SPRINKS' SKINTHAMMER CHALLENGE so far

Some time ago , the noble and erudite Sprinks of Wronghammer fame issued the following challenge

naturally this appealed to my parsimonious nature and I plucked up the tattered fingerless mitten from the dust and accepted the challenge. This of course is as far as it went until I uncovered another bag of cheapo plastic orcs at the Lincombe Barn Wargames club tabletop sale. Progress has been glacial to say the least, but this is the story so far. I decided to use standard Warhammer figures, but the cheapest I could find

presenting The Gubbinses of Shatford Lea

This little lot I picked up a year ago at the same show... 17 figures for a £4. Some had been painted by Blind Pew using an industrial paint roller, but I just undercoated straight over that without stripping. 

The grunt and bile of the army cost a tenner for about 56 figures, some of which were broken. I sifted out the best and added shields bought at the same show

The gaps in the front ranks are for the standard bearers, WIP

The chap on the right was one of the broken figures, and the metal dude was from a rummage bin at last weekends show, Attack at Devizes. He cost 50p and was missing a hand. Happily I have had one of the kid's old goblins riding around in the glove box of the car for about 2 years, and he willingly sacrificed his hand for the greater good. I might use him and add a hook later. (note newly tidied workbench for this photoshoot).

A couple of personalities. Uncle Frank on the left will be crewing the catapult when it is painted (a 10p plastic ELC job from a charity sale). Uncle Frank was gleaned from a comic book show last year where I was helping Geoff from Oakbound man his stall. We didn't sell much, but were pitched next to a chap with a huge dumpbin of old figures. I bought a bundle and they worked out at 32p each.

Mother Gubbins, the matriach of the clan and mother of them all is a Runequest figure I have had since the early 80's. She comes from a set of 10 figures which were (I recall) £4.99, so she cost err ...(counts on fingers) 49p. 

Here is Uncle Frank's pet porker Trotter

Trotter came from Devizes Attack a couple of years ago when EM4 Miniatures had rummage bin of old game pieces. I missed all the Deep Ones which the git in front of me showed me as he skipped off with them gloating, but there were a few odds and sods worth buying for 30p each. I also bagged a bundle of goblin types from the same bin which should be painted very soon.

So £15.61 spent so far (I think) of the £30 limit. Lets hope I can interpret the challenge flexibly and get the whole of August to paint in too.

ON THE WORKBENCH

A flying post as my mojo arrived back last night after a long excursion. For some reason I was seized with the idea to paint up some cheapo orcs and start a "traditional" Warhammer army. I have picked up plastic orcs very cheaply here and there with a vague idea of doing something with them and splashed some paint onto a test figure

all in all he took about 40 minutes following the suggestions on the excellent blog HOBGOBLINRY. The author JC (?) is a master painter with a great attitude to speed painting, which end in stunning results, and I have tried following his sage advice. The main aim was to bang through the figure using block painting, a drybrush and washes. I allowed myself one highlight on the eyes and skin. I am still undecided on how to do the bases, but this fellow has some excellent. premixed scatter from OAKBOUND STUDIOS. 

This orc is the first of The Gubbins Family, a tribe on cannibal orcs who dwell Grimstock Wood. The rest of his regiment awaits undercoating. The premise is to do the force as cheaply as possible and these guys cost £4 for 17 at Reveille last year.

Also being painted for son 3 is this 40K abomination, a Slaaneshi Noise Marine he got for his birthday. Having found this plastic figure cost £20!!!! I feel under some pressure to at least try and do a decent job. I do quite like the glam rock stacked heels and the gun mounted in the guitar.

AN ELEPHANT HUNT

I'm starting to think about re-creating Joe Dever's Minas Tirith scenario in White Dwarf 53 and am after 3 of these fellows

Britains charging African Elephant. If anyone has one (or more) knocking about can you get in touch.  There are other elephants available, but I would like to get the one available in 1983 for maximum authenticity. MANY THANKS.

