Blood on the Snow - The Story so Far...

Blood on the Snow - The Story so Far...

 

It's time to go back, back, back...

It's July 1987, June 1987 was my first White Dwarf (#90). 

July 1987 (#91) - with its beatiful Chris Achilleos used on the cover of Blood royale may well have been the first one I obessed over.

My dad bought it for me from the much missed Harrow Model Shop.

Hidden away on page 70 was a 2nd edition Warhammer Fantasy Battle Scenario, "Blood on the Snow" - written by Matt Connell, and illustrated by Nick Williams.

For me - I owned this slightly before I owned Orc's Drift and The Lichemaster - and as such is a battle I've always wanted to play.

With the best Oldhammerers on the Chaos Gods' good Earth.

Of course - being me, my bizarre mix of ADHD and OCD - I don't want miniatures with grassy, meadow bases prancing around on my snowy battlefield.

This may mean (with a little/lot of help from the best friends in the world) - completely painting all 4 detachments.

That's Dwarfs, Humans, Orcs and Goblins. I've posted a handful of Norse dwarfs already. So here are a few hoomies.

I'm working on goblins and more dwarfs and humans as we speak - in between art commissions.

You can stay tuned for how the game will work, as well as updates about the Oldhammer style scenario book which will be professionally printed and given to anyone foolish enought to join me in this game at BOYL 2024.

Let's look at toy soldiers...

First 5 of 12 Plate Armoured Knights

These are "unforgiving close-ups" but all are ex-Citadel miniatures now available from Wargames Foundry. The metallics are from the Scalcolour SC75 "Metal and Alchemy" range. Definitely recommended. And the matt black will (as Darkblade once told me) - "Change your life".

A couple of Infantry Footsloggers

 

So - I have more of the hoomies from other units painted too. But I haven't "snowed the bases" yet - which means they are not ready for blogging yet.

Shields are an old Citadel metal, and a plastic (gobbo?) one from Marauder.

Stay tuned for more custom artwork for the scenario book and painted models.

Much Oldhammer love to both of my readers. Good luck tomorrow mum x

A WIP of the Scenario Book cover art you say? Oh go on then...

Knights of the Rune Table - The John Blache Tribute (2)

Good day to you fine people - and hello to my 2 readers, you in Gloucestershire and you in my mum's house.  

Well some time ago now - I started painting the "Knights of the Rune Table". Followers of the once and future Dwarf King, the Dux Bellendum - Arfa Pantdragon.

The Knights - led by their champion Ser Lotsoflance, continue their quest for the Holy Ale, a magical vessel full of ale - that bestows on anyone that drinks from it - the gift of everlasting ale! 

More of the knights later - but I originally planned for a fairly standard banner, perhaps even a purchased decal if I couldn't be bothered to do my usual and print my own.

I have no idea why I tried to attempt to paint the most intricate piece of freehand since my (not disrespectful if you think about it) Warmaster Trump banner broke Facebook, and made the (supposedly adult) Oldhammer group weep in the foetal position - like a hardcore male conservative asked to observe a prefered pronoun. But yes...I free-handed this 3 inch square banner (2 sided).

I wanted to pay some form of tribute to one of my Holy Trinity of GW artists - John Blanche. And what better of his classic pieces to try to replicate at this scale for a band of Dwarf Knights - than John's seminal piece - The Knight Panther.

The Original John Blanche artwork.

I figured that - for whatever Oldhammer reason - an ancient Knight Panther was for some reason sacred to the Knights of the Rune Table. That even as a human, he or she was some kind of ancestral influence on their clan. And since none of them had ever gazed upon the Holy Ale before - the Knight was a more likely subject for their holy banner.

I usually do my banners on the foil tubes of tomato paste or chilli paste or whatever. But I knew I was going to fail several times before I was happy...and so I was prepared to fail many times. So I cut a template, drew out 5 or 6 double-sided banners onto copy paper and got the paints out...I was lucky. After 2 rejected attempts - the third I was happy with.

So I folded it Stuck it together around some brass rod (my dad makes me buy imported stuff from America) and attached it into a hole drilled into a knight's hand. The attached a banner top from my bitz box - which has been massively increased my good friend Darkblade. 

So the banner seems to have come out OK.

Front View of the Standard Bearer

Rear View

Reverse View

Well.

I hadn't really looked at the first Knights of the Rune Table (x8) since I speed painted them during lockdown.

For those that know me - it was a very dark time for me, as it was for many others. Mrs Street got stranded in Africa and the Foreign Office didn't care; I was isolated from my very few freinds; I was pretty seriously ill; I was isolated from my family; family members died and I couldn't attend a funeral while the British Government had Champagne parties in the Downing Street garden. Things many of us experienced.

