tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-16140880656820493162024-03-05T16:10:30.420-06:00 Cheap fantasy minis!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.comBlogger130125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-48222408377508802422017-09-24T17:35:00.000-05:002017-09-25T08:15:19.324-05:00Guards! Guards!Human guards, foot soldiers, etc.<br />
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These are mostly from a couple different sets of "medieval knights" from Caesar Miniatures, with a few Accurate "English Men-at-Arms" in addition. I wanted these to be useful for either "good" or "bad" guys; blue is classic for good and red for bad, so I split the difference and went for purple, which sadly is barely perceptible here even after image enhancements. For some reason the pics here didn't turn out very well, so if you get a slightly queasy feeling looking at these, my apologies.<br />
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Dudes with polearms. The chap in the middle apparently drew the short stick, literally. These are three poses with headswaps and a few other mods for variety. The halberds on the left are a little bendy; the spears on the right were even more so (as you can see <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/08/guards-and-bandits-and-bondic.html">in this post</a>), until I decided at the last minute to swap them for some more rigid Italeri barbarian spears. I was worried that this operation would be catastrophic, but the soft plastic Caesar uses was able to bend and not break. That softness of course was what made the original spears intolerably bendy in the first place; there's some sort of lesson here, but I can't put my finger on it.<br />
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Anyway, more guard fellows with livelier poses. The two captains in the middle are the Accurate figures. The one on the right got a headswap with the second crossbowman from the left, which I had actually forgotten about until I tried to find the <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=6">original figure on PSR</a>. What I'm saying is I think the Accurate and Caesar figures work great together here.<br />
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The guards of course complement the bandits from <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2017/05/bandits.html">my last big painting project</a>.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">I'm sure this is a political metaphor of some kind.</td></tr>
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As with the bandits, I tried to mix up my usually Caucasian humans with some duskier skintones. Not historically accurate, but as these aren't intended for historic gaming that's not an issue!<br />
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Stay tuned for more mini comparisons. I'm going to give the multi-figure projects a rest for a while and try my hand at some dragons, so look out for those as well!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-33865000156337386542017-09-04T15:35:00.002-05:002017-09-06T17:09:30.268-05:00New Alliance minis! Trolls and demons and war machinesVia the 1/72 wall at VK.com. <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/alliance">Red Box/Alliance</a> keeps chugging along with the new fantasy releases. Check out these preview pics.<br />
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Disorganized thoughts: We've seen <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2017/01/alliance-trolls-comparison.html">Alliance's blocky Peter-Jackson-style troll</a> before with their first troll set. They actually <a href="http://philotepsfigures.blogspot.com/2017/01/to-paint-troll.html">paint up pretty nicely</a>. Sets 2 and 4 here look a little too blocky; the Set 3 poses are a lot more dynamic and interesting.</div>
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Set 4 is possibly referencing the Orc Catapult set. I'm not really sure what's going on with the huge bases and limited number of figures and poses here. The Catapult itself looks like a lot of fun. Check out the one intrepid orc, apparently ready to take catapult-assisted flight!</div>
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The Fire Demons here are the <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/02/heartbreaker-attack.html">long-promised "balrogs"</a> (It's interesting to look at that post and see all that all the announced sets have now come to fruition. Good for Alliance!). The limited number of poses in interesting. They seem to be a bit larger than the trolls, but I'd also bet that the wings are separate pieces that take up space on the sprue. If the boxes are around $10-12, that puts the per-figure cost close to what Reaper charges for <a href="https://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/bones%20demon/latest/77261">similar figures</a>. True, they might be a bit bigger, but the sculpting also doesn't seem as good. I'd like to see them painted up before deciding for sure.</div>
