Just ghoulish!

I started the above in lockdown. I think it was nostalgia for fantasy played when younger - understandable emotion since I was in my late 40's at the time - and the strong AOS community I appeared to be witnessing through such things as AOS Coach and 2+ Tough. 

In any case ... I purchased some Flesh Eater Courts models. Imaginatively, I'd also defend the purchase by stated my great fascination for the ghoul in weird fiction. The models were fun to paint and assemble (mostly) and they certainly matched my mental image of a ghoul. 

Two years or so on and I've painted all but three models. I used only the ghouls in Mordheim over the past 18 months and had just about assigned them to forgetful storage when I was compelled to try Warcry. In this I used a few more models from my ghoulish collection but nowhere near the full amount. (Side note: my mind is still not made up on Warcry apart from the fact I think Mordheim is better.) 

And then I finally acquired a copy of Saga 2nd edition under the assumption I would never play the rules (or only 1-2 times) as I'm the only person in my wargames club with any Dark Age figures. 

Then in one night ... Saga kicked off. 

There are now four of us with the rules and two of those grabbed Age of Magic as well. 

Thats when my ghouls burst from the crypt and into a new life. My painted FEC courts army (i really had only a fleeting intention of ever played Age of Sigmar - as I knew in my wargaming soul the rules and esp the list as little more than steaming shite) easily gives me 8 points in Saga with a couple of choices too for variety. 

Instead of Flesh Eater Courts, the 'Carrion Realm' will surge from their darkness enshrouded underworld to grasp the throats and savage the entrails of the living. I'm very keen to play a game but must await my much slower (painting and modelling) wargaming companions to amass their forces. 

Out of interest the images show - 5 units of 8 warriors, 1 monster, 1 warlord, another ghoul hero - purpose unclear for Saga, and 2 groups of creatures (one bipedal and the other flying.) This easily gives me a few options to form larger units of warriors or make the creature units larger by adding another model (at the cost of breaking up a warrior unit.) As can be seen, I have the Sigmarite Mausoleum scenery to enable my placement of a sacred ground:crypt as per the Undead Legions rules. 

 

New Year Wizard, Zombies and an Idol

Amid two beach/pool holidays, the Xmas break has seen ‘some’ painting – just not very much. 

I dusted off some more old GW zombies and repainted these. I wanted to paint people who had died from various causes, like a virulent disease that discoloured the skin. Hence, I did olive, grey and yellow zombies.

Next came a Reaper Bones wizard. The result was very pleasing using shades of blue. I wanted to create a weather wizard and think it turned out well. I have no idea what game he will appear in … probably Mord.

Finally, another Reaper Bones model … the Fertility Idol. This will be used in Congo or IHMN games even though she is clearly based off European Neolithic figurines rather than African ones. Oh well, who worries about this sort of thing except me. She’ll be a great basis for a game … I’m sure some muzungu will end up being captured and potentially sacrificed before her.

 

Weird Expansion

 My reading has remained fixed on the subject of weird fiction. I find the genre very enjoyable - although a little hit and miss - perhaps due to the nature of the writing (ie: to fit into a regular magazine with a fixed audience.) 

Of all, Lovecraft and Smith I enjoy the most with Howard producing some fine tales ... many of which almost leave the horror genre and become action stories. Howard did revisit stories several times, this includes ideas or themes, but these did get better (I'm thinking about the development of the degenerate underground race best illustrated in 'Worms of the Earth.) I can detect Machen's view of fairy creatures here. 

I'm looking forward to reading the critical analysis of Joshi and the horror fiction of Bloch (I would like to read more of his stories later - I've listen to a few and very much enjoy his style and humour.) I have also found Blackwood to be excellent - but due to his writing in an earlier period style, a modern reader needs to persevere. 

Shadow Deep ... better late than never!

 With this year closing down soon ... I looked at my pitiful amount of posts for 2021 and my cheeks reddened with shame. 

So, with an hour or three up my sleeve this arvo, I decided to play a Rangers of Shadow Deep scenario solo. I have much wanted to see how this game played. It was certainly straight forward, logical and enjoyable - although I do think the first scenario is made to create an easy introduction to the game. 

Below are some photos ... in the end my little group mowed down 10 zombies and 2 giant rats. They found all the secrets (but failed to solve the mystery of the tracks) and walked away with some treasure, herbs, a dead body, a living one and a slightly magical sword. 

My little band gathered near the well in the centre of the deserted hamlet. It was at that moment groans and loud squeeks communicated something was awry. We had been surrounded by enemies with the mystery still afoot! 

An overview of the hamlet. 

The giant rats were quickly killed by the decisive action of Peregrin, my ranger, and the swift arrows of my two archers - Lena and Reynard. The zombies shambling toward out little group would provide a greater challenge.  

With the small board size the zombies closed quickly. 

Sigurd, the barbarian, proved to be worth all the ale he guzzled as he slew all the zombies to arrive in his portion of the table. He protected the archers who then had the opportunity to look for clues. 

Fighting and missile fire erupted in the central area with foes falling without wounding my ranger band. Special events saw another 4 zombies enter the table. These would regularly arrive for much of the early turn replenishing their numbers as swiftly as we could slay them. 

As the game went on, the initial flurry of zombies began to wane and the ranger band had more time to secure the clues - largely unmolested by enemies. 

The great surprise was when my rouge, Ruprecht, thought he had gathered treasure but instead a rotting corpse (once named Franz) rose from the earth to assail him. Luckily, my ranger was not far away. He quickly downed the Fondler and dashed to the rescue ... the rogue was in the party of other reasons than marital skill. 

