Models needed for first mission of ST?

[Guest]

I've had Silver Tower sitting on my shelf for months, but for various reasons I haven't yet played it. Basically it boils down to the fact that I have almost none of the models painted, but I don't want to play with unpainted models. And since the number of models in the box is so daunting, I've kind of set it aside in favour of other projects.

My question is, how many models would I actually need to paint in order to play the first mission? Obviously I'll need the requisite number of heroes, but what about minions? Is it possible that any of the minions could randomly turn up, in which case I need to have pretty much everything painted from the start? Or do the mechanics of the game mean that some more powerful models are highly unlikely to show up?

Would appreciate any help/advice/insight that can help me get up and running without having to paint everything in one go.

[Null Field]

Off the top of my head, yes pretty much any of the minions could appear on the first level. Not only that, but *spoiler alert*

 

Spoiler

The Gaunt Summoner shows up in the first level too. Pretty much the only monster that won't show up for sure is the Ogroid.

The monsters scale according to player count, so a 2 player game will require less monsters, I think around 4 may spawn? Personally I prefer 2 characters because the possibility of losing the level is higher and the game skews a bit easy with 4 characters.

ETA, Monsters have varied weapon load-outs that add variety to the game and the rules require unique load-outs be placed for each spawning monster. I think there are 4 unique models for each class.

It's a great game, I love it. I'm going to do a re-play soon.

[Guest]

1 hour ago, Null Field said:

Off the top of my head, yes pretty much any of the minions could appear on the first level. Not only that, but *spoiler alert*

 

  Reveal hidden contents

The Gaunt Summoner shows up in the first level too. Pretty much the only monster that won't show up for sure is the Ogroid.

 

Oh well, looks like there's no way around it - I'll have to paint everything before we can try it out. Bumflakes.

[Greyshadow]

I also have had a no-unpainted-models rule. I pre-ordered Silver Tower and have been working on it exclusively since I picked it up - and I am still going! I started with the adversaries and only have the two Deathrunners left to do. The models are so incredibly good you can easily spend ages on them.

I broke the monsters down into five smaller batches and painted them from what I thought would be hardest to easiest:

- Beastmen (Tzaangor and Thurmaturge)

- Kairic Acolytes

- Gaunt Summoner and familiars

- Horrors (Pink, Blue and Brimstone Horrors)

- Interlopers (Scutlings and Deathrunners)

Thinking of the adversaries as five smaller sets helps! The Tzaangor, Acolytes and Scutlings took me a lot longer than expected. I'd recommend Duncan Rhodes tutorial on painting gold trim in his Thousand Sons video, I wish I had done it this way!

I so can't wait to play this game. Hopefully start playing in a few weeks!

[Guest]

@Greyshadow Great looking models! Painting from hardest to easiest seems like an interesting idea. I might try that. I originally went the opposite way, thinking that getting a load of easy models done quickly would provide the necessary psychological boost to finish the rest, but that hasn't happened - I've only finished one model (although I do have other projects as well)! I think I'll try your way.

[TheOtherJosh]

So.... we actually ended up with all of the possible adversary models showing up in the first adventure.

 

And at least one additional hero. (You'll want 5 heroes available for a group of 4... trust me.)

 

Brimstones are so easy it's almost cheating.

 

Prime white,

basecoat in Ceramite White,

wash totally with Cassandora yellow,

wash about 1/2 way down the flames body with fuegan orange

Ceramite white dot on the eye

Wash the eye-socket with biel-tan green shade

 

[Sharkbelly]

Nice work! Thanks for the recipe.

[Null Field]

On 8/2/2017 at 9:50 PM, Greyshadow said:

I also have had a no-unpainted-models rule. I pre-ordered Silver Tower and have been working on it exclusively since I picked it up - and I am still going! I started with the adversaries and only have the two Deathrunners left to do. The models are so incredibly good you can easily spend ages on them.