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~Edit for 9/6/2017: I just realized that the box art here says that the Troll set 3 has only four figures <i>total</i>, while Troll set 4 and the two Fire Demon sets only have <i>two</i> figures each! Maybe that's a misprint, as it's a departure from the large troll sets Alliance has released already. But if it's right, then unless these will be much cheaper than Alliance's other sets, that makes the value proposition a little dicier. Even if they are as big as <a href="http://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/troll%20bones/sku-down/77333">Reaper's larger trolls</a>, let's say, if the boxes aren't cheaper than usual, the per-figure cost between Alliance and Reaper is about the same. And Reaper's figures are just better-looking.~</div>
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Still, it's great that Alliance remains committed to new fantasy releases. I'm looking forward to seeing what they come up with next!</div>
<br />1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-50677416671842751632017-09-01T16:00:00.000-05:002017-09-02T13:08:38.436-05:00Last Day for Bones IV Kickstarter!It's the final day of the <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-4-mr-bones-epic-adventure/">current Kickstarter for Reaper Miniatures</a> popular line of cheap plastic minis. There's a bunch of good stuff that's been unlocked, so if you are interested and haven't pledged yet, now's the time!<br />
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I did <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2017/08/bones-iv.html">a bit of blogging</a> during the first week or so of the project, and my thoughts haven't changed too much. As always, I come at these projects from the weird point of view of looking to adopt these "normal"-scale fantasy minis to the somewhat smaller 1/72 scale, the preferred scale of this blog. That means smaller minis, larger minis, and terrain. The former tend to look good as either medium or smaller critters in 1/72 scale, while the latter two are often more or less scale agnostic and very adaptable.<br />
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So I'm super into all the kobolds, for example (including, finally, a kobold archer!), and the goblins look good as well, either for 1/72 gobbos or orcs. Several of the larger beasties, like the rat ogre, or the griffon, or the cyclops, look like they'll work for me as well. A few of the add-ons, like the trolls or the monster skeletons, were tempting but a little rich for me. The same goes for some of the terrain pieces; I liked the Tree of Despair and Baba Yaga's Hut, but they were a bit too much for what they were. On the other hand, the "Fantasy Scenics" set that was just offered broke my resolve: a lot of cool set pieces for $5 each!<br />
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That and the core are all I wound up getting, but it's plenty! I was worried that the stretch goals were a little sluggish compared to previous Bones Kickstarters, but the core set seems to have as many pieces as Bones III, and when you consider that this one includes a big old dragon, that's pretty generous. Plus a fair number of add-ons, including <i>four </i>(update: make that <i>FIVE</i>) expansion sets, all of which were quite interesting even if I had no reason to get any of them.<br />
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The core set, of course, also includes a ton of medium-sized figures and other stuff that I won't have much use for, so once they ship (Feb. 2019 at the earliest!), I'll have plenty to sell, as I have in years past. To bolster my hobby budget and justify jumping into this Kickstarter after I <i>already</i> backed Mantic's TerrainCrate Kickstarter this year, I'm considering something like a pre-order system. I'm on Wave One and in the U.S., so I'm likely to be among the first to receive these. I'll do a more formal post if I decide to do this, but if being among the first to get some of these minis without backing the whole Kickstarter appeals to you, let me know!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-42506224916437490592017-08-13T22:40:00.000-05:002017-08-13T22:40:57.687-05:00Brain in a JarWhile we're watching the <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2017/08/bones-iv.html">current Reaper Bones Kickstarter</a>, here's an item from the previous Kickstarter that I painted up.<br />
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Just like it says on the label, a mechanically animated jar wired to the brain therein. Dig that translucent plastic for the jar.<br />
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The metal parts of the jar were painted with silver paint, then drybrushed with medium brown and dark red for a rusted look before getting my standard blackwash. The result is a little more steampunk than I anticipated, but I quite like it.<br />
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The brain is attached to the lid, and both can be removed for closer biological inspection. This piece is a gift for someone who is, let's say, in the brain business, so I got some pointers for proper anatomical coloration. Any liberties observed should be interpreted as creative license by the artist.<br />
