Sorting and Reading the Bones

I finally got all of my Bones unpacked.  As you can see, there are a heap of minis on the desk (the Chronoscope and modern minis are not pictured except for those that can be used for my Legends of the Old West campaign. I will probably sell the rest).  With my particular package, I received well over two hundred Bones miniatures ranging in size from tiny rats to dragons and giants.  For the most part, I am pleased with the outcome. 

As I said... for the most part. Unfortunately, many of the miniatures will need a bit of repair before they can be used.  A full third of the minis are bent in some form or another.  Weapons, arms, legs...the issues are many and varied.  Yes, I know that all it takes is a dip in boiling water then another in cold water to remedy the problem (I used to do that with my Axis and Allies War at Sea ships) but this is an additional step in the preparation process and one that I was not expecting (at least not on this scale).  Removing mold lines and flash, washing, and assembly - basically the entire prepping process, already ranks incredibly low on the ol' excitement meter.  This additional layer of no-fun really puts a damper on my purchase.

Perhaps my experience is not the norm and other shipments arrived in better condition.  And maybe the process of repairing nearly eighty miniatures will go much easier/quicker than I think.  So just maybe I'm writing a rather harsh review.  As it stands now however, I do not think I will be purchasing any more Bones miniatures unless I can actually see the product in the package and ensure the integrity of the model.  Living on an island and having a fifty-five mile one-way trip to the nearest hobby shop (that may or may not carry the mini I want) means that the likelihood of me acquiring more Bones will be quite small.

Despite my disappointment, I will let stand my initial review of the Kobold Bones back in March of 2012.  The integrity of those miniatures were spot on and I had no problems with bending.  What the difference between the two shipments is I do not know.  Bad luck?  Different material?  Poor packing?  Whatever the reason, my Reaper Bones Kickstarter Reward was not as I hoped and certainly not up to the standards of the original batches for sale.  Granted, the math says that I still received a great deal on so many models.  But time is money as they say and spending extra time repairing mistakes from Reaper lessens the overall value to the customer.

For those of you who took part in the Bones Kickstarter, what has been your experience?  In what condition did your miniatures arrive?  Are you generally pleased with the outcome or do you have issues as well?  Your thoughts and comments are always welcome.

Thanks for reading...

The Bones Are Here! The Bones Are Here!

After waiting for what seemed like forever and fearing that I would be the very last person to receive a package from Reaper, UPS dropped off a box of goodies for me today.  The wait is over.  The Bones are here.

The contents of said package are:

1 - Vampire package
1 - Figure Case
1 - Hydra
1 - Spider Centaurs
1 - Red Dragon
1 - We Be Goblins
1 - Deathsleet
1 - There Be Dragons
1 - Mind your Manors
1 - Orcapocalypse
1 - Frost Giants
1 - Ebonwrath
1 - Fire Giants

Add it all together and it equals one very happy guy.

Now it's time to start unpacking everything.  I'll get photos of the loot posted soon.

Christmas in July indeed!

Anwyn - A Female Bard

Well, it looks like I will once again fall short of my painting goal for the year.  December 31st is rapidly approaching and the deadline draws near.  I tried to finish off the Thorin & Company project (which would have put me over my goal by one miniature) but it looks like those pesky dwarves will not be finished until after the New Year.  So, it looks like this mini will be my final completion for 2012.

This absolutely beautiful sculpt by Werner Klocke is not a bad way to end the year though.  Anwyn, Female Bard (03080) is available from Reaper Miniatures.  The miniature is a perfect example of why I'm such a big fan of the company.  The sculpt is simple yet elegant and devoid of all the unnecessary additions and trappings (I'm looking at you GW) that make many fantasy miniatures look absolutely ridiculous.  Skulls hanging on chains, forty-seven different weapons arrayed on the body, and 80's-style shoulder pads complete with spikey bits just doesn't work for me.  Anwyn shows that a company can produce a striking miniature while still adhering to the laws of fantastical reality.

 

Admission:  I've never been a big fan of red-heads, both in real life and in miniature painting (no offense to those of you out there that have been "kissed by fire").  I really don't know why either.  But lately, for some odd reason, I have painted several - both male and female.  Perhaps it's because one can only paint so many blondes and brunettes before growing bored of the same formula.  Or perhaps it has more to do with the striking contrast that red hair provides.  Whatever the reason, I have grown to love red-heads these days and decided to paint Anwyn as one as well.  I think the hair color gives her a bit of charm and more than a hint of innocence, which is perfect for the project I want to include her in.  Of course, once I determined she was going to sport red hair, I knew I wanted to go with a strong green to set off the hair even more.  And while I was at it, why not a white top to really make the model pop.  Don't you love it when colors choose themselves for you?  I wish all my color decisions were that easy.

Several months back...or maybe it was even last year, I started a project of collecting and painting Level One Adventurers.  I wanted a party of simply-clad dungeon delvers to represent that oh so scary first adventure.  To qualify for the project, on the miniatures, equipment must be kept to a bare minimum along with armor and weapons.  Believe it or not, finding miniatures to match that description is not all that easy.  As I mentioned above, it seems most minis are the exact opposite of what I was looking for.  When I found Anwyn however, I knew I had a winner.  First level bard?  I would say so!  A short sword, a pouch, and a flute....I could not have asked for a better example of what I was looking for.

As far as other characters for this First Level group, I think I only have a female fighter selected and painted at this point.  If any of you have any ideas and suggestions for other party members, I would be interested in hearing your comments.  I think it would be quite fun to see what others think of when they envision new adventurers heading out into the wilds for the first time to start their new careers.

As always, thanks for reading!

Speed Painting - Kurff the Swift

I've always maintained that I'm an epically slow painter.  Miniatures tend to take me forever to complete even thought my talents only produce a figure that could be considered tabletop quality.  However, I'm quite OK with my tortoise-like speed.  For me, painting is a hobby itself and a way to relax inside out of the tropical heat rather than a means to an end...such as fielding a new army in a short amount of time.  But I can't help being somewhat awed and jealous when watching videos of painters whipping out a miniature in a short amount of time.  Plus, I've always wanted to enter a speed painting contest at a convention even though I know I wouldn't win.  So for something different, I decided to speed paint a miniature to see what the outcome would be like.

For my test subject, I chose a miniature that has been sitting around for quite some time.  Kruff the Swift (02034) from Reaper is a great little sculpt by Sandra Garrity.  He's an interesting character, able to pass for either a thief or a ranger type.  I'm still unsure of the race though.  When scaled next to other Reaper miniatures he seems rather short but he is much too tall for a halfling and a bit too stocky for an elf.  Perhaps the size difference is due to his slightly crouched posture or maybe he was sculpted to represent a younger person.  Whatever the case, Kurff become my victim for my speed painting test.

