29 July 2017

Scouting the Scouts



Test models for speed painting two small units of scouts. Or should that be two units of small scouts? Whatevs.


26 July 2017

Another Half-orc -- and more in the future?



I ended up ordering the second figure that I had been considering for a half-orc shaman. Shawoman? Maybe priestess is better. She looks more refined than the connotations "shaman" usually carry. And to be honest, with her attire, the jar in her hand, and the staff -- I'd be half tempted to use her as a priestess of some sort with the Merienburders.

I had initially wanted to replace the jar, but it would require completely re-sculpting the hand. Not something I'm in the mood to do right now, but I can always pick up a second miniature and do that in the future.

Speaking of the future, two things on my mind regarding half-orcs today. One is that Black Tree is doing another 50% off sale and I'm tempted to double my half-orcs. I'd like more variety, but I do really like these figures. So that got me thinking about head-swaps, which, in turn got me thinking about... Two is that I should try sculpting some oalf-orc heads aesthetically resembling (as best as my meagre sculpting skills will allow) that could be used on some of the plastic human kits to turn them into half-orcs. I'm thinking along the lines of some of the Frostgrave plastics, but possibly also plastics or bits from Perry, Gripping Beast, and/or Fireforge. Maybe a big mix of all of those for a more irregular look.

At any rate, back to the new priestess, from Reaper, alongside samples from the rest of the clan:


She's a little taller than the average troopers, but that's OK. She's also standing more upright than any of the others as well, including the larger shaman and warrior.


25 July 2017

Half-orc Shaman (pt.2)

I added a little "On the Painting Table" list to the top of the sidebar to the right.

Thought it would be fun to list what is likely to be coming up next. Not a guarantee, as I sometimes start on something then put it away for a year or six.



I finished "Freed," the half-orc shaman. Not the greatest photo, but...


I've been working on a little fluff/backstory for him that may emerge at some point, too.

22 July 2017

Half-orc Shaman

Picked up the figure I want to use for a half-orc shaman. Another Bob Olley sculpt for Reaper. The issue I've run into, though, is that he won't fit on a 20mm base and barely fits on a 25mm base. He's tentatively on a 40mm. Not sure how I will ultimately base him yet.

Still not certain on colors, either. Quite a busy figure.



Well, I do have one paintng & basing idea...


19 July 2017

Load 'o Bones



My Bones 3 KS figures came in. Plus I picked up a pack of 3 of the Bob Olley orcs in Bones to see if they would fit with the recently nearly completed half orc unit. I thought I would post a few comparison pics. I didn't get a ton, but this isn't pics of everything either.

The best two figures from the "Lords of Undeath" are the two big guys. The halfling is OK, and I'm not sure I will ever use the elf & dwarf (not pictured.) The latter three are skeletal, but have pristine clothing, equipment, and hair -- which seems a bit odd. The two big ones shown here compared to skeletal ogres from Krakon Games, RPE, and the one I picked up (via FB) from a small personal project someone had cast. I think these will all work pretty well together!



Bob Olley orc in Bones material next to a couple of the half orcs. Nice figure, but unfortunately hot certain I like them together. I also realized I should show a scale pic of the half orcs next to my standard reference.



One of the most fun minis from the KS. GOREMAW. Sort of an impulse buy, a ridiculous miniature I just had to have & paint. I think it will be a big nasty summoned by Fomorians & others. Pic next to the Fomorians/Fimir, plus the (formerly) largest critter in their arsenal -- Reaper bog demon.



Reaper is "super sizing" their giants. I've got mixed feelings on this. I felt the fire giant queen I previously painted (second pic) was a great size for a giant, that bucked the trend of "bigger is better." Maybe hypocritical of me to say that given some of the enormous models I've picked up and/or painted the past few years. But in terms of background/setting, etc. I really do like the smaller ones -- and she was really well sculpted (and a nice casting, give that she's also in Bones!)

So here are some of the "super sized" fire giants, next to the old-ish Citadel giant, and the earlier version of the fire giant queen mentioned above. Definitely going to need some work on the bendy issues, but looking forward to seeing these painted up. Someday.




Also in the package is a restock of conversion fodder for my Fomorians. So those are back on teh menu now that I finally have more bodies to work with!


16 July 2017

Almost Done (Still Half-Orcs)



Done with Rotghar's Headhunters -- the half-orcs -- other than adding a standard and possibly some insignia on some of the shields. So... I guess 98% done?



M-H-Orcs...



A few more half-orcs done. Just five more left -- including the three command figures. Plus I need to do a banner (and maybe go back and paint designs on the shields.)


I realize this may not be exciting, given that it's just another handful of the same stuff I've been working on. But it's motivation for me as painting time (or any free time at all) becomes increasingly scarce and everything else becomes more stressful.
I also bought a figure to use for a shaman on eBay, who should be here later this week.

