Grand's Troubadours Finished

The Leprechauns are Ready to Cause Mischief & 300 Posts

Finished off the last couple of leprechauns including the female - Ma Ogg. I almost forgot to add some yellow to her and so had to add a couple of yellow beads. Just to keep the colour theme. 

All of Grand's Troubadours including 'The Dunce'

The Main Protagonists - From the Grand and Ma Ogg

300 Posts

Just looking back this morning, I realised that this my 300th blog post. Thanks to all those who have viewed my blog, chosen to follow and posted comments. Check out 100th Post and 200th Post on these links for a short hop back in time. With any luck I will have finished my wood elves before the 400th post!

Rob 

Boris the Dunce

The Manual Labour for the Troubadours

Boris provides a bit of muscle when the Troubadours need a little extra help. Not even bright by the low standards of the Spriggans and possessed with an incredible stench.  The Leprechauns regularly have to create clouds of fresh air when they get too close...

I really enjoyed painting this model, I have been putting him off for a while as I wasn't quite sure how I wanted to tackle him. However, once I got started the process flowed very easily. I wanted him to look much more grubby compared to the  other two trolls from Oakbound I have painted so far (Bruce the Troll). So I used browns with a lighter green as a highlight and greens with a grey as a highlight. To get the grubby look. Along with plenty of washes and dark spots to create patches of mould and staining. Finally some shading with Carroberg Crimson (watered at the edges)  to give a sickly look. 

A great model from Oakbound and one of my favourites. I am sure any similarities to a real Dunce is purely a coincidence. 

Can't be called the 'The Dunce' without  a special hat. 

Rob

Sometimes You Just Have to Roll with It

 It Wasn't Part of the Plan!

Just finishing the latest of my 80's Aly Morrison high elves and had one last task to do. Fit the shield on to the mini. Now, I don't have enough of the original plastic shields. So, I have had make a few. I generally prefer using Milliput for these kind of jobs over Green Stuff as it dries harder with less flex.  The obvious downside it is a bit more brittle. 

Despite fitting this shield onto the mini half a dozen times, the final time was when I cracked it. After I short period of practising my list of swear words. I decided to keep it and just fill it in with a bit of Agrax Earthshade. After all even elven equipment must get a bit of battle damage. 

The elf on left is from one the first ranges of slotta figures late in 1985 and elf on the right is from the last range of pre-slotta high elves in early 1985. Between these two ranges the high elves have suddenly lost all of the luxury items such as furs, eastern inspired arms and armour. And the later elves have gone for a classic European medieval fantasy mode. Both are sculpted by Aly Morrison it almost as if he was told to rein it in for the later range. After having too much fun on the earlier figures. 

Rob

Grand's Troubadour Lupracáns

 The Second Thing Every Leprechaun Warband Needs

An attack duck! For some reason this just seemed to fit and it used the last duck from Salute. Work progresses on the leprechauns, just two more to go and Boris the Dunce. 

Grand's Troubadours take on Grog's Spiders

 to recover their stolen gold. 

Grand the From, leader of the Troubadours

 inspects his treasure.

Rob 

A Skilled Trollslayer

And a Prince Amongst Elves

With so many great Aly Morrison high elves it is hard to pick favourites. But this is definitely one of my favourites and my original choice as a stand in for Brommedir at Orcs Drift. All of these early high elves have really individual designs.  Very different from the highly regimented high elves that came later. Each one could easily be an elven prince with expensive furs, bespoke armour and exotic weaponry. 

What Does Every Leprechaun Warband Need?

Pots of Gold!

Rob 

Parliament of Owls & Tricksters

Leprechauns Sneak Out 

Work continues on the leprechauns and their familiars - the owls. I decided to use a bright yellow to tie all of these models together either with an item of clothing on the leprechauns or yellow flowers with the owls. Obviously haven't gone down the Grimdark or grubby earth routes as I wanted them stand out in their bright colours. Particularly pleased with the face of the leader under his hat. 

Rob 

Back to the Paint Bench

Starting the Leprechauns and Other Stuff

Just returned from my holidays which was very relaxing but didn't offer much opportunity for wargaming stuff except to catch up on some YouTube videos and blogs. However, I did come back with a plan which is to paint up the Leprechaun warband from Oakbound plus Boris the Dunce. Boris is needed stop the warband totalling 13 which doesn't feel right for the lucky leprechauns.  

Anyway, first leprechaun painted in the traditional greens and yellows.  I am not sure if the other might have some different colours. 

Once the leprechauns are finished I will move onto the wood elf cavalry and whilst on holiday I did manage to find these cocktail sticks which made me think wild elf lances. And even if they don't, I reckon they could come in handy for a Chaos warband. 

A quick spirit to finish off the first elven animal hander which completes the first wood elf unit. 

Rob 

More Tanks

 And Even More Tanks from Tankfest

Not really a tank but a concrete bunker on wheels. Built for airfield defence in the case of German paratrooper attack. 

This Vickers Mark II really captures the transition between WWI and WWII tanks for me. Even the small Mark VI (the next tank below) looks a lot more modern in comparison. 

I don't think this was a real paint scheme?? but done for World of Tanks. 

Rob