Another orc added. I think Citadel/GW have never surpassed the old Armoured Orcs range:
BTW, Where did that Orc get that fancy yellow cloak from?
I think the contrast in naturalism between him and the Adams crossbowman and armoured leader in these shots showcases the quality of the Perry sculptsCouldn't agree more! Excellent stuff! :)
Is that Acropolis range still available? Love it!
COOL STUFF! The new somewhat smaller Troll is REALLY quite a nice miniature. VERY WELL DONE one & all!
Lovely.
Is there any chance of a more clear pic of the one in a striped cloak rear right though?
I was going to reply saying that this could be a fine goblin shaman/witch until I saw the title. Quite appropiate.
Cor, that fella must be great at the haka! Great work on the sword, it's nice and rusty, but not 100% rust.
Wow these are so great! Love the fella with the big eyes...here the pale skintone works even better then on the others!
Great to see some fantastic old miniatures that I haven't seen before!
How do you achieve that skintone? Over a white basecoat?
UBERCOOL OLD STUFF! I love the silly grin on the Cold One. Since most of the minis are new to, previously unseen by moi, I can't but notice that, while they may lack some of the finer details of current standards, they more than make up for any deficiencies in detail with an abundance of charm & character. VERY WELL DONE once more!
One thing, though, that the Perrys were (and are) preternaturally gifted at is giving figures wonderfully natural poses. The way that lizardman sits on the cold one is just perfect. I think the sculptural principle is called "weight shift", or contraposto - conveying the impression of movement and weight. The Perrys seem to have an innate grasp of it, from their early-80s Citadel stuff to their plastic men-at-arms today. I think that sort of thing is much more valuable than the extreme dynamism that modern miniatures often display.
Duncan - all of that applies in spades to the orc with the dragon shield. He's a tremendous sculpt, with a haunted, even damned air about him.
Brilliant. :) I hadn't seen those hobgoblins before. You've done a great job on this one.
... and fragile ankles.
There is something indelibly horrible about Bakshi's orcs and Nazgul
Duncan McDane, is it the high-hatted beast master with the mace? Or the boxed-set one with the pelt and the half-moon polearm?
Sorry, missed this one. It's neither, I cannot find him on the net so I'll try and have a decent picture of him. He has a whip in his left hand, a gauntlet ons his right and some kind of Mohaa hairdress. It's a Morisson sculpt.
Great job on the Ettin, btw. :)
Indead, that's the guy. Thanks for solving that mystery. Great, clean sculpt, still holding it's own after all those years. Might give him a couple of Blink Dogs ( from Ral Partha ) as pets or else maybe the classic Slave Ogre. But I won't spoil your topic with my musings... ;)
I love the colours you use. Is that Orc still available?
Damn it! That's no goblin, its the baby Bugbear I've been after!
Nice paint though!
Nice job on those orcs (or should it be "Goblins?). Certainly evocative of Tolkien's descriptions of the foot soldiers of Mordor (or at least how I pictured them in my mind's eye when reading his books)!
I really like the way you painted the orcs. I love the old figures, they were so full of character. Keep them coming.
Justin
I've been playing around with some chimp-like colouration with these:
Thanks LeadAsbestos - I'll look into all of those! And apologies, Hobgoblin, for the slight thread derailing....
Viking Forge do the old Asgard range (http://www.thevikingforge.net/25mm-fantasy-orcs.html): probably the best orcs ever made, give or take the Tom Meier Ral Partha ones - and certainly the most Tolkienesque)
Here's the Chaos Wars kickstarter (https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1050509756/ral-parthas-chaos-wars) from Iron Wind. It's funded, and I think these will soon be on sale in their store.
I have to admire, in some small way, how the sculptor got round the problem of bendy metal spears with most of those.
Oh, nice red orcs too. :D It's a good skintone for orcs, IMO, despite the non-Tolkienishness.
Great thread!
We share the same old school Orc fetish :)
Very true for me as well! If you won't mind, Hobgoblin, I would show a pic of my old orc bunch ...
Not the best pic, but here they are:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/gallery/24/93_01_02_16_10_02_39.jpg)
I think Chronicle, Asgard and even the smaller earlier Citadel orcs mix very well. I did them on multibases with 4 figures each.
Heh! I like that guy with the open, 'yelling' mouth. Sort of caricaturised but natural too. Very characterful.
Nicely painted as usual. :) (You too Admiral! I'll second Hob's question about the game they're based for.)
On photography woes: have you considered a basic lighting setup? I do all right with a cheap fluourescent desk lamp. (+ a foolscap sleeve to dim the intensity of the light and a couple of sheets of plasticard to bounce it around)
That rat shield is wonderful! Do you have any more of them? Or any more shots of this lot? What game are they based up for? They really look great - and the mix of ranges works very well indeed.
Thanks for the nice comments, chaps! There are some more pics on my (very old) website here http://www.mini-universe.de/Fantasy/index.html (http://www.mini-universe.de/Fantasy/index.html).
I based them on multi-bases because orcs always appear to me best en masse, not as single combatants. So I didn't have any special rule system in mind but choose a base front of 50 mm which should be convenient for most combat game rules. Today they would be useful for Dragon Rampant, for example, and that's just what I'm aiming for when preparing some more single miniatures of the nice Asgard orcs and goblins range ... :)
Gabbi, I think it's a type of kettlehat - later versions became more sallet-like by including eye-slits in the brim. The models are Perry foot knights - appropriate for the Wars of the Roses.Thanks!
Thanks, both!
Here's an ancient lump of lead - a two-headed broo from the old Citadel range. He's a curious creature, with his heads alone combining elements of antelope, crocodile and wolf. I've gone for "antelope" as the dominant element in the colour scheme.
OGAM for Moorcock? Interesting... I was thinking 7th Voyage, but I've never tried either.
It also forms a nice intermediate level of game, between SoBH and Dragon Rampant. I think those two rulesets have a nice synergy, because a warband for SoBH generally makes a decent unit for DR. But with OGAM, you get an additional step. Units of Mortals are between four and eight models strong, so a "halfway there" DR unit slots in nicely to OGAM. And it provides a great excuse for painting up all those random monsters that have been lurking around. There's no real need for restraint - the army lists in the book include the Midgard Serpent as a legend, along with all manner of other mythical beasts. But you could just as well use human-sized heroes for legends.
That is a very good reason for buying and playing a game!
I am just now starting out with Blood Eagle (skirmishing in the Legendary Dark Ages), and a good basic warband here is perhaps 4-8 models, which means that an almost perfect next step before Lion/Dragon Rampant would be OGAM.
As I want everything hobbyish I do to serve multiple purposes, I now have to give OGAM serious consideration o_o
Great news, actually!
I think you might have sold me on OGAM too.
Basic SoBH's magic system has always seemed about the right level to me. But OGAM is cleverly done, in that it allows all kinds of superpowered gods (teleporting, invulnerable, gargantuan, whatever) without unbalancing the game. The synergies - to use that dread word - are really well thought out.
Ordered it last night :D
Tiger stripes? You cray-cray! :D
In seriousness, impressively tidy work, there. In my experience, it's difficult to get enough flow for stripes and whatnot, without watering the colour down too much.
Overall, I know what you mean. On the topic of synergies, I have the feeling it's a buzzword that came about to replace other words that described the same thing, but can still have different meanings. E.g. I hear it in reference to 40K, Warmahordes and AoS. There, I take it as almost a euphemism for strategy, or less kindly, listbuilding. The synergy or 'combos' of special rules, dependent on which models you bought. From what you say about OGAM, I'd put it in the other box: the synergy of general rules and mechanics, more dependent on how you use those rules on the table (tactically?), less dependent on how you build your list.
Might do that meself. I've had a quick intro game of OGAM, but straight after an intro of another game, and we didn't go too deep into it - so for my part I was gamed out and didn't see much more than basic roll-to-hit, roll-to-wound. I guess I was wrong!
These are great! I might have missed this, but where ae the red guard from? Mega.
My son keeps saying "Can we use them as space pirates, and we have just uncovered a hoard of 40 or so Traveller 15mm miniatures, which we're basing individually ...
I do like the lizardmen with axes above - they have come out very nicely. I think going with 8 or 9 on a base would look good, nice and dense compared to the others.
How can you say no!!
Bases - yes a medium brown shade before the final highlight may help lighten them a bit more. Personally I would put some flock on for the green areas.
The orcs do look suitably dark once they are based up.
I think the lizards are a little out numbered! ;)
Great progress.
Intersting to hear about the Overdrive mechanic. We played a bit of Mayhem a couple of years ago, and really liked some of the mechanics. Overdrive was good, where you spend increasingly more command points to focus on a single unit taking multiple moves. The idea of standards by having multiple of the same unit was nice too.
But my gaming buddy was put off by the roll a 1 and you kill the enemy mechanism. Mainly because I killed his heavy knights, who rolled 5d4 and failed to get a 1, and I rolled 1d10 and got a 1.
Ray Harryhausen would approve!
Nice work on some nice figures.
Cool. Great to see the old Tin Soldier miniatures out in force too. I have a bunch of those. They were the first miniatures I ever got.
Here you go ...
Very nice. Is that wolf shield freehand?
I do like the colours on these figures, and the wolf shield is very good.
I assume the slotta bases are just temporary for painting?
I remember those Orcs - thanks for the happy memories you have just unearthed from the depths of my mind :D
Neat job but why not base and use sabot trays for HOTT?
I don't pretend that my liking for these beasties is anything other than nostalgia: they don't hold up nearly as well as the Bob Olley Essex Orcs (which are magnificent; I have some on the go at the moment). But they do have a certain something; they're like 1980s Doctor Who villains, or monsters from a low-budget SF or S&S film. And the armour is lovingly detailed and crisp.
Heh, part of me wants to order a few of them right away :D I like how yours turned out, and the element certainly looks the part. I've got an entire HoTT army sitting around in my drawers - I should get it painted ::)
Im kinda curious as to the other Essex orcs. I've been casting a few glimpses at them as well.
(And I might also have to order some Biostrip. Got a lot of stuff that could do with a re-paint)
The "Cursaa's Orcs" are really terrific. I prefer them to Bob Olley's Iron Claw/Citadel black orcs. They're a similar size, but squatter, with bigger heads and less human proportions. The photos on the Essex site do them no justice at all.
Is he the one called "Scaley Orc with Sword & Dagger" on the Essex site (and not currently pictured)?
