Projects Halted for Necessary project

[Terry37]

Yep, once again I am having to put nearly completed projects on hold due to the time constraint on creating another project. This time, my secret army for this years GBnUIT.  I have already completed my research and begun the conversion work needed and the clean up of the figures, which is more of a refresh of a long interesting subject from an earlier DBA-HX army I did years ago (you can see it here - http://miniatureminions.blogspot.com/search/label/Tlaxcallans .

My new army will be a HOTT army and full of some very fun elements. The new army will be an Aztec army, compete with Jaguar warriors riding on jaguars, eagle warriors riding on the wings of an eagle, Quetzalcoatl as a Dragon, as a Behemoth and an abundance of suited warriors and peasant types!

Here's he official army list:


1 x Blade – General @ 2 AP                                                          2 pts
1 x Flyer – Eagle Warriors @ 2 AP                                       2 pts
1 x Beast – Jaguar Warriors on jaguars @ 2 AP                         2 pts
2 x Blades – Suit Warriors @ 2 AP                                                4 pts
2 x Warband – Cuachiqueh and Otomi @ 2 AP                          4 pts
2 x Shooter – Bow/ Atlatl/ Slingers @ 2 AP                                4 pts
2 x Horde – 0 to 1 Captive Warriors @ 1 AP                               2 pts
1 x Dragon – Quetzalcoatl @ 4 AP                                                4 pts
Total                                                                                                  24 pts

Alternate: Replace Dragon with a Behemoth – Demon @ 4 AP, or a Hero
@ 4 AP.
Stronghold – Aztec village or peasants with supplies and armed guard

More to follow

Terry

[mmcv]

Those Tlaxcallans are lovely, such vibrant colours. Will follow this with interest, strongly considering an Aztec project myself in the near future from the Pendraken range.

[Terry37]

MMCV, Thank you fr the kind words re my Tlaxcallans. They were a fun project that spanned  not quite 18 months, including nearly a year of research. i studied all of the codex I could find and havea  published copy of the Mendoza Codex that really helped, as well as the Leinzo Codex on the Tlaxcallans.

If you decide to pursue a Mesoamerican army, I will be happy to offer any help in understanding the society, uniforms, etc.  Their society was very ordered and had all sorts of strict guidelines that if disobeyed meant the death penalty - as an example, only nobles were allowed to wear cotton! Certain shield patterns were carried by certain ranks, and the same with back banners and hair style. The first two can be easily ascribed to, but re-doing haircuts is not worth it! 

I took a quick glance at the Pendraken line of Aztecs, and they are very nice. I don't know if fhe back banners and shields are separate, but am guessing the former is due to a separate pack of them being available. If shields aren't, no worry, just one less thing to have to glue on. One comment, I did notice is they offer 1 and 2 captive warriors in correct attire, but with incorrect shields. However, that is VERY easy to fix. The 1 and 2 captive warriors did not have the feathers hanging down at the bottom edge of their shield, so just remove them. I am primarily using Essex figures as I game in 15 MM, and have ot do the same for my peasants and 1 and 2 captive warriors.


Although my HOTT Aztec army is for a fantasy set of rules, with some fantasy elements, the dress, shields and banners will all be accurate based on current knowledge and material available.

Thanks again,

Terry

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Black Hat range are worth a look at, I did Pete's for him recently.
Recent - three years...
http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,13704.0.html

[Techno]

Look forward to seeing those. Terry. 

Yes....The back banners are separate pieces.....Don't think I made any 'add on shields', though.

Cheers - Phil

[Steve J]

Looking forward to seeing the first conversions for these

[mmcv]

Thanks for the info Terry, I'm also doing a good bit of research, including what I can find of the codex pictures online, some audio lectures, osprey books and working through Ross Hassig's Aztec Warfare, which is full of great information. Think I've a good plan of attack for organising the units and some styling for them. Aiming for doing some earlier period Aztecs, around the rise of the triple alliance, with possibly some home brew rule adaptions to represent the distinct nature of the warfare at the time.

Would love to do some Maya too, but have only come across a few who do them and mostly in bigger scales. A lot less info on Maya warfare about unfortunately but a fascinating culture nonetheless.

[Terry37]

A friend did Mayans using Essex Aztecs. I don't know enough off hand to really talk about them with any detail, but do have some info. Sounds like you are well under way then. Chronofus was the best site, but sadly, the last time I checked it had been hacked with a nasty virus. Fortunately I printed off a ton of stuff from him, and it is very detailed and aimed at gamers and figure painters.

