The Sanguinal Refinery
In order to fuel the Cranic Furnaces, the servants of Khorne have corrupted many Prometheum Forges, their flanks punctured by sharp bone growths and constantly oozing blood. Screaming prisoners are brought to the top, their throats sliced and the gushing vitae poured into the hatches to be mixed with prometheum and daemonic icor. As the refineries churn into action and ruddy smog belches from the vents, the drained bodies are tossed at the feet of the structures. There, to the ringing of brass bells and gongs, their heads are removed, flensed and offered to snarling effiges of the Blood God. And as souls are dragged screaming into the Warp, their headless bodies are carried away to feed the throngs of slaves working the infernal machineries.
For the Sanguinal Refinery I've again used a texture made with coffe grounds and PVA glue. This time, I've generously smeared it across the sides of the structure rather than applying it in long strings. I've also added some tusks from the Mournfang Pack kit to the sides of the pipe and half Malevolent Maelstrom to the base, hiding the joint with skulls.
The Ironguts banner top has exactly the same diameter as the large vents on the Sector Mechanicus range and once painted as brass is a perfect Khornate symbol. The addition of more bloodied skulls piled around the base of the Refinery complement those in the jaws of the symbol. A few chains, bells, banner tops and gongs fished from my bits box completed the desecration of the Refinery.
The colour scheme is exactly the same as that of the Cranic Furnace, although the texture was finished with a generous coating of Blood For The Blood God rather than a drybrush of Cadian Fleshtone, giving the feeling of fresh blood rather than scabbing tissue. I've also stippled Blood For the Blood God all over the platform and have been more generous with the amounts leaking from the pipes. The Malevolent Maelstrom was drybrushed from bright yellow to red, rather than in the greens I've used on the Warp Foundries, to better fit the Khornate theme.
The Sanguinal refinery is, in fact, two smaller pieces of terrain, allowing for plenty of flexibility in how it can be combined with the Cranic Furnace and the Warp Foundries.
Warcry Warbands, Allies & Thralls
As shops re-opened in England, I rushed to the Warhammer Manchester store, where my copies of the Warcry Grand Alliance books and the Tome of Champions 2020 were waiting for me since last December. That's a long time but that's what happens when you are abroad on release day and then a lockdown is called while you are quarantining... I guess we all have similar stories from the past year!
Anyway, I sat down with the books and my collection of Age of Sigmar models. Now that every infantry, cavalry and some monster kit has rules for Warcry, I can arrange them into 8 warbands and a few assorted Allies and Thralls I can use to spice up games. Here they are!
Destruction: Ironjaw Krushamob - Badruk’s Boyz (1350 points)
1 x Ardboy Boss (Leader), 190 points
3 x Ardboys with ardboy choppas, 330 points
3 x Ardboys with big choppa, 330 points
4 x Ardboys with ardboy choppa & orruk-forged shield, 500 points
These boyz are my plainest warband, assembled out of the box and painted for mass ranking during the 7th edition of Warhammer Fantasy. They can be used in all type of games, but I will mostly keep them as Adversaries in Challenge Battles and as NPCs in campaigns.
Destruction: Mawtribe Wanderglutt - The Ironforged (1470 points)
1 x Tyrant (Leader), 335 points
1 x Crusher (Hero), 285 points
2 x Maneaters, 440 points
2 x Ogor Gluttons with clubs, 410 points
The Maneaters were done for Mordheim, as Ogre Mercenaries to go with my Dwarfs and Witch Hunters, which are now Cities of Sigmar warbands (scroll down for them!). The Tyrant and the Gluttons were done, together with the Free Companies of the Gilded Hand (they too are further down!) as a tribute to the 4th edition range of Dogs of War and Regiments of Renown. Like Badruk's Boyz, they can be used for all kind of play and I'm sure they'll see some action as main characters at some point.
Destruction: Allies and Thralls/Roaming Beasts (1250 points)
1 x Loonsboss (Ally), 175 points
1 x Fungoid Cave-Shaman (Ally), 175 points
1 x Wardokk (Ally), 205 points
1 x Savage Arrow Boss (Ally), 125 points
3 x Rockgut Troggoths (Thralls/Roaming Beasts), 570 points
Ruglud, together with his whole Regiment of Renown was done at the same time as the Ironforged Gluttons and the Free Companies. The other models, like Badruk's Boyz, were part of my Warhammer Fantasy Orcs & Goblins. I have some rebased Gloomspite Gitz and old-style Orruks that could stand in as Bonesplitterz, but they are all out of the box and 'badly' painted, plus I'm using them as adversaries in my current solo campaing, so I'm not really motivated to turn them into Warcry warbands. But who knows, some day I may!
