Wildcard's Tomb Crons Army

This will be the gnoblog for my latest army idea - a tomb kings army with a heavy chariot bias and a non-egyptian theme.

I've ordered the stuff (now winging its way to me - hopefully by the end of the week).

I was able to do this thanks to some high-level help from a very experienced player at my local veteran's night (where I get most of my games in).  He'd had a tomb kings army and, about 1-2 years ago sold it as he was finding it too easy to win with and he wanted to move on to other armies and themes (he now plays a vicious wood elves force - which he'll be taking to the GT again).

We talked a bit about the theme, strengths, weaknesses and tactics of his list and I got him to go through it with me.  I've decided that the list that came from those discussions will form the core of my force (with possibly a couple of variations to come once I've had experience using them myself).

Here's the list:

1 Tomb King
great weapon
chariot
crown of kings
chariot of fire
icon of rulership

1 liche priest
dispel scroll
cloak of the dunes

1 liche priest
dispel scroll
dispel scroll
mounted

1 liche priest (heirophant)
dispel scroll
heratic jar
mounted

4 chariots, full command
4 chariots, full command
4 chariots, full command
3 chariots, full command, icon of the sacred eye

5 light cav

3 tomb scorpions

I'll be adding more on the models when I next get a chance.

I thought that you were building up to a new army, but I never thought it'd be Tomb Kings. Well, good luck with your chariot-packed, fear-causing, pyramid-building, skeleton army.

The army looks good, but I would suggest making the cloak of dunes Liche Priest the Heirophant as the cloak is the best tool available to Tomb Kings for keeping your most important character out of trouble.

The army looks good, but I would suggest making the cloak of dunes Liche Priest the Heirophant as the cloak is the best tool available to Tomb Kings for keeping your most important character out of trouble.

I'd thought about that, but figured that he'd be on his own too much that way - mounted I can have him in my unit of fast cav and afford him some protection that way.  I also wanted the heratic jar to be at the end of the casting order as a 6th incantation

Awesome list Wildcard, really looking forward to seeing the army come together.  A ways back I wanted to do an all chariot TK list - with 2x bone giants using models of T-Rex skeletons! - but passed on it for various reasons ...  But I too am looking at finally building and painting TK in 2008, particularly because the guys I game with got together and bought me the entire line for an engagement present


But enough about me, really looking forward to seeing your speed kings list come together

- Salvage

I like your idea Wildcard ( you know I do)

But....
I'm missing a punch in this list.
4 Ushapti might make this list a bit better then it is now, don't you think?

I love the ushabti models, and I know they can hit like a ton of bricks, but I was wanting to take a step away from ogre-base size models with this list.

also, not sure where I'd find the points....

I'd thought about that, but figured that he'd be on his own too much that way - mounted I can have him in my unit of fast cav and afford him some protection that way.  I also wanted the heratic jar to be at the end of the casting order as a 6th incantation

Ah, but, in that case, it is far easier for the foe to target him. Also, Khemrian fast cavalry are not durable, and so will quickly disappear in the face of concerted firepower. And, if they go, your Heirophant is left in the open without even a -1 to hit him. Whereas, with the Cloak of the Dunes, the Heirophant has far more mobility with which to hide himself, is harder to hit, and is less likely to be a fire magnet.

This will be the gnoblog for my latest army idea - a tomb kings army with a heavy chariot bias and a non-egyptian theme.

A non-egyptian Tomb Kings army? That'll be a challenge. what will the theme be then?

more of a celtic / bronze-age feel

How are you with plasticard? If you want to get away from the Khemri look you may want to simply scratch build you chariots, which will cut down on costs and make celtizing your army easier. Then you'd just need to buy some skeleton sprues, and undead horse sprues for the crew and beasts.

I love the ushabti models, and I know they can hit like a ton of bricks, but I was wanting to take a step away from ogre-base size models with this list.

also, not sure where I'd find the points....

Good point about the ogre bases.
finding points is easy, but I can understand your reason.

@Reg06: he can use orc chariots...
Comes to mind: a full Khemri army of white lion chariots...

At least you've no shortage of symbols for your army standards with a celtic theme

Well of course orc chariots would work, the only reason I didn't say that is because... I didn't think of it.

Tomb kings is my favorite army, and just a bit of strategic advice, if it ends of fitting into your theme, and that is getting a unit of carrion for your last special slot. Scorpions are a bit unpredictable when buried, even more so than gorgers. On the other hand carrion can fly 40 inches in a round if an incantation gets through, making them ideal for attacking archers and war machine which might threaten your chariots. They also don't panic, which is the downfall of alot of fliers, and they have a nice toughness of 4. Usually my enemy shoots at them first, which is fine, since my actually combat units get reprieved from fire. Even against a non shooty list I have found them extremely usefull for march blocking, chasing down opponents, pulling frenzied units, getting in the way and rear charges ( I use a unit of 6). Just something to consider.

actually, I'll be adapting the normal tomb king chariots having got my hands on all required boxes already.  I actually like the smoother designs on them for this job, but I'll be changing/adding ornamentation.  I have a few ideas in mind already, but more will probably come when I get a few more minutes to check things over.