Since I have never taken part in an official contest, I was unsure of the amount of time given to participants.  So instead of randomly choosing a time limit, I decided to simply paint as fast as I possibly could and time the duration.  As I started the clock, I had no idea how the miniature would turn out or the amount of time it would take.

Painting was fairly straight forward.  I chose colors that I could easily blend together to reduce the number of options on the palette.  Greens and brows where the predominate hues and most every item on the miniature was painted using some combinations of those basic colors.  And unlike my normal painting style, I made heavy use of washes.  Though I'm not a fan of washes for most applications, I must admit that using them made the painting much easier and faster.  The only part of the mini where washes were not used was the face.  I spent some extra time there using my normal technique since Kurff's face was really the center point of the model.  Most every other aspect is somewhat receded within the cloak and only his facial features and his cloak clasp protrude forward from the shadows.

I will not bore readers with the rest of the details and get right to the point.  The total time from beginning to end was around 35 minutes.  That time does not include prepping the miniature nor priming.  Though certainly not my best effort, I was rather pleased and surprised at the outcome in such a short period of time.  I don't think I'll switch to this style on a permanent basis, but to mix things up a bit, I may try to speed paint other miniatures from time to time.

So I was wondering...have any of you participated in a speed painting contest?  And if so, what is the usual time limit given?  Also, what rules are associated with such a contest?  Must the miniature be in a pristine state (no prepping and priming) or is that usually allowed?  Thanks in advance for any information you may have.

Thanks for reading!

James St. Johnson from Reaper

Whether you are a fan of Reaper Miniatures or not, one fact that cannot be denied is that they have a very large selection of miniatures.  Looking for an elven cleric?  Check.  A pirate monkey?  Check.  How about a bugbear star trooper?  OK...maybe not.  But you get the point.  No matter what is on the painting agenda, chances are Reaper has a mini that will match.

Such was the case with James St. Johnson (02663) below.  I was looking for a knightly looking fella but without all the heavy armor that tends to define that type of mini.  I also wanted an older knight to play the part of a grizzled war veteran.  That wasn't so easy to find.  Due to popular media, most sculpts illustrate that particular genera as a fair-haired young buck with flowing locks, gleaming armor, and the exuberance of youth.  But that's not what I sought.  I wanted a guy who has proven his worth in many campaigns, that has had his fair share of both victories and defeats, and who has learned life's lessons the hard way.

After browsing through the online catalog, I came across this wonderful sculpt from Sandra Garrity.  He was almost exactly what I had envisioned.  I say almost only because I would have preferred that his surcoat and flag be devoid of any device or sigil but hey, I can deal with that.  But he did have the look I wanted....a knightly commander that simply oozes confidence and demands respect.  And I loved his lack of hair.  The balding aspect certainly contributed to the demeanor I was looking for.

Once I found the mini, painting would be easy.  I already knew what kind of character he was to portray so the colors suggested themselves from that vision.  I chose red for the surcoat because I wanted a good strong color to dominate the mini and suggest a bit of aggression.  The leather parts where painted in dark browns to contrast with the centerpoint of the miniature while the armor was painted in dull silvers and bronze.  I wanted to avoid anything too shiny since that would suggest newer armor.  Remember, this isn't the first rodeo for this guy.  I had to use several different washes in multiple layers to get the muted metallics I wanted but the outcome was acceptable.

A reader recently emailed me about trouble with painting reds...especially over a black undercoat.  Instead of a separate email, I'll reply here since it relates to this miniature and illustrates the method I most often use.  When I paint with reds, I generally use Reaper paints....not because they are the best (maybe they are, maybe they are not) but because it's what has worked for me.  I also have an extensive collection of GW and Vallejo paints but I get the best results for some reason with the Reaper reds.  Anyhow, I always start out with a good reddish brown (almost burgandy but with no hint of a purple hue) for the initial coat.  For me this gives a better layer for the shadows than black.  I use Bloodstain Red (09133) for this coat but I can think of several ways to attain this color without purchasing this particular bottle (maybe Scorched Brown with Red Gore?).  My next coat is Carnage Red (09135).  This covers the vast majority of the subject with only the very deepest folds left showing the initial color.  From there it's a matter of highlighting up in thin layers using the following paints in order:  Blood Red (09003), Fire Red (09004) and Phoenix Red (09005). Each color is applied as a thin layer by itself then mixed in a 1:1 ration with the next in progression to obtain a smooth gradient.  This particular mini was meant to be more drab and battle worn in appearance so the Phoenix Red was the last highlight.  Generally I do one more step and mix a bit of yellow with the Phoenix Red to obtain a color for extreme highlighting.  I'm certainly no professional but this method produces acceptable results for me so feel free to give it a try.  Your mileage may vary however.....

Well, back to the miniature itself.  I was mostly happy with the outcome.  He'll look quite smashing on the game table.  Now that he is completed I wish I would have changed one thing though.  As I mentioned above, I would have liked to find a similar mini without the sigils on the surcoat and flag.  What I should have done before priming and starting the mini was file them off.  That way I could have placed my own sigils from my campaign instead of inconveniently ignoring the ones present.  Live and learn....
 

Damian Helthorne from Reaper

I'm not a huge fan of heroic scale miniatures.  Maybe it's the GW effect that drives me away or perhaps the cartoon-like image that particular style of mini represents.  Whatever the case, the oversized weapons and features of heroic scale figures usually sends me running the other direction.  However, Damian Helthorne (03201) from Reaper Miniatures immediately caught my eye when I walked into a "local" (the nearest FLGS is a 48 mile one way trip) hobbyshop, despite featuring most everything I dislike about this type of miniature.

In this wonderful sculpt by Tre Manor, the oversized weapons and features just work for this miniature.  I don't know if I had a preconceived notion due to Reaper branding Damian as a bandit, but as soon as I saw him in the blister, I knew I had a roguish, dashing, charasmatic NPC that simply demanded a larger-than-life personae and effects.  I knew right away while staring at the bare metal how I wanted him to look as a painted miniature and act as a wargaming hero/leader or RPG NPC.  Any other style of mini simply would not do.

