Topic: Return to the Empire & Landsknechts with Laser Guns

[BK]

After almost 15 years of abandonment (well, I did paint few models here and there but generally did not finish a single unit since 2009. I am getting back to this project. Stay tuned, and for a teaser there is this, mercenary Ogres, "Black Codpieces", made from Wargames Atlantic fantastic Landsknecht Ogres:




And what About "Landsknechts  with Laser Guns? Well, it is an ongoing 40k project of "feudal" imperial guard (and various additions, such as Sisters of Battle and Inquisition), also based on Empire models:

[BK]

More detailed pics of the ogres. Each one from a different province, with tiny bits of the "provincial character" here and there:
Altdorf/Marienburg (can work for both, my army is mostly Altdorf however):

Bogenhafen standard bearer. As someone coming from a rich town he has a pistol as a sidearm:

Musician is from Stirland, where he "acquired" double bass from a local Strigani musicians:

One from Nordland:

Carroburg Greatsword:

Ostlander hillbilly. Note simpler mace instead of sword as a sidearm

Hockland:

Middenheim. He has WW hammer as sidearm and since he is only one w/o headgear he is made to wear a sign that says "Has no hat":

One one from Ostermark, with Kislevite style sabre instead of regular sword  as sidearm:

[Rowsdower]

Great job

[Gankom]

Those look fantastic, well done!

[Warlord]

These are really nice to see. And well painted too! Love the mixed colour look.

[BK]

40k versions now
Regular Ogryns with guns:

Bullgryns, two shields were self made from plasticard, while Bone'ead has more advanced one:

More coming soon, there is a plenty of both WH and 40k stuff, most 40k stuff is finished, but I have to take photos of it, while Empire is in the process of long awaited overhaul.

[Sharkbelly]

Wow! Beautiful work. I love the choice of colors--bright but realistic and quite varied.

[BK]

Well, alive again and finally took some photos of the last 6 months of work.
For the beginning, Witch Hunter, made from one from Mordheim and metal pistoleer legs, on top of Reaper horse:

Warrior Priest of Sigmar, still missing shield, kitbash with Sigmarine head, plastic Greatsword torso, young Valten's hammer, on top of Highland's printed horse:

[BK]

"Striped pants", Tilean Mercenary Crossbowmen, old DoW Marksmen of Miragliano. Those old Perry twins sculpted miniatures are some of my all time favorites, really full of character and have aged really well:

Middenheim Crossbowmen, some old metal and some converted from 6th edition spearmen/handgunners:

More to come soon

[Rowsdower]

Always good to see old miniatures get new paint jobs

[BK]

Unit of Ostland mercenary cavalry.
Mix of Empire and Bretonian knights parts, champion is Bretonian Questing Knights with head swaps, one musician* is unconverted Bretonian Questing Knights Musician, Mordheim Reiklander, Marienburger and Freelancer and some old (and obscure) Zvezda "Royal Cavalry" bitz (one torso and helmet). Shields were 3d sculpted and printed by the friend because I could not find an appropriate shield with a bull's head. Their condottiero/chapter master is made from metal chaos knight and chaos marauder head.
*There are two musicians so I can play them as 2 x 5 with just musician.
Edit - right click and open pic in the new tab for a full resolution...

[Sigur]

Excellent Stuff. What do you make of the WA Landsknecht Ogres? I'm a bit on the fence about them, because I found the faces a bit bland looking thus far. However, yours look pretty darned nice. Do you happen to know how they measure up against other manufacturers' ogres?

[BK]

Excellent Stuff.

Thank you

What do you make of the WA Landsknecht Ogres? I'm a bit on the fence about them, because I found the faces a bit bland looking thus far. However, yours look pretty darned nice. Do you happen to know how they measure up against other manufacturers' ogres?

IMO WGA ogres are great for rank and file. I would not want to make a whole army out of those, but for a single unit (or unit fillers) they are good, especially if you kit them out with few more bits*. Faces are OK, they are ogres after all, no intention of winning beauty contest.
Re:size - they are smaller than Ogre Kingdom ogres, but are large enough to fit the scale well. They are also fully "Empire style" unlike OK ogres, so that is an additional plus. They are larger than (but would probably fit with) re-released Marauder ogres. They are larger than most of Foundry/Warmonger Great Orks/Ogres, those are fantastic (I have 12 of them...) they are OG Landsknecht Ogres, but some of them are barely larger than a Black Orc, as can be seen by the relative size of it on the 40x40mm base:

There are various digital 3d print ogres, some of them IIRC very good ones, but I did not want those, I picked WGA because with plastic miniatures I have more freedom how I assemble them, because making my miniatures "different" is a big part of the hobby for me.

*There is also very nice WGA Digital command group add-on for those that you can buy and 3d print, but it did not exist when I have converted those...

[Sigur]

Many thanks for the breakdown on the Ogres and how they compare to others out there. For the past days I was kinda taken with the MOM Miniatures ogres, but I may go with WA after all....

[BK]

MOM are ones that I have seriously considered, in the end WGA prevailed because of that "I want my minis to be at least a bit different" moment, and I  knew (from previous experience with them for 40k) that they are decent.

[Sigur]

Good point. I've also been nothing but impressed with WA's offering so far. They do plastics right, in that they make sets for which the material makes sense. I'm particularly taken with their "horses" and "giant spiders" boxes. Stuff like that. Also of course skeletons.

[BK]

More, archers, one unit from Middenheim. It is a mix of old metal archers, Bretonian from 5th edition starter with head swap and Zvezda Royal Infantry kitbashed with GW weapons and heads. After taking photo I have decided to change feathers color to yellow for some more contrast:


And one from Kislev, but with Middenheim elements, some Kossars, some Horse Archers torsos on empire legs and one converted from Bretonian M@A:

[Warlord]

Love your style of mixing in the odd mini from here and there. Makes your units have a much more unique look. Its my main worry for GWs new way of doing things - the individuality starts to go away and things look more generic.

[BK]

Agree, too uniform and it loses that "rag-tag" feel that appropriate period historical army also has. So I always focus on two things - heads and weapons. You can take most boring monopose miniatures and if you randomise heads and weapons a bit they will look way better as an unit.

Some more, random characters/champions:
Old Duke Moon as Middenlander and Lord Aquila as Bogenhafen characters:

Two Altdorf captains. Left one is free company legs + Zvezda torso and head:

Old empire command group champion and Mordheim Roadwarden on foot as Altdorf Champions:

[BK]

Mage on pegasus:

[Rowsdower]

Great job on the mage
Makes me wish i'd picked up more of those D.O.W when they were openly available

[BK]

Thank you
I got not one, but two of those, second one will be mounted on horse, with turquois dress. It is WiP ATM
OTOH, for rank and file DoW feel can be achieved by combining Perry Miniatures, Warlord and few other historical miniatures quite nicely.

[Rowsdower]

^
In an interview, the Perry brothers said they loved incorporating historical aspects into the sculpts. Its also why Empire pike men have such short weapons. Attempting to sculpt them in scale was a nightmare. AND anyone on a film set immediately regretted picking one up

[commandant]

Warlord do some really nice pikemen

[BK]

Old Knights Panther Grand Master, I have degraded him to unit champion for (WiP) unit of Knight Panthers.
Went with "Bretonian" style horses (from Highland Miniatures) to better fit very early ilustrations of Knight Panthers:

And my old conversion of Luthor Huss to warrior priest of Ulric: