Painters of Pannithor – Progress Report

Hey everyone, we're back with another Painters of Pannithor update! If you cast your mind back, you'll remember that a group of Kings of War fans agreed to start a new army and keep us updated about their hobby progress. You can read the first blog here. Anyway, let's crack on with today's blog and see how everyone is getting on...

PATRICK ZORO ALLEN

I’ve finally gotten back to my Trident Realm. These ensnarers were mostly painted already so I just had to finish the details and put them on the boat. This is only the top half of my ensnarer horde that I will entitle “Fury of the Sea”.  This piece is pretty much the reason I wanted to start a Trident Realm army so I’m excited to make some progress on it. There’s still a long way to go, as most of the piece will be beneath the waves. 

Gluing together the scene beneath the waves. The loose pieces will be floating in the resin once I pour it.

DANIEL CAMMACK

While I have a few models painted, it’s not enough for a full unit yet so I’ll dive into what I’ll be using for my bases. Improving my basing game was one of my major goals for this army so I was determined to make sure that I had a lot of variety on the bases. If you look at a jungle or forest floor closely, you will notice tons of different colors and textures up close that meld together to give a cohesive and natural feel/look at a distance. So, I utilized most of the basing material I’ve acquired over the years and added even more on top of that. Refer to the image below to see all the goods!

So major standouts are aquarium plants (!!), oil paints, handmade/baked(?) Sculpey tiles, various teas (love you IKEA cherry blossom green tea!) and the most important addition is Mantic’s very own battlefield ruins (amazing kit)! So a lot of natural elements to contrast the futuristic/mechanical Veer-myn which is right in theme of nature vs “the machine” and is the overall goal. Also, listening to a piano cover Ghibli Spotify playlist definitely helped me stay on theme and keep the creative juices flowing. The result of this hodgepodge can be seen below. Pleased with the result, by far my most intricate bases to date! Until next time!

GRANT FETTER

Like a good rug in a room, the bases really tie an army together. This undead army is going to thematically tie in with my existing Basilean army (Brothermark gone Vamp). It is important to make sure the bases closely resemble my past bases as well as each other. To do this I will assemble all the bases at the same time in an assembly line. There are more bases here than you will see in the completed "Hobby Blog Army" and that is due the fact that I have a few more models to add into a completed 2,000-point force.

Here are the steps I took to make these bases, with a few pictures to accompany. Note...anytime I mention glue I use professional-grade wood glue. I find it to be all-around better than white PVC glue in every way.

1) Cut foam to fit onto MDF bases and glue into place.

2) Glue down crumbled bits of ceramic tile and a coarse grit sand. The coarse grit will be important for depth to expose the earth under the ice-tipped rocks. Add a thin layer of 50% watered down glue over the top of everything to add a sealing coat the bases. This keeps sand in place and prevents Styrofoam melting from spray primer.

3) Spray prime bases black. Drybrush up to a light bluish-grey and allow to dry. Coat entire base using your choice of earth-tone wash. After wash dries apply another light drybrush up to white. Finished with a varying color wash to distinguish the large rocks from the earth.

4) The fun part. For snow I mix water, arctic white paint, and baking soda and apply it to the base sporadically, always brushing in the same direction (wind-swept). For icicles I used clear plastic "flight" stands and melted, stretched, and applied.

Next step will be mass assembly!

PHILLIP D'ANGELO

Have not had too much time to hobby it up since the first blog post... but I did get some done! Got a few more basecoats and details painted. While I still have quite a bit to do, I knock out pretty decent size sections of the project in one go. That helps a lot as I don't have a lot of time to dedicate to painting lately. Since I'm batch painting for speed it will all come together pretty quick.

I dry fitted the colossal giant and messed around with some of the cool variations Mantic packed in there! The bulk of the army will just be painted to a tabletop standard. The giant on the other hand I want to put a little bit more effort. Essentially, he will be the centerpiece.

NATHAN ARNOLD

For my first real update, I have primed my elves and started my test models. There are still some details and additional layers (especially in the whites) to go but I am happy with the direction so far. The Longspear and Archer models will be sporting shields with the three important aspects of Therennia Adar, the blue of the ocean, the white of the wall and the gold of the elven city. The Palace Guard will be wearing white cloaks to symbolize the crashing waves and the high social standing they hold.

