Warmaster: Dark Elf Witch Elves

I just realised that I'd not posted this one!

With this final Dark Elves unit, I can say that I have a finished ~2000 point Dark Elf army!

These are Witch Elves, a fragile "glass cannon" unit which will probably break themselves in combat but take at least one enemy unit out with them in a frenzy!

I should probably put all the Dark Elves out on my desk and take a photo to prove I've done it.

---

I've had a fallow month where I've not done much of anything wargame related but I got some energy back and have been preparing a Warmaster Empire army to paint, next.

First thing I've had a crack at is a strip of Empire Knights.

The entire Empire range is incredibly detailed - really wonderful models.  I wanted to avoid simply painting it all in gun metal so I've gone for a lot of detailed paint and alternating colours.  My general desire for the Empire force is that it will represent many orders or different regiments so will not be tied by a simple colour scheme like my previous forces.

Warmaster: Dark Elf Command

  Finally complete!  Warmaster Dark Elf Command!

  The original GW Dark Elf Warmaster Command blister is a slightly sorry affair compared with some of the others.  It contains a single sorceress figure with guards, a mounted hero with flag bearer and a little Cold One chariot.

  I disliked the chariot; too big for a hero, too small for a General stand, I felt.  My spare one is going to a friend in the gaming club who has had trouble sourcing Dark Elf figures.

  I scrabbled a spare sorceress and guards so that I could max out my command for 2000 points - 2 heroes and 2 magic users.  Even though Dark Elves are an "elite" army with a smaller number of more expensive units compared with some other armies, they suffer from a fatal flaw.  Namely, that if you roll a "blunder" on your command rolls (two sixes on 2D6), the hero responsible is either executed immediately or the General suffers a permanent penalty for the rest of the game!  The Dark Elves are ruthlessly inefficient, it seems.

  I am extremely proud of of these little figures. The cauldrons of blood that I put on the stands are in fact plastic Warhammer 40k scale Blood Angel Sanguinary Guard grails.  One from the plastic character clampack, the other from the generic upgrade sprue.  I chopped the hand out of the plastic and glued the top to the bottom.

  If you Google Image search "warmaster cauldron of blood" you will see top of the list, a couple of excellent fan models.  This one inspired me to use the first version of the Avatar of Khaine from Space Marine / Epic. And this one made me want to put the cauldron on top of a pile of bones - a piece from the Tomb Kings command blister. 

  I attempted something a bit different with the statue, attempting to paint it like black marble.  The results weren't spectacular, but I needed to differentiate it from the other models, so that people wouldn't assume it was an animate or giant character and not a statue.

Warmaster: Dark Elf General on Manticore

  I've had this one lurking in the wings for a while now!  Wasn't sure what colours to use, especially on the wings.  Bought a Vallejo "Hexed Lichen" paint as a dark purple basecoat to mix with black - then the GW paint "Genestealer Purple" to water down and layer on as a glaze on the "veins".  This didn't work quite as well as I hoped but the final result is good enough for tabletop, I feel.

   The Lion body I ended up using Vallejo Khaki on as a base.  Then I mixed in Vallejo Dark Sand to brighten it - again layering it on quite dilute to control it so that I kept the recesses dark where I had used an Agrax Earthshade wash.

  Very close to finishing the entire Dark Elf army now!  Only things left are a Witch Elves unit and four stands of command figures.  Very satisfying progress this year.

Warmaster: Dark Riders

Forgot to upload these!

With these three Dark Rider units complete I have almost finished my entire Dark Elf army for Warmaster.  All that remains are command stands and a unit of Witch Elves to get to 2000 points.

I need to get a proper neutral background for taking photos as my Dad advised.  Even adjusting values here in GIMP makes things seem washed out or very grey.

Warmaster: Dark Elf Cavalry

I have something to show off, hurrah!

I'm up to 9 painted units so far this year, now!  All three of my Cold One Cavalry units and the first Dark Rider unit for my Dark Elves!

I have a new camera that I am getting used to - the colours seem a bit washed out.  I tried fixing it in GIMP but I might need to play with the settings next time around.

 Next up I have my remaining three Dark Rider units which I am batch painting after I think the test unit went so well.

