torstai 2. maaliskuuta 2017

Guardians of the Dawnspire

Greetings!

During the amazing local league I finished my Aelven battalion faster than any of my previous armies ever, and now I've also done the few final touches on their bases. What does this mean? A new Army Showcase, of course!

Here are my brave and battle-hardened Guardians of the Dawnspire:


This army consists of all the models in the Spire of Dawn boxed set plus 10 additional Spireguard to bolster their numbers. There are already reinforcements on the way for this merry lot but for now I'll focus on painting my 60 Duardin infantry waiting in the corner of my workbench...

To say a few words on the colour scheme, I wanted to go for a pale palette with only a few starker colours mixed in. I tried to maintain a high-fantasy feel that'd look more like Age of Sigmar rather than the High Elves of WHFB.
When it comes to their bases I went for a rough and barren-looking terrain with only scarce vegetation to imply that the Spire they garrison is located in a place more interesting than just bright-green meadows and magical bushes. Or perhaps they're on a counter-attack into an evil territory? The options are limitless.


The very first unit of the army and the one I practiced the colour scheme on: 20 Spireguard by the name of Imladrik's Legion. Who's Imladrik, then? We'll get to that later on.

The heraldry on their shields is that of the Order of the Moonserpent, a silver sea monster plunging up from pure waters under a night sky. The same scene is depicted on the unit's banners along with runes of bravery and protection.
The Order is a force to be reckoned with, as the equipment of these warriors betokens: despite being militia levied from local Aelven population each warrior bears gilded armour and many precious gemstones on his person, a testament to their people's wealth and prosperity.
Together these stalwart souls have faced the violent menace of greenskins, the vile sorceries of the Dark Gods' servants and the avalanche of flesh brought upon them by nomad ogors. Through this all they held firm the wall of shields, readily stepping up to take the places of their fallen comrades as they fought for all that is good and pure.

But who is Imladrik?


This is Imladrik Beastbane, Watch Master of the Spireguard.

He is the unit champion of the aelven militia, a natural leader who excels at fighting all things bestial. His sword has dented the armour of Stormfiends, tasted the blood of Stonehorns and decapitated Bonesplitter Orruks while the wielder himself has kept his underlings in the fight by voicing encouraging warcries at times of despair.

One of Imladrik's mightiest feats was single-handedly killing off two Savage Orruk Arrowboys while his own warriors were falling around him, earning Aelves the necessary points to end the ill-going battle in a bloody stalemate rather than a defeat. In commemoration of this vital deed his base is now decorated by a decapitated orruk head.


The next infantry unit is the Swordmasters of Ifulvin's Escort.

Ten elite aelven warriors armed with eloquent greatblades which they wield with unnatural speed and dexterity, Bladelord Ifulvin and his brothers-in-arms act as personal bodyguards for the battalion's Archmage. In times of relative peace these warrior-mystics garrison the tower in which the mage resides, protecting the knowledge and research practiced within. Their blades are forged from the finest steel in the enchanted forges of their race, imbuing them with qualities beyond any ordinary weapons. Same goes for their azure lamellar armour which surpasses even the finest works of human smiths.


The army's main mobile force: Kidrion's Reavers

These skilled riders act as the eyes and ears of the garrison, watchfully patrolling the regions surrounding the Spire for any sign of unwanted visitors. Their parthian shots have thinned many an enemy formation eager enough to give chase to these expert horsemen. In times of dire need these agile warriors have even occasionally discarded their bows and plunged straight into the thick of the fight, their spears lowered and cries of defiance upon their lips.


The Spire's venerable Archmage, Aristeides Clearsight.

Using his incredible arcane powers, Aristeides has saved uncounted aelven lives during the many battles he has partaken by summoning Elemental Shields to ward off arrows, warpfire and hostile magic. Though there are a great many more powerful wizards in the Nine Realms than him, Aristeides Clearsight is well respected and coveted among the ranks of the Order of the Moonserpent for his capabilities in unbinding enemy spells.


Finally the lord of this host: High Warden Thoriol and his faithful griffon, Greyfeather.

Swooping down from the clouded skies the High Warden rips into enemy regiments like a comet of destruction, transfixing enemies with his starlance while the monster tears warriors limb from limb using its mighty claws. Thoriol's charge signals the Guardians of the Dawnspire to launch swift hit-and-run attacks that bloody the enemy before the aelves close in for the final killing blow.

In reality, he's so helpless in a battle that I took to comparing his power-level to that of a bullfinch. Hence the colour scheme. He has managed to kill a unit of Pink Horrors with the aid of a few volleys from the Spireguard, however, as well as several Chaos Warriors and even a couple of Dragon Ogors. He's not completely useless (especially with the warscroll battalion) but with only 10 Wounds he makes for a poor Behemoth that melts away too quickly without doing any serious damage. Let's just say it takes skill and patience to play him right and get the most out of him!


Well, that was the army showcase for my Aelves. I'll be back soon with more painting and a narrative battle report in the near future!





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