BEN STODDARD

As always with hobby projects, it seems as though time has slipped away into the aether and I wasn’t able to get everything that I wanted done for this particular one. That being said, I have accomplished enough that I am satisfied with what I have to show for my time. I completed a regiment of butchers (utilizing the PMC standard as I will be doing for the majority of this project), and am two-thirds of the way through the first of many hordes of scarecrows that I foresee in my future.

With this project, as I am always striving to do with each new army, I am trying to improve on my use of scenic basing. In this case I would say that my butcher regiment hits the mark beautifully for what I was going for. Creepy, a bit gory, and still in line with the story that I have established for this army. That of a haunted, run-down village that is making a macabre parody of what it used to be as the shambling spirits of its former inhabitants eke out some form of dark mimicry of their former lives. All of these creatures are tied back to the anchor who is the still-living but guilt-ridden former mayor of the town (whose model will hopefully be finished in time for the next update). These ghosts terrorize the poor man and the Nightstalkers use that guilt and terror to lodge themselves in this world.

For my horde of scarecrows, I still have another 10 to finish, but this horde will be completed by the next update. I used Mantic’s Terrain Crate for most of my basing in this army (minus the poor victim on the butchers’ slab). I have another horde base that I will try to show off soon that utilizes the fences and other bits from the Terrain Crate line, too.

Overall, I like the look of the army so far. The color scheme isn’t exactly what I planned for, but it is coming out rather consistent, and I like the overall effect it has and how each of the units is unique but tied together in the way the colors work. The orange has turned into more of a rusty red or a harvest sunset kind of color which is different than what I imagined in my head, but it works now that it’s on the models.

Hopefully, you all enjoy the work that we are all putting into these armies! I know that I am having fun with mine.

KASEY BRIAN

I’ll start of by saying, I’ve never attacked an army project like this one. Adding a personal background for the army really makes this project interesting.

So far, I’ve built all the models for the army, 20 or so Men at Arms, 7 Ogre Palace Guards, 10 Gur Panthers, 10 Paladin Knights, A Phoenix, An Abbess, and lastly a Dictator.

I’ve only been able to paint 3 models at this point, but this is due to the fact that I’ve built, and primed all the bases for the army, and even fully painted some. In the past, the bases were always the last thing I worked on for an army, and somewhat felt like an afterthought. I wanted to do things differently this time around.

My paint scheme has an ocean theme in my mind, the deep blues with green undertones, contrasted by the blueish white, like the foam of crashing waves. The army has a cold, but clean feel to it. The bases are underground ruins that are located very close to water. I tried to convey this by adding green stains on the stone, a result of water running down and then sitting for long durations of time.

MATT GEE

Well, it's been a kind of productive time and seeing as I am trying to get this whole thing done in a concentrated time, I have embraced the practice of batching things. I've gone for a dark browns and greens theme with some red and blue accents where needed. hopefully, the accents will avoid the models being too drab looking. I'm keen to use the Mantic centaurs because I like the way they play on the battlefield, along with a lot of supporting infantry.

I'll be steering away from the Lycans and Minotaur chariots that could feature, which has led to some interesting modelling options. First up on the cutting table were the centaurs. I really like the pose of the minis, but the heads and arm combos didn't feel threatening enough. Luckily the Mantic range of Lower Abyssals come with plenty of spare arms and they scale just right. A quick cut and shut job and I have a Centaur Chief armed with a "bow" (fireball). Swapping the head out for a skull representing a tribal mask finished the look I was after.

I'm planning a couple of regiments of centaurs for this chap to lead and now have a desk full of assembled models to finish. It’s worth pointing out that not only the Lower Abyssal but also the Succubi and Naiad sprues work on the centaurs to add a bit of variety.

This means I can add standards and musicians, which I like to do with my units to round them out. It'll allow some more spot accent colors to tie things together and can help to differentiate units in battle if I decide to give them magical artefacts.

Using a pattern roller and some more skulls (can't have enough skulls for basing) I've tried to recapture the essence of a cobbled floor with some overgrown sections and leaves. A quick drybrush and I'll call him done. While in the mood I got a set of other bases done in preparation for other units.

BRAD JIMENEZ

The deep ogres of Brokkamorg's Umbral Fist are coming along smoothly so far.

I tested out the scheme with my general (Brokkamorg XXVII). I like the minimalist scheme on these models. It gave me a chance to do little splashes of color here and there. I went with purple crystals, fungus, and stalactites for the bases.

