Oldhammer C20 Troll Tidy Up

Time for a Quick Make Over

Anyway, why this post. I often find that these trolls make the perfect adversaries for whatever Oldhammer figures I am painting at the moment. When it comes to a quick picture. However, they were painted quite a few years ago and I now think they are beginning to look a bit dated. Certainly, compared to figures painted more recently. But with plenty of other figures to paint, I don't really want to repaint them, and they still have a bit of charm for me. So, I decided that a quick compromise could be reached with a new base and a 30-minute tidy up. 

So, this is the first of the trolls to benefit from such a service. With a limited amount of time, I had to focus on what seemed the most distinctive features which in this case I thought was the face, club and clothing. 

Before 1

Now without a doubt the C20 trolls from which he (Scuttlescree  Soresmeer) came are the best trolls ever. Obviously, in my opinion. I think they mix the right levels of humour and brutal viciousness. Sculpted in 1984 by the Perry twins. Trolls after this time, I think tended much more the comical and lost some of the casual cruelty of these figures. Trolls after all should be something to be scared of.

After 1

After 2

After 3

Bombur escapes the Barrel

After a quick dip in the IPA, Bombur was suitably clean and now back on the painting table. 

Bombur away from the IPA

Rob 

The Terminator & the 5 Minute Paint Job

 I Get Distracted into Little Side Projects

After a couple of false starts, I settled on a 30 mm base made up to look like space hulk decking.  This then led to an in-promptu session to make a couple of wall sections, base board and speed paint job on a genestealer in order to create a quick back drop for photographing the terminator. 

The unseen enemy aboard a Space Hulk

Finished

Having enjoyed painting up this guy, I need to look for some more...

finished with purity seals*

* Just realised that after I took these photos that I need to add a bit text onto the purity seals! Which you can see on the 'action' shots. 

Close up on the base

The base was a thin layer of Milliput textured using the grip pattern on the metal sculpting tools rolled onto the wet Milliput. The card edging strips were added and the rivets were thin slices from a plastic spear plus a genestealer skull from the Citadel skull set. 

5 Minute paint job 

The genestealer was already zenithal highlighted from an earlier attempt at zenithal highlighting, so I just decided to give him a quick going over with some contrast paints.  I have to say he looks much better than I was expecting, and I am beginning to get that you could paint an army like this in a couple of evenings. Ok, no Golden Demon's but good enough for the table. And you could go back and add some more detail / refinement later.  Ironic that the terminator was painted in the exact opposite to the genestealer i.e., slowly and carefully.

Normal Lighting

Orcs in the under hive

Rob 

The Classic Blood Angels Terminator

I'II be Back

So, I went with a classic Blood Angels terminator, for this figure. Which brings back happy memories of terminators being stalked whilst investigating derelict space hulks. The first edition Space Hulk game which I had, was (is) one of GW best games. As the saying goes, simple to play but difficult to master. And we had many tense games as the terminators tried to complete their missions.  The biggest flaw in the game is that everyone wanted to play the terminators but still a classic. 

Not a lot of time this week to paint but I have made steady progress on this figure. I still need to add some purity seals and work out how I want the base to look. 

For the Emperor

I still like this figure; he may not have of the dynamic movement of current terminators but looks solid in his service to the Emperor.  The only feature I am not keen on is the storm bolter which is a bit too flat. But at least it gives opportunity to paint some detail on to it. 

Hazard stripes to be added to the power fist.

Purity seals needed against foul Xenos

Rob

Where's Bombur?

 The Company Grows

I have managed to find a bit of pace with these dwarves and now I might actually finish Thorin's company. The latest two done were Fili and Kili. I did go a bit off script on the colour schemes, but I am happy with the final look. 

I had originally planned to paint them in their little groups and Bifur& Bofur have been my favourites so far. But Bombur had other plans (So Fili & Kill jumped the queue) and I just couldn't get the beard right and this is his most distinctive feature. So, after several attempts at salvaging the paint job he went in the IPA. 

Bifur, Bofur & ?

Fili & Kili

The Company of Thorin Oakenshield  so far...

Regular readers of my blog will know that I have struggled to get a satisfactory finished look for these dwarves, and it has taken me until about halfway through the set before I have been ok with the look of the completed figures.  But now I am starting to get the right finished look, I am starting to look at the early figures and thinking. That maybe I should go back and do a bit of touching up on the first three or four. So, Gloin was the first have a 30-minute 'improvement' session. 

Found Him!

Something a Bit Different

It's nice to paint up something that looks like an interesting to paint rather than just to complete a squad or fill in that missing gap in the collection. And this figure definitely slotted into this role. I have no real plans for her except that she was fun to paint.

Napoleonic Alternia

Rob 

12 Props in 12 Hours - Part 2

 And it Was All Going So Well

So, at the halfway stage, I had 38 minutes in hand, but I wanted to tackle some more difficult props. 

Prop 7 - Elemental Stone (The Fifth Element) 

Here's what it should have looked like

Maybe I should have gone for a Multipass

Ok so somehow this took nearly two hours, and it is just a triangular bloc. And I made the mistake of using a black undercoat and then just going for a series of dry brushing. If it hadn't taken so long, I would probably have gone back and given it a mid-brown undercoat. 

Prop 7 - 117 minutes

Prop 8 - Samaritan Bullets & Storage Box (Hellboy)

While I really would have liked to make a Samaritan that was never going to happen in 60 minutes, so I settled for some bullets instead. Conveniently you can get copper pipe in 22mm. In fact, I spent more time on the box art than on the bullets as I did logo on MS paint. 

