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.  

CREEPY CRITTERS

I'm a keen follower of Ana Polancsak's Garden of Hecate blogspot and over Christmas she posted about an offer on her sculpts which are produced by Harwood Hobbies in Canada. I took the opportunity to grab a few of the curious creatures that have emerged from the Gardens and they arrived in record time.

A couple of signposts , a demon snail, a 2 legged demi- buer, a custodian (  I see this as a helpful undead entity), a woodwose (which will be featuring in a D & D adventure), a Bosch style imp, a horse headed bloodfiend and another imp. Also some animal skulls.

These are the sort of creatures I wished were available when I was in my early teens and spent hours poring over books of paintings by Hieronymous Bosch and the like. If you like weird, support Ana by buying some of her figures.

MORE SHINY TOYS

I managed to get a few more units done for the Toyhammer army.

The Knights of the Purple Pim. I started these about 10 years ago, Citadel Bretonnian knights converted to become Swan Knights of Dol Amroth, and they languished unfinished in a box until a couple of weeks ago. I hope they have a successful career in King Lodwick's Toyhammer army.

Some spearmen. These are playing pieces from an old board game called Lionheart. I bought 3 copies at next to nothing (check European ebay sites for good deals). Very basic detail which suits the feel of the army.

More Lionheart pieces. Some serfs to act as a speedbump.

I hope to introduce King Lodwick himself soon.