JOE DEVER ORIGINALS

Last year the opportunity arose for me to buy some of Joe Dever's collection. I had been on the lookout for his figures, having the feeling some of his estate might be sold off after his sad and untimely death in 2016, and sure enough they started to appear on ebay.  I contacted the seller and was told Joe's collection was being sold in order to raise funds for his son, so I provided a list of figures I was interested in, among which were  my Holy Grail of wargaming units, Baron Galen's cavalry from the Thistlewood scenario in White Dwarf 43, pictures below charging a line of orcs

They are Minifigs Knights of the Silver Rose which featured in several of Joe's demo games such as here (unit centre right)

and here (centre right again)

and here they are in full technicolour residing in my attic

They are beautifully painted, and I have a feeling they may be by a friend of Joe's as his style was quite different. The varnish is starting to yellow which gives them a pleasing ivory look (not visible in these pics). 

In the first picture of the post, showing the Thistlewood game, there is a wyvern swooping down in the background...part of Lord Vassago's army....

The beast on the left is the very same figure, accompanied by another from Mr.Dever's collection.  They are both Citadel Fiend Factory figures.

Needless to say I am beside myself with glee to have been able to purchase these figures, part of photographs which inspired me and filled me with wonder as a youngster. I have bought a few more items from the collection, and hope to show you them in the future.

BONEYMALONEANS

To Prehammer and Oldhammer aficionado's, it's well known the GW Elf look stems from early pre GW figures, which were in turn based on the art of Rodney Matthews. I think the first Matthewsesque style elves released were Minifigs Aureola Rococo High Elves and Tunnel Elves, but Dragontooth also released some similar elves with tall helmets.

To me Rodney Matthews is everything that defines my early fantasy wargaming years.My bedroom walls were plastered with his posters and cut up calendars (as well as pictures of Kate Bush) , and I owned many LP'S featuring his cover art. Nowadays I only have a couple of of RM'S posters signed and framed in the attic, but a number of figures based on his work.

Here we have a force of  Boneymaloneans, a law unto themselves, fighting for whoever can serves their ends the most, and then betraying them more often than not.

The heater shields work a lot better on the figure "upside down".

I rather like the large dragonspears in the front rank. The archers carry bone bows.

The Three Witch Brothers

The cavalry mounts are clearly based on The People of the Pines by Matthews. The riders in the painting are more like the Minifigs Tunnel Elves, of which I have a goodly number which need repainting.

There are 2 horse variants. The one on the left is quite fragile and I suspect Minifigs changed the horse barding to make the casting sturdier.

Here we have Eric of Boneymaloney on his trusty dragon. Almost a direct copy of The Dragon Lord

Below is a different Dragon Lord on a smaller dragon.

THE GREMLINS OF THE TCHANKIN TOWERS

Another unit of Ral Partha oldies flapping onto the table with the dry rustle and creak of leathery wings . The Gremlins live in tall windowless towers in the howling deserts, south of Vassago's realm. They follow his armies in the hope of plunder in the form of iron which they carry back to the towers to rust and form what they call "tchankins" corroded items of the human world , which are valued highly in the Gremlin community.

In the pic below from the left

Ral Partha PATTGBITN 01005 V1 Winged Gremlin with sword

Ral Partha PATTGBITN 01005 V2 

Ral Partha PATTGBITN 01028 Gremlin War Party V1 (3 FIGS)

The gremlin war party was one of the first packs I bought in 1979ish, and they struck me then as particularly sinister and appeared in a dungeon adventure I ran at school . My original figures were painted thickly with Humbrol enamel Flesh and Gold if I remember correctly.

THE HARPIES OF TRANTALUS

Swooping out of the steamy caverns of Trantalus come the fiery harpies, bound by Lord Vassago to do his bidding, and bearing the Vile Rune on their shields to show their allegiance to him.

Another unit of fliers for my Dever Wars project. Ral Partha winged demons from the Personalities range.