28mm HotT Empire Army - Part Two

 I've just completed the last few units for my Empire army.

There are two units of Knights (mounted) I've created using some 28mm plastic figures I bought some years ago from the B&B stall at Crusade.

These sprues were going for 50p each and were originally designed for a computer moderated board game set in a medieval/fanasty world called Ex Illis. The brand name on the bases was BASTION.

All the figures I have were the same so to give a little variety I used optional shields (there are 5 per sprue including a plain one, and swapped heads and weapon arms for Perry items.

All the horses are posed rearing up, very dramatically! I originally planned to use them as cavalry with my Perry medievals but they aren't quite in the same league when it comes to detail. So this was a good way to use some up (I still have five left I think!).

The next thing I produced was a pair of frogs on 20x20mm bases to substitute for magicians when they become ensorcelled. This was a figure I found on Thingiverse and added a suitable base in 3D Builder. The magician figures from the stone circle bases can now simply be replaced with a frog when this happens.

Finally I needed a stronghold for the Empire army. This was simply a medieval styled tent printed out from Thingiverse and added to a generic stronghold base I'd created.

That's it, another HotT army completed.

To store them I'd purchased an enormous compartmented box from The Range! This box cost me the princely sum of £8 and measures 600x400x100mm.

It has 24 compartments each 95x95x90mm whixh are ideal for storing these 28mm HotT units. You can see why the Strongholds are all 95x95mm now, can't you!!

Time to get on with some other unfinished projects I think. I've rediscovered some primed 15mm Team Yankee AFVs and I've still got a shedload of 10/12mm infantry to finish off..

28mm HotT Empire Army - Part One

 Well where did April go ....😒

Not the most productive month I've ever had, by a long shot. Hopefully though, things will be looking up as we approach the summer.

To stave off insanity I have managed to tick over and produce a few bases towards an Empire army to use with HotT, in 28mm.

The main source for this project has been the figures that came with the Warhammer Sixth Edition starter set, many of which, to my shame were still on their sprues in the box.

To kick things off I created a sabot base to accomodate the great cannon and three crew figures. A beautiful model that comes with loads of extra kit to bring the gun position to life. I guess this could double up for ECW at a pinch. The figures were all painted years ago so just needed a bit of basing and they were good to go.

Next I created a Cleric/Magician base using a figure that came with an add-on set for a version of Talisman that I picked up cheap in a clearance shop years ago. I provided two bodyguards from the musketeers & spearmen that came with the WH set.

Finally I created a General/Hero base using the mounted General figure and the two command figures from the WH set. These comprised a drummer & standard bearer.

As an add on to my Dwarf army I made a Magician/Cleric base using the 3D printed base I'd created for the Goblins Shamen and adding an old Citadel figure I found.

Let's hope I can find some time to get on with the rest. I've 5 bases of Shooters (Musketeers) and 5 bases of Spearmen on the bench as well as 2 bases of mounted Knights.

This of course, doesn't include all the other things I've started but haven't finished. Like 10mm Russians etc....😂

28mm HotT Goblin Army

I've now finished my Goblin army, using the figures that came with the Battle of Skull Pass box set (7th Edition Warhammer) together with a few additional items to create the more exotic units.

I've created all the likely options for a Goblin force and can now pick and mix to create 24 point armies to suit.

Here they are in all their glory!

The bulk of army is made up of "recycleable" Hordes of Goblins.

The Goblin General is part of a Warband unit

The Magician unit comprises a Goblin Shamen in a 3D printed stone circle

Another option is to have a Lurker unit hidden in wooded areas. Here a mounted giant spider from the box set provides just such a character.

Mounted support comes in the shape of a couple of Wolf mounted Riders units.

Heavy support could be from a Troll as a Behemoth unit?

The army's stronghold base is 85x85mm and incorporates the Goblin "wigwam" and iconography from the box set.

Another support option are the giant bats forming the Flyer units.

And the giant wolves forming a beasts unit.

I painted up the widget to make the numbers easier to read.

Fired with enthusiasm, I'm now building up an Empire army using a mix of figures I've had hanging around for years.😀

28mm HotT Dwarf Army

 Not a lot more to say about these after my last post, but thought I'd post the finished articles for your amusement.

The finished Dwarf Army bases from which to choose 24 Points

I've produced a number of elements using the Dwarves from the Battle of Skull Pass boxed set, from which a 24 point HotT army can be selected.

Three bases of Dwarf Miners to be used as Blades

The Blade & Shooter bases are worth 2 points each, the Hero bases are four points and the Artillery worth 3 points. 

Lovely little Artillery piece and crew figures

I managed to produce six Blade units, three Shooter units, a Hero base and a Hero (General) base and a single Artillery unit. Twelve units in total.

The Hero General base

I also took the opportunity to have a go at designing a Movement Template/Widget. I was pleasantly surprised how well this turned out.

