The Crimson Blades

The Crimson Blades are a warband dedicated to the Crow, some say it's Nurgle, others say it's another aspect of Khorne, either way they welcome the chance of slaughter any day of the week. 

The Crimson Blades roam the old world, they've been spotted as far up as the Northern wastes all the way down south to Tilea, some times they work as a mercenary force, at other times they join a battle just for the glory (slaughter). The Crimson Blades have become a notorious warband set out in the old world to raid and pillage in the Crow's name, and to claim whatever spoils of war remained.

Citanul Skulltaker:

In his early days, before Citanul became the leader of the Skull takers, he led the warband the Crimson Blades, he is a savage leader that leads by force rather than cunning, in battle he's a whirlwind of destruction, many foes final moment has been at the hands of his axe. Originally a member of a small Norse tribe, he dedicated his life to the Blood god after having been betrayed by a follower of Slaanesh, until this day, Citanul still seeks revenge.

Corpulax the foetid:

If Citanul is the brawn of the Crimson Blades, then Corpulax would be best descibed as the brain, displaying a horribly bloated body that are infected with all manner of virulent contagions. He takes great delight in spreading these ‘gifts’ to anyone and anything they encounter as they march across the old world, leaving nought but corruption in his wake. A former peasant from Bretonnia, who was gifted by the Grand father Nurgle too many times, he found his faith in his corruptor rather than the Blessings of the Lady. For this he was sentenced to death by a young knight, in desperation he killed the knight and fled northwards, coming upon the Crimson Blades, who rather than kill him, gave him a new reason to live.

The Burning Skulls:

Knights of Chaos within the Crimson Blades, they're towering brutes clad in the thickest plate armour, and whose dreaded reputation is known throughout as some of the World's most feared horsemen. Their charge will break any foe.

The Crow brethren:

The Crow brethren are fighters of great prowess, raised from strong Northmen stock, their skills honed over the years by constant battle amongst themselves and against other races. Led by Corpulax himself, there's no foe they won't face in battle.

Glathrus the Reaper, sometimes used as a champion

The Crow's wrath:

Chaos Chariots are more than just machines of war; they are symbols of status and power. They are drawn by a pair of huge destriers swollen to unnatural size by the corrupting energies of Chaos.

The Hunt

The Hunt is a group of Flesh Hounds gifted to Citanul by the Blood God Khorne after he killed the famous Grail Knight Galand of Aquitaine. Once the Hunt have scented something, nothing will stop them from catching their prey.

The Jötun:

A pair of trolls named Hrungnir and Trym, goaded to battle by Corpulax, most of their time is spent wondering where they are & why they are there.

The Beasts of Chaos:

Harpies are scavengers and opportunists who prey upon the sick, weary, battle-worn and dying, they often accompany the Crimson Blades, knowing that after each battle they will feast like Kings and  queens.

There's other beasts of Chaos that follow the Crimson Blades for various reasons, each one more evil than the last.

So there you have it, my Chaos army that I painted as a retro project, going as much into Stillmania as possible for me. Background, 2000 points, but no set magic items & a few extra models as I don't care for playing the exact same army every game.

Harry the Hammer

Harald (aka Harry) was famed for killing the Daemon Mathrag Brainmangler during the Battle of Khorsvold, having smashed the Daemon Prince's head from his body with a single blow of his hammer. On a cold midwinter day, as he led his warband across the Chaos Wastes, Harry came across the outcrop of an old ruin jutting from beneath the snows. Upon investigation, he located an ancient gateway leading into a dark tunnel. Thinking that there might be treasure within, Harald and his warriors descended into the crumbling vaults.

Their intrusion awoke something long-dead in the darkness beneath the snow. Ancient warriors sworn to protect the secrets of the tomb-city were roused from their eternal slumber; with rusted blades, bony fingers and eyes aglow with witchfires, they fell upon the Northmen.

Stumbling out of the depths, Harald and his men were horrified to see the Skeletons pursuing them still. The tumbledown ruins now glowed with power and the melting snow revealed forbidding stones burning with magical energy. The Chaos warband found themselves in the middle of a great settlement from the dawn of time. Knowing that he had to fight his way free, Harald turned and faced the advancing legion, in what was known as the Battle of Vorshgar.

The favour of the gods fuelled Harry as he fought; his hammer rose and fell with monotonous destruction, smashing skulls and ribcages to powder. Harald's followers pressed in behind their leader and Harry formed the point of a wedge driving through the skeletal warriors. After a day and a night of fighting, as dawn rose the next day, the Undead were destroyed, piles of bones a storey high left in the wake of the Chaos Warriors.

