Mordheim Warhammer Empire Mercenary Captain

I've been meaning to seriously take on a Mordheim project using classic 4th edition Empire models for a good, long while now. I've made attempts in the past but never really got that far. I think one of the main issues was not ever finalising the choices of miniatures throughout the warband. This time I think I've got there. Anyway, up first is the leader.

I've decided on the classic standard bearer as my captain with a simple pistol conversion from one of the Empire champions. This model is my all time favourite of the 4th edition Empire range, as it happens.

The plan is to add two or three of the 4th edition swordsmen, a greatsword, a handgunner, a couple of youngbloods and an ogre.

Collaboration Project - Citadel/Warhammer/AD&D Adventuring party complete!

 Well I was intending to post each time a party member was finished but I just didn't get around to it. So here is the adventuring party in its entirety. 

 

In the style of the excellent and wonderfully informative Otherworld AD&D site, I'll describe each member of the party in detail. 

■ The party leader is the female magic user from the AD&D range (high level). She wears a leather headband and is adorned in various jewellery. She is clad in a fur lined cloak and lace trimmed long tunic. She carries a bronze staff and short sword plus an array of scrolls.

■ The fighter model is Gladius from the Heroic Fighters of the Known World set. He wears a large plumed Greek style helm and dressed in a mixture of fur, leather armour and chainmail. He carries a broadsword and an ornate bronze shield plus a large comb to keep his impressive plume looking pristine.

■ The Complete Adventurer fom the classic Citadel limited edition range. So he is carrying.....(here we go)

Lantern, torch, camera (!), satchel, staff, sword, short sword, bucket, bow and arrows, tomes x2, dagger, axe, scrolls, frying pan, wooden spoon, coil of rope, dinner plate, ball and chain, mug, teapot, one or two unidentifiable objects....oh and the proverbial....

■ Dwarf hero. Another classic from the AD&D character range (high level). He is wearing a horned bronze helm with brass trimming and armed with a rune carved axe, a bronze shield and short sword. He also carries a crossbow and pouch of bolts. He is clad in ornate leather armour trimmed with bronze.

■ Elven ranger. Dressed in a fine cloth tunic with studded sleeves and striped three quarter length pants, he is armed with a broadsword and bow. His quiver of arrows is fitted with an elegant strap featuring an ornate brooch-like clasp.

■ Ogre mercenary. I went for a slightly understated model as I thought one of the more individual looking Jes Goodwin ogres would dominate the group too much so opted for the trooper in the Golfag's ogre mercenaries set from the Regiments of Renown range. Dressed in furs, chainmail and leather, this brutish looking fellow is armed with a large spiked mace, a plain weathered bronze shield and a bone handled cleaver.

 So the project is at and end....or is it? The plan was to also include a warband of villains. For that I have selected (most likely), a chaos sorcerer, an evil fighter, a gnoll, an orc, a goblin and a skeleton. The sorcerer is underway and should have him wrapped up this coming week.

Citadel Empire Fighter Warband complete!

 

 So this week I managed to wrap up my warband of classic Citadel and Marauder empire fighters. It's nice to have finally ticked this box with it being on my to do list for many years. I think choosing the appropriate models and a livery that I was really happy with was crucial. This is why I encountered two or three failed attempts in the past. So here we have:

The Tilean Warband of Leopoldo Di Vittorio of Luccini.

Map of Luccini 

 ■ Leopoldo Di Vittorio, mercenary captain

A native of Luccini, the aristocratic Leopoldo attended the Aquila Academy of Luccini, learning the art and science of war. Seeking fame, notoriety and of course, to add to his already substantial wealth, he embarked on the career as a mercenary captain in the employ of the eccentric Lorenzo Lupo. The subsequent years have proved fruitful and devoted but there is always the temptation to change sides at the prospect of higher pay but Leopoldo remains loyal to Lupo - more out of loyalty to Luccini than that of its Prince.

■ Guido Colombano, warband champion 

With Guido, what you see is what you get. A hardy, battle scarred veteran of numerous campaigns from various Tilean conflicts. Despite their social class diversity, Guido has developed a unlikely rapport with Leopoldo. This ageing but steadfast fellow's vast experience is indispensable to the group.

■ Ermillo Moscatelli, champion 

Another alumni from the Aquila Academy of Luccini, the scholarly Ermillo was a former gunnery captain but sought for a more prosperous career as a mercenary. Despite his slender appearance, Ermillo is a wily and guile individual with an appetite for Cathayan philosophy. 

