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Thursday 30 January 2020

Amaxon Serpent Priestess

This week I converted & painted a figure as an Amaxon* Serpent Priestess for my Lustria-themed Warhammer Quest collection.  I purchased the miniature via Fenris Games, but didn't want the 'male-gaze' bare breasts & bum look for these fierce matriarchal warrior women - therefore with my limited Green Stuff putty skills, I sculpted a top & skirt.  I'm pleased with the result, which is somewhere between the original 1980s fully-clothed 'punk-Native-American' vibe, & an 'Aztec-jungle-warrior-woman' look.  Initially I instead tried sculpting a hanging fan of feathers around her neck, & then multiple beaded necklaces, but both were too challenging, hence the plain top.  I may yet add a necklace of fangs from my Lizardmen bits though.

The Amaxons of Lustria are said to be descended from the womenfolk of a Norscan raiding camp.  When their barbarian menfolk disappeared venturing into the jungle, they survived & thrived alone, supposedly discovering powerful artefacts amidst ancient ruins which have granted them immortality & negated any need for men in their society.  Although descended from pale-skinned Norscans, I will be painting my Amaxons with a collection more befitting the climate, as they are generations removed... & perhaps the story is a myth - perhaps they were already protecting the ruins of the Old Ones, long before the Norscans (& then the Empire) came to plunder!

Priestesses are part of the religious sisterhood that governs the mysterious Amaxon society, possessing shamanic powers to harness the forces of nature against interlopers in their sacred jungles & Old One ruins - for instance hurling a swarm of bees, calling grasping vines, raising gales, or even escaping threats by turning into a cloud of butterflies.

* = I've chosen to go with the 'Amaxon' spelling rather than 'Amazon', because these matriachal tribes reside on & around the river Amaxon in Lustria, & the spelling is more fitting with that of the Lizardmen cities.

Monday 27 January 2020

Wood Elf

This weekend I finished my second Warrior (player character) for Warhammer Quest (original version).  Following on from my Marienburg Noble, this time it's the Wood Elf, one of the classic four Warriors included with the base game.  Again, I picked a figure to fit with my Lustria-set dungeon, so I didn't want the usual cloaked Elf - it's hot & humid in the Lizardmen-infested jungles!  Another twist on the usual trope is that I picked another female figure.  Again I went with another excellent Hasslefree miniature, one that I felt had a real 'wild woods' vibe, while still looking suitably Elfin.  One minor thing about the figure is that it was very flat, which wasn't helped by the firing pose, & I'm a fan of WYSIWYG (What You See Is What You Get), so as the basic Elf begins armed with a sword as well as a bow, I added a sheared sword from the Empire Greatswords sprues.  I think this helps to bring a bit more '3D' to the pose.

Maika von Ostwald, the wealthy daughter of a Marienburg merchant lord, tired of life among the trade guild elite, & traveled to the New World in search of adventure.  The Wood Elf Eelyn Greenblade joined Maika on her voyage through a shared wanderlust, becoming one of her first questing companions.  Finally, here's a photo of the Noble & Wood Elf together...  Next up, the Wizard!

Sunday 12 January 2020

More Foreign Legion support units

As part of a long-running series of gifts to my friend & gaming comrade, Tim, I've painted some more support units for his 15mm-scale Crossfire 1980s French Foreign Legion (2e REP paras).   Here's a photo of Section Bleu (the first platoon that I've finished for him, with all their attached support options (including an AMX 30 B2 Main Battle Tank).



I've now put together an additional Forward Observer, two more sniper teams, two 51mm mortar teams (plus smoke markers), & a .50cal team. Added to the support units which I already made for Tim, thats a total of two FOs, four sniper teams, two mortar teams, and three HMG teams (including one .50cal).  Next up for this force is to finish the second platoon, Section Rouge; & then a few APCs & a couple of 105mm-cannon-armed armoured cars.  I may also add a Company Commander squad & a combat engineers squad to round the force off.