The scene that he decided on was an episode where Heinrich Kemler, the Lichemaster, raised an Undead force amongst the ancient barrows and burial tombs on the borders of the Wood Elf kingdom. The results of his labours can be seen below.

THE FORCES OF DARKNESS

Mike didn't really have to think too hard about the feel that he wanted for the Lichemaster's evil horde. If you look at the diorama, you'll see that the positions that the skeletons are in are relevant to the situation and surroundings, with them stepping over hummocks of earth and so on.

The appearance of the Lichemaster has been changed so that he appeared to be filthy and unkempt, very appropiate for someone living in tombs and dank, dark places.

THE GLADE RIDERS

Mike had a very definite image of how he thought these should look before he started. Notice how the lances go from being carried upright at the back, to levelled at the front ("full tilt").

It's best to create some real impact and movement, so he endeavoured to make them look like they were really charging out of the woods and across the meadow.

WAYWATCHERS

Wood Elves are Mike's favourite Warhammer race and the Waywatchers are his favourite Wood Elves. He didn't originally plan to put these miniatures into the scene but when they appeared on Gary Morley's desk (the guy that designed them) that Mike decided to find a place for them. These figures are so animated and characterful that they are just ideal for a diorama.

The Waywatchers are painted similarly to the Glade Riders, but a bit brighter. Mike also decided not to use any metallics on the Wood Elves as metal is rare in Loren, so other materials are used instead.

THE STANDARD OF UNDEATH

This was added fairly late in the process. Mike felt that the left-hand side of the scene lacked a bit of height - all of the figures were dwarfed by their surroundings. The banner gives a focal point, and far more impact, to the Undead force.

He also decided not to follow the usual route for painting banners; drawing them out on paper then inking and colouring. This works well on unit miniatures, but is a little too static. He wanted a really wind-blown, ragged effect. By far the best way to achive this is to use metal foil. The best kind is the thick lead foil that you get on wine bottles and tubes of tomato purée. The finished effect is worth the effort and the banner can be very realistically bent into shape.

THE TREEMAN

Mike loves the model of Durthu the Treeman as it is just full of character and life. He could imagine the scene perfectly - Durthu crashing through the trees, smashing aside and crushing skeletons with his huge hands! So that's exactly what he did. It was a simple matter to move his right arm forward and put a skeleton in his left. The action is completed by a pile of crushed bones on the ground and a lone skeleton desperately trying to fend off the inevitable!

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Jeff Wilson's Wood Elf Conversions