THE DOOM THAT CAME TO MORDHEIM

In just a few days a huge group of hobby enthusiasts will meet up in Helsinki to celebrate the seminal GW game Mordheim and it's 20th birthday. Among them some of the very same people who created the game all those years ago.

I'm way too busy prepping the last of the terrain and finish up the last figures to write something exhaustive right now, but at least here's a bunch of pics of the undead warband and it's leader, the nefarious vampire Graf Sugismund Molossus - Knight of The Order of The Black Wing, Scourge of Parravon, Sorrow of Swartzhafen. He's joined by the vile necromancer Macrotus the Soiled, mysterious swordsman Myotis the Blade, dregs Guano the Great and Artibeus the Rank and a unit of ghastly wraiths (who I field using the dire-wolf rules).

As you can see I've created quite a lot of terrain as well, but more on that, and more on the warband after this weekend. If you want to read up on the MORDHEIM MMXIX project and check out all the other warbands go to Echoes of Imperium and have a look.

THE ROAD TO MORDHEIM MMXIX

Mordheim MMXIX logo by Tammy Nicholls

This summer a bunch of enthusiastic hobbyists (including some of the very same madmen who concocted the original game) will meet up in Helsinki for what promises to be a truly spectacular Mordheim campaign. Celebrating the game's 20th anniversary, Mordheim MMXIX (or Mordheim 2019) will be set 20 years after the events of the original game in the apocalyptic, breughellian, ruins of the City of the Damned.

The architect behind the campaign is none other than my buddy Alexander Winberg, and you can read all about it on his blog Echoes of Imperium: MORDHEIM MMXIX

My plan is to field an undead warband, led by a sinister vampire. So far I've finished a lowly dreg, and converted an even lowlier zombie.

GHOSTHAMMER PART II - HELLRAISERS

Boo! Seems like ghosts was what was needed for me to get out of my hobby slump!

I've been painting away the last couple of days and have managed to finish off five more chainrasps including the Dreadwarden champion, one reaper and the Spirit torment. Not speedpainting these guys either, though I do the chainrasps four at a time, so I think that's a pretty good haul for four days work.

Here's the chainrasps. Only a few more model needed for a minimum sized unit - I'm aiming for 15 to start with and keep the rest for conversions.

Here's what the Dreadwarden looks like just after he's recieved the undercoats.

There's three of them: I begin with a standard chaos black undercoat, then a lighter Zandri dust one on top of that that and finally a zenithal light white spray. After that I bring out the toothbrush and spatter the model with watered down mix of black and rhinox hide and then the washing and drybrushing commences.

And here's the first Grimghast Reaper:

Really pleased with how this one turned out. Its slightly converted by adding some spikes/nails hammered into his/its back, but apart from that its pretty much out of the box. These guys are just insane amounts of fun to paint.

Last but not least we have the Spirit Torment. Now this is one cool miniature but I felt there were a few things I wanted to adjust. To begin with I added a tombstone from the old zombie kit that connects with one of the tendrils of cloth to stabilise him somewhat. The original model only attaches to the base with one long thin strand of cloth which made the model sort of wobbly and springy. Any small movement made it vibrate which: A) makes it hard to paint and B) doesn't look very cool on the battlefield (I prefer my models static thank you very much). 

I also added some spikes and replaced the lock with some hooks from an old marauder.  I felt dragging victims screaming back to Hell using flesh-hooks was a tad grimmer than whacking them over the head with an oversized padlock. What I like about the Nighthaunt faction (apart from the miniatures) is that they're basically an army from Hell, so I want to play up the tormented cenobite angle whenever possible.

Then I painted it. It came out alright but there was something off...

I decided to repaint the carapace as I simply didn’t like the brass parts - rusty iron and steel seems to work best on these guys. Here's a crappy pic of what that looks like - I'm going to get some better pics of the final model.

Stay tuned! There's plenty more spooky stuff coming up!

GHOSTHAMMER

A few days ago I caved in and bought the new edition of AoS. Those new Nighthaunt models are just so ghoulishly delicious I couldn't resist.

It does seem Age of Sigmar has come of...well, age. In the three years it's been out there's been some really interesting armies released (apart from the constant barrage of rather uninspired stormcasts) and the new rule book itself is a hell of a lot sexier than the lacklustre first edition. 

