ASOIAF. House Greyjoy 1. Reavers

 

Approaching the figures I drew from the series and wanted to go for a more realistic weathered look but not full Grimdark. Looking at the series, the Greyjoys often appear far more blue than they actually are due to filters on screen

   

 

For the movement tray, I have seen some stunning versions with them made up as shore lines or waves but I decided to go for a more neutral look, one that would still work with the theme and colour scheme but wouldn't look jarringly out of place on a range of tables. I settled on a variation of my grey theme with a high shore/cliff top/stone harbour look with some sand and seaweed details.

gravel and bark chipping to add some texture

Even though there is a nice number of variations, I wanted to change it a bit more so swapped and repositioned some of the arms

First test Reaver.

I have extended the base all the way down rather than the usual black band so it blends in better when in the tray

First Greyjoy reavers completed

Zenith 2. Cat girl and the Lepard from Lime Street

 On a roll with my Zenith Superhero, I completed my next two costumed adventurers, Cat-Girl and the Leopard from Lime Street.

The figures were based on another of the sculpts from Attica Games, ManxCat, with Cat girl being reposed and a tail added while I added some extra base scenery so I could add a nod to his Lime Street sobriquet.

Attica Games

Original Cat Girl in Sally Comic

Cat Girl featured in Zenith 

Original Leopard from Lime Street from Buster Comic

The Leopard featured in Zenith

 

Zenith. 1. Tri-Man and Oakman

 

If i was to list my top five Comics/Graphic novels Zenith would be there. Originally the story was serialised in the pages of 200o before being realised as collections and to me stands up next to Watchmen and the Sandman.

The link below leads to a fantastic resource for the story and the huge number of Superheroes that appear (abet some very briefly) as well a summation, needless to say it is a story that I have read countless times and I hope to bring as many of the characters as I can to (28mm) life

Internationalhero

The Zenith story introduced not only its own original super team, Cloud Nine, and various descendants but also drew from a host of other older UK comics Heroes and a Cthulhuesque threat in the Lloigor. 

I first started thinking about this in 2019 but it wasn't until 2021 that I actually started moving forward and completed my first Superhero in the shape of Tri-Man

Internationalhero - Triman

Original Tri-Man comic

Tri-Man appearance in Zenith and original

I wanted to try out one of the online miniature sites as well as a test for filling the future ranks and used Eldritch Foundry to create the figure and my Elegoo Mars 3D printer to build.

Eldritch Foundry

This year I am determined to make a better start of the Project and completed Oakman who is  a metal sculpt under the name of Timbre from Attica Games

Attica Games

Oakman in Zenith 

Oakman as part of the Amazing Three from Jackpot Comic

Onward to 2023

Primary Hobby Plans/hopes for this year...

1. Old World Army Challenge. 

I have entered the OWAC again this year and have selected a contingent of the Bloodbath at Orcs's Drift force which will tick two goals for the year!

my first blog entry is :

Old world army challenge

2. Star Wars Legion

At the end of 2022 my gaming group started playing Star Wars Legion and I have started to put together  Rebel and Imperial forces. I have already started on the Rebel so need to add these to the blog as well as log this years progress.

3.CMON. A Song of Ice and Fire Miniatures Game

A latecomer to the Books, TV series and looking to start the game this year. I have watched several of the Rank and File games from Kings of War, Runewars and Conquest the Last Argument of Kings but ASOIAF has won out. My plan is for a Greyjoy force initially.

4. Alternative Armies Erin

I finished off the Special Terrain Pieces in 2022 and plan on at least two warband's so I can play, completing the Sidhe and Fomorians

5. Necropolis 28

The game was a new find at the end of 2022, small undead Warbands competing in a dead city. The game has found me inspired and I will be using some of my Carcosa District setting and piece for it.

 - goonhammer.com/necropolis28

6. Realms of Chaos Tzeentch Warband

This continues to be a slow burn Project, but I plan on trying to add at least one a month

7.2000AD Zenith

The Zenith storyline published in 2000AD remains one of my favourite Comics and features a host of original characters as well as homages to many other lost and obscure comic heroes. The Project will be to recreate as many of the protagonists as a I can and look at some gaming rules to bring them to life!

