Callon and The Wain Lords - (where it all started)

After a few weeks on hiatus, I’m back and focusing on what is currently sitting on my painting desk. Moving forward, I aim to post regular WIP painting updates over on Bluesky, and then summarise completed units, colour scheme choices, and lore over here on the blog.

Callon - ‘The Hero’ (Level 20 Lord)

Finding Inspiration: My First White Dwarf

A long time ago as a young lad, I got my hands on a White Dwarf magazine featuring an army showcase and battle report by legendary painter Mike McVey.

My First White Dwarf

Mike’s Wood Elves completely captured my imagination. Even though I didn’t own any of those models back then, they stuck in my mind's eye for decades. Whenever I start a new fantasy project, this army is always my mental baseline. I’ve never been strictly wedded to the Warhammer Old World lore itself, it’s more about the core idea of a feral, wild Wood Elf realm. Mix that nostalgia with inspiration from Lord of the Rings, Dune, and Star Trek, and my projects usually morph from there.

Picture taken from my WD covering Mike's Woodies

Turning Fantasy into Reality

After 30-plus years of painting and tabletop gaming, I finally feel confident enough in my skills to attempt recreating this dream army, and actually make it look good!

During the lockdown, I began hunting down classic 80s miniatures to breathe new life into the faction. The first model I tackled was Mike’s iconic, heavily converted mounted Hero.

Close up of Mike's Hero

To recreate his masterpiece, I started with an classic 80s Attack Chariot horse (retaining the original headpiece). I paired it with the old Mounted Elf Champion model, replacing his left hand with a Dark Elf spear and adding a Pendraken winged shield to his right arm (where Mike had sculpted his own). I sculpted a blanket saddle out of Green Stuff, and finally fashioned the iconic feathers and eagle-wing back-banner, just as Mike did back in the day.

Close up of my replica

It took me most of 2021 to finish this single hero, whom I’ve named Callon. I added a few extra details to push the model into high-fantasy territory, such as a sculpted Green Stuff mushroom and forest sprite on the base.

For the paint scheme, the horse’s white and cream coat was built up using multiple thin layers. The rider’s golds and reds got a similar treatment—a thinned yellow ink wash really made the gold pop, while the extreme highlights on the red were pushed all the way to pink. I might not be winning a Golden Demon, but I’m really proud of how he turned out. You’ll just have to trust me that he looks even better in person!

Raising the Regiment: The Wain Lords

Once Callon was finished, I moved onto building his unit: The Wain Lords. Collected and painted throughout 2022, this heavy cavalry unit is made up of classic 80s Wood Elf miniatures sculpted by the great Jes Goodwin.

New Movement Tray Added

To add variety, I did a few head swaps on duplicate models and replaced their shields with classic plastic round shields. The color palette focuses heavily on greens, yellows, and deep reds, keeping gold accents to a minimum. All the jewels received a glossy coat of 'Ardcoat to make them shine.

The Wain Lords

I've also started writing custom background lore and unit cards, these are designed solely by myself for every unit in the army. Here is the fluff for this Legendary Hero:

The Wain Lords are perhaps the most elusive of all the Wood Elves. Legend says that in times of direst need, they materialise out of the forest to face any foe. So shrouded in mystery are their tales that many believe Callon was slain long ago. One famous legend claims he fell to a Kislev lance at the Battle of Blood Keep, only to be carried off into the trees and reappear that very Midsummer's Eve.