Helsmiths of Hashut - War Despot

Before tackling the Lord of Afflictions and Pusgoyle Blightlord to finish up the Maggotkin of Nurgle spearhead, I though I'd finish up the first of the Helsmiths of Hashut. I did start assembling these pretty much the moment i got home with them... but then got painting the Maggotkin as there was a more immediate need for them (upcoming role-playing games this weekend!)... but also, I hadn't really nailed down a colour scheme.. 

Helsmiths of Hashut - War Despot

This is the General of the Spearhead force and I kind of painted him up on his own to test out colour-scheme ideas... and... I'm mostly happy with it... not super happy with how his Daemonflame Blade turned out... I tried a couple different ideas and now there's just too much paint on there and it doesn't look at all daemony... I may have to scrape some of that off and start over... OR I might just say fuck it, onwards! It's got paint on it and no one is ever going to look that closely at it!? 

All the rest of the Helsmiths are only partly assembled... I might see if I can build the Automaton and Artillery piece with magnets so I can potentially use them as either option they can be built as... Or.. I might just build them as required for the versions required for use in the Spearhead force... and if I ever feel like I need the OTHER option... I could just buy another one... I'll need more of both if ever I want to build this up past just the Spearhead force... 

Because I did promise some comparison pics... 

(a few things to keep in mind, though... He is a Champion that's been infused with Daemonic energies and is bigger and chonkier than the line Hashutite infantry, he is standing on top of a pile of rubble and he is wearing a VERY TALL HAT!)

War Despot with two modern heroes from Cursed City - Dagnail Holdenstock and Glaurio Ven Alten III

War Despot with current Slaanesh models - Shardspeaker of Slaanesh and Glisette from The Dread Pageant Warhammer Underworlds Warband. 

War Despot with current Stormcast Eternals - Liberator and Lord-Veritant

War Despot with current duardin - Fyreslayer Auric Runesmiter and Kharadron Arkanaut 

War Despot with older metal High Elves

War Despot with older metal Dwarf Thunderer and Human Wizard. 

Helsmiths of Hashut

I might have gotten a little caught up in the hype again... I picked up the Helsmiths of Hashut Army Set earlier today. 

Helsmiths of Hashut Army Set

Before it even went up for pre-order I asked my FLGS (Dragon's Den Games in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada!) to put me down for one. I didn't grab it on launch day, as I was in Vancouver... but the folks at the Dragon's Den were nice enough to hold on to it for me!!

I haven't read through all the fluff, but I'll probably be doing them as Zharrdron of the Forge Anathema in Aqshy - as that's where I've imagined most of my forces originating from - and is the setting for so many of the adventures for Soulbound! 

The Forge Anathema has been on the maps in Soulbound from the very beginning! And though they did not say outright that it was Chaos Dwarves, the description of the place and what was going on there was pretty clearly a stronghold of the Zharrdron nestled in the Adamantine Chain of mountains along the eastern edge of The Parch... 

Description of the Forge Anathema from Warhammer Age of Sigmar: Soulbound Core Rules - July 2020!

The miniatures included in the box also happen to make up a Spearhead army. I don't LOVE the Automaton or the idea of BIG GUNS... I'd have rather had more of the infantry and some Bull Centaurs... but... I'll get over it (and add those units later!) 

I am NOT buying another thing for this army until I have all of this stuff painted. Once I do, however, I will probably pick up some Bull Centaurs... and some more of the infantry. I have some Hobgrot infantry from the Age of Sigmar 3rd Edition Extremis Starter Box I could maybe paint up and use with these...? 

Everyone is RAVING about the Urak Tarr/Daemonsmith riding a big flying-dragon-bull-construct-thing... But I don't know if I'm going to get THAT into this army.. 

There is a regiment of renown that has two of the artillery pieces and a Daemonsmith which can be fielded by any other Chaos army. I do like the Daemonsmith model, so putting that together might be fun - give the Blades of Khorne some shooty options!