I broke the monsters down into five smaller batches and painted them from what I thought would be hardest to easiest:

- Beastmen (Tzaangor and Thurmaturge)

- Kairic Acolytes

- Gaunt Summoner and familiars

- Horrors (Pink, Blue and Brimstone Horrors)

- Interlopers (Scutlings and Deathrunners)

Thinking of the adversaries as five smaller sets helps! The Tzaangor, Acolytes and Scutlings took me a lot longer than expected. I'd recommend Duncan Rhodes tutorial on painting gold trim in his Thousand Sons video, I wish I had done it this way!

I so can't wait to play this game. Hopefully start playing in a few weeks!

Wait a second. Did that Pink Horror holding the books come with your Silver Tower set? Mine came with two of the guy without the books and there were no books on the sprue. 

Great paint job by the way.

[Greyshadow]

I converted that model using books from the Burning Chariot of Tzeentch set. I also swapped out the two duplicate Blue Horrors with Horrors from the chariot kit too. 

The chariot kit is also is the only way to get an Exalted Flamer and a plastic Herald of Tzeentch exotic adversaries. Using a few spare bases you could build a great little skirmish war band with Herald, Exalted flamer, three Blue Horrors and two Screamers using this set - I might just do that!

Thanks for your kind words Null Field. I have since tidied up the Brimstone Horror mouths slightly to make them a bit more distinct. I put a lot of effort into these guys because I just love these models.

 

 

[TheOtherJosh]

Wait a second. Did that Pink Horror holding the books come with your Silver Tower set? Mine came with two of the guy without the books and there were no books on the sprue.  Great paint job by the way.

 

 

It was a conversion that I used as well (didn't do the small book in the far left hand) and had been shown off by someone else in White Dwarf back on release. (They actually made pages and used more books.)

 

Side note for the exotic adversary "Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch": When making them for the Silver Tower, put them on a 40mm base and don't attach the HUGE additional flame piece.

 

Not putting on the extended flames just makes positioning easier on the board.

 

The base size is of key importance because the game has no rules for understanding "models that take up two squares" and how they move. Everything is assumed to be on a base that can fit into the single square (or overlap only slightly).

 

Note:

The Start Collecting Daemons of Tzeentch box gives you the following Exotic Adversary units for Silver Tower:

3x Flamers of Tzeentch

1x Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch

3x Screamers of Tzeentch

Herald of Tzeentch

 

(And alternate models for the Pink Horrors.)

 

I actually use the Silver Tower Horrors as Heralds, and my 'book conversion' Pink Horror as "The Librarian" model. Two Pink Horrors from the SC:DoT for running in the standard game instead of the fancy Pink Horror models and put the Herald on the Disk (and magnetized the disk to allow it to run as Herald on chariot.

 

[Greyshadow]

Good tips for the Exalted Flamer, thanks for that. I should of said I got the book idea from White Dwarf too.

Thanks for correcting me, I forgot the Daemons of Tzeentch Start Collecting box came with the chariot kit parts.

[Mr. White]

3 hours ago, TheOtherJosh said:

Side note for the exotic adversary "Exalted Flamer of Tzeentch": When making them for the Silver Tower, put them on a 40mm base and don't attach the HUGE additional flame piece.

I have also done this. Put him on a smaller base and have omitted the large flame piece.

I've also separated the books and disc and put them all on their own flying base stands. The idea being they are dungeon dressing of sorts for the final chamber with the Gaunt Summoner. The disc is suspended in air (or hung on a wall) while the books sort of float around the room.

It's a cool effect, but I've basically cut up this chariot set so much as to make it unplayable in an AoS army.

[Guest]

On 8/8/2017 at 9:31 PM, TheOtherJosh said:

So.... we actually ended up with all of the possible adversary models showing up in the first adventure.

And at least one additional hero. (You'll want 5 heroes available for a group of 4... trust me.)

 

Oooooh, that's interesting! I'm really looking forward to getting started with this. I'm on a bit of a mission now to get everything painted! It will still take me ages, but hey!

[MacDuff]

Trust me, it's worth the effort. It inspired me to paint a whole TZ army.