This chap would make an excellent Azog, I think - "huge head bound in iron" and all that.
Great work on the orcs; and indeed on the Essex guy above.
I'm all in favour of your orcs-as-bergtrolle notion, too: something halfway between Scandinavian trolls (as a catch-all term for what traditional RPGs distinguish into kobolds, goblins, orcs, trolls, ettins, what-have-you) and the Old English mearcsteppers, eotenas and ylfenas and all that, of whom Grendel is an abnormally large and violent but not otherwise that unusual an example: envious, malicious, marked by exile and an unforgotten sense of injustice received - tragic as well as (often) villainous or wicked.
The whole later Warhammer orcs thing (waaagh and all the "humorous" misspellings) has always seemed to me a bad parody of itself. So, yes, the less of that we have, the better, in my book.
Wow! What a lovely collection of miniatures you have Mr Hobgoblin :)
The more I see of the Essex Orcs the more I think they could work with 15mm miniatures.
Biostrip 20 has been added to the wishlist, do you use the 750ml spray bottle or the thicker paste that comes in a 500ml tub?
Thanks - but no! Hyenas are feliform (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Feliformia) creatures (like civets and mustelids). ;)
Is it a converted Frostgrave gnoll?
I shall operate solely on the dictates of whimsy.
Great work on these - the colours work very well.
50 or 60 great goblins? Wow. That's a horde to be reckoned with. I liked them a lot back in the day but only ever owned a few, and those disappeared decades ago. I think I may have traded them for dwarves, or something. Still have a few of the Citadel RQ trolls knocking about, though, and they share a good bit of DNA with the great goblins... Interested to see what you make of them.
I'm currently making some sabot bases for HOTT, as it happens. It's possible but does require a bit of tweaking; I've had to make blades 60x30 rather than 60x20, and even then can only comfortably fit a couple of penny sabots per base. Warband will have to be 60x40, because they're going to be my Essex orcs based on tuppences, and again only two will fit. Still, the rules do say "the base depths specified are recommended minima" and these will be playing only against each other, so I'm not too concerned. But in an ideal world, dedicated element bases with multiple figures would be better (and much less work, although I do quite enjoy the process).
Blades will be my ragged mob of mostly vintage dwarves, since they're to hand. Enough of them are armed with 2-handed axes, mauls and the like to make the spacing mostly plausible. They'd certainly go three to a base if they weren't already on pennies, but I plan on keeping them for use in Dragon Rampant (and maybe Otherworld skirmish) as well, so they'll just have to manage.
Yes, those C12s are proper goblins, aren't they. Bags of character and subdued menace and not too much slapstick comedy...
He's great! Looking forward to seeing him painted.
Nice work on the lizardmen, too. Very effective colours.
Yes, quite clearly orcs and goblins are one and the same, and as an unapologetic Tolkien purist even as a teenager this was one of the small marks against the whole D&D-warhammer orc/goblin taxonomy. I think I rationalized it then as just a way of distinguishing between different sizes/breeds/whatever of orcs (or goblins).
Without entering into the whole vexed question of orcish origins, obviously they come in a variety of sizes and shapes, just like human beings but (probably) moreso. So it makes perfect sense to have hulking great Essex orcs (great goblins, if you like) alongside scrawny little Ral Partha goblins (like wiry fly halves alongside prop forwards, perhaps, although taken from a wider spectrum of sizes than the human). And all others in between, too.
Different roles for different sizes and shapes of orc/goblin seems only natural, although I plan to vary the sizes a bit within units just for fun. You could easily explain this as a random ad hoc grouping of the variously sized goblins of a particular hold (in, say, the Misty Mountains); the arguably more regimented forces of Mordor might need to be a bit closer to each other in size, although even there a range of sizes and shapes would be both plausible and visually more interesting than serried ranks of same sized orcs...
I'll try to get some pictures of my hordes up when they're fit to be seen; I'm currently working on the bases, as well as digging out various likely candidates. I recently picked up some red box goblins, which are very nice (in fact, they're miniature Paul Bonner trolls) but comparatively tiny. They may go in the second wave of hordes...although one advantage of sabotted bases is the ease of mixing in subsequent reinforcements.
Curious to see how your chaos hordes come out. It's an excellent notion to assemble them from whatever is to hand; in fact this ought to be axiomatically true of any chaos army, surely?
Avoid too many high powered figures as these tend to be very hard to kill and the game becomes a bit dull.
Interesting. Oddly, one of the things I've found about SOBH is that powerful figures are quite risky, because outnumbering and concentrated fire mean that a few weaklings can take down a stronger character quite easily. A C6 Dragon surrounded by five C2 kobolds will fight on equal terms ....
Yes. Sorry I wasn't too clear, I meant don't make both sides just a few high powered creatures.
The outnumbering and Leader rules mean hordes can be quite effective.
Your work on medieval iconography si turning out very well: it almost remind me of Bosch! Great work, can't wait to see the army based!
The Bosch paintings really do have some strange and weird 'things' in them. Much stranger and more variety than the GW idea of Chaos.
I like your two figures - they get the bosch theme of the juxtaposition of the weird with the normal.
On a Pauline Baynes theme, the right hand bird-man reminded me of the illustration of Tash from The Last Battle. Not so many arms, obviously, but the pose and claws...
Where are your animal heads from, out of interest?
If you need a few of the Perry WoTR arrows drop me a PM
These toy animals look a good source of parts for strange mashups http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/12-x-Farm-Animals-Childrens-play-toys-/291782662160?hash=item43ef9a1810:g:WoMAAOSwpDdVIYWF
depends how many of these you are thinking of building
That said, I think he also looks a bit like Breughel's Dulle Griet:
Thanks! I don't know the Berserk manga but will investigate ...
Here's another idea.
(http://www.art-prints-on-demand.com/kunst/noartist/j/js_after_bosch___hell__detail-7.jpg)
OK, that's really weird!
Thanks! I was thinking of a toucan for the bird man:
I'm doing something similar with my beastmen, as I really don't like the idea, that a child of the chaos gods comes out the same (goatman, bull man or small goat man) every time. Your motley crew looks fantastic.
If that's rough and ready painting!! Looking good to me.
And here's the magician. He's an old Chronicle hobgoblin shaman. I love this figure: he's crude but effective. I have another kicking around that I'll paint up for skirmish games.
They're handy for tattoos too:
The paintjob on the warg is amazing! Love the shaman as well (and everything else!), he's always been a favourite fig of mine as well.
Nicely painted oldhammer miniatures :D Long live GREEN bases :)
Which HotT base widths were you using 60mm or 40mm?
Going to have to get my old 15mm armies for it out sometime and get gaming with them and DBA 3.0
Here are the first members of my new HotT army of "steampunky goblins". These two will serve as an artillery element once based. The bulk of the army will be shooters - two to a base.
These are really quick and dirty paintjobs, not least because some of the details on these Mantic figures are a bit soft or obscure (it's very hard to tell where a given garment or piece of armour begins and ends, for example). But they'll do. One observation I've made from playing HotT recently with both recent armies and those I painted hastily as a teenager is that the (significant) difference in quality is hardly noticeable during a game.
That's nice. I may look into some of those myself. Would they be suitable to chop up?
These look great, what are they built from?
I was thinking of getting some to use as Trolls or Ogres in 28mm and Giants in 15mm given how tall they are.
I like those buildings! Have you got a link to them?
Thanks! I hadn't noticed the numbers. Here's another shot of the hobgoblin - I'm quite pleased with how his face turned out, so was trying to get a shot of it in better light. Alas, it's come out slightly pointillist in this one!
Those Perry hobgoblins are more or less my era; I think I'd drifted into other teenage preoccupations before their successors came along... Don't think I ever owned any back in the day, though I remember them from catalogues and the like.
Your teenage paintjobs aren't at all bad, btw. I'd be tempted to recondition them rather than redo them from scratch, if you think they need sprucing up.
I do find myself wondering what your model mountain from days of yore really looks like though.... Rank upon rank of figures waiting to march forth? ;)
Nice work on those last two. I'll forgive the dreadful pun in the title...
I'm looking forward to see what you do on those Dwarves, as in the bare metal they look very basic, probably even crude. I think most of them pre-date my rather old Dwarves. Doing them as evil Dwarves to band with the hobgoblins would be different, and interesting.
Also looking forward to seeing what you make of the FT dwarves; they're amongst my favourite figures, for a whole host of reasons, some (of course) purely nostalgic. Certainly by today's standards they're a bit rough and ready, but there's a plausibility and character about the best of them that works for me just as it did thirty years ago... One of the great charms is the seemingly endless number of variants, of course; I keep coming across ones I've not seen before.
I think they exemplify one of the best traits of early Citadel stuff, its believability - no oversized weapons or ninja acrobatics. You can really see their roots in RPGs rather than mass battle games: each one could work as a player character (and hence all the slightly odd dwarven thieves and clerics &c).
You make a good point, too, about the morally ambivalent nature of dwarves in folklore; some of this is still left in Tolkien, of course, in the noegyth nibin in the Turin cycle, and especially in the earlier versions of the nauglamir story. But in the LotR appendices, his dwarves have dropped all that in favour of a stoical northern warrior's code (and nothing wrong with that, but it IS a development). The cheery red-cheeked ale-quaffing stuff is indeed a bit tiresome, but I think this is probably down to a combination of early warhammer jokiness and infection from bad Christmas illustrations &c. There's a bit of it in the Hobbit, but really only in the early chapters.
Fearsome weaponry is right, too, though I'm not sure about magical (in the strict sense). But certainly better-than-any-human-smith-could-make and so on.
I'd better not get started on to the whole dwarf-technology question, though; well-forged weapons and ring mail for sure, but beyond that? I always reckoned crossbows were dangerously uncanonical, and as for gunpowder weapons....
Anyway, I could burble on about this at length, but won't. As I say, looking forward to seeing them in due course.
I'm sure you're right about the tendency to read Tolkien's interpretations back into his sources, and indeed the obvious explanation is to make elves and dwarves two names for the same thing - but one of the endearing things about old school philologists is their stubborn notion that different names must on some level, in some way, correspond to differences in the things named: to argue, in fact, that the source was mistaken. Tolkien does the same thing when he's editing texts, emending manuscript readings with a boldness that makes later editors come over all faint. But I reckon his Old and Middle English were a good deal better than theirs, and a lot of scribes are clearly baffled by what they've been copying, so who can say. Even his more fanciful reconstructions are compellingly and plausibly made...