 The color choices for painting was easy.  He is a bandit...outlawed and hunted, so his garb should reflect his time in the forests and hills surrounding his former home.  Greens and browns dominated my palatte in the initial phases of painting.  However, the Damian Helthorne I envisioned simply would not go quietly into a life of forced banditry.  His ego and charisma would not allow it.  To illustrate this point I knew I had to go with a big bold color for his cape.  Red was my immediate thought.  I have no doubt that he would have acquired such an item when robbing one of the very nobles that had a hand in banishing him from his former life.  Despite the fact that his new cape doesn't even come close to blending in with his surroundings, he is very fond of it and now considers it a part of the legend that has sprung up around his exploits.

As I mentioned above, I knew right away how I wanted this miniature to look when I was finished painting....right down to the individual details.  However, the sigil on his shield is not what I had in mind.  What I originially wanted to do was paint a bit of heraldry from one of the noble families in the region and then add a worn faded effect to signify that the shield was stolen and perhaps "altered" a bit.  Unfortunately, I was unable to accomplish the desired effect.  Instead of a worn look, all I was able to achieve was a sigil that looked new but slightly unpainted.  I eventually gave up on the idea and went with Plan B.

Plan B consisted of taking a page from the pirates of the Golden Age.  In my ongoing research of piracy in the Caribbean to support my Legends of the High Seas campaign, I've read several great books.  The one I just finished, Colin Woodard's The Republic of Pirates, along with David Cordingly's Under the Black Flag, both go to great lengths to emphasize that pirates used a bit of early psychological warfare to frighten their quarry into submission.  Afterall, the pirates were after the cargo on board the vessel or sometimes the vessel itself.  Why damage the very things they are after?  Threat displays such as brandishing weapons or causing a rucous to seem more imtimadating were common.  Perhaps the most well known technique though was raising the company's flag...the infamous Jolly Roger, which through it's symbolism, had a definite meaning.  When an opposing ship's captain saw the black flag flapping in the wind, he knew he had a decision to make: fight the pirates and possibly risk his life, along with that of  his passengers and crew or strike his colors and most likely avoid an unfortunate fate.

I decided on a similar role for Damian's shield.  I figured that such a legendary figure would be well-known in the realm for his daring deeds.  Just a view of his shield would cause the unlucky victim to strongly reconsider a fight with such a worthy adversary when in all probability, all that was wanted was gold and goods.  The eye crying tears of blood into a stolen chalice was appropriate iconography for such a man and I'm mostly happy with the outcome.  

So, since I failed in my initial attempt on the shield, I'm definitely open to suggestions on how to achieve such an effect.  Comments are more than welcome!

Ghost - The Direwolf of Jon Snow

It should come as no surprise to even occasional visitors to this blog that I am a huge fan of Dark Sword Miniatures.  Frequency of product release, quality of the miniatures, and great customer service are just some of the reasons that place DSM at the top of my list for miniature companies.  Probably the best attribute however is the sculpts of the miniatures themselves.  Action and emotion are both captured in most every pose while the proportions are quite realistic and believable.  There are very few figures on their website that I would not be proud to own and paint.

Despite all of these wonderful accolades, DSM has met its match in at least one catagory....wolves.

Ghost, the direwolf of Jon Snow.

I had been waiting for DSM to release the direwolves to accompany the Stark children....especially Ghost, the faithful companion of Jon Snow.  However, when they were released, I was quite disappointed with Ghost.  I say "they" because two versions were released but neither were exactly what I envisioned from reading the books.  Version one, sculpted by Dave Summers, was too feral for me.  The pose, especially the mouth with teeth bared, suggested active malevolence.  In the books, Ghost was often described as a silent menace and I thought version one went beyond the bounds portrayed by George R. R. Martin in his writings (with that being said, the sculpt is wonderful and would make a great wolf/direwolf for general purposes).  Version two  was just the opposite.  Tom Meier is a wonderfully talented sculptor but his version of Ghost was too domesticated.  I felt like I was looking at an overgrown lapdog.  So I began searching for a better replacement.  That's when I remembered my old miniature stand-by, Reaper, and a blister pack of wolves I purchased a few years ago.

Wolf Pack (02830), sculpted by Geoff Valley, contains three wolves in various poses.  One of the three, presumably the pack leader, stands on a small rise and gazes out towards the landscape.  The wolf seems powerfully built and brimming with the confidence of a top tier predator.  The sculpt was exactly what I was looking for as a stand-in for Ghost. 

Painting was fairly straightforward.  I started with a medium grey basecoat then gradually added white as I worked up to the highlights.  Although Ghost is described as an albino, I elected to leave a fairly good amount of grey visible to enhance the highlights.  Going mostly white would have produced a dull gaming piece in my opinion.

The base is well sculpted but is a bit on the thin side.  I could see the miniature being easy to knock over when handled so I added an oval wooden counter to provide more stability and a bit more room to create scenery. As I mentioned in this post, I decided to avoid using a snowy base to allow the wolf to serve in other roles on the table beyond a wintery battleground.  

Jon Snow from Dark Sword Miniatures along with a wolf from Reaper

Mixing different miniature companies can sometimes lead to issues with scale.  In this case I was quite happy with the results, however.  The size is just about right, although for a direwolf described by George R. R. Martin as being a little "gaunt" when compared to normal wolves, the bulk is a somewhat overbearing.  But for the most part, I'm quite satisfied with this wolf as a replacement.

With that being said, I still plan on purchasing some of the DSM direwolves as general gaming or display pieces.  As I mentioned above, I'm particularly drawn to version one of Ghost but I'm also leaning towards picking up Nymeria and ShaggyDog as well.

On The Horizon - June 2012

It's the start of another month and that means another On The Horizon post.  Well, actually it's already a week into June but the idea is still the same.....to showcase some of the projects I'll be working on this month.  For this column in the past, I've basically showcased my entire workbench of current models.  At any given time though, I have over 50 miniatures in some stage of completion and at my glacial painting speed, there is actually little change from one month to the next.  Many of the same minis are visible each month, some with little to no progress.  The lack of change makes for a fairly uninteresting monthly column (which also explains why it has been so sporadic). So this month I'll be doing the column a bit differently and only showcasing the miniatures that I keep directly in front of me....my so called "imminent completion" models.  They are the ones that get the most attention and therefore may actually change from month to month.

Here is a quick peek at the first six miniatures:

Harald Hardradda (HVA03) is the top left miniature.  He is part of the Heroes of the Viking Age line produced by Gripping Beast Miniatures.  Harald will be serving as a warband leader for much of my Dark Age gaming.

