Wood Elves

Golden Gobbo from here

Inspired by the host of Oldhammer blogs I have on my Blog roll, and a sale at a LGS, I picked up a couple of GW blisters today. Both Wood Elves.the first, a pair of Wood Elf Wardancers, and the second a pair of Wood Elf scouts. My intention is to chose one (probably a Wardancer) and paint  it up for entry into the Golden Gobbos contest, although setting stats and background for him may not come too easily, as I'm rather out of touch on the actual rules for 3rd Ed Warhammer.

Back in the day, I always had a hankering for a Wood Elf army, but the way the club I was a part of played, I ended up with Empire (long boring story). That did not mean I did not collect Wood Elves, in fact I had a full unit of Wardancers painted up (although they were nominally a Sea Elf unit for a High Elf army). One of the only full units I have ever painted. It would be interesting to compare these guys when finished to the original unit I have, if I remember to dig them out on a return trip to Scotland.

Wardancers, circa 1995

What is with the hair on the guy on the right?

Scouts, Marauder minis circa 1992-3

More big hair

Colore ton Monde, July: Fin

So, as I thought, this month's plan was cut short due to visiting family, but a rush finish on the Russian Priest meant that at least I have something to enter. He certainly fits the criteria of a miniature I have never played with (mainly since he was chosen without any particular game in mind).

The base could do with a coat of black round the edge to neaten it up, but I didn't have time to get my brushes out this evening, and I need to send off the pics (I was playing with the camera, more details below).

Not one but two sets of pictures of this guy below the cut. As always, click to enlarge.

Colore ton Monde, July: Backup Plan

Just in case I don't get the Viking vignette completed by the end of the month, I rattled this one up in an evening. The pictures show a couple of points that I'll need to touch up before basing and varnishing, but he pretty much painted himself. Another excuse to use my new method for painting black. I think it comes out well. A dullcote after the varnish should really work to dull down the shinyness of the ink wash. I did try using the new GW medium, but maybe I'm not adding enough. More experimentation required there.

If you hadn't already noticed, this is the Russian Priest free mini I got from The Assault Group.

Colore ton Monde, July: Saga Vikings II

Polyfila and sand, with a bit of water to make the base. Freydis was originally just placed there to make sure the correct size and shape of hole was left for her, with the plan being to remove her for painting. However, the basing agent seems to have stuck her tight, so I waited for it to dry, then gave the whole base a good coating of PVA. The standard bearer still comes off easily, so the two can be separated for undercoating and painting.

As I mentioned previously, the going is slower this month, so I don't know if I'll get this finished in time (we're half way through the month already). I may have to undercoat some of the other single minis I spoke of to make sure I have an entry for July's challenge. A burst of an evening or two should get this one going on the paint though, so fingers crossed.

Prizes!

More on this guy soon.

I received a package in the post today. I was not expecting anything, as it's nowhere near Christmas, or my birthday. Parcels arriving for the kids at random from relatives abroad is not unknown, but not for me.

It had a German return address, which made me wonder even more.  When I got home and  opened it, I was more that pleasantly surprised by its contents. A book, and a little bag of minis. What a wonderful way to end the day!

A few days ago, I popped a comment onto Großbeeren 1813's post on reaching 25K hits. Looking at the archive of posts does not take long, but it is no wonder that he has had so many hits, the miniatures he sculpts are truly amazing, and even in the flooded market of Napoleonics, he makes interesting, fun and characterful sculpts. I will be sure to pick up copies of the rude highlanders minis once they are finally released (I'm on the waiting list).

As to the gifts (I cannot with any clear conscious call them prizes, as I did nothing to win them). First off was this rather nifty book. This will surely fill a hole in my small but growing Napoleonic Library, which has so far concentrated on the British side of the Alliance, and on the French, to the neglect of the other countries involved.

The second item in the parcel (as if the book was not enough of a give-away prize) was a little bag of 4 miniatures. But not just any old minis, these minis. I was pretty gobsmacked.

Go to the link above for better pictures.

As miniatures go, they are wonderfully detailed and flash free. If ever you get a chance to get your hands on these minis (or any others that these guys produce) don't hesitate. I think I may also now have the start of my Napoleonic vignette.

I had received an email asking for my address for this, but had suggested that Kawe wait till I had purchased the Highlanders, at least then I would be contributing to the postage, but no, it was not to be, and I must admit I'm grateful he didn't wait.