 8. TT Combat Relics

An ongoing project, plans for 2023 will be to add a terrain piece for my Vaettir as well some of the larger creatures for the faction and to at least add the Cavalry units to my Britanan faction

9. Adeptus Titanicus

Completion of my Lucius Imperator and a supporting Lucius battlegroup, three more warhounds, two reavers and another Warlord.

10.Doctor Who

Completion of the Robot Story and a NP Dalek units. Selection of another story/Faction and get some more of the Doctor's painted up 

11. Gorechosen

This has taken a bit of a back seat but it is a game that regulary gets to the table. i stil have five Champions to paint and hope to make up a 3D board to match up with them at some point!

12. Man O War

Complete my Empire fleet and start on another, possibly Dwarf or Slaanesh.

Old World Army Challenge VI - Bloodbath at Orc's Drift

 As the year draws to a close the call went out again for the next Old World Army Challenge and one I have eagerly signed up for again!

The Challenge won't start properly until January next year but beyond adding my name to the starting line there is still a lot to get ready from actually deciding what to build and Introductory blog post to the all important prep. Last Year was my first year and the best bit of advice I received was to Prep and plan! Figures cannot be painted but they can be build and based and undercoated. When you are going through a whole army, this has saved a huge amount of time and pressure on each month, being able to have it all laid out and see each month as well as progress really helped me survive the time.

When I looked at last year my Slann and Bloodbath at Orc's Drifts projects were in my final list but were pipped by my Marines. This year I have decided to take up my Bloodbath Project and use the Challenge to get more of it done, and make up for the lack of progress on it this year!

Excluding the building which are an ongoing part of the project and some additional Orc warmachines at the bottom, three bolt throwers and two Snotling Pump Wagons which will make some nice bonus builds. The layout shows all the figures (bar three Orc archers which seem to have wandered off!) for the Scenario.

So far I have completed three of the Command Cards:

The Vile Rune Orcs with Fangor Gripe, Guthrum Mane and Silas Meel

The Dwarfs of Ashak Rise with Borinn and Snorinn Fimbul

The Engineers of Ozrim Chardz and Osrim Chardz

I have also made a start on the Linden Way Militia Card, completing most of the Villages and Mayor Leofwine 

But the bulk of the cards remain, with the two elf unit cards and one human character card to complete 

Ferndale Snart and his Patients. Still needs three more injured/casualty figures as the dwarf in a sling is a stand in

Brommidir and his wood elves ( I might try and replace these with more metal Wood elves)

The Wood Elves of Kachas Pass with Erdolas Thringal

On the Orc side, cards outstanding are:

King F'yar and his F'yar guard which are figures from Rugluds Armoured Orcs

The Kwae Karr orcs with Magyar Ironfist and Bagrash (to find/ buy three more archers)

The Severed Hand Orcs with Hagar Sheol, Grashak Kra and his Hobhounds

Next will be deciding on the force to assemble for the Challenge. 

Orcs, Human/Elf or a blend of the two?

 

Erin. Restart 2022

 Erin is one of those projects that keeps eluding me, real life or other projects ( OWAC, gaming group games etc) pull me away while the figures sit on the edge of my desk as a reminder. 

Alternative Armies started refreshing the range last year with new painted versions on their website, which have been done to high standard and really show off the quality of the sculpts, and also started releasing new figures which have really caught my attention and fired my interest back up.

Alternative Armies Erin Game of Celtic Myths

With redoubled effort, the rule book has been on my bedside table and the figures back on centre table!

The new official figures inspired me to switch my collection to the cartouche bases so my already completed Half Dead have been rebased, this has also given me an opportunity to add some more detail like picking out the maggots on each figure.

The rest of my collection has followed with a full rebase/basing...

One of the features available in Erin is a range of special terrain which has an impact on the game in various ways. with 11 to pick from I decided to start creating some between basing

The Cairn of Memory

The Dolman

The Ogham Pillar

The Anchor Stone of Mil

Elatha's Gateway to Places

The Cairn of Bricriu the Posion Tongue

The pieces on my woodland board