Storm Clouds Gather...

Are the last days of the Kingdom of Arnor at hand? Fornost, the capital, lies besieged by the goblins of the Misty Mountains, and mighty uruks bringing strange devilry from the South. Leading them is something larger and more terrible yet. Aid has come to the beleaguered  Arnorians in the form of some archers from the Shire, and a small advance detachment of soldiers from her sister kingdom of Gondor. Will King Arvedui and his remaining warriors and allies be able to resist the tides of darkness and lead on into the future, or will the realm of Arnor be lost but to the pages of history?

Warriors of Arnor Finished

Here are some pics of my newly painted Warriors of Arnor. Six standard arnorians, and three soldiers of Rhudaur. Stayed up a little later than I had planned, but wanted to get them done so I can try to get a few other projects finished prior to The Christmas Mega Siege (tm). Hope you enjoy :)

Warriors of Arnor WiP

Started working on some more Warriors of Arnor the other day. Painting up an additional nine, as that will let me field a completely painted Arnor army for our Christmas Mega Siege Battle (tm) now scheduled for Sunday (yay!). Painting six of the warriors in the standard green cloth, and have painted the other three Vermin Brown. The brown warriors are supposed to represent the last remnants of the Army of Rhudaur, now fighting with the forces of Arthedain. With the themes I have created, I have four divisions in my Arnor army, designated by the color schemes of their tunics, shields and turbans (not sure if that is technically what they are, but I'll go with it):

Guardians of Annuminas - Chaos Black cloth, shields and turbans with a line of Mithril Silver giving the impression of embroidery around the hem of the tunic. Supposed to be the Kings personal guard.
Soldiers of Arthedain - Dark Angels Green tunics and shields, Skull White turbans. Supposed to be the standard soldiery of Arnor.
Cardolan Levy - Red Gore tunics and shields, Catachan Green turbans. Supposed to be soldiers raised from the men of Cardolan.
Rhudaurin Refugees - Vermin Brown tunics and shields, Blood Red turbans. Descendants of the army of Rhudaur.

For other pictures of my Arnor army in action, you can view these battle reports: Domination, Lords of Battle

Anyway, so far have the faces painted (Elf Flesh), the tunics and shields painted (Dark Angels Green and Vermin Brown) with Mithril Silver on the shield emblems. Painted the chainmail Chainmail (surprise!) and the armor and helmets Leadbelcher. Started painting the gloves, shoes and belts Scorched Brown. Going to make an effort to finish them tonight, but we shall see. I have other things I want to try to get done prior to the siege. Of course, if certain ancient Mayans are correct, it really isn't going to matter anyway.

Peregrin, Captain of Gondor

Painted up my Pippin in Gondor armor recently. Went fairly quick, which was nice, I think he turned out fairly well :)

The skin is Dwarf Flesh, the pants are Regal Blue, and the cloak is Shadow Grey with a Thraka Green wash. The chainmail is, well, Chainmail, as is the sword blade. The sword hilt and pommel are Burniched Gold, and the helmet and bracers are Leadbelcher. The tunic is black primer with Adeptus Battlegrey highlights and the hem is Fortress Grey, and the belts are Charadon Granite. The belt buckle and cloak pin are Mithril Silver. The hair on the feet and the pouch are Scorched Brown.

Was fun painting him, and hope you enjoy :)

Earnur/Captain of Gondor Conversion WiP

I've had an extra Aragorn, King Elessar head laying around for a while since I made my mounted Elendil conversion (Elendil & Isildur) and I have been wondering what to do with it. Another problem I have had for a while is that my Dweller in the Dark has tipped over (forward leaning pose isn't balanced) and I've been thinking of a way to prop him up that doesn't look to cheesy or contrived. My current thought is that I could take a spear and try to find a way to make it look like the spear is stuck into the critter and tactfully serves as a prop to keep him upright. In search of a spear, one of my plastic Warriors of Minas Tirith sacrificed his hand holding a spear for the greater glory of my miniature collection (he was already missing his head thanks to my Knight of the White Tower conversion, so it didn't bother him too much). A plastic Warrior of Numenor (whom I somehow lost his shield, so have not basecoated or painted) lost his hand holding his sword, and the various components have been grafted onto the Warrior of Minas Tirith in a Frankensteinly fasion.