Do you think that's enough links back to Großbeeren 1813? Well, one last one won't hurt!

Another challenge, another vignette

Over on La Bricole, a painting challenge has been launched. At first I read it was to paint a vignette, and I got all excited, as I could post the viking vignette I'm currently making, but then I read further, and, to commemorate the 200th anniversary of Battle of Salamanca, they are looking for Napoleonic vignettes. The fact that I need to post a 'nude' picture at the start means I can't sneak in Ol Boney that is languishing half finished in my cupboard (Ok, so more than half finished really, there's no excuse for him not to be done in 1 sitting). Shame shame shame. 2 strikes, but not out.

So, where to go with this? I have a few nude Napoleonics kicking around, mostly French, with a smattering of 95th Riflemen in there too. I could go with a command base for my French column, that might work.

I am also tempted to go over to the other side of the Atlantic, for the other war in 1812, but that means a shopping spree on the internet for minis.

Family commitments mean I'll be unlikely to get much done on either vignette in the next 3 weeks, but I do have time to plan this one, as it's not due till September. Time to go reading up on the burning of Washington, there's sure to be something there that will make an interesting little stand.

Colore ton Monde, July: Saga Vikings I

Chop chop chop went the cutting tools, and on we go with this month's challenge: to paint a mini I have yet to play. In this case, I'm going with a game I have yet to play, Saga. As previously mentioned,  I have bought a couple of viking minis, and plan to turn them into a command base.



The mini in its original form



I started off with the standard bearer. As he is going to be on the base with the leader.I felt his winged helmet was too much. I felt it would draw the eye away from the leader and onto himself. I want the focus on this model to be the standard, not the man. I think it makes him a little more historically accurate too. Also, I feel the knife he was holding was a bit of a rubbish weapon for a viking, so off it came too, to be replaced eventually with a shield. As this left him essentially armless, I added the belt knife that came with the miniature I intend to use for the leader (Freydis). Again, I don't want her to be too busy a miniature with all the little odds and sods that work on a single mini being too much for the vignette.

The plasticard for his base was a kind donation from Guillaume. A little polyfilla and sand will be added once I decide on the placing for Freydis. I did think to use some green stuff to cover the rest of his legs in fur, as I'm not a fan of the peddle-pushers look he's got going on.

I also got some shields from the bits box of my FLGS. The dwarf shields I picked up, although blank, were too small for these guys. There was one larger orc shield, and a chaos shield that seemed the right size. the insert in the orc shield is, I think, from the LoTR Rohan minis. I have seen a few of these minis turn up in Saga blog posts, as they are more historical/dark age in their look than a lot of GWs other stuff. The boss is just a done of green stuff to fill the hole. The other shield, on the left, is a chaos shield. I liked the torn cloth look, although the spike is a bit too much, and if i go with this one, I'll round that off.

What do you guys think? Which one to use?

I think, in the end, the Freydis will not be going through as much of a conversion, and may keep her current shield, unless I find a good way of separating her arm from the shield it is now attached to.

L'été, l'été, l'été c'est fait pour jouer!

The results of Club Chaos's June's challenge can be found here. There are some really great paint jobs on show there, and once again, I'm glad this is a draw, and not a painting skills contest. In the same post, July's gauntlet has been thrown, and is as follows:


Colore ton monde, Juillet 2012.

L'été, l'été, l'été c'est fait pour jouer

Pour juillet, ce mois idéal pour jouez dehors, nous vous invitons à peindre un modèle que vous n'avez pas encore jouer dans une partie.

Summer, summer, summer is made ​​to play

For July, the perfect month to play outside, we invite you to paint a model that you have not yet played in a game.

For this, I should be fine, as my recent gaming time is so low, that I have shelves full of minis that I have not yet played. In fact, I could go back and finish off Saxon Orrik from May's challenge if I felt so inclined (although that may be cheating, as I've already started him). However, I think I can go further and say I'll be painting minis for a game I have never played!

This plays right into my scheme to make and paint the mini diorama for Saga, although it may also mean I paint Misaki, as at least there will be no modelling involved there. or even the free TAG mini who is all prepped and ready to be painted. I think I'll get a head start on the diarama, whilst painting at least one of the other two, that way if I don't get my conversion done in time, I still have an entry.