The main man (demon)? 

Rough build stage

Prop 8 - 53 minutes

Prop 9 - Howler (Harry Potter & the Chamber of Secrets)

Time to fit in another relatively quick paper-based prop. I did cheat a bit on this one as the text was pulled off the internet. 

Prop 9 - 33 minutes

Prop 10 - Katana's Mask (Suicide Squad) 

When I saw this cheap paper mask, I immediately thought of Katana's mask and so this was a very easy build. Plus, it was only a pound!

Prop 11 - Liberator Teleporter Bracelet (Blakes 7)

Another really classic TV show with a really dramatic ending. I spent a bit of time trying to decide what was the best way of getting the very shiny markings around the outside. Including using silver foil but in the end, it was just easier to mask off the shapes and spray with chrome paint. Again, I am not quite sure why this took so long. 

Avon calling

Prop 11 - 111 minutes

Prop 12 - Gandalf's Pipe (Lord of the Rings)

I couldn't finish this challenge without something from Lord of the Rings, so Gandalf's pipe seemed like a good choice. And I even had time to make a quick stand. 

Prop 12- 38 minutes

Rounding it all Off

Ok, so twelve props done in twelve hours.  And a couple of the builds took nearly two hours each. Ironically neither of the slow builds are my favourites and I don't think they are the best looking of the props. My favourite is the Copper Bones key, but I enjoyed making all of them. Even if some of them were a right pain. 

How the timings worked out

Finished

Rob 

The Tangerine Marine

 Turns Into a Blood Angel

Looked more orange than in the photos...

With the terminator I decided to do a zenithal highlight (slap chop?) with orange and white mixes. To try and avoid the grey coming through and I think it has largely worked.   he did look like a tangerine marine until the contrast paint went on and then suddenly the Blood Angel appeared. The chapter was sorted decided when I realised, I had bought Blood Angels red contrast paint. 

The Ruffians Arrive

Outcome: An odd hobbit win! 

After a couple of very successful turns at the beginning with the hobbits winning both fights on the bridge. The ruffians steadily worked their way through halflings. With the ruffians being able to out flank them by jumping the river. Once again, the hobbits suffered from being out gunned in both the shooting and melee. And once again Bill got killed this time by Robin Small Burrow on the battle for the bridge. 

But the halflings did run out the clock because the chief shirriff – Holfoot Bracegridle managed to fight off the ruffians until turn eleven and the ruffians had no time left (twelve turn game limit) to get two hobbits off the table. So, it didn’t feel a win for the hobbits as all of them were either killed or captured. But according to the scenario rules, the hobbits had won. 

Holding the bridge

Last hobbit standing

The Old Mill

Outcome: Ruffian easy victory

I didn’t have high hopes for this scenario, and I wasn’t disappointed. As there are equal numbers of hobbit militia (twelve) and ruffians (twelve plus Ted Sandyman), the fight was really going only to go one way. And as expected this provided to be an easy ruffian win (GW really don’t play test their scenarios). The ruffians beat up the militia in a couple of turns, making this scenario was no fun to play really. I can only hope the campaign balances out!

Guarding the mill

The melee begins

The Mayor's Arrest

Outcome: Ruffian victory, as the mayor nearly Escapes!

I also, played The Mayor's Arrest, which was a dramatic game with Mayor Whitfoot almost escaping only to be caught by Sid Briarthorn at the edge of the board and bundled off for an evil victory. However, this would have been a much less interesting game if the hobbits hadn't won an earlier game allowing the mayor to move on the first turn. But again, the game seems totally unbalanced with the ruffians having 101 points against the hobbits 70 points giving the ruffians over a 40% advantage. And again, with no missile weapons*, so the hobbits can't even soften the ruffians up before they arrive.

The mayor's ability to use Will to act as a banner for turn certainly helped, but since Sid also acts as a banner it sorted cancelled out in this scenario. 

The mayor dashes to escape using his only point of might

*Yes, technically the hobbits can throw stones, but they have to remain stationary and for a scenario which relies on the hobbits moving, this doesn't seem of an advantage. Plus, it is only a strength one weapon, so not many (any) ruffians will go down on with a full volley. 

Sid grabs the mayor and exits the table. 

Grrrrrr…

Honestly, I am trying to let this go. 

Again, simple mathematics predicts that the ruffians will win the majority of combats due to their higher fight value (plus another bonus for whip armed ruffians) and will wound more often due to their higher strength.  Adding this up gives the ruffians a kill 29% of the time in a melee against hobbit getting a kill only in 14% of melee fights. Add in the additional advantages for using whips and heroes, then these combats are always going to go to the ruffians. 

Then factor in that because the ruffians win over twice as many combats, they will quickly outnumber the hobbits further accelerating the imbalance between the two sides. Making it even less balanced. But GW seem have completely missed this point in the design of most of their scenarios. 

And finally giving equal number of the figures on each side, the ruffians are able to mark every hobbit on the board and then given that they have a much better chance of winning in both combat and usually with better missile weapons. Means they don't have to tactically think very hard about how to win the game. Surely by reducing the ruffians by a few figures in each game will mean that the ruffian player has to be much more tactical with how they place their figures to avoid being locally overwhelmed and give the hobbit player a better game. Even a couple of archers for the hobbits would force the ruffian player to work much harder because they can't hang back.  

The Campaign So Far

The Ruffians are starting to rack up a string of victories, so can the hobbits turn the tide?

Rob