Order: Anvilgard Shieldband - The Grudgebreakers (2185 points)
1 x Ironbeard with drakefire pistol & cinderblast bomb (Leader), 175 points
1 x Cogsmith (Hero), 185 points
1 x Freeguild Sergeant (Hero), 130 points
1 x Battlemage (Hero), 175 points
8 x Irondrakes, 760 points
8 x Ironbreakers, 760 points
These Duardin Privateers and their human mates started their life as a Mordheim warband, while at the same time being an unconscious tribute to Long Drong's Slayers. They make for another warband ready for all type of play. Given the amount of shooters, chosing the rules for Greywater Fastness would have been a sensible gameplay choice, but they are privateers and rule of cool demands to use the rules for Anvilgard! I'm most likely to use them only with regular opponents as they are on the extreme end of the 'count-as' acceptability. Let's face it, crossbows don't look anything like flamethrowers, pistols and cudgels are a far cry from hand weapons and shields, not to mention the complete lack of heavy armour...
Phoenicium Shieldband - The Church of Sigmar’s Retribution (1725 points)
1 x Freeguild General (Leader), 180 points
1 x Prophet (Hero), 130 points
1 x Keeper of the Gate (Hero), 175 points
7 x Freeguild Handgunners, 560 points
2 x Freeguild Crossbowmen, 160
8 x Flagellants, 520 points
Here's another former Mordheim warband, bashed from Empire Militia and Flagellants, ready for all kind of Warcry play. With the recent announcement of Witch Hunters returning to the Age of Sigmar range, I hope we'll know more about the Order of Azyr and get Warcry rules for them as well. Should that happen, I'll have to rework the roster, but until then the Phoenicium rules are great to represent a god-touched, fanatical rabble.
Hammerhall Shieldband - Free Companies of the Gilded Hand (1925 points)
1 x Freeguild General (Leader), 180 points
1 x Battlemage (Hero), 175 points
5 x Freeguild Guard with spear, 325 points
5 x Freeguild Guard with sword and shield, 400 points
5 x Freeguild Crossbowmen, 400 points
1 x Freeguild Outrider, 165 points
2 x Freeguild Pistoliers, 280 points
They have seen plenty of AoS Skirmish action in the past few years, but I'm still madly in love with my tribute to the Regiments of Renown. The Hammerhall rules, with their emphasis on disciplined shieldwalls fighting around inspirational leaders work perfectly with the fluff I have developed for them so far. And like all the other warbands so far, they are ready for all styles of play.
Khainite Shadowstalkers - The Shadowflames (1330 points)
1 x Shroud Queen (Leader), 190 points
1 x Auric Runefather (Ally), 195 points
1 x Vulkite Berzerker Karl (Ally), 170 points
1 x Hearthguard Berzerker Karl with berzerker broadaxe (Ally), 185 points
5 x Darkflame Warlocks with repeater crossbows, 500 points
1 x Shroudblade with cursed swords, 90 points
That's my only Order warband exclusively rooted into the Age of Sigmar background and only using recent models. I first thought of running them as Free Cities with Fyreslayers allies, as I had done in Age of Sigmar Skirmish. However, none of the Free Cities abilities really captured the fighting style I envisaged for the aelfs. The Khainite Shadowstalker, on the other hand, are perfect. For now, they are about 2-3 Shadowstalker models short for using them in campaign play, but deploying all the aelfs and the Runefather they work perfectly for open and matched play. And of course, they can always be used as Adversaries in Challenge battles. Needless to say, I fully intend to add those 2-3 models needed for campaign play...
Order: Allies (600 points)
1 x Doomseeker, 180 points
1 x Knight-Questor, 245 points
1 x Assassin, 175 points
Like for the assorted Destruction models, I don't see myself building warbands around these models right now. However, a mercenary Fyreslayer will sit nicely as an Ally for the Free Companies, while the Knight-Questor and the Assassin scream to fight alongside the Church of Sigmar's Retribution. They will definetely not fight with the Grudgebreakers and the Shadowflames as they don't fit their themes... not to mention that the Hero/Ally allocation for those warbands is already fully taken up.