Anyway, a good deal of the fun of old school miniatures, I think, is how eclectic a lot of them are in their sources and inspiration. These hobgoblins are absolutely a case in point; and you've brought that out very well.
Here's another addition to the oni band - an ushi-oni. These chaps are just about to see action in Dragon Rampant, as an elite foot unit with the spellcaster option.
I like the shield on that one, and I've always gone for different skin tones for the orcs and gobbos rather than just GW green.
Very cool. That fat gobbo remdins me of the heartbreaker Chaz Elliot one. I bought one from Ral Partha Europe recently.
Love this thread. Great additions, though your references to hallowed gaming shops of Edinburgh make me sad as I never had the pleasure of visiting them ;)
Great shots of your recent Dragon Rampant game - I did have a LOL WTF moment when I saw that based T Rex in one of the shots! Terrain wise, I say meh, stick with painting your excellent forces. Mind you, a terrain mat is a quick win and there are many options that are pretty good value... :D
Thanks! This guy? I can see the resemblance - he's almost an homage with the club and belly:
I do think that the Perry brothers have never been surpassed as fantasy sculptors; it's just a pity that they only do historicals now.
Your consistent ability to finish things never fails to impress... I've been trying to finish a few oddments in time for the school holidays but find I have the attention span of a distracted goldfish most of the time these days.
You dont see many of these nowadays.
It is fun, isn't it, spotting how Citadel used to recycle models into whatever ranges they had decided to divide their then catalogue into. The RQ stuff turns up with all manner of unexpected company.
Here's the first of some 15mm Essex orcs. These are much nicer and more detailed than they appear from the Essex website. They're based on the 28mm Bob Olley range, though I don't think they're actually by him (I could be wrong). In some respects, the 15s are actually nicer figures - or at least more mainstream; I really like the 28s, but I suspect they're not for everyone.
I might touch up the tunic and the severed head a little, though at this scale there's a strong "is it worth it?" factor.
Are those Gnoblars? Great work.
In fact your 15mm stuff is just as good as your 28mm; you use the same painting technique for both scales?
I had a brief foray into 15mm a year or two ago but mostly it was the Copplestone figures. Good work on the barbarian, btw; they really are fine sculpts, aren't they (despite the slightly chunky swords).
Is it the lighting, or is that goblin, well, green?
I'm a big 15mm fan and sometimes it's hard to find specific monsters and I'm amazed how many things out there work actually better in 15mm than what they were intended for!
I'll certainly try to get some Kobolds for a nice Gnoll Warband. do you remember which manufacturer they are from?
All this 15mm goodness is making me wonder what I have hidden in the lead pile. We're just emerging from the chaos of a house move (which leaves me with comparatively abridged hobby space) so 15mm may be one of the ways forward - now I just need to discover which box my 15s are in....
I'm very taken with 10mm for its speed of painting. It fulfils the hollow promise of 15s, which aren't that much quicker than 28s, I find, especially once larger numbers of figure per element are taken into account. That won't stop me painting lots more 15s for RPGs and Dragon Rampant, as the scale gives a nice balance of individuality and space. But 10s seem the way forward for massed battles other than HotT (for which 28s are best, I think).
I agree and disagree. :)
IMO 15s excel at two points, which at least for me are decisive:
1. They still do allow you to recognise individuals and are therefore very well for character drived
tabletop and role playing games.
2. Terrain is much cheaper and looks better with 15s than with 28mm. And this allows you to build a decent tabletop without renting a gym. :)
More great work here. Those copplestone 10s are splendidly done; and I particularly like the Four A lizard a few posts earlier.
Lots of food for thought, too, re repurposing of scales. I've got scads of 28s, but frankly at the moment not enough space to play much with them beyond skirmishes. But a good many of them (red box goblins and so on) could easily make the leap into 15s, I reckon.
However I don't at the moment have that many actual 15s (I think, although one can never be wholly sure) aside from some copplestone barbarians, and I really don't need to start buying more stuff, not in quantity anyway. But the tip to use 15s for RPGs sounds a good one - I'd always presumed RPG characters just had to be 28s (because, well, they always had been, apart from 15s for Traveller obviously...).
Decisions, decisions....
IMO 15s excel at two points, which at least for me are decisive:
1. They still do allow you to recognise individuals and are therefore very well for character drived
tabletop and role playing games.
2. Terrain is much cheaper and looks better with 15s than with 28mm. And this allows you to build a decent tabletop without renting a gym. :)
That said, I do love 10mms for exactly what you stated. They do give a real "mass" feeling, especially when based on blocks.
They are not necessarily less expensive, but allow you to finish huge masses of troops in decent times and believe it or not, they are detailled enough, that you can even play warhammer with them! :)
:-*
Fantastic painting and collection!
Hummster - the Laserburn miniatures are fantastic. I've got a few left over from my misspent youth, but am eyeing up some more for a 15mm Whitehack campaign with strong science-fantasy elements.
Here are a couple of Eureka 10mm lizardmen. Not sure how many I'll fit to a 20 x 40 base. They might go into two cramped ranks of four or three wider ranks of six, but I might array them in a more unruly fashion.
You can see the development of your painting skills from page 2, certainly, and the first attempt was already pretty solid. This one looks good - if you wish to keep him flexible for 28mm then go without some other figs on the base but I have a suspicion that you have rather many figures that could do this too, and it would be cool to see some other figs on his base ;)
Haha and now I've browsed your first few pages again! Have you stopped using gloss varnish? I can't really tell... And now you have me wondering if I should try it on a smaller force or two :P
Those skaven look great - do a lot of your painting involve 'tinting'? It's got a great, subtle look that I really like... super effective.
I'd love to see one of those Skaven before you start the tinting stage, be interested to see how heavily they're drybrushed...
Cool stuff (again!!)
Where is the orc chariot from, its not one I recognise (though the wolves perhaps look like Irregular)?
The commander is from the BoFA set isn't he, and he has come out very nicely!
Good thinking on the basing - while big bases are cool, its often much more flexible to have smaller bases you can arrange together to make units.
The Pendraken lizardmen are cool - I've had mine out on the table the last couple of weeks. As can be seen over in Pendraken land
http://www.pendrakenforum.co.uk/index.php/topic,15270.msg236621.html#msg236621
Those new sculpts are really nice too, addded lots of variation to the figures.
I did see somewhere in here that you undercoat white, wash with agrax/dark wash, dry brush white and then apply washes/glazes. Do you just thin your desired colour with water and paint it on and highlight?
Really great work, The quality and speed you're getting these classic sculpts painted at is wonderful. :)
I wonder if you could enhance/change the effect by giving them a super matte coat, then 'highlighting' with a satin varnish. I want to paint some black armoured minis soon, might try it!
(I wish there was more Bakshi LOTR)
Yes, hope the big game goes well.
A great series of updates in the past few weeks - the blue-skinned dwarf is very striking. Will they all be blueskins, or do you plan a variety of dwarven (or dwarfish) skin-tones?
Re blue dwarves. Of course, I went to look this up, and, yes, Voluspa mentions Blainn's limbs and Brimir's blood as the source of dwarves; no reason why a giant (if that's what Brimir is) shouldn't have blue blood (in one or more senses), or any colour you like in fact. There's also the passage in the Snorra-Edda (in Gylfaginning) that quotes the same Voluspa verses after saying dwarves began as maggots in Ymir's flesh, before the gods gave them human likeness and intelligence. Again, I reckon these maggots can be any colour you like, and blue looks most striking. This "blue" is the livid blue-black of bruises, too, or so Zoega tells me. You probably know all this already, of course.
Interesting that Thor says Allviss looks like a thurs - now we're in Grendel territory, at least with the name. And to make it all more fun, Allviss gets turned to stone by the rising sun, which makes him like a giant in another way too. Of course, dweorg in Old English seems to mean not just "a dwarf" (in glosses) but also "a fever or fit" in the medical literature. Hmmm. Fascinating stuff...
There's also a good essay by Shippey on light-elves & dark-elves, and what Tolkien makes of them, in his collection Roots & Branches, which you may know.
Apropos of nothing, I just opened volume 2 of Grimm and came across a reference to a medieval writer, Heinrich von Ofterdingen, making a pair of dwarves ride on goats... and here was I thinking this was a nonsense of more recent origin. But Grimm notes briskly that, unlike these later works, "the Edda nowhere represents either alfar or dvergar as mounted", which is probably as it should be.
The whole dwarves-and-beer thing is indeed vastly overdone (and I am as fond of beer as the next man, or moreso). I remember being rather disappointed by this in the original Warhammer Forces of Fantasy supplement, which was the first Warhammer item I bought rather than borrowed. It makes them both more trivial and, as you say, much less uncanny.
One of the very good things about Dragon Warriors, incidentally, is the way it presents goblins (and hobgoblins) as malevolent folkloric tricksters rather than "the infantry of the old war"; although it then rather spoils this by introducing orcs, as a separate species, in the "infantry" role... I suppose we blame Gary Gygax for this, at one or two removes...
I reckon Crom! is a grand set of rules for all manner of things. Was there supposed to be a revised or expanded or tweaked version on the way? Think I read this somewhere, but I forget the detail. The rules are great as they stand, but were there issues with missile fire, or something?
So that pic above is before the gloss varnish? Definitely looks to me like the black works well matte too, might try this on some wee beasties.
What did you prime them with? I just painted on Ceramite White (years ago!) with these fellows. None of them have chipped over that time, but I'd be nervous about spraying the others rather than hand-painting them.
I notice that with today being cooler, there's no trace of tackiness in the painted and varnished ones.
I sculpted some guys like that available from CP models. Probably a bit larger than them though.
These looks great - quick Q, did you paint the very green frog using your usual method? I've got a pile of 10mm snakemen to paint at some point and my test version (over my usual black undercoat) didn't work because I couldn't highlight all the tiny scales - your glazing method might work really well. I was thinking of swapping your brown wash step for a green wash though (I want them emerald like tree snakes)- every tried that?
Hope today's adventures go well.
You know Splintered Light actually makes pig-faced orcs in 15mm, right?
And Zombiesmith has them in German WW2 uniforms and gear, for those campaigns where the Axis includes Mordor (as you'd expect).
Just wondering you don't come from Edinburgh do you? The painting style seems familiar for some reason.