To the right of Harald is another great sculpt from the Elmore Masterworks line by Dark Sword Miniatures.  She is titled Female Wild Elf (DSM1164). I grew up with the fantasy imagery of Larry Elmore and love being able to paint those images Dark Sword has brought to life in 3D.

On the far right of the upper row is a Barwench (HFV001) from Hasslefree Miniatures.  She is another useful model found in their Villagers line.  She will be serving as yet another female inhabitant of Port Largo in my Legends of the High Seas campaign.

Looking quite dashing and fierce on the bottom left is Damian Helthorne, a bandit from Reaper Miniatures (03201).  I usually avoid the big "cartoony" looking figures but this particular sculpt caught my eye right away.  All the features in the mini are very pronounced and I thought he might be a pleasure to paint.  So far I was correct.

Saruman stands in the center of the bottom row.  He, along with a second version, have been in the queue since sometime last year. I finally finished one and this version is nearing completion as well.  All that remains to finish are his flowing robes.

James St. Johnson rounds out the bottom row.  He too is from Reaper (02663) but unlike Damian, his features are quite a bit more realistic and much more to my liking.


And here are the final seven:

The first in line is the Governor from Black Scorpion Miniatures.  Just a few more details and highlights are all that's keeping this chap from joining the other citizens of Port Largo.

Autumn Bronzeleaf (03492) is next.  She is another Reaper miniature.  Although the name suggests otherwise, I've decided to paint her in very spring-like colors.  Her intricate sandals are giving me a bit of a fit though so she'll remain in the queue for some time.

One of my favorite miniatures from this round is third from the left.  Alejandra (CMN0020) is from Coolminiornot.  She is a wonderfully simple but alluring sculpt from Steve Buddle of Spyglass and Eolith Miniatures fame.  She originally came with a giant scythe but I thought the dimensions looked all wrong so I did a very minor conversion and changed the weapon into a magical staff. 

Speaking of Spyglass, next to Alejandra is Shae (SGM003).  She is another simple but elegant sculpt and I very much look forward to painting her.

Just in front and to the side of Shae is a mini I will be using as a merchant captain in my Legends of the High Seas campaign.  He is from the Pirate Captains (OGP-01) collection by Old Glory Miniatures.  I've had this fellow since Christmas 2010 and it's definitely time for him to make his way from the bench to the table.

I found the next miniature completely by chance.  It's from a Spanish company called Tercio Creativo.  The mini is listed as Mochilero, a rogue warrior, but since my Spanish is terrible I can't be sure I'm reading the label correctly.  Anyhow, I simply loved the sculpt and had to give the company a try.  I can't wait to see how the little halfling-looking guy turns out.

Finally, I have another mini from Black Scorpion to round out the queue.  He is from the Privateers 2 blister.  Just like the Governor and Merchant Captain, he too is destined to walk the streets of Port Largo.

So that's my plan for the next month.  Hopefully when July rolls around I'll not be taking photos of the exact same miniatures.  Doing so would not really honor the meaning of the phrase "imminent completion".

Kobold Tribe

Larx Longtooth is known throughout the realm as one of the most crafty and troublesome Kobold raiders to ever curse the lands of Galaria.  Time and time again, he and his band have crept down from the foothills of The Crags to descend upon some unsuspecting trader's caravan only to disappear quickly into the wilds.  Along with his cohort, Binj the Mewler, Longtooth's Raiders (as they have become known) have caused trade between the North and South to become a dangerous and expensive endeavor.  In fact, trade has become so sluggish that wardens from Cumbria have been called to Donegal to track and stop the scourge of the North Road.  For the North and South to work together so closely on this matter certainly illustrates the seriousness of the problem.

Larx Longtooth is flanked by Binj the Mewler on the left and an unidentified raider on the right

It is believed that Larx and his band are part of the tribe known as The Children of Cridox.  This is a large group of Kobolds that call the eastern Crags home and have been known to prey upon trade and travel between The Dales in difficult years.  If this theory is true, then the trouble may only get worse as the year progresses, for the tribe is ruled by none other than Guart the Taker along with his minions Mange the Mighty and Rikt Wyrmcaller.  Trouble is brewing indeed.

A Kobold raiding party preparing for a "run"

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I've been working on my Kobold tribe for some time now and finally have an acceptable number for gaming completed.  Though I absolutely love the old school feel of Otherworld Miniatures, I chose the Reaper line of Kobolds to represent my little raiders on the field for several reasons....the biggest of which is availability and cost.  Ordering from Reaper only takes a few days to get my goodies and the minis are always reasonably priced.  With the release of the Bones line, I get an even better deal on rank and file Kobolds.  Don't get me wrong though.  It's not like the Reaper Kobolds were a distant second and chosen only due to logistics and money.  I very much like their Kobold sculpts.  It's just that I grew up with 1st Edition and I'm familiar with the old style Kobold illustrations that are so faithfully rendered in Otherworld's sculpts.

Anyhow, I've got the first twelve raiders finished and ready for action.  They are from Reaper's Kobold Raider blister (02470) and the Bones version (77010).  I also have additional reinforcements nearing completion.  They are four Kobolds from blister #03064 which includes an archer along with a blister containing a leader and a sorcerer (03024) and Snar Mangebelly (03295) which will represent Mange the Mighty, Rikt Wyrmcaller, and Guart the Taker respectively.

In doing a bit of research to decide how I wanted to paint my Kobolds I was surprised to learn that their background changed a bit over the years.  When I was a D&D geek during the 80's, no mention was ever made that they had draconic connections.  Apparently sometime during 2E and definitely during the 3E days, they became somewhat connected to dragons.  At first I was taken aback by the change but the more I thought about it, the more I liked the idea.  With their new connections, they are still low level fodder but the gaming possibilities are greatly increased when possibly paired with a dragon. 

With this in mind I decided to pair my tribe with Cridox the Red and paint the Kobolds with a reddish hue.  I basecoated the tribe in Scorched Brown and worked up the red highlights with Dark Flesh to give the tribe a physical connection to a red dragon without ending up with "little red lizards".  I'm excited to try this process again with another tribe possibly paired with a blue or green dragon.  A dark organic blue with electric blue highlights might look interesting and definitely different from the standard fare players often see.

I love Kobolds by the way and they, more so than any other monster, bring back memories from my first D&D adventure....but that is a story for another time.

Reaper Bones Review

As I mentioned last week, I had recently purchased a package of Kobolds from the Reaper Bones line to paint and compare them to the metal version I was currently working on.  Well, as promised, here is the review.

