Monday 30 March 2020

Soulblight Vampires - part 4, Morddrak


Morddrak, the Thrall Knight.

Though he is a ruthless killer, hungry for the souls of his victims, Morddak somehow sees himself as honourable. Like most vampires he is arrogant and has an acute sense of his own superiority, but he has no refined manners or airs and graces. He is blunt and brutal and dismissive but he likes to tell himself he only "fights fair". His opponents may feel differently...






When I made my Soulblight Vampire from Mephiston and the zombie dragon riding Vampire Lord, I wasn't planning on making a full warband, it was just a "background" project, for fun. Now I have had the idea of using Stormcast Warrior Chamber rules in Warcry the ideas for his followers are coming thick and fast!


I have started work on the next Thrall Knights, using Wurmspat and Goliath models as the base, then adding Nighthaunt cloaks and other parts. I will do more greenstuff work to blend in their capes before I start painting.



Thursday 26 March 2020

Soulblight Vampires - part 3 - Wardens of the Cold Flame

The Wardens of the Cold Flame are a band of fallen knights that dwell in the Harrowmark, their blighted souls corrupted by the death-magic of the Realm. They are not lost in the delusions of the Flesh Eater Courts, nor are they the mindless automata of the Deathrattle Legions. They know full-well what they have lost and what they are no-longer. The Thrall-Knights are subject to the powerful controlling will of their leader and sire, Sharkan, but they have enough of their own willpower to think and act independently; each knight has their own character flaws, personal style and preferences.

Their armour is encrusted with layers of corrosion and graveyard earth. Their blades are fell weapons inscribed with dark runes, chased with precious metals and fashioned in the likenesses of evil beasts. The knights do not ride steeds, but stalk the forests on foot. They are in no hurry, they have all of eternity to do their headsman's work.


ArtistsEmpire on Twitter has been doing digital paint-overs of other people's miniature photos, and he just did this amazing job of my Soulblight Vampire. It's so damn dark and gritty, I love it!

~ ~ ~

I had a thought that I could use my Soulblight Vampire in Warcry, using the Stormcast Warrior Chamber rules. But he would need a few chunky vampire knights as mates.

So the question was; what to make them from? Converted Stormcast, or Blightkings, or something else? I settled on a mix of Wurmspat, Goliath, Stormcast, Vampire Lord parts and greenstuff. So I started scribbling...


Klosolka (The Wurmspat Witch with armour and weapons added).


Yurkenor (A Necromunda Goliath with greenstuff robes and Blightking weapons).


Morddrak (A Stormcast Sequitor with Vampire Lord, from the Zombie dragon, parts).


Haryom (One of the Wurmspat with a weapon swap and greenstuff robes).

~ ~ ~

This is my first stab at Morddrak, a Vampire Thrall Knight with what parts I have to hand (the Agrellan Earth on his armour is still wet in the first photo).



The Agrellan Earth cracked up nicely!


Undercoated black and two zenithal grey basecoats (Mechanicus Standard Grey then Grey Seer). 

I just got some spares in the post from a friend, so I will be sketching out at least two more Thrall Knights over the next few days. I have also ordered the Wurmspat Underworlds warband so they will be in the mix soon too.

Wednesday 25 March 2020

Viva La Revulushun! - part 6 - Badlanding City

Inspired by the Ork Mekworlds article in this month's White Dwarf I started making some Ork themed scenery again -- but I don't have time, space or money for a full set.

I plan to use my Wortbad mat and my Tor Megiddo industrial ruins, with a layer of Orky additions to sell the setting. So I'm making Orky armour plate add-on in lots of different klan colours, that just sit on top, or hang off the side, of the industrial ruins. This means I don't even need to buy anything as I have loads of orky spares in boxes already!

A lot of my stuff is in storage as we were in the process of moving house before the lock-down, but I made 2 pieces of Mekworld scatter terrain for Badlanding City from the left-overs of the Mek Gun kit (which I bought for the grot crew I wanted to add to my Rebel Grot Kill Team).


Kustom Mega-kannon wreckage, front:


Kustom Mega-kannon wreckage, back:


Bubblechukka wreckage, right:


Bubblechukka wreckage, left:


More Orky wreckage to come soon (ish)...

Thursday 19 March 2020

The Harrowmark Twisted Oak - part 6, game 3

Squabble at the Broken Circle (1st Convergence)


El Doctoro the Shaman had searched a large area of the forest all morning, he was sure that the Twisted Oak was near the clearing where the Broken Circle lay. The Circle itself seemed to be a nexus of a huge amount of magic, and though the Twisted Oak was stronger the proximity of the Broken Circle had thrown out his calculations.

