Citadel Realms of Chaos Fiends of Slaanesh

Lets move away from Sci Fi for a second and go back to the beginning for me, Fantasy Wargaming.  I have not played Warhammer Fantasy in well, forever.  However, Fantasy Gaming will probably always be my first love, especially Chaos, specifically Khorne and Slaanesh.

Citadel Realms of Chaos Fiends of Slaanesh

These six bad boys are very old Citadel Fiends of Slaanesh, dating back to the 1980s.  These guys were a lot of fun to paint up.  Each one was done in a different pastel color, representing the different moods of Slaanesh.

"Let me lick you!"

"Come, embrace me!"

"Let me pinch you chubby cheeks!"

Fiends of Slaanesh

What is best in life?  Licking the ass of another Fiend of Slaanesh!

These babies were a blast to paint.  Slaanesh demands vibrant colors, especially when they clash. 

 

 

 

GZG UAV Grav Drones

GZG makes a great line of drones and UAV vehicles.  Last year I picked these guys up, to be used in my Alien Squad Leader game.  I figured they would be used in either my Mechanoid Army or Cyborg Enslaver Army, as floating weapon platforms or as robotic grav tanks/walkers.  I like to keep my options open.

The models are very modular, allowing for multiple weapon options.  I took them a step further and mounted two sets of weapons: plasma and missile pods, in an under and over fashion (normally the weapon is only mounted on the bottom of the model). 

GZG UAV Grav Drones

 Originally I painted these guys in my standard Sci-Fi Grey pattern.  However, this was before I had completed my Cyborg army, which was metallic.  So in the end I decided to repaint them to match the Cyborg Army. 

GZG UAV Grav Drone with Plasma Guns and Rocket Pods

 My standard metallic recipe: NATO Black, Tamiya Metallic Grey (I have recently changed to Vallejo Black Metal), followed by Vallejo Gun Metal and Vallejo Steel, all airbrushed at 45 degree angles.  Sensor eyes are my standard Reaper Fire Red Triad.  The model was washed in limited areas with Vallejo Dark Grey mixed with regular Grey wash.

This conversion was unplanned.  I buggered up this first model and had to put a rail gun on the top and the missiles on the bottom.  I guess he could be an anti armor/aircraft model.

Overall I am happy with the way they turned out.  They fit in perfectly with my Cyborg army and can be used as either heavily armored AI controlled Warbots or lightly armored Floating Weapon Platforms.

15mm Alternative Armies Asgard Space Marines

Another quick paint job I did the other week.  I have a ton of these old 15mm scale Space Marines, form the Asgard miniatures line, available from 15mm UK (now Alternative Armies).  These are very old sculpts, dating from the 1980s.  There are nine sculpts in the range, with three being flying power armor and 6 ground pounders.  Only give of the foot sloggers are shown since the sixth is so badly sculpted that I did not paint them up.  My guess is the mold is very old and in need of replacement.  Overall the sculpts are ok for their age.  Personally I found it hard to discern details on some of the figures.

2020 Update: See my new blog entry for a complete redo of this army.

Asgard Space Marines

 I originally planned to outfit these guys for Alien Squad Leader as an Imperial Strike Force, which is made up 100% of Power Armor troops and vehicles.  However I decided against this and they have sat in a box for ages. 

Full squad of 8 Asgard Space Marines

Anyway, the other week, while cleaning up my WIP area I decided to do something really unoriginal and paint them up as Robots/Cyborgs, simply to get rid of them and onto the table (like that ever happens).  I already have a ton of GZG Robots but these guys looked more like Star Trek Borg than Power Armor to me.  I did not paint up the flying sculpts since I didn't see the need.  Tamiya NATO Black, Metallic Grey and Vallejo Steel (all airbrushed at 45 degree angles to simulate a shading effect) were the only paints used, followed up by Army Painter Dark Tone Dip.  Reaper Fire Red/Phoenix Red/Fire Orange/White were used for the visors with the weapons being painted black..
 
