Cryxian Helljacks.

 

Blackstrike ducked as a hail of bullets scuttered in from the shore. The raiding party had landed upon the beach but we're now pinned down behind what hasty cover they could find.

The Cygnar defence was proving too formidable for her light force, already she saw that two of her Satyxis sisters lay dead.

Mayam the Sly, cursed witch muttered an incantation under her breathe. Sickly green runes appeared and circled her hand briefly, before launching away towards the enemy.

A flash of green mist heralded the choking cries of a few Trenchers as they were caught in the sorcerous mist, but it wouldn't be enough. There were still too many soldiers to mount an organised defence and Blackstrike cursed viciously in all the dark languages she knew. 

Screams erupted from the right. The stench of melting, steaming flesh accompanying, told her that the forces Bonejacks had finally come ashore. The Defiler spewing gouts of acid into the packed trench, lending the Bonerippers a chance to launch themselves into the fray.

A muffled growl drew her attention back to the sheeted form on the landing boats.

"Quartermaster, ye be releasing the payload" she shouted.

The Quartermaster grunted and nodded in acknowledgement and hauled the tarpaulin back revealing the straining black iron form of the Slayer. Deft, dead fingers drew a cutlass and slashed the magical blade across the alchemically treated chains holding the raging Helljack down.

The Slayer surged forwards, slicing a few unfortunate pirates in half with its claws as it hurled itself towards the enemy. The pirates it had eviscerated pulled themselves back together as the dark magic animating them reknit flesh and bone under the Quartermasters steely one-eyed gaze.

In seconds the Slayer had waded through the torrent of fire from the Cygnaran's and entered melee. Body parts were thrown as children's toys might be, and the volume of firepower slackened enough for Blackstrike to raise her head.

The carnage was impressive and she idly wondered what a heavier chassis Helljack was capable of. She regained her composure and shouted to her Satyxis.

"Into the breech girls, follow the Slayer, Kill any ye find still breathin'".

*****

Later on as they took stock of the plunder from the raid Blackstrike was visited by a ghostly floating highwayman. The Pistolwraith, bowed it's macabre head in her presence.

"Ye be bein' busy mistress" it said, it's voice a mere whisper but seemed to be loud enough to hear.

"Aye, Ashor" she replied, using the wraith's true-name and it slumped further, "did ye find what Mistress Ravenmane seeks? Can I get her to the prize before one of the other bitch captains?"

Eyes glowing with balefire, Ashor lifted his skull head to look directly at Blackstrike.

"Yes, mistress!"

*****

As before, when I finished the Satyxis off, I was intending to get these 'Jacks finished during June. But then July passed in a blur as I think I only had three or four days off from work for the entire month!

I finally got these models finished earlier this week, following the same colours and washes in the order I applied them to the Satyxis.

Just with less Gold for these to make them more sinister, as the Warjacks here have some large panels which if painted gold could upset the dark, brooding look of the force.

A Slayer, the big guy at the back.

Two Bonerippers, the smaller guys with the tusks.

And a Defiler, closest the to camera.

I'm happy with the consistent look to these models and am hopeful that it is easily replicated in the future as I hope to find some more of these.

With these complete I decided to photograph the entire force, including the Pistolwraith whom I painted several months ago but never got round to posting on here:

I even included Gorman Di Wolfe at the back simply because he was painted as part of this batch, but isn't attached to the force permanently.

Hobby bingo time, and this ticks off one of the Vehicle/Monster boxes I need to fill out giving me ten points.

More importantly, it fills out THREE lines giving me another One-Hundred and Fifty points ontop for a net gain this time of One-Hundred and Sixty points.

Pushing me ever closer to closing the gap with Chris and completing the first grid:

Up next for Warmachine will be some more Mercenaries in the force of the Devil Dogs, and possibly a start to me Trollkin force.

Until next time...

Satyxis Infantry completed.

 

Barely making a sound the darkwood boats of the Cryxian raiding party skimmed the waves towards the shore and the unsuspecting Cygnaran fortified village ahead. If the moons were on their side then they would make landfall undetected and the raid would be much more swift.

Vabath Blackstrike, Satyxis Lieutenant, almost wished for something to reveal their presence to the enemy, to give some excitement to the raid.

Almost...