On a longer term, more ambitions note, I think I'd like to get & paint a small unit of half-orc scouts, and a second formed unit of melee troops.  That should make a nice little mercenary force. Something a little more than a single unit, but still small-ish. Right now I'm not buying any new figures though, so I'll have to paint up something else that I already have in my possession.

I'm thinking more about the fringe mercenaries, outcasts, and so on. Still haven't decided what to work on next, though.

09 July 2017

More Half-Orcs - The Brutes



I previously mentioned thinking about adding a couple of larger figures to the half-orcs. I like the idea of variety in the unit. (And I'm still considering what to do about smaller figures to mix in.) So here's the two Reaper orcs used as half-orcs...






Now I will continue with the rest of the Black Tree (half) orcs to wrap up the unit... for now.

Painting these has got my mind wandering about my Zogmar ideas. They will work well as mercenaries for Marienburg, and allies for the Fomorians, but I'm also thinking back to the half-baked* idea of a misfit warlord assembling an army of equally misfit troops. I think some half-orcs are perfect for that.




*Or half-written. I've got a great deal of a game/campaign setting in my head, I just need to keep writing it down and get it into some sort of presentable form. My plans are still to create a complete oldschool campaign book. Probably a static web site as well. I am still dying to actually play some games. Thinking about playing some RPG campaigns too. So frustrating when I'm stuck trying to spontaneously squeak out 10-30 minute allotments of painting time at odd hours of the day!

Epic Disasters of the Wargaming World


Photobucket


It doesn't impact this blog, but the recent Photobucket debacle has caused quite a disturbance. That includes my gaming forum posts, painting logs, etc. at places like Warhammer-Empire, Lead Adventures, and the Oldhammer Forum. Most of that was the exact same stuff as here -- so it's not like I "lost" all record of my painting & gaming adventures -- but it is a major hassle. Not that I've got much time to do anything about it, so I'm going to host images elsewhere, and just keep going.

To be honest, I can't believe Photobucket has survived this long. They were once a good service that I would have been willing to pay for, but they've become a growing train wreck in recent years and the thought of paying $400/year for their service is laughable.


Me


More work travel, more non-gaming/painting responsibilities... so not much fun going on here. As always, I hope to change that -- and hope to post more interesting things here. I actually just snuck in a good half hour of painting... but not much to show for it at the moment. I'm hoping to get a little more time later. So... maybe actual miniatures stuff soon?


Age of Zogmar


Been thinking about my theoretical gaming setting, campaign, and ideas again...



I guess you could call it an in-game rationalization for the type of gaming I'd like to be doing.


04 July 2017

Half-Orcs, America and its Gods



Happy 4th to my fellow Americans. (This commercial never gets old.)




Slow progress on the half orcs.


As I've been painting them, I've been thinking that I'd like to add some more half-orcs of varying appearance and size. Initially I was thinking about some smaller half-orcs, but tonight it struck me that I might slip in one or two of the larger Tre Manor brutes that I like using for conversions/Formorication. So...


Hard to tell from the pic, but he's noticeably larger than the rest of them. I took this pic with the big guy on a 40x40, but after cleaning him up and looking at him in the unit, I opted to glue him to a 20x40 base instead and it seems to keep a more consistent density in the unit. I may throw a second Reaper-Manor orc in there too.

So, I'm still on the hunt for other options. I've previously mentioned the Scotia-Grendel orcs, but I think I will hold off on those for a unit of their own. They've got a different aesthetic, almost like an Ian Miller influenced orc. So I'd like to get a bunch, but keep them as a separate half-orc project.* As far as mixing with these, I think I will go back to Reaper for some of the old Bob Olley sculpted orcs. In fact, I think I may pick up a shaman, also by Olley, because I really like this figure...



I also spotted this half-orc while browsing the site, and I think she will end up in the unit too...



As far as some other, smaller half-orcs, I'm still wondering if maybe some of the old Asgard orcs might fit the role... http://www.thevikingforge.net/25mm-fantasy-orcs.html



*FWIW, I 'm getting further into the idea of creating specific mercenary companies or regiments rather than just painting figures and calling them "mercenaries" and being done with it. I'm OK keeping all the generic landsknechts I've got on that basis. But I think my new projects will all have more to them. So the current batch of half-orcs are getting a backstory developed as I paint, similar to the way I've been working on the Scrobbleton Jackrabbit Trading Company for the hobbits. This has a secondary effect of giving me an outlet for putting down some of the geography and cultural background that I've had in my head.

I need to get a Czernobog character. I loved him in the book, I think the TV series did a pretty decent job with him so far.



02 July 2017

Necromancers


No painting or gaming lately. Just a few necromancy funnies I stumbled across...








Hopefully I can get back to painting at some point in the near future. I'm itching to finish up those half-orcs, and still have a big list of other things I'd love to work on!