Silver Bayonet

Changeling.
The book says that they’re faye creature based and they are shunned by society to the point that they become thieves and bandits.
Well a rat isn’t a fairy or an fawn but this poor chap has indeed changed so I think the term changeling still stands.
And forced to the extremities of society he has been accepted by the cultists, being used by them for his strength and being used by him as a surrogate family, allbeit with a twisted “higher calling”.

The Frostgrave Soldiers 2 arms are smaller than some available and perhaps they don’t scream “strong”, but I hoped that they would make him look more rodent-like.

The paint scheme is the same as my other cultists. The rune on his head is meant to be a “C” for changeling.

Saw a Silver Bayonet Facebook group post from a gent called Mick Allan. Using this method with another Perry’s Hundred Years War knight and it looked really effective. Having an armoured miniature with a closed face mask would still work I guess, but this style gives you the mystical elements.

The armour was my rusty mix of Jokaero Orange, Typhus Corrosion, Leadbelcher and Vallejo Air Chrome highlight brushed on to make the look fairly grim dark. The tabard was built up from a black primer using Zandri Dust, Morghast Bone and Wraithbone then knocked back with some sepia wash. Then Fleshtearer Red Contrast angled stripes and Ultramarine Blue Contrast hoops to suggest a fictitious heraldry, with the recurring runes on the shoulders (seen on cultists and my ogre) that I have decided will be in some way related to the Harvestmen.

The paint job was like my other British. Primed Army Painter Skeleton Bone with Fleshtearer Red Contrast for the uniform with a Mephiston Red highlight. The white on the legs and straps was the primer with some Army Painter white and Wraithbone as heavy highlights.

Backstory

Doctor Bombay (name from TV show Bewitched, for no reason at all) stands out as an eccentric in an officer class known for it’s eccentricity. His first encounter with a pack of ghouls was taken so much in his stride that it unnerved his superiors when he reported back. Casually explaining at a bloody debriefing afterwards about hacking 4 feral humans to death who came hunting for severed limbs in his surgery. Matter of factly disclosing that he had dissected them looking for answers as to their cannibalistic nature. He said that he was certain they had contracted Kurubundi, a very rare disease not technically fully diagnosed, mostly considered as rumours from the Indies, caused by eating contaminated human brain tissue. Resulting in arm and leg pain, coordination problems that become severe, headaches, fits of maniacal laughter, tremors and muscle spasms. And ending his briefing by highlighting that they were in fact under a curse of some kind as well as their cannibal related malady. His fellow doctors were horrified by his mentioning of curses, but the good doctor laughed at them for their lack of open-mindedness. If science couldn’t answer the questions relating to the surge in horrific disembowelment and eating of pickets and the presence of ghouls and vampires evident in their midst, Doctor Bombay was willing to come to dark and frightening conclusions that others refused to. And so when the Silver Bayonet began hunting for men fit to bolster their ranks his superiors eagerly offered the Doctor up as a likely candidate and he jumped at the chance. He knew he was old and that following an army and treating the wounded was a safer enterprise than this supernatural escapade, but he was philosophical about the decision. “Well my darling wife ran off with Micky the gypsy a decade ago so I don’t expect to hear from her again. I never really spread my wild oats so there’s no progeny awaiting my return to England. If I am to have any lasting impact on this mad world after I depart let it be from my work now. If it is to be my lot to die in the service of The Silver Bayonet, perhaps dying thwarting the forces of the darstedly Harvestmen would be a fitting and honourable epitaph for a life lived otherwise seemingly fruitlessly and unfulfilled.”

The challenge has been to drag them out of the dark age. Not sure I achieved that with all of them, but they share the basing style with lots of other bestiary minis, they are clearly cannibals and don’t look like Zombies. I am happy that they represent the Silver Bayonet style of zombie and they look horrific enough for me.

I used a collection of Aggaros Dunes and Snakebite Leather Contrast Paint, a triad of Steel Legion Drab, Zandri Dust and Morghast Bone. The skin is Kislev Flesh and dabs of Reikland Fleshshade rather than a wash coat of it. I have tried to make the skin look like it has sores. Mostly from memory of a British horror film Death Line (1972). Cannibals from an incestuous community of descendents of a betrayed and abandoned group of walled up Victorian Tube workers… Yuk… come out to kill commuters in 70’s London. Their diet of only human flesh and their inbred genetics and poor sanitation have seen them malnourished in certain ways and they have skin sores.

Kitbash of GW head, NorthStar Gnolls arms and NorthStar Cultist body. Painted in the style of my other cultists. With the extra strength to wield an unfeasibly big shword and demonic orange possessed eyes I think he looks the part.

The flesh is Bugman’s Glow with Agrax Earthshade wash an some purple spots and blue veins. Added a transfer to the sword. Free handed the runes on his shoulders.

I love the short descriptions in the bestiary for this game. Explaining The Possessed as a Cultist that sadly got involved in ancient summoning chants or other occult goings on and got inhabited by a demon. I immediately started to think about a potential kitbash and this turned out pretty much as I had seen it in my mind’s eye. Quite happy with this guy.

Reaper Bones mini so the club needed straightening with some hot water. Primed Halfords Grey and dry brushed Stormhost Silver over the armour. Nulin Oil wash over the armour and highlight with Vallejo Air Chrome. Blocked out the skin with Ultramarine Blue Contrast Paint and the leather parts with Snakebite Leather Contrast Paint. Highlighted the flesh with a mix of Grey Seer and Macragge Blue then dappled the skin with spots of Macragge Blue and Grey Seer. Then washed all the skin with Athonian Camoshade.

Capitaine Thierry Ibanez is my Officer to lead my French warband.

This was built straight from the Victrix sprue. Might have been unlucky with my box, but not impressed by the flashing and mold lines on almost every element and body. Started to sell some sprues on eBay to help towards some purchases for my warbands. Went to Perry Miniatures for a British sapper, a French Dragoon and some other bits that caught my eye.

The backstory

Thierry Ibanez has risen through the ranks from conscript private to Captain of his own elite squad in a short time, militarily speaking. Not because he was an amazing leader of men from the beginning, but because he was a shrewd operator, manipulator and unapologetic social climber. He dreamed of picking his moment, pooling all the dirt and leverage he had on his senior officers and cashing in every favour owed to him to get an audience with the emperor. He was convinced that his ambition, charm and wit would win over and form such a bond with Napoleon that someday he may even rise to the dizzy heights of Marshall of France. The trouble was that even though this special unit was vital, praise worthy and potentially rewarding in the long run with senior figures in the army and government… It is also secret. The men that got promoted were amazing self publicists and very prominent. He sees his time fighting the horrors of the Harvestmen as a means to an end to aid his career plans, but is thankfully actually a capable fighter and adequate leader of men. He sells patriotism to those that have nationalism in their eagle shaped hearts. To others he convinces them of his conviction to end the Harvestmen menace. To others he gives off an air of pragmatic resignation that it’s them or us to look more grounded. Thierry Ibanez will save your life if he feels it will benefit him in the short to medium term, but do not trust the man if you are unsure of your true value to him.

Kitbashing some ghouls. The ghoul in Silver Bayonet is not meant to be undead or too mutated, more just strong feral and cannibalistic with a hand weapon. So I think the snack bag of foot and hand on their belts, and the zombie arms carrying food of heads and severed hands will set them apart. I might make them pale faced but with sores, without making them look like zombies. The crouch of the Gripping Beast Dark Age minis, leaning into their shield arms, sets them at an odd looking pose when stood without the shield. This gives them a potentially creepy pose. Will probably do some gore from the severed head to the mouth to add to the horror.