Slann Renegade with looted weapons (1984)

This mini comes from the Magnificent Sven scenario, published in 1984, and it is classified as "Slann warrior". The sculpt is from the Perry Twins. What I love about this Slann are the details that make it special: the crest over the head, making it look special and "punk"; the interesting mix of traditional Slann and metal weapons, which gives it the look of a deserter with looted equipment. The slightly crouched, defensive position, as if about to ambush an enemy.

Besides Imperial Slann and Savage Slann, an interesting and often overlooked faction of Lustria are the Renegade Slann. Those born within the Empire who, for practical or ideological reasons, forsake it and live as outlaws. They may be deserters from the Imperial Army, religious or political dissidents, escaped criminals. Sometimes simply followers of the Forbidden Gods.

They survive on the outskirts of the Slann Empire as bandits, smugglers or mercenaries. They are generally nomadic, always on the run from their foes, but sometimes they may form permanent communities. Unlike Imperial Slann, they have no qualms about adopting foreign customs - they are fond of iron and steel weaponry and they are ready to learn the lore of the ghanazil (non-Lustrians) - if those serve their purpose.

 

Kimril Giantslayer and WFRP's Trollslayer

I've painted my first Trollslayer. Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhhh!

Allow me a bit of hype. Not only it is a nice miniature, but it is also an iconic one - and thanks to Hobgoblin Orange blog for the mine of information about it.

This is not only a Trollslayer, but the very first Slayer in the history of Slayers. A first stub of the idea nehind Slayers already emerged in the Magnificent Sven scenario published in 1984, where in the infamous Packet Inn of Iquitos (in Lustria) one would find Juggo Joriksonn, a Dwarf Berserker covered in tattoos and affected by alcoholism and frenzy.

His most striking features are his sunken, bloodshot eyes and his awful complexion. He is in the habit of dyeing his hair torquiose [sic] and greasing it with pig fat. Its spiked and sticks out at surprising angles.

Juggo Joriksonn by Aly Morrison

In 1985 Citadel launched the Dwarf Lords of Legend Box which included, among others, a miniature obviously inspired to Juggo and Dwarf Bersekers: Kimril Giantslayer. The Perry Twins made an excellent job (as usual) with these miniatures, and Kimril somehow struck a chord.

Cover by John Blanche. Kimril second row left.

In 1986 WFRP was published, and here the concept of Slayer was first detailed with their belief in atoning shame with a honourable death:

Troll Slayers can be recognised easily by their hair, which is spiked and dyed orange, and by the many tattoos which cover their bodies. They also favour exotic jewellery, such as earrings and nose plugs. They spend a great deal of their time boasting of their exploits and showing off their many scars, and often indulge in bouts of overeating, fasting, and excessive consumption of stimulants.

Those who did not find death as Troll Slayers could eventually become Giant Slayers, or Slayers of whatever monster their obsessions would pick.

Troll Slayers became instant classics, thanks also to the cover made by John Sibbick for WFRP.

The rest, as they say, is History.

Charging here...

Charging there...

MORGRIM NO!

Citadel C04 Nathpiniel Sneaker the Cut-Throat aka Palliard (1986)

The C04 series, by the Perry twins, is one of the nicest series in terms of variety and dynamism. This one, presented in the Jan 1986 flyer, is called either Nathpiniel Sneaker the Cut-Throat or, on the tab, Palliard, being a word for "beggar" or "vagrant" (not to be confused with paillard, which is a thin slice of meat, so be careful when you google it).

With his ragged tunic and good and bare feet, the Palliard looks perfect, as he turns to strike an unsuspecting victim, probably ambushed in a dark corner, with his club. Poorest of the poor, meanest of the mean.

He's been cast as "Petty Thief" in my Coldwood Smugglers warband for Mordheim. I suspect he'll come handy whenever my WFRP players meet some cut-throat in some city or town.

Citadel D4 Dwarf Adventurer - Gargul Gunner a.k.a. Prof (1987)

 

This nice little chap is a D4 Dwarf Aventurer sculpted by the Perry Twins. It was first presented in the Citadel Journal of Spring 1987 as "Gargul Gunner", even though the tag on the miniature reads "Prof"; and indeed he has the looks of a professor, with his little glasses on the nose. Certainly not a professor you want to upset, considering the way he points his gun. In later catalogues, he goes by the more generic name of "Dwarf with blunderbuss"

Adventurers are probably my favourite miniatures, laden as they are with bags and tools, and this one is no exception: with his backpack, boots, mail jerkin and wide-brimmed hat he looks ready for anything.