Harald Hammerstorm was one of the very first characters ever created by Games Workshop for the Warhammer Fantasy universe, being featured in its first edition. He was considered the original holder of the Warhammer (due to the art) before the creation of Sigmar Heldenhammer. 

All the way back in 1983, a model representing the above art appeared in the first Citadel Compendium. It was not called Harry the Hammer at all. This guys name was Uthmog Elvenbane. He was one of the NEW warriors of Chaos in the "Speciality set 1: Warriors of Chaos", but since the art already had dubbed him Harry the Hammer, this was the name the model was left with.

Here's my take on it:

I painted him up for a friends birthday bash, a big 12 000 points per side battle, it would be Undead vs whatever the rest had, I figured a model such as Harry the Hammer would be perfect! In the game he was used as an Undivided Chaos Champion armed with a Flail of Skulls & actually managed to take out a Vampire count in a single round of combat.

The paintjob was a mix, first of all I tried to make him fit in with the rest of my models, while I at the same time I also tried to stay true to the original artwork, so armour is mostly bronze & some bright red details (gloves & gem), but then also gold, silver, green to match the artwork.

Thrud the Barbarian

"Endowed with the strength of a rhinoceros, the speed and agility of a jungle cat and the intelligence of a garden snail, Thrud the barbarian is a mindless fighter who engages in mindless slaughter while remaining ignorant of plot points.

At the age of five, Thrud is sent to Crom the Destroyer Orthodox Pagan Infants School, where he towers above the teachers and his fellow students. When one of the children shoots him with a pea shooter, Thrud's reaction is to kill and maim twenty-seven pupils and three teachers, leading to his expulsion from the school. Choosing to return to the wilderness rather than his adoptive parents, Thrud lives alone until, one day, he stumbles across a hidden burial chamber. Finding a small helmet and a large axe, Thrud arms himself. Finding gold and gems, he decides to return to civilisation with his newfound wealth, quickly establishing himself a reputation as a violent warrior."

I've had this model for a while now, still not sure what to use him as, probably as a spawn of Chaos or a Chaos troll to represent his stupidity. Decided to paint him up for a painting challenge, which I´ve now forgotten which one it was, fitting for this model I would say.

Gotrek & Felix

Gotrek Gurnisson is the greatest (or worst, depending on the viewpoint) dwarf slayer to have ever lived. This apparent contradiction is rooted in the nature of the Slayer Oath. Having committed a crime so terrible that only death in battle will serve as atonement, Gotrek has fought and slain numerous monsters, including hordes of orcs and skaven, a giant, trolls, Chaos warlords and sorcerers, an entire Black Ark of Naggaroth, and even a Bloodthirster of Khorne, and unfortunately (in his mind) lived to fight another day.

After Gotrek saved Felix from being killed in the Window Tax Riots in Altdorf, Felix, in a drunken stupor, swore a blood-oath to record Gotrek's doom so that his honour could be maintained and to let him be remembered by the world. A blood-oath is the gravest oath a dwarf could make (even for a society obsessed with the sanctity of oaths), and so Felix was compelled to travel with Gotrek.

For many long years, Felix Jaeger has followed the dwarf Slayer Gotrek Gurnisson across the world. Their adventures have been extraordinary; their heroic partnership the stuff of legends.

This dynamic duo can be taken in a Dwarf army at almost 500 points, worth it? Probably not, but I will try it at some time!

Herohammer fanzine issue #2

 Issue 2 of this great online magazine is finally here, check it out here

This time there´s a focus on the under-empire of the skaven race.

Herohammer, can competitive gaming work in a friendly environment? Or what is the spirit of the game?

 If you have played warhammer, you will most certainly know that some people play to win, while others like to play for fun, without concern on whether they win or lose.

In my opinion the most crucial factor when playing games of warhammer (no matter which edition) is to make it fun for both players, no version of warhammer was really designed for tournament play, especially not 4th or 5th edition, aka herohammer, this is important to keep in mind. Flexible games rules with a lot of room for different interpretation are not really suitable for competitive games, its made for fun between two or more consenting persons.

But the rulebook states...

Does that mean that I shouldn´t make a good list and do my best to win? No of course not, however your games of warhammer won´t be fun if one of the players continually attempts pick holes in the rules or bend the rules, or even just takes the same army made up of the very best units and magic items every game. Some people like competitive gaming, I used to as well, but whenever I play nowadays, I try to embrace the spirit of the game and just have a great time, no matter if I win or lose.

But even then, what is fair and balanced in one guys opinion might be totally different to his opponents. So where am I going with this then, well the most important thing to ensure is that both players have fun, talk with each other before the game and decide what type of game you both want. 