There's still something off with the writing - its ponderous and humourless and just...off. Sometimes its almost as if they're using some sort of word generator that just throws out adjectives at random and there's so much aimless Michael Baystyle epic epicness about you start to skim the text after a while. Sometimes it's pretty good - it becomes pretty apparent after a while that there's many different writers involved. In any case the book is a lot better than the first outing and at least tries to create a setting of sorts. 

Like I said previously the Nighthaunt minis are, as many others have stated, absolutely stunning. GW knocked it out of the park with these guys and as for AoS in general it certainly seems like it's here to stay. If you want to take stroll down memory lane here's a pice I wrote about the new game and the death of the Old World just as AoS came out in the summer of 2015. Three years certainly is a long time in the hobby world - especially considering GWs current relentless release schedule...
http://convertorum.blogspot.com/2015/07/warhammer-is-dead-long-live-warhammer.html

So without further ado, here's my first two ghosties. The plan is to finish up a vanguard size army (1000pts) and then see what happens. I won't convert the spooks that much other than minor details. For instance I'll probably add some nails and spikes to the characters and wraiths to make theme even grimmer, taking some cues from my old mhorrigot stuff, and remove some of the wispy smoke effects where possible.

A Murder of Crows - part II

Alexander is back with the second saga-style battle report. For this game we wanted an actual objective so we decided whoever could get a sorceror to the central monolith and have him/she/it stay there undisturbed for one turn would be the winner.  The idea was that he then had managed to complete a dark ritual and attract the attention of his warbands corresponding patron God. Over to you Alexander:

The land was one with the Great Black Wolf. All was darkness as the sun scorched the Wolfs belly, screaming in eternal anguish, his howl drove men mad. And on the darkened field of Vigrid corpses stirred in response to the atavistic call. Time bent, twisted and broke. Blood flowed into wounds and souls returned to the mortal realm. Aetheric fish swam through the air, centaurs bounded across the field and great hulking warriors readied their arms again.

The land spasmed under the disturbing influence of gods and mortals. With a primordial convulsion the earth broke, heaving the Gate upwards, climaxing in a jet of mud and lava. 
All those who’s souls were bound to the mystic planes felt the Gate call them. They were the key. The key was their blood, freely spilt it would open an entrance into the Great City. The true home, birthplace, paradise and hell made one. The city whose name is Dis, where stands an empty throne and a leaderless host. The call was clear, claim me. Claim me who dare. Claim me and rule.

Bright burned ambition. The calling was irresistible and men and beast answered. The ascended knights floated forward, toward the Gate they steered the steeds. Great trolls lumbered onwards and many formed warriors marched with them.

With incredible speed the pain slaves stormed towards the Aetheric raiders of Kithelon. Blood would flow, death would have his harvest.

As magic blood was spilt the dedicated children of disease slowly made their way toward the Gate. Nothing else mattered. Let the insane follower of other gods act on their whims and needs. The Gate is everything. He who holds it, holds the realms.

The first shaman to stand before the Gate was Utgarthilocus. He cut himself again and again, let the blood flow freely. Let the Gate open.

He held glory for but a fleeting moment, a heartbeat of godhood, a blink of an eternity. Like sharks the Ascended plunged into him. Beneath a maelstrom of steel and fangs the magician disappeared. Leaving but blood and bones behind.

Mawgut roared with laughter as the Order of the Gash fell upon him. Fate broken open and before his eyes he saw it play itself out again.

And again the cult warriors fell to his blade. Even as they shuddered into rotten corpses they felt such excruciating pleasure from the kiss of his steel and fangs. Shadows fell upon the last few. Enormous tick-trolls towered over the slaves of Slaanesh, their saga ended in an avalanche of flesh.

Ill fortune, dark omens, sorrow and death. These were the gifts Slaanesh heaped upon his children. The Great Beast was driven mad with jealousy and threw himself upon the parasitic trolls. But alas, to no avail.

Like wasps the warriors of change buried their steel in mighty Surtr. Again and again his bright blade ended their lives, more warriors stood ready to die. 

The Gate unguarded, but not for long. The Princes of Pestilence stood ready to die for their wizard as he began the ritual of opening. Not fish nor man could pass them by. 

Kithelon screamed in anger as yet again his trolls were brought low by the foulest of warriors. The strands of possibilities were twisting out of his grasp. His warriors died but it mattered not, he would not be denied again!

