Haradrim Spear-men

I opened another box of Haradrim in order to provide enough archers for the Howdah as I did not see the point of spear-men on high. (Is that another dreadful pun?)

This left me with the spear-men from that second box.

I had trouble matching the desert as I'd done the earlier ones before starting my little notebook.

I tried varying them without resorting to a saw blade.

Colours of clothing, rock in front, rock behind (or is that more a Troll?)

Mamuk base

 The base supplied was fun to do but I'll be painting up my own to match the rocky desert theme of the other Haradrim.

Meanwhile, Blue-tack to the rescue.

The whole beastie is rather fragile.

Tusks and particularly the tail look easy to break and the Howdah is rickety.

Not sure how many games it would last.

At 275 points, I'm not likely to find out for a bit.

War Mamuk of Harad

Well, I've had a few tough models but this Mamuk was a real brute (sorry, couldn't resist).

Really though, why not better fixing points for the Howdah - pin and hole?

Even the tail could wander around a bit.

Green stuff required in unexpected places. A rather square trunk that failed to line up. Worst of all, the Howdah failed to sit right without greenstuff support at the front.

I expect most of it was the modeler, not the model.

For the most part, I followed a White Dwarf guide which went for a brown, rather than a red look, then drybrushed scab red.

Of course my rubbish photos don't really give the correct colouring.

Must find that camera manual!

Rohan mud

Further to 'Rohan Warriors' below - I tried using Agrellan Earth on a couple of them..


I was aiming for areas where those wide rivers had dried up leaving cracked mud but I don't think it was too successful.


That's a broken Orc bow in the grass - care of spares in a box of Mordor Orcs, I think.

Rohan Warriors

Then a big project - two complete boxes of Rohan Warriors.

24 in total.

I tried to make each set a little varied, not going so far as red or blue cloaks, just an adjustment of colours of boots or belts

One set has a coarser sand on the base.

I was trying to portray the area round Edoras and the wide flat rivers of New Zealand.

Some are on terrain where rocks have been swept down, others on the grassy silt soil.

There are a couple of arm adjustments too.

They are all set out in their 'twins'.

Rohan Fort

I think the next project was this Rohan Fort from a Degostini magazine.

The boys were involved (though I'm still waiting for the flags Henry!)


Even Maggie contributed by painting the walk boards behind the barricade.

The whole thing took some time as there were more than a few trees to cut down and branches to sharpen.

It's about 14 inches by 12 inches giving plenty of room for tents and a watch tower later and, of course, there's a 'floor' to go in.

The flagpoles lock the thing together though not very accurately I'm afraid as this was the first fort these riders had tackled.

Wargs!

 Yes, it's been yonks.


I have been doing a bit of painting though.


I've got the back fence done and varnished the bird table.


Plus these Warg Riders.


I've actually done five but tried to make them each a little different from the previous set of six.


Sometimes only by changes in paints used and sometimes simply by swapping arms or altering bases.

Young Andrew

At the car boot in Bourton last Saturday, I picked up 4 GW LOTR guides and a box of LOTR  maps. Even better news was that I bumped into 'Young Andrew', who used to bring in his excellent models. He's now at upper school and has less time for his painting but hopes to get back to it in second year.

Apologies for not spotting you sooner, Andrew. I'm not great on recognising people. I've sometimes been puzzled by the face in the mirror!

Swell club in Cheltenham visit

Four members of Lower Swell School 'modelling club' had a trip to the Games Workshop store in Cheltenham where James gave them an introductory game.

They learned a few rules and seemed to enjoy themselves - why wouldn't they with all that scenery?

Easterlings

 These Easterlings took me ages.

Mainly because we have visitors so I'm unable to sneak in a bit of painting during the day - I have to pretend to do the garden instead.

Another reason was that I was uncertain about the 'desert'.

I tried all sorts of combinations on the bases before settling on Armageddon dust instead of my usual glue and sand/rocks.

This was followed by a coat of Vomit Brown and another of Bubonic Brown over most of the area.

Then a dry brush of Bleached Bone and finally a light dry brush of White.

The Haradrim I did earlier, have a rocky desert look as per advice from somewhere.

One other thing held up the process - varnish.

Especially when I accidentally used Gloss for their clothing and then had to cover that with matt.

As you can see, that wasn't very successful.

Swell models

Here are some excellent unfinished efforts by the youngsters at Swell School.

They really are coming on.

Well done guys!

Not so easy, those eyes, when you're under 12 years old.





One of these Gandalfs is actually me in disguise.











Top class job made on the rusty armour, especially as we had no vomit brown.

