OWAC V - The Priest of Grungni

Last model painted for the OWAC V: the Priest of Grungni, a MM10 Marauder wizard, with the mitre and the crozier from an old Bishop in the Citadel C46 Villagers range. 

Pictures are a little bit blurry, but you have the idea.

There is still a plan to give him a wagon, but I have to admit that my momentum for this army is a little bit lost.

OWAC V - The Wild Dwarves

Using all the dwarfs released by Marauder Miniatures in a single army can be difficult, as the style of the Longbeards, the Slayers and some Clasnmen does not fit at all with the Renaissance flavor of the other models. But I realized last year that I could at least use the woodwose figure, often depicted in Middle-Age and Renaissance paintings bearing coats of arms, to transform my slayers into a band of Wild Dwarves, coming from the most remote valleys of the Grey Mountains.

Two wild men as shield holders (The Chaff Bridge, Lucerne)

Some basic conversions on MM10 or MM16 models (plus a later giant slayer), with weapon swaps, fancy details filing, and a few shields glued in place. In terms of painting, I did my best to suggest a limited hygiene 😬

Beware the wild bunch!

 

OWAC V - The Canus Gigas

As promised last time, my dwarf mercenaries welcome the Canus Gigas ("Grey Giant" in Classical), distant cousin of the Helvetus Gigas discovered in the canton of Lucerne (depicted below on one of the paintings of Lucerne's wooden bridges). 

The model is a Citadel C28 giant, holding a slightly converted trunk from the Gargant plastic kit. End of June, I was not satisfied with the result submitted to the OWAC. The fact that I've used an old pot of Reikland Fleshshade didn't help (for some reasons, it became very glossy), and but the main reason is my painting job, definitely lacking contrasts. When you look at the giant using a greyscale conversion, the flesh, the trunk and the clothes have very close values. Not good.

I have therefore decided to touch up the giant after June's entry. Essentially, I have tried to emphasize the flesh parts with washes of  black and dark red in the shadows, and more highlights on the shoulders and the forehead of the giant. I've also darkened the trunk a little bit with washes of dark brown, dark green and black, and reworked the tunique by removing the redish and greyish parts, that were distracting the eye of the observer (at least from my point of view).

All in all, I see some improvement, even if I'm well aware that I should spend more time on models like this one.

Now back to the dwarfs. The Gigas often needs some help to find the battlefield, as giants are not famous for their skills in manoeuvring. 

For the giant herders, I have picked 3 spare models of the Marauder Miniatures range and replaced their original weapons with the imperial wagon man-catcher, the fork of a squig herder, and what I was able to sculpt in greenstuff for the whip.

Now go! Right in front of you, stupid giant!

OWAC V - More thunderers

Once again, painting the fourth and last mandatory unit of the challenge has proven to be a difficult task. Blame the blue, a color I struggle with, and a "déjà-vu" feeling, as I had already painted most of these models at least once. Anyway... 

Lucerne was one of the Swiss Cantons I had not addressed yet. The omission is now rectified with this second regiment of thunderers, wearing the blue-and-white colors of their clan.

Coat of arms of the Canton of Lucerne (triangular painting in the Chapel Bridge, Lucerne)

 

Nothing particular to mention on the thunderers, all from the Marauder Miniatures range. I'm not particularly happy with the standard-bearer, but my painting mojo was too low to adorn the banner with runes or dwarf patterns of some sort. Anyway... the fourth regiment is done!

And the resulting band:

See you next month with the leader and a few bonuses.

June's preview: the Canus Gigas

In 1577, under an overturned oak tree in the canton of Lucerne, gigantic bones were discovered, which City of Basel physician Felix Platter later declared as those of a giant, the Helvetus Gigas. In reality, they were mammoth fossil bones. Of course, in the Old World, the Gigas is an actual inhabitant of the Grey Mountains... It should be part of June's entry :)

The Giant of Lucerne (Chapel bridge, Lucerne)

OWAC V - Some thunderers

As promised last month, enter the thunderers for the third month of the OWAC V.

The dwarfs of the Red Claw clan are not fond of the fancy clothes worn in the Empire, and rather stick to leather gambesons and chainmails, the top of the fantasy being a coloured feather. Their attachment to the traditions and their native hold is symbolized by the mascot they bring to every battlefield: a fierce mountain bear, which also appears on the coats of arms of the clan.

Appenzell banner (1499)

 

My initial plan was to paint the standing bear of the Canton of Appenzell, but it didn't fit with the format of the banner. I've used instead the walking bear of the Canton of Bern as a reference. Below the original and the resulting copy:

The standard bearer:

The musician is the other model slightly converted for this unit, by replacing the original sword by a handgun. The other dwarfs are MM10, MM15 or MM16 Marauder Miniatures, plus Cyril the bear from the old Citadel Dwarf King's Court set.

 

Second rank:

First rank:

And the full clan:

See you next month with a new clan!