Hi there guys.:)

I've recently finished a dogs of war army themed around Nippon. I've taken it to a few tournaments and won a few best army awards with it so I thought I'd share it here and maybe inspire someone (the amount of inspiration to paint and model I've gotten from here already is just silly!) Please forgive the non-pro photography. Still dealing with an old-ish camera.

Here is the General of the army - Samurai tastic:
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/general.jpg
This is the paymaster. The idea being he's the one that brings them to the old world from Nippon.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/paymaster.jpg
Here is my first Mage. He is a carbon copy of Dave Taylor's Cathayan Mage (check out the US GW website).
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/mage1.jpg
Here is the second. I know Geisha might not be the most effective mage, but I couldn't resist the conversion.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/mage2.jpg
This is the command group from my heavy knights - all samurai themed. Again, standards and muscian inspired by Dave Taylor.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/hevcav.jpg
Here are my pikes. Particularly pleased with the taiko drummer muscian.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/pikes.jpg
These are some of my crossbowmen.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/xbows.jpg
My duellists appeared as ninjas.:ninja: Ok, I know, 'Ninjas with pistols?!' Historical accuracy was not my intention.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/ninja.jpg
These are my crazed monks (aka norse berserkers).
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/monks.jpg
These sumo ogres were converted by a guy in Sheffield. He's so good it puts my GS to shame.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/sumoforforum.jpg
The dragon cannon
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/cannon.jpg
The ninja maneater was the only uncoverted model in the army. Couldnt resist him though.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/maneater.jpg
Finally the centre piece - a floating buddhist giant. Definately my favorite model.
http://i38.photobucket.com/albums/e131/paintingmonkey/giant.jpg


So there you have it. Any suggestions for improvment? Wondering what to do next with them. Any ideas?

Cheers guys.

Holy sh!t! Those are amazing!

You might want to find a unit you could use as Samurai to complement your Ashigaru pikemen.

And find a way to have Arquebusiers!

I'll bet the Giant kills people by floating over them, then turning off his floatiness.

While the robes on the giant could have been done a little better (not to that I could do better), I think that the idea and the general execution of the model is fantastic.
Floating buddhist giant. You clever bugger.
All up a nicely themed army.

unusual theme, nice to see a concept born to fruition, some painting and modelling good be a bit beter, but still full marks on your idea and drive to see it through!

Very nice, Thats one of the best army/conversions i have seen in a long time, great work

The Sakura on the bases and trays is incredible. I hadn't noticed that up until know.

Nice to see them finally completed. You deserve every award you got tomodachi yo.

:D

Thanks guys.

@catbarf - hahaha, like he's got an on/off switch hidden in those robes? I actually wanted to rewrite the giant attack table to read like 'the giant calmly explains the ramifications of our actions in this world and after some thought the enemy decides to leave the field of battle to contemplate matters'

@evilive & Hezu - I completely agree that the GS and paint work is by no means Golden Daemon standard (or near it really!). This was more a learning project for me. I didn't really have a clue how to use GS when I started, so I feel this is a nice progression.
The painting was also meant to be a way of playing around with skin and some fine detail work. As I say, by no means fantastic, but a progression.

@cortex - thanks for the comments mate. always nice to hear encouragement.

I actually wanted to rewrite the giant attack table to read like 'the giant calmly explains the ramifications of our actions in this world and after some thought the enemy decides to leave the field of battle to contemplate matters'

Do it. You'll score major style points, tournament or not.

Seriously impressive stuff there. Well done!

And I really, really love that giant. How far is he from achieving enlightenment? ;)

This is a nice theme. It's always good to see people looking to do things outside the box and a bit different. Though, you know that GW will deny their existence (you can't enter anything Cathyian or Nippon into Golden Daemon events because GW claim that that is it not to do with the Warhammer world but instead just China/Japan in model form....anyway....)

I have to say, in places the paint looks slightly too thick or the blending isn't quite smooth - as in it goes from dark to light very quickly (most noticeable on the first mage). But overall they look good, and while the greenstuff work isn't amazing, it works and like you said you're learning. Well done for the nice army.

KU

Brilliant theme!

It's got a very distinct colour scheme too. Love the conversion work. The Giant has to be my favorite.:D

Ancalagon - I think he's a little way off yet. Most of the time he floats around calmly scaring enemies off and being shot. But sometimes he reverts and starts jumping up and down in units gaffawing. Bless his cotton socks.

KU - I know - the whole Golden daemon thing is weird isn't it? Especially interesting when you see the amount of Nipponese stuff that wins in US GD. Samurai ogres with geisha gnoblars, yakuza leadbelchers, chinese dragons. It doesn't really matter, I've been to a few gamesdays and seen the standard. Even entered stuff. Think I'll wait about ten more years before I go through that particular confidence blow again!
As for painting - I really need to work on blending with the next army.

Ancalagon - I think he's a little way off yet. Most of the time he floats around calmly scaring enemies off and being shot. But sometimes he reverts and starts jumping up and down in units gaffawing. Bless his cotton socks.