The Rotmoons had followed him around patiently for hours, but they had grown increasingly frustrated and as he (once again) paused to check his instruments, tempers flared and harsh words started flying between them. Maybe it was the guttural shouting of oaths and insults, maybe it was just the concentration of Death magic in the forest, but whatever the reason; the dead awakened, they crept behind and encircled the Rotmoons.

If nothing else, the lads got some action that day...

~ ~ ~


Empty eye sockets watched the orruk pirates growl and swear at each other.


Kapitán da Leeva watched in frustration as the Shaman fussed with a brass-and-crystal device: he turned dials and watch the swirling blue-white spirits within it.


Suddenly the cracking of dry twigs alerted him to the danger around them. The crows started noisily cawing and took off.


Dragante rounded on a pair of arguing pirates and cracked heads together until they stopped fighting each other and started taking more care of their look-out duties.


Kalyustar the Soulchemist and his cadaverous crew stalked through the trees behind the pirates.


Bortagno gathered another pair of bickering pirates and fiercely set them to rights.


Deadwalkers emerged from the mausoleums and crypts. They shambled toward the noise, dead eyes stared, dead mouths hungered.


The Kapitán realised the orruk pirates' way back to their ship was blocked. They would have to fight their way out.


The Kapitán growled and drew his kutlass as he strode toward the wall of skeletons.


El Doctoro joined the Kapitán with a flash of magical energy that shattered one of the dead.


Deestro made a break for it and ran off toward the waiting ship's boat, that was tethered nearby.


Bortagno smashed his blade through the shoulder and rib cage of the nearest skeleton.


Deestro parried the thrust of a spear-skeleton.


Keinrich and Thronir advanced on the flank of the orruk pirates.


Then a trio of deadwalkers shambled after them.


The forests rang with the clash of rusted blades.


Kalyustar marshalled his forces carefully, from the rear of their lines.


The Kapitán ordered El Doctoro to follow Deestro and run to safety...


...while he tried to hold off the Skeleton Champions with his kutlass.


They overwhelmed him and Keinrich made cruel use of his Cursed Blade.


But the Shaman, Percy Percy and Bold Rikk escaped!


Bortagno roared with anger as the Kapitán fell; he smashed into Keinrich the Skeleton Champion with the Cursed Blade greatsword, and scattered his bones


Another skeleton, with sword and shield, charged from his blind side.


Wave after wave of Deathrattle fighters piled on the orruk pirate, their rusted spears and halberds stabbed at him.


More Deadwalkers shambled out of the underground crypts


It started to look like the pirates would be cut off and trapped!


Yet more Deadwalkers closed in on the fighting.

Dragante growled orders at Geedo and Pez. He spotted an opening and was determined to break through.


Bortagno laughed as he twirled his kutlass ostentatiously. He secretly drew a dagger with his other hand.


He put up a good fight and although the ancient weapons of the undead slipped through his parries and blocks a few times, he managed to land a few good hits - his perfidious dagger scored an especially telling blow. But they were wearing him down.


Dragante shoved Geedo into the path of a grasping Deathrattle skeleton and sprinted through the woods. A flash of Death Magic from Kalyustar wracked Geedo with pain.


Bortagno shouted encouragement to his shipmates, even as the skeletons impaled him!


A skeleton swordsman tried to intercept Dragante as he ran but the huge orruk just shrugged him off and kept running.


One of the decaying Deadwalkers attacked a Skeleton Champion!


Then another rotting walker brought down the duardin skeleton champion!


The escape route got narrower as the Deadwalkers converged.


Kalyustar marshalled more dark power and herded his animated adherents toward the pirates.



Dragante shouted at the other orruks just ahead of him "Don't wait! Don't stop! Get to da ship!"


For once, they followed orders!

~ ~ ~
  • Scenery: The Broken Circle in the centre of the southern half of the board. Woods and wrecks all around.
  • Deployment: Defiant Stand (The Rotmoons Blue)
  • Victory: The Gauntlet (The Rotmoons Defenders)
  • Twist: Rampaging Beasts
  • Fail forward: If the Convergence is not completed, progress on the Campaign Tracker and remove one Controlled Territory or 5 Glory Points if no territory is controlled yet.
This was so close! I just managed to scrape a win in turn 4 but one more skeleton between Dragante and the board edge would have been all it took to stop me and give the win to Viktor. Tense and exciting!