Chaos: Tzeentch Arcanite Coven - Denizens of the Silver Tower (1135 points)
1 x Kairic Adept (Leader/Hero), 150 points
1 x Gaunt Summoner (Leader/Hero), 195 points
1 x Ogroid Thamaturge (Leader/Hero), 265 points
1 x Tzaangor with pair of savage blades, 75 points
1 x Tzaangor with savage blade and arcanite shield, 85 points
1 x Tzaangors with savage greatblade, 105 points
1 x Kairic Acolytes with cursed blade and arcanite shield, 85 points
1 x Kairic Acolytes with cursed glaive and arcanite shield, 90 points
1 x Kairic Acolyte with paired cursed blades, 85 points
Like the Shadowstalkers, this Tzeentch coven is 2-3 models short for campaign play except as Adversaries in Challenge battles. Using the Gaunt Summoner and the Ogroid Thaumaturge as Leader and Hero respectively, they are perfect for open and matched play. Technically, I have enough extra Silver Tower Acolytes and Tzaangors to make them playable in a campaign, but that will mean deploying a few identical models and that's against the rule of cool!
Chaos: Allies (775 points)
1 x Darkoath Chieftain, 190 points
1 x Deathmaster, 200 points
1 x Iridescent Horror, 190 points
2 Blue Horrors and 2 Brimstone Horrors (free with Split abilities)
1 x Great Bray-Shaman, 195 points
Another bunch of models for which I have no immediate plans, but that can be used alongisde the Denizens of the Silver Tower in open and matched play or as Adversaries.
Death: Legions of Nagash Thrallband - Kalyustar’s Cursed Company (1210 points)
1 x Necromancer (Leader), 195 points
2 x Grave Guards with great wight blade, 170 points
3 x Skeleton Champions, 240 points
5 x Skeletons with ancient spears, 275 points
6 x Skeletons with ancient blades, 330 points
And that's my last tribute to the Regiments of Renown, and my favourite narrative-driven warband as it emerged from the campaigns we played. I haven't taken a new picture of them, just recycled the one I took when I made the first batch. You can see them all in action in the battle reports for our campaign that got frozen by the pandemic. Once we resume that, they'll be slightly limited in the later stages of the campaign when you can deploy more fighters. Of course, I'm planning to add a few more fighters and the release of the new Soulblight range could have not come at a better time! And, obviously, the Skeletons and Grave Guards can all be used as Restless Dead!
Many Meetings
Steve stared into the fire, his expression lost as he recalled the pain. The woodsmen waited, holding their breath.
'And then?' asked the Shyishian Trade Pioneer, thrusting a freshly filled tankard into Steve's hands.
The halfling blinked, took a long sip of ale and resumed his story.
'I was drifting between Ghyran and Shyish... my soul was. I remember being carried on an improvised stretcher, Kalyustar ahead and Rodrik at the back. And Kalyustar hold a strange lantern in front of him. It bathed the woods in a spectral glow.
The next thing I remember is a bow stretched in front of us and grinning skulls staring down at me. And a voice, like the rustling of dried leaves. "You bring an evil light into our Glade, wizard" it said.
Then, I came to my senses in one of the halls of the Forest Spirits. A Tree Revenant stood next to me, her hand outstretched.
"It is done" she said. "Rest, Steve of Venythia, for you have come close to threading the path to Shyish. And you, Captain Rodrik, go with my guards and feed, for it is not to be said that Gnarlroot Glade has no gratitude for those that fight the enemies of our lands."
"You, Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand, come, for I, Yltriana Grimroot, much desire to know from you".
They moved away from the bed of greenery where I laid, but I could still hear their voices.
"You carry a heavy burden, manling. Tell me what it is".
"I... I have been touched by something, Lady Yltriana. Early in our travel, I brought back Rodrik, like you brought back Steve..."
"He speaks to you, doesn't he?"
"Yes... with a voice cold and harsh, like the wind of Everdusk. And he whispers that Death is next".
