And then They were Two....

I speed-pained this very old Jes Goodwin bear (a Wood Elf Beastmaster companion) today, as Ulolkish may need a couple of Quadruped Creatures to go with his Dwarves in SAGA Age of Magic tomorrow.

Next time I get something from North Star Military Figures, I shall include their rearing bear in the order, to bring the sleuth up to three members (and probably enough for Sellswords & Spellslingers).

Please, Bear in Mind...

I did quite a quick and dirty paintjob on this, as my hobby time is very limited at the moment.

Originally part of the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company's North Amarican Wildlife range, this is probably meant to depict a Grizzy, but I opted to try painting it as a European bear.

I am not sure if it turned out a bit too dark, but it will have to do as is for now, as I hope to be able to squeeze in another game of Sellswords & Spellslingers with Emil before Christmas, and I need a bear to be able to turn up as a Complication in the scenario I have in mind (In Search of Rare Herbs).

More pics of the teddy below.

Bear with Me!

I need an angry bear for the Sellswords & Spellsligers scenario 'In Search of Rare Herbs', so i dug out these two.

The running specimen was originally made by the Honourable Lead Boiler Suit Company, but is now produced and sold by North Star Military Figures, and the other one is from an old Jes Goodwin Wood Elf Beastmaster blister (hence the torc around its neck) from Citadel.

Basically, I shall have to experiment a bit with the colours, as I am not certain how to achieve the predominant colour of the European bear. I hope to mostly paint the first one coming Monday, so we shall see how it turns out...

African Wildlife to be Painted!

I had an old Chaos Black primer working overtime this early afternoon - first the Minas Tirith archers, then these critters, soon to be found in a great many settings and games (they might even appear in games of Sellswords and Spellslingers as random encounters or complications).

I shall paint one when I have finished the first member of Lea's SS&SS warband - I would like to try out Paleo Diet in an African setting ASAP, and I think three ostriches and three baboons is just about enough for 3-4 Zulu warriors to hunt, for starters.

When the critters are all done, I shall probably start working on some giraffes or cape buffalos I already have in my possession, and I would also like to expand my collection of ostriches, as I have an idea for some special rules regarding the 'hiding' ones...

Baboon Family to Go

The baboon family is now also ready for primer, and I expect to get it sprayed alongside the Minas Tirith archers and the ostriches. I may paint the prey animals in between the characters for Lea's SS&SS party, as the Hasslefree fantasy mini is dragging on, and I need some variation (and to get something finished a bit faster).

Basing the Baboon

As promised yesterday, here is an update on the basing experiment.

The male Baboon has been glued to the double-base, and some filler has been applied.

Tomorrow, I shall file away the excess filler, and apply some more where needed, and we shall have a final result of the experiment - which already looks promising!

Monkey Business

And I mean it!

As part of my preparations for Paleo Diet in Africa, I have been busy prepping the baboon family.

This included sawing off half of the integral bases. to avoid the finished minis to sit on slotta-base like plinths.

The base of the male baboon is so oblongish that it would take a far too large single washer to fit, so I have started an experiment gluing 15mm washers in pairs to cereal packet cardboard; I then intend to cut around them to create a pill shaped base.

I should have the result of the experiment tomorrow.

The baboons should do sterling service as random encounters in all kinds of Colonial and Pulp games, so they will make a welcome addition to my collection!

Paleo Diet - Rounding Up the Prey

As mentioned, I am going to play some Paleo Diet as soon as I have enough painted animals to hunt, so I have been digging out  some of the wildlife I have amassed over the years (and making sure to find some of the African animals, as I am going to use some Zulus as hunters for a start).

I painted this ostrich from HLBSC (now North Star) some time ago for a Painting Club at the LAF, and I have another couple of those big birds form the same set ready for paint, so I should start on those as soon as I get Lea's SS&SS party finished.

From the same company came the baboon family, and they will be the next animals painted. When they are done, I should have enough for a first game, so I can focus on getting some jungle terrain done (I have loads of plastic palm trees and aquarium plants, so I shall not have to purchase anything to get stuck in).

This bear is from an old blister with a Wood Elf Beastmaster, and the collar/torque is really making it look too domesticated, but I shall probably use it, anyway, at a later point, when I get some proper cavemen painted.

The second bear is from the long OOB MEGA Miniatures of Johnny Lauck, and much more fitting for a wild beast.

Both bears are going to get new bases, I think - I have just ordered some thin greyboard 25mm x 50mm pill shaped bases from Sarissa Precision to place on top of two 25mm washers for mounting cavalry and the likes, and the first bear might fit on one of those, while the second one can probably use a single 30mm or 35mm washer.

Lastly, for now, I have two crocodiles - I think they can make hunting along rivers or in swamps a tad more interesting, and predators should always be part of the conditions to be faced by primitive tribes trying to carve out a place in an unforgiving environment.

Ostrich Basing WIP

Been trying to bring the bird up to speed with all the other WIP basing projects, and I am almost there.

This concludes the progress shown for today, as the rest of my work was mostly just dull filling of washer holes on the bases I already put some filler on yesterday (no reason to show pics of lying minis with filler sticking out of the underside of their bases, methinks).

I expect to clear about 20 models from the prepping station this weekend, and then work should continue on some of my current painting projects (I really need to get one of those riflemen done for the Big Battalions Painting Club at the LAF done).

Birdy, Birdy, Nam, Nam!

This Honoured Lead Boiler Suit Company mini has been lying around on my prepping station ever since I painted another ostrich from the same pack for a painting club at the LAF.

As part of my plan to get some stuff cleared from the prepping station, I cleaned it up and glued it to a washer.

I intend to get Ganesha Games' Paleo Diet game, and a flock of ostriches would be a viable game objective for a group of Paleolithic hunters.

HLBSC has stopped trading in 28mm minis, but most of their ranges were picked up by Nick Eyre at North Star Military Figures, and it should be possible to get another couple of packs (and some antelopes, or other game).