Thanks, all! The automata proved quite deadly yesterday, as it took the players a while to realise that they had only 1 HP apiece.
Say what you will about D&D 4E, the concept of the 1HP minion monster type was genius. :)
Mike or Justin?
Would love to meet up for a pint some time if your free.
Started painting again last year, bus as ever slow as hell. Hk doesn't have much of a scene, but lots of games stores in Singapore: plan is to finish my Empire army one of these days. But all in storage in Singapore. But LUCKILY found a couple of boxes of old lead in mother-in-law's garage. Lots of pre-slotta chaos warriors, orcs (a lot of broken halberd to deal with, broo bodies (to fit the bag of heads overseas ;), and some nice bits I'm trying to fit together (leadbelcher, old orc war machine, elven attack chariot etc..). I'm nitromorsing at the moment (then an extra dettol wash).
I'm ashamed to admit I think I stripped a couple of Troglodytes you painted in a rush, lost most of my well painted miniatures to the hunter/bruce's semi regular D&D group (still going strong believe it or not, albeit on a bi-annual basis: my involvement somewhat restricted by geographical remoteness).
Nothing like an impending day of gaming to get the units moving through the painting table!
Like that big dude - he is certainly a good size, as those Copplestone Oleg Hai aren't small!
That wee troll is a cracker. What is on the end of the chain?
Cool, I never knew Asgard did 15mm stuff.
Yes, these are properly nice - and I'd echo the praise for the hobgoblin's face.
And well done on keeping things moving, notwithstanding work and all that. I have a pile of things more or less finished but somehow getting even ropey photographs taken and posted seems beyond me...
How is the 15mm HOTT army coming along?
Here are the first of some 15mm Harook, which I bought from jimboba on eBay. They may need some touching up in the cold light of day ...
These fellows will end up as D&D/Whitehack villains at some point, but I also have designs on them as Dragon Rampant scouts (with venomous missiles) and as an infantry unit in Alien Squad Leader. I've never played the latter, but have long been intrigued and got hold of the free basic third-edition rules yesterday. From what I can surmise, an element (on 50 x 50mm) has three hits, so three figures in sabots would work fine; I'm trying to source suitable sabots at the moment (and they'd help in DR too).
These fellows will end up as D&D/Whitehack villains at some point, but I also have designs on them as Dragon Rampant scouts (with venomous missiles) and as an infantry unit in Alien Squad Leader. I've never played the latter, but have long been intrigued and got hold of the free basic third-edition rules yesterday. From what I can surmise, an element (on 50 x 50mm) has three hits, so three figures in sabots would work fine; I'm trying to source suitable sabots at the moment (and they'd help in DR too).
Love the Harook - great minis I keep meaning to get hold of.
If you like ASQL have a look at the new Nordic Weasel game Squad Hammer - http://www.wargamevault.com/product/222978/Squad-Hammer-Dirt-simple-gaming-for-many-settingsor-all-of-them?src=hottest - it's a really simple, versatile system that would work well for sabot based minis or singles (or a mix). I'm having a lot of fun experimenting with it.
By the way, the most recent Hobgoblin is great too. It might be unworkable, but a polearm and shield really does scream 'guard' so well.
Very glad these guys obviously went to a good home 😁
Great paint job and colour scheme.
Warbases are good for custom sabots too. Very accommodating. And in Scotland too 😜
can't wait to see the gorgon! What do you think of the FiB sculpts?
I'd be interested to know what you think if you check out squad Hammer - I've been inspired by it in a way I haven't by rules sets in a long time.
Great stuff - can't believe you have dry brushed the halloween masks!!
Ah cool - so your usual method but green ink instead of brown?
Cheers!
I didn't know that Warbases were based (ahem!) in these parts. I bought some of their sabots at Claymore and really like them. The big advantage that the Wargames Products site has over Warbases and Supreme Littleness is that it's very up front about customisable sizes. (I've often looked at Warbases and wished they'd give dimensions for the various configurations they produce - or maybe they do and I've somehow just not spotted them!).
Did you know Supreme littleness are based in Porty?
Those Chronicle Orcs are lovely figures
The RP goblin above is really excellent - the orcs are all very effective, but he works superbly.
I absolutely love that last chap's shield with the monster face in profile, something really charming about it... I can imagine him sitting and painting it in between all his pillaging.
I absolutely love that last chap's shield with the monster face in profile, something really charming about it... I can imagine him sitting and painting it in between all his pillaging.Same for me - loving the old school vibe these just ooze.
Seeing them en masse only emphasises what a lot that range does with a fairly limited number of poses, some on the face of it pretty ungainly;
Looks great, but what about leaving the red ones red so they can change colour with the season or when they're exposed to environmental effects?
had a flash of 'coolspiration' seeing that Beastman backed up by the two Tyranids, very cool. I like your multi race approach to factions, it's really refreshing.
Recent orcs look great, though I must say I prefer the red skintone.
Blue orcs look very good but I also like them in red. I'm sure you can devise a plausible explanation for the variance in a game context, too.
Obviously interested in how your pandours come out!
And good luck with the Christmas gaming. Mine is still at the slightly incoherent planning stage...
Thanks - I'll keep you all posted (though in my own thread rather than this one!).
It's just the system I can most easily wing it with, whilst trying to keep the attention of two small boys (and possibly their mother and smaller sister) on whatever goblin-heavy circumstance I pitch them into... :)
One of his ideas is that a good book should repay rereading, so a lot of the things that pass you by first time around (or just make no senes) become significant on the next reading.
An especially sneaky thing he does is write stories (like his early novel Peace, or his recent The Land Across) that appear to be about one thing, only for you to realize, often towards the end, that they're actually about something completely different (although the "surface" story is more-or-less coherent). Unreliable narrators aren't even the half of it...
Thanks again - I'll let you know how we get on (and with what).
One thing that's always struck me as odd about the book, though, is the aunt's dog's name: Ming-Sno. The second syllable can't possibly be Chinese (in any form of transliteration). Maybe it's just a mistake. Or maybe it's a white dog missing its W ...
Papa Smurf! lol Nice painting.
What company makes that org? Is it a GW kit?
And here he is among his kin ...
you can really see the resemblance between the big shadespire dwarf and the chap with the blue helmet just to the right of him.
Wow, they're amazing!
How'd you do the skin and armour?
The contrast between old and new Warhammer orcs is very telling, isn't it. But you could probably mix the odd big fellow into a warband with his older relatives (overlooking for purposes of the exercise his super-sized weapon... what is it with the huge weaponry, anyway? I suppose they're clearly distinguishable at a tabletop distance...)
That looks a lot better than the yellow they paint them.
I've always liked the idea that most RPG/fantasy-wargame humanoids are just different variants of the same species. I think this may well have been how things were originally conceived in D&D (before the various synonyms for "goblin" acquired animal characteristics - kobolds/dogs, orcs/pigs, gnolls/hyenas, hobgoblins/mandrills). My cave goblins include various bugbear and ogre models painted with the same skintone, and the two Perry trolls I have will be done the same way.
Nice ghoul-gnoll! Might look into a box of these at some stage. Looking forward to seeing how you've done the unarmed (well, claw-armed) ones.
Exactly this.
One of the appealing things about Gloranthan trolls is the way the name functions as a generic term for some very disparate creatures. I'm all for taking things back to their folkloric roots and gathering all of these nominally distinct goblins (or whatever generic term one uses) into a great hotch-potch of miscellaneous bad hats of varying sizes and shapes and characteristics, all under the banner of "goblin" (or whichever of the myriad almost-synonyms one prefers). Obviously for gaming purposes one might want to split them into a few broad types, but it shouldn't be surprising - in fact, it ought to be expected - to find a bunch of rather different types (more or less) co-operating, in a warband, dungeon, or whatever. The Trudvang RPG does this sort of thing with its own trolls, which are (unsurprisingly) very Scandinavian in tone.
And of course one of the great advantages of this, as you say, is that you can use any figures you have, or happen to like, without worrying about compatibility beyond some basic aesthetics - if I like it, it goes into the mix!
And here he is finished, barring a lick of black around the edge of his base. I find the coloured plastic that these are cast in less receptive to undercoat than their grey kin. As he'll be handled a lot - my son was playing Shadespire properly at a friend's house today - he'll need at least a couple of coats of deeply unfashionable gloss varnish ...
That's interesting - I absolutely swear by leaving gesso 24 hours (I've had some disasters with washes 'wrinkling' the undercoat), whereas I'll paint over a sprayed on primer pretty much immediately.
All depends on process doesn't it I guess - My desert bases are finished with a gloss 'glaze' (acts a bit like army painter dip) so that's pne reason I love super flat matte. Having said that, I do use two coats of vallejo polyurethene gloss first... that coupled with always using dullcote makes the finish on my minis nigh on indestructible. I've experimented with actually trying to chip the finish, and it's almost impossible. Horse for courses I guess - I absolutely love your minis, and in many ways they're the polar opposite of my approach.
Love the skaven - Island of Blood was really great value box, I've got one squirelled away for a skaven project (one day!)... skaven seem about the most perfect minis for your painting style? I hate fur - comes from never drybrushing, another thing I should do more.
And the idol is great fun. Chu-bu or Sheemish, perhaps?
I have only used gesso on Reaper Bones miniatures. When I tried using this on metal it seemed to have probelms with sticking/cover. Are there different grades of gesso?
Nice looking troll, by the way.
I am on holiday, so I can lurk here as often as I want!
Looked up Pabeo Gesso. I found they have Artist Acrylic Gesso, Studio Gesso and One Coat Gesso. Which one are you using?
One resolution I've set for this year is to try to paint up new arrivals within a day or so.
Oi! Those goblins are green! I thought you used to argue they weren't green :D
Again, great paint work. I presume the black gesso is some company that made your white gesso. It's nice to see that the plastics can cope with speed painting.
Just get the buggers painted, and it'll be worth whatever effort you can put in, this thread proclaims.
Nice work on that Hobgoblin. The temptation is always to paint them with an Eastern skin tone. But as always your selected colour works really well.
I have collected the C36 Hobgoblins twice but for some reason always sell them off. Maybe will go for third time lucky.
By the way I am reading those Gene Wolf books you directed me to.
I've always struggled with pig-faced orcs as orcs (Tolkien goblins, that is) but they're fine as generic evil henchmen (cf, as you've mentioned before, the Gamorrean guards). I rather like pigs, myself, but somehow man-shaped pig-beasts work in the evil henchman role. Just not sure I'd call them orcs, though...
