Friday, October 27, 2017

Tallarn Roughrider

I have a unit of nine Tallarn Roughriders on my painting desk. I started out doing them as a group, but then finished up this one just to see how it would turn out.



I decided to do them in black headscarves, like I did with the Command Section, to indicate some sort of elite or veteran status - though stat-wise, they really aren't...

I figure one would really have to be some kind of bad-ass to go charging into combat in the 41st millennium on HORSEBACK! So....



about half of them have that trim at the bottom of their smock. I wasn't sure if I should do them in camouflage - like the infantry - or really bling them up like the Officer. Ultimately I decided to go with camouflage like the infantry. I painted the trim up on this guy, but now I'm thinking I might carve it off the rest of them... I don't know...

They originally came on some crazy long narrow bases - that were rounded at the end. I didn't like the look of them and decided to go with round ones. Though I normally base my guys on washers, I'd previously based a GW plastic horse on one of these rounded plastic bases and didn't mind it so much, so I've gone with those instead. With the ones they came with I could probably pack them into a single tight line abreast and get more into direct contact with anyone they charged, but the close combat rules say as long as they're within 1" of another model that is within 1" of the enemy they can participate, so I'm not worried about the base making it harder to get into combat.



Originally I'd envisioned converting them so they'd be festooned with kit - like WW2 Desert SAS jeeps - but on horseback. But when I actually got to working on these I realized a lot of what I'd like to do would interfere with the tails of their smack. In the end I just added a couple small bags, rolls, or waterskis to each.


Up Next?

While I have another eight of these on the workbench, I may shuffle them to the side momentarily as they wait the arrived of another lot of Tallarn I picked up... yeah... ANOTHER one - and this one is almost as big as the last one and will basically double the size of the force I will have (because apparently I didn't have enough already!?). With the new batch I should be able to put together four platoons of four infantry squads, TWO units of 10 roughriders - each with an actual sergeant figure (so, waiting on that sergeant before I finish these) and adding a pile more heavy weapon teams - including NINE mortar!?

Maybe I should get some of the Genestealers done while I'm waiting...?

Actually I'll probably finish up Sniper Section #2 - as I have only two figures to paint to finish it up.


14 comments:

  1. Outstanding brushwork, Tim! I really like how you rendered the camo.

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  2. Of course you need more, of every army except ww1 Canadians, possibly, maybe. Love the rough rider and to me the trim really makes the figure it's a great detail, your really on a guardsman thing at the moment aren't you?
    Best Iain

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    1. Thanks Iain!

      I actually HAVE more Great War Canadians to paint. I never did finish all the artillery or cavalry and I also bought a brigade worth of figures for the Canadians Siberian Expeditionary Force!?

      Yeah, The Guard has always been a favourite. Even when I wasn't playing 40K. Guard and Eldar. (Which I also have a bunch of to paint at some point...).

      I've had an eBay search notification set up for the better part of the last decade for "Tallarn" in the 40K miniatures category and every day I get a notification of what's come up - and there is stuff every day - but it's usually $20USD per blister plus $10-25 shipping!? Impossible to put a force together with that. Or there are squads that would work out to $100 each with the exchange and the shipping. In that time I have seen two larger lots of Tallarn minis - and both were within the last month. They were both a lot of money, but there was enough stuff in each batch to make it worthwhile. The price per figure worked out to less than $5 - how could I not jump on those. I'm going to have to just stop buying things now and get painting. I just hope the kids stay interested and keep me motivated to get them all painted!?

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  3. They look great. The cammo has come out really well. Also, I like the trim!

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    1. Thanks Preacher! You don't think a red trim with gold accents looks out of place on a camouflage jacket? I keep vacillating. One minute I think it's okay, the next I think it's daft.

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  4. I agree, excellent work and the camo pattern looks great!
    These remind me a bit of a statue of Polish partizans in South Boston (Massachusetts) - they have what look like spears or short lances raised and some sort of rifles strapped to the backs of some. The placard says they fought against German occupation and later against Soviet/communist occupation. On horseback, against tanks and such, too.

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    1. Well, technically, these guys could charge tanks - and possibly even damage them! Oh, it's incredibly unlikely - first they'd have to hit (3+) then they'd have to wound it (probably on a 6 - or maybe 5+ as the hunting lance gives +2 to the riders strength of 3), they the tank would have to fail their armour save (probably a 4+, since most tanks will have a 2+ save and the hunting lance has an AP of -2) and if all that worked out in my favour... I'd do d3 damage... on a tank that probably had 10+ wounds. So It probably won't be my favoured tactic with these guys, but if I was desperate enough..

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  5. This is GREAT. I loathed the "Atilla" Roughriders, but the Tallarn ones are ace. Well done!

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    1. Thanks Great. I didn't despise the Atillan Roughriders, but yeah, these ones are way cooler.

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