KU - I know - the whole Golden daemon thing is weird isn't it? Especially interesting when you see the amount of Nipponese stuff that wins in US GD. Samurai ogres with geisha gnoblars, yakuza leadbelchers, chinese dragons. It doesn't really matter, I've been to a few gamesdays and seen the standard. Even entered stuff. Think I'll wait about ten more years before I go through that particular confidence blow again!
As for painting - I really need to work on blending with the next army.

You're braver than me then. I've been to a few but never dared enter anything. I'd imagine I'd make the first cut well enough, but that be as far as I go. =D Still, I don't have any ideas to enter any time soon.

I know what you mean on blending, I need to as well. But as I said, the ideas and concept is well done. The giant is particularly well done, and unusual looking and idea. But funny at the same time. =D

KU

This is the thing. I went 2 years ago and saw that some of the stuff getting through first cut was on my level. then I went the year after (last year), entering every category and didn't get one first cut. I didn't imagine that I'd get near the end but I thought that first cut was possible. It really set me back confidence wise. Oh well, give me thirty years of meditating on a mountain top and I'll have a daemon trophy. That or piles.

Its odd about the humour - it seems like that was a big factor in getting the best army awards. I thought that painting would rule the roost, but it seems that a bit more character and humour will make up for a slight lag in painting.

This is the thing. I went 2 years ago and saw that some of the stuff getting through first cut was on my level. then I went the year after (last year), entering every category and didn't get one first cut. I didn't imagine that I'd get near the end but I thought that first cut was possible. It really set me back confidence wise. Oh well, give me thirty years of meditating on a mountain top and I'll have a daemon trophy. That or piles.

Its odd about the humour - it seems like that was a big factor in getting the best army awards. I thought that painting would rule the roost, but it seems that a bit more character and humour will make up for a slight lag in painting.


I have seen that before. When I have been, I look and think "I can do better than that" then see others and.. "umm, maybe not..". I hope to attempt it at some point, be worth trying anyway. Thirty years you say? Good luck with that, you'll never get done at fifty. -___^

I think it mixes. If you can paint well but have a strong theme and can inject humour without it being corny or compromising the theme, I think you'd do well. I have seen some amazing armies over on other websites, and many have these elements. But I'd say focus more on the painting.

KU

The giant's right arm (holding the prayer beads) looks painfully broken just above where the little bit of blue cloth covers it.

Very nice stuff, monkey! Thanks for sharing...the conversions are terrific.


As for the point KU mentions, (nippon/cathay not having to do with warhammer), I've read those comments, too, and it makes one wonder just where the hell the concept for bretonnia came from or empire (do germany, france, and great britain not have anything to do with the warhammer world--aren't they straight up analogues?)

Anyhow, gotta go to work...

Great models!

Indeed. In all of the older Warhammer books, Cathay and Nippon appear on the world maps. they even mentioned a Marco Polo styled character extensively. I say all this new talk is the Empire's attempt at becoming the Imperium - a conspiratorial cover-up! Joking aside, I image that GW wants to do something with the East, but doesnt have an idea yet on how to execute it, so they dont want to endorse anything yet. That and the fact it might have just hit them that naming a county its actual Earth name was a bad idea. I bet in 1985 they thought noone would ever know what Nippon meant.

I love the work you did on this army. It shows passion and creativity. Does it fare well in play?

Triumph - I had loads of problems getting a right arm that was suitable. I had to do a bit of lengthening or his hand would have rested by his knee.

David - Thanks man. The day GW gets all its policies to make sense is the day I choke on my sense of suprise. I was at a tournament in WHW in nottingham and a load of the staff were coming up and telling me to send good pictures into white dwarf. That got my hopes up till Christian Bryne told me that they would never appear even if they looked twice as good. :cry:
He was saying that it wouldnt sell anything (Nippon not supported and Dogs of War not supported) which makes sense I suppose.

Neurodisruptor - The army plays well. I placed third in the student nationals the other weekend. I was talking about this in the Dogs of War section - They are difficult to play because we get no decent magic items and no uber special rules a la Wood Elves and Dwarfs. So generally you expect to lose. Which is fine. But when you win - it feels like you've done twice as well as when you win with a more competitive army.

Very very nice. I'm gobsmacked. :O Love the Sumo Ogres! :yes:

having seen these in the flesh and been one of the judges at one of the tournaments that this army won an award at (Carnage) I can honestly say the pictures don't so the army justice. This army has massive presence on the tabletop with an excellent choice of colours. It is massively charcterful and most of the flaws that people are picking up on just aren't that noticeable at normal size.

Top work mate!:yes:

having seen these in the flesh and been one of the judges at one of the tournaments that this army won an award at (Carnage) I can honestly say the pictures don't so the army justice. This army has massive presence on the tabletop with an excellent choice of colours. It is massively charcterful and most of the flaws that people are picking up on just aren't that noticeable at normal size.

Top work mate!:yes:

I fully agree with this.

I've had the pleasure of seeing the army in the flesh too - as a WIP.
When you see it all together, it just look incredible. The pics really don't do it justice.

So well done (again) and get a better camera! :p

Kudos, a whole new outlook for hired swords. As I've been reading in Machivelies art of war alot of your army should have been hired in the first place, So they wont raise needles distruction about non apparent payroll. LoL

Deffinitly your army has a fresh look to it, I liked how you did some culture mixing to make it look like an actual asian army.