Legolas

Granddaughter 1 is just off to college and is a big fan of Legolas, in or out of a jar.

She was very excited by the second Hobbit film but thinks the slightly chubbier Legolas might have some difficulty walking on snow.

There might be a bit of a gap now as the 10 Easterlings are taking longer than I expected - only one done so far.

Von Karstein

The Countess Von Karstein in a jam jar* and out of it.

There were few female characters in the shop when Granddaughter 2 asked me to paint something for her.

The jar is for the protection of the Countess as Granddaughter 2 is very young.

*(Actually it was baby food)

Mor* Mordor Orcs

Rather than a wash, I used thinned down Chaos Black for the bases and then highlighted with Codex and a little Fortress Grey.

I also used a small red and yellow highlight to their right rear.

They are under Sauron's watchfull eye.

The chunks of breeze block look ok but I don't know how log they will last.

If they break, the grey inner will be exposed.

Despite their being such a basic model, they took some painting.

Lots of different areas to apply different colours to.

They could do with more highlighting but they are ok for the tabletop.

Next it's Easterlings.


* It was deliberate! It was deliberate!

Faramir and Mordor Orc

 I've finished the Mordor Orcs but I'm testing out the bases.

Using 'Slate Beach' sand gives me a really rugged look and then a chunk of breeze block is an attempt at a piece of volcanic debris - still warm!

It might all need another wash or two with Badab Black.


Faramir has been kicking his heels for ages while I try to give him an interesting base.

Again I'm imagining him making it back to Osgiliath before he take the wound.

It could equally be Minas Tirith with bits of building littering the place.

I'm not all that happy with it though.

Minas Tirith in Brass

Another bundle from Ebay - Warriors of Minas Tirith  all looking a bit brassed off.

It's obvious I've been thumbing through DeAgostini again!

The armour has received a wash of Reikland Fleshshade.

I'll be trying a light wash of Guilliman Blue on the other Minas Tirith Warriors and Knights to see if it gives that a steel look.




Again, the Osgiliath look is discs of plasticard from 'railway buildings' with a sprinkle of rubble.

Nazgul

Five of the nine Nazgul arrived from Ebay. Nice chaps.

Dead boring  fashion sense though. Black with a touch of grey.

Not even a pair of glowing eyes between them.

The metal seems difficult to paint, or rather, difficult to keep paint on.

I wonder if oil based paint would be better for the base coat?

I think the bases will be changed.

I'm painting some Mordor Orcs at the moment and when they're done I'm going to try a little experiment with a base using broken up breeze block.

I think it has the look of volcanic rock.

If it looks ok then the Nazgul will receive the same treatment.

Warriors of Minas Tirith

 Trying to find a better 'Osgiliath look' with the bases of Minas Tirith Warriors, I bought some plasticard designed as brickwork for railway modellers, from the Cheltenham Model Shop.

The size discs required for the tops of bases is a little less that the diameter of a pound coin.

The card glues with plastic glue (I suppose it would, being plastic) and then the troops have to parade without their slot.

I cut them off with cutters and then cut and filed the bottom of their boots to glue them on the tiled roads of Osgiliath.

The surface of the card seems ok with paint as long as it's not thinned down too much.

A coat of Codex and a wash with Badab with a drybrush of Fortress Grey after glueing on some rubble from the ruins.


Plus a few weeds popping up, here and there.

Let the Orcs do the weeding when they arrive!

Knights of Minas Tirith

Here I've tried for the battered roads of Osgilliath with heaps of rubble and chunks of ruin littering the place.

I don't know where Faramir has galloped off to but he should be along soon.

These metal riders were tricky to glue on.


Again, Lilliput came to the rescue.

A lump of it beneath the bum works wonders.

As for those bendy weapons!

Warg Riders

To offset the cavalry component of a good army, the bad guys only really have Warg Riders until later in the book (film).

I've tried to retain some of the 'mane' on some thinking the flat featureless backs rather poor.

Perhaps Lilliput applied would improve things?

I tried for the look of the area round the deer park in Queenstown where they ambushed the refugees on their way to Helm's Deep.

Again I think manufactured rocks are an improvement on the real thing.

Riders of Rohan - Green Troop

 Now that the black horse with the poorly ankle has been rested awhile, he's fit for the fray again.




I have some more Riders of Rohan that will arrive in the field eventually so I'll arrange for fewer of them to be leaping over rocks, bushes and logs.

The log is actually an Ent's arm.



 The 'rock' under the black horse is Lilliput.

In many cases it looks better than a stone though cat-litter makes realistic smaller rocks.

OK. Perhaps not in this case.

I could do with a mounted leader now.