I actually like the carrion models a LOT and their roll in the army - I'll think it over

A great idea for an army, I have been tempted to do this theme a few times. I think GW would have been more succesful doing this style of Undead rather than the Egyptians.

But then they wouldn't have Tomb Kings, it'd just be Undead. But that's just what it used to be wasn't it, so what was wrong with leaving it like that, then they could have let you make your own themes for your army.

right, all the models arrived today in the post - I now just have to build/convert/paint everything it all

for the tomb king I decided to get the setra model - I'll adapt his chariot back down to 2 horsies - because I wanted a more ostentatious chariot for one that will have both the icon of rulership ad the chariot of fire upgrades

I've also been looking at some celtic/bronze age artifact pics to try and get a sense of what I can do.  I've already decided that the markers for my tomb scorpions will be the "celtic" enscribed rock from the albion giant - I think it should work well.

My metalwork will be bronze throughout - steel just wasn't around when these guys got buried!

I'm also scanning the wood elf models for anything I can use as their motifs seem to work too....

further, I've decided that my bases are going to be very grassy/rocky and my skeletons are going to have a slightly "freshly-emerged" feel about them.  My scorpions are going to be posed emerging from the ground kind of like trapdoor spiders.

Good ideas going down already Wildcard.  I dig the bronze weapons, probably do that myself on my undead.  Nice marker for the scorps too.

Check the glade guard and rider standards, I always liked the look of those.  Do wood elves still have shields on anything?  Those might have nice 'curly celtic bits' on them too.

- Salvage

Good ideas going down already Wildcard.  I dig the bronze weapons, probably do that myself on my undead.  Nice marker for the scorps too.

Check the glade guard and rider standards, I always liked the look of those.  Do wood elves still have shields on anything?  Those might have nice 'curly celtic bits' on them too.

- Salvage

I'll check those out - thanks!

Sounds good! I like the idea on the Tomb Scorpions and the bronze feel, it'll be good to see something different done with TK's.

Sounds like a nasty list! just beware of cannons

I look forward to pics Wildcard!

I suggest with this sort of theme that you paint the bases a dark brown (but not scorched brown, I tried that, it comes out too dark) instead of the usual graveyard earth, to keep with the more earthy, dark, celtic feel.

what's frightening me a little is that I've done this army in less than 6 weeks since I first clipped things from sprues!

Hmmmm that is odd. Wildcard, are you a witch?
Also, I support popular demand for pics of the Casket.

Ghworg

time to give in to popular demand then   here's some pics of the casket before I start the paint job...















On battles, I played 2 last night (so much for my plans to paint instead) - 2000 points vs ogres - my own GT list against which I monumentally messed up my first turn and exposed all my chariot unit to devastating charges - but managed through a unit of 5 carrion to struggle back into teh game and come out with a draw!

the 5 carrion took out.....check this!

1 unit of 9 trappers
1 unit of 3 yhetees
1 unit of bulls
1 gorger
and, with the help of a scorpion, a unit of 3 ironguts+butcher

absolutly nuts!

I then played 2000 points against a hordes of chaos slannesh army with some truely  cheesy and nasty character builds.  I got stuck in pretty hard, but those characters....sheesh!  I ended up with a minor loss.

anyway, hope you like the casket, I aim to have it painted in the next couple of days

The casket is going to look good, great conversion idea. Is the green stuff staying on? Is it supposed to be the rim (if so, plasticard would look soooo much better)?

Casket model is looking really cool WC
Now get the paint brush out, the speed you paint it will be finished by this evening

A shame about the loss though

the GS is supposed to be the rim - and although I'll happily admit its a little rough, plasticard won't cut it - I'll be filling the inside with water effect and I'll need the GS to ensure I have a solid barrier

I will probably file it down a little though to give it a harder edge.

I then played 2000 points against a hordes of chaos slannesh army with some truely  cheesy and nasty character builds.  I got stuck in pretty hard, but those characters....sheesh!  I ended up with a minor loss.

I honestly wondered if your list was totally unbeatable, Wildcard

Hoping for a pic of the painted stuff all in a group, though I'll no doubt disappear and catch it next time I roll over to the Stronghold

- Salvage

Well, as an update...

today I have painted the 3 priests, the 2 casket guards and the tomb king - just about to base them now - this leaves the casket of souls (basecoats applied and water effect done) and the king's chariot (horses and wheels done, just the main body to go).