I will be sharing a progress report with pictures as my Aztecs progress. Right now there isn't much to see, but a bunch of bare metal figures in he cleaning process. I am also waiting for an Essex order to arrive with a few 28 MM skeleton and zombie types for a head transplant for my Behemoth/Demon - Mictlantecuhtli. Yesterday I cleaned the two Warband elements, did the new wings for Quetzalcoatl, and did the necessary work to convert a standing Eagle warrior so he would fit astride a large eagle figure. I hope to do more work today on the Blade, Beast and general's element.

More to follow,

Terry

PS, I have some of the Black Hat Aztecs and I really like them, but find they are a large figure, more like 20 MM. I still cut bits off of them to enhance my 15 MM figures.

[Terry37]

A little more progress made today. The Jaguar/ocelot warriors were modified and ready to mount on the jaguar figures and the general's element was created, requiring  a conversion of two of the four figures that go on that base. One is a demon of the dark warrior priest of high rank, tzitmitl converted  from a coyote warrior figure and the other a standard bearer converted from a Cuexo figure.

A very fun project indeed!

Terry

[Steve J]

Sounds like you are very busy Terry and look forward to the first pics .

[Terry37]

Making progress and am truly excited about how this is turning out so far! Of course the real story will be when I go to paint it, but the figures are super fun, especially all of the converted ones. All of the figures, save one, are now cleaned, converted, holes drilled for back banners,  and additional feather plumage, filed and sanded. Tomorrow I will finish up the shields (have to match the right shield with the right feather suit, etc., as I did with the back banners) and glue both them and the back banners in place. Then they'll be ready to glue to painting sticks - and the painting will involve a LOT of very pretty colors! Once they are glued to the painting sticks and primed, I'll share some pictures of them before the painting starts, which will at least give you an idea of what the army will look like.

I have decided to add a "man" version of Quetzalcoatl to the base with the Dragon. I'll use a large-ish 18-20 MM figure, but nor as large as a 28 MM, since my behemoth is a 28 MM figure. I'll also start working on him tomorrow too.

The only figure I've not done anything on yet is the Behemoth, because I am waiting for a small figure order to arrive with a few 28 MM skeletons and zombies ot see which  head to use as a transplant for making  Mictlantecuhtli (pron. Mict-lan-te-cuht-li).

More soon,

Terry

[Terry37]

Alright then, got the figures glued to painting sticks and primed so they are easier to see, but no painting done yet. A least you will have an idea of what the army looks like, but it is hard to imagine the profusion of color that will be involved! An X next to a figure indicates that some conversion was done that may not be apparent.



Here's the command element. A general (Patzactli), a demon warrior (Tzitzmitl), a flag bearer (Cuextecatl, flag not yet installed) and a trumpeter.



Two elements of heavy hitters - assorted higher ranking suit warriors.


Two elements of Warband -  Otomi in the back, and Cuachiqueh in the front.


My Eagle warrior. He won't be as colorful as most of the others due to his suit being primarily brown from the use of eagle feathers. But he'll still make a neat element.


My Dragon element - Quetzacoatl. This is a beautiful figure from Reaper Miniatures, but I replaced the wings they provided for two reasons. First, their wings stretched a good 8+ inches across, which on a 2 foot board makes it too overpowering. Second, because the wing they supply is very flat and the metal does not have any tolerance for bending, and thus made the figure overall look flat. So, I took an extra eagle figure like my Eagle warrior is riding and used the wings from it (a fun two hour plus effort), and I like the look much better. I also had to create a base that would support the figure as he comes with a round plastic base for skirmish type play.


My two Shooter elements - bows and atlatl.


Two Horde elements of 0-1 captive warriors each commanded by a higher ranking warrior.

Not pictures is my Behemoth element which will be Mictlantecutil, Demon of the Dark. I am using this figure (https://www.essexminiatures.co.uk/collections/25mm-fantasy-undead/products/q121) as the base figure but heavily modified. He'll have a feather shield in his left hand, and a macuahuitl in his right hand, feathers added to his head, bones through his ear lobes, a loincloth and some kind of paper looking banner (all taken from his description). On the base with him will be a dog with a human skull head, also a conversion (from a saber tooth tiger for the body and a skeleton head from a skeleton figure). He is proving a fun challenge. FYI, he had rule over dogs, owls and...shudder - spiders. You can be assured there will be NO spiders used - EVER!

Also not pictured is the human form of Quetzacoatl which I am also working on, another involved conversion.

More to follow as I am now starting to paint them.

Terry

[Duke Speedy of Leighton]

Great work.
Love the Quazicotal conversion.

[Steve J]

They should look stunning once painted.

[paulr]

 

Looking forward to seeing these painted