■ Berthold Steinberg, sellsword 

A Middenheimer, formally a swordsman in the army of his native land before heading south to Tilea for the sellsword life. He still carries the shield of his army days depicting the fortress city of Middenheim.

■ Skragrud, mercenary Ogre

Once a member of Golgfag's Maneaters, Skragrud was imprisoned by Lorenzo Lupo along with his ogre comrades for causing havoc in the principality. Later, with the order to be sent to the Border Princes as mercenaries in the service of an exiled imperial noble, Skragrud deserted the Maneaters, opting to remain in Tilea in the service of Leopoldo Di Vittorio.

■ Rinaldo Contarino, crossbowman

A slight and agile fellow, Rinaldo is a skilled marksman originally from Trantio in northern Tilea. A deserter of the Trantio municipal guard, Rinaldo headed south seeking adventure and the prospect of personal wealth.

■ Franco Chioza, pistolier

Formally a lowly brigand from Trantio, Franco has aspired from the gutters, finding his forte as a pistolier and becoming a reputable mercenary much valued by Leopoldo. 

■ Grenrig Gulbron, Dwarf spearman

One of Luccini's Dwarf population, Grenrig sought out the mercenary life after his regiment suffered heavy losses at the Battle of Hel Fenn. 

■ Michele Barbieri, mercenary 

Originating from rural Tilea located near to Verezzo, Michele is another member who escaped from a life of poverty. Skilled with the bow as well as his trusted axe, Michele is one of Leopoldo's longest serving and most trusted subordinates. 

■ Manno Barozzi, mercenary 

A once disgraced palace guard of Tobaro, Manno fled from likely imprisonment for adventure and the dream of untold riches. For Manno, and many others who choose this path, the reality is an early death and an unmarked grave.

 Well as I mentioned in the previous post, the door is left open to expand this warband down the line. I have at least half a dozen suitable candidates that will fit but for now I'm calling it a finished project - and I don't often get to say that!

 I'm a little unsure what the next project will be. I'm keen to add to my Tilean mercenary army although I have felt the temptation to resume my Chaos Beastmen/Broo force as well. I'm concerned about losing the Tilean vibe if I opt for that just yet so that may have to wait a little. 

Citadel Empire Fighter Warband update - last three men finshed!

 Just a brief one here, I've managed to square off my Classic Citadel and Marauder empire fighter warband with the last three guys.

 All three are from the F2 Fighter range, from left, Imperial Pistolier, Royal Guard and Jan Oakheart. I'll be naming each member with a bit of background in the subsequent post with a finished group shot. 

 The plan was for about a dozen in total but ten is fine; I was undecided on one or two models making it in but there is definitely room for several more members down the line. I shall therefore leave it open ended and will likely add to it at some point. I'd definitely like a couple more Dwarfs in the mix for starters. 

Citadel Empire Fighter Warband update - Marauder Ogre

 

 Well I wasn't expecting to land this guy anytime soon but the gods were smiling when lo and behold one appeared on Ebay for a fairly reasonable Buy It Now option so that was that. 

 It's quite staggering just how much these Marauder Ogres seem to go for these days. To be fair I never thought a lot of this figure in the past but seeing how well suited he is to my warband, he was the number one choice really - plus he's more than grown on me in recent times.

 There is plenty of nice detailing on this model; despite his grand intentions he has a slightly disheveled appearance with armour that appears to have seen a lot of action, a hat that is slightly tattered and garments that are looking a little worse for wear. The nose ring is a nice additional detail as well.

 Meantime I've managed to get a couple of the other fighters wrapped up which leaves me making a start on the final man! I should be able to post up the last trio by the weekend. Then after that I'll follow it up with a detailed post on the finished warband with individual profiles. 

 

Citadel Empire Fighter Warband Update - Halfway stage

 

 This week I have been working on the next pair of fighters for the warband taking my tally to six and the halfway point. I'm finding quite time consuming but going the extra mile with them is more than worth it.

 The first model is from the F2 fighter range again, Rombustus Sellsword (I'll be giving him his own identity when the warband is complete), a figure I first painted way back in about 1988 (not the exact same model unfortunately). 

 The second is one of my favourite fighter models, another of the F2 range, the Gunnery Captain. He is such a totally cool figure with a wonderfully characterful face. I just love those spectacles. 

 The plan is to jump off the project for a couple of weeks to participate in a painting challenge on fb before resuming these guys. Ideally I'd love to get the ogre of the group underway but seeing as I don't yet own him or even seem to be able to source him right now, that isn't going to happen. Hope it won't be too long before I can get my hands on one. I don't want to end up having everyone finished and no ogre to round them off. This is the one I'm after, by the way:

Citadel Empire Fighter Warband Update - Crossbowman and Dwarf spearman

 In addition to the captain and champion, I have a couple of the retinue ready this week. The first of the Citadel F2 Fighter range, a mercenary crossbowman and a Marauder Dwarf from the spearman regiment.