It is certainly not the most original paint job but now I have another choice for Cyborgs other than my GZG Robots. 

Rebel Minis 15mm Martian Tripods

Greetings.  It has been awhile since I have picked up a paint brush; several months at any rate.  I seem to go through painting spasms: I paint a huge amount of material then take a long break for up to 10 months.  Probably not the best thing for my painting skill level.  At any rate, there is some new material for me to post: 15mm Rebel Minis Martian Tripods. 

These guys have been sitting on my WIP shelf for almost one year.  Frankly, I didn't know what to do with them.  They were a pain in the ass to assemble.  There are not a lot of pieces mind you, but simply fiddly, especially with 3 legs.  The tentacles are extremely fragile.  Several were attacked by my cat and lost a couple of hit points.  I painted these guys up last week simply because I was sick of looking at them on my WIP shelf.


Rebel Minis Martian Tripods

This force was to constitute a 100 point army for Alien Squad Leader, for the Tripod faction.  The Tripods are a vehicle only army in that game.  So, assembling this force was a rather expensive undertaking.  A 200 point force would be double this size and easily cost over $300.  However, they could also be used in other various games with an assortment of alien infantry to round them out.  I decided to stop at the 100 point level and see if it was worth going to the next level. 

The paint scheme I settled on these guys was a simple metallic grey.  That seemed appropriate for a Martian.  

Small Martian Tripod

Everything was airbrushed, starting with a basecoat of NATO black.   The metallic base was Vallejo Black Metal, followed by Vallejo Gun Metal and Vallejo Steel for highlights.  I then washed the various areas in Vallejo Grey and Light Grey Wash, mixed with a  little Vallejo Dark Grey. 

 Various other areas were picked out with other colors: Reaper Steely Blue for the weapons, Reaper Fire Red, Phoenix Red, Fire Orange and White for the sensor eyes located in various areas. 

 

The tentacles were painted in a basecoat of Vallejo Steel since I wanted them to stand out.

Large Martian Tripod

 Once sealed with Testors Dullcote I used Tamiya Weathering Pigments to highlight the edges and bring out a metallic shine where so desired.

Alien Squad Leader Tripod

Large Martian Tripod

 These were a rather expensive purchase.  However the  models are nice and the bigger ones are quite large.   They tower over regular 15mm figures and vehicles.

For now I don't think I will be pursing a 200 point force.  Assembling another 7 models is not on my to do list and spending such a huge sum for a single large army for a single game seems pointless to me a the moment.

Ral Partha Chaos Ogre Mage

Every Ogre tribe needs a shaman.  Luckily Ral Partha took care of that: The Chaos Ogre Mage.

This model is of the same scale as the Bob Olley Ogres.  Hence the reason I went with this model rather than the larger Citadel Butcher model.  Also I wanted something that looks a little more mysterious than the GW model.

Ral Partha Chaos Ogre Mage

The paint job was rather simple: my standard basecoat, followed by Reaper Stormcover Grey.  I then used a diluted Army Painter Dark Tone ink to darken the grey, with the folds getting a coat of NATO Black as a final touch.  Ritterlich Blue was used to highlight the extreme ends of the folds.

every Chaos Ogre should have a magical demonic sack

I considered doing some sort of pattern on his clothing.  However I felt that the model was sinister-looking enough to stand as is. 



Ral Partha Skeletal Ogres

What is an Ogre army without a few animated corpses to go with it?  Both Ral Partha and Citadel made skeletal Ogres.  Sadly I do not have any of the latter's models.  The RP range only contained two sculpts, one with an axe and one with a club.  These baddies are suitable for a number of games and were specifically done for Dragon Rampant, as the entourage for my Chaos Ogre Mage.  Every sorcerer needs undead guards.

Ral Partha Skeletal Ogres

The prep work was the same as my Skeletal Giant.  The only difference was that after Deck Tan I airbrushed Reaper Master Series Yellowed Bone.  That color was the base upon which the wash was applied.

