The Empire Strikes Back - oldhammer on a budget

Tullaris · May 14, 2023

When I started my Bretonnian army made mostly of historical miniatures I also wanted to do the same with my Empire force. Since then I've collected a lot of miniatures and only just started to paint them.
I couldn't decide if I should make a Wissenland or an Averlander army So I'm dividing this army into both Averland AND Wissenland.
The Averlanders will be a little more flamboyant looking with lots of Landsknecht miniatures while the Wissenlanders will have a more practical/industrial look to them using Perry miniatures mostly.

So here goes. 3rd edition Empire army on a budget. (because damn these are cheap compared to gw stuff)

20 Helblitzen made of Landsknechts from Warlord games. The armor was just painted with chainmail silver and then coated with a black wash.

30 Ersatzsolders with pikes, the core of the army. Unlike The halberdiers I've painted their armour the old fashioned way, starting with boltgun metal, Nuln wash followed by chainmail and mithril silver highlights. The leaders armour has not been sprayed with matt varnish. Seeing the comparison with rest of the unit, I need to rethink how to proceed in the future.

The following 3 characters are all from Steelfist miniatures which have a great selection of renaissance miniatures.

Reichsgeneralfeldmarschall Maximillian Adler. Graduated in the highest honours from the Military Academy in Nuln. A great tactician and the primary spokesman for the imperial decree of drafting the freeloading halflings into the army as custom was in ye olden day.

General Von Hapen. I can see a lot of flaws in the paintjob when zooming this much in on the miniatures.

Colonel Kramer. He used to be a lumberjack like his dear ol' papa. And it's ok.

Well this is a good size able start to my army.

That was all for now. Next time the Moot gets drafted.

jon_1066 · May 15, 2023

Looking great. I have a bunch of middle hammer empire sprues and a bunch of Perry medieval mercenaries I am planning something similar for - they are slightly earlier so less puff and slash (as I can't stand painting them!)

KingOfTheLeadPile · May 15, 2023

Looking great. Makes me want to revisit my Empire army... and with re-visit I mean starting a new one from scratch with non-GW models... if I just had more time...

Tullaris · May 17, 2023

jon_1066":3iext4nv said:
Looking great. I have a bunch of middle hammer empire sprues and a bunch of Perry medieval mercenaries I am planning something similar for - they are slightly earlier so less puff and slash (as I can't stand painting them!)

Thank you. My Wissenlanders will be mostly Perry miniatures from the mercenary set as well. So less puff and slash for them. I want them to look a little more functional than the Averlanders, also with more helmets than hats.

Tullaris · May 17, 2023

KingOfTheLeadPile":3oiqskqt said:
Looking great. Makes me want to revisit my Empire army... and with re-visit I mean starting a new one from scratch with non-GW models... if I just had more time...

Thx

I have boxed my GW bretonnians and Empire armies. I just think these look so much better.

twisted moon · May 30, 2023

nice work.

Tullaris · Jun 11, 2023

twisted moon said:
nice work.

Thank you

Tullaris · Jun 11, 2023

Here's starts the Halfling portion of the army drawing from the Halfling page of the allies section in the armies book.

Robin Foot and his merry archers.

Some spearmen of less repute.

To oversee the not volunteer draft of the Moot, are from left to right: Oswald Grabblepot, Grand Gov William j. Le Petomane. Heddy Lamarr... sorry that's HEDLEY. And Lili von Shtupp, grand sorceress. The 3 first mentioned are not actually a part of the fighting force. I just made them for fun and will probably stack them on the baggage train.

Lili or Cordelia Firecracker as she was originally called, before changing her name, when she was sent to the colleges of magic, will be the army's spellcaster. I'll either keep the model and just use the human profile in the army list, or break the law and include her as a halfling wizard.

"Cordelia" was a menace back home, accidentally lighting things on fire on a regular basis, with her cantrips. Then the townsfolk had the brilliant idea to convince her that a magician of such skill should not let her talents be wasted, but hone her skills at the Colleges of Magic. Touched by their caring monologue she agreed. And thus the townsfolk gathered all the money they could spare to send her off. And there was much rejoicing.

The allied force is led by Sir Humphrey Lord of Carrots. And Bill the pony.

The Moot is a dangerous place for wandering greenskins

Halflings on the march.

The spearmen and archers are from Maxminishop.com. Lili is from reaper miniatures. As for the rest, unfortunately I can't remember, I've had them for years.

Plaiecivile · Jun 16, 2023

Sir Humphrey Lord of Carrots is such a nice execution and in line with what Halflings are about! Robin Foot to stands out in a good way, this is a great battle force! You will need hills with round doors and windows sooner than lather

Tullaris · Jun 19, 2023

Plaiecivile said:
Sir Humphrey Lord of Carrots is such a nice execution and in line with what Halflings are about! Robin Foot to stands out in a good way, this is a great battle force! You will need hills with round doors and windows sooner than lather

Thx. I'll think about the hill houses

twisted moon · Jun 22, 2023

good stuff, though i'm not sure about a bearded halfling. presumably it's stuck on.

