Topic: The Ankh-Morpork City Watch (Army) - Love is in the Air

[Shadespyre]

Another great model!

I've got quite a few of the Humbrol acrylic paints, mostly because years ago I found their reds to be much, much better than GWs. They do a lot of military colours as well as bright colours, pastels and so on. Also matching spray cans for some of their range (small and pricey but useful). And the reason my Vampire Knights are in lacquered red armour is that I picked up the pot of gloss scarlet by mistake, so you're in good company there!

[Padre]

Another great model!

I've got quite a few of the Humbrol acrylic paints, mostly because years ago I found their reds to be much, much better than GWs.

That's interesting 'cos I use their enamels for figures, and every second red I buy is dodgy. Their yellows are a nightmare. The rest, good.

[Rowsdower]

Great job

[JAK]

Thanks for all the views and comments.

We’ve used enamels in the past. While their slow drying time was great for blending it was also annoying and with having to use spirits to clean brushes etc. we have remained with acrylics – can safely lick the tip of the brush as well.

Next up we have:-

Corporal Gimletsson

He was another one of the men who replaced the Place Guard. To indicate this we’ve assumed, as we did with Slapper, that he would ‘acquire’ some better pieces of equipment.


Corporal Glodsnephew

Another replacement Palace Guard with ‘acquired’ equipment.

[Shadespyre]

Another great model!

I've got quite a few of the Humbrol acrylic paints, mostly because years ago I found their reds to be much, much better than GWs.

That's interesting 'cos I use their enamels for figures, and every second red I buy is dodgy. Their yellows are a nightmare. The rest, good.

This is going back a long way, late 80s even; to be fair to GW their modern Foundation / Base paints rarely disappoint in terms of coverage.

That aside, I like the Palace Guard colour scheme, a whole unit of those banded spears would be impressive. I will file that idea away for later stealing!

[Artobans Ghost]

Those dwarves are fantastic. The expression on the spearman is awesome. I have some reading to catch up on to find these guys.

[JAK]

Constable Fiddyment

Fiddyment is a bit sweet on one of the reporters at the Ankh Morpork Times and informs her of the odd scoop. Looking at his flower she doesn’t feel the same way.

[JAK]

Sergeant Haddock

Haddock has just returned from Quirm where he has been taking part in an exchange scheme with their Gendarmerie. He carries his lantern for when he moonlights as a watchman for the Royal Bank of Ankh Morpork and the black arm band signifies his (rumoured) death in the forthcoming TV series of the Watch.

[Artobans Ghost]

Beautiful as usual. Did you say upcoming TV series?

[JAK]

Watch TV Series

I first heard about this in 2014; it was intended to be 13 one hour episodes. The main plot was to follow 6 new recruits to the Watch, although some of the known characters would naturally be there as well, and was to be set in present day Ankh-Morpork. Constable Haddock would die in the first episode. It was to be produced by Pratchett's own TV production company, Narrativia, and his daughter Rhianna has confirmed last year that the project is still ongoing.

[JAK]

The Hitherto Brothers

Horace and Hector joined the Watch during a period of unrest and riot. Horace, in Watch riot gear, also wears a black arm band as he died after being hit on the back of his head by a thrown cobblestone. After this his brother Hector was put on filing duties to keep him away from the troubles.

These two were just repaints although Hector was given a more realistic (for GW) sized hand



Lance-Constable  Hector Hitherto



Lance-Constable Horace  Hitherto

[Artobans Ghost]

Watch TV Series

I first heard about this in 2014; it was intended to be 13 one hour episodes. The main plot was to follow 6 new recruits to the Watch, although some of the known characters would naturally be there as well, and was to be set in present day Ankh-Morpork. Constable Haddock would die in the first episode. It was to be produced by Pratchett's own TV production company, Narrativia, and his daughter Rhianna has confirmed last year that the project is still ongoing.

This is good news and the fact it's by family should do it justice. I will be on the lookout.

[JAK]

Constable Lucker

In a book Lucker swapped his boots with Vimes who couldn’t cope with his own new ceremonial boots. I doubt they were high ones like these – although they were described as big, well-fitting boots of genuine shiny leather – but I just had to make use of them somewhere.

The rest of the model is down to a couple of my old Grandma’s sayings “Lucker by name – Lucky by nature” and “being hit by bird poo will bring you good luck”

At one time the Watch used pigeons to deliver messages to its officers and it looks like Lucker’s pigeon has been trying to give him more than a paper message. In taking avoidance action was it the slippery leather soles or has he inadvertently stood in something that has caused his predicament. The boots still have wyvern do on them from Vimes' earlier visit to the Guild of Heraldry – I hope that’s also lucky – he needs it to find a safe landing place.

[General Peakatrov]

Wow. Just wow! I've been watching your various jobs off and on over the years, and built up folders of inspiration from it!