First up though, kudos to Reaper for free shipping.  According to the website, any order over $25 qualifies for Free Shipping.  Although it can be argued that the service is just a marketing scheme to get buyers to purchase more, I'm OK with it.  Rarely do I purchase miniatures and supplies as single units so the minimum order is not an issue for me.  I simply wait until I need enough stuff to surpass the minimum order threshold.

The shipping was also quite fast.  Free shipping doesn't necessarily come by the quickest route but in this case I had my Kobolds in just a few days.  Not only was the shipping quick, I was also lucky enough to score some free swag.  Reaper was kind enough to add a paint sample and a cool little ReaperCon pen.  Thanks guys!

Now on to the actual review.  Once the blister was out of the box, I wasted no time tearing into it.  As you can see in the photo below, the miniatures came attached to little sprues.  They were easy to cut off with my clippers however.  And though I did not attempt any conversions with this initial group from the Bones line, after clipping the bases from the sprues, I can understand Reaper's claim that snipping arms, heads, and weapons for swaps would be a breeze.  The plastic snaps cleanly with definitive lines making for easy realignment and gluing. 

Ease of Conversion = Very Good

After clipping, it was time to inspect the models closely.  The casts (can I still call them casts when done in plastic?) seemed clean with only minimal mold lines.  The lines were easy to locate and follow even though white plastics can often hide such flaws. 

Locating was one thing but fixing was quite another.  Perhaps it has to do with the soft bendable polymer used in the casting (as opposed to the hard plastics of other miniatures), but the mold lines are somewhat difficult to remove.  I started with a very sharp hobby knife but the elasticity of the material made this process cumbersome at best.  The excess plastic did not want to detach from the model and tended to roll itself into crevices.  I then switched to small files but the results were worse.  Pieces of the soft plastic ruffled up and remained clearly visible to the naked eye.  I went back to the knife but the going was slow and I was not terribly happy with the models at that point.  You can see some of the material I'm describing by looking at the photo below.

I finally removed most of the mess from the minis but as you can see below, some areas still looked rough.  After spending more time prepping than I usually do even on metal models, I just gave up and hoped for the best.

Ease of Preparation = Poor

Now for the detail.  For plastic miniatures, and soft bendable ones at that, the detail was pretty good.  Below is a photo comparing two copies of the same mini.  The Bones version is obviously on the left while the metal version I had been working on is to the right.  I will ALWAYS prefer metal to plastic but for the price, the comparison was favorable.  The face and belt were the two areas that suffered the most, but for tabletop gaming and/or armies, the difference should not matter.  It should also be noted that the Kobolds are quite small.  It's possible that some of the larger miniatures from the Bones line have even better detail.

Miniature Detail = Good

Although priming probably should go under the miniature prepping section, I decided to keep it separate for two reasons.  First I wanted to point out the frustration I experienced in trying to clean the mold lines.  But mostly I kept priming under its own heading because the lack of the need to prime is one of the selling points for the Bones line.

Even though priming was not needed, I still placed two coats of black Krylon on five of the six Kobolds.  I sprayed them not so much because they needed it, but because I absolutely hate painting on a white background.  With rare exception, I always prime my miniatures black and these guys took the primer quite well.  As I mentioned, I do normally use Krylon but I imagine that any type of spray primer would work equally well on this material.

As you can see below, I did leave one Kobold un-primed for the review.  Though I was skeptical when I started, I was quite surprised at the ease of which the paint adhered to the plastic.  The paint went on smooth and did not run.  With this test model, I used regular Reaper and Citadel paints with all parts except the belt.  Two coats were required to fully cover the white background but that's not to be unexpected.  I did try high density paint on the belt (I forgot if I used Reaper HD or Citadel Foundations) and was satisfied with only a single coat.

A word of warning:  To bring out details on a model primed in white, or in this case, the unprimed white model itself, many painters use a guide coat.  Basically a guide coat is a light wash that runs into the crevices of all the little details on the miniature and makes them easier for the painter to see and identify.  On the rare occasion I do use white, I do the same but the technique does not work with Bones.  The wash simply ran all over the place and refused to settle in the proper places.  I should have taken a photo of the resulting mess but you'll just have to take my word on this one.

Reaper's No Priming Claim = Excellent

Below is a photo of my mostly completed Reaper Kobolds.  Half are from the metal blister I had been working on and the other half are the newly painted Bones version.  Can you tell the difference?

Hopefully the answer to the question is "no", or at least it took some time to discern any differences.  Even with the huge hassle of prepping the Kobolds, I think the end result is very promising for the Bones line.  The plastics painted up very similar to the metals and for about half the price.  From a distance it would be hard to differentiate the two unless the model were picked up or moved.

For the record, the center model on the back row is the Bones Kobold while the outside two on the front row are plastic as well.  The guy with the spear on the short dowel is also non-metal.

Below are two more to compare side to side.

Here is another comparison between metal and plastic.  Can you tell which is which?

Although not a selling point for most gamers, I was quite pleased when I read the back of the package and noticed that the line is partially made from recycled material.  I'm not a eco-terrorist by any means but I have to admit that it's refreshing to see a miniature company being a little more environmentally conscious. 

So all in all, I'm quite pleased with the miniatures.  Though the prepping was way more than I had intended, the rest of my experience with Reaper Bones was rather pleasant.  I think I will try a few more minis from the line and hope that maybe the small size of the Kobolds contributed to the difficulties I encountered.  And even if the results are the same, for the price, the prepping issues may be justified.

So in review, Reaper gets high marks for:
  * Price
  * Ease of Conversion
  * Miniature Detail
  * No Priming
  * Equal Comparison/Compatibility to Existing Lines

However, low marks are received due to:
  * Difficulty of Miniature Preparation (mold line removal)
  * The Elastic Nature of the Polymer (swords bent on two models)

If any readers have had additional experience with the Reaper Bones miniatures, you're comments are more than welcome.

A Double Duty Innkeeper

Just finished up a barkeep from Reaper.  He is available in several different blisters, but I purchased him as part of a set with two serving wenches (65086).  I love it when miniatures are able to serve double gaming duty.  In this case he will be the innkeeper in both my Legends of the High Seas campaign and old school D&D world.

For those of you old enough to remember the sitcom Alice, I based the painting off Mel, the grumpy cook and owner of the diner.  Although I was quite young, I could still see Mel's chubby face in my mind and this sculpt just screamed his name to me.  I also suspect that Otik Sandeth, owner and proprietor of the Inn of the Last Home in the Dragonlance books had something to do with the color choices.