Bolibar the Toad-Slann - Pintamilkada from Citadel C32 Pintamilkada Slann (1986)

This glorious Slann from the C32 range, sculpted by the Perry Twins, is obviously depicting the so-called Toad-Slann, the Emperor's favourite warleaders, blessed with a higher ascendancy compared to common Slann.

His head seems bulkier than other Slann figures in the same range, and he sports a heavy armour and fancy decorations that mark him as a leader. Specifically, he will be the leader of my Slann warband: Bolibar the Great, famous general and fearsome warrior among the Imperial Slann.

I painted his skin a darker shade of green compared to other Slann, to make him more fearsome, and I gave him colourful feathers and plumes to help him stand out. I am not so happy with the yellow of the eyes, armour and the feathers, that looks way too similar to each other. Perhaps one day I'll change them. Notice the obsidian head of his polearm and the jade decorations on his halberd and his lips: the only metal element is his golden armband.

The figure is nice but the paintjob is a bit dull: I need to experiment more, but I learn a couple of useful lessons here, about what not to do :)

WFRP Gamekeeper Art

This post might sound a bit like I'm bragging, so forgive me, but when one is an art geek, few things make him or her more excited that being able to connect two dots together: to fish into the ocean of details learned and committed to memory, and draw an imaginary line to link them, and tie them into something larger and closer to "the whole picture'.

This is what happened to me when I was able to get an original painting of the Gamekeeper WFRP career, by the legendary Tony Ackland, which now sits in my study, just under the Minstrel.

This picture is where everything started - in 1984-85 T. Ackland was commissioned a set of careers for the publishing of WFRP; he drew this among many, and it eventually made it to the final cut (some careers were expunged for space at the last moment).

In 1985 miniatures were also commissioned by GW to the Perry twins, to go with the forthcoming RPG; among them the C07 Ranger series.
 

In this range, the Gamekeeper appeared as per Ackland's illustration. And below is my copy, painted.

 

This is how the illustration appeared in the WFRP 1ed Core Rules, published in 1986.

This is hardly the only example: it was normal in GW, at the time, to have a direct cooperation between illustrators and sculptors, each influencing each other. Concept art was created all the time and then another artist would elaborate on that, and that is, in my opinion, what made the Golden Age GW so great. Each and every artist was good and had his/her own style, but all were working in harmony under the wise supervision of J. Blanche.

Do you know any other example of  this? Share it! It's awlays nice to dig into the creative process that led to some of the best gaming products ever, which today we simply classify as: Oldhammer.

Syssghar the Blademaster - Citadel C32 Slann "Cupacocoa" (1986)

I've looked a long time for this miniature, and when I finally got it on eBay I had to pay a dear price for it, but it was worth it. Perry Brothers's "Cupacocoa" from the Citadel C32 Slann range, first seen on the March 1986 Flyer.

This was the miniature that inspired an unforgettable NPCs in our WFRP game, Syssghar, one of the minions of the mad Slann Wizard Anguissh: he was the honourable nemesis to my Sea Elf PC for a long time, before becoming his friend and ally against the Wizard, who had gone just too far in his research on Gods and Chaos. The best part is that the double knife wielding martial artist is still around in the campaign, a renegade to his own people, hiding somewhere in the slums of Luccini where he probably makes a living as an assassin for the local mobsters.

This miniature is sensational because it is one of the most dynamic from the Golden Age. The combat pose is wide (it actually requires a larger base) and gives the idea of a character ready to leap and strike at any moment. It sums the agility and deadliness of Slann warriors, often underestimated as wild barbarians, but actually possessed of remarkable quickness and combat technique.

The sculpt is full of little details, from the jewellery to the stripes hanging from the headset and the collar. Feathers crown the headset and the belt. Metal rings decorate arms and legs, and more rings are hung at the ears (?) and the neck. The blades are one curved and one straight, suggesting a complementary use within a complex attack and defence system.

I just love it, period. Soon I'll post more Slann - with my Lustria Sourcebook project ongoing, I just can't stop the good vibe about them :)

Rombustus Sellsword - Citadel F2 Fighter (1985)

 
This figure of a fighter is marked with the year 1985 but the first picture of it I found is in the Citadel Journal of 1987 where it is included in the F2 Fighters range as Rombustus Sellword. The range is "designed by Aly Morrison, Trish Morrison, Alan & Michael Perry". Which one is the author of this specific sculpt is difficult to say - to me it looks more Morrisonian than Perryish, but I couldn't say which sibling fathered (or mothered) Rombustus.