I guess I did these seven in 2020 - it seems a lifetime ago now. In a short lockdown break when four people could meet I was invited to a game. I think a few friends "norf ov 'ere" saw my plight and wanted to check I was OK. So I rushed these out.

Looking at them now...they need more than a little touch up, they need new shields and a fairly extensive repaint - in order to be ready for Night of the Living Lead. 

NotLL will more than likely be the very last Oldhammer thing that will ever take place at the old Foundry venue that we know and love in East Stoke. The Godfathers of Oldhammer (and some newbees like me for some reason) - will ride to their doom, to meet such an end...as will be worth a song.

Fell deeds awake. Now for Wrath, now for ruin, and the red dawn.

For the last time then.

Confessions of the secret BOYLer. The Continuing tales of a BOYL Ninja

For tis that time of year when the world is inundated with BOYL blog posts full of lovely photos. Here's mine. 

BOYL X. Fairwell and adieu to you fair Carriage Court.

Day 1 - 4th August 2023. Friday.

It was good.

Day 2 - 5th August 2023. Saturday.

It was crowded. It rained like a motherfucker. The marquee was sweaty. I got muddy bare feet and hyperthermia. In August. 

Only in England.

Day 3 - 6th August 2023. Sunday.

It was good. I met some cool Spanish people and frothed around the mouth at linocuts. I hugged an Italian friend lots and made him feel uncomfortable.

I said goodbye to the best friends any man could ask for, and cried like a massive idiot.

Until the next time, I'll try to stay alive.

Love always,

Mx

The BOYL Ninja / Secret BOYLer moves amongst you at BOYL while hiding from plain sight.

He avoids all photos and appearing in the Blogs of hundreds of  people with his skills in espionage and secrecy.

"Is that the secret BOYLer in my photo?" You may ask. 

Of course it isn't. He (for tis a he) wouldn't be a BOYL ninja if he was caught in a photo or appeared in a single Blog.

You have (approximately) 518,400 minutes to plan your next BOYL. Be excellent to each other.

Gorrin Carak's Detachment Part 2 - The 7th Dwarf: "Grumpy - with banner"

 Well, this is all starting to look like Street doing regular updates. In the vain hope, that my only reader is really Billy Bragg.

So here is the finished banner bearer. Made from a tomato paste tube. With the tomato removed obviously. That's 7 for the Blood on the snow project (WD#91).

The banner (from Little Big Men) still needed a LOT of brushwork to make it look right to my eyes.

Some people don't seem to have seen this mini before. But I can assure you that it's GW and from the Norse Dwarf line. This is part of the command. You can find them on Stuff of Legends.

Extra pics above. I hate banners but the mini itself is blissfully unbusy.

That's all for now. Those art commissions I do on the cheap, don't pay a tiny fraction of my leccy bill on their own you know.

Plenty love,

Street

Gorrin Carak's Detachment Part 1 - x20 Norse Dwarf Warriors

 Salutations to my one follower, somewhere in England.

Regular updates? Doesn't sound like me does it?

And so of course. It's unlikely. 

I've learned from a few of my fellow bloggers who do short, sharp and sweet posts often rather than my epic ramblings about nothing.

So I made a start on the Norse Dwarf Warriors.

I don't usually do snowy bases but they fit in with the narrative of the "Blood on the Snow" scenario from White Dwarf 91.

Shields are a mixture of Wargames Foundry and Magister Militum.

Designs by Little Big Men Studios

I usually make my own decals for banners or freehand them (being an artist sometimes has its advantages even if remuneration isn't one of them.) - but I do have a veritable library of decals and selected this Norse/Viking one from (again) Little Big Men to speed the process up.

I used a tomato paste tube to make the banner much like I did here. I've tidied this chap up a bit and I'll give the banner his own post when I can set up to take photos of the finished guy.

I also did a test chap from the next unit which will be the missile unit.

So I'm seven Dwarfs into the unit with the champion and the banner (I HATE banners) done. So aiming to get 12 of the 20 done in May for the Middlehammer Tale challenge.

You can follow the Middlehammer tale by clicking here.

And you can follow my artwork here. (It's an insta link as the Middlehammer Tales doesn't have an art page yet)

And be sure to check out the other heroic artists on the Middlehammer Tale website too.

"Maybe tomorrow I'll wanna settle down..."

I'll see you soon.

Street

 

The Blood on the Snow Project - Gorrin Carak's Dwarf Detatchment

The Dwarven Throng Marches to War

(Mixed media, A5 size - for sale) 

Gorrin Crazak gazed into the murky depths of his breakfast ale. In the small underground chamber the candlelight danced up and down the walls and across Crazak's glazed eyes.

"What do you see my Lord? In the dark, depths of your ale?"

