Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XIII Submission #6 - Some Lord of the Rings Bits and Bobs

 For this submission I decided to work on clearing away a lot of loose ends to make room on my desk for some large projects that are coming down the pipe. What we have today is a mix of Uruk-hai Berserkers, Mordor Uruk-hai, some Dwarf Heroes, a trio of Trolls, and a collection of Mines of Moria terrain and dead.

The three Uruk-hai Berserkers are metal figures from Games Workshop that were mixed in with the secondhand Uruk-hai Scout that I was given. The paint job left much to be desired, so they got stripped back down to raw metal and then were primed black with a rattle can. Vallejo acrylics were used for most of the colors - Cavalry Brown for the skin areas, Leather Brown for the loincloth, sandals, and gloves, and Gun Metal for the helmet and sword. They were then given a coat of Army Painter Strong Tone Quickshade.

 

  The three Mordor Uruk-hai were from another blister of metal figures from Games Workshop that I picked up years ago, and they have been sitting in the pending box ever since they got mounted on their bases and primed black. Again, I used primarily Vallejo acrylics, but also some craft store acrylics that I still have in my paint box. I used a colour called Hippo Grey for the skin areas, and Charcoal for the cloaks. The leather pieces got painted a mix of Leather Brown, Chocolate Brown, and Flat Earth, while helmets, greaves, gauntlets, and weapons were painted with Gun Metal. Finally I gave them a coat of Citadel Agrax Earthshade.

 

 

 

 Next up are four Dwarven Heroes consisting of a Shieldbearer, a King's Champion, and two Heralds.These are resin figures from Games Workshop that were available at one time as metal miniatures. Like the Dwarves I painted for last week's submission, these were mounted on their bases, some sand glued down to the base with PVA glue, and then primed black with an airbrush. I used mostly Vallejo acrylics, but also some Partha paints for the True Blue and Bronze Metallic.

King's Champion and Heralds

 

Side view to show off the banners

Showing off the shield design

A Shieldbearer is a Minor Hero bodyguard

 

 The three trolls are a mix of two Games Workshop Cave Trolls, one in metal and the other in plastic, and a Reaper Miniatures Mountain Troll that I am going to use as a Mordor Troll. The metal Cave Troll I purchased years ago, and like the Mordor Uruk-hai, it was prepped and then gathered dust. The plastic Cave Troll is the one that comes with the Mines of Moria starter box. Somebody bought it, but was only interested in the Moria Goblins and the Fellowship figures, so I ended up with the Cave Troll and the terrain. The Reaper Mountain Troll is a massive metal figure that has since been replaced with a plastic version of the sculpt. Again, Vallejo acrylics were used, followed by a wash of Citadel Agrax Earthshade. I had used Medium Flesh on the Mountain Troll as a base colour, and with the Earthshade wash, it came out looking a bit more orange than I expected, but it still looks pretty menacing. These all stand 55-60mm tall.

 

Reaper Mountain Troll, plastic Cave Troll, and metal Cave Troll

 

The backside of the trio of trolls

 

 Lastly I have two sets of terrain pieces from the Mines of Moria starter box. I got one set from someone who only wanted the Fellowship figures and the Moria Goblins, and the other from someone who just wanted all the figures, including the Cave Troll. So I ended up being given a total of 8 pillars, 4 trapdoors, 2 chests, 2 wells, 2 sarcophagi, and 6 assorted skeleton/skull pieces. These were all primed black using a rattle can, and then dry brushed with progressively lighter shades of grey. I used Iraqi Sand on the skeletons and skulls, Stone Grey on all the pages, Chocolate Brown on the chests and book covers, with Bronze Metallic and Gun Metal painted on various other bits. I then used a fine tipped Sharpie to put lines of dots and dashes on the pages to look like writing. Finally everything got a wash with Citadel Agrax Earthshade.

Two sets of Mines of Moria terrain

 

An elevated view

 

A closeup showing the dead and skeletons and the detail on the pages

 Thanks for stopping by.

Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge XIII Submission #5 - Units of the BEF (Balin's Expeditionary Force)

This week's submission is a mix of units from Balin's Expeditionary Force for the reconquest of Khazad-dûm, commonly known as Moria or the Dwarrowdel, It consists of a box of 24 plastic Dwarf Warriors, a box of 24 Dwarf Rangers, 22 metal Dwarf Warriors, and three resin figures from the Dwarf Command set, all produced by Games Workshop. I had picked up the metal figures over a decade ago, and had used some to form a seven figure Battle Company. I later expanded this group into a larger force using additional plastic figures that were eBay rescues to form Nali's Household. The two boxes of plastic figures I had purchased new more recently, while the three resin figures were acquired in late November of last year.

In terms of detail, I liked the metal figures best. It is interesting that they were sculpted wearing chainmail, while the later plastic figures were sculpted wearing a coat of plates. The resin figures were based directly on earlier metal figures. They have the same detail, but are more fragile, and the banner pole was very warped.

The only assembly required on the plastic figures were the separate shields on eight of the Dwarf Warriors. I left these on the sprue until all the painting was complete, and then glued them in place with super glue. All the figures were fitted to their slotted bases, and some small pebbles and sand were glued to the base using PVA glue.

They were then primed black with either a rattle can or an airbrush. Painting was done primarily using Vallejo acrylics, although I used a few colors from some old containers of Partha paints that were still in good shape, specifically True Blue and Bronze Metallic. I also used some Citadel washes, especially on the Dwarf Rangers. Here is the end result.

 

A Host of Dwarves

Dain's Household 

Dain's Household consists of 8 dwarves with hand axe and shield, 8 dwarves with two-handed axe, and 8 dwarves with bow, plus a captain and a banner. Nine of the figures are metal, the captain and banner are resin, and the rest are plastic. The main colour I used for their tunics was blue, a few with yellow trim. I used the same blue on their shields, while the banner was painted with a combination of blue and yellow. 

 

Dain's Household

A closeup of the Banner and Captain

Dwarf Rangers

The composition of the ranger company is similar to that of Dain's Household, except none carry shields. Instead of hand axe and shield, 8 of the rangers wield two throwing axes. The ranger figures have nice animation in the sculpts, and were very enjoyable to paint. I gave them all green tunics and leather jerkins but used four different shades of green, and four different shades of light brown. Vallejo Leather Brown was used for all the boots, belts, pouches, and quivers, and a medium grey for the trousers. Vallejo Beige Brown was used for all the bows, ax handles and arrow shafts. I then applied a wash of Agrax Earthshade before painting the cloaks using a light grey.

 

Rangers with eyes of hawks and ears of foxes

The Remnants of Lóni's and Frár's Households

 I was left with 13 metal figures, 10 plastic figures, and 1 resin figure which were 4 dwarves with two-handed axes, 7 dwarves with hand axe and shield, 12 dwarves with bows, and the war horn. The backstory I created for them is that they are all that is left of two households involved in the defence of Durin's Bridge and the Second Hall. As the Dwarf forces fell back from the bridge, Lóni's Household was surrounded and overwhelmed with only 4 dwarves with bows managing to escape. With the number of goblins growing ever larger, Frár asked for four volunteers from those in his household armed with two-handed axes to defend the entrance to the Second Hall and buy time for the rest to fall back to safety. Neither Frár nor his volunteers survived. They are painted in a similar style to Dain's Household but I used dark green on the tunics of Lóni's four surviving bows, and red for Frár's household.

 

All that remains of Frár's and Lóni's Households

 

A closeup of the war horn

 

 I have a few more character figures in the painting queue, but the bulk of my Dwarves are now done. Thanks for reading.

Nali's Household - A Company of Dwarves

Having completed all my Middle-earth Dwarf heroes, it was time to move on to some rank and file of Durin's Folk and put together a company consisting of a Dwarf captain, a standard bearer, and 24 Dwarves - 8 with hand axe and shield, 8 with two-handed axe, and 8 with Dwarf bow.

