Hobbit Militia 4

 This conversion was original intended to replace the sledge hammer with a pick axe.

Up in the top right you can see one attempt at a greenstuff pick head which proved difficult to shape correctly and impossible to drill.

Then I had a cunning plan and turned one of them into a baker.

The bread shovel is from the base of a 40 K banner, shaped but little and glued to the end of the shaft which had lost its hammer head.

I regret not taking greater care in lining everything up.

I should have cut out the area where the shaft was to join, rather than going for a groove beneath it.


It would have lined up better and would alos hav been much easier.

Still learning folks.

Next would have been a pitch-fork for the swordsman's left hand for which I had another cunning plan.

Unfortunately, as is becoming a habit lately, I've lost the component retrieved from my 40K spares box.

I might need that flex after all!


(I wish I'd spotted that there are 4 Hobbit Sherrifs available. I might have bought them with the Militia and bowmen. Maybe 'Hobbits of the Shire' too and even Farmer Maggot and his hounds. Now I'm stuck with a ridiculous postage charge if I want them!))

Hobbit Militia 3

The conversion of the axe to a mattock was actually quite easy, after a few experiments.

The axe was rotated to point over his right shoulder and then the head was filed down to produce the 'spike' of the mattock.

The axe blade, previously removed from the earlier model, to become a cudgel, had a round groove filed in it to fit the haft of the axe.

Then it was super glued on, opposite the 'spike'.

Well I think it makes a difference!

With the first of these Hobbit Militia, for skin, I used Bugman's Glow highlighted with Cadian Fleshtone.

All the rest I've switched to, my preferred,  Cadian Fleshtone, washed with Reikland Fleshtone and then highlighted with Cadian Fleshtone.

Hobbit militia 2 (Archers)

The Hobbit Archers.

Again, lots of bright colours and again, gloss varnished.

Great to paint and lots of detail. However, I should have given them all a more thorough inspection pre-undercoating as there are odds and ends that should have been cut out or smoothed over.

Hobbit Militia

 Meanwhile I'm busy with these colourful chaps.

The pair on the left here arrive as identical characters.

I've removed the axe head and built up the 'cudgel with green-stuff.

I'd like to do something similar with the other pairs.

The finished right hand ones look as if the left hand could hold a pitch fork.

Though I've leaned the unfinished axe man and rotated his axe to give variety, I'd like to change it for a mattock.

If it goes wrong, a cudgel would do.

I've gone my own way in the painting. I prefer Tolkien's note of Hobbits' liking for bright colours rather than GW's duller ones. It also makes it more fun. However, perhaps because I failed to spray primer on them, I've had a small amount of metal showing through the paint sometimes. I may well decide to gloss varnish them.

John's Hobbit

In close up. John's cork carved Hobbit looks a little rough.

To much of Barliman's Best perhaps or perhaps beetroot wine?

However, there is an advantage in being made of cork if you are a Hobbit.

Frodo would never have lost his parents in that boating accident if they'd have floated.




Here's a close up of the pipe, tankard and cork barrel.

Perhaps John himself can detail the technicalities behind the tankard and contents by adding a comment.

John's garden tools

Hasn't John been busy!

While I've been dealing in shades of pink, He's started from scratch to model the contents of his Bag End garden.

Using scraps of lolly sticks, Champers corks and a pile of horse muck left in the road, he's created a lichen covered staddle stone, a post box, a garden roller, a bench for blowing smoke rings from and an old wooden wheel barrow.

(I remember them well. You could put your back out getting those legs off the ground and that was when it was running on empty!)

 I understand John is aiming to vary the contents of the barrow, replacing the muck (or is that leaves, John?) with vegetables from Gaffer Gamgee's garden.

As I type, he is planting seed for miniature lettuce, cabbages and carrots.

Third Hobbit Troll

At last, the third Hobbit Troll has arrived, propped up on a hobby knife to try to get some light on his work apron.

None too successfully.

I'm still undecided if I should simply do their bases or make up a more elaborate tableau.




While I think on, I'll start the bundle of metal Hobbits that arrived last week


Trying to give a bit of variety to the Hobbit Militia kept me awake last night!

Weapon swap or modify the weapons?

Second Hobbit Troll

The second one.

Obviously one who has the quicker reactions as he's dropped his fork and snatched up a log, his weapon of choice when fighting dwarves.

First Hobbit Troll

 Here's the first of the Hobbit Trolls finished, apart from the base, that is.

I'm wondering about putting them on the provided bases.

Making the bases 'Mirkwoody' (I have the very thing for one of them)









Then create a tableau for them with rocks and bushes, cutting circles for them to be inserted.

We shall see.

Hobbit Troll

The three Hobbit trolls are also coming along slowly.

I followed the guide with glazes (50% Lammian Medium, 50% paint)

First with Bugman's Glow, then another glaze with Dark Flesh.

I was unhappy with the extreme contrast which looked less like shading, more like the aftermath of a visit to the laboratory of Doctor Frankenstein.

It certainly didn't match the guide so I dry brushed them with the original skin colour - Cadian Flesh Tone.

I think I could have got to this point with a Bugman's Glow/Cadian Flesh Tone mix for the shading but it's my failure, not the guides I guess.

Back to the allotment!

Experimental troll completely completed!

 This is going on forever.

I was unhappy with the base but don't think the addition of dry grass improves it much.

The position of three of the heads too, is unsatisfactory.

I should, perhaps, have hung three on his cross belt at the back but that only terrifies enemies behind him!














So, troll, I'm glad to see the back of you, different though you are.