Return to Middle Earth [Gundabad goblins P.2]

[area23]

The new Oathmark toys inspired me to get out my old Grenadier Half-orc/Uruk hai army and try to finish them.
These ones are all dark red, as was the fashion after the LotR movies came out. These days I'm more into black or dark grey skin for orcs, so I'll change some and add more newly painted ones.



Some half-orcs got a headswap with West Wind arthurian seperate heads, to have a bit of variation. Five troopers is not enough.



I already used Copplestone Yeti's as hill-trolls. This new two-headed Frostgrave troll of course works as a perfect addition.

[Quendil]

Looking good, will follow with interest

[Patrice]

Excellent, I like them!
...Any skin colour is better than green anyway.

[Sunjester]

A lovely job on some great figures.

[Anselm van Helsing]

Got these minis unpainted, and this inspires. Nice paintjobs!

[Hubminator]

Hi there, was reading through your blog (very cool by the way ) and I saw you mention that you were waiting for more of the half orcs to be released, you may know this already but Miriliton in Italy sell the minis and they have a set of half orc pikemen that I could not see in any of your photos

http://www.mirliton.it/product_info.php?pName=half-orc-with-pike&cName=fantasy-2528mm-half-orc

Just thought I'd let you know in case you weren't aware, cheers

[area23]

I know them, thanks! Those Mriliton pike-men are conversions made after the LotR movie came out. I prefer to use originals, or convert them myself.

[Garanhir]

I adore those Copplestone half-orcs. Except for the bows; not mad keen on the bows, although they look better if they're strung.

[area23]

This dabbling with Middle Earth completely escalated and now I'm doing several projects at once.
I'm really happy with these easy conversions of West Wind age of Arthur figures. These are all late romans but some have Pictisch heads. Dunedain rangers of the north. Both regular rangers but also Grey Company members. I'll do them with shields because so I can do Winter King style shieldwalls.



I remembered I did something similar years ago with Crusader late romans and West Wind saxon heads to make footsoldiers of Rohan, the poor men that defend Helms Deep.



I incorporated a werewolf in my or army. Sauron was the lord of the werewolves since the days of Morgoth.
These are not shapeshifting lycantropes but "dreadful spirits imprisoned in wolf bodies" by Sauron.
A nasty creature that might lead a band of orcs and wolves. Not as powerful as a Ringwraith or Balrog but still a powerful monster.



After years I decided what to do with these Ancient Germans. They will be Hillmen of Angmar, servants of the Witch King.
'Hillmen' is a generic term in LotR for tribes of 'savages', and there were also hillmen at Angmar. I read somewhere that the men of Rohan were related to the men of Dale and Laketown. It's quite plausible then that other related tribes moved west past Mount Gundabad into Angmar.
This is basically because I want to paint them as early germans, otherwise I would have used them as dark haired Dunlendings.



Last but not least, a Grenadier/Mirliton Balrog.

[Loop]

Lovely project, right up my street. I particularly like the use of the Westwind figures; I’ve used a selection of their dark age heads with both Perry and Northstar bodies, there are some really characterful faces in that range.

Is the werewolf one of the new Northstar sculpts? They’re in my shopping list but I wasn’t sure how tall they were. I was worried that they would be too big but the scale looks good mixed with the goblins.

I’m not sure if you’re aware of them but the recent ‘Adventures in Middle Earth’ D&D sourcebooks by Cubicle 7 are worth a gander if you want some artistic or gaming inspiration that’s neither from the Peter Jackson or the classic Alan Lee, John Howe, Hilderbrant etc. interpretations.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

The werewolf looks a great sculpt.  Enough wolf and man without going to cartoon-like features.
I do like those Mirliton/Grenadier half orcs.  I have often be tempted to get some.
Has the Balrog borrowed a costume from the original Planet of the Apes?

[Sunjester]

Bags of character in those Dunedain and that werewolf is a fantastic model.

[Severian]

Great stuff! Lots of good figures and some great adaptations. The Dunedain and German/Angmar hillmen are splendid. I have stacks of German tribesmen somewhere in the lead pile and you've hit on a very plausible use for them...

I'll echo the praise for the werewolf. He's a cracking sculpt. Who makes him? I don't recognise him but could easily have missed him.

Has the Balrog borrowed a costume from the original Planet of the Apes?

Now that you mention it...

[area23]

The werewolf is from North Star, from the Dracula's America range.  Copplestone sculpt just like the orcs above.

thanks all!

[area23]

Some new toys.
The first four of the Grey Company, the armoured Dúnedain rangers of the North.
West Wind Arthurians with the Star of the Dunedain on their shields.



Corsairs of Umbar.
These are based on 6th century Berbers/Moors at the time of the Vandalic empire. The rank and file will be Numidians.



and wicked orc drummers in the deep.



Much more incoherent rambling on my blog.