28 April 2010

Some Thoughts On the Empire

This is not a tactics or army list review, just some thoughts I had while putting my figures together over the last couple of weeks. The first thing I want to say is that I really hate two-handed weapons. The Greatswords have half the hilt of their swords in each hand, so you have to make the arms line up just so or the hilt will look wonky. Usually at the point where the arms would line up the torso would have some kind of ornament that needed cut off to allow for arm positioning or the head wouldn't fit due to a wide brim or a feather. It was frustrating, but I think they are mostly good to go now.

The Mortar kit went together pretty quickly with no major problems. I did have a little trouble with the guy holding the big Q-tip, though, as his gunnery implement has two arms attached to it. The angle of the arms didn't quite match up with the mounting points on the torso, so there were some gaps that had to be dealt with.

I built a Halberdier tonight to see how they would work out. Again with the two-handed weapons. The bodies and legs all come as one piece, so the figures go together pretty quickly once the mold lines and flash are cleaned up. The arms again do not come off the weapon at quite the right angles to match up, and some of the figures have junk hanging on their belts that interferes with proper arm positioning. It's not too big of a deal, though, and I am still enjoying the process.

I've been mixing and matching some parts from kit to kit in an attempt to build some flavor and a story into the army. The Greatswords and later on some Swordsmen will represent troops from Middenheim who have been dispatched to the outskirts of Middenland to aid in stopping the Beastmen raids. As they come from the big capital city, they are being modeled with nicer equipment and the heads with feathers on the caps. I've also tried to pick heads for them with more facial hair; perhaps in the city it's fashionable to have a beard.

The local militia don't get the fancy equipment or any plumage on their heads. They are pretty bare-bones (some even have bare feet) and will probably be painted less uniformly than the big-city regiments.

The Flagellants are nutters and will probably just wear whatever they want. Arguing with a fanatic about uniforms is a surefire way to waste your time and breath, so it's probably best just to point them in the direction of the enemy and hope they do some damage.

I haven't quite decided on an Order for my Knights to hail from. There are plenty out there, but I am wishy-washy when it comes to settling on one. That will probably take a while.

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