I have got a few questions though, if you don't mind. Have you completed your rebuilds of the main characters like Nobby and Colon? Or are you leaving them for a reward once you've done the rank and file?

Did you reread every Discworld book just to note any and all Watchmen?! I did that for Gaunt's Ghosts characters, and that was hard enough with 14 books!

Finally, I noticed you had the Librarian and Detritus in one of the first group shots, are you redoing them? If not, I'd love to see some detail pics, as well as for any other completed but not shown characters.

Again, wow. These are incredibly creative, as was the old Fantasy log.

[JAK]

General Peakatrov

Thank you for your comments and your long term support. I’m afraid I appear to be a bit like you in that I tend to just view threads and not comment. In the same vein I’m happy to get 50 views per post and hope that I’m correct in assuming that in the main it is the same people who like my work and are returning to view my progress. Of course I do like to have the occasional comment, so I feel quite honoured that you appear to have specifically registered to make yours. So thank you again and welcome to the Forum.

Answers to your Questions

Notes on the Watch and other Discworld characters have been collected over many years, not only from the books but also magazine type articles, interviews and images. I have personally read all the books to add to and to confirm/correct this data.

There are around 80 named characters in the the Watch and about half this number had already been built based on the Mordhiem rules. These are all currently being rebuilt.

The Librarian has been rebased onto a round base so that he fits the new movement/display boards, but needs a paint touch-up, and Detritus has just lost an argument with a razor saw.

I’m normally a slow worker so I need competitions to force me to finish things. After I built the characters, including Nobby and Colon, the local GW organised their Legion of Legends painting competition so I changed the build plan so that I could enter.  It does mean that I have finished 25+ figures so far this year when normally I’d only do 2 or 3 a month. They will all arrive eventually.

Anything else you want to know please feel free to ask.

[Rogers Kul]

I trully fear a punch from Hector...
Nice and dyniamic conversion "Lucker"!

[JAK]

Corporal Ping

In his home country Ping is a dialect word meaning 'watermeadow'. As Visit was allowed to keep his cultural curved sword while on duty I have assumed that Ping would also be allowed this freedom and have included a few oriental variations.

[Zak]

good grief you are a painting machine ...looks great 

[Rowsdower]

Great job

[JAK]

good grief you are a painting machine

No machine - just with all the problems posting images its easier to show one at a time.

Corporal Reginald Shoe

Reg is a natural zombie rather than one who has been created using magic and spends a lot of his time protesting for the right of the Undead by painting slogans on walls etc. He originally complained about Watchmen harassing some bogeymen and was convinced to join up to give the Watch some expertise in dealing with the non-living. Since he joined up there have been twice as many complaints, all from the undead, and all against Reg.

[Artobans Ghost]

"Since he joined up there have been twice as many complaints, all from the undead, and all against Reg. "

Ha! Ha!
Awesome job!

[JAK]

Lance-Constable Silas Cumberbatch

Silas is an ex-town-crier. Vimes dislikes all the Guilds so I don’t think the unit would have a musician but carrying his civic bell Silas could fulfil this position in the unit if required.

Another case where we had a choice of two versions of the same character to start from.

[General Peakatrov]

Thanks for replying to my comment above, and I'm still amazed at the speed you are putting these together! Tbh I always pictured Reg Shoe as a little more...gangrenous, but of course yours still embodies the character well.

Plus, that town crier costume! Nice one!

[JAK]

Reg – gangrenous – never; well yes he was and will be when the Watch is finished and I continue with the Fresh Start Club and other undead/vampires etc.

BUT

without putting a spoiler out there, before Reg became a Zombie he was described as a revolutionary young man in black trousers, frilly shirt and long curly hair. We felt that he would have taken the opportunity when going through the armoury for his uniform to smarten himself up with something a little more stylish. Which brings us nicely onto:-

Constable Igor, Forensics & Surgeon

As you can tell from his fashion sense Young Igor is a bit of a rebel and also doesn’t stick with the tradition of cutting parts from dead bodies. He even sometimes forgets to lisp. He has started Bio-artificing spare body parts with a glass pickle jar growing noses in it and a pet rabbit called Eerie who has human ears all over his back.



And that I’m afraid is the last of the current updates. There is a group shot on page 7 of the “Every Month a Theme: ….” thread.

The next and final entry for the Legions of Legend competition is in two weeks time and is to display what we have already built on a 1 foot square base. I’ll just make a square from my movement trays and see how many empty spaces I need to fill.

[JAK]

The next batch of figures – some are not quite finished but I had to get them to a presentable standard for the last leg of the local competition.
 
To start with some trolls – they don’t look like GW trolls and as they are living in the town of Ankh-Morpork are only supposed to be around 7’ high - even then some are too large to pass through doorways.

Constable Moraine – an ex-Holywood movie ‘star’ where one of the monsters he played was a green Balrog.  He has kept a souvenir from this time and  from when he was also guarding the Patrician. He is very proud of his inscription.