Topic: The Gates of Kislev painting project (battle report)

[Doc J]

how much does that unit weigh 

[Rogers Kul]

HOLY SHIT I HAD MISSED THE UNIT OF FLAGELLANTS!!! 

That's one huge horde of crazy people! If I may suggest, you should add flagellants around the war altar, not just in front of it.

But otherwise just pure awesomeness!

 

We are thinking on that... we'll see what configuration they finally use in the battle.

how much does that unit weigh 

Cannot tell you exactly how much. But probably less than a unit of 8 bloodletters on juggernauts... from 4-5th edition!! 

[Rogers Kul]

Xathrodox, as I promised,a fistfull of war machines:

- 15 great cannons
- 5 tilean cannons
- 9 hellblasters
- 5 mortars
- 7 steam tanks
- 1 Empire carriage

(some of them miss this photo, sorry)




Diosko 's tank: Middenheim




A pair of tanks of mine: Sigmar and (probably) Ostermark





As always, you can find more pictures on the blog, if you are interested in. http://thegatesofkislev.blogspot.com.es/

[Konrad von Richtmark]

That's an awesome artillery train right there, but isn't some of it a bit anachronistic for the Great War Against Chaos? Helblasters are supposed to be new and experimental during the present day of WFB, i.e. some 200 years after the Gates of Kislev

[Victor]

The scale of this project surprises me time and time again! That's very impressiv!

(I'm currently painting 3 cannons/mortar - for some reason, it's taking me several hours for each and I hate it; I don't know how you accomplish that)

[Xathrodox86]

That's a really cool idea with those embarked soldiers. I applaud that!

[Rogers Kul]

That's an awesome artillery train right there, but isn't some of it a bit anachronistic for the Great War Against Chaos? Helblasters are supposed to be new and experimental during the present day of WFB, i.e. some 200 years after the Gates of Kislev

Well, this is not my impression, and let me explain you why.
Firstly, as fas as I know, GW never precised when hellblasters appeared in battle for the first time. Are rocket launchers, and not hellblasters, the newest war machine in the empire armies. Perhaps you have confused both.
Anyway, 200 years in the Empire history is NOT a long time in terms of technology in Warhammer World. This is not like our history, where roman weapons and armoury from the IIIth century BC is completly different from IVth AD. The pace of history in Warhammer is much more slower.
So, after a deep research and a long discussion we decided not to include:
- Huracanums
- Luminarchs
- only 1 wizard for each path o magic
- Rocket launchers

The scale of this project surprises me time and time again! That's very impressiv!

(I'm currently painting 3 cannons/mortar - for some reason, it's taking me several hours for each and I hate it; I don't know how you accomplish that)

Yes, God bless airbrush!
Ouu.. sorry
Sigmar bless it!

[Warlord]

What are tilean cannons?

[Padre]

I'm guessing they're Bronzino's Galloper guns.

[Warlord]

Ah! Had a quick scan, but browsing on mobile not always best!

[Konrad von Richtmark]

Rogers Kul, you're probably right. I grew up with 6th edition where the Helblaster (along with all von Meinkopt inventions) were described as very recent, but that might have ended up being revised. Come to think of it, one of the steam tanks has a mini-helblaster, and those were all built by Leonardo himself, so somewhere around 2000. (Which, honestly, is a clear inconsistency to me, but whatever). Good to see that you have given proper thought to what might be anachronistic.

[Drakenhof]

That's an awesome artillery train right there, but isn't some of it a bit anachronistic for the Great War Against Chaos? Helblasters are supposed to be new and experimental during the present day of WFB, i.e. some 200 years after the Gates of Kislev

Hi Konrad, we did a research regarding this and other non-clear issues at the very beginning of the project, I link the post on the The Electors' Forum: http://warhammer-empire.com/theforum/index.php/topic,51441.25.html.

With the invaluable help of the colleagues S.O.F. and Naitsabes, we got so many answers to our background questions, and we obtained more fonts where to dive. Then, the issue concerning the Helblaster is resolved on the next citation:

Hellblaster: Non found an historical reference further that was an engineer Von Meinkopt’s invention

Von Meinkopt was Leonardo's greatest pupil at the Engineers college thus would have lived and died in the 2000's IC. Helblasters would have been in use during the Great War though true ones mainly again in the Reikland/Altdorf forces, similar other mulitbarrel artillery was most likely part of other Electors arsenals.

