(Nagashless) Stirrings of the Undead
So I have decided that the End Times are not for me. I trust that this is just going to be an expansion, and not the shape on 9th Ed. Still have my reservations, as the direction GW is taking seems to be bigger and more expensive models. 40K has gone this way, and I suspect 9th Ed will do the same.
So, never the less, ranting now long over, back to the (under-powered) Oldhammer VC army I had dusted off on anticipation of the coming of Nagash. Seems like Heinrich Kemmler will have to sustain their animation, or Vlad, or whichever of my gallery of GW and Non-GW Vampires.
My concept with the VC Army is that of reanimated Talabheim and Khorne WoC troops, sticking to a black and white theme. The idea is to "compliment" my Talabheim/Talabecland Empire Army, reinforcing the concept of the Empire having to face both their fallen comrades and fallen enemy reanimated by unholy forces.
Fair bit of repainting and painting going on, to try and get a more uniform army look. Many of the pictures are really just WIPs as a result.
Harpy Thangs. Alternative Giant/Fell Bats. Lot of work still to do here
.My Giant Bats/Fell Bats have been replaced by these harpy-like creatures I bought off Sam Campbell during a foray into his hobby space at the end of a KWC Management meeting.
I have never liked the $2 Store look of the GW Bats. The swarms are ok, but I have substituted the Bats w Harpy Things
I picked up a rather nice female necromancer off Trademe, along with Reaper's Monique de Noir. Painting these up as alternative Vamps/necromancers:
Lots more painting to do here too...
Dire Wolves lurch forward
Zombies rise from their graves
Grave guard are pretty much done bar their basing
Have been procrastinating on building this box of Ghouls for some time, but got these going, and same with painting my Vargeists and Vargulf. Finally got going on them. Has fizzled a bit due to my disappointment and sticker-shock (to use Pete's term) when it came to Nagash.
3rd base of Ghouls lusting for the paint-pot. Now numbering 30 or so...
Mounted characters, all Oldhammer, and an unusual Undead Giant Goat that
I got from goodness knows where!
Characters afoot and winged, from various sources
Black Knights, Black Coach, Skellies, some w bows,
obviously longing forward to the Nehekaritic alliance that will not be
Vargheists and ethereals, some serious oldhammer Vamps
Speaking of oldhammer, also sprucing up the old Abyssal Terrors
This one's big enough to double as a Terrorgheist
Vargulf getting his first licks of paint
More Oldhammer, a Strigoi Vamp, now having lost his Strigoiness,
as the new Strigoi are modelled on the Crypt Horrors
Herr Kemmler, base coated and contemplating where to go from here
Likewise the Vargheists, complemented w a LOTR figure. Corpse Cart to the left, and more Oldhammer characters in front
Nice looking force Herman. I must admit I have fond memories of Kemmler and his undead armies from the Old Warhammer fluff of the 80's... although I never got round to buying the supplement there was plenty in WhiteDwarf and the Journal of the time to get your teeth into... This was always my vision of an undead horde army ( I prefer the wet/gothic undead of 'Translyvania' to the dry undead of Egypt!).
ReplyDeleteI recall getting the first of GW plastic sets ; their skeletons and trying to paint them up... werent too bad as I recall - early days learning paint washes and dry brushing - ideal on skellies!
Sadly I got no further with the plan then... they're all long since sold off...
Good to see Gulavar making an appearance in your force too...
I had always wondered if there would be more 'undead' in Tolkiens world, after all Sauron isnt called the Necromancer for nothing? I know Vampires and werewolves are certainly mentioned in Tolkien Canon... I am tempted to proxy some figures into my Dol Guldur army...
Sorry , waffling now!
I look forward to seeing how these turn out and hope you can still have fun with them, sans-Nagash!
"The Dead are following," said Legolas. "I see shapes of Men and of horses, and pale banners like shreds of cloud, and spears like winter-thickets on a misty night. The Dead are following."
Delete"Yes, the Dead ride behind. They have been summoned," said Elladan - The Passing of the Grey Company, The Return of the King
LOTR Wikia: Barrow-wights: Not really undead, but evil spirits inhabiting the tombs of the Barrow-downs. Possess the grave-gifts and bones of those entombed there, making them similar to the animate skeletons of other works.
Ghosts (the Army of the Dead, specifically): Souls of the dead who are prevented from reaching their final rest. The largest concentration were the dead warriors who betrayed Isildur and were cursed, haunting the mountain until Aragorn persuaded them to fight for him. Their faces often shift from skeletal frames to pasty shadows of themselves.
Nazgûl or Ring-Wraiths: Formerly Kings of Men, the nine rings gifted to them by Sauron caused them to become ghost-like Wraiths. After Glorfindel prophesied to Eärnur that the Witch-King would not fall to the hands of a man, it became true. The Witch King was only slain as he was weakened by a hobbit and then slain by a woman. If any male warrior scored a hit, they were affected by the Black Breath, a magical affliction characterised by stygian despair. They cannot see properly, and rely on smell and hearing. The Nazgûl: Carry daggers known as Morgul-blades meant to break off in the wound, which can turn the afflicted into a wraith. Frodo was stabbed by one at Weathertop. However, it is mentioned that Nazgul are not properly undead.
Wraiths: Were humans, hobbits or elves (dwarves had natural resistance) who come into possession of a Ring of Power and wore it too long, or were stabbed by a Morgul-blade. They were permanently invisible, and more or less immortal.
Phantasms: Delusions and/or spirits or fallen Maiar. Morgoth and Sauron used them for their treachery. It is said Saruman also used them.
There may also have been some form of undead residing in the Dead Marshes
There are many of these fearsome creatures in the Barrow-downs where the Witch-king of Angmar himself went when he was looking for the One Ring in The Shire. For his evil presence, the ancient spirits were raised again killing people with their ceremonial swords and bringing the terror with them.
They also were in the Cirith Ungol tower where they possessed statues of dark stone also known as the Watchers.
Castellans of Dol Guldur, animate suits of armor possessed by the ghosts of people tortured to death in the fortress' dungeons, or whom agreed to be bound to Sauron's will in exchange for learning sorcery from him.
The Lord of the Rings tabletop RPG Middle Earth Roleplaying by Iron Crown includes skeletons and ghouls among certain other types.
The Return of the King tie-in licensed video game featured the Army of the Dead being able to possess ossuaries to form skeletal soldiers. These are the majority of the enemies one fights in Dunharrow. The King of the Dead is the level boss; able to summon skeletal archers, warriors, and a powerful blast of wind able to spit stone.
I reckon the plastic Dire wolves are some of the most underrated models GW has done.
ReplyDeleteNice VC Hermann
Thanks Pete, A WIP. I agree about the Dire Wolves. A joy to build and paint. Lovely to behold, but a bit soft on the table-top.Slavering charge is useful.
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