I intend to have the chariot finished tonight, all the models based and the other layers of the casket done too - leaving just the c'tan nightbringer to paint - and that'll give me a day or so to pluck up the courage to paint OSL on the model - something I've never tired before!

update: I'M DONE!!!

all models now painted and based.

on the casket of souls I've just given the nightbringer a simple paintjob of black robes with highlights and a "silver surfer" skintone to reflect the starmetal they are supposed to be constructed from.  I may revisit this if I pluck up enough courage, but I'm happy with it for now.

pics by the end of the day of the whole army

Well done. This army has been done to a great standard in record time. looking forward to the pics

Thanks
corai

update: I'M DONE!!!

Sorry, what now?

A full army that wasn't dipped, finished in the time it took me to finish....well... nothing, well done!

sorry for the slight delay in getting these pics to you - things are always hectic around this time of year and finding teh time to take the shots has been a little tough - here are the painted shots of the characters and the casket and some shots of the army as a whole.

7 weeks from celophane to finished

whole army





priests - I decided to make the horse stand out a bit too by giving that some GS flayed skin also














casket guard





the casket












the tomb king - I decided to make him less rusty than the rest, give him the only necron gauss green stick in the army, and go up a level of highlights throughout (chainmail instead of boltgun, red gore instead of scab, burnished gold instead of shining, etc) to make him stand out a bit without adding in a colour not already in the army.







and with his chariot - converted from a setra one (horses less rusty here to help it stand out for the king, chariot highlights also one layer of colour up like the king himself)

That is some very nice stuff Wildcard.  Some of it reminds me of watching the movie Judge Dredd and seeing the Angel family.  Don't know if you have seen it but some of your figures reminded me of it for whatever reason.  Looks great and certainly non-traditional, which I believe is what you wanted, wasn't it?

Thanks,
JC

I really like this army and overall it looks very very nice.

Liking the tomb king him and his chariot look very nice with the rest of the army, and i also really like the flayed one priests, really good idea fits really well and they look awesome!

However I think the Nightbringer (the thing in the casket whatever its called) looks very rushed compared to the rest of the army and i think more time should be spent on finishing him up considering he is a big focal point of the army and making him look good makes the rest of the army look much better.

Sorry if thats a bit mean but the idea of posting is to give feedback.

But overall love the army!

Truly fantasic army Wildcard. The quality of the models shines through even more when you consider the timescale they were painted in (and the absense of dipping )

You've inspired me to try something similar and work on a Fantasyarmy using 40K models (or at least finish the chaos one I sort of started;))

I look forward to seeing them in person, and getting pumelled into the ground by them at some point in the future

Thanks
Corai

However I think the Nightbringer (the thing in the casket whatever its called) looks very rushed compared to the rest of the army and i think more time should be spent on finishing him up considering he is a big focal point of the army and making him look good makes the rest of the army look much better.

Sorry if thats a bit mean but the idea of posting is to give feedback.

But overall love the army!

No problems   I know what you mean, if you're going for black robes on that model though, it leaves remarkabl little to do....I may well revist the nightbringer in the future.

corai: we'll have that battle just as soon as we can manage it

Great stuff Wildcard. What's next?

Ghworg

back to the eldar harlequins!

WOW!!! I love it.
I would so much like to play against such army... It is not only a joy to watch, but, what I like best about it, is the fact that it has so many subtle little things: like the scarabs on the casket's base; the flaied skin on the priest's horse; the details on the tombking's chariot.

great job, Jo.


cheers

Thanks ikim - there's one thing I noticed myself - take a look at the yoke of the king's chariot, then take a look at the spine of a necron wraith - practically identical! 

some of the symbols (hyriepglyphs?) on the models can be found on both TK and Necrons too if you look cloesly enough.

Well, I reveisited the nightbringer having finally worked up teh courage to try an OSL kind of thing and began to apply washes of dark green ink and scorpion green to the black robes of the model - I built these up until I was happy with the effect and applied gloss varnish to it as well to make if glow a little more.  It's probably not great OSL, but it has added a spooky and flowing aspect to the c'tan now.

Pics tonight if I can (I seem to be having trouble finding time since school restarted...)

Further, I've gored-up the liche priets a little more and added further highlights to the cape of the tomg king and to the weapons of the casket guards.

movement trays are also all painted and flocked now (although a drybrush of bleached bone over the sand couls still be usefully done to tie them properly into the models).

With my next post, I think this Gnoblog will be done.  I do have soem ushabti models waiting in the wings, but I have no intention of expanding the army beyond 2000 points at teh moment - I'm happy with the build and I have a few other fantasy projects beckoning me