Side Quest

 & Goblins Done

Managed to finish off the last couple of goblins for the goblin unit. Which brings them up to twenty and this completes the ones I had sitting on the paint bench. The last two were one of the classic hobgoblins from Oakbound and a repaint of the Citadel 80's Giak from their Lone wolf range. 

I then went onto a bit of a side project. Which is to start map out the entire book of the City of Thieves from Fighting Fantasy. To be honest I have tried to do this a couple of times already (most notably during lockdown in the UK) but I have never managed to finish it*

*Now up to 166 out of 400.  

Yep, this is the battered and well read original from 1984

This is the book that really kick started my fantasy hobby journey. I had already read the Hobbit by this stage but this is the true starting point my collecting of Citadel minis back in 1984 (?). After a mate at school showed me a copy and I was hooked. 

I played this book obsessively trying to defeat Zanbar Bone until I finally realised I had taken the wrong turn whilst in the City of Thieves and missed getting one of the vital ingredients to defeat him. After that many other gamebooks followed and just a few Citadel minis... 

So I suppose the question, why do this now? Well one of the challenges (a much younger me) had when I was playing these gamebooks is that is was easy to miss a vital choice because you can't see it all mapped out and I thought it would be good finally see it all in one go. And as I have already found, Ian Livingstone did not make easy even if they were supposed to be for kids!

Rob 

Five Go Mad in the Country

Its Only £2.40

Finished up the unpainted Oldhammer goblins, the next batch need to go through the paint stripper. 

I picked up the cart, horse and the poor unfortunates at Colours for the hefty sum of £2.40 for the set (also includes another unfortunate and a sign post). The print quality is basic but looks good enough for the table. And I didn't spend too long painting them. I gave up dry brushing them as this only highlights the ridges but contrast paint and a dab of highlight looked ok. 

 

Squeezed the hobgoblin champion onto a 20mm base, so will have to organise the rank and file around him. 

Rob 

It Got Me Thinking

Back To The Future (Almost)

After posting my picture of a 80's Citadel blister pack I have just bought and reading the comments. Got me thinking, exactly how old was this miniature? Fortunately a quick trawl through the Stuff of Legends website, revealed him to a  C36 Hobgoblin, first advertised in July 1984 and sculpted by Citadel Legend - Ali Morrison.

C36 Hobgoblin
Circa 1984

This however then led to what else was going on 1984, as turns out three of my all time favourite films.

Films

1. Ghostbusters - We all know who to call!

2..The Terminator  - I was too young in 1984 to see this film, so would have to wait a bit to see this one (When my friend got a video copy of it!). 

3. Indiana Jones & the Temple of Doom  - This isn't the best one of the Indiana Jones series but still great fun.  I saw again recently and was surprised how dated it seems now. 

Music

Now music turns out to be bit more tricky as much of the music around in 1984, I didn't listen to at the time and a lot of what's left I wouldn't own up to! When you realise that Chas & Dave made the top 10 albums in that year you can perhaps understand why. 

However Queen did release 'I want to Break Free' in this year, so it wasn't all bad.

& One other Thing

I bought my first Citadel Miniatures - a troll, a goblin, a orc and a medieval adventurer and they got painted with Humbrol enamels.  Then it got really serious.

and by the way still not opened it yet...

Rob 

Classic Citadel Blisters

Blister Pack from back in the day when I started collecting.

The classic blue & yellow design. 

I can't quite bring myself to open it yet...

and definitely not bought for 45p but wasn't a bad price by today's standards.

Rob