I hadn't made the Disney connection - well spotted!
Again, great painting. Interesting thoughts about shields. I have never really found rules I completely like for shields or armour in skirmish games. In Sellswords shields seem simply too good and make armour, in the early levels, too expensive and not worth having until you max out the shield skill.
Not sure if has already been mentioned but Casting room miniatures have a small range of pig faced orcs. On sale at moment too.
Oh my God! Those pig-faces are clever, no brilliant modifications that make some of the oldest models (I like especially the orc from Claymore saga) shine!
Great work on the troll, looks amazing. The basilisk is nice but a little small - evil but cute comes to mind ;)
I've always liked the look of D&D trolls, though I never really saw the reason for the regeneration thing.
Thanks! Yes, the Bones ones are a bit soft on detail - and they're very small. I just went with very bold highlights.
I've got about 20 or so on the go - two types of Reaper Bones ones (the newer sort are even smaller and softer, detail-wise), some old Ral Partha ones and some of the Citadel AD&D ones, which are a bit bigger than the boxed-set one. They'll be quite a motley crew, but they do at least all have tails, horns and diminutive stature.
Awesome stuff, Hobgoblin! Thanks for the shoutout on the pig-face orcs! They're great and so are the kobolds and the troll.
Congratulations on 100 pages of thread, btw! Keep them coming...
Nice, I think I have about 12 of those RP kobolds somewhere, as I recall they are really tiny critters.
On a side note:
I think originally kobolds were described as having scaly rust-brown skin (D&D) - is my memory clouded by age, or did it change over the years?
looks like he might have a sideline in building time machines out of sports cars ...
Thanks!
Yes, lots of manufacturers have run with the Monster Manual illustration (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wight_(Dungeons_%26_Dragons)#/media/File:D%26DWight.JPG) over the years. This Grenadier one looks like he might have a sideline in building time machines out of sports cars ...
Thanks, all!
Jagannath: he's a Citadel goblin from 1987 (http://www.solegends.com/citc/c012goblins2/index.htm) - the first range that Kev Adams did on his own. The preceding C12 range was done by the Perrys and Adams, and had lots of Perry-style "orcy" goblins. But the droopy noses and manic grins came into their own with the 1987 crop.
Great use of that goblin!
I like the idea of a forest dwellers DR warband. You could always garnish it with some of the very striking wealdgeist from Conquest games, or something from Northumbrian TS's Nightfolk range. But equally, repurposed goblins would work well on their own, I reckon.
1. How do you pump out so many, well painted figures.
2. Is your painting getting better, compared to the start of this thread?
Anyway, keep them coming!
Your speed painting is really amazing. The skaven look pretty good (though I like the goblins even more)!
Thanks! I posted a quick 'how to' (https://hobgoblinry.blogspot.co.uk/2018/05/fast-and-furious-speed-painting.html)on my blog at lunchtime.
The goblins are certainly more carefully done, and they probably benefit from being done in several short bursts over several evenings.
That's a great result - I think it would work really well in a multi-basing situation, where the overall effect is different. I think I've seen that video - do they use a GW ork too?
I tried it on some 15s a while ago and just couldn't get it to work - I guess the 'gradient' inherent in the detail (i.e. smaller details are less 'steep' than larger scale details) has an effect. It'd be interesting to try it and experiment with the underlying white primer - gesso has a lot more porousness than, for example, a solvent based spray.
I've been looking at your thread a lot again recently - I want to do a multi-basing project and I'm thinking of doing it in *shock horror* 28mm, so will definitely need to paint more quickly.
DivisMal - an hour including cooking dinner! It's perfect for batch painting because the major hold-up is waiting for the washes to dry. I got three snakemen done in two hours last night, and they're much fiddlier than this orc.
Nice work on that giant!
Ooh looking forward to the snakemen - I keep putting off buying those Northstar ones for a science-fantasy Rogue Planet project, because I’ve already got too many projects! And really, if I could find the minis, that’s one I’d like to keep in 15mm.
Yeah, the temptation of multiple scales...I know it, too, and try to be strong! :?
Who will do a 15mm Science Fantasy line? :-*
It would be the first thing I’d fund if I could afford it! Somewhere between masters of the universe, the old Void line, and rogue trader orks. One day!!
Sorry to derail Hobgoblin!
Jagannath: the green one was (I think) Citadel's green wash (Biel-tan) over white spray undercoat, then the green glaze (Waywatcher), then the yellow wash (Casandora). The yellow one - my favourite - was just yellow wash then sepia wash. And the blue one was just Drakenhof Nightshade over white - nothing more.
The snakemen are ripe for science-fantasy kitbashing; my son already has designs on one for that purpose.
Oh, those work very well indeed. I'm a great fan of that drakenhof blue wash for goblin/orc skin. And a top notch shield as always.
All in all, the Citadel washes are good stuff, aren't they - though it is certainly annoying they only come in those huge pots now...
Wow, those are some nice 40K...things there. How did you find it?
Also, I love the skin on those blue orcs of yours, as well as the freehand on the shield. Can't wait to see the savage boys all done up!
Yeah, I'd eyed them up for a while before taking the plunge.
They're a strange sort of crystaline foam. You can cut them easily (I just used a butter knife); they crumble slightly, but it's easy to cut shorter blocks and to angle the cuts. I don't think you can carve them, but they're easy to shape by squashing. For example, the box instructions recommend rolling them to get cylindrical pillars. And you can easily squash one end to get a sloping piece. They hold whatever shape you give them pretty well.
Some are, but not many, from what I can see.
http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/ral-partha-fantasy-c-37/fantasy-armies-c-37_39/orcs-c-37_39_96/ (http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/ral-partha-fantasy-c-37/fantasy-armies-c-37_39/orcs-c-37_39_96/)
8) (http://www.ralparthaeurope.co.uk/shop/ral-partha-fantasy-c-37/fantasy-adventurers-c-37_40/03047-korg-orc-king-p-1313.html)
Iron Wind has lots (in the US, though).
What color did you use for the skin? Looks slightly like GW dark blue wash.
Does anyone know if these RP orcs are available from Ral Partha Europe? I will trawl through their catalogue when I get a chance but I wondered if I was setting myself on a wild goose chase.
It's Drakenhof Nightshade followed by Nuln Oil. I'm giving almost all areas two or more washes of different colours.
Here are four more. I actually painted nine tonight, but five of them hadn't been based, so I'll complete those tomorrow.
I'm increasingly of the opinion that the wash-based technique is the simplest way to do justice to all those old Ral Partha miniatures. I'm planning to do a batch of the lizardmen/lesser troglodytes next.
Just wondering if that wash technique would work on 15mm?
Thanks. I need to try that. Drakenhof, then Nuln. This might be a very good recipe for all those old skool minis which are awesome in their way, but difficult to paint, because exaggerated details weren't in fashion, yet.
Just wondering if that wash technique would work on 15mm?
Hobgoblin, did you prime with black or white on these Orcs? I want to try the Drakenhof Nightshade / Nuln Oil combination!
I wonder if regular diluted model paints would work instead of the GW washes.
I wonder if regular diluted model paints would work instead of the GW washes.
Thanks, all!
I'm a bit more sceptical than Argonor about this. If you scroll down from here (http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?topic=77384.msg1278689#msg1278689), you can see some stages of my typical process with thinned paint before washes - both in the line-up and on the single orc below.
What I find is that the washes create much darker shadows (rather than pools of colour), so I generally use them over thinned paint and a white undercoat (when I'm not using either black undercoat or this wash-only method). I think you could get away with just using one or two washes, though: GW's brown or sepia, perhaps, and maybe the "Camo" green.
Splendid work on these. That RP demon is excellent. Just washes again?
I'm experimenting in thinning colours with water and medium, using them as washes. This give me much more freedom in chosing colours.
It's also true that nothin forbids me mixing washes to obtain new tones...
I got hold of Heroes for Wargames (I've wanted it for ages but didn't want to pay much for it!) and it's got me thinking about gloss varnish, which got me thinking about this thread again. What do you think about the base and gloss? Matt base with glossed minis or gloss the whole lot? I'm intrigued by the '3 coats of gloss' effect mentioned in the book, and might try it on some fantasy minis.
Loving the root people! I gotta say there's something.. cannibalistic about tree people with axes, though :P
The rarely seen saber-toothed goblins. lol
I have no idea who might have made them! I like them though :)
I love those! Your blog post about how more Dwarfs should be villains was very true and these guys prove that they can look like the scary, spiteful creatures from various folklore.
Assuming these ones ARE villains, anyway. They certainly look a bit evil. ;)
Love the Dwerfs and the baddies with the face paint!
Is the shield with the pre-slotta knight painted? If yes, wow...that's awesome.
Those Dragon-newts are fantasic - that's some really lovely painting. I'm on a full 15mm burnout at the moment - enjoying 28mm, can't bring myself to pick up a 15... very weird for me!
Yes - if you zoom in on it, you can see that it's actually fairly crude.
beefcake,
Yes - using miniatures in more than one scale is a huge saver of time and energy. The other weekend, I used these guys as 28mm goblins, even though I'd based them up as 15mm ogres. Just to confuse things, they're actually 25mm black orcs! One thing I noticed during the game is that no one noticed or cared that the 15mm types are based on pennies and the 28mms on slotta bases. So that's one less thing to worry about!
black orcs are old chronicles aren't they? - liked those a lot. Remember buying a load off the designer at one of the early (pre=Ansell) game days.
They work very well, particularly as an armoured troll type character. There's a slight LotR feel to them, no?
Oh, that big Russian bugger is nice! 8)
Thanks for posting the link - when they say "bendy" plastic on the listing, are they talking clix or Bones bendy? Or is it more rubbery?
Thanks. I'm very tempted by the centaurs as well. Replace the hooves with claws and give it a different tail. Great dragon ogres.
The Werewolves and Minotaurs don't look too bad for that price either!
How long does it take to photograph each one? (You manage to cleanly photograph a very richly coloured miniature every time - only noticed this now.)
Well, I got nine more done tonight to complete the troglodyte 1st XV.
There's something really fun about painting these cheap and cheerful soft-plastic figures. Close-ups don't flatter them, but I'm very pleased with how they look on the table.That's good to hear, as looking at the photos, the soft detail does make me wonder if the effort is worth it. But close up photography is a harsh mistress, and its not how you see the figures in a game.
