Leader Beasts and more Battle Companies

I managed to set a bit more time aside this week than the week before and I managed to get a bit more done - namely I finished the two leader beasts for the Tyranids. Other than that I continued to build stuff for Battle Companies and even found the time to get start the process of painting them.

Pict 351: Tyranid Leader Beasts

Pict 352: Hive Tyrant

Pict 353: Hive Tyrant

Pict 354: Old One Eye

Pict 355: Old One Eye

Finally I got around to finish the carapace on the Hive Tyrant and Old One Eye. I wanted to be neater with them than my usual 'nids and I do like the effect I managed to achive for exemple on Old One Eye's crushing claws. But since I'll be turning my attention to little gribblies (with the exeption of the second Pyrovre) I don't think this more time exetesive method will catch on.

Pict 356: Iron Hills Objective Marker

And with this dead Iron Hills Warrior, this is the third week I painted a fallen hero. This one was a bit more challaning since I had to sculpt parts of the sheath and the surounding area - that's where a Gundabad Ogre's foot would usually go. I'll have to get some dwarfs with Mattocks to play the Company but that's as good an excuse as I'll get to paint some more dwarfs.

Pict 357: Gundabad Orcs (WIP)

Pict 358: Gundabad Orc Warrior Conversion (Update)

So here is a picture of some Gundabad / Dol Guldur miniatures I started this week. I built the Gundabad Orcs for my Dol Guldur Battle Company and decided since the colours are basicly the same, I could also do the remainder of the Berserkers as well as the Keeper of the Dungeons. I converted one of the Gundabad Orcs that originaly had a spear to have an axe and a shield. And while I did that, I also gave the Orc from two weeks back a shield as well - both conversions were made possible by the donation of shields by my good friend DLT - thank you again!

By finishing the Tyranid beasties I freed up some space on my hobby desk but swiftly filled it up with the Orcs. I hope to get them done fast so I can start with a completly new good Battle Company - I now have almost all the minitatures I need...

One lonely Pyrovore..

So this week's progress was rather slow, but I finished two more miniatures and got to work on some more.

Pict 346: Pyrovore

Pict 347: Pyrovore

Pict 348: Pyrovore

First up is one of the two Pyrovores I had already shown a few weeks back. In contrast to my usual Kraken scheme, I used a bright green glaze to denote it's toxicity. I liked working with the glaze as opposed to a wash and I'm looking forward to doing it again with the second one.

Pict 349: Azog's Hunters Objective Marker

The second thing I finished is this objective marker for my Hunter Orc army / battle company. Just like the Rivendell Knight last week, I wand to use him for those heroes that roll the "Lost in Battle" result on the injury table. I acually got to use him in battle today - but fortunately I lent him to my opponent and got to play the Rivendell company. Another funny thing about this miniature is that this marks the first Hunter Orc I finished - the dead one...

Pict 350: Tyranids (WIP)

Lastly here is a WIP shot os some more Tyranids. I hope to finish Old One Eye soon - there is only one more layer of highlight on the carapace to do and after that I'll get to the Hive Tyrants carapace. But I'm sure I'll get distraced by some other project that's sitting on the desk right now...

Almost finished the Dol Guldur Diorama + Battle Companies

Pict 336: The White Council at Dol Guldur (WIP)

This week I made a foray into fulfilling my new year's resolutions and painted Elrond and Saruman for my Dol Guldur Diorama. Other than that, I contiued with the conversions and the painting for my battle companies.

Pict 337: Elrond, Vanquisher of the Necromancer

Pict 338: Elrond, Vanquisher of the Necromancer

Pict 339: Sauruman, Vanquisher of the Necromancer

Pict 340: Sauruman, Vanquisher of the Necromancer

As part of the Rivendell miniatures this week, I also finally finished Elrond, Vanquisher of the Necromancer. I do like the pose, but I think he could use some more support to stick to his base. Additionally the Elven blade seems oddly short - I think were I to paint him again, I might change it.
Saruman's pose is very exaggerated, it's all right I think, but there are definitly better ones. After this one though I wont be touching a brush to one anytime soon, since painting the white robes was quite the drag. Now I'm only missing Galadriel to finish the diorama, but I did't have the heart to get going on her robes after Saruman's. I then might add some other miniatures to round out the scene - Radagast on sleigh comes to mind and of course the Keeper of the Dungeons.