I am increasingly using my iPhone 4s for miniature photos due to the ease of editing and obvious convenience.  Most of the time the camera on the phone does a pretty good job of capturing the mini but in this case, the whites and reds are completely overpowered.  I guess that's why all the great miniature painters go to great lengths to use the best camera and lighting available.  For my mediocre painting skills however, my iPhone or little Canon 1400 Power Shot do just fine.  In fact, they probably help me hide many of my mistakes and blemishes.  I've got a serving wench almost finished as well so I'll post real photos (with the better camera) of the "Mel" when she goes live.

Now I'm off to find me some of Otik's spiced potatoes....

Reaper Dark Haven Bones

In case you have not heard the news, Reaper Miniatures is releasing a new line of low cost plastic miniatures entitled Bones.  Here is the promo video.

According to the website, the miniatures are ready to paint right out of the box....no primer is needed.  What?  No primer?  Blasphemy!  Another apparent benefit of the new line is the ease of conversions.  Reaper says conversions take about as long as it takes the glue to dry.  Head and weapon swaps should be a piece of cake.  It all sounds very interesting and intriguing.  But possibly the most newsworthy aspect of the announcement is the price.

Reaper's new endeavor certainly seems cost effective.  A blister of six Kobolds from the Bones line will put a buyer back $3.49.  It just so happens that I recently purchased the Kobold Raiders blister (02470) which contains five metal miniatures (three of which are the exact same pose as the Bones blister) for $9.99.  A bit of simple math seems to agree with Reaper's advertising claim.

Although the miniatures are less expensive, the money saved means nothing if the quality is not present.  I've collected and painted many Reaper miniatures over the years and until recently, all have been of superior quality as far as the casting goes.  If the new plastic minis are unable to compare favorably with the metal versions, then Reaper's new line may be doomed to fail.

I just ordered the Bones Kobold blister (77010) from Reaper and will paint them up to match the metal Kobolds I have been working on the last few nights.  Once I have both batches complete, I'll compare them, take a few photos, and post a review to discuss the question of quality.

For character models for roleplaying, or heroes for wargaming, I'll stick with the metal version.  But for monsters, NPC's, and rank and file, Reaper may be on to something with the Bones line if the quality of the miniatures lives up to the claim.

Mason Thornwarden

Just finished up Mason Thornwarden (03500) from Reaper.  He's part of a group of rangers I've been working on over the last few weeks. I'll have a few more completed rangers ready to post soon.

Mason Thornwarden from Reaper Miniatures

Mason Thornwarden is a great sculpt by Bobby Jackson.  I love the action pose and the look of concentration on his face.  I would hate to be the poor orc standing down range from this archer.  For fans of intricate detail on every millimeter of a miniature, this may not be the figure for you however.  He is rather plain actually.  Only the lacing on the sides of his extremely tall boots and a bit of work on the quiver stand out on Mason's very basic kit.  For a ranger type though, I think the lack of detail is quite fitting. 

Interestingly enough, there is a previous sculpt of this miniature by Gene Van Horne (or is it a newer sculpt?) with the same name but with a different product number (02918).  This particular version depicts Mason in a similar stance but with different garb and equipment.  Instead of the soft leather tunic on the first version, he seems to be wearing some type of studded leather or brigandine armor that boasts a fair amount of detail to break up the monotony of the ranger's garb.  He is also equipped with a sword this time in addition to his bow, along with a few other tweaks.  I just purchased this version and look forward to painting him up as well to compare the two.

 

How odd.  After I took the photo above with my iPhone to illustrate some of the differences between the two sculpts, I noticed that this miniature definitely has some issues going on.  The bottom of the right boot seems to be missing or perhaps it was folded over during the casting process and strung out in a long line of extra metal that runs along the top of the base and ends at the start of the left boot. I did not notice this large defect when I took it out of the package.  Darn!  Gotta send this one back...

As an aside, I've always enjoyed the creative names Reaper has assigned to their miniatures.  Instead of "male ranger", it's refreshing to see all the individual names of each mini while flipping through their catalog or cruising the web.  It also makes it easier to remember the name of a particular model (or refer to it) rather than trying to recall a product number or generic descriptive tag.  And just for the record, Mason Thornwarden definitely ranks up there among my favorite names created by Reaper.  Wish I had thought of it.

I wonder if there is one person in particular at Reaper that comes up with these names or is it more of a committee affair.  Anyone know?

On The Horizon - February 2012

As you can see, I have a beautiful chaotic mess awaiting me this month. I know that it's unreasonable to expect to finish it all, or even half for that matter, but seeing the work queue all lined up before me certainly helps with motivation.  Hopefully next month's On The Horizon post will not look exactly like this one!

I have half finished miniatures and scenery projects everywhere...not to mention the ones I have not even started. I've tried to arrange the queue to move those projects most likely to see attention closer to the main work area in hopes of forcing action upon them.  The ones that are out of reach when I'm sitting tend to escape notice and sometimes drop out of thought until some random bit of inspiration strikes me and causes them to be moved up in the queue.

Farthest away, both in actual distance and in priority right now are some of my scenery projects.  You can see them precariously perched upon the high spaces of the work area. Just to the left of center on top of the filing bins sit several buildings for the Port Antigua project.  They are textured and primed on the outside and now await painting and detailing.  I've also been stuck thinking about how to add shutters that would still allow a view of the interior (and shooting from inside) while being able to close off certain access areas .  Near the far left, on top of the clear display boxes sits a watch tower for LotR Rohan and Dark Age gaming.  I still need to finish the railing and paint the tower to run a few games I have in mind.  I think both sets will have to wait a few weeks though.  Most of the workload for this month deals with painting miniatures rather than scenery work but I have not forgotten them.

Sections 2 and 3

Row upon row of minis await some type of work in sections 2 and 3.  These will see some progress this month, but continuing with my scheme of distance versus attention, I do not expect any of these to find their way to completion.  I'll cover this batch in detail a little later. 

Section 1 sits front and center to my reach, and thus my attention

The miniatures that live right in front of the GW paints are the ones likely to be completed this month.  Due to their proximity, they will receive priority during the paint sessions.  I'll review this section first.

Section 1

Section 1 miniatures.  These minis are likely to see completion this month.

