Battles of Beleriand: a Silmarillion WIP in 28mm.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Gothmog is looking good.  Are the Balrogs Mierce Miniatures?

[Emir of Askaristan]

Look forward to seeing these completed.

[Hupp n at em]

The face wash does come across in photos, looks great!  I think you are really nailing the First Age look with these, nice work. 

[Spinal Tap]

This project looks excellent, keep on posting.

I think the advice about shading and highlights was spot on, it's made good f8gures look great.

[James Morris]

Some really nice stuff there and a great project.  Don’t put yourself down on the painting, it’s neat and consistent.  That dragon is a great mini - who makes it?

[Lord Maedhros]

Thanks for all the comments.

Gothmog is looking good.  Are the Balrogs Mierce Miniatures?

Yes the Balrogs are all Mierce Miniatures. I had considered having Balrogs modelled after this image https://tolkiengateway.net/wiki/File:Thomas_Rouillard_-_Valaraukar.jpg but I couldn't find any miniatures on the market that fit that bill. I've eyed Mierce Miniatures for a long time and their miniatures are easily identifiable as Balrogs (with the right paint scheme). Also no wings and a penchant for axes made them an easy choice. I do intend to give some of them swords/whips at some point, but axes work for now.

  That dragon is a great mini - who makes it?

The dragon is from Warploque miniatures and has been on my list for Glaurung for a long time (5+ years). Finally got it over the Christmas period last year.

A few scale pictures with oathmark goblin infantry (my first choice for orcs in the First Age). I think the dragon is sufficiently large for Glaurung as described in the Legendarium.

[armchairgeneral]

Great looking Gothmog. Excellent painting so far. Looking forward to seeing the other miniatures painted up 

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

Thanks for posting the photos indicating size.  For some reason I thought the Warploque dragon would be smaller, so I am very tempted now.
The Mierce Miniatures are a little big for me, but they als have some smaller miniatures with much the same look.  I will look forward to see how you paint these up.  The one you have painted is very good.
I do like your original inspiration for Balrogs, I would buy a few of these if they were ever made.
Keep up the good work.

[Ethelred the Almost Ready]

A bit more firey??

[Aesthete]

Great project! I admire folks who manage to stick to one thing and produce a coherent collection. Myself I tend to jump all over the place....

Regarding the stars on the elf shields... are they transfers (if so, where'd you get them?) or freehand (if so, amazing!)?

[Lord Maedhros]

A bit more firey??

I'd looked at a few of the elemental options on the market, none of them satisfied the physical element I wanted. It seems a tricky thing to achieve the flame effect on a static miniature. Being wreathed in shadow and flame is not an easy description to present on the tabletop. Other images I find inspirational
https://external-preview.redd.it/FvaNmZsa4MSWR_aqXIghxO6uZ4f6UOQQ-E4X59ttMjs.png?auto=webp&v=enabled&s=3f592a22f240954079383691493d31d75e719fec

https://qph.cf2.quoracdn.net/main-qimg-4c39e4f63c4403f1e1c7cdce7594caaf

The lava skin effect achieves a similar enough effect at least for my limited skillset at the time.

Regarding the stars on the elf shields... are they transfers (if so, where'd you get them?) or freehand (if so, amazing!)?

They are transfers. I had them custom made I forget from where but I can dig it up if you want. I certainly don't have the skillset to freehand those 


On a separate note. Any suggestions for models for Easterlings of the House of Uldor (the evil Easterlings of the first age)?

I intend to use the eventually to be released Franks from Atlantic Wargames for the Good Easterlings (House of Bor). https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/0078/4764/1186/files/Frank_Parts.jpg?v=1625683641

Something in a historical vein would be ideal, but also has to be distinct enough from the other models used for the men of the First Age.

I intend to use Victrix Late Romans for House of Hador, Saxons for House of Beor and Lighter armoured Dark age miniatures for House of Hador. Previously Mentioned Franks for House of Bor.

I had hoped for something mongol esque but there is not much on the market that I fancy. Not a fan of the Fireforge plastics and no other company offers large quantities of foot models. They can be stylistically different from the Franks and others as the Easterlings of the First Age was a blanket term and they actually consisted of many different groups of men so the ones I need models for don't need to look similar to the Franks. I have a box of Frostgrave Barbarians but I find them too limited in options to build a decent force out of. Something in that barbarian vein would work though.

Hope that makes sense. Thanks for any feedback.