I am thinking he might make a good representation of Earnur, last King of Gondor, or some other random Captain of Minas Tirith. This may not progress terribly quickly, but will try to update as progress occurs.

Wood Elves Finished

Our son was sick yesterday and couldn't go to daycare, so I stayed home with him. Took the opportunity to get my wood elves finished as well, since he was happily watching Red Green :)
The flash has kind of washed out the faces, but honestly they aren't that great anyway, so you really aren't missing much ;)
The hair is painted Bubonic Brown, and the weapon shafts/hafts are painted Scorched Brown with the elven blades getting a Shining Gold pommel. The boots/shoes are Vermin Brown and the leggings(?) are Snakebite Leather.

Award

Saw a nice comment the other day, that my blog had been nominated for an award by Chris, Guard of Mardat. It is very much appreciated :) I don't follow many blogs, so it may take some time to find some others to nominate, but I will definately do that.

This blog basically started as a place that I could upload pictures and batreps so that I wouldn't be constantly emailing them to the other person I play the game with, so it makes me happy to know that other people like to look at it as well :)

Wood Elf WiP2

Painted the blades/spearheads yesterday, as well as the overshirts. Weapons are painted Chainmail, as usual, and painted the overshirts the alternating colors. Hopefully can get the undershirts (on the models that have them) and the pants painted today. Once that is done, it will be the boots, hair and rest of the weapons primarily left to be done.

Wood elf WiP

Started work on a batch of wood elves, six spears and six blades (already have ten bows painted). Trying to mix up the colors a bit like on my other wood elves, so I'm using three main colors for the clothing/cloaks: Shadow Grey, Catachan Green and Calthan Brown. Finished painting the skin and cloaks last night. The skin as usual isn't that great, but for plastics and warriors at that, I'm not that concerned. The plan is to alternate the three main colors (Catachan Green Cloak, Shadow Grey overshirt, Calthan Brown undershirt on one, for example) and switch up the order between models. Hopefully this will give a slightly more "individual" look while still keeping them identifiable as being in the same overall force. We shall see anyway.

Also starting to get things set up for our Christmas Mega Siege Battle(tm) ;)
Played one last year (29Dec12) and had a lot of fun, so hoping to repeat that this year. One major change from last time though, I've actually got a siege tower built (siege tower) and have the materiel to build a second, so that might make things slightly less one-sided in the defenders favor (though I am playing the defenders this time around...hmm...). One disapointment thing with the new Hobbit book (got mine Friday!) was no rules for siege towers and no rules for destroying walls/towers, but no reason we can't house rule those back in should we choose. Have not settled on an army yet, but am considering an Arnor army. Might be fun. We shall see...

Minions of the Necromancer

Here are some models I recently finished, four Castellans of Dol Guldor, and four Giant Spiders. Hope you enjoy :)

The Castellan's armor is painted Leadbelcher (my Boltgun Metal finally ran out) with a Thraka Green wash, the cloaks are Orkhide Shade with a Snot Green highlight and the swords are Chainmail with a Devlan Mud wash. The Morgul Knives are also Chainmail, but with a Thraka Green wash. I like the green effect on the armor, I think it makes them look a little more "eerie" or maybe a little more "ethereal". Or something.

Here are the spiders, wanted to give them a bit of variety and didn't want to paint them all the same. The left spider is a heavy drybrush with Scorched Brown with a Bestial Brown highlight. The spiders eyes are all painted Tin Bitz. I wanted them to be dark, but have a bit of "glitter" to them, so thought I would give this a try. The top spider is just the primer basecoat with Adeptus Battlegrey highlights. The right one is the basecoat with a more pronounced Codex Grey highlight. The bottom one is probably my favorite, and is the basecoat with a Catachan Green dry brush and some Camo Green highlights.