In bedraggled clothes and tangled beard, the ancient dwarf wizard, Zagaz Gorm-Trommchuf was the only other dwarf in the room.

"I see dwarf heads. Bloodied and frozen on the spikes of a dwarf outpost." Crazak did not look up.

"It is the walls of our outpost on Dog Peak Pass my Lord. The outpost has fallen to the hated Greenskins." 

"And Dark Waters..."

"It is the Troutbeck creek on the banks of which the outpost stood".

Crazak leaned back in his ancient carved chair and stared into Zagaz's time-worn eyes with a squint.

"Winter has come. Need we wait for spring?"

"My Lord - we are Norse Dwarfs, used to fighting in the snow. The garrison of the outpost were Norse dwarfs of our kin. We must attack now and recover the outpost. The hated Grobbi will not expect a winter fight."

At that moment the door creaked open and a snow-covered dwarf entered the room.

"Apologies my Lord. I thought you would want to hear my report as soon as my scouting party returned".

"What news Captain Baragor?"

Baragor quickly recounted his Mountaineer scouting party's  findings. Confirming Crazak's vision in the ale. The Dog Peak outpost had indeed fallen to Greenskins, and Dwarven corpses adorned the battlements.

"Get some rest today Captain. We shall set out towards the Dog Peak Pass in the night - and I shall need your scouts" Baragor bowed and backed towards the door.

"My Lord. We should arrive at the pass in two to three days - depending on the weather."

-------------------------------------------------------------------

Taking on a painting challenge in my condition? Yeah why not.

The Scenario "Blood on the Snow" appeared in White Dwarf #91. And I've always wanted to play it. I'll talk about the scenario later in another post. But basically two detachments of "goodies", a Pilgrim army marching on a cave of Sigmar to free the shrine from Goblins and a Dwarf Clan marching to regain their outpost.

Firstly my Middlehammer Tale challenge ( A Middlehammer Tale – The Narrative Army Builder ) will start with the Dwarfs.

20 Norse Dwarf Warriors with hand-weapons and shields

20 Imperial Dwarf Crossbow allies

10 Norse Dwarf Warriors with spears and shields

Possibly 10 Slayers/Beserkers

8   Mountaineer Scouts

Gorrin Carak - Norse Dwarf Minor Hero

Zagaz Gorm-Trommchuf - Ancient Dwarf Wizard.

I'm doing lots of artwork for the project too. Which is a lot to do. But I'll speak to you soon. Health allowing. Photos of (most of) the bare metal or primed minis below.

Cheers,

Street

 

EYES!...MY EYES! (Happy little trees)

 

I always do my best to look after my eyesight. As a part-time artist and a keen hobbyist I consider it kind of vital to do so. I've also been short-sighted since I was about fourteen years old, and have worn contact lenses since my very early 20s.

In one of my last optician visits before the arrival of the plague - my optician told me:

"Your prescription has decreased in both eyes..."

Brilliant I thought, my eyesight is getting better.

Of course, these people can't ever give you good news - "You're going long-sighted - we'll monitor this on your next visit in six months time..."

Six months later we were in lockdown, eyes weren't exempted from lockdown and I wasn't able to visit my optician for eighteen months or so.

It was while painting miniatures about six months ago or slightly more, that I started to notice I was struggling to focus and see detail properly. My dad has worn a magnifier for hobby stuff for years, and he suggested I get one. So I got one from Amazon for £14, free next day delivery and with five different lenses.

It's been a bit of a game changer.

Rewind to 1987 and my dad comes home from work with a copy of "Heroes for Wargames" by Stewart Parkinson, a book I still cherish with lots of artwork, concept art and painted miniatures.

Cover Art by Melvyn Grant

Speaking to Bryan Ansell one "Lead of Winter" he chuckled at seeing the book, stating that everyone had forgotten that the photographer was coming in that day and nobody had prepared any miniatures to be photographed. He described people running around getting minis ready, sending people home to get models from their own collections or just models off their own work desk.

The book has no photo credits and no painting credits either - so I can't give them. But I did marvel at many of the free-handed shields. One of my favourites was a dwarf with a beautiful hand-painted mountain on a tiny dwarf shield. 

As I mentioned in a previous post about the "Doughty Dozen" I spent some time collecting up pre-slotta dwarfs on the cheap on Ebay back when it seemed only a couple of us (mentioning no names...Harry...Dave...) were collecting them.

So I dug out the mini from the book and decided to use it to test if I could achieve something decent as a tribute to the shield using the new magnifier.

I hope I've done it justice. Mainly with Humbrol but with some oils plus Scale75 and Vallejo used on the mini too.

Now on to the Old World Army Challenge 2022. May I live to the end of it!