Empire - Sigmar Ten

Warhammer Empire - 10th Post

Hochland Handgunners

If I’m honest with you all, I just can’t believe this is my 10th post on this Warhammer army. What started as wanting to paint a unit or two of some of the most characterful miniatures has spiraled into eleven units, so many, in fact, that I’m losing count! You can find the entirety of this army on this blog by using the "Empire" tag.

Full unit - Front Right

Without further ado, let's move onto this week’s update featuring the much-needed Hochland Handgunners. I’m aiming to paint a Grand Imperial Army featuring a unit from every province, and I am fast closing in on that goal. When Hochland’s turn came, Handgunners were the obvious choice.

Command Super Close Up

I had pre-ordered these "Oldhammer" miniatures from Games Workshop some time ago, and they finally arrived in the post last week. Once they were on the desk, I began by cleaning the flash and mold lines with a sharp hobby blade, followed by a quick bath in warm, soapy water. After they dried, I gave them a light dusting with a black primer. I then followed up with a light drybrush of Vallejo Lemon Yellow to catch the details.

Overhead

For the base colors, I blocked in Vallejo German Camo Green and Scarlet. I thin all my paints with glaze medium to achieve a transparent consistency; this allows the underpainted contrast to show through. I then apply two or three layers of highlights until the color is solid on the raised areas but the shade remains in the recesses. By the final highlight stage, I’m only painting about 20% of the miniature.

Another Ogre Unit Filler

The basing is straightforward: sand flocked with PVA, drybrushed with various browns, and finished with a touch of static grass.

Rear View

The real challenge is the hand-painted banners, as the whole army features freehand work. I use Japanese calligraphy paper, which is incredibly thin yet durable and very easy to trace on. I sketch the design, paint it using the same palette as the miniatures, and then apply PVA to the inside to fix it to the pole. The paper dries hard in about 30 minutes, which gives me just enough time to mold it into a realistic "wind-swept" shape.

Flag Close Up

The Hochland Handgunners themselves are among the most renowned marksmen in the Empire, originating from a province defined by dense, monster-infested forests. Unlike the massed ranks of musketeers found in wealthier southern states, Hochlanders treat marksmanship as a survival necessity. This cultural emphasis on precision culminated in the development of the Hochland Long Rifle, a specialized weapon that allows a single soldier to pick off enemy leaders from extreme distances.