Warmaster: Dark Elf Crossbowmen

Some more Dark Elves!

https://cf.geekdo-images.com/images/pic1540288.jpg

^ I tried to base my Dark Elves on something a bit different - super pale, unearthly skin - like vampires, and weird gold.  For the armour I used the new Retributor Gold from GW, washed it with the new Coelia Greenshade - then highlighted with Chainmail.  For the flesh it's Rakarth Flesh then after the wash Vallejo Heavy Warmgrey.

I wanted them to look - Lovecraftian, nasty, like they marched out of the sea to attack their warmer cousins.

Anyhow - polished off these two crossbowmen units.  I have some Corsair models that I might paint up in future to proxy crossbows but right now I'm just trying to scrape 2000 points and say that I've finished another army.

Warmaster: Dark Elf Spearmen Brigade

Not one, not two, but three Dark Elf Spearmen units!

It can be disheartening attempting a "block painting" of several units at once, but the pay off is worth it!

 My mobile phone camera didn't want to co operate today so the photos aren't of a great quality, but these aren't high detail units so that's not a big problem.

These fellows are painted the same way as my first unit, using a lot of the new GW colours that didn't have analogues before.  Snow is some Woodland Scenics a friend from the game forums kindly sent me.

These fellows are painted the same way as my first unit, using a lot of the new GW colours that didn't have analogues before.  Freehand symbols were found by simply using internet image search to find "Dark Elf Banners".  A while ago, GW released a couple of "uniforms and heraldry" books for Empire, High Elves and Skaven.  The High Elf one had 3 pages filled with nothing but runes to use.  Dark Elves apparently never had anything like that so most of their jagged symbols seem to be improvised rather than "canon".

Warmaster Game Day: Dark Elves vs. High Elves

  On Sunday 8th January, 2017, our local gaming club ran a little "Games Day" for Warmaster!

  The plan this year is to have about half a dozen such days - where we can run the games which interest us and we feel others might be willing to have a go at with a loaner army even if they don't have the models / rules themselves.

  My fellow club-member Denis wrote up the first match of the day from his perspective as I taught the rules to his son using a spare army I had brought along.

  Denis took some photos of the 2nd game of the day for us; his Dark Elves vs my High Elves.

  Denis's army is a work in progress as the models for DE are hard to get hold of, nowadays.  As a result, he plumped out his list with magic items, which don't normally give a very good return on investment in Warmaster.  Operative word there being "normally".  With a bit of luck and cunning they can be a decisive factor if you get the right unit in the right place!  The downside of this for Denis is that his break point is lower, meaning it should be easier to destroy enough units to defeat him...

Dark Elf Army, 1500 points
----------------------------------------------------------------
 230 -  3 Spearmen
     -  1 Battle Banner (50)
 125 -  1 Crossbowmen
     -  1 Banner of Shielding (50)
 345 -  3 Dark Riders
     -  1 Banner of Fortitude (50)
     -  1 Sword of Cleaving (10)
 290 -  2 Cold One Knights
     -  1 Banner of Steadfastness (30)
  55 -  1 Bolt Thrower
 255 -  1 General
     -  1 Crown of Command (100)
  90 -  1 Hero
     -  1 Sword of Destruction (10)
 110 -  1 Sorceress
     -  1 Ring of Magic (30)
----------------------------------------------------------------
1500 - 10/5

Denis deployed in the corner, concentrating his forces and forcing me to come to him.

High Elf Army, 1500 points
----------------------------------------------------------------
 180 -  3 Spearmen
 225 -  3 Archers
 220 -  2 Silver Helms
 200 -  2 Reavers
 190 -  2 Chariots
  70 -  1 Giant Eagles
  65 -  1 Elven Bolt Thrower
 180 -  1 General
  80 -  1 Hero
  90 -  1 Wizard
----------------------------------------------------------------
1500 - 14/7

For myself, I deployed in a typical pattern - all infantry in the centre with cavalry on each far flank.

---


High Elf Turn 1

My first game against Denis's turn was characterised by my battle line barely even moving.  However, I was off to a strong enough start I thought, here.  The main block of infantry stubbornly refused to move, however, and more importantly, my elite Silver Helms cavalry dug their heels in too.


