AoS28: Champion of Myrmidia

I stumbled upon the concept of “AOS28”, an offshoot of Age of Sigmar, using something called “Hinterlands” as rules and taking the idea of “Inq28” to fantasy. I would suggest going to the Facebook group or the original creator´s mad inventive blog if you want to know the details. In short, the concept is to focus on the grim-dark and less fleshed-out parts of the setting.

The very cool atmosphere of AOS28 inspired me to dig up an old model I have always loved, the Blazing Suns Grand Master. I have wanted to paint this miniature up for a while, but I prefer to have a project to assign miniatures to, and he did not really fit in with my Kislev project unless I brought along a whole regiment of Blazing Suns. As the normal Blazing Sun knights are kind of boring, I have kept back from doing anything with him. But then along comes AOS28, where he fits perfectly. He already has a ridiculously ornate armour, fitting the often baroque look of grim-dark Warhammer. With the addition of a big head-dress of feathers, some more baroque sun symbols and wings on his horse and shield, a big book, hourglass and a gryph hound, I think he fits the grim-dark setting well. He still also has a connection to the old world, so can be used in Mordheim as well.

Once I dug into the Blazing Suns, a back story that could spawn an entire warband formed. Fluff for this guy and plans for the group below.

Champion of Myrmidia

As the last swamp-dweller dropped to the ground and the sounds of battle faded away, Hadrian sunk back into his own thoughts. He heard the scribling of the mechano-scribe recording yet another victory in the name of Myrmidia. Victory #2541, souls sent to her: 16.

Further away, the Priest was picking up in volume, praising the lives taken for the Goddess. Hadrian pressed his horse on to get some more space between him and the priest. His faithful horse almost stumbled as it sunk down into the soft ground with every step. The last realm gate had taken them into these damned marshes. Hadrian had thought the last realm was bad, a city struck by a comet and infested with all manner of chaos creatures. But there at least it was possible to find a dry spot to rest, to get a fire going, and there had been worthy enemies to fight. When the Priest led them to the gateway in the cellars, they had all expected something better than the hellish city.

Instead, they had been trekking through the mud for weeks, only fighting puny swamp-dwellers and savages. He hadn´t tasted a warm meal or a seen a dry piece of ground ever since. The damned trees in this marshland were too soggy to get a fire going. Of all the realms they had been to, this one was really making a case to get on the “top 5 worst realms” list.

He found himself once again wondering if it was all worth it. He was the Champion of Myrmidia. Chosen by the Goddess herself to travel the realms searching for fragments of her essence. Sent out to engage in endless battles to build her strength with every victory and every soul sent to meet her. 2541 victories so far… how many souls? Too many to count.. and he still had not found a fragment of his Goddess. The Priest was insistent that they were close, that one fragment was here, in these damned marshes. Maybe he himself was the problem? Maybe the Goddess was not happy with his efforts on the field of battle. Maybe she didn´t want to be found by him?

Eidyia, his pet gryph-hound, broke his train of thought, indicating that there were someone up ahead. Hadrian halted his warhorse and gripped his war-cleaver. Peering into the mists, he could see the pale shapes rising from the stagnant pools of water. More leeches… Raising his weapon to the sky and closing his visor, he charged the vile creatures, Eidyia leaping alongside him.

“In Myrmidia´s honour!” 

Since I have made a project out of this miniature now, I will slowly build up the motley group that travel the realms through small forgotten realm gates to revive a fallen Goddess. Except for the Champion himself, the rest are all at the very early ideas stage. I have just dotted down some notes for what else I envision. I have not actually checked any rules in Hinterland to make sure it is a playable warband. To be honest, I don´t expect to get much playtime with these guys, but nice to have an excuse to make a project out of it =D

Likely warband:
– Priest of Myrmidia (sun symbols, warrior priest, big key, facemask?, armoured and robed, warhammer with sun symbol?)
– 2x Converts/Fanatics of Myrmidia (locked facemask, forced into mad devotion, sun symbols, priest has keys, scavenged weapons? scavenged armour or robed?, sun scars / tattoos)
– Knight´s Squire (extra shield, extra sword, ranged weapon)
– Blazing Suns Sergeant (plate armour, greatsword, morningstar, shield, pistol)
– Sergeant´s Squire
– Pack mule Ogre (lobotomised, weapon-system / pack mule, lead by slender female?, beauty and the beast, female is nun of Myrmidia or wayfarer)
– Igor (hunchback, doctor, sub-human, robed, scalpel, saw, bonehammer, spare body parts)
– Native guide, swamp people barbarian