Monday, August 2, 2010

The Old Woodsman

The Carpathian forests seem to stretch infinitely under the mountains' long shadows. Villagers and explorers alike look in awe at the vast canopy that disappears into an uncharted sprawl. More than one local has entered the woods in pursuit of a stray animal and, after finding the lost calf or lamb, realized their peril as their inferior sense of direction failed to guide them home.

However, there is one man who has no such fear of Eastern Europe's wild places. Known by most simply as the Old Woodsmen, this mysterious figure has become a legend in his own lifetime. He is a tracker without equal and a survivalist beyond compare. He can guide his allies to any destination through the dark forests and, when he wishes it, can disappear into the shadows without a trace.

There is much talk about the Old Woodsman around the hearths of cottages and inns alike. Some old-timers swear he can befriend the wild animals of the woods, even the savage Carpathian wolves who are known to attack humans as well as livestock.


Villagers up and down the valleys often toil away, unaware that a silent figure looks out from the woods.


Whether the Old Woodsmen is an agent of good or evil is unknown. However, if one can sift through the giant mound of rumor and local legend surrounding him and, in doing so, find the few grains of fact, one point becomes indisputable - he is a complex entity of the Carpathians and, regardless of his motives, it always pays to be his ally rather than his enemy.

Painted By: Jason (aka JET)

Thoughts & Commentary

It's been a rather long two-month stretch without painting a miniature so I figured that I would get back on track by painting a single model. This one jumped out at me as, in the Chaos in Carpathia rules, he can be fielded by my Werewolves or my soon-to-be painted European Monster Hunters.

I look forward to trying him out for a number of reasons. First of all, he has a fairly handy ranged attack which is something that is entirely absent from my Werewolf warband. Secondly, he comes with the Pathfinder skill which allows him to ignore difficult terrain, an almost unheard-of ability in Chaos in Carpathia. Finally, he has the unique ability Guide which grants one member of his warband a free move before the game begins.

I think it's fair to say that he'll be on the table during my next game.

Thanks for reading,
JET

1 comment:

Christopher(aka Axebreaker) said...

That's a nice paint job and of course I'm looking forward to reading about him in your next CinC game.:-)

Cheers
Christopher