Dark Elf Turn 1

Denis's Dark Elves steered out to meet me.  I felt that I had a chance to bring things to a speedy conclusion...


High Elf Turn 2

Best laid plans of mice and uh... elves!  My chariot line shuffled forward into charging range... Then failed their command, even with the General's beedy eye on them!  All infantry failed to move and my elites shuffled forward towards enemy crossbows and spears but no furth.


Dark Elf Turn 2

Denis wasted no time in mashing his elite Cold One cavalry into my Chariots and Reavers, breaking the back of one of my flanks.  Shooting and magic confused some of my Silver Helms, putting paid to my hopes of a decisive blow with them.  Bolt Throwers wheeled closer to my infantry...


High Elf Turn 3

An attempt to claw back some kills ended very badly for my surviving cavalry on the left flank.  The Silver Helms that were still in order finally were unleashed, smashing into the DE infantry - as I planted my Giant Eagles behind as a threat to support them.  My infantry shuffled forward but there were no great marches, there.


Dark Elf Turn 3

The Dark Elves mopped up the last of the light cavalry - and made an attempt to rout the Giant Eagles and Silver Helms threatening them. 


High Elf Turn 4

Another appalling round of non-commands, nothing moving except on initiative as the Giant Eagles sacrifice themselves to shield the Silver Helms from an imminent hail of crossbow bolts.


Dark Elf Turn 4

Dark Elves reposition to mop up the Great Eagles but fail to maneouvre to crush the surviving cavalry...


High Elf Turn 5

 Finally!  Some forced marches seem to be happening!  Reserves of the previously confused/lazy Silver Helms move in for the kill and the infantry surge forward and spread out, splitting off to tidy up the loose ends of some surviving Cold Ones.  At this point, though it had been getting close - the successful commands pretty much guaranteed that the low Dark Elf breakpoint was going to be reached so we called it at that.

Something I thought was going to be a relatively easy, quick game with the High Elves having the advantage of numbers became something much more interesting - and a lesson for me on the strengths of the Cold Ones and of magic items...

Warmaster: Dark Elf Spearmen

  Took awhile but I finally polished off the first rank and file Dark Elf unit!

These are resin models, very brittle and likely to break.  I am not putting as much detail into them as the High Elf models so only a rune on the banner, not on every shield!

My fancy has been taken by Blood Bowl, lately, so I'm probably going to be taking a break from Warmaster for a little bit.

Warmaster: First steps with Dark Elves

The kin of Malekith arise!

I found myself burnt out trying to polish off some High Elves, so decided the most logical course of action was to START A NEW ARMY.

I've gone with some unusual paint scheme ideas for my Dark Elves.  For the basing it's pale grey with snow rather than blue grey with grass that my High Elves have.  For the main troops it's pale gold and a range of blue-greens.

The first finished units are a Hydra and a Bolt Thrower, but I won't add the snow until I have several ready to be varnished and polished off all at once.

The hydra was a real pig of a model to put together and needed artistic license with mold lines and green stuff.  Finally though, I think it looks good enough to put on a battlefield.

I finished the base of the Manticore before anything else.  It is meant to come on a single moulded 40mm by 20mm base with the rock and some detritus as standard.  I like my Generals to be on a 40mm round and a bit more dramatic, however, so I trimmed it to fit, then used High Elf spares to make it look like he was triumphant over his goody two shoes brethren!

The part on the right is a High Elf hero on a horse I had spare, the one on the left is a High Elf Chariot archer I had spare.

This bolt thrower was the test bed for my colour scheme.  Whilst the old GW paint pots have awful lids that drive me crazy and waste a lot of paint inside the rim - I have still been buying a few of the more unique ones to try out and fill gaps in my collection.

The new Retributor Armour and Liberator Gold are expensive at £3.50 each, bust boast a very high pigment level which means that a single layer seems to work even over a black undercoat.  Compared with more watery metallic offerings from the earlier ranges these really do shine even in small quantities.

For the greens I've got Incubus Darkness as a basecoat and I am really pleased with it.  It is very matt, not glossy or too vivid like the Orkhide base colours.  Then I've had Kabalite Green and Sybarite Green to play with.  The latter is too bright so I've used Vallejo's Jade Green as the brightest highlight so far.