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Rear view of the yellowish cerebellum and medulla, as distinct from the somewhat pink cortex. The wet look was achieved with a layer a Future shine.<br />
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Sven and the very big brain. It's too big for any gaming I'd do, but it'll make for a fun trinket in some brainiac's office.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-3076219677914333112017-08-01T12:03:00.001-05:002017-08-13T22:58:25.270-05:00Bones IV!The <i>fourth (</i>fourth!) <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-4-mr-bones-epic-adventure">Kickstarter for Reaper Miniatures</a> popular line of affordable plastic minis has just begun. Anything cool for the 1/72 scale fantasy miniaturist? Let's find out!<br />
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8/1 update: Okay, lets see what we actually have here so far. Lots of humans, of course, which look great but of course aren't any good for 1/72. That dragon looks impressive but is probably much bigger than anything I'm after. However, the owlbear, rat ogre, and dire beasts could probably work. Most interesting are the smaller minis; all the goblins, including the armored goblins, could work as 1/72 scale orcs, and the "minitaurs" look great as 1/72 beastmen.<br />
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8/2 update: Stretch goals seem to be coming in a bit slower than years previous. However, this Kickstarter is going to run for over a month, so maybe Reaper is trying to find the right pace. It's a little less exciting to observe, but it's certainly also less hectic for the Reaper staff. I'm glad to see more kobolds, though I can't believe that in four Kickstarter we <i>still</i> don't have any ranged units! The devils and trolls also look like they'd be great for larger monsters in 1/72.<br />
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8/13 update: Back from vacation. Nothing seems to have changed too much, considering we're now about a third of the way through (remember, pledging now unlocks stretch goals faster!). I do like some of the larger pieces that have been revealed, the wyvern, griffon, and upcoming "cave dwellers" in the core set, plus the optional trolls and skeletal monsters. The upcoming "tree of despair" is interesting: the tree itself is more or less scale-proof, and the vultures it comes with would probably look okay with 1/72 figures; they might actually be a little large, but wouldn't look it at the table.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-27483329777479922632017-07-24T23:34:00.002-05:002017-07-24T23:34:45.115-05:00Made-for-scale terrain in 1/72Obviously I've been on a bit of <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/terrain">terrain kick</a> lately. Most of the stuff I've been discussing lately isn't actually made for 1/72 scale, the preferred scale of this blog, but there are actually plenty of options native to the scale. Let's discuss them, starting with some plastic sets.<br />
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Imex has a lot of great detail sets, the <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=188">Battlefield Accessories</a> and <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=602">Southwest/Alamo</a> Accessories being particularly useful. Below are fences from the Battlefield set and a well (on the left) from the Alamo set.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFM7q-c29m-fC8U_ZJF-Tw1Xaoj50f1JxgIVbwPk8w8Yvec32feG0vJttSca3wRB4tASIF4gS9WNwTEGOeV3y4AUyc5IUqY_egnLK901_GbMed4buypFTA-NGRcu-HmPw_V7JoGRNP9o/s1600/fences1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="767" data-original-width="1600" height="153" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZFM7q-c29m-fC8U_ZJF-Tw1Xaoj50f1JxgIVbwPk8w8Yvec32feG0vJttSca3wRB4tASIF4gS9WNwTEGOeV3y4AUyc5IUqY_egnLK901_GbMed4buypFTA-NGRcu-HmPw_V7JoGRNP9o/s320/fences1.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iz0JhDq0C79gnls2XcsyC1EXDqFy8iyUXpwT8Og4_qhyphenhyphen9tRLNOJh8-FYDI4WpElXDjtwZ3CBVZPpX9yPOjhf0zE1WCGjsyt4Jbs3ucM7R7YTsUeBpUnPgOlsSQE91Y7xoar2XahU9JY/s1600/fences3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="900" data-original-width="1600" height="180" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2iz0JhDq0C79gnls2XcsyC1EXDqFy8iyUXpwT8Og4_qhyphenhyphen9tRLNOJh8-FYDI4WpElXDjtwZ3CBVZPpX9yPOjhf0zE1WCGjsyt4Jbs3ucM7R7YTsUeBpUnPgOlsSQE91Y7xoar2XahU9JY/s320/fences3.JPG" width="320" /></a>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZSuuF9j4JsIeKJL1KvMKjuINfihQ0BSIbhF-WkY0jRVkoAK_wt1FFtD1YvmC16xRk1NncA2jcnVaBTmlkQzdtcJEMxkOwPEcPj2YSPvDuNWv11tTJ1_UP9ADizSQaRFES9lavk9itIc/s1600/well-compare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="730" data-original-width="1600" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpZSuuF9j4JsIeKJL1KvMKjuINfihQ0BSIbhF-WkY0jRVkoAK_wt1FFtD1YvmC16xRk1NncA2jcnVaBTmlkQzdtcJEMxkOwPEcPj2YSPvDuNWv11tTJ1_UP9ADizSQaRFES9lavk9itIc/s320/well-compare.