Of course, this forum is really a great help because here we can deal with issues that are not so clear or obvious in background terms.

I'm guessing they're Bronzino's Galloper guns.

Exactly, the tilean cannons are the Bronzino's ones. You can see them on the right part of the pic. We have the horses but we decided not to include them. They will be joined to the Westerland's Elector Count contingent.

[Rogers Kul]

What are tilean cannons?

Up to the north-east!

[Zak]

the old galloper guns ( old dogs of war) regiment ...they look great dude looking forward to how they turn out!! 

[Midaski]

Love the add-ons to the Steam Tanks - bet you've given steveb some food for thought there. 

[Konrad von Richtmark]

Ah, I didn't know that von Meinkopt had lived at the same time as Leonardo. That does indeed narrow down the chronology quite a bit.

I suppose, then, that the "experimental" weapons aren't significantly newer than the "common" gunpowder weapons (handguns, pistols, cannons, mortars). But rather, they're just labeled experimental because they are more complicated, less reliable and more WIP while the common weapons are mature designs.

In Mordheim, which largely coincides chronologically with the founding of the College of Engineers, even common handguns and pistols are described as newfangled and experimental.

[Drakenhof]

Exactly, I think that's the point. Even the weapons that were invented by Leonardo himself are still too umpredictable and so they remain tagged as 'experimental'. I grew up with Mordheim and I liked the concept of the gunpowder of a 'dark era' - with a misfire chance even firing a pistol.

In regard of the Steam Tank with a Helblaster that you mentioned previously, the fact is that twelve machines were constructed under Leonardo's supervision, but in the contemporary Warhammer times (2522 +/-), only eight engines ave survived, and no one has been able to reproduce the original mechanisms and build a copy right from the start. I don't remember the exactly source, but background tells that Steam Tanks are often nearly destroyed during campaigns and they require maintenance. Once the scrap has returned to the workshop, the engineers try to 'improve' the former work, introducing substantial modifications, such the Von Zeppel's Steam Tank and the other 6 ed. introduced variants.

[Rogers Kul]

So much knowledge in this forum 

Love the add-ons to the Steam Tanks - bet you've given steveb some food for thought there. 

Hahaha!! Steveb' steam tank collection is unbeatable!

[S.O.F]

I suppose, then, that the "experimental" weapons aren't significantly newer than the "common" gunpowder weapons (handguns, pistols, cannons, mortars). But rather, they're just labeled experimental because they are more complicated, less reliable and more WIP while the common weapons are mature designs.

I think the work in progress bit the biggest key. Limited production runs and tinkering by years of different Engineers mean that these weapons, whilst of course the same in game terms, are likely wildly different from gun to gun.

[Xathrodox86]

So much firepower and cool konwledge! I've just finished "Iron Company" by Chris Wraight, so my interest in all things cannony is at its peak. Splendid stuff!

[Zak]

ok I love the idea of the stream tank with troops sitting on it might have to steal that idea !!!

[Artobans Ghost]

Mister stupid wanders in from the rain and asks- is that a plastic steam tank? With the riders. Never seen or knew it existed.

[Rogers Kul]

They are all plastic steam tanks except for the middle one.
But I wanted a different look for every one of them. The crew you mention comes from militia, rangers (is that the english name for archers skirmishers?), handgunners and spearmen sprues.

[Rogers Kul]

Some more updates.

Firstly, about gaming.
In order to make the game day easier and confortable, we're preparing a special army list. An ordinary army list would take it about 30 pages... and this is not very useful. In contrast, all random heroes will carry the same equipment, as follows:



And for special characters we're making cards, like Warhammer Invasion, Magic the Gathering or things like this. This is a first approach:



This will make far easier :
1)to recognize special characters on the table by both sides
2)to share stats and special rules also for both sides.
There is a complete description on the blog.


Meanwhile, in terms of modelling...
I'm working on a very special filler: the burgmaster of Marienburg, who will be the filler for another horde of greatswords (they will represent his personal bodyguard)









I'm waiting to find a proper lady to sit inside it.

[Xathrodox86]

Great work on those character sheets and that couch looks ace. I can't wait to see it painted.