More Blades; these were painted to complete the army using GW Contrast Paints

Every Army has to have a Stronghold. At 28mm scale this must be a minimum of 200 paces square (or 80x80mm). This is a good size for me as the intended storage box has compartments 87x87mm.

Shooter bases; slightly deeper than the Blades

The rule book suggests that a Dwarfen Stronghold should represent a grand bronze door as an entrance to a cavern. A quick search on Thingiverse and I found both a cavern entrance and a rock face.

The single Berserker figure in the set makes a good Hero Base with his entourage.

Combining these two in 3D Builder, with a 85x85x5mm base, created an excellent Stronghold!

The basic printed Stronghold with sand added and spray grey undercoat.

 All that was needed was a little sand, flock and fine gravel together with two miner's spades from the Skull Pass set.

Finished article with spades and flock added after painting.

All the base's upper surfaces were covered with PVA and fine sand, painted with a cheap "Craft" acrylic paint and had some fine gravel + Summer field flock added to finish them off.

The HotT "Widget"!

Now on with the box set's Goblin Army together with some extras to complete a rounded force like a Lurker, some Wolf Riders and Bats (Flyers).

The files I've created so far can be found here; https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4786466

Ideas for Playing HotT in 28mm

 Ever looked at those old Warhammer World miniatures gathering dust and wondered what you could do with them?

Ever wondered how you might have a go at playing Hordes of the Things in 28mm?

Why not put the two ideas together and come up with one solution!!

Yes, my latest "brainwave" was just this. It's not like I've already got a tabletop full of 12mm figures to finish painting, but you know what it's like when a new idea for a project comes to light!

I've always enjoyed HotT and have collected numerous 10 & 15mm armies over the years. I also have a fair few GW fantasy figures from the "Good old days". I always thought it would be fun to repurpose them for HotT, but never got around to the re-basing this would entail.

Enter the inevitable 3D printer. What if I could come up with sabot bases that would enable me to create HotT units simply by clipping the already based GW figures, into groups?

Well to be honest, it wasn't anywhere near as difficult as I thought, well not for those based on 20x20mm slotta bases anyway.

HotT units in 28mm are 60mm wide and a variety of recommended different depths - with a proviso that they can be as deep as required to accomodate the model.

So if I produce sabot bases 62mm wide I can accomodate three figures on 20x20mm bases side by side.  This works to produce all sorts of different units i.e. Hordes, Heroes, Artillery, Shooters etc.

What won't work so well will be those figures on 25x25mm bases. Knights & Riders are ok - two mounted figures side by side - but foot units will only ever be two figures wide.

To prove the point I've taken my old unfinished Battle of Skull Pass boxed set and tried to create two HotT armies from the figures therein. All the foot figures are on 20x20mm with a few mounted goblins on 25x50mm slotta bases.

You can see the few test prints within this post. Painted the same base colour as their figures with the addition of some flock and you would hardly notice. There is obviously some tolerance in the base sizes as some are a tighter fit than others. Where they are loose a simple blob of blutac solves the issue.

I think this idea gives you the best of both worlds. It allows you to create 28mm HotT units easily, whilst still leaving the original figures unmodified and available still to play Warhammer if you should choose.

I will see where this takes me over the coming months and try and produce some 25mm base versions too.

Hott - Newish Armies

I was tidying my wargames cupboard last night and realised that I have three new HOTT armies that I have never shared with you.

These were completed just before we moved to South Wales and therefore had been packed away without taking any pictures.

These armies are.....

10mm Orc Army using Pendraken's ready made HOTT army pack

15mm Napoleonic Themed army using some very old Tabletop Games figures 

15mm Sci-Fi Army using primarily Irregular Miniatures figures.

The Orcs will share a Stronghold with my Barbarian army, so I have not included it here.  THe army pack from Pendraken is excellent value for money (£16 I think) and the figures paint up a treat.

These are the only additions, a Kallistra Ballista and in the distance, Kallistra Giants

The Napoleonic army was a bit of fun and a good use for some random figures I'd had lying around for decades. The Ballon was made from a polystyrene Ball bought at Hobbycraft, with a Coke bottle top for a basket!

The Stronghold is an old Bellona (!) ridge tent with some accessories from the old Airfix 1/72 Outpost set.

Old "Bony" the General & The Iron Duke is the Wizard!

The Sci-Fi army, once again, came about from a handful of Irregular figures I'd had lying around for years. To boost this number I purchased another lot of Irregular figures I found on e-bay for £2.

Then I added an old GW Space Marine figure acting as a Giant together with a Matchbox Toy Tank as a Behemoth.

Their Stronghold uses half a left over polystyrene ball and a milk container cap. These are joined to the next building (another Coke bottle cap) by a plastic straw "pipe".

Many of the figures have a "Pirate" theme...

The Space Marine has an added multiple Rocket Launcher pod (H&R left over piece)

As ever great fun to create, even more fun to use and won't break the bank either...