Hold the High Ground: Durin's Folk vs Angmar

Durin’s Folk vs Angmar – Hold the High Ground: 600pt

Deployment Phase
Balin
Barrow Wight 1
Floi
Witch King
Bilbo
Barrow Wight 2

Turn 1 – Evil
The battle opens with several attempts by the Spectres to seduce Floi and two other dwarves, but their stalwart hearts, despite the dread of the nearby Witch King held fast. One is however lured away, bemused by the spectral lights.

The Witch King himself casts Sap Will at Floi, who attempts to resist the enervating sorceries, but fails. (Spent two Will, but could not beat a 5). The dwarf bowmen fire their first volley of the battle, killing a spear orc. 

On the hill, the Cave Troll smashes a dwarf into pulp with his hammer while an orc collapses with a dwarven axe in his chest. Down on the flatlands, an orc is slain by a pair of dwarves. Elsewhere amongst the melee several orcs and dwarves lose their battles but avoid harm.

Turn 2 – Evil
Balin shouts “With Me!” and charges to engage the hulking troll, while a pair of his fellows charge down the hill to attack the advancing Angmarim left flank. Balin’s other followers on the hill rush as quickly as the uneven terrain will allow to engage the other forces of evil on the hill. 

Down on the flatlands, Floi’s warband threw themselves into the Angmarim right. Befuddled by the gaze of a Spectre, the dwarven banner bearer stumbles away from the center of the battle, leaving his friends out of range.

A Barrow Wight attempts to paralyze Balin, but his spell fails. Two dwarves shrug off the glowering stares of Spectres, their hearts hardened by the chaos of battle. The dwarven bowmen fire into the Angmarim right flank, their arrows striking down a Spectre and an orc bearing a spear. Another spear orc is struck by three other arrows, but manages to avoid more than superficial harm.

Of the pair of valiant (or suicidal?) dwarves that charged down the hill into the evil left, one is slain by the brutal weapons of the orcs, while his companion is driven back up the slope.

On the hill itself, Balin falls under the shadow of the Cave Troll and the Witch King and despite his best efforts, he is grievously wounded, though Fate saves him from death (suffered two wounds, but prevented one with Fate). At the foot of the hill, Bilbo darted around a dwarf who was distracting an orc, and sank Sting deep into its side, killing it instantly.

Turn 3 – Good
With the Good army having taken priority, the Witch King attempted to call a Heroic Move, but Balin was quicker on the draw. Using his newfound initiative, Balin again charges into combat with the hulking troll, while a fellow dwarf challenged the Witch King. On the left flank, the Angmarim force began to climb the hill and engaged the dwarves on the left side of the hill. On the right, below the hill, the dwarves begin to flank the evil forces.

In the ensuing melee, the Witch King contemptuously ends the challenge of the dwarf warrior, while the Angmarim spectres cut through dwarven armor as if it was not even there, killing three dwarves. Elsewhere the fights go poorly for the forces of evil, either losing their fights or failing to do any damage in the fights that they did win.  One orc is slain by angry dwarven axes, while one of the Barrow Wights is defeated, but escapes injury. Balin ducked under the Cave Troll’s swinging hammer and Durin’s Axe bit deeply into its flesh, causing a wound.

Turn 4 – Evil
Evil seizes back priority, and Balin attempts to call another Heroic Move, but this time the Witch King succeeds in blocking it. The Barrow Wight succeeds in casting Paralyze at Balin and the valiant dwarf failing to resist it falls to the ground with a clatter. Swinging its chain in a wide arc, the troll nearly hits himself, but fails to hit Balin. The troll settles for stomping into combat with the paralyzed dwarf.  On the left, the orcs continue to climb the hill and attack the remaining dwarves on the hill. On the right, the dwarves nearly complete the envelopment of the Angmarim right flank, sandwiching the orcs between vengeful dwarven warriors.