"And in this, he is not lying, for the following season is indeed that of Death. But do not fall for his treachery. There is no true power in Death alone, but only in the eternal cycle of the Realms, as the Everqueen teaches us. And after Death comes Rebirth, so that balance is restored. Look at us, we do carry emblems of death, but to remind ourselves of what we have to cross before life comes again".
I then slipped again into a deep sleep. For a few more days we stayed with the Fay People. During that time, I didn't see much of Kalyustar or Yltriana, as the two spent nearly all their time away from the rest of us. When I was fully restored, we resumed our hunt.
It didn't take long to trace the minions of the 'Eadsplitta again and soon we were faced by some Ironjawz and their grot underlings.
We moved where we could shoot at the Ardboyz, knowing that if we could rout them, the grots would loose any fighting spirit. Alas, the first salvo was not enough and we found ourselves crossing blades with the grots.
As always, they were not much of a problem for the three of us, but they pinned us in place while the Ardboyz advanced.
They charged at Rodrik and though he put up quite a fight, they dragged him down.
Kalyustar summoned his bolts of eldritch force and created a hopening that allowed us to put some distance from the Ardboyz.
But they were fast and caught up with me before I could notch an arrow. I'm sure they'd have killed me if Kalyustar had not blasted another one and hold the boss while I dragged myself away.
Then the song of the Fay People came from where Rodrik had fallen and that spooked the Arboy boss.
We rushed back and found Rodrick surrounded by a Branchwych and her retinue.
"Fear not!" she said "He is alive. But my Lady Yltriana asks you pay a price for her healing of the halfling".
Kalyustar made to protest, but the Branchwych cut him short.
"Remember the cycle we are all bound to. Rebirth and life lead to death, and from death will come rebirth again. At the end of seven years we'll return your friend to you, your debt paid in full. And as a token of our good will, we gift you a Greenglade Flask. It will keep you strong in your fighting. Farewell, Venythian Rovers".
And suddenly, they disappeared with Rodrik, as if they had never been there. Only their song lingered under the trees for a while.
And I think, amidst those harmonies, I heard Kalyustar murmuring "This is too high a price"'.
***
The Venythian Rovers
Exploration rolls: 11 - Threat Level: 5 - Map Fragments: 0 - Spectral Lanterns: 0 - Battles Won: 5
Kalyustar of the Gilded Hand (Archmage, from Grand Alliance: Order): Realmblood (Ghyran Spell), Master of Defence (Order Trait). Wounds suffered: 3 - Enemies killed: 22
Captain Rodrik (Freeguild General, from Grand Alliance: Order): Tenacious (Order Trait). Wounds suffered: 6, DEAD - Enemies killed: 27
Steve Boffin, restored by Sylvaneth magic (Huntmarshal, from The Empire Compendium): Greenglade Flask (Artefact of Ghyran). Wounds suffered: 4 - Enemies killed: 1
***
Silver Tower: the Final Trial
Yes, you have counted right... that's 18 models painted in less than two weeks! When the release date for Cursed City was confirmed on March 27, I challenged myself to have my copy of Silver Tower fully painted before April 10. Luckly, I was on holiday from the university, and with no teaching to do, I had plenty of spare hobby time.
The Darkoath Chieftain was the last adventurer left to paint. For him, I went for a classic Chaos palette of reds, metals and browns, but kept the black for the warpaint only. And credit must be given to the source of inspiration... the mighty Arnie in 'Conan the Barbarian'.
The second group of Kairic Acolytes, which I call the Blue Coven, are painted in the same palette as the previous group, but swapping the position of the blue and purple on their armour and clothes. Again, I've squeezed in a minor conversion, by swapping the pointing hand of the Acolyte with glaive for the hand holding the flaming skull, again from the Cities of Sigmar Battlemage kit.
I've used the same palette for the Gaunt Summoner as well, but kept the purple and blue areas roughly of the same size, so that neither is dominant. The skin, of course, is considerably paler than that of the Acolytes. His base was decorated using cuts of cardboard, a skull and textured paint, like I did for the Ogroid Thamaturge.
The Blue Horrors and the Grotling Scuttlers were painted in their respective canonical schemes: bright blue for the Horrors, black clothes and touches of red for the Scuttlers.
Now, I'm on a tight budget at the moment, so couldn't buy Cursed City. Hopefully, it will be back in the not so distant future. In the meantime, I've still plenty of sprues in my Pile of Shame to keep me busy...