 15 years ago Games Workshop came out with a quick campaign system to go with their Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game called 'Battle Companies', where you started with a small force which could grow with success on the tabletop in both numbers and quality. At the time the rules were available on their website, but it has since evolved into a hardbound rule book with a price tag of $60.

I used to run an after-school wargame club back then, and the Battle Companies system was ideal for students to play a quick game that could be completed in the hour and a half we had available. I had recently acquired some Dwarves from a local gamer who was selling off a bag of 36 miniatures. At the time these were available from GW as 3 figure blister packs. I don't know if this was just a random mix of what had come in the packs, or the leftovers after they had picked out what they liked, but I ended up with 8 minis with two-handed axe (all the same pose), 10 minis with hand axe and shield (two different poses), and 18 minis with Dwarf bow (three different poses). The composition of a Dwarf Battle Company was 2 two-handed axes, 3 hand axe and shield, 2 Dwarf bow, so I had enough to make up 3 companies with figures left over. 

I later decided to take one of the battle companies and build it into a full company of 24 figures. I found an auction on eBay where someone was selling a part box of the Games Workshop plastic Dwarves that had enough of the right weapon types to flesh things out as needed, although I still have a lot of left over Dwarves equipped with bows. (Some of them I am converting into a dedicated crew for the ballista I built earlier.) The only downside was that the figures came assembled with all the shields  glued on, which made it harder to paint behind them.

As with my earlier projects, the figures were all primed black, base colours were applied, followed by drybrushing highlights, and then some washes, particularly on the face and hand, and the boots. As much as possible, I tried to get the new figures to match the original colour palette of the minis I had painted back in 2006. The biggest change in technique was the use of washes, particularly on the hands and faces. In the past, I would paint the area reddish-brown and then drybrush on the flesh colour. With the latest batch, I painted on Vallejo dark flesh and applied a reddish-brown wash afterwards. That latter method is definitely easier, and gives more subtle changes in skin tone.

Dwarves with two-handed axes. Minis 2, 3, 7 and 8 are metal with 3 and 8 being part of the original Battle Company. The rest are from the plastic set.

Dwarves with bows. Minis 1, 3, 5, 6, and 8 are metal with 1 and 3 being part of the original Battle Company. The rest are from the plastic set.

Dwarves with hand axe and shield. Minis 3, 4 and 8 are metal, and were part of the original Battle Company. The rest are from the plastic set.

One of the major changes I noticed with the switch from metal to plastic is the lack of chain mail on the plastic figures. I personally prefer chain mail on the metal figures to the scale armour on the plastic. Also there is less definition in the hair, braids, and beards. 

Here are some close up shots of the Dwarf captain and his standard bearer.

Both of these are metal figures. I particularly like the detail cast onto the raven banner. It gives the Dwarves a definite 'Viking' vibe.

The next project in the works is Lord Denethor and a trio of Guards of the Fountain Court. Thanks for reading. Stay safe and healthy until we can meet around the gaming table.

Heroes of Durin's Folk

This is the sixth Lord of the Rings project off the workbench since the middle of December. It is a group of Dwarf heroes, specifically two Dwarf kings, Gimli, son of Glóin, and Múrin and Drár, a pair of inseparable Dwarf adventurers. 

These all started with a black primer coat, followed by acrylic base colours, drybrushed highlights, and the occasional wash to accentuate the shadows  where necessary. I find doing a set of miniatures of such variety a slow process since there is only a small area of any one colour. I spend as much time switching paints and cleaning brushes as I do actually painting. Still, I am happy with the final results.

"Dwarf Kings rule the realms of the Dwarves across Middle-earth, from Ered Luin to beyond the Iron Hills. Gruff and uncompromising, they are firm allies to their friends and grim death to their foes." These are two of four different sculpts of Dwarf kings that were available from Games Workshop. They don't have specific names, so they can stand in for Durin or Dain Ironfoot as necessary.

