LOCKDOWN CHALLENGE 2 and WIP

Managed to complete the second lockdown challenge set by Geoff. To paint the figure that you've had longest in your lead pile. Well I bought this Ral Partha dwarf in 1979 and was given a duplicate at the same time. The first chap sported a fine coating of Humbrol gloss enamels, and was my first D&D character, a dwarf called Gent. I'm not sure what happened to that version, but his twin had languished in the lowest strata of the lead mountain for 41 years, so it's high time he was painted.

The colour scheme ties in with some other dwarfs I've painted which I'll show soon.

Next shot is progress so far on my Travellers on the Endless Wastes from the last post. About halfway through these lovely Aly Morrison sculpts.

WE TRAVELLERS ON THE ENDLESS WASTES

Most of my ideas for fantasy armies and units remain firmly in my head as I never get round to doing anything about them, or if I do it is sometimes literally decades later.  I like basing armies and units on prog rock songs and imagery such as my Broadsword ship and I have several ideas for figures inspired by the songs of Jethro Tull. One song (The Clasp) on the Broadsword and the Beast album starts "We travellers on the endless wastes..." which has always conjured up images in my head of characters battling against driving snow or at least walking through an endless snowy landscape, a bit like the elf like figures in this Jackie Morris picture above, and perhaps these Dark Elves by John Blanche in The Seven Serpents by Steve Jackson.

I've been casting around for figures to suit the look I'm after and the solid base Citadel High elves are just the ticket... sculpted by Aly Morrison and released in 1984, they are fur clad, have slightly Slavic features and Russian looking armour so scream "cold endless steppes" to me. I've collected about 30 which will be enough for a couple of units. Combined with some Polar bears, gypsy caravans and a suitable paint job they should do the job.

I've so far painted about 14, and it's slow progress as I'm getting  2 hours a week painting done, but we'll get there.

LOCKDOWN CHALLENGE 1 - THE LAST GUBBINS

In answer to Geoff's clarion call mentioned in my last post to paint a shonky figure from your lead pile. I present the last member of the Gubbins clan, Cousin Scruton. Not sure if he was the worst figure I have but he is pretty flaky. An Irregular chap I think which is a shame as they do produce some good figures and the service is excellent.

SKINTHAMMER CHALLENGE COMPLETED...er 8 months late,

We are living in surreal and frightening times, although there is a sense among my younger boys of battening down the hatches, turning the house into a fortress and I suspect a feeling of cosiness and safety as the world collapses outside... can't say I feel it myself (more abject terror and worry) , such is the burden of adulthood, but I can remember the feeling from when I was a child and either being snowed in or having the power cut off frequently.

Last summer, Sprinks issued a challenge to complete an army for £30, which I have finally done hurrah. In fact I have spent about £40, but remove the extra tenners worth and you still have a playable army. The final piece was one of these fellows below, but as I had 2 beetle kits I had to make them both up. I had £4.99 left to spend and I picked these Heller kits up from the now deceased Wells Model Centre about 15 years ago for £4.50 each. The howdahs and crossbows are scratchbuilt and the 3 crew are from EM4 and were about 15p each (in fact I've just ordered another 50 of each pose), so I think I scrape in at £29.95... trumpet fanfare dwindling off discordantly as I realise I am 8 months too late.

Giant Beetles from the mossy gorges of Shatford

When I saw these WOLDLICE from Oakbound Studios, I had to grab some, and I thought they would fit in with the army but not as part of the challenge. The army is lacking in quick moving units as wolves don't really fit in with the narrative of the Gubbins Tribe. I have renamed them Mossfleas and imagine they can jump unnerving distances.

Here's the army as it stands, with a unit of extra archers. Wilderness and wood dwelling orcs should have loads of bowmen I think. The trees came from the pet department of the local garden centre and were in a sale. They have a real Roger Dean look about them, and I hope to base them and tart them up a bit... in fact the whole clan could do with some bespoke terrain when time allows.

There is one more figure to come which I have to get done as part of the Lockdown Challenge issued by Geoff of Oakbound. Paint up the most minging badly sculpted figure you have in a week! Hmmm.. well I have quite a few that could fit the bill but I'll show you the polished turd in a few days with some luck.

GILDER GOBLINS

Here are some Hinchliffe goblins I painted last year, using a white undercoat as an experiment. I like the sculpted faces on these figures as they look really mean and sneaky, and they have an old school Hobbit vibe so the Red Eye was pushed into service again although I may change this in the future. Peter Gilder was a giant in the wargaming world when I started gaming in the late 70s, but I've only recently started appreciating his sculpting.

I'm working with Ian Hinds who now owns Hinchliffe Models to get the Fantasy range back into production. Ian had already made a lot of new moulds, and I have sent him some more masters to increase the range, including these chaps. Watch this space (if you are interested).

TOYHAMMER... THE KING, THE PELICAN AND THE FORESTERS

I managed to get King Lodwick and his trusty steed finished . The king is a figure from the Lionheart game and the dragon is a Russian Tehnolog model from eBay.

Here is Merkin's familiar, a pelican called Valise. He's a re-painted Britain's toy.

and a unit of foresters. Mainly Citadel 90's plastics, od which I only had 11. The twelfth figure is a Blue Moon Robin Hood chap. 

CHEERIO TERRY.... AND THANKS.

I had to post briefly about the sad death of my favourite Python, Terry Jones

Hilarious chap and brilliant medieval historian and of course screenwriter of Labyrinth. Obviously there are the well known Monty Python sketches which spring to mind, but for me the scene that captured his humour and medieval interest was from his TV series Crusades, in which he attempts to interview the descendant of a goose which led one of the pilgrimages to the Holy Land. RIP Mr. Jones.