One of the spectres is target by a sheet of dwarven arrows, but none can cause damage to its undead flesh. Upon the hill, Balin is unable to resist as the Cave Troll brings its hammer down in a mighty blow, and dwarven blood splashes in all directions as Balin is reduced to mush. The Witch King again slays a dwarf while an orc finds a gap in a dwarf’s armor, and sticks him on its rusty blade. Two other orcs on the hill are not so lucky. A dwarf warrior, inspired by the presence of his banner, defeats the pair of them, cleanly lopping the head off of one of them. Another dwarf warrior, also seeking inspiration (and possibly out of ideas of his own) does the same to another orc. Below the hill on the right, an orc spearman falls in a spray of black blood. Bilbo had attempted to charge the baleful Numenorean Spectre below the hill but was defeated. Fortunately, the hobbit’s indomitable courage protected him from harm.

Turn 5 – Evil
Maintaining their grip on priority, the evil forces prepare to move, but Bilbo quickly calls a Heroic Move, again charging the grim spectre. Upon the hill, a dwarf charges the Barrow Wight, while another charges the troll. A dwarf attempted to charge a spectre, but the empty-socketed glare was so nerve wracking, that he called it off at the last minute.

A third spectre, appearing from behind the hill is no match for a well-aimed dwarven arrow, and three orcs who had been following it came to the same realization.

The Witch King continued his reign of terror, a dwarf being torn asunder by the ravening maw of the fell beast. The Cave Troll tromped over to the dwarven banner bearer, whose thin, flapping cloth proved no defense against the crushing blow of the troll’s hammer. An Orcish Spectre atop the hill falls to a hungry axe, while another spectre and the orc banner bearer are defeated but not injured. Bilbo is again defeated by a spectre, but continues to escape harm. Nearby on the flatlands, Floi crushes an orc’s head with his staff.

Turn 6 – Good
Priority returns to the good army this turn, but no might remains in the Angmarim army to contest their movement. A dwarf loses his nerve and fails to charge the troll, but a Barrow Wight and Spectre are charged. The Witch King attempts to cast Black Dart at a dwarf, but the spell fails. Leaving the hill, his fell beast leaps into the air and flies over to assist the Spectre in attacking Bilbo. The cave troll strikes a dwarf with his chain, but fails to penetrate his thick armor. An orc, who apparently had a learning disability after his compatriots were swept away by dwarven arrows, is struck in the face by an arrow and flops to the ground.

Atop the hill, a dwarf is slain by a spectre, while another dwarf defeats both the Cave Troll and an orc in an amazing display of combat prowess. A Barrow Wight reaches out and drains the soul from another brave dwarf, the lifeless body collapsing in a heap. Nearby, another orc falls to a dwarven axe, while a spear orc at the foot of the hill is also slain. On the right, the Angmarim flank finally crumbles as Floi and his band destroy the remaining pair of orcs in a flurry of blows. Luck finally deserts the Halfling this turn, as Bilbo’s short stature proves just the right size to be gobbled up by the Witch King’s fell beast. The evil army is now broken.

Turn 7 – A one is rolled and the game ends!

Victory Point Tally:

Good: 8 (5 for models on/touching the hill, 3 for being unbroken)
Evil: 18 (15 for models on/touching the hill, 3 for killing the enemy leader)

Casualties:

Good:                                                                                 Evil:          
Balin                                                                                   11x Orc Warriors /w Shields
Bilbo                                                                                   7x Orc Warriors /w Spears
Banner                                                                               3x Spectres
4x Dwarves /w Shields
7x Iron Hills Veterans /w Shields

Post Battle Thoughts:

I think I am lucky that the game ended when it did, as those dwarves were well on their way to destroying my army. I think another turn or two would have seen them sweeping aside my remaining warriors and swarming the hill. Those dwarves are certainly tough nuts to crack. I wanted to use the Witch King, but I had debated on how (foot/horse/fell beast/ how much M/W/F, etc.). I think it was fun to see him swooping around and actually killing things (as opposed to my orcs). The cave troll was fun too. Can't wait to see how the new Hobbit rules for monsters play out. Again, a fun battle, and can't wait till the next one :)