My first two full units would have to have 3d printed cavern entrances to fit the theme for their home base. I used chipboard to close up the cavern entrances from the rear. It gave me a chance to do a little freehand (if you count glowing eyes in the darkness as such, but I did get a bat in there).

The third item I chose I decided to share with the general populace over at the KoW Fanatics fb page. I was going for an almost albino look but it kind of grew into its own beast. I had fun crafting the armor plates out of cereal box type card.

Here is a family photo! I plan on getting at least 2 more units of warriors done for the next blog post, along with the fleabags riders. I feel that I am going to make the fleabags a bit more colorful than the tones I have used so far. Maybe I'll sneak in a Warlock. Who knows?

FELIX CASTRO

Having pinned down a color scheme from which to draw inspiration, I went about painting up a test model. Despite the yellow and purple I think the color scheme has enough menace in it to convey that these Abyssal Dwarfs do not have your best intentions in mind.

Test model done, I started working on batch painting the first regiment of Blacksouls. I am trying to do a majority of my painting with contrast paints and using acrylic paints to highlight a là Juan Hidalgo (check out his YouTube channel). Pretty satisfied so far with the work done and look forward to seeing the completed unit.

Speaking of completion of units, basing is a big part of it, and I also worked on a basing scheme for the army. I wanted to get away from the typical lava basing just Abyssal Dwarf armies and envisioned this force as naval based, raiding the ports and shores of Pannithor. I came up with a wooden plank color scheme that I liked and was easy to replicate. Now I just need to find the accoutrements you would find on a ship (buckets, rope, etc.) to complete the pirate look.

JONATHAN FAULKES

Let me start with the bad news; I’ve only completed 5 miniatures. Not even a troop (at MMC) of Abyssal Dwarf Decimators. I have 20 more in various stages of building which, by the time this blog post is released, will be built and primed. I do have all my models purchased and I’m reliably informed that this activity counts as hobby progress too.

The good news is that I’ve now got a paint scheme that looks good (from 2 or 3 feet away) and can be reproduced reasonably rapidly which will mean that models 6 to 25 should be produced much faster than models 1 to 5.

You’ll remember that I chose red, teal and green (in the base) as the color pallet and here’s how I did my Abyssal Dwarf Decimators.

Prime black, layer of Leadbelcher, Nuln oil wash and dry brush with Necron Compound. Contrast Blood Angels Red is then applied all the armour. Once dry, a very light dry brush on the shoulder-pads with Necron Compound finished the armor off. This gives the armor a deep metallic red look which looks exactly as I had hoped.

The cloth tunic is painted in a teal with the boots and gloves in brown. The blunderbuss is metallic black (Contrast Black Templer over Leadbelcher). The upshot is that this an unusual scheme, but it should look great en masse on suitable basing.

Talking of basing. I’ve ordered supplies from Geek Gaming and eBay for these and will be talking about that scheme in my next blog but as a spoiler I’ll be placing my Abyssal Dwarfs near to pools of rather unpleasant looking “water” … I’ve never used water effects before so this should be interesting.

MATTHEW SNOW

Tiahla Seabreeze stood at the bow of the cutter as it glided through the water, her thoughts troubled.

She had boarded ship a week ago, as was custom for all elemental mages, stowed her mage robes and replaced them with more appropriate attire.

Every morning she had communed with the sea, and every morning she had the same response.

This morning was different, even though the surface was calm and gentle, below was raging. Something had passed this way not long ago.

Suddenly, a rigging runner shouted

" Smoke, smoke on the horizon ".

I had a model in mind to use for Tiahla for a while. The ability to use models from other ranges to fill in gaps for your army is fantastic. Mantic understands that while their range grows, the needs for some fill ins may be needed.

However, as you can see, the rest of my force is completely Mantic miniatures!

KYLE PRZELENSKI

Normally the tournament season in the US is the reason I push myself to complete models, so this project is sorely needed. I’m finding the motivation to get to a painting table and get things done. I often struggle with wanting to put too much time into my paint schemes and that holds me back. What I’m doing for this project is to focus on a standout element and put the time into that but to just cover the basics with the rest of the model. For the Twilight Kin I’m doing I decided that element should be their purple capes and brightly colored regalia. 

I was able to complete my horde of spearmen and it’s easy to see the contrast I want in the blues and purples. Green on the spear shaft makes for a nice compliment color to both. The blue from the shields will make for a great analogous to the pale green I tend to use for the Nightstalker elements. The goal here is to tie together the force as much as possible. 