 "Like all Dwarf-kind Gimli, son of Glóin, is a grim and plain-speaking but also doughty warrior. He is a strong arm in a fight, able to wield his deadly axes with a skill that surpasses all but the greatest Dwarf warriors. Many are the Orcs  who have fallen beneath his blade. When King Dain is troubled by the emissaries of Sauron, Gimli is chosen to accompany his aged father, Glóin to the Council of Elrond. There they warn the council of Sauron's designs, and his hunt for Bilbo Baggins." This particular sculpt is from the now OOP Games Workshop 'Heroes of Helm's Deep' set.

 "In the Third Age, few Dwarves are prone to wanderlust, preferring the sanctuary and familiarity of their holds to the dubious pursuit of life in the wider world. Múrin and Drár are two exceptions to this rule, having travelled far and wide beyond their home. Though not blood relatives, the two are inseparable friends - though they still quarrel frequently, as one should expect of Dwarves. Both are more than willing to take their blades to Orc-flesh on behalf of those in need." The two characters are not part of the Middle-earth canon created by Tolkien, but rather a creation of Games Workshop. The inseparability of the two is emphasized by the single point value for the pair. You can't get just one of them. With the collection of packs and bedrolls they are carrying, they could also be used in other fantasy game systems like Frostgrave or Dungeons and Dragons.

More Dwarves to hit the workbench in the next week, a full company equipped with hand axe and shield, two-handed axe, and Dwarf bow, plus some conversions to form the crew of my Zvezda ballista that I did back in December. All these will hopefully see action in the reconquest of Moria.

Until then, stay safe and healthy.

Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria and Khazâd Guard

Another Lord of the Rings project off the Dusty workbench - Balin, Lord of Moria and his bodyguard. Six of the 11 Khazâd Guard were painted several years ago. Following their completion, I acquired five more off of eBay, along with the Balin figure.

"Balin, son of Fundin of the folks of Durin, was one of the most famous Dwarf heroes of his day and age. He led a Dwarven contingent to reclaim Khazad-dum, the greatest of all the lost kingdoms of Dwarves. Initially he was sucessful and was crowned Lord of Moria, but later he was ambushed by goblins and slain. Not until the Fellowship discovered his grave would the rest of the world discover what had occurred those long years ago."

 

 When painting, I sometimes find certain miniatures are a bit tedious. However, this was a fun figure to paint. Starting with a black primed figure, I layered on progressively lighter shades of the different colours until I had the look I wanted. I especially liked the detail in Balin's beard and hair braids. A very impressive sculpt, I completed it in an evening.

"Those that form the Khazâd Guard are handpicked from the toughest warriors. Setting aside ties to their kinband, these warriors take new oaths to serve and protect their king, no matter the cost. In combat these battle-hardened veterans wear terrifying war-masks and don coats of Mithril armour, making the Khazâd Guard the most fearsome warriors available to a Dwarven army. Their only duty is to preserve their Lord."

 The original six Khazâd Guard were purchased as three-figure blisters, but the last five were another eBay rescue. They were rather poorly painted without the original figures being primed, and then a thick layer of model railway 'ballast' was added to the bases that partially buried the figures' feet. I was able to buy them for the minimum bid, but the seller then shipped them with the 'minimum amount of packaging'. He simply tossed them loosely into a padded envelope and put it in the mailbox. As one might expect, this did not go well. All the figures were bent where they attached to the base, one base was cracked, and one figure that was holding his axe overhead had the axe broken off.

 The five miniatures were cleaned, carefully straightened again, some of the excess ground work scraped off, and the broken axe repaired using my pin vise hand drill and a short length of florist's wire. They were then primed black and painted in a colour scheme to match the earlier six Khazâd Guard that I had done. This involved lots of gunmetal, followed by silver highlighting on the chainmail armour and weapons, brass on the helmets and plate armour, green tunics and grey trousers, a base of dark brown on all the hair and beards, then drybrushed with different lighter browns to give the company some variety. 

Balin, Fundinul, Uzbad Khazad Dûmu - Balin, Son of Fundin, Lord of Moria

I have a company of Dwarves waiting in the wings, but next up will be some Dwarf Heroes. I am looking at a campaign of the re-conquest of the Mines of Moria once we get back to gaming again. Until then, stay safe and healthy.