ManicMan · Jun 22, 2023

Halflings are normally very hairy.. same archtype as hobbits, who are hairy

symphonicpoet · Jun 22, 2023

^That's just their feet. I don't believe that Tolkien states hobbits never have beards, but he does at least seem to apply it's rare. He divides hobbits into three broad types, the most numerous and characteristic of which, the Harfoots, he does say are beardless. (To which group Sam at least appears to belong, and probably Frodo and Bilbo also.) The Fallohides (to which group Pippin probably belongs) and Stoors (Merry's branch) are both smaller and more atypical and Tolkien doesn't directly discuss the group facial hair status, but given how much ink he spills describing other people's beards I take it to mean anyone whose beard isn't mentioned safely doesn't have one. That said, I'm certainly not offended by bearded halflings. Or even beardless dwarves. (Though that last does always look a bit strange to me.) And the beardy halflings here look fine and lovely. Maybe the beady ones are all just some Tom fool of a Took or other of great age and status. "Tall" and "skinny" Fallohides leading their brethren into the irksome effort of battle.

ManicMan · Jun 22, 2023

probebly.. not really a Tolkien fan, though Hobbits are meant to have small feet but often showned as having big ones for some reason if i remember right.

yep, just checked up and Tolkien said of Hobbits: "The Feet from the ankles down, covered with Brown hairy fur that are extremely small." most things seam to hve only hair on the ankles and large feet but.. yep, should be small.

symphonicpoet · Jun 23, 2023

The 1977 Ranking/Bass film adaptation of The Hobbit had a pretty profound impact on how we think of both hobbits and really also dwarves. Maybe as big and important as Citadel's impact on how we think of orcs and goblins visually. Mind you, Tolkien wasn't terribly fond of that adaptation, so . . . your point stands. But I don't think I've ever really seen anyone's art that followed his descriptions terribly closely. (Jackson's least of all.)

ManicMan · Jun 23, 2023

Jackson's work is just insulting (not just his Tolkien stuff), the Rankin/Bass was animated by Topcraft, a good company that later kinda became Studio Ghibli, though no clue why the art style (which was Rankin/Bass designed) changed for the sequel) but personally.. Bakshi version is probebly closest

Fimm McCool · Jun 23, 2023

There is one particular clan of hobbits that are distinguished by the ability to grow beards (can't remember which, maybe the Harfoots?), implying that others don't. However I am also not averse to bearded halflings, I have several in my force.

symphonicpoet · Jun 24, 2023

^I'd guess it was the Stoors. The Brandybucks and most Bucklanders are Stoors. They're pretty singular in several ways, being the only hobbits that really wear shoes on anything like a regular basis, and Tolkien does describe them as hairier. Doesn't mention beards in the introduction, but it's been a minute since I've read the whole story. (And longer still since I read any of the other material.) He specifically says the Harfoots don't have beards. They're your typical background hobbit. Samwise, presumably. Darker hair, somewhat darker complexions. Clean, round, rosey, and hairless faces. Hairy feet. Lovers of farm and field. The ones who really really like the living in holes thing. The Fallohides are taller, more slender, paler of complexion, and they have lighter hair. They love hills and woods, hunting, and even adventuring. He gives the Tooks as a specific example of the type, so Pippin. The Stoors, by contrast are broader and bigger, but usually not as tall. Hairier. Lovers of rivers. Ergo Bucklanders, and thus Merry.

Anyway, The Rankin/Bass Hobbit is a thing of my youth. Saw their takes on the Lord of the Rings as well, of course, though maybe never in completion. And also the Bakshi, which I am inclined to agree is probably the closest. (Though as memory serves it still has pointy eared elves, but maybe I'm wrong about that. Ought to give it another watch.)

Did not know that Rankin/Bass had any relation to Studio Ghibli, though I suppose that explains a few things. Glad to see that their legacy is still out there. They did really great work.

ManicMan · Jun 24, 2023

more via Topcraft, who did alot of the animation for Rankin/Bass (Including The Last Unicorn. While they removes some of the bits from the book to cut down, it does a good job and is my view of what a Unicorn is. As in NOT a Horse with a Horn, but a Horse-like creature, with more slender legs like a Deer, far more 'beautyful', head more like a Deer too)

Tullaris · Jul 25, 2023

Newest unit:
Reiksguard on foot. I figured black armour would be a nice fit for Averland. they are made from men-at arms from Perryminiatures, with some arms from my agincourt knights leftovers, and one or two landsknecht arms.