Stomping All Over the World

 Bruce the Troll or Spriggan?

So Bruce the Troll finished and on to the next troll... However, while reading through my copy of the Woods, I realise that Bruce is described as a Spriggan and not a troll. Lets be clear Rift Cragg might be a Spriggan but Bruce is a troll. Anyone spreading vicious lies to the contrary will be stomped. 

Bruce settles a dispute with the neighbours
in typical diplomatic fashion. 

In case you are wondering, AD&D (via White Dwarf) describes Spriggans as form of goblin. So no wonder Bruce doesn't like being called one. 

White Dwarf 38,  Artist: Unknown, 

© Games Workshop

Bloody Handed Annie

While Annie may be the smallest of the trolls, she is certainly the meanest. And only to happy to set about with her enemies (and friends) with her morning star. As you can see from my preliminary mock up, more sprites are on the receiving end of the trolls. 

Que maniacal laughter

Rob 

Sixteen Years Later Mordred Returns

 Salute 2006 Mordred Painted

Probably one of the longest periods of time to complete one of my duels. I am pleased how they both came out and once again Mark Copplestone's figures paint up well.  

'Come, Father. Let us embrace at last.'

Mordred - Excalibur (1981) 

Mordred played by Robert Addie in the 1981 Excalibur movie, one my favourite early fantasy films (Remember Lord of the Rings is over twenty years away at this point). Incidentally it was directed by John Boorman who wanted to film Lord of the Rings but couldn't get the rights so filmed this instead. Thanks John, a childhood gem. 

I think there is an obvious bit of influence from the film with Mordred's helm on the Salute figure.  

Robert Addie, also played my favourite TV baddie of the eighties - Guy of Gisborne in Robin of Sherwood. He wasn't most dangerous baddie in Robin of Sherwood but he had persistence and could sulk. 

What? He got away again!

The finished shield design. 

I decided the shield was a bit to close to a Union Jack design.
So had to be changed. 

Bruce will stomp anyone. 

The Classic Pose

The Woods - Building a Warband

A Leprechaun Warband for the Woods?

While I get the hang of playing the Woods and deciding what warbands to use, I have decided to mainly use my existing figures. This will give me time to learn the different parts of the rules  and try different force combinations. I did get lucky when I realised I still had one owl left over from Dryads. As they proved handy in the first game.

Rob 

Bruce the Troll Stomps

 Progress on the First of the Oakbound Trolls

A quick mock up of the rest of the base. As Bruce attempts to stomp on a fairie ring  and a few sprites. 

Rob 

The Sleeping King Returns

 Salute's King Arthur Finished

'Whoso pulleth out this sword of this stone and anvil, is rightwise King born of all England.'

Thomas Mallory

A really nice Romano-British take on King Arthur by Mark Copplestone for one of the two Salute 2006 figures. He was fun to paint and I think has painted up well thanks to the crisp sculpting and moulding on the figure. 

Clothed in Royal purple

Arthur is beset by Spirits summoned by Morgan Le Fay

WIP - Bruce the Troll

Bruce shows off his moves!

Another one of those figures which I am enjoying painting. Who I have quietly doing a bit here and there. Bruce is now mostly painted. I just need to work a bit more on the detailing and then onto the base. 

He really reminds me of the classic Citadel C20 trolls although sculpted in a completely different style. Just the right mix of funny and scary and doesn't  look like he's have been working out at gym. All odd body portions and a folklore style. With some nice details. I decided that those shoes look like stone which seems a very troll thing to do! So painted as slate. 

Once I finish off Mordred, I think will have a go at the 2012 figure - A Mayan Warchief. Sculpted by the  Jacques-Alexandre Gillois of Miniature Studio. Apparently it's themed on the end of the 13th B'ak'tun of the Mayan Long Count Calendar.

Rob 

Hecatron, My Precious & Grey

 Third Time Lucky

This is the third time I have selected a model for  Ugrash-Ka (the first two were a Classic Dunderling and then a Hill Troll champion), as leader of the Vile Rune orcs. However, this is the model given the original scenario. So, seems very appropriate. I came across him while looking for something else on eBay. The model is a 1970's Ral Partha Hecatron. A bit small by today's standard but still a great sculpt by Tom Meier? While my original plan was for a minimal number of extra figures sometimes you have to go with the flow.

Hecatron alongside a modern (90s) Grenadier Knight

Joe Dever's Original

 ME-82  'The Hobbit' Personalities - Gollum (2 of 4)

Hot on the heels of Gandalf, I finished the tidy up of Gollum. The only Gollum figure done for the original 80's range. As has been remarked before there are plenty of different models of Aragon, Gandalf etc.  but some obvious gaps such as Galadriel. Fortunately they managed to add Gollum before they stopped producing the LotR range. 