Starting on the back row and moving from left to right we have The Mistress of Port Antigua.  That is my name for this mini from Reaper's Townsfolk III package (02655).  She is destined to star as the matron of a house of ill repute in both fantasy and pirate gaming.  Next is Autumn Bronzeleaf (03492), also from Reaper, who is in the process of getting a spring-like color scheme instead of the warm colors her name suggests.  Harald Hardradda (HVA03) stands next to her.  He is from the Heroes of the Viking Age range from Gripping Beast.  A pirate captain from Old Glory's Pirate Captains package keeps the viking company.  Once completed, he will play the role of a prominent merchant captain in Port Antigua, though I have not decided on which side of the law he will support.  To finish off this row is another wench for Port Antigua.  She can be found in the Fenryll Miniatures Female Villagers pack (FA151).

The front row of section 1 consists of a test mini for a Warhammer High Elf unit that I'm converting to represent Tolkien's First Age elves from The Silmarillion.  Next in line is another little miss to join the other Ladies of Port Antigua.  She is from the Hasslefree Miniatures Villagers line (Barwench HFV001).  Two models from Dark Sword Miniatures are next.  The first is a ranger (DSM7403) that may possibly become the representative for his class in the Legends of the Fall project while the next is Alfyn Crowkiller (DSM5021) from the George R. R. Martin Masterworks line.  Mason Thornwarden (03500), from Reaper is next followed by Halbarad from Games Workshop.

Section 2

Section 2 miniatures.  These will see attention this month and some may even be completed.

Once again, starting in the back row and on the left we have a pirate from the Old Glory captains package.  Next to him is Anwyn, a female bard from Reaper (03080).  I think she will be the representative of her class in the Legends of the Fall project.  Two pirates from Black Scorpion (Rogues 1 & Privateers 2 blister packs) stand next to her and a ranger/thief from Reaper called Kurff the Swift (02034) rounds out the back row.

Row two starts with Druss Darkblighter (03136) from Reaper who will be competing against Anwyn for the bard spot in Legends of the Fall.  Another Old Glory pirate is next followed by a "Crouching Female Fighter with Sword" (DSM1137) from the Larry Elmore Masterworks line by Dark Sword Miniatures. The mini is based off Elmore's painting called "Waiting for Shadamehr".   A serving wench for Port Antigua is next, from Reaper's Townsfolk I pack (02583), while the Governor's Daughter from Black Scorpion sits on the end.

Two Wildings (DSM5015 & DSM 5016) from DSM's George Martin Masterworks line start out the third row.  They are both likely to see action in the Dark Age gaming arena.  Though the photo may suggest otherwise, I'm sure the pirate from Black Scorpion (Pirates 2 blister pack) standing next to the Wildings does not truly wish to shoot the lovely miniature next to him... Jolie, a female scribe from Reaper (65051).  Two more wenches for Port Antigua finish up the row.  The first is from Hasselfree Miniatures (Strumpet HFV003) the second is from the same pack of Fenryll villagers as the one above (FA151).

Section 3

Section 3 miniatures.  Hopefully these will move forward in the queue by the end of the month.

Some of the miniatures in this rack have been sitting in the same stage of completion for many months.  I'll try to move some of these figures off during February though.  The top two rows are all figures from Black Scorpion and will represent the British authority in and around Port Antigua (Royal Navy Marines packs 2 & 3 along with a Navy Captain and Royal Naval Officer).  The only exception is the lone Brettonian sitting by himself on the far left.  He is part of my Knights of Westeros project that unfortunately got pushed to the side during the hectic pirate days of last year.  He is not forgotten however and might see some love this month.

The third row from the top starts out with the two Sarumans.  While I have done a bit of flesh work on them over the last few months, they have largely sat in the same spot.  I'm determined to start highlighting the robes and move these guys farther along in the queue.  Aragorn, from GW's The Three Hunters pack is next.  A barkeep from Reaper's Townsfolk (65086) is beside Strider.  I need to hurry him up a bit so that he'll be available for the upcoming pirate games.  John Snow (DSM5001) and a Reaper cleric (Christina the Devout 02475) sit on the end and await completion.

Finally, the last row consists of minis that are the most likely in Section 3 to see significant painting this month.  Three Cadian test models start out the row.  I could actually have these finished in a day or so but I simply can't decide which color scheme I like the best.  Perhaps I should post them here and let other decide for me since I seem to be stuck.  Cyndria Stormcaller (02956) from Reaper is fourth from the left.  She may take a bit more time than the others in this row since I will be trying to paint sheer cloth for the first time.  The Governor of Port Antigua (Black Scorpion's Governor) is next accompanied by a young Hedge Knight (DSM5026) from Dark Sword Miniatures that looks more like a ranger to me than a knight.

So there it is.  Planning ahead like this helps me visualize what I would like to accomplish and motivates me to paint.  Though I have to be honest.  While I do have a plan, it's easy for me to get sidetracked.  It doesn't take much for me to take off on some new direction and throw the best laid plans to the wind.  So don't be surprised to see some of these models in the same spot come next month.

Just out of curiosity, do any of you plan out your hobby work/tasks like this on a monthly basis or do you just wing it?   

New Minis and Help Me ID this Miniature

My apologies for the lack of posts lately.  I've been super busy at work trying to replace a damaged deck on the dive boat before Coast Guard inspections next month.  During my busy spell I only managed to get all of about thirty minutes of hobby time each night before nearly falling asleep at the work bench.  Despite the hectic schedule and lack of free time however, I was able to complete a few projects.

I'm still on the fantasy miniature binge this month and this post showcases two great sculpts I recently finished.  One is from Reaper and the other is currently unidentified...which is where I will ask for YOUR help (scroll below for more info).

Ilsa Darkstep (right) and a female adventurer (left)

First up is Ilsa Darkstep (02796) from Reaper.  I'm not a big fan of intricately detailed miniatures.  For one, my poor skills as a painter precludes me from taking advantage of all the nooks and crannies created when heaps of weapons, accessories, and other attachments are thrown on a mini.  But more importantly, when it comes to fantasy miniatures and fantasy in general (novels, gaming, movies, RPG's, etc..), I adhere to the philosophy of "fantastical reality".  It's just a fancy term I use to describe the fact that I like my fantasy to be grounded in realistic possibilities.  I guess I'm strange or just have too much time on my hands but when I see a miniature loaded down with tons of "stuff", I can't help but think, "how does that guy fight, much less move around in all that gear"?  Anyhow, Ilsa Darkstep fits the bill perfectly for me.  She's simply attired and looks as if she could have stepped right out of any low fantasy setting.

 

I chose mostly muted colors for Ilsa Darkstep since she strikes me as some kind of agent or informant.  Soft browns and grays suggested ease of movement for me along with the ability to move silently so I mixed several blends of each color to soften the contrasts.  Going this route however, it quickly became apparent that I was at risk of having a very nondescript model upon completion so I needed something to make her pop.  The blond hair and the blue cape was the answer.

