Catching Up

 Stuff! In the mail! Someone's got a new ride coming soon. Spinner from Scotia-Grendel. That mold line at the back is going to be a bear to remove, but other than that I like the model quite a bit and may get a another. I think I've got a role for them in the background/setting I've been developing in my head and scattered notes.... and occasionally slip out into some entries here and at the OWAC site.

 

 

 

More stuff! In the mail! Peasants, Kickstarter reward from Midlam Miniatures.

Converted a couple of new Spaven. Famed Spaven mutologist, David Rattenborough (and assistant), leading a field expedition, reporting on newly discovered alien fauna.

 

 

Last week my family and I managed a brief get-away. A spring break in Hocking Hills. My daughter took this first photo, and said it is called "Cave Man." On the topic of caves, the second photo is of the "lower falls" on the Old Man's Cave trail. Cave Man... Old Man's Cave. I'm not sure I appreciate this association. ;)

 

 

 

 

 

 

A Little Bit of Orctober

Not many orcs or half orcs left to paint these days, but I still have a few Midlam Miniatures hobgoblins to add to the half-orc/hob-orc contingent. So far this Orctober I've painted a leader and a shaman. 

I have a few more left. They're duplicates that I lan on converting to add some variety. Not sure whether I will get to them this month or not.

Hob-orcs, Sellswords, and Fire

I have painted five more of the Midlam Miniatures hobgoblins (or hob-orcs/half-orcs for my purposes.) More great sculpts! I've got some duplicates that I will be using for some minor conversions, mostly just simple weapon swaps.

I've been wanting to get back to my Sellswords and Spellslingers solo campaign. But I've recently discovered I've been doing it wrong. I've been using mixing the terms "players" and "PCs" a number of times.

So, for example, the reason the first game was such a bloodbath was that I had far more hordes of orcs than I should have. I've also been handing out too much XP after games. So I've decided to wrap up the current band with a few final games, then start over with a new warband.

My plan is to replay the Badlands scenario -- possibly using the "wrong" number of orcs again. Then possibly play the tower scenario, since I've had this old Battlemasters in my garage we cleaned out my friend Rich's game room over a year ago. (It was mine, & I painted it, but gave it to him at some point. I was handed a box with this and two others to take home...) Finally, I will put them through the Thunder Lizard scenario. Per the scenario instructions, I rummaged through my daughters toys for a suitable adversary. She had a good selection hiding at the bottom of a bin, and I've narrowed it down to these two... :D

I will also need some lizarmen, which is great motivation to get back to painting the old Tom Meier troglodytes I've been planning to repaint for many long years. I did one test figure, with an unusual color scheme based on an actual lizard. But I'm not sure I like it. The main reason these wonderful figures haven't been repainted all this time is because I can't make up my mind on how to paint them!

This weekend we've had some beautiful weather, so my family took advantage of is with a back yard cookout and fire. I don't have much of a sweet tooth, but my wife and daughter enjoyed some s'mores! Stress has been getting to me lately. The pandemic isolation had been difficult. Aside from missing friends and family, we're working full time at home, trying to help our daughter manage at-home schooling (can't wait for Summer break!), and what seems like an endless stream of household maintenance issues requiring attention/repair. Enjoying the outdoors/weather has been something good to focus on.

Zoom Group Painting (and a bit of gardening)

This morning I participated in a Zoom "meet & paint" session with some of the other Warhammer-Empire.com regulars. I've been on the forum for thirteen years, and it remains my favorite (LAF is a close second) due to the diversity and quality of the membership.

Five of us took part, from three different countries. There was a bit of figuring out the tech for all of us. But it went well, and I really enjoyed getting to see & hear everyone. I particularly liked the peek into some of the other hobby spaces & projects. I had to duck out early on the call. Today was the one likely day this weekend (or all week, possibly) that the weather was going to cooperate for finally getting our gardens in order.

Here's what I worked on while we chatted....

Almost finished two Midlam Miniatures hobgoblins, started a third, and got the first base colors on the second batch of Cauldronborn powrie.


After both topics of past Warhammer-Empire campaigns and pikemen conversions came up, I pulled out a long unfinished project that I've wanted to return to. I converted a regiment of skaven pikemen (pikerats?) that I had started for the Treachery and Greed campaign. I even did a little article on converting the figures. But the painting never got past the first sample figure. I should remedy that.

The background to the regiment was that in addition to simply adopting Tilean methods of warfare, the cowardice of the Skaven welcomed any innovation that would help keep the enemy at a distance. 

Hobhounds pt. 1

Hobhounds. Midlam Miniatures. I wish there was a second hobhound design for variety, but very happy with the quality of the sculpts and castings.

Midlam Hobgoblins

I painted the first of the Midlam Hobgoblins. Related to a recent post as well as my re-purposing of the old Citadel "Hobgoblin Despoilers", these have been adopted as hob-orcs.... er, half-orcs and painted as such.

I'm very happy with them -- both the sculpts as well as how they painted up! Looking forward to painting some more.

Stuff! In the Mail!

I backed the Midlam Miniatures Raiding Party KS. They just arrived and look great. A little larger than I expected (see second pic) but that's OK. Got a few extras so I can have a warband of 12 melee, 6 archers, and a handler with 3 hounds.

Looking forward to painting these (soon)!