Thursday 26 February 2015

Bodacious

Funny - this is actually one of the smaller units I've painted in the last few months, and it seemed to take the longest. I'm not counting cavalry units of five (Horses count double, I reckon), so perhaps I'm getting close to a burn-out. Once I've got this Helf army done, definitely time for a rest.



But for now! Here's the obligatory archer unit for Palafox's Elves. Sticking with yellow, red and gold for the basic palette, very much in line with what's gone before.

Bases still a work in progess - I'm going to go back round the whole army and add a bit of grass later, I think

Squaaaaaaawk

Part of the reason it took longer than usual is that I changed my mind twice about paint schemes while I was doing them. Initially the sleeves on their coats were also yellow, but that made them awfully samey. And look, if you're an elf and have the opportunity to wear gigantic flouncy sleeves, surely you're going to take it, right?

Seconds later, in an absent moment, the banner was fired towards the enemy

In the same first draft, the arrows had blue fletching. But then that rather diminished the impact of the blue gems. And I couldn't really do rubies on red sashes, and anything else just felt wrong. So I redid the arrows in a deserty yellow and brown instead.

I know the rule is that champions have swords, but it's kind of daft for archers. Couldn't he have an extra fancy bow? 

For elves with some of the worst hairstyles in the entire GW range, these guys paint up pretty well. A few odd poses, too. How some of these supposedly professional archers are going to reload with their quivers all over the place, I've no idea. Perhaps they've been watching too much Lars Anderson.

Yeah, grimace away. It won't get the arrows any nearer. 

Ahah! The enemy! Perhaps now I shall draw my bow. 

Painting Guide:


  • Yellow - Averland Sunset with Golden Yellow and Bad Moon Yellow layers. Agrax Earthshade wash for contrast, Hexos Palesun for drybrushing
  • Arrow Decals - The Black Laundry Pen made it through this unit before my wife spotted what I was up to with it. Back to paint brushes again for next time
  • Red - Khorne Red with Blood Red layer, a rather sparing Wild Rider Red drybrush
  • Gems - As previous, although the unit champion has purple ones instead. Genestealer Purple with Lucius Lilac stripes, Pink Horror second stripe and a White Scar light dot as usual. The heart shaped ones didn't come out as well, I haven't quite got the shapes of the light reflections right yet


This one came out best

  • Fletching - Zandri Desert Yellow with Agrax Earthshade. Over White Scar shaded with Thingy Nightshade and Teclis Blue stripes, if you want to be really accurate
  • Byronic Sleeves - Kommando Khaki base with White Scar layers, then a bit of touching up with both Nuln Oil and Agrax Earthshade washes
  • Leathers - XV88 with Agrax Earthshade wash and Tyrant Skull drybrush
  • Hair and Bags - Abaddon Black with Pallid Wychflesh drybrush
  • Skin - Dwarf Flesh with Agrax Earthshade then Flesh Wash
  • Feathers - Rhinox Hide with XV88 drybrush, then Abaddon Black and White Scar stripes up top; Zandri Desert quill stripe



In a final, determined return to form, there is a character again this week. It's General Stylus's conversion of an Eagle Claw Bolt Thrower crewman. Why do the bolt thrower crews come with scrolls so often? Fantasy notepads and pens, I suppose, that they work out the trajectory maths on. Feels a bit daft to me, like if they haven't practised enough to have a decent feel for the equipment before the fight, hurriedly carrying the ten isn't much going to help hit a charging Ogrestar. Still, maybe that's why they miss so much.

Blast! I dropped my spaghetti on the scroll again.

The scroll seems much better on a wizard, I reckon. The only thing I added was a sprig of dried grape stalk that I found lurking conveniently on the kitchen table. The wizard is now in the process of consuming the scroll, sucking the magical energy out before unleashing it on the foe.

Owing to a mix-up at the shop, he found himself casting a Destroy Scroll Spell. 

That's the larger units more or less sorted for the High Elves! Now for the fun stuff - characters and horseys.

6 comments:

  1. I take full responsibility for the quiver placement. It was my first multi-kit in years and I was approaching it along the lines of 'add a blob of glue then quickly decide where to put it'.

    I assume these are magical, elven arrows that just leap up into their owner's hand.

    Anyway, wartime archers used arrow bags, not quivers. Take that Lars Anderson.

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  2. That said, lovely paint job. Yellow is hard to get right (for me anyway). I especially like the Mage's robes.

    (I would have also complimented the arrow patterns, until I learned of your Laundry Pen heresy).

    Neat spell effect too. Now where can I buy my GW-approved pack of dried grape stalks (rrp £15.00)?

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  3. If I hadn't been watching too much Lars Anderson myself, I'd never even have thought twice about the quiver placement. The man has a lot to answer for.

    Given that yellow and white are the two colours I find hardest to get good, I don't know what I was thinking for this scheme. No wonder it took so long.

    And the Laundry Pen isn't heresy. I did start using it thinking it would save time and effort, but it's actually just as hard. Plus you can't wipe the paint off if you slip, it's an instant marker. Double plus you have to hide from your wife while painting.

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  4. I quite like their hairstyles ... classic 80's He-Man bowl cuts. For wimpy elves, there seem to be some impressive lantern jaws in there too.

    Are you missing a feather for one of the archers? I've got spares, so I can post one on.

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  5. Two missing - I wasn't sure at first, I wondered if that was just a bit of deliberate variation in the build. Then the champion's crest came away in my hand during some rather over-zealous drybrushing and I realised. I did check the box to see if they'd come loose in transit, but no such luck. They do look okay without, so totally up to you.

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    Replies
    1. I doubt if I would exercise enough imagination to vary the build, so I'll pop a couple of feathers in the post at some point.

      (they will be plastic grey feathers, rather than white, so don't take their arrival as an accusation of cowardice)

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