Overall I'm quite pleased with the result.  The goal of every miniature I paint by the way, is not to win a contest or wow onlookers (I really do not have the skill for it anyhow) but to allow the mini and the colors to tell a story.  Such is the case with Ilsa.  Once I was finished the figure I stared at her for a moment and her story was apparent to me.  She is an agent for some influential guild in a rather large city.  Her cape suggests that she is socially competent and is comfortable around those of higher class...a skill that would be very beneficial in her line of work.  But she is no stranger to the night and to the seedier parts of town and her attire allows her to move quickly and quietly there when the need arises.

Now I need the help of those who visit this blog.  After I painted the miniature below and prepared to write about her in this post, I realized that I did not remember any of the information about her....which is very uncharacteristic of me.  I'm definitely more of a collector than a gamer and as such, tend to keep lists of my minis and games.  But somehow she has eluded every list I have.

I guess I simply assumed that she belonged to either the Reaper or Dark Sword Miniatures lines, since they are my main sources for fantasy minis.  However, I'm fairly certain she does not belong to either.  I used every combination I could think of on Reaper's Figure Finder database and could not make a match.  Plus, after I started really looking at the miniature closely, I realized that she doesn't fit the Reaper style at all.  She's much too thin and refined for their heroic scale figures.  Which lead me to Dark Sword.  She certainly fits the Visions in Fantasy style of that line but unless she has been removed from the website, she is not there either.

I've tried all kinds of Google searches but without luck.  I've also poured over the websites of other companies I sometimes buy from such as Hasslefree, Fenryll, and Black Scorpion but with the same result.
So I'm turning to the miniature community on the web for help.  If you have seen this mini, please, please, please let me know where I bought her.  Your help would be GREATLY appreciated.

As for the miniature itself, I know why I bought her even if I can't remember where.  With the simple attire and the torch, this miniature practically screamed for directional lighting.  That was the plan but when I neared completion and began to think about adding the effects of torchlight on her left side, I chickened out.  It's not that I didn't want to ruin a miniature by experimenting.  That's how one learns new techniques and skills.  Mainly my reluctance to try directional lighting on her was that she is perfect for a new miniature project I'm working on.  To coincide with my Legends of the Fall project in which I'm trying to paint one of each iconic RPG character class as high level adventurers, I'm also working on doing the same with their low level counterparts.  I don't have a title for the project yet but how could I pass up this miniature as the first party member of low level noobs?  The minimal armor and equipment, as well as a pose that suggests that she is about to enter her very first dungeon was too good to pass up.

Even though she has been relegated to another project, that doesn't mean that I didn't experiment with the lighting just a bit.  It may be difficult to see in the photos, but I did add a bit of light from the torch reflecting off the stony dungeon floor.  To create the soft light of the flickering flames, I blended GW Scorched Brown with GW Codex Gray to come up with the reddish-pink color on the base.  I liked the outcome so I'll be sure to remember it when I finally attempt my first lighted model.

A Few Fantasy Miniatures

Though my other projects are still moving along, I must admit that my focus has shifted a bit into the realm of fantasy.  Many of those lonely primed miniatures that have been sitting in the queue for ages are finally getting some attention.  This week, despite Christmas and the craziness that goes along with the holidays, I managed to put the finishing touches on two such fantasy figures.

Both miniatures are from Reaper.  On the left is Klaus Copperthumb (03099) and on the right stands Alidee the bandit (03106).  I'm very much addicted to the hobby within the hobby of collecting miniatures, which very much explains the huge pile of lead I have that most likely will never be completed.  It's safe to say that I do have a problem in that I cannot control myself and buy mini after mini knowing that I'll never get around to painting them.  Despite my addiction to lead "crack", I do not buy indiscriminately.  Each figure in my collection was purchased for a specific reason and the two above are no exception.  I bought Klaus simply because the sculpt was atypical for a dwarf.  I liked the fact that unlike most dwarven miniatures, he was not armored to the teeth nor is there a battle axe in sight.  Alidee was purchased for a former project in which I was attempting to find and paint a miniature to represent the core group of adventurers in my Lord of the Rings Online Kinship.  She represents Myriade Hawkes of Dale, one of my long time roleplaying companions on the Landroval server.

Klaus will be the next miniature for my Legends of the Fall project.  I'm not sure what it is about him that suggests a high level character but I have chosen him to fill the thief slot nevertheless.

 

Werner Klocke has done a wonderful job with this sculpture.  I think it would be difficult to envision a short stocky subject like a dwarf in such a fluid graceful pose, but that's exactly what he has done with this miniature.  Klaus seems almost cat-like in his movement and looks as if he is about to pounce upon his prey.

Being a thief, and supposedly a skilled one at that, I needed to paint him in somewhat stealthy colors.  But he is still a dwarf and needed that quintessential dwarf look as well.  So to go along with the gray and greens, I mixed up an "ox blood" red for the leathers and added a bit of red pigment to the browns to give a more earthy tone to the tunic.  I wanted to do a bit of freehand and add runes to his bracers or his cloak but I decided against doing so at the last minute.  After all, a good thief does not draw unnecessary attention to himself.

As mentioned above, Alidee was part of another project and the only mini to be completed thus far.  Since I really no longer play LotRO, I doubt I will paint any more members of the Kinship.  For now, Alidee will make her way into a display case until she is needed for some game in the distant future.

Instead of a display case, she should actually go into a miniature Hall of Fame for the number of times repainted.  I must have started over at least six or seven times over a six month period.  The LotRO character that inspired this mini wears all black.  Black tunic, black britches, and a black cloak.  When I started the project I thought that an all black miniature would be super easy....kinda like painting a Nazgul.  Nope!  I was most definitely mistaken.  No matter how hard I tried, I could not get the blacks to work together.  I tried varying tones of highlights but despite my best efforts, the miniature looked bland and "plastic-y".  So I decided on a different color scheme altogether.

Though I did not know it at the time, the color scheme I chose was very appropriate for the character.  When I finally finished the figure, I sent a photo to the girl that played Myriade Hawkes in-game with a note explaining that I was unable to fully replicate her character due to my lack of ability to paint the color black.  I received a reply along with a photo of the new garb she had been wearing in the game.  The match was fairly close.  Wish I would have known earlier so that I could have avoided my loosing battle with the black clothing.

While I'm on the subject, do any of you have tips on painting mostly black subjects?  I'm running into the problem again as I paint up a few men of the Night's Watch and would be most interested in sound advice.