Painting at a Snail's Pace

 And Very Obscure 90s Tabletop Magazines

With work and family commitments, there has been very little time for painting recently. However, I did manage to finish this Rider of Rohan, though. Rather than painting the horse in one flat colour, I added some brown patches to give him a bit more character.

The sculpting of the face is really well done and the painting was nice and easy. Mark Copplestone perhaps? 

Also, found time to start fixing up my rather battered Rangers of Ithilien. 

Gamesman Magazine, March 1992

With a slightly uncomfortable

 looking 90s glamour model

Staying with old gaming finds, I also dug out a very obscure tabletop gaming magazine from the 1990s: Gamesman. This issue is from March 1992 and claims to be “Britain’s best-selling independent gaming magazine”, probably because GMI magazine had already stopped publishing.

Back in the day, I bought this issue for one reason: an article on the Battle of the Five Armies by Martin Hackett, who wrote a fantasy wargaming book. A quick Google search suggests he is still active, though now more on the historical side of wargaming.

The issue also contains a number of interesting adverts with plenty of Oldhammer significance.

For me, the standout is the Kryomek artwork, with its obvious Aliens influence. It is exactly the kind of atmospheric, slightly grimy sci-fi art that makes these old magazines so enjoyable to revisit.

Rob 

Skarloc's Wood Elves from a Different Dimension

Still Looking

Skarloc's wood elves is one the best regiments of renown and whilst I couldn't quite stretch the budget to a complete set. But I did manage to get Skarloc himself and painted an ex-Grenadier command group to join him including my choice for Wardancer captain. 

Obviously the proper Skarloc's wood elves were sculpted by Jes Goodwin and the ex-Grenadier ones by Mark Copplestone.  Both sets are excellent but where I think Jes Goodwin's elves just win over Mark's ones. Because Jes has sculpted his figures with a wider variety of kit and looks. The ex-Grenadier minis just look like they all went to the same hairdresser and clothing stylist.

 As usual on to the beer.

Rob

Three Projects In Progress

 Captain Fabián of the Winter Thorns

Captain Fabián stands apart from the rest of the wild elves. As an exile from the High King's court, He retains the dress code for the high court.  Despite haughty attitude to his country cousins, his superior skill with his broadsword is highly valued.  He is a level 5 champion for the wood elves. 

One of Mark Copplestone's excellent revenant elves from Warmonger miniatures and first of the wood elves I have painted in a while. 

Man of the North?

He is a test paint for a unit of these figures I have offered to paint for a friend. Painted with zenithal highlighting and mainly contrast paints. I am quite pleased how he turned out and he was a speedy paint. 

Slann Mage

I have decided to paint this model in subassemblies. With the underside of the palanquin and the base first. I will then put these two parts together and fit the rest of the palanquin. The base will not be completely finished but I want to get the majority of the painting done before I fit the flying stand. 

I know I will not see much of this detail on the underside of the palanquin after it is fitted together but it has been a good practice for the rest of the palanquin. Even though I dry brushed it with a variety of different off-whites it did look quite flat. The ink washes have really lifted the colours. I also decided to paint the detail on the palanquin as I think we usually think of this stone detail as unpainted but many historical monuments were often brightly coloured but is just that  the colours have worn off over time. 

Rob

Ted Sandyman - Friend of Sharkey

The Miller's Son 

Not all halflings cheered the return of Frodo and company. Some like Ted Sandyman supported Sharkey in exchange for money and power. 

I originally did a simple weapon swap but soon realised Ted needed a bit more work. He spends his time working in the mill. So I decided to remove the original short sword and slingshot pouch and replaced them with apron and money pouch to make him more industrial looking.  He would be a good stand in for a blacksmith. 

With only a dozen miniatures in Mark Copplestone's range of halflings for Grenadier. Most miniatures get used more than once.  But this is the first time I have turned one into  a blacksmith type. 

Not all hobbits are so easily cowered!

 

Forgot to take a picture of the back after he
was painted. But you get the idea. 

Halflings by the dozen 

Rob 

Running with the Hounds

Elven Animal Keepers 

From White Dwarf 96

The only unit I ever finished in that first attempt complete a wood elf army back in the nineties was an elven animal handler. In that case it was the boar keeper. However, for my new army I have decided to start with the hound keeper.  

Faster than a speeding...

It is quite hard to pick up one of these classic Citadel miniatures for a reasonable price, so I have been looking at alternatives. And decided on a minor conversion of a ex-Grenadier Barbarian courier. Both the original Citadel figure and Grenadier barbarian have quite a lot in common in terms of pose and look. And the Grenadier barbarians and wood elves were both sculpted by Mark Copplestone, So I feel he will fit in well with my existing ex-Grenadier wood elves.  

I did debate adding pointy ears but
you can't really see them anyway. 

Having sorted the first animal hander, it's time to turn attention to the hounds. So continuing the 90's metal vibe. 

Wrong 90's Metal vibe - Sort of! 

Yes, I know its a really poor joke. But just look at the hair!

This really this leaves only two choices either  finding some original Citadel hounds off eBay or Alternative Armies hounds from their Erin Celtic Myth range (Recently remastered). Alternative armies only do one standing pose but then so did Citadel with their range as well. To be honest I prefer the hound from the AA range. So that's probably the way I am going to go. 

From the Alternative Armies Website. 

So the Wood Elf army continues to grow.

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 

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 

Dwarven New Year

New Dwarves & Some Old Ones

Beginnings of the Guild of Sappers & Scouts

Slowly working my way through the dwarven contingent  for Thistlewood. Who will be  mixed unit of rangers and sappers. 

As readers of this blog will probably know one my favourite sculptors is Mark Copplestone and this dwarf Warchief is one  of his best.  One of his nineties Grenadier figures.  Fortunately still available through Fornlorn Hope. 

He is such a great character that I think he will have to be an additional  named character for Thistlewood. But because the dwarf contingent leader will now be a named character then the elf contingent will also have to have a named character which means the goblins etc. will also need another named character(s). So another project starts to spin out of control. Maybe I will think about this a bit more...

Jorus Dwalinson - Forge  Captain
of the Guild of Sappers & Scouts

Citadel's Talisman Dwarf

Gary Chalk's Illustration for the Talisman game

I thought I will add a picture of this miniature because I don't think I have included him on my blog before and he is one of my favourite Citadel dwarves and the theme of this post has been a bit dwarf centred. The figure can be a bit fragile because of winged helmet so he will probably have to sit out active service. I know this because I also have a broken one (Who could do with a bit of a revamp!). 

This is one of the figures designed for the Talisman board game characters based on the drawing by Gary Chalk. 

 ME-82  'The Hobbit' Personalities - Thorin Oakenshield (3 of 4)

And finally one more dwarf, now working to finish Thorin. The detail on this figure is really nice and the inks pick the detail very well. 

Rob