WoN Phase 3: Altiera the Victor

[mccoyed]

Note: This build takes place, chronologically, before Phase 1 or Phase 2 and concerns Altiera's company's last battle as mercenaries, sometime before her auguries and the events of the civil war in Nocturnus turned her attention homeward.

Note 2: I didn't do a Dramatis Personae section for this MOC. I may add one later.

Note 3: This is my first battle scene in a MOC. As such, I "performed" it procedurally and there will be A LOT of pics. More on flickr, of course.

Note 4: I definitely need to do some Mitgardian builds after this one if only to make up for the violence. Oh dear.

Some months ago, in the borderlands between Avalonia, Kaliphlin and Mitgardia.

Altiera, girded for war, stands atop a spike of naked rock overlooking a shallow stream and the woodlands beyond. The woodlands should not be there, she knows. They are not on the maps. She calls her angels to her, and says 'show me the world' and they oblige her.

The angels are her bounded spirits of war. Avatars of the Faelites' tripartite Ethos of War:

Perphesae, who inspires the battle hunger in warriors (low left).

Aktronae, who favors skill at arms and valor afield (middle).

Thaphae, who expects warriors to fight and live as if already dead (right).

The dark angels show Altiera the truth of things. The trees that are not trees, that show on no map, are in fact the last strength in arms of Caradoc, once a Hand of Corruption callaborator and now a petty lord of a marauders' fief in the borderlands. It is he who Altiera has come to destroy.

Altiera rolls the dice on Caradoc not yet realizing his ruse has been discovered. She calls up her forces as if to march across the ford. She passes her sight onto her company with a gesture and a word. She is proud of their discipline as they stare across the stream at the host of soldiers, complete with a company of Mitgardian mercenaries and their war dogs, who would ambush them.

Before Caradoc can give an order, the restless Mitgardians sound their warhorn and prepare to charge while they believe they have the advantage of illusion.

Before Caradoc can stop them, the Mitgardians charge while Caradoc's men and women-at-arms wait for a proper order as their training dictates. Altiera's own troops do not flinch as the Mitgardian warcries wash over them.

Only at the last possible moment does Ferric give the order to stop the Mitgardian mercenaries cold. She slaps one of their dogs away with her ensorcelled shield as her men punish the Mitgardians for their eagerness.

Caradoc cannot believe his eyes as a third of his company falls in seconds.

The aftermath. Altiera takes first blood.

And quickly presses her advantage, leading the charge personally. She is at home in the pound of feet, the battlecries of her warriors, for she has always found her home to be the melee.

TO BE CONTINUED IN A SECOND POST LATER!

[-Horizon-]

Nice MOC mcc! The Water looks good. Though I'd give the "Angels" black hips... Great build in general.

[mccoyed]

Nice MOC mcc! The Water looks good. Though I'd give the "Angels" black hips... Great build in general.

Thanks! I actually experimented with black hips and hands for color balance. Didn't look right. Now to continue...

PART 2

While Altiera leads the charge across the stream, some of her soldiers hang back with the mages and wounded. Ferric, whose pike was broken, takes it upon herself to lead the rearguard.

Beragail and Telamon, Altiera's mages, remain in the rear where they are most useful. Beragail tends to one of Ferric's pikewomen, who was wounded in the skirmish with the Mitgardian mercenaries.

Altiera's bannerman pauses a moment to kick one of the Mitgardian warriors off the rock where he had sat to die.

Altiera and her soldiers rush Caradoc's position, cleaving into his more disciplined troops with all the fury they can muster. Shaken by the swift dispatching of their ferocious Mitgardian allies, they are not prepared. Even Caradoc cannot rally them now.

Mad Marlene, another of Altiera's lieutenants, takes a certain pleasure in watching men run from her.

Caradoc is known as a fine swordsman, especially from horseback with a greatsword, but he's no match for Altiera when all the power of Persephae is with her. The power of Altiera's guardian angels is too much for his magic to overcome, and he only has his skill at arms left to defend himself.

But it is not enough.

Her followers across the stream salute her victory, even the wounded pikewoman healed by Beragail.

This is not Altiera's first victory, but it will be her last as a roaving and landless captain. Though... she does not yet know this.

The End!

Thanks so much for viewing. C&C always welcome, especially on details, staging, etc which are the core features of this build. Please look at the Flickr if you plan to C&C or just for general interest.

This brings Altiera's backwards-told story to a close for now. I may eventually have more ideas for her, but it was important to make sure she's in Nocturnus for the last part of Book 2. Now that she is, expect to see her again!

