McDeath, part 4: first dress rehearsal

 It's late, I'm bored, I can't watch anything on streaming because my mobile data speed is utter shite. 

So here we have a field rehearsal on a piece of wood from my bro's workshop. I was prevaricating between 10 or 12 inches, in the end my dad just pulled a sheet of offcut and oh look it's 11 inches wide. Choice made and it split the difference. 

What now. An electric drill so I can pin together the Dart mini. Buggered if I ever do that unpowered ever again. I need an alternate Chaos Hound so I can perform a head swap. I need to fashion a Quicksure. I've been studying late 80's multi-part knights, and I think they will do. I need more fighters for the good guys. I have some dwarfs to add, but matching the Goodwin style is challenging, and I might include some Asgard barbarians. Just a few more running orcs, but lots of orc casualties to litter the foreground.

There is no suggestion that Banquo is a'reddy deed going by the scenario book. I have a mind to have him as a ghost in the background.

~J~

An Audience with the Patriarch, Part One

Quick post to keep this blog ticking over. I have actually completed three paint jobs this month, but more on those another time, when I've finished the bases.

I think with a diorama like this, some story telling needs to be done. Who is having an audience, and why? Where is the Cult located? Setting will inform how the chamber is constructed, and decorated. Is it an industrial hiveworld or desert backwater? This is a the kind of research I ask of myself. The Patriarch throne is wood. Why anything else? Even in the far future, humans and aliens would use whatever is available. Wood with animal horns. A simple colour scheme will also let Bob Olley's detailed sculpting show itself beautifully. Chamber decorated with wood carving? Already decided on a stone floor, with steps at the front, a pair of thick columns at the back, behind which skulk purestrain genestealers. I would like to find a couple more hybrids. But, who is having an audience?

Going to have a good go at some scratch building and bespoke sculpting and casting. It's going to be an interesting challenge creating a claustrophobic and threatening atmosphere within an area only 5 inches square.

Next time - Night Horrors!

~J~

McDeath's Last Stand (Part One)

Mentioned this project a while ago. I have no inclination to paint for wargames, but I still love the miniatures. So what to do with them? When the mood has taken hold (about 3 times), I have let my mind wander to imagine all sorts of dioramas. The list is definitely worth a future blog.

For some miniatures though, something else is required, and in this instance, how to present something worthy of Lord and Lady McDeath. Answer was obvious - recreate the cover of the Tragedy of McDeath guidebook, a Tableau Vivante made of miniatures.

Some background info: The Tragedy of McDeath was a box set campaign for Warhammer 2nd Ed. It was based on Shakespeare's play McBeth Macbeth. You will have undoubtedly guessed this very early. Citadel released miniatures that were specific to this campaign and only sold by mail order, 60p each. Oh how I wish I ordered more. And Sandra Prangle. Nowadays, the Lord and Lady sell for up to £100. Each.

So anyway, I am very fortunate to not only have the McDeaths but a good number of appropriate figures to fill out the battle scene above. There are, though, some glaring holes to be filled. Klinty the Treeman is the most glaring, the hardest to find (cheaply) is Sir John Quicksure (the mounted knight behind Dart with the flaming sword). And there are figures not shown but would be nice to include, like the wizards Een McWrecker and Chalconer.

Stage one is planning. Composition is absolutely key to making the scene work in 3 dimensions. It will not get done quickly.

TBC...

~J~