EARLIEST PICTURE OF A FANTASY BATTLE?

I came across this wonderful picture on Playing at the World blog showing a fantasy battle put on in 1970 at a Miniature Figures Collectors of America convention. The fort (Minas Tirith in the game) is a converted Airfix Roman fort and I can make out Airfix Robin Hood figures there as well. Isn't it splendid?

THE BROTHERS OFGRIMSTOCK ABBEY

I don't have that many undead figures, but I dug this nugget from the lead mountain last year. They are Grenadier figures from about 1985, so fall into the "new-school" category in my collection, but they do have a real 70's vibe about them. The empty hood with raised nodules inside to paint as eyes, the improbably shaped weapon and the coffin shaped shield all remind me of earlier figures, in particular the Servants of Sauron pack by Heritage Miniatures. I picked these up a couple of years ago from EM-4 Miniatures at a show, where they often have rummage bins of cheap Grenadier bits and bobs.

I haven't thought of any fluff to go with them yet, other than the name.

2018 has kicked off to a good start with myself managing to get 2 games in so far and a promise of more to come. The first was a great game of 2nd edition Warhammer, after meeting up with some fellow Oldhammerers who live nearby. We played 3 scenarios from Terror of the Lichemaster which was new to me (although I had heard of it of course), on absolutely stunning terrain made by Geoff of Oakbound Studios. Here are a couple of not very good pictures which really don't do the terrain justice (or his figures for that matter).  Thanks to Geoff and H. (our host) for a great day gaming.

brrr.....that water looks chilly

The other game I had was against my old gaming friend Speckled Jim, facing off 2 Viking warbands using Lion Rampant. I thought I had won this but have just realised that I was claiming Victory points that I didn't deserve....needless to say I haven't mentioned this to the defeated Warlord. Next games in the horizon are a game of Dragon Rampant and a game of The Woods, using Oakbound Studio rules.

EARTHMEN OF BISM

Another lot of pre-slottas I painted up earlier  this year, they are Red Orcs from Citadels Fiend Factory range, I remember asking my Dad to pick me up a pack of orcs from some shop in Portsmouth while he was down there on business, and he came back with a little bag of 3 of these guys.....

Not how I imagined orcs at all, but I suspect the then very young Perry Twins were following on from Bryan Ansell's Age of Joman orcs which have the same long lugubrious faces.

Somehow I've managed to build up a unit  of these figures , mainly by getting the odd ones and twos in job lots of figures and I was wondering how to paint them. Then I remembered the Pauline Baynes cover of C S Lewis' Narnia book The Silver Chair which shows the Earthmen of Bism all looking very dejected and I thought that this look suited the Red Orcs very well.

I'm not a huge fan of the Narnia books (although I enjoyed this one as a youth), Aslan is so infuriatingly patronising and holier than though (unsurprisingly as he is supposed to be God masquerading as a lion), but I decided to get painting and here is the result.

Full unit with Giant Tusker support. Led by The Lady of the Green Kirtle (a were-snake in the story)

Close up of the Lady, a Ral Partha figure

The standard showing the Lady in Snake form (Minifigs skull on top)

Light relief in the form of Captain Arnold Grubber, his nagging wife Constance and their offspring. He has a sentient shield called Cross Watkins, but I neglected to take a close up pic of it.

Rear view shots showing the different cloth designs based on the book cover. I painted the chainmail as loose knit cloth.

Close up of the Tuskers.

Not my favourite figures, it has to be said, but quite fun to paint. Some undead coming next.

NEW STUFF ON EBAY

Greetings everyone.hope you are all having a good Christmas. I've just listed a heap of stuff on ebay if you would care to look...trying to finance a new 54mm project 1/32 Pacific War.

Hope to be back soon.

HURRAH, PROJECT FINISHED!!!

Well it's been about 8 month since I posted anything..... mainly down to my own ineptitude with a camera and computer, but real life getting in the way (as an aside I want to start a group called Parents against Homework because that's all my missus and me seem to do nowadays. I can't believe the amount our boys bring home...it's ridiculous). 

Moving swiftly on, I have finished my copy of this picture from White Dwarf 35, which I've been wanting to do since I was about 13 years old. I've had to substitute some figures I think (those are Dragontooth elves in the fort, but I have had to use Minifigs), and I believe there are some Asgard orcs in the front line, but I've subbed them with Chronicle  which Joe Dever certainly had in his collection. I am pretty sure all the figures in my version were available in 1983 plus Airfix dinosaurs and castle, Merit Trees

The 1982 original

The 2017 version (perhaps my little tribute to the late Joe Dever)

I spent as long as I could arsing about with angles to try and get the line up the same, it's not exact, but will do.

Below are some rushed shots from different angles

Hey ho. I am continuing painting pre slotta figures and will post some more soon, but I also hope to get my King Crimson armies underway , to use with Kings of War.

SLEEPY FLOYD'S CAERULEAN GURNERS

Here we have a unit of Prince August orcs. I had this mould back in the early 80's and a few of these figures were cast way back then. The rest have been done recently, and I have to say I loved the process and have since bought loads more moulds, historical as well as fantasy. The figures are very small, almost 20mm, but they suffice as runtish goblins.

For a change I used a white undercoat and no shading, just thin paint to let the undercoat show through. Very quick, and I might use it again for any more home cast figures.

Sleepy Floyd is an Archive late 70's orc....... the Brother Hildebrandt set the trend for long faced reptilian looking orcs, I'm not sure I like the idea, but this figure is quite fun.

ELUSIVE ORCS NEEDED

Time allowing I'm plugging away at my 1982 Joe Dever scene, and am almost finished really. I am missing a few figures to complete it and get it as accurate as possible

This chap is proving quite hard to find. I need about 6 and have located 2 so far.  I think he is an Asgard orc. If anyone out there has one they wish to sell, please do let me know.