First, I want to apologize for my long silence. Two years is a long time, so what happened? Around a month after my last post in June 2022, our second son, Marten, was born. We were thrilled that our little family was complete, but life also became much busier. As a result, I had to scale back on my hobbies. While I used to paint in the evenings and spare moments on weekends, those times were now dedicated to going to bed early and spending weekends with our older son. Though I found some time to paint here and there, I had to pause my blog.
So, what did I manage to work on? I’m sure you’re curious to see which
miniatures I painted over the past two years and the current state of my
projects. Let's go back to late 2022.
Realm of Slaanesh
After Marten’s birth, I continued painting for my small 3rd Edition Realm of Chaos Slaanesh Warband, which I teased at the beginning of 2022. I completed an unreleased Keeper of Secrets, two unreleased mounted Daemonette and one on foot as well as a further Slaanesh Champion.
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| Expansion of my Realm of Chaos - Slaanesh Warband in 2023 |
Dark Elves Sorcerer
Then, I returned to my beloved Dark Elves and finished a classic Dark Elves Sorcerer for my 4th Edition Dark Elves project by the end of the year.
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| Dark Elves Sorcerer |
Dark Elves Cold One Knights
Using the momentum of the holiday season, I finished my last Cold One Knight, completing my unit of ten miniatures.
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| Dark Elves Cold One Knights (General already missing his Banner) |
When I saw the unit assembled, I noticed that the back banner on the Dark Elf General riding a Cold One didn’t quite match the style of the others, so I created a new one. By February, my goal to recreate the Dark Elf Cold One Knight unit from the 1995 studio army was complete.
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| Studio Dark Elves Armyshoot from 5th Edition Beastiary |
I was thrilled to share the final result on social media.
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| Finished Dark Elves Cold One Knights unit |
My First Dark Elves Army
As my 4th Edition army project grew, I needed more space in my cabinets, especially with a planned move on the horizon. So, I decided to sell my old 4th/5th Edition army, which I’d collected and painted in the late ’90s and early 2000s. In April 2023, the army found a new home in the U.S. Although saying goodbye was tough—after 20 years of painting and gaming with it—I knew it was in good hands. Sadly, the package was damaged during shipping, and I had to navigate insurance and repairs for the rest of the year.
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| My first Dark Elves army painted between 1998 and 2000 |
More Dark Elves
But let’s return to the good news. I finished two more Witch Elves, extending my unit to eight. I began work on the final two Witch Elves but couldn’t complete them before our move.
Moving and the Chaos Within
We went on vacation in June and moved in July, so it was a summer without much hobby progress. Instead, I focused on setting up my new, smaller hobby room. Organizing my collection in this limited space was a challenge, and the new apartment required a lot of work. My first time picking up a brush again was in early October 2023. Unsure of what to paint, I chose Tzeentch Champion Aekold Helbrass, as “Chaos and Change” seemed to fit the theme of the past months. However, painting him took ages due to exhaustion and limited time. Before I could finish, disaster struck: one of my cabinets broke.
Attention graphic content that can make a tough hobbyist cry!
In the cold season, moisture built up in the newly constructed apartment, causing the backplates of my cabinets to warp and the shelves to collapse. Three levels of painted miniatures fell, with damage ranging from minor to extensive. My Cold One Knights unit and Dark Elf Sorceress on a Black Pegasus were among the broken pieces.
Recovery
It took time to find the motivation to return to painting. I managed to repair some of the less damaged miniatures, including the Sorceress on Pegasus.
I began 2024 with a heavy heart, struggling to rekindle my enthusiasm. Starting a 3rd Edition Realm of Chaos Nurgle project helped, as the quick progress on a small warband restored my motivation.
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| Realm of Chaos - Nurgle Warband started in early 2024 |
Original Warhammer Art
Already in 2023, I acquired an original Warhammer artwork by Dave Gallagher. Thanks to Andy Smith, I own now the famous Dark Elf Warrior piece that accompanies the Urian Poisonblade story in the army book. I received this beautifully colored piece in the end of 2023. It was framed in the beginning of 2024 and now hangs above my workbench, inspiring me daily to return to my Dark Elves project.
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| Oringal Warhammer Art by Des Hanley, Mark Gibbons and Dave Gallagher |
The Unreleased Dark Elves Sorceress I
Next, I painted a special miniature: the unreleased Sorceress I by Aly Morrison from 1993. Seeing a friend buying another copy of this rare figure motivated me to finish it. I even took a few days off work to focus on its intricate freehand details, completing it just before our summer vacation.
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| The crown juwel of my Collection Unreleased Dark Elves Sorceress I |
Aekold Helbrass
After the vacation I found some time to continue the work on Aekolf Helbrass. It was a lot of fun painting him. However when putting all parts together I noticed that the miniature doesn´t work how I had expected. I did some finishing touch and even if he loosk finished there is need for an revision.
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| Tzeentch Champion - Aekold Helbrass |
The Road to Golden Demon
Returning to my workbench in late June, I completed the Repeating X-Bowman I’d started earlier in the year. I also began other X-Bowmen, though they remain unfinished.
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| Dark Elves Repeating X-Bowmen |
With Golden Demon 2024 approaching, I decided to enter the Old World category with my Cold One Knights. Although I had to repair the unit, it was a rewarding process. I also designed a plinth emblem inspired by Wayne England’s artwork.
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| Emblem created by the art of Wayne England |
The final result exceeded my expectations, and I hoped it would resonate with judges and fans alike.
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| Golden Demon Germany 2024 entry - The Old World category |
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| Golden Demon Germany 2024 entry - Age of Sigma uni category |
I entered two submissions: my Cold One Knights in the Old World category and a Witch Aelves unit led by a Hag Queen (Lady Gibbons), in the Age of Sigmar unit category. I was thrilled to receive a finalist pin for the Hag Queen and a commendation for my Cold One Knights. The Warhammer community’s positive response to my 30-year-old miniatures was incredibly rewarding. My Cold One Knights also earned a commendation in Darren Latham’s Glow Up Challenge, with compliments on my color choices from Darren himself.
Outlook
After this success, my motivation is high. Although time is limited, and cold-weather illnesses are on the rise, I’m continuing work on my Black Guard unit, finding enjoyment in sculpting. I have some exciting ideas for making it a dark counterpart to the High Elves Phoenix Guard.
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| Dark Elves Black Guard WIP |
With that I am at the end of my review. I want to close with an armyshot of my Dark Elves showing the actual state of this project. Enjoy
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| 4th Edition Dark Elves Army projekt - late 2024 |
Thank you for reading this review and outlook. While I can’t promise more frequent posts, I’ll do my best.
All the best,
GeOrc