 The dwarf is probably my favourite of the troopers in the afore mentioned Marauder regiment. My plan is to include a couple of dwarfs in the warband with the idea of having it based in Tilea, the principality of Luccini in particular, where dwarfs are known to reside. I'll be going into more detail with all that once the warband is completed.

 

The mercenary crossbowman is a wonderfully detailed figure albeit tiny. It's certainly smaller than the other F2 fighters in general but then it is a variant of the Talisman minstrel model which is very diddy. I'd have struggled to paint him without the new magnifying visor which is proving to be an invaluable asset. 

 I'm currently working on the next pair which will put me at the halfway stage which is pretty good progress for me. 

The Beginning of a Citadel/Marauder Empire Fighter Warband

 

 With something finally painted and confidence restored, I felt it was the right time to embark on the classic Fighter warband as mentioned at the end of my previous post. So here are the first two members, the Captain and Champion. 

 Now it's been something I've intended on doing for several years and I've attempted to make a start in the past but I've never quite been satisfied with the colour schemes. The plan is to have the warband made up of Citadel fighters, mainly from the F2 range and Marauder Minuatures, although as you can see here, I've opted for the excellent Smiorgan Baldhead figure from the Eternal Champion personalities range to represent the champion. I can't think of a model more suitable for a grizzled veteran - he was always destined to be part of this project right from the off. 

 With the warband leader, I've gone for one of the Marauder MM60 Empire fighters; probably my favourite of the range. I've always liked that slightly hawty appearance he has. 

I have to say, this project carries a fair amount of inspiration from the superb Averland warband painted by Chris Sabick of Blue's Marauding Miniatures and if by some gross misfortune, you've never had the pleasure of seeing it, it's well worth a look - HERE

 So the next plan is to get another three painted and post up in a week or two. The aim will be to end with around a dozen in total with the inclusion of a Marauder Ogre - that is if I can get hold of one!

On a final note, something I have recently invested in, due to my eyes beginning to feel the strain of close up work, is a magnifying visor and I'm delighted to say that it's made a hell of a difference. 

Citadel Champion of Khorne with unreleased Chaos Hound

 Over the last few weeks I've been amassing a lot of ideas for chaos projects which is a subject I've been absent from for a fair old while now (apart from a chaos knight early last year) and a resurgence is long overdue.

 So the two remaining samurai for the Nippon warband are going to have to wait for now. I've been planning on a converted Champion of Khorne for some weeks and had spent a lot of time scouring my collection and catalogue pages for a suitable head. After a lot of unsuccessful candidates I finally went closer to home and from one of his own.

 The champion is made up of two figures; the head and sword come from Armed with sword and attributed with horns, whereas the body belongs to the equally elongated titled Sword and bestial face, tail and mane of hair. See below:

Image from Stuff of Legends

 The removal of the head of 'Horns' is a real bastard of an operation and took well over an hour to cut and file down enough for it to sit on the shoulders of the other fig. Thinking about it, cutting off the other head ain't no picnic either. There was then a bit of sculpting to bulk out the great mane of hair.

 The hound itself is something rather special. It's from the unreleased Chaos range, dated on the base 1987. I've had it a fair while now and have been meaning to associate it with the right figure at some point but until now hadn't found the right combination.

 The champion himself is based on the leader of a Khorne warband I rolled up sometime last year but never came to anything as my time was taken up with other painting commitments.

 Something I am particularly happy about is the fact I've managed to a) paint a Jes Goodwin champion and be pleased with the result, which has been a bit of a monkey on my back over the last few years and b) salvage a couple of figures from previous failed attempts. I've cut up a lot of Goodwin champs in my time and many of them have ended up in the bits box.

 I'm already working on the first member of the retinue so expect to see something on that very soon.

Citadel C23 Oriental Ogre

 As this Nippon warband has grown, it's been essential that I include the classic Jes Goodwin  oriental ogre as one of the stand out figures.

 He's actually a recent purchase (big thanks to Steve Casey there!) and I can't believe it's taken 30 odd years to finally get around to adding him to the collection.

 It goes without saying that's he's an incredible sculpt; plenty of lovely detail there. I particularly like the skull pommelled sword.

The warband gain some brute muscle in the form of an ogre

 So I've just got three figures to go to complete the warband. Well two actually as I've got one of them squared off already.