Agree on limitations, personally we play with max 33% characters, minimum 33% regiments. Maybe decide on not bringing a certain unit next game if the opponent agrees to not bring his most powerful unit, try out different magic items or agree to not using certain items at all, for example we don't play with the Black Gem of Gnar, its powerful, but just not fun. Remember to play the different scenarios in the battle book, maybe even use newer editions to find even more scenarios, or make up your own with limitations or win conditions that favor different styles of play.

Play your army, the armybooks are filled with detailed background about each army, making an army that feels like it fits the background will help a lot with the balance, for example an Empire army with just Dwarves, Ogres, Flagellants, Kislev troops and some war machines does't feel like an Empire army to me, where are the halberdiers and state troops? Same with an undead army without at least some slow shambling undead such as skeletons or zombies, or a combat oriented wood elf force made up of chariots without archers in it, there's of course certain times when such armies work, maybe in a special scenario, but make sure to talk about such armies before you play your opponent then, so that he is at least somewhat prepared.

Some players will argue that this makes it harder to win, but if both players talk beforehand the game will be an epic story that are won by the best general, rather than the best force builder.

The same is true on how you play the game, if someone misses something in a phase and then remembers it, the friendly thing is to allow them to do it. Don´t argue over whether a unit misses a charge with 1 mm or happen to touch a terrain piece so they can´t march. 

Another thing to talk about is characters, herohammer have some of the most powerful characters that was ever in the game (until 8th edition at least), and a lot of players believe that they have to field powerful characters in order to win, this often becomes an arms race where the creation of an all conquering lord is the ultimate goal, regardless whether the magic items fits that race.

If both players agree on limiting characters and concentrate on regiments the games will be much more enjoyable. Selecting items that fits your army's background further enhances the feeling of an epic story unfolding before your eyes.

Remember if you are arguing about it, then it's not worth doing it!

If someone still continues to fuck up your fun by doing these overpowered characters, then take a look here on how to defeat them, then maybe next time they will refrain from using the best stuff over and over again.

As I said above though, some people enjoy playing for the win and doing broken stuff, as long as everybody in your gaming group agrees to that, then go ahead, it's your game after all, we all enjoy different things and with that I leave you with the words of Nigel Stillman:

Aekold Helbrass

Aekold Helbrass, Champion of Tzeentch, hears a most unusual gift - the gift that is known as the Breath of Life. Where Aekold walks the grass springs green and meadow flowers blossom. When he walks upon desert sands and stony rocks the land bursts into life as he passes.

Any living thing he touches springs into new and vigorous growth. The long-dead wood of doors and staves takes root upon his touch. His touch can restore to health creatures that are upon the threshold of death, for such is the power of the Breath of Life. His touch is as indiscriminate as it is potent, behind him he leaves a trail of new life and everything he touches is affected.

While life giving is the gift of Aekold, he slays his opponents without pity or care for their life, for he knows all life is but an endless dance of change, dictated by Tzeentch, the Master of Fate.

Aekold was a specialcharacter for Chaos in Warhammer 4th & 5th edition, he also got unofficial rules in 6th edition. He was last seen fighting Gotrek & Felix in the end times.

I painted this model back in 1998, its one of my favorite models ever released by GW & I was a big fan of his rules as well, one of few special characters I used frequently.

I won 1st place in a young bloods painting competition back in 1999 with this model. Last year I decided to paint him up once again, opting for a more rainbow coloured look:

And a side by side shot:

Golgfag's Ogres

"Who could forget the Ogres? Not anyone with a sense of smell, that’s for sure. Worse than Trolls, and that’s saying something, but there are few troops you’d rather have on your side in the heat of battle."

For as long as he had lived, Golgfag Maneater has lead his brethren into countless battles for riches, glory, and most importantly, food. He has served in the armies of many warlords and generals of many nations, never discriminating on who he is fighting for or against.

Such is his reputation in the battlefield that the Ogres under his command are never short on employment.

Golgfag & his unit of ogres can be hired by any army at the price of 500 points, not too cheap but as the Ogres themselves say: "You’ve hired da rest, now try da best!"

With 6 S5 attacks, Golgfag is really among the best there is!

Front rank

Second rank

Golgfag himself

Skaff

Even Urblab Rotgut joined Golgfag!

One of my favorite Dogs of War units, haven´t used them since 6th edition, decided they needed a new paintjob & now I´m eager to try them out!

Herohammer fanzine

 

After a lot of work by Joshua and the team behind the fanzine, the very first issue is now released, you can either download it or read it here. It really brings back memories from the good old days!