Tuesday 11 June 2013

Warhammer Projects 1: The Zandri Blackshields

I mostly “retired” from playing Warhammer a few years ago. I kept up to date, played a few games with old armies (my ever-trusty Vampire Counts in the main) but I fell out of love with the local gaming club scene. There were too many gits, quite frankly. I met lovely people through those clubs but for each fun, friendly game there were many more against overly-competitive, foul tempered rules lawyers.

A few months ago the local GW (and, I'm lead to believe, many more across the country) stopped running games nights. I have to say I approved, mainly because I just wasn't enjoying them anymore. At the same time my friend Dave moved into a larger flat and decided he had room for a gaming table. It started out as a gaming group of three: me, Dave and my best friend Matt and others have joined since.

Playing against friends is so much more fun than trusting random strangers not to be annoying. However, the Vampire Counts have started to get a bit samey and predictable and I don't feel like expanding the army so I've decided to start a new one. Back when the new Tomb Kings book came out in 2010 I splurged on some of the newer box sets and a battalion, they've been sitting in a cupboard ever since. Just one of those impulse buys gamers make and then never get around to.

Its time to get around to it now and the inspiration for this is a little box out on page 36 of the Tomb Kings army book about Amanhotep the Intolerant:

“During the time of the Desertblood Crusades, a regiment of Bretonnian Knights returned fro Nekehara with the remains of what they believed to be Duke Cheldric, a hero whose daring quest into the Land of the Dead was the sstuff of legend. However, the Knights had actually returned to the Old World with the mumified body of King Amanhotep the Intolerant, who awakened after unknowingly being paraded up and down the length of Bretonnia and carried across a score of battlefields by zealous Battle Pilgrims. Amanhotep's wrath was great indeed, and he singlehandedly slaughtered the inhabitants of dozens of towns before returning to his sarcophagus in Zandri.”

I love a good villain, me. I also have this image in my head of an undead, embalmed Victor Meldrew. He's also from Zandri. There's also a mention on page 17 under the heading “Legions of Legend” to “the Zandri Blackshields” which seems a simple enough colour scheme to give the army a nice, unified look.

I also have to do some work to get my painting skills back up to scratch so a simple palate of bone and black seems a good place to start.

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