And they've got me thinking about all sorts of reptile-based scenarios, perhaps with the Meier trogs as more sophisticated leaders and exploiters of their primitive kin ...And this is the key bit. Back in my RPG days I don't think we ever had adventures with lizardmen and their kin. Now I have a 10mm Lizardman army, and they are one of my favourites.
That's good to hear, as looking at the photos, the soft detail does make me wonder if the effort is worth it. But close up photography is a harsh mistress, and its not how you see the figures in a game.
And this is the key bit. Back in my RPG days I don't think we ever had adventures with lizardmen and their kin. Now I have a 10mm Lizardman army, and they are one of my favourites.
I really need to look again at these 1/72 ranges. I've got a pack of trolls which I use for more "civilised" trolls in Middle Earth (those under Mordor/Angmar control).
On a whim, I ordered some 54mm orc toy soldiers from Russia. They arrived today, so I thought I'd better paint one up. The kids already have painting designs on two of the four that arrived, but I've earmarked one other for myself. These were very cheap - less than four quid before postage, so a pound each. I think they'll work very nicely as giants or ogres or trolls.Mine arrived today. They really are very nice. bendy but not bendy...
In the meantime, here are a pair of Reaper Bones deep ones. These were done with extreme vitesse (and little consideration for mouldlines): just basecoat, a silver-grey drybrush and some washes. They'll see action in our next D&D stint, I think.
Mine arrived today. They really are very nice. bendy but not bendy...
Aren't they? I ended up ordering the Orks, Minotaurs and Centaurs, and they are very impressive for the price. Good sculpts and the material, whilst a bit bendy, is absolutely hard enough to be painted well. :)How are the others. Are the centaurs any good?
How are the others. Are the centaurs any good?They're all perfectly suited for the purpose I bought them for; three of the Orks will be Olog Hai (one doesn't quite fit the aesthetic I am going for, and converting would too much of a hassle; my daughter will probably end up painting him), the Minotaurs will be incorporated as is into my Chaos Dwarf army.
They're all perfectly suited for the purpose I bought them for; three of the Orks will be Olog Hai (one doesn't quite fit the aesthetic I am going for, and converting would too much of a hassle; my daughter will probably end up painting him), the Minotaurs will be incorporated as is into my Chaos Dwarf army.
And the Centaurs, as suggested in this thread pages ago, will be converted into Dragon Ogres for my Warriors of Chaos army.
They look really good in the pictures, and I'm sure a bit more care went into the painting than you are letting us on. But they are ace no matter what...
And I've recently started reading The Hobbit to my little girl (a couple of pages before bedtime each day), so I might very well have to do up 13 dwarfs and another hobbit (without handkerchief) before that time as well... ::)
Ethelred - I quite fancy having a go at those elves, but painting them a fairly bright green, with glowing blue eyes!
You're sick.
They do look the business alright. I'll bear your method in mind when/if I finally get round to slapping some paint on my Black Orc Regiment of Renown.
Slightly off-topic, I realize, but it's clear to me that having these books read aloud to him is having a very formative effect on my son (who is eight). I should also add that Bill the Pony was such a particular favorite that we made sure to get the Reaper Bones pack donkey to complete the Fellowship!
Once again, brilliant painting. I would love to see you also paint (apart from the elves) Mirliton's figure called Duncan the Legend, or better still, the Goblin War Giant.
He's looking great; sort of a green Drow?
And when reading the updated thread title, the first image that went through my mind, was an elf in fatigues pulling a grenade pin with his teeth! lol
I like those minis but the lower jaw of the wolf always puts me off buying them. (maybe I'll just sculpt some extra thickness if I feel the urge to purchase. :)
So my dwarfs are blue-skinned (echoing their "corpse-like" description in Norse myth) and glowing-eyed...
The wolves in particular are more "expressionistic"
I always wondered if that was an artistic choice or imposed by Grenadier's direction in order to produce more miniatures. Bob Naismith's dark elves and undead also seem to have been made in an afternoon. Under par compared to his work for Citadel for example.
You've done another bang-up job on them. I am worried about trying to do a decent job on my old orc wolf riders.
Yeah, there's definitely a touch of the 'crap taxidermy' about Nick Lund's wolves, specifically the muzzles.
That dino is in the grand tradition of the old school!
(Advanced) Song of Blades and Heroes is my go-to thing for fantasy skirmish gaming, simply because you can do ANYTHING with it. So a diverse collection of figures to back that up sure comes in handy at that.
So nice to see the old Warhammer Armies plastic orcs getting an update! I have a bucket load resting under really awful paint jobs and this is making me think about revisiting them. The head swap and new weapon/shield combo really brings that old fella to life, and shows for monopose thirty year old chunks of styrene, they are actually not bad little sculpts.
So nice to see the old Warhammer Armies plastic orcs getting an update!
Was that the box that had six or so different races in it?
I'm kind of amused to see how well the modern goblin head sits on the old orc body, actually. Evidence of scale creep if ever you needed it, although for a Tolkeinist like you I guess it just proves there shouldn't really be any distinction between them!
That pumpkin in that group shot kind of freaks me out!
I'm stealing that eye effect with some black-eye nasties I have lined up. I hope it works though, because their eyes are a lot smaller.
Did you lop off his nose? These guys look great?
I really like the way that skin turned out. Albino-ish with a nicely green-brown orc-y undertone.
Do you mind sharing the recipe?
...Kind of like they were really only half hearted orc warriors."Come at me, bro!" lol
I like those. They make me smile!
Funny enough, I was flicking through my old 1st Edition (or is it 2nd? I never can tell - the ones with the brown ink covers) Warhammer books last night for fun. I used to spend hours and hours looking at the 'Forces of Fantasy' with their army lists - dozens of different Goblin types, Gnome armies, Sea Elves (why?) and separate Lizardman and Slann armies. Ah, happy days.
I never got the 'Vim-To' monks gag either.
The whole thing looks like it was typed up and printed out on a daisy-wheel printer over a weekend! Spelling mistakes galore and that weird disjointed text look of the early word processors.
Where they purple coloured? My mate has some Vimto ghosts in his army still.
(https://img.tesco.com/Groceries/pi/027/5010438013027/IDShot_540x540.jpg)
(http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=77384.0;attach=99543;image)
What's your technic for his skin ? I really like the result !
thanks
Sure - it's the same recipe I used for my Chronicle/Grenadier orcs earlier in this thread:
(https://2.bp.blogspot.com/-HvdlPXKRV9U/XBwKXm_iwbI/AAAAAAAAAvc/DOLjdk3pKdYuWdST8ZE_5-pzctdYxvNCgCLcBGAs/s1600/Orc%2Bcomparison.JPG)
Black undercoat
Base coat of Baneblade Brown
Wash of Reikland Fleshshade
First highlight with Kislev Flesh
Second highlight in Wych Elf Flesh or Vallejo Silver-Grey (I usually use the latter, but they're the same colour and consistency)
Eye sockets washed in Drakenhof Nightshade
Mouth and nose washed in watered-down Blood for the Blood God.
Eyes white, then bright red, then yellow
Teeth buff, washed with Agrax Earthshade, then highlighted in buff and then white.
I'd read that it's very hard to go over certain colours with the new Contrast paints. How did you find that? Did you use the recommended primer?
Testing out the new Citadel Contrast paints: I'm very impressed so far. I started these yesterday, along with about 50 other figures. I think the new paints are going to be a huge help in finishing off quick RPG encounters.
This stuff really is so good for your established painting method eh? Tried 'Bone primer - white drybrush - contrast' yet?
Last night, I experimented with a few 15s. It works really well - enough to make painting 15s take a tiny fraction of the time of 28s, which wasn't the case - for me at least - before.
Show us the 15mm!!
How quick is very quick?
EDIT: Also, regarding the skellies- are those two on the left Frostgrave, 2nd generation GW skeleton for the third, and a really old school 1st gen on the far right?
I imagine they'll be very popular for anything with lots of texture, like furry skaven and such. Convenience sells, there's no doubt about it. There's no point telling people they can simply mix their own colours with a glaze medium, if they're happy to pay a couple of quid extra to have it ready to use in a pot. It's a broad church and saving time is an attractive prospect.
I was meaning a different bone spray like army painter. I don't know how they comparr
These four took me less than an hour and a half with contrast paints. They're no great shakes - but they're done, and they give me a new RPG encounter (that the kids haven't seen).
I did the metals very quickly first, then washed all the rest of the models in Skeleton Horde, so that subsequent colours were dulled by that. I really liked the look of them in pure Skeleton Horde - almost tempted to do an entirely bone-coloured warband that way (clothes and all - a bit like chess pieces).
Let me check about the order, since I'm thinking of doing some undead with grimy, dulled colors. I think I heard that you primed, did metals, washed the whole thing with Skeleton Horde (this is a contrast paint, right?) then did the reds? Was the red a contrast paint? Did you need to wash over it, or did the dirty layer give enough dulling on the red?
Someone's been reading their 'League of Extraordinary Gentlemen'!
Cubs - I must investigate. I loosely modelled my penguin on the one mocked up for Guillermo Del Toro's abortive adaptation of At the Mountains of Madness (loosely being as much as the papier-mache maquette would allow!):
(https://i.pinimg.com/236x/b1/ac/9d/b1ac9d6bee8700ff2a7e4068a6a93b20.jpg)
Thanks - and sure!
Thanks - and sure!
The chaos warrior was sprayed Wraithbone. I painted the metals in Vallejo Natural Steel and Vallejo Bronze, then used contrast paints (Blood Angels Red and Wychwood) on the rest. The axe grip got a coat of Snakebite Leather over the Wychwood. Then the metals got a wash of Agrax Earthshade and highlights in silver and gold. That was it. All paints were straight from the pot.
The lizardmen were coated in Plaguebearer Green and then got a coat of Skeleton Horde over that. Their undersides and teeth were straight Skeleton Horde, with the latter highlighted in white. Loincloths were Blood Angels Red, and the weapons were bronze/Agrax/gold.
The orc was largely painted much earlier using thinned paint over Agrax preshading and white drybrushing. But I did use a mix of Blood Angels Red and Snakebite Leather over his tunic and Snakebite Leather over his boots.