Our hero boldly strides forward, in a powerful but relaxed way, looking slightly to his left. He carries his shield (currently on the do list) in the left hand, completely lowered, and his bastard sword is levered on his right shoulder, to carry its weight more easily. Rombustus wears high boots and clothes with fashionable slashes on the knees and the whole left arm; his head is adorned with a plumed hat. Plate armour protects his body, waits and right arm up to the hand and is partially covered by an overcoat.

Clearly fond of his image, Rombustus deserved a bright paint-job. I went for a yellow and red scheme on the dress, complemented by green on the overcoat. The rest was left in natural colours, with dark brown leather and metal armour.

I'm overall happy with the result, although painting the slashes on the cloth was really difficult and it didn't turn out as bright and clear as I hoped. I'm currently using this miniature to represent the Protagonist in our latest WFRP game, but it will soon be replaced and Rombustus will make a great mercenary official, guard captain or élite bodyguard.

The Gamekeeper - Citadel Ranger C07 (1985)

 

In late 1985 Citadel issued one of the nicest series ever, the C07 Rangers. What was special about this range was that all the figures had been sculpted - by none other than the Perry twins - on the base of Tony Ackland's Ranger careers illustrations from the upcoming Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, published the following year.

If you have played WFRP and, as a teenager, spent whole afternoons pondering your PC's future career path while looking at Tony Ackland's drawings, you may well understand why this post is tagged #iconic.

 

This is the description of the Gamekeeper career from the rulebook:

Most Old World landowners employ Game­keepers to look after their estates, woodlands or hunting parks. Gamekeepers look on trespassers with deep and sometimes fatal suspicion. The arch­enemy of the Gamekeeper is the Poacher, who seeks to make a living by trapping or shooting animals or birds. Every Game­keeper likes to boast of his victories over these elusive and devious opponents. Poachers and Gamekeepers can be thought of as opposite sides of the same coin, and players with Gamekeeper characters of a Neutral, Evil or Chaotic Alignment may choose to be Poachers instead. Gamekeepers or Poachers may take this career a second time, taking the 'op­posite' career, following the normal pro­cedures for changing careers.

This was the true spirit of the Old World setting that, unfortunately, has largely been lost over the years to grimdark tones. Nowadays the archenemy of Gamekeepers are probably Chaos Beastmen (or Gors, as the fluff goes) and these professional are seldom seen without a trusty gunblade and a number of skulls attached to their belt. But enough of grumbling, as this post is not tagged as #grognard.

No grim trophies or fancy firearms for our Gamekeeper, but rather a bow, a quiver slung over the shoulder, a pouch, a dagger and a sword hung at the belt. He wears shoes and gaiters, breeches, a cape with lobed edges over a long tunic, and a hat with folded edges. Looking at him we know he cares about practicality and comfort, but at the same time he or his master are able to afford good quality clothes. He's fully equipped for adventure and he seems to be moving a branch aside to spy on something or someone.

In case you didn't notice, I used a different approach at painting this time. Since I had used practically all my dull greens for the different layers of clothing, my only option was to highlight with the original colour of each layer mixed with white. The final effect is less realistic but more like a painting, I find. I am not totally displeased with this approach and I might use it again in the future, especially for monochromatic colour schemes. Of course in this case the figure is not only green, but has been balanced with a range of warm browns.
 
Looking back at it, if I had to paint it again I would break the dark greens with some lighter ones to create more contrast. But this time I'll just be happy with this!

The Mugger - Citadel C05 Thief (1986)

In 1986 Citadel issued a C04 range dedicated to Thieves. The selection of shady characters, all sculpted by the Perry twins, was impressive and drew extensively from the stereotypes of heroic fantasy.

Each of the characters is named, and the one I finished painting this week is recorded as Elshender Nightman, a good fantasy name for a cut-throat. The slotta of the miniature simply records him as "Mugger".

The sculpt, as by the standards of the Perry twins, is nice and full of character and detail. The Mugger is in combat stance, dagger drawn and pointed at the enemy, ready to strike. From his shoulder hangs a large bag, and from the belt another smaller one and a short sword. Clearly an adventuring type, our rogue cares to wear a leather jacket over his shirt, and a coif which could well be made of leather. His pants are tucked into boots more suited for a traveller than a small town criminal.

This is great to represent both a PC and any NPC with a criminal background. This is old school at its best. Love it!