Every force needs their leader and I felt now was the right time to break out the Summoner Crone. These Crones bring the bulk of the Twilight Kin force through the veil of reality by summoning the Cronebound units…so before I go any further, she needed to be completed. I really love this sculpt for how old it is. It stands the test of time and fits perfectly with the theme of the force.

I am loving this project so far. After working with the crew at Counter Charge on the Twilight Kin army review, I see a lot of people getting excited about the faction. I hope my progress inspires you as well. The Crones are going to be lights out good in the upcoming campaign book so keep your eyes peeled for that! 

STEVE FORSTER

Hi again! In my first post, I set the goal for myself to have all the models assembled and primed by the time of the second post, and I’m happy to say that this has been (mostly) completed! As a refresher, my Orcs are mainly going to be a supporting force to my existing Goblin army, so I’ve started with 2 regiments of Gore Riders, a Krudger on Winged Slasher, and a Krudger on Gore. With the additional Gore Rider models, I’ve assembled some to be Gore-mounted heroes. My thought is to have the metal Krudger on Gore be Gakamak, and the others to be either Krushers or Krudgers.

I am pleasantly surprised by the Gore models. They went together easily, after dipping each side in very hot water, then pressing them together. The riders were fairly easy as well, only requiring some mold-line removal and straightening out of some lances. I haven’t touched the Winged Slasher, he is currently waiting with 2 Goblin Winggits to be scrubbed and assembled.

Finally, I was able to complete the scenic bases for the 2 Gore Rider regiments. The hills are layers of cork covered by a mix of wall spackle, brown paint, and sand. I left some of the cork exposed to be visible rock underneath the eroding soil. My mixture dries to be very bright, so I wash it with Agrax Earthshade, then dry-brush with a bone color. I then put down the static grass, clump foliage, and tufts. I like the finished product, so I’m not going to experiment with any water effects, as was my original plan.

My goal for the next post is to have the Winged Slasher assembled and primed and have one of the Gore Rider Regiments fully painted. Until next time! 

JOE NEET

Very eventful period for me, being able to complete two regiments of Pikemen, as well as both cannons!

When I begin working on this army, I wanted to make sure that the paint scheme could be easily replicated, as I knew there would be loads of infantry.

Basing for my army is also extremely quick, using textured plasti-card. After spraying, washing and a few dry brushes later, I have a simple but effective sandstone to contrast well with the main blue of the army.

I have already moved onto painting up my first General on Winged beast, paint plan and timeline seem to be working out!

JEFF FRANZ

Progress!!!

I got all 30 Succubi models cleaned and pinned. Kept all my fingers and sanity. I got the Mollochs green stuffed and ready for paint (the multi colors were from another idea). The characters and Abyssal horsemen were easy. I left the riders separate for painting.

Lastly, I decided to use an Arch Fiend as an Abyssal Fiend. I removed the wings and cleaned up the back. I felt that the model needed to have a different look. I wanted to add a sail of bone and tissue down his back. I used green stuff and plastic rods to make it. I think I need to go back and give it more texture. Maybe add some other spikes, not sure yet. This is still a sculpt in progress.

I really like the Chroneas model. Going to be a lot of fun to paint. I think my color scheme plan will make this look very cool... hope it works.

I wanted this army to fit with my Mantic Abyssal Dwarf army. Mostly so I can use the gargoyles and some other monsters for both armies.

My AD are based using Hirst Arts molds. The Crystals are made mostly of bass wood or resin ( made a mold and have been casting recently). I also used some GW pillars I had laying around for something to “drunk” grab the units with. The transition from the barren AD crystal wastes into purple lava idea came from my AD display.

The Forces of the Abyss bases start as if on the edge of the AD land transitioning into more lava. You probably cannot see the silicon lava since it’s clear but it has a texture to it.

LIFE HAPPENS.... I am moving to Maryland. So, I downsized the project. I dropped the Chronos, warlock, and one regiment of Succubi???

Molochs have come along well.

Next three are cruising along a good pace. Next up will be my Abyssal Fiend. Looking forward to painting up this fellow.

HOPE YOU THE ENJOYED THE SECOND PART OF THE PAINTERS OF PANNITHOR. WE'LL BE BACK SOON WITH ANOTHER UPDATE.