Heat blossomed outward from the opened Gate. Nergal the plague sorcerer shriveled and died as the key he had provided broke the last seal. Mawgut Gloop strode through the Gate, his to claim as his enemies fell. 
His birth cry thundered over the field as he ascended into daemonhood. On the field of Vigrid the last of the unworthy had fallen. Blessed be the name, blessed be the Lord of Plagues, blessed be the Great Maggot.

And in the high heavens the Powers laughed. A new toy, an old toy, a broken toy. The three champions would meet again. Death was always followed by birth. In damnation there is no beginning and there is no end. There are only the whims of mad gods.

A Murder of Crows - part I

Finally we can present the first part of the battle report from last Saturday´s epic clash.

Our bard-in-residence Alexander, opted to write up the report in his signature "norse saga"- esque style. Over to you Alexander:

As an age of darkness fell across the world, the Crimson Crow cawed.

In answer, from the south sea, the Sea of Claws, the Great Beast emerged. And on his head was the Third Crown and he bore the Mark of Pain. And the Host of Colours cried out a name to the uncaring gods. That name was Chargul Doldrekk.

Then the Golden Crow cawed.

And from the North Sea rose the Raven Lord, answering the call. The Aetheric Raider, the Knight Scholar, the true child of chaos. In his left hand he held the Tome of Fate and in his wake followed a glittering multitude of neophytes. From their souls a tortured whisper echoed across the Chaos Wastes. Kithelon.

Finally the Black Crow cawed, at long last awakening the Great Wolf.

As the wolf howled, the third host shambled forth across the Isles of the Dead. The jovial killers - the diseased followers of Nurgle. Sardonic laughter filled the air as they approached, for only they truly saw the world for what is was. And the champion chosen to deliver the final pun of that great cosmic joke was Mawgut Gloop, favoured child of Grandfather Nurgle. 

And as the three lords met on the field of Vigrid, the Great Wolf rose up and devoured the sun. It was the red sign. The blood eclipse. The final call to war. Blades were bared in joy and shields were rattled. The withered grass would soon drink its fill of blood. And the gods roared with delight. 

Zelgul Scalecackle led his knights in a headlong charge upon Spleech and his blightkings. Schemes and plans set aside, now was the time for steel. Ancient scores would be settled and one of the champions sent to the narrow house. 

A chilling wind rose, turning into a screaming vortex from which a coven of chaos trolls shambled out into the material realm. Hate burned within them as they laid eyes upon their bloated cousins. Twisted abominations stared at each other with malice.

While the children of decay and progress fought in blind frenzy a shadow fell over the sorcerer Feldrek Flameborn. Surtr, giant lord of Muspell, was upon him. Twice sang Laevatein, the blade of flames, and in a burst of colours Feldrek disappeared.  

Having held back at first Chargul Doldrekk - Gods Hand - stormed across the field. The Chaos Lords claws were soon stained vermilion as he laid waste to the Fatekin that served Kithelon. 

The Great Beast Chargul Doldrekk howled in triumph over his broken foes.

Spleech and his followers cut the Ascendants ascendance short and turned their attention upon the fish trolls. In a daring and deceitful move the Order of the Gash attacked the two chaos lords as they dueled.

Snarling Doldrekk threw himself upon the festering Blightkings. Claws rending and tearing, fangs bared in a frenzied scream. Following closely Surtr followed his lord into the mêlée. Where even the magical trolls had failed the combined might of these two primordial beings would triumph. Bones broke and decaying flesh was torn apart.

The slaaneshii centaurs - the Order of the Seed hunted well. Nergal the Plague Sorcerer, was soon added to the trophy rack.

Neither man nor beast could best Mawgut Gloop. Even as his flesh was torn asunder it reknitted itself and formed new disgusting shapes. His spear struck again and again, every strike a killing blow.

But in the end the day belonged to The prince of Pleasure. For while the children of Nurgle and Tzeentch fought well they could not defeat the sly cunning of Chargul Doldrekk and his childen dominated the battlefield.

So to recap - in our first battle Alexander cleverly held back while the forces of Nurgle and Tzeentch clashed. Then he swept in and decimated our already weakened forces. After six rounds he was the only one with any models left (other than champions) so we decided the victory belonged to him.
It was also time for lunch...

This game was a real brawl without much strategy as we simply wanted to get a feel for the rules. All in all we were all pretty pleased with the game mechanics - though the fact that we had three players and we initially didn´t know the rules slowed the game down. We´ll be back soon with round two where some actual tactics came into play.