A question here. I bought a bunch of contrast paints, so far I only have Wyldwood but the colour it is marketed at looks like a reddy brown
(https://cdn3.volusion.com/mexwq.hxrfd/v/vspfiles/photos/GW29-30-1.jpg?1560460548)
But when it arrived it was a very dark brown despite the amount of shaking. Is this typical of the contrast paints. (I don't know if you have that specific one).
Thanks! I've had a bit of practice with that particular figure; there are two on the very first page of this thread, and then there's this chap:
(http://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=77384.0;attach=72353;image)
my Wyldwood is similarly dark - it's the darkest of the browns they produce I think.Thanks. I watched a youtube comparison video afterwards and saw that (Cygor brown seems to be even darker) I'll probably pick up the GoreGrunta as well at some stage for variation as browns are always useful. :)
product photo is misleading. swatch on GW website is much closer - I'd go by those rather than the photos?
gore grunta is more of a red-brown.
(https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=114289.0;attach=91544;image)is the ral partha goblin the one in the middle with the two-hand weapon? if yes, would you know the catalog number? that's a sweet sculpt (possibly enhanced by your paintjob), reminds me of paul muller!
is the ral partha goblin the one in the middle with the two-hand weapon? if yes, would you know the catalog number? that's a sweet sculpt (possibly enhanced by your paintjob), reminds me of paul muller!
also, troll -- the unsung and misunderstood heroes of fantasy! :-* :-*
Thanks, all!
Jagannath - i look forward to seeing that. Are you looking at Alien Squad Leader, rules-wise?
I’m increasingly more of a fan of multibasing - I like the level of abstraction Squad Hammer offers in particular. Having said that, I think I found ALSQ too abstract, a bit like DBA. I play Squad Hammer like a skirmish where minis are grouped by base, with cover abstracted. A hodgepodge. Suspect it would fit your needs nicely.
I like that a lot :) . Do you thin your Contrasts?
My daughters were watching and wanted me to put in a few extra smileys because they liked the look of them. lol :'( :-* :D :o Kids right?!
Really good stuff in this thread and great work with the Cotrast paints.
Would you happen to have the recipe you used for the Skaven (fantasy) and the Savage orc giant please?
A brief move into 1:3/5 scale (or something) for Halloween:
That sculpt predates warhammer fantasy?
Thanks!
No, he's from 1989's Advanced Heroquest, so about six years after Warhammer. But the Skaven didn't appear until 1986, I think, after the publication of the second edition. I reckon these ones were roughly the fourth iteration, with two metal ranges and the Warhammer Regiments box coming first.
More lovely work. Those conversions are great. Where is that huge Gnoll from? Or is it a conversion as well. It looks familiar.
Nice! What's your recipe for speed painting his armour plates? There's a good amount of shine which I like the look of.
I really like the aesthetic of this Orc, it's just the pose that looks a little unusual. Great as an individual amongst others, but if I'd cast up a few dozen as a unit I'd be worrying they looked like a yoga class.
It is an inspiration seeing your work with older models and sad because it seems a lot of them are out of reach unless they are in an old lead pile.
What colour did you use for the flesh? I've a couple of ghouls lined up for painting and am mulling over colours.
Maybe more for creatures, goblinoids and such as they look fine with size variances. I dont have a firm grasp of how the older stuff scales to what I already own but I suspect its smaller.
I undercoated them in black gesso, swabbed them with Vallejo silver-grey and then washed them with a mix of Athonian Camoshade and Drakenhof Nightshade. Then I roughly highlighted them with thinned silver-grey. The snouts/mouthparts and hands got a wash in heavily thinned red contrast paint (the deeper red of the two, whatever it's called).
those ghouls are superbly painted.
The boardgame guys have a distinct Lewis chessmen feel to them; the Essex guy is more Noddy Holder, perhaps... but the shared colour scheme does an excellent job of bringing them all together as a tribe.
I don't think I've seen that tusked bascinet helm guy before, very cool.
I just started painting the Reaper Terror Fish myself. I got the idea of adding bat like wings from one of GW's flying Squigs. Ergo, I have him flying with the inspiration Squig over a cluster of stalagmites.
Thanks!
Here's a walking fish that I knocked out in about 40 minutes ahead of yesterday's nautical D&D session. I allowed him to spit a paralysing venom, and he caused a suitable amount of shrieks before the party's heavily armed dwarfs reduced him to so much kedgeree.
That looks great! Did any fishmen get a lick of paint before the session perchance? :D
Judging by the massive weapon and helmet :o
I think Fireforge.
The Dark Alliance range is great.There are more sets coming out soon.Including Minotaurs,Steppes warriors set 2 and Eastern Tribes which are Easterlings with 48 figures in with 12 different poses.Oh, i'm very excited :-* I think Dark Alliance is getting better and better with every set. At the moment my favorite 1/72 producer
I should add that I'm debating whether or not to paint the base edges black (I usually do).I also paint the edges black. I think it looks much "cleaner"
Love this project - I’m quite tempted to get hold of some for a 40mm square based project I’ve wanted to do for ages. How are mould lines etc? Been a long time since I painted bendy plastic.
I have a bunch of them and the dwarfs stashed away somewhere.
The goblins as half-orcs work very well.
I found that the effect of "dull" bases often is limited to photos, while in real life and real light the bases look very fitting. Therefore I would probably call this mini done and well done for that 8)
I think if Essex used photos of your figures to advertise them, then they'd sell a lot more. They look great!
There are so many ranges/websites with photos that really don't do their miniatures justice.
The only downside I can think off with the plastics is that you end up with 4 or so of the same figure.
The brain collector looks cool! I would like to see WiP photos, too.
Have bought a selection of plastic sets. Will see how I get on.
Nicely done! That's the old Grenadier medusa, isn't it: mine is still garish in yellow and purple enamels from about 1982...
Great work on that Beast of Averoigne, btw; I did try to say so earlier but the website wasn't co-operating. It prompted me to take Smith off the shelf for the first time in a while.
Thanks, guys!
Here's a unit of Fantasy Warriors orc archers (metals by Nick Lund, plastics by Mark Copplestone). My son and I have been playing through various 'square-base' wargames, starting with Warhammer and Chainmail. We've got Ral Partha's Chaos Wars lined up next, so orc archers were required in a 12-strong batch. I had one plastic fellow done and the four metal ones about halfway, so decided to add in seven more plastic archers and blitz through them. As with all my Lund orcs, these are done to a very simple scheme, with only one layer of highlights on most areas (one more on the flesh). It's quick and reasonably effective, I hope.
I'm aiming to get some matching cavalry, heavies and more infantry done shortly, as we've got a lot of games to play with them. We'll be playing Battlesystem, Sword & Spell, Book of War, individually based HotT and Chaos Wars, as well as returning to Saga - the game that prompted me to start painting up the Lund orcs in the first place.
Here's another scratch-built monster. This one made its debut this afternoon: the Beast of Averoigne.
Sorry to ask but I'm very curious about that "tour" for the Fantasy rulebooks that you were planning, if it finally took place and your conclusions and preferences after those games.
https://leadadventureforum.com/index.php?action=dlattach;topic=77384.0;attach=139834;image
Excellent build. I love it! Is it this same Beast of Averoigne, by Clark Ashton Smith?
Thanks, guys!
We got derailed by Oathmark after playing Warhammer and Chainmail. We ended up playing several games of Oathmark and then getting distracted by various boardgames (and the miniature-painting pressure applied by our daily D&D campaign). I was thinking about restarting the other day, but discovered that the Ral Partha Chaos Wars are no longer online on the Iron Wind site, which was a bit of a blow. I think I printed off the quick guide, so we may be able to play a bit on that. I'll post thoughts once we've resumed.
have you guys already seen the new 1/72 fantasy sets of Dark Alliance?
(https://abload.de/img/screenshot_2021-03-176jj9y.png)
really nice stuff you 1/72 D&D campaigns
Hmm! I would be curious to see those Anubis warriors compared to 28mm figures when they become available.
Cheers for that Hobgoblin. Yeah, I am thinking Jackal-men could be on the small size. I quite happily use Dark Alliance trolls already but experimenting with their Orcs to be used as Goblins was a bit disappointing.
Here's a comparison of the old and new bases. I think the new scheme is a huge improvement, so will be repainting all the bases of my recent HotT elements (it won't take long, and there aren't that many of them). I'll start with the chaos hordes, who are now six elements strong.
Who makes the hobgoblins?
I'd be more concerned about cost - i.e. how many pens you'd go through.
I think the painted figure looks far better, but speed is speed.
The other thing might be whether or not the ink stays put - when I’ve used pens I found they smudged a bit. Definitely needed a spray on coat of varnish.
If you want my honest opinion, the difference in quality between the pencil colored one and the painted one is massive. Unless you're saving at the very least 1,5 hour a model I wouldn't bother because of your normal output quality.
For people who are not great at painting - or don't like it - it might be a solution, but in that case I'd rather would use dipping, as it is also quick and gives better results. Again, my opinion, don't feel offended as that wasn't my intention, just honest feedback.
I’m intrigued by this method. What shade is the primer coat you’re using the markers on? (Black? White?) If it’s straight over a black base, I’m amazed at how vivid the colours are.
Are they fighting for control of the hay bales?
looking menacing. I can't place the parts used, maybe you can enlighten me? thanks! :)
Very clever use of parts
Deadzone mutant body and half a skaven?
Loving the medieval stylie manticore.
Those are nice. Not tried Havoc, what's that like?
Digressions are always welcome on this thread! Yes, that looks good - and your Caesar orcs look great!
I'm mildly counter-averse, though, so I'm planning to go with the smaller additional bases - not least because that will give me a 15mm army in the process!
@Hobgoblin, for your Dark Alliance models...are you cutting them off the thick plastic bases that come molded to them? The bases on these Dark Alliance are pretty thick and Im wondering if it's best to try and cut the base down or simply try to remove the model from the base at the foot area.
Tin Soldier! Nice. My very first minis were 15mm's from tin soldier. Bought some a while back for nostalgias sack + the ones I really wanted too back when I was a kid. Tyrannosaurs with goblin and orc riders for the win!
Those Ratmen have a very nice Leiberian touch on them. The good guys should maybe include a grey hooded thief and a red haired barbarian. Splendid work!
Thanks, guys! I'm afraid the photos don't show them up very well because today's daylight was so dim.
They got slaughtered today in En Garde by three orcs masquerading as musketeers!
