Dunedain etc 3

Here are the other trio. Wearing armour as they are, they must surely be Dunedain to fit in with Halbarad? Even that complicates things as I understand there were three versions of Halbarad and certainly one was without armour.

I've used Warboss Green for the tunics and went for Fenrisian Grey for the cloaks. (The Pale Grey Company?) I'd probably have been better off with Shadow Grey as they look too Elvish but, as usual, I want to get on with the next thing. (Yes, I know it shows)

These models were fairly tricky with lots of difficult places to get to. They also had a number of 'spikes' (on boots and tunics) which I'd not spotted even with the primer on. (Note the grass around the toes of the boots)

Dunedain etc 2

The first three Dunedain or Men of the North. It's all very confusing and even they don't know who they are. The next batch are clearly The Grey Company who are Dunedain yet Games Workshop has these guys listed as Dunedain and the ones to follow, wearing armour, as Men of the North!

Cloaks are Dark Angels Green, Boots and bags, Rhinx Hide, jerkins Mournfang Brown. The bases I've rimmed with Kabalite Green. My theory was that it's the closest you can get to a 'Royal' green'. Blue blood and all that.

I also used one of those 'tufts' for the first time. The size of a bush!

The dark pole that one is carrying is, I presume, Aragorn's banner, specially knitted by Arwen.

 There seems to be no rules covering either set for games.

Dunedain etc

Here we go again with 3 Dunedain, 3 Men of the North, 2 Elf command and Prince Imrahil.

The latter might have a long wait as there wasn't quite room in the spray box.

Dreadfleet - Seadrake 2

Well, at last the Seadrake has put to sea, though workmen and painters are still aboard (Do you see that lean on the foremast)

She's taken some time, part because of the various invasions over the past three weeks and part because it's a nicely detailed ship.

I didn't entirely follow the WD painting guide which seemed over complex yet full of omissions, such as hints for the Dragon.

I didn't undercoat the gold detail with bronze, which is my usual practice, as that would give me twice the chance of error, especially as I was missing my usual headset magnifiers.

The detail on the sails show this lack.

I did undercoat bronze on the ram, figurehead and above the rudder.

I used Regal Blue on the sails first but applied the Enchanted Blue directly onto the white base on the roofs.

When assembling, note that the decking has to go in before the two halves are joined.

Otherwise assembly is easy and very neat.

The captain is Prince Yrellian of Ulthuan. If you've never heard of him, no worries. Nor have I.

Dreadfleet - Seadrake

Regrettably, the launch of the third ship from the Dreadfleet box has been delayed by a strike at the docks.

The yard owners, Harpic and Wolfit, have been forced to employ non-union labour over the past two weeks.

Clerks, cooks and Elven coffin makers have all worked on the Seadrake (the latter always have time on their hands due to Elvish immortality)

When she does put to sea, we hope she floats.

Dreadfleet - Skabrus

The second ship launched is the Skaven crewed Skabrus with Skretch as its captain.and with warp lightning providing its power.

I used White Dwarf 382 as a guide but ignored some of their instructions which were clearly about getting as many pots of paint sold as possible. I did add a wash of Reikland Flesh Shade gloss to the 'guts' to give them a wet look.

Pointers here are :-

1. Though the model fits perfectly when unpainted, a few coats on the model and others on the base makes it very tight or, as in my example, impossible to 'bed down'. Thus it gives the appearance of riding above the waves rather than floating on them. Answer - file the edges of the model before undercoating to give it some slack.

2. Again it is tricky to insert the mast into its receiving hole in the base. This is made more difficult because it passes through two layers of deck before reaching the hull. I couldn't get mine lined up so chopped of a piece at the bottom, then glued it down. Unfortunately, not enough as the spike now floats above the body by a small amount. I didn't spot that problem till the glue had set!

3. I went to great lengths to paint the 'guts' of the sea monster and then glued down the skin and bone hiding it completely. I'd suggest leaving it free to be lifted to show off the innards.

Dreadfleet - Shadewraith

And now, for something completely different, as many a Python has been heard to say.

I bought the sumptuous looking stand-alone game, Dreadfleet, when it was first released but have been too taken with 40K, Warhammer and, in particular, LOTR, to do more than open the box.

However, as a break from endless Elves, Dwarves and Orcs, I have started three of the ships from the set of ten, the easiest first.

This is The Shadewraith, captained by the mutineer, Vengheist.

When he and this turncoat crew return to the mortal plane, both they and the ship have rotted away.

The ship is held aloft, from the waves, by the spirits of the crew.

(I don't write this stuff, I merely paraphrase!)

A couple of points if you are building one (unlikely as the game is six years old and well out of print)

1. The sails, as shown here, are wrongly placed. They should be angled away from the bow on the right hand side, not the left, as here.

2. It might be easier to glue the deck to one side, then insert the masts with the other hull going on last. It's tricky to locate the masts into the receiving holes, below decks, when you have to peer through the skeleton of the hull.

The last shot shows it on the gorgeous cloth map that they provide

Haldir with bow

Haldir owes a lot to Will, the excellent fellow in Cheltenham's Games Workshop.

At least I think his name is Will.

It could be Might or Fate.

He suggested using the Gloss version of Reikland Fleshshade, some time ago, as a wash for the chain armour and that seems to have worked out quite well.

For the plate armour, he suggested Waystone Green (technical).

I wonder if Waywatcher Green (Glaze) might have done the job?

I bought the book, 'How to Paint Citadel Miniatures' while I was there last.

I've not bothered before because I had pots of 'old' paint and didn't want to start replacing them to fit in with the book.

It suggested using Bugman's Glow for the base for flesh where I've used Mournfang Brown previously, sometimes mixed with a little flesh paint.

I'm not so sure about Bugman's Glow, particularly for Elves.

Perhaps it's my use of it.

Weathertop Aragorn

Here's Aragorn at Weathertop and the Fellowship Aragorn (now wearing his ring) with Gimli.

I've made that little change to Gimli's Axe too. Thanks John.

I'm still mulling over the bases.

Axemen of Lossarnach

The Axemen of Lossiemouth, sorry, Lossarnach, were easy enough to do.

The delay in getting them to the blog is mainly because the fourth test took up so much of my time.

I've assumed that, as they come from the same general area as the Clansmen, there terrain is similar.

Not, as described on Wikki,

'The climate hovered near the moderate and extreme with mild winters and hot dry summers and the terrain consisted of scattered woodlands and undulating lowlands.'

but heather covered heathland.

The shirt/skirt clothing I've painted in Kabalite Green rather than black.

Reason - I found some in a starter box I had laying around and liked the colour!