 

The armor was done with both Blackened Steel and Tarnished Steel.  Washed in Army Painter Dark Tone ink, then dry-brushed to bring out highlights.  I would imagine there are some conversion possibilities for weapon heads with these guys. 



Realm of Chaos Citadel Minotaur

Minotaurs are probably my favorite monster from first edition AD&D.  I have collected many different examples of the creature over the years.  I am not fond of the new GW plastics.  Give me a metal sculpt any day please.

Anyway, here is another Ebay rescue: a Citadel Realms of Chaos Minotaur.  Citadel produced many versions of the Minotaur over the years.  This guy is tied with another one for my favorite sculpt. 

Citadel Realms of Chaos Minotaur

This model is unarmed, which is part of his charm.  he is obviously either 1) excited, 2) upset, 3) both.  This guy would fit in perfectly in a skirmish game, especially on old Realms of Chaos Slaves to Darkness warband game.  Just don't stair at his junk.  That would be inappropriate.

This model was painted in the same scheme as my Ogres.  Reaper Olive Skin tone just seems to work for so many critters.  Hair was done with my Walnut Brown wash. 

 

There is not really much else to say about this figure.  A simple sculpt which is easy to paint.  

 

 

Ral Partha Skeletal Giant

Huge skeletons.  Gotta love em.  The Ral Partha Skeletal Giant is another favorite model of mine.  This is a solid sculpt, with only one part to assemble: the sword into the hand. 

Ral Partha Skeletal Giant

My preparation for this model was a little different than others.  For skeletons I use a simple process: base coat the whole model in Tamiya Deck Tan.  Then pick-out the remaining details and finish off with an overall wash on the bone with Army Painter Strong Tone ink.  Drybrush any metal bits and the model is basically done.  I don't do any additional work to the bone, preferring to let the wash do the work.  It forms into irregular patterns which create a realistic look which is ok on the tabletop.  I did lighten the teeth a little, do make them pop a little more.

Need a new outfit I think

I used Reaper Master Series Chestnut Brown for the leather, with a Rust Brown highlight.

"Roar!"

 



Armor was done with Reaper Blackened Steel.  Mail was done with Tarnished Steel.  All then lightly drybrushed after the wash.

 

This model is easily big enough to work alongside any modern giants and or monsters. 

Ral Partha Jabberwock

If it is not clear I am a sucker for older models.  This fellow from Ral Partha is another one of those hidden gems IMO, the Jabberwock.  He is small when compared to modern GW monster models, perhaps the same size as a Chaos Spawn.  However, one must realize that this was sculpted for 25mm, not 28mm.  Put him beside a model from Grenadier Miniatures and he looks fine.  Not every fantasy monster model needs to be the size of a 1/72 scale tank. 

Ral Partha Jabberwock

Painting this fellow was quite easy.  After airbrushing my standard Tamiya paint base I airbrushed on Reaper Dusky Skin as the base coat.  I then made a wash using Dusky Skin Shade to deal with the recesses and used the Dusky Skin Highlight to, well, highlight.  Other details were picked out as needed. 

Ral Partha Jabberwock

The figure has several small warts modeled onto it.  They are almost imperceptible and easy to miss when painting.  I love the rather bizarre pose.  It looks like he is dancing to the "Chaos Bop".

"Look into my eye!"

"Look at me, I am awesome and weird!"



This guy took perhaps an hour to paint.  I considered doing the wings another color but I am not sure a stark dark color would look good with the muted skin tone.

Anyway, that is the Jabberwock, the Dancing Fool of Chaos.

Reaper Miniatures Ettin, "Borka, the Maneater"

Over the past couple of years I have concentrated on painting 15mm Sci Fi figures to the exclusion of all else.  However, this year I made a conscious decision to return to my roots: 25/28mm Fantasy.  There was one caveat though: I didn't want to paint huge army-scale projects.  Over the years I have painted countless figs and the prospect of painting hordes of more models was just brain numbing to think about. 

