the main deck and the rear deck give the skiff the required 5" by 2" playing space.)
Step 5: Cut out 2 pieces of magnetic tape for the deck (Since I mount all my IA figures on metal washers, the magnetic tape gives them extra stability when the stand on the skimmer).
Step 6: Glue the bow to the balsa wood. Cover the magnetic tape with model train fence mesh. Glue a stiff length of wood in the middle of the deck (between the two pieces of magnetic tape) in order to give strength to the construction. I also glued a support strut to the bottom of the deck.
Step 7: Glue the deck to the bottom/stern of the model. Glue the small rear deck to the top of the stern. Fill in gaps with putty. Sand rough edges. (Not shown: I also glued some metal ball-bearings to the inside of the base to give the whole model more stability).
Painting was fast and dirty. The main body of the skiff was painted khaki and roughly dry-brushed. The mesh was painted black and dry-brushed with gunmetal. Then I applied a coat of Army Painter Quickshade Strong Tone. Rust and oil effects were then added with oil paint and white spirit. And then, of course, a varnish with Dullcote. Now we're ready for the Pit of Carkoon!
Thanks for stopping by and please let me know in the comments if you've made your own desert skiff...
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