Edited July 3, 2014 by mccoyed

[-Horizon-]

Thanks! I actually experimented with black hips and hands for color balance. Didn't look right.

Just saw the backwards Castle torsos for the Mitgardians they look great.

[mccoyed]

Thanks again!

Actually, only the "viking" looking people are culturally Mitgardian really. Caradoc's insurgent force of former Hand of Corruption traitors is made up of warriors from all around Historica, especially the West (Avalonia and Mitgardia).

[-Horizon-]

Thanks again!

Actually, only the "viking" looking people are culturally Mitgardian really. Caradoc's insurgent force of former Hand of Corruption traitors is made up of warriors from all around Historica, especially the West (Avalonia and Mitgardia).

Oh Ok, none the less they look sweet.

[Lord Vladivus]

Nice figs! I like the story too, plus the posing is great. So much blood!

[Scaevola]

Nice work, the landscape is nice, but not so decorous so as to detract from the battle scene, which is quite good (those a few less figs would make it even better). I love the stream too, those studs make a good substitute for trans-clear blue baseplates

[mccoyed]

Thanks Vlad and Scaevola!

Nice work, the landscape is nice, but not so decorous so as to detract from the battle scene, which is quite good (those a few less figs would make it even better). I love the stream too, those studs make a good substitute for trans-clear blue baseplates

I struggled with the number of figs. I had A LOT more in reserve because initially, this build was going to be much bigger. What I decided was that I wanted to execute the idea of a turbulent melee of the kind you see in more authentic historical fiction and such. This was the closest I dared attempt at doing a conventional Shield Wall and counter-charge for the time being.

I know the trade-off is losing coherence with all the limbs and weapons and crap going on, but I think the trade-off is a good one. My next battle scene will be smaller and more intimate, I think, so I can see what that's like! I think if others also remark about coherence or the scene being too busy, I'll take it as a lesson to put more emphasis on evoking the idea than trying to translate it.

[Hammerhand]

Nice build mccoyed! Good job with the differing ground elevation. I actually like the amount of figs for this build, it gives it more of a chaotic battle feel. Rather than less minifigs, I would just do a bigger base next time. I prefer bigger battles though, so this is just IMO.

[mccoyed]

Thanks Hammerhand!

Yeah, the next battle I do may be more massive. The trouble is always having enough minifigs/gear to make it feel right. I struggled a bit with Caradoc's army on this one, actually. I have all the helmets in the world but not enough proper soldier torsos/armor pieces. Did what I could. I think one way to solve that would be to round out an army with peasant conscripts or the like. Here I used Mitgardian mercenaries and I think it was a good choice. I could always use Nocturnian races I have a lot of (LOTR/Hobbit orcs and goblins, fantasy era trolls, etc).

[Scaevola]

Peasant armies would work. In the middle ages, most conscripts were expected to purchase their own armors and weapons; most of them could not afford it, or chose not to pay for them.

[soccerkid6]

Your landscape turned out very well (this is the one you had in the WIP topic, right?)! I like the dark tan banks and the tree and foliage are excellent as well Good battle posing too

[mccoyed]

Thanks SK. Yeah, it's the one from the WIP thread.

[MKJoshA]

Great job! The backwards torsos are nice, I used the dragon ones backwards myself a while back. I like how you are building your story. Keep it up!

[Gideon]

Great fig combinations and posing!

Edited July 12, 2014 by Gideon

[mccoyed]

Thanks fellas.

[Gabe]

Nice work with the landscaping mccoyed! Your battle action is dynamic and engaging too. I'm not so sure that the blood effects work so well though, especially the 1x2 plates that just sit on top of the fallen figs. Using tiles or recessing the blood on the ground so that it doesn't sit up so high might help, or you could investigate other gore effects, like using red helmet feathers or cherrys etc.

[mccoyed]

I try to experiment with different techniques each build, so I'll definitely try that soon Gabe. This method works better in some applications than others. I really like it for decapitated heads, for the water (but I got lazy and should have replaced the water dots), and the ground. But not so much on top of bodies as you say.

Thanks for the compliments, too!

Edited July 21, 2014 by mccoyed

[MassEditor]

Great scene McCoyed, the landscaping and fig posing here is top notch. The sixth picture, with the Mitgardians storming across the stream, is particularly epic. I'm really enjoying your Warlords story and look forward to see what happens next here! It's not too late for you to switch allegiance to Nocturnus is it?

[mccoyed]

Thanks, ME. I worked hard on this one. The Warlords story will continue when Book 2 rolls back to Nocturnus.

As to my allegiance... well, I may not have shown it recently but it remains steadfastly with Mitgardia!