Double Dipping on Banners

Painting regiments for Warhammer Fantasy Battle is quite a commitment. Consequently, when playing a narrative campaign in which there are multiple regiments running around the campaign map, it's impractical to paint a whole block of 20-35 miniatures for every regiment in the story.

So I cheat. How? By painting extra command groups to swap in to a regiment.

I've now done this twice: for my handgunners (now either the Schillings or the Powderkegs) and, as of this week, my greatswords. Drew and I (and even Jon, a bit!) gathered around a painting table to add not just the command group, but another 8 regular lads to bump the unit up to 28.

Regiment: The Count's Own

Captain Rike Ludenhof is the daughter and heir of Count Aldebrand Ludenhof. After returning to Hochland after graduating from the University of Altdorf, she founded the Count’s Own since she felt an Elector Count should have a proper bodyguard, and that said bodyguard would need to get some battlefield experience if they’re going to be any good.

The regiment was first recruited and trained in Tussenhof, the city that had served as the capital ever since the Skaven had captured Hergig. The banner features the state colours - a pale cross on a red field - as well as a wreath and crown, both symbols of the count's rank.

Detachment: The Hochland State Circus

These eccentric souls once worked for the Hochland State Circus. Most of their colleagues were slain in the fall of Hergig, leaving them destitute and mournful. When they heard that the army was finally retaking the eastern towns, they registered as mercenaries, keen for revenge upon the Skaven. Pudding the ogre is undoubtedly their most fearsome warrior, although Jangles the half-blind drumming bear is quite fearsome when let loose. Others in the company include Lars the Extremely Genuine Norseman, company mascot Gubblz the goblin jester, and absolutely no nipponese ninja.

The detachment is a random gaggle of adorable bullshit that slowly accreted over many years and have now all been stuffed into one character-laden disposable unit, because yes. Here's a shot with them spread out to give you a better look:

Those ninjas, and the goblin jester, were both gifts from John that he slung at me years ago. They were sculpted when I was still a baby in the mid-eighties and I love them. Speaking of classics, the classic Chaos Warrior was a gift from a flower bed in Boris' old garden. Thanks Boris!

I started converting and painting the detachment itself back in 2014, when a lot more WFB was getting played. Puds the ogre still brings me joy, as I much prefer the ogre sculpt when you fill in and round out those massive shoulder muscles. A mere nine years later we hit the finish line! Err... lol.

Jumping back to the Count's Own, the unit champion is a lovely Kev White sculpt from Hasslefree Minis. She deserves a more time consuming paint job, and certainly got more attention than anyone else in the regiment, but ultimately I've kept things pretty basic there. The banner bearer and his codpiece is the Empire Captain mini, but with a converted right arm from the knights kit and a state trooper sword pinned on in place of the lance. Plus a head from the state troop kit.

Rike Ludenhof and her ensign Egon Dressler

Spaced out cavalry

Empire knights don't always rank up that smoothly to the side, thanks to the feet banging against each other, and to the rear, what with the horses' tails going up the noses of the rank behind. When it came to getting a new movement tray for the newly enbiggened Silver Drakes I decided: to hell with the rules, I'm spreading these buggers out. Among the many movement trays I ordered from Warbases, here's what I got instead:

I much prefer this look, and already have another tray with which to do a new unit of knights. Place your bets in the comments section as to how long it'll take for me to get around to painting them.

How's the Hochland campaign going?

Well! We're on a break while we paint up Imperial reinforcements; Jon and Drew have retaken much of eastern Hochland, and now we're getting down to the tougher fights, where the skaven have prepared defences waiting for them in the towns of the southeast. Hochland's army must be well prepared for such endeavours, which is why I've been reinforcing these greatswords and, next, painting a whole new regiment of 30 halberdiers. Will it be enough? Can Drew's wizard avoid brain damage while attempting to enchant magic items? Will Jon's character become unsalvageably drunk? Time will tell.

The Weissguard, with alternative detachment