After some consideration I came to a compromise with myself.  Since we are in the Post-Warhammer Age I was now free to paint what I liked vs what I needed to.  Games like Dragon Rampant and The Hordes of the Things set my mind free from the GW Matrix and my imagination began to explore other modeling opportunities. 

Reaper Miniatures Ettin

One of my first stops was Reaper Miniatures.  My Ral Partha Ogres needed an appropriate giant to play with (yes I have several Citadel Giants already but they are not aesthetically suitable) and the Ettin fit right in. 

The color scheme was done in the same pattern as my Ogres (see my previous posts).  The tartan pattern was carried though where possible.  Painting shields is never fun for me and I was at a loss for what to do and after several abortive attempts I settled on black with my custom symbol of the Great Maw.

"La la la la!"  hear Borka sing

 

He does have some interesting features depicted which might be trying to tell a sad story: a child's rag doll around his belt and an accompanying small human skull hanging from this chest.  Are they related?  Only Borka knows, and he has been silent despite my questioning. 

What is it with Ogres and Hogs?

In game this model could be used as a Giant in Warhammer, an Elite Foot with perhaps the Venomous upgrade in Dragon Rampant or as a Behemoth in Hordes of the Things.  This guy was super fun to paint, taking 3 hours from start to finish. 

Citadel Ogre Tyrant, "Nosra, King of the Ogres"

Citadel is probably my least favorite manufacturer for Ogre models.  As such I don't  have many of them, in fact only one: the Ogre Tyrant, aka "Nosra", Ogre King.

This fellow was an Ebay rescue many years ago.  His paint job was quite horrible.  However, into the vat of 99% alcohol and presto: a new man so to speak

Citadel Ogre Tyrant

 This guy was painted in the same scheme as previous models.  No need to go into details here.

I really wanted to carry the tartan pattern forward onto this model.  Since the only fabric was his pants I had to settle for that as a canvas. 

Love my back fat!

This guy is obviously bigger than my Ral Partha models.  However, since Nosra is the King Of All Ogres that is fitting.  He is a big eater you know.

Ral Partha Ogres, circa 1970s & 1980s

Continuing on in my Ogre series we shall review a few very old sculpts by Ral Partha.  The front two beasties were released in 1979, with others released sometime in the 80s.  While older, these models still fit aesthetically into my Ogre army which consists of quite older sculpts.

 These Ogres are smaller than later sculpts from various companies.  The sculpting is average and typical of the period.

Ral Partha Ogre "Boo!"...scared yet?

 I like this guy.  He looks like he just jumped from around a dungeon corridor.  The hair was done with my homemade Walnut wash.....very lightly. 

Must be an Italian Ogre...shave your back!

Ral Partha Ogre with Club

 This sculpt had no body hair that I could discern.  There were tiny bumps here and there but I could not tell if it was hair or skin texturing.  The model actually reminded me of my late father-in-law (bless his soul).  When our boys were young they called my wife's father Grampa Shrek, on account that he was tall, muscular and bald.  So, rather than try to model hair I decided to paint this guy in homage to Grampa Shrek. 

Yes I have no body hair.

Ral Partha Armored Ogre

 This is the first example of an armored ogre that I could find anywhere.  An average sculpt.

Ral Partha Armored Ogre with Greatsword

 The second example of an armored ogre in my collection.  I continued on with the tartan pattern from earlier models. 

Ral Partha Ogre with Sword

 This fella is a little weird.  He reminds me more of a dwarf than an Ogre. 

Yes, that is somethings leg.  Never forget to bring your lunch to work.

Finally to highlight the size differences between companies and time periods.

From left to right: Grenadier Fantasy Knights 25mm figure; Ral Partha Ogre (1979), Ral Partha Ogre (1979), Ral Partha Ogre, Ral Partha Bob Olley Ogre, Reaper Miniatures Ogre.

These two are the earliest Ogres I have in my collection.  They are very small, on par with a 28mm hero figure.  Perhaps they are Ogre children?



 

Here you can see how scale creep has happened over the years.  The Reaper figure would easily be passed off as a Giant in the 70s and 80s.