Its Stomping Time

As the bases for the Oakbound figures are much larger than I  would normally use, I have decided that they need a mini-diorama and Bruce the Troll is obviously trying to stomp something. So a few sprites (from Eureka) and some toadstools seems like an natural fit with the Fae army. 

Quick test build for Bruce

I See Grey People

My plan to clear the decks of nearly finished stuff has worked, but I am now left with undercoated figures. Now onto 2022.

Rob

Oathmark Light Dwarves & Goblins - First Impressions Plus the Mighty Atom

Oathmark Dwarf Engineers & Rangers 

 

I ordered three sprues of these dwarves off of eBay in order to make my unit of dwarves for the Thistlewood  scenario. But I also thought they could be used as the Engineers from Orcs Drift. And finally would make a interesting allied contingent for the halflings if put them together as rangers and miners.  I also decided to do a quick review of the dwarves plus the Oathmark goblins I got for Christmas. 

The first five put together. 

Each sprue has enough parts to create five dwarves equipped with either bows, mining equipment or two handed weapons. Plus a few extras such as a spear. Also fifteen heads also keeps the variety up (So each one of my dwarves in my unit can have a different head).  As I found out when I put the first five together, not every part goes with all of the bodies. So a bit of dry fitting is needed before splashing the glue about. But overall they went together ok. I really like all of the little extras on the sprue (top of the picture) which include things like pipes, tankards and horns. Which will be really useful for all kinds of scene setting and making them into individuals.

Dwarf rangers kitted out for the wilds.

I am equipping five of the dwarves with bows and add backpacks etc. from the bits box to turn them into rangers similar to my halfling ones.  Just need to add the green stuff straps etc. 

The halfling rangers are soon to be joined. 

They would also be a decent  alternative for the company of Thorin Oakenshield. Overall I am pleased with these guys and makes a nice change from all of the heavily armoured dwarf kits already available. In summary a great sprue of miniatures with plenty of character, choice of weapons and a nice little set of extra parts. But can be a bit fiddley to put the right arms on the right bodies. 

NOTE: I have also ordered the dwarven Warchief from Fornlorn Hope (ex-Grenadier) as the unit commander and will use a couple of EM4 dwarves has his personal bodyguard. You may ask why I am mentioning this minor detail. Its a great miniature but I don't even have it yet!

But whilst looking for the picture of this figure, I found someone selling one on eBay for £15. So I guess it always pays to look around before you buy! FYI - Its £2.30 on the Fornlorn Hope website. This figure has been around since the Nineties so maybe the eBay one is vintage...

Oathmark Goblin Raiders

I got a box goblins from Oathmark for Christmas to use with Thistlewood. Now I was originally planning on using my LotR goblins but sometimes my projects spin off in sideways directions. As I would quite to paint them up some goblins as Black Sun goblins(as mentioned in the scenario). With banners and shields, etc, to match the scenario description. Now I haven't decided on a  design for the Black Suns but would quite like to make some shields especially for them if I can come up with a suitable design. 

Where as the dwarf sprue felt like a character set, the goblin sprue feels very much like an army set. With five similar goblin bodies and heads and all five can be equipped with hand weapons, spears or bows. So a very flexible choice of builds like the dwarves. But no extra items to customise your goblins. Although it does come with a banner pole and what I assume is  a small set of boss weapons  and a special character head. So you can add a unit commander. 

First five put together at random

Unlike the dwarves,  I just put all of the goblin parts together at random and didn't have any real difficulty. So I think building all thirty shouldn't be too difficult. 

So overall a simple little set which should build up a unit double quick. 

The Mighty Atom*

"Nice to See You, To see you nice"

Bruce NOT Rift Cragg

While inspecting my new Trolls from Oakbound, I couldn't help noticing that one (Listed as Rift Cragg)  of them reminds me of a famous British TV personality Bruce Forsyth from all of my childhood and most of my adulthood. Who was famous for hosting game shows and his catchphrases. One of those all round entertainers from the good old days.  And even the troll seems to impersonating his famous pose. 

So from now on this troll will be known as Bruce. 

"Give Us a Twirl"

*Bruce Forsyth was known as the Mighty Atom back in the 1930's !! when he made his TV debut. 

And Finally Enough of this Madness & Back to the Oldhammer

As we turn to 2022, time to start think about what projects I want to finish and one of them I want to finish is painting my classic Citadel LotR collection. Which sort of got me back into wargaming. Anyway I painted Gollum back 2018 but was never really happy with the finish. So he is first up for a make over and then onto the other characters from this little set. 

Rob