Peregrin dispatched his foe then ran to engage in several turns of combat against the strongest zombie of the day. Eventually he fell and the two giants rats which arrived late in the game did not reach combat. Peregrin's band had secured all they needed - especially the body of Aventine and a survivor - to aid their further investigation of the dread lurking behind these rotting minions. 

Overall, the game was enjoyable but left me thinking I'd been guided to learn the rules ... not face a challenge. But I'm pretty sure that will be amended when Peregrin follows his leads into the depths of the forest where the spider webs cluster in a most remarkable and chilling manner. 

Lockdown "light" Reading

 I usually only post about wargames, miniatures and painting. 

But over lockdown I have concentrated on reading (and listening) to a specific type of fiction. This is odd as I usually read non-fiction. I re-visited Lovecraft, after initially reading his collected works between the ages of 16-18. I found out about other stories he 'ghost wrote' to varying degrees. 

This book was filled with stories clearly influenced by old HP to a great extent. There were some wonderful stories - including the Horror in the Museum, the Curse of Yig, Out of Aeons (very much seemed like a precursor or heavily influence by the Call) and Two Black Bottles (for the atmosphere it sets alone.) Other tales such as The Horror in the Burying Ground, Medusa's Coil and Man of Stone had some horrible and chilling concepts within. 

This return to a much loved author set me on the path of his Supernatural Horror in Literature essay - which I had not read in 25 or more years. It pathed the way to the next lockdown read - Arthur Machen. The reading is much harder - due to the time in which he wrote - but the concepts are again thrilling, chilling and disturbing. This is just what the doctor ordered when reading weird fiction. The Great God Pan begins with a truly awful experiment than has dire and long reaching consequences. 

Then finally, a correspondent and friend of HP - Clark Ashton Smith. This is my second attempt at reading his tales. My first efforts were not effective - I felt stories (I'm thinking of you 'Geas') had wonderful beginning concepts then trailed away to rather pointless and aimless paths. Years later, I ordered the above Penguin and what a different a discerning choice of stories makes. These were wonderful mind and vocabulary expanding tales. The Vault of Yoh Vombis was a macabre extravaganza housed in a sci-fi setting and at the root of many modern films. That tales alone was worth the price. Clark's imagination seemingly knew no bounds or limits of wonder. 

I have also been listening to the tales of M R James while painting and Algernon Blackwood - whose tales I am resolved to buy as a physical text. 

I must make a final note - last eve I listened to Clark Ashton Smith's 'The Seeds from the Sepulchre." This is a truly frightening tale of horror with blasphemous and sinister developments. 

A masterpiece of weird fiction! 

Brutal Bullies ... New Ogre Guards

In continuation of my latest fantasy project, I painted two Reaper Bones Ogre miniatures. They are excellent value and the large, solid form of the ogres removes the plastic softness common to the Bones range. I like the sculpts as each ogre oozes a flabby muscularity and menace displayed in the skulls each carries. 

How will these fit into my project? And ... what is my project? It started as Mordheim - but is well beyond that now - although ogres do feature in that game. I decided to buy and paint these two to fit into Rangers of Shadow Deep .. if I ever play that game. I have all the terrain and figs for it (well, I just ordered some $3 plastic spiders to fulfill that final need.) 

They do fit into my new beastman warband rather well ... hmmm. 

If not, will they take the field in Frostgrave - if I ever play that ... or something else? I'm sure they will get some use and I do like the figs - even though I found so much skin and muscle a struggle to paint. The idea of role play bounces around my head ... but is then thrown out again - I think I'd feel silly at 50 sitting around a table trying to be a gnome. 

In any case, the ogres have arrived ... whether they will be brutal line breakers in a battle or dull witted guards to bypass remains to be seen. 

 

Heroes ... to stand against the tide of Evil!

 

After completing my Middenheim Warband, and a couple of sundry barbarians, I felt my human forces still needed to be bolstered to face evil. 

After all, I do possess - skaven, undead, ghosts, ghouls and now beastmen - representing evil. 

A square up was needed - so I consulted the Reaper catalogue. 

Responding the the call was the witch finder - I don't have a name yet. This figure is part of the Bones range and is an excellent plastic miniature. He is stylish and elegant but full of latent menace. 

The second warrior was a brave woman representing the fierce spirit of the North ... a valkyrie. I won't be using her as a supernatural being but rather a warrior champion of the northern kingdoms. 

The model oozes Wagnerian charm and is cast in a suitable heroic stance to take on evil. 

Above you can see them confronting the power of a shrine to darkness. 

The first, I'm certain, of many travails ... 

Both are wonderful additions to the human mercenaries and the miniatures embody boldness and fearlessness in the face of any foul denizen of the night. 

The Beastman Warband Grows

My warband of raiders, underlings and all purpose seeders of destruction grows. 

I have 14 out of 20 beastmen completed. Although not varnished ... i can't leave the lockdown to get the varnish I need to finalise. So here they are ... nude. 

I'm very happy with the appearance. I used a slightly different technique than I normally do. I tried to leave more areas of shadow and highlight more sparingly. 

It works really well 'by eye' but not as well under the sharp lens of a shitty phone camera. 

I made a shaman model but neglected a banner. I thought this would communicate more organisation than I wanted this group to have. 

So far, 7 bowmen and 7 melee warriors. 

Six more melee men to come. 

The harsh warhorn has sounded in the wilderness ... and guttural bleating wild cries have echoed in answer from bleak wind torn places. The warband is summoned ... no doubt for ill purpose. 

The First Beastmen ... All Purpose Bad Guys

 Here are my first 7 of 20 Beastmen ... they look better to the eye than they do under the lens. 

GW Ungors from Troll Trader. I'm happy with the models and the poses are active with a wide variety for the bowmen ... not as broad for the melee types. There are on the bench awaiting a base coat later tonight.