Pict 341: Naal, Noldor Captain

Pict 342: Naal, Noldor Captain

Pict 343: Rivendell Objective Marker

Next up are the miniatures I painted for my Rivendell battle company. I already showed the conversion for my Sargent Naal last week and he was in fact layered and highlighted super fast. I cant wait to get him to a table and encounter new adventures.
The objective marker was made in case I on of my heroes will roll the "Lost in Battle" result on the injury table and I have to play the scenario to recover them. The miniature is from the Rivendell Knight kit and due to it's sizeable cape it didn't really fit on the base I wanted it to - with it's 50mm base now, it is a bit big for a normal objective.

Pict 344: Gundabad Orc Warrior (Conversion)

Pict 345: Gundabad Orc Warrior (Conversion)

And lastly here is my first Gundabad Orc Warrior. Right now he's still missing his shield because I didnät have one on hand. I converted the miniaure from a spare Troll Brute's driver by cutting of the right leg at the knee and hip as well as the head and the right arm. After pinning it back together in the pose I envisioned, I scuplted a new tabbard and filled the gaps with green stuff. The hands are both from the Gundabad Berserker kit - I only bent the sword with hot water.
I really enjoyed converting these last weeks, but I think the hobby time in the weeks to come will have to be focused on painting to get the different battle companies ready fot battle (and those Tyranids keep on looking at me from their place on the desk...).

Dashing thorugh the snow... - That's the Iron Hills' Return

This first week of the year was already a quite productive one. Not only did I manage to finish my Iron Hills army, but I also played a bunch of Battle Companies games.

Pict 328: Iron Hills Chariot

Pict 329: Iron Hills Chariot

Pict 330: Iron Hills Chariot

 First up is the Iron Hills Chariot, giving this post its fitting title. I really didn't want to highlight up those goats (so many layers on small bits of fur...), but I had this particular headline in my head everytime I looked at the Chariot and tought about putting the snow on the base and I wanted to get it done for this winter. Other than the goats, I only had to finish up the crew and put the miniature together. I love the miniature but I don't think I'll paint another one anytime soon.

Pict 331: Iron Hills Warriors (Crossbows)

Pict 332: Iron Hills Warriors (Crossbows)

These other Iron Hills Dwarfs also took up space on my desk and with them finished, I completed every model I currently own for the army. I'm pretty happy with how the force stands right now, but I'm sure I'll add to it in time. There are still a few warriors I'll have to get to play at least some of the scenarios in the There And Back Again book and maybe, just maybe, I'll get a blister of warriors with mattocks to play them as a Battle Company.

Pict 333: Dayael, Noldor Captain

Pict 334: Dayael, Noldor Captain

Speaking of Battle Companies - This miniature here will be Dayael, the leader of my current Rivendell force. This iteration is only the third one, since with the first two both of my sargents managed to get themselves killed in the first few games. As it stands now the company managed to acually win a game and I hope to go forward with them and convert some more miniatures. The model itself is a pretty simple conversion I stole from the very first rulebook that came with the Fellowship starter set and features a bannerbearer's head on Elrond.

Pict 335: Naal, Noldor Captain (WIP)

To this end: here is the next conversion I bashed together using a butchered Glorfindel as a base and adding a Captains head, the weapons of normal warriors and a quiver from the Rivendell Knight kit. I hope to finish him tomorrow and get to work on some other porject. I haven't forgotten about the Tyranids just yet and I do want to get to work on a battle company from Arnor. Then again there is my Dol Guldur company.