Funny you should say that! En Garde has profiles for the Twain, and I've just been looking at potential kitbashes for them. I'm going to go with a Vitrix viking body for Fafhrd with a Fireforge longsword.
For the Mouser, I'm going to do something similar to the guy on the left, whose base I've just been tarting up for this skirmish project:
(https://3.bp.blogspot.com/-QbBoZc6OhL4/W3mwbmB88rI/AAAAAAAAAZA/aCwC2mGiFBkMftxQqgPRiEmdElVzMkGQACEwYBhgL/s400/Two%2BOddventurers.JPG)
Very nice!
What parts did you use? FG demon torso, Mantic orc arms and a GW beastman head?
Might have to steal that. ;)
...Warhammer Quest Skaven - even bigger than the AHQ ones.
Those aren't WHQ shields, though. I am guessing the triangular one is a modern Skaven shield, but what about the spikey one?
It's a beastman shield (a "Gor" one, though perhaps from an older kit than the current one).
Those are great lovely oldschool stuff.
RAFM was the one oldschool company you didn't really see in my part of UK. In my youth Citadel, Grenadier, minifigs, Essex and Ral Partha were all readily available from various local hobby shops but I was never really exposed to RAFM. So it's always interesting seeing their stuff.
Those look pretty good.
When I saw the first post I thought maybe you were going with a Sin city style vibe of all black and white miniatures with the odd red sash or some such. Something I've long toyed with doing for a Cyber punk style project. So I'm slightly disappointed you coloured them ;)
Sin city style vibe of all black and white miniatures with the odd red sash or some such. Something I've long toyed with doing for a Cyber punk style project.
I can imagine bleed through of colours less of a problem because of the black shadows?
Those Gobbos look excellent love the cultist red too.
I always like "artsy" paint styles like that. While I don't have the ability to do stuff like that, I like when someone can do a kind of minimalist paintjob that delivers the full impact of the miniature or a really cool vibe, etc.The key there is "light and shadow" but it's part of the photoshop effects being used. A lot of those really amazing looking OSL effects are flat as hell in real life and require specific lighting set ups and photoshop to really pop. If you look at the lil legend example of the skeletons and check the difference between the dark backdrops and lighting and the light you can see a world of difference in depth because the lighting set up adds more depth than is painted and the black backdrop gives more freedom to manipulate the image's saturation and shadows.
Shows you how much you can do with only a few colours, and the use of light and shadow, etc.
That goblin reminds me of the babe.
Also it's a great paint job.
I wouldn't mind a couple of photos from different angles of the Hinchcliffe chap, if at all possible? I've not seen them 'nicely' painted up before (although I've seen them slavered in Humbrol quite a few times), so would be interested to see how the old sculpt stands up.
They're clearly based on the classic Dave Trampier illustration from the Monster Manual:
(http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-Zc_HCu9XmvE/T-pMhiYW4NI/AAAAAAAAAP8/X3RgeWb25So/s1600/trampier+-+lizardman.jpg)
Their feet don't quite look human, so I'm not convinced they're just buff humans wearing lizard masks; there's definitely a strange biological hybrid thing going on.
No, they're definitely meant to be hybrids - they have scales on their backs at various places.
All this talk of lizard/man-hybrids is pretty cool! It actually brings back a fantasy that is currently totally neglected.
You know I love your stuff so I think I can get away with being more candid than is my wont. And you know I often find charm where some others might not. But these orcs, their charm eludes me entirely. I don't know what you see in them. And I believe they have street value when unpainted and more in bit form, so easy to trade for something worth your time. I know, spicy take, or whatever the kids have moved on to saying. :P
I'm intrigued to see what can be done with those Skaven! Can they even be assembled in a way that looks OK?
Suitable as man-orcs for some LotR skirmishes perhaps?
I like the way you have painted them. I recently painted up some GW Uruk-Hai with bright shields and heraldry with the help of our grandchildren. They look smart and warlike.
We had decided that there is no reason why the warrior caste orc/ goblin (or any other race) have to ragged and dull. A major of war is morale and smart uniforms is part of this - makes the troops feel better especially if the other side is a rabble.
A superb job! I assume they are too big to use as Tolkien orcs/uruks?
Yes, indeed (I would have gone with White Hands on the shields were it not for the spikes!). Oddly enough, I've got a few underway for use as half-orcs as Mordheim. They mix perfectly well with the classic Aly Morrison half-orcs from the 80s.
Now that you mention it, they do remind me of that Southerner at Bree; only he was not so obviously orc-like.
Here's a Bob Olley orc from the Folio Works Fantasy Warlord range (bought from SHQ, though I gather the range is on the move again). I'm going to use him as a black-orc hired sword for Mordheim (counting his scimitar and cleaver as "two axes" is about as far as I'm willing to stray from WYSIWYG for that project!). He's quite a big lad - he's on a 30mm base - so he should overshadow even the Mordheim-era plastic orcs.
I couldn't get a great photo of him today as the light was fading by the time I finished him, but I tried to follow what I can remember of the black orc shown in WFRP and (I think) Warhammer Armies: black/grey rather than green.
(https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQV_pq3p5E_4TDXvfYDBk19_cW6HhqRMMFKVq5Tz6VjsVxxiD3Vu3i-CUx-n8lt5NDGxtR8afiJykmv78uxDA_qyj9FgHQJmWd4SyIXYjFs3B82lLuHum8ZCY_ZCgdt07ifQAyK2VuDZviT_sDAXZ0UvNCZfFEVyNvuXuq09mC_4kWkyNBIvi-jrjfvA/s3024/Black%20Orc.HEIC)
Thanks, both!
Here are some Oathmark orcs. They're not quite finished - I'm going to add some (gasp!) static grass to the bases and maybe weather/dull down the shields a bit more. (https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-meuLQAw5uSH9dtpR3aeU0xTbDSmdGiJ-2SH_CEYJcT5ACBAcFLA5Io-fbZaYttY-dCMXAElno8ESSImEGGzyKBpUv-PEdCJWUNOFcyGqM5U5f3ZjtH3w11r6cOtrUlhEIMUxVxAMuK6VJtk-xnocJuNpNsVTITnb4YMZgqtc2OH5KAXHzvmfhxiS5w/s1600/Oathmark%20orcs.jpg)
Those look great! I love the variety you’re getting by adding parts from all over the place. It certainly helps achieve the motley look orcs need. The spear orc on the left is interesting- he’s mostly original, but cutting and slightly repositioning the spear arm goes a long way towards adding a bit of movement.
That works a treat!
I think I have a block of those Romans lying around myself. I might be tempted to try something along this line too, but I might try and go for round shields as per the WD illustration.
How do they compare sizewise? 'Man-high'?
More great conversions! The fellow on the left - his body (and the arms?) is from the Frostgrave Demons kit, but is his head also from there and has the horns shaved off? In any case, he looks quite intimidating and like he’ll be a good leader for a unit armed with double handed weapons!
Some fun kitbashes there - slightly questionable choice of head gear for that orc on the right! Looks like he knicked it off a Victorian farmer, perhaps farmer Maggot met an untimely end?
I think the dwarves perhaps don't need a bunch of kitbashing. Orcs are ragged, undisciplined mobs so you don't want that regimented look. For dwarves though I think the regimented monopose works well. They are drilled and ordered with every dwarf doing the same thing implying that close order.
those “spitters” would be a great goblin augmentation for Silver Bayonet or other gothic horror games. Anachronism is good!
Is it an older chaos warrior sculpt kit-bashed with a Scotia-Grendel resin riding beast?
I've always thought the Scotia Grendel resin things weren't that great but you've changed my mind.
Who's that radiant vision in her beret? Ooh la la!
Who's that radiant vision in her beret? Ooh la la!
How you manage to keep up with so many scales for so many systems is beyond me, but it's one of the things that makes this thread. You never know what you're going to get.
I love them a lot! Those Bugbears might be very useful in 20mm dungeons... If I may ask, could you please take a picture of one of these together with a Dark Alliance Orc ? Thanks in advance. And also the battle valor Orcs, please ?
Your wish ... Here's a WIP shot of the bugbear base (base still to be painted and matt varnish yet to be applied_ next to Dark Alliance orcs and Battle Valor orcs. As you can see, the Battle Valor orcs are perfectly Uruk-sized in 1/72: "squat and broad". To my eye, the CP bugbears would work well as D&D hobgoblins in 1/72: they've got the implied hairy hides and ape-like features, and they're a bit bigger and tougher-looking than humans (1+1 HD rather than 1). But they're bang on as bugbears in 15mm - an imposing 7'+ and 3HD.
That said, I doubt anyone would complain about them in 1/72 - they're such great miniatures, and they're suitably brawny.
That's redundant, as Alf was demonic! ;)Ha! You kill me! :)
Great painting on those! I have been curious how those look (the pics on RP Europe’s site are pretty small). They seem like they would be good mixed into beastmen units to use alongside Khurasan Miniatures chaos warriors to make an army inspired by 3rd Ed WFB.
What was your painting method for these?
Great painting on those! I have been curious how those look (the pics on RP Europe’s site are pretty small). They seem like they would be good mixed into beastmen units to use alongside Khurasan Miniatures chaos warriors to make an army inspired by 3rd Ed WFB.
I felt a great disturbance in the Force. As if a gamer's bank balance suddenly cried out in terror...
Very cool! Just curious - do you think the goblin slinger arms would work well on Skaven clan rat bodies? (I’m thinking the last clanrat version released previous to the AoS change-over.)
Neat! A mix of kitbashed Oathmark goblins and Skaven figures would give a lot of variety in a slinger unit. Your slingers certainly turned out well. I’ve always had a bit of a soft spot for the Skaven slingers, ever since I first looked at the 3rd ed army book. No idea why, as I don’t think they were especially effective…
I think you’re right that slingers in 3rd ed had 3 shots per round at close range. No idea where the idea came from that slings get extra shots at any range - my brother and I messed around with slings and bows when we were kids and bows definitely have a quicker rate of fire.
Or is it just that you could technically stick two stones in a sling at the same time, which you can't do with a bow and arrow (unless you are a Hollywood Robin Hood, anyway)?
Would explain the -1 to Hit as you'd have less control.
Anyway, top work as usual. Skaven heads on goblin bodies was the first time I ever got my eyes opened to simple conversion possibilities in a very old book about 40 years ago!
Great work on that puppet. Was it cgi, or stop motion? Either way, it's impressive.