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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The other well above is from Italeri's <a href="http://www.italeri.com/scheda.asp?idProdotto=1925">Desert Tents</a> set. Italeri also has an <a href="http://shop.italeri.com/Products/11365-6146-urban-accessories.aspx">Urban Accessories</a> kit that is mostly modern but very useable for all kinds of games. Linear-B's civilian sets often come with accessories; their <a href="http://www.plasticsoldierreview.com/Review.aspx?id=2175">Roman Tavern</a> has a lot of good stuff for fantasy gamers, taverns of course being common locations in such games.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudnV-IS35MBsjDE0cVhChDHB5qEdRVX0LcRyK49t0BLFRjfSiQgQ7dgd_W8VQ8oaYvonos8nSwCX5JJFvzN8gpH5M8JBQBmRG2_qQJFmBbFhlzb6E_FD3EHkT_9ars17ol-UeEimtIok/s1600/72fountain-compare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="871" data-original-width="1600" height="217" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudnV-IS35MBsjDE0cVhChDHB5qEdRVX0LcRyK49t0BLFRjfSiQgQ7dgd_W8VQ8oaYvonos8nSwCX5JJFvzN8gpH5M8JBQBmRG2_qQJFmBbFhlzb6E_FD3EHkT_9ars17ol-UeEimtIok/s400/72fountain-compare.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Fountains from Italeri's <i>Urban Accessories</i> set.</td></tr>
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There are many more options in metal and plastic. In 20mm scale, there's the metal <a href="http://www.cpmodelsminiatures.co.uk/TQD%20CASTINGS%20WWII%20MOVABLE%20OBJECTS.htm">Moveable Objects</a> line from CP Models and the resin <a href="http://www.frontlinewargaming.co.uk/20other.html">Blitz Bits</a> line from Frontline Wargaming. <a href="https://sites.google.com/site/phersuminiatures/galleries/ancient-accessories">Phersu Miniatures</a> and <a href="https://www.fredericus-rex.eu/en/Scale-1-72-Figures-Buildings-Plants-Flag-s/Manufacturer-Scale-1-72/Nikolai-Exclusive-Modeling-1-72-Figures/Accessories/">Nikolai Modelling</a> also have lines of resin 1/72 scale accessories. <a href="http://www.baueda.com/logistics.html#LGS1">Baueda's line of "supplies"</a> is billed as working for "15-28mm" scale, and since 1/72 falls in that range, I'm including them here!<br />
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I don't have any examples of these sets. They are unfortunately hard for me to come by, as they are not only fairly pricey, they are also all made in Europe and not sold in the same shops, so shipping would be crazy for me (though with the pound historically weak to the dollar, this might be the best time to go for it). If anyone gets ahold of these and can sell to me in a batch, drop me a line!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-3872051806215632472017-07-17T18:05:00.002-05:002017-07-17T18:50:32.532-05:00Crate work, everyone!Hey, speaking of terrain:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m6XpO5TFddOTitO0X7b7Np4Tdn0DlEXG0lH65QrOQdw7HdGLMCRVTMUMvTLKqGHCxiTa6xW7dqxJV8d4zsqq-Y6j4JwE6HM7yvq5REomgly08mOZgw90KBs0H5KwdQOxBIrYQdGijwc/s1600/crates1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="940" data-original-width="1600" height="376" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj9m6XpO5TFddOTitO0X7b7Np4Tdn0DlEXG0lH65QrOQdw7HdGLMCRVTMUMvTLKqGHCxiTa6xW7dqxJV8d4zsqq-Y6j4JwE6HM7yvq5REomgly08mOZgw90KBs0H5KwdQOxBIrYQdGijwc/s640/crates1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Crates! These are a mix of Reaper Bones plastic and Rebel Miniatures resin. Painted up pretty quickly using something like the techniques <a href="http://forum.reapermini.com/index.php?/topic/74254-77319-bones-table-and-benches/">described in this thread</a>. I use mostly Delta Ceramcoat craft paints: here I did a base coat of Burnt Umber, then a heavy drybrush of Raw Sienna, lighter drybrushes of Straw and white, then another light drybrush with Raw Sienna again to balance the lighter colors. Then my standard <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search?q=magic+wash">"magic" black wash</a>. Ecce, mirabiles!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYj3uB45URm1zM_Y___tG79vUJDzku1ZBB4HSEvd0WOhPskhoZRD5_ezlCPn7imOWrBLiMcwgqAFZyPwO7ncHGgA51FRpRhl8u3XNSkoYoVlbX3-jGth2nwvNsDM-7_6MSQ8TnDxtM6g/s1600/crates2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="480" data-original-width="1600" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNYj3uB45URm1zM_Y___tG79vUJDzku1ZBB4HSEvd0WOhPskhoZRD5_ezlCPn7imOWrBLiMcwgqAFZyPwO7ncHGgA51FRpRhl8u3XNSkoYoVlbX3-jGth2nwvNsDM-7_6MSQ8TnDxtM6g/s640/crates2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Sven, who remember is about 1 inch tall, among the Reaper crates. These have a lot of great detail but somehow became noticeably warped. The leftmost crate is obviously askew here.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKvRZY2SvY3EpnUeaC3FFYIOfmuTZU8lRxx0OWaGpiSH4d2bM_eyK5owI7BtyW3ygzWv_JnpcjAObON5Xn5BinY2tzxk7PMWrcifuhnzx3Prczcy9UpINWz_WyoqinaUkW7yeq0iEhzQ/s1600/crates3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="370" data-original-width="1600" height="146" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjdKvRZY2SvY3EpnUeaC3FFYIOfmuTZU8lRxx0OWaGpiSH4d2bM_eyK5owI7BtyW3ygzWv_JnpcjAObON5Xn5BinY2tzxk7PMWrcifuhnzx3Prczcy9UpINWz_WyoqinaUkW7yeq0iEhzQ/s640/crates3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The Rebