Soulblight Vampires - part 7

I got the new "Warhammer Day" Vampire model, Anasta Malkorion, and I knew I was going to have to convert it a little. I did a very simple head-swap for a Drukhari Wych's head. I also knew, because this is how my head works, she would need a small warband...

So this is Ysabette Rotshroud, Soulblight Gravelord, vampire ruler of large swathes of the Harrowmark. I imagine she lives in a dark castle on the side of a mountain overlooking the endless forests of the Harrowmark. The castle is probably filled with the faded, rotting opulence that vampires seem to prefer - the remains of a glorious past.

her followers are Otwin, a human Dreg, a living thrall of Ysabette:

And Egon Palotás, necromancer who is a mostly-loyal servant of Ysabette Rotshroud, he is accompanied by his pet rat, Warlock:

And Egon Palotás has a skeleton that acts as his lectern. Because if you could make a walking lectern to carry your massive tomb of dark, necromantic magic, why wouldn't you?

This group is very much inspired by the Mordheim Undead warband. I am going to try to make a few more skeletons as I have some bits box parts that might work, including two or three more sets of the robed legs I used for the lectern - though I don't know where they came from - and some skeleton parts from the structure of the incomplete Coven Throne that I bought for vampress parts (to make into Drukhari!) a few years ago.

More to follow soon-ish!

Soulblight Vampires - part 6

The depths of the Harrowmark forests are home to many strange and terrifying creatures. Horrors dwell beneath the dark bowers. Sharkan and his followers, the Wardens of the Cold Flame, are perfectly at home there. They dwell in a ruined castle that was built into the side of a mountain in aeons past. They are not lost in the delusions of the Flesheater Courts though. They don't see themselves as shining, honourable paladins. They are content to live in shadows and the dust and the rotting finery.

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Vollak, The Traitor Knight.

Vollak betrayed his people as soon as he own well-being was threatened. He opened the gates he was supposed to be guarding and allowed an army of the dead to slaughter the population of a city in exchange for eternal life.

Klosolka, The Witch Knight.

The sorceress Klosolka studdied the necromantic arts for many many years before she encountered Sharkan.

Haryom, The Shunned Knight.

Haryom views mortal humans with contempt; cattle to be herded and farmed. He kills without a second thought, not considering any a worthy opponent.

Yurkenor, The Outcast Knight.

Yurkenor is bitter and angry - he was a headsman in life and was hated for it. He also hated every moment of it. In undeath he continues this work as it is all he knows. He still hates it.

The whole Wardens of the Cold Flame warband, with the leader, Sharkan the Fallen Knight and Morddrak the Thrall Knight.

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The Wardens of the Cold Flame are finished! I managed to get a few nights painting last week and finished off all of the vampires I've built (well, all bar one that wasn't working so I abandoned it). Annoyingly I have run out of Munitorum Varnish though, so they aren't quite "done" in my book. Obviously it's going to be a while until I get to play a game with them, so there isn't really a rush...

Six models are well over a thousand points in Warcry, if I pick the right "counts-as" Stormcast cards. I'm seriously considering playing them as Prosecutors - their higher speed (and Flying runemark) feel right for vampires, and the weapon options match quite well too.

Soulblight Vampires - part 5

Four more Wardens of the Cold Flame are taking shape. I don't have a lot of spare parts currently as all my bits boxes are in a storage unit (we were about to move house before the lockdown!) but a friend sent an jiffy bag of assorted things in the post and I have done what I can with them and the models from the handful of Mortal Realms magazines I have been able to find.

Vollak, The Traitor Knight.

(Wurmspat; Ghulgoch the Butcher with Fecula Flyblown's head, Stormcast/greenstuff robes)

Klosolka, The Witch Knight.

(Wurmspat; Fecula Flyblown with Ghulgoch the Butcher's head, added armour and Blightking weapon and greenstuff hood. Crow from a Nighthaunt Glaivewraith base)

Haryom, The Shunned Knight.

(Wurmspat; Sepsimus the Plaguesworn with Nighthaunt/greenstuff robes, Blightking/Bonerattle shield)

Yurkenor, The Outcast Knight.

(A Necromunda Goliath with Nighthaunt/greenstuff robes and Blightking weapon)

All 4 are on my painting table and should be finished soon-ish.

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.

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!

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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).

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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.

Soulblight Vampire - part 2

Sharkan, The Fallen Knight, Soulblight Vampire from the Harrowmark.

The work in progress post is here, but this conversion is pretty much just the new "Primaris" Mephiston model and the Vampire Lord from the Zombie Dragon kit, spliced together (with a lot of cutting and a little greenstuff). I haven't thought about a backstory for him that much and I'm not sure if I will be making a warband for him, but I like the idea that he just... exists... in the background of the Harrowmark setting.