She had learned early on to savour an enemies dread and panic when the raiders showed themselves out of the gloom, as if appearing out of thin air like some of Lord Toruk's other soldiers. Besides, what was the point in launching the raid if she didn't get chance to actually kill something up-close, as all Satyxis preferred to?

She ginned, licking pointed canine teeth as she glanced around at her raider cohort. Satyxis sisters all around were checking their armour, sharpening horns and hefting the vicious lacerator chain whips which they favoured.

Their dark purple skin blending into the midnight gloom as well as any camouflage the humans might use, and she'd faced their ranger units before.

Oars rose and sank in the choppy waves as the slaves rowed to the quiet counting of the Quarter-Master, glaring icily at them whenever an oar make a noise in the water. To the left and right, three and four more landing boats respectively, surged forwards along with their own. The telltale green glow of Cryxian Bonejacks shone underwater as the amphibious contraptions made their way to shore, if you knew where to look.

Subdued under a heavy black tarpaulin, their own Slayer Helljack waited, chained to the deck lest it reveal their position.

A cry sounded from the shore, another and another. Then a series of flares were fired into the air and the garrison could clearly see the incoming raiders now. The dusky yellow light illuminating all ahead. Blackstrike saw a platoon of Long Gunners and several platoons worth of Trenchers sprinting for the defences. Somewhere a chain cannon started up and the bullets began to rip into the aves towards them.

Be careful what you wish for, for Lord Toruk will provide she thought to herself, whipping around to face the crew.

“So much for stealth, Quarter-Master as you will!” She snarled.

“ROW!” The Quarter-Master bellowed, stamping his peg leg into the deck to keep time.“ROW!” His whip rose and fell, inciting shrieks of pain from the unfortunates it hit.“ROW! OR YE'LL BE FED TO THE EXHUMINATIONS CREW!”.The landing boat surged forwards like a horse kicked to gallop.

Blackstrike smiled and shuddered at the threat, knowing what horrors dwelt upon the decks of the Black Ship Exhumination. She glanced back towards their own ship from which they had launched earlier.

Black Ship Blood Tempest sat, silhouetted against the midnight blue sky. She lit up ghostly green as her cannon's roared towards the shore, the whistling munitions arcing overhead.

The Blood Tempest glowed green again. Her crew were well trained as any in the Black Fleet but they couldn't reload and fire that fast, Blackstrike thought, when she saw the second ship in the gloom.

The Widower, Pirate Queen Skarre was here!

“Sisters, our queen is here. Her word be law, an' she wamt this raid fast and bloody, an offering to the Dragon! Glorious Dragonfather, master of us all, eternal torment, AYE!” She cried, met with bloodthirsty cheers from her crew.

“YE WILL ROW!” came the call of the Quarter-Master...

 

*****

Here are the finished infantry for the Warmachine army I started.

Some good Horny Women with Whips!

I was taking part in a "point-a-day" painting challenge, but seem to have failed it terribly due to some exhausting shifts at work recently, and the tendency to never seem to make progress on these models as they were on the painting table.

Don't mis-interperate that, I was making progress. one of two basecoats and a wash per night before work, but they didn't seem to be progressing to my eye so motivation began to wane a little around mid-month.

So, Skarre Ravenmane, Mayam the Sly - the Blood Hag, Vabath Blackstrike and her unit of Raiders, the Warwitch Initiate Betre and the Rogue Alchemist Gorman Di Wulfe are all finished.

I also have a finished Pistol Wraith somewhere which I will post when I dig him out to photograph.

One thing I am not happy about with these models is that I picked up a can of Satin varnish by accident at the hardware shop in town, so they have a slight glossy finish, nothing hitting with a later of matte varnish can fix later on.

Also the fact that the camera close-ups are very cruel to the painting, especially as these are metal models with all the imperfections which they include.

The models look good from three feet away on the table and that's more what matters overall I think, also waiting for grass Tufts, but I'm calling them finished for now.

As for the 'Jacks, well...

I got the bases started and the green glow effect done at least.

I also filled out a few more boxes on the Hobby Bingo grid:

Skarre fills the Hero box, Mayam, Batre and Gorman fill the Any Model box and Blackstrike and the Satyxis fill the 10+ models box, giving me thirty points for the month, if I'd have gotten the 'Jacks done I could have filled two Vehicle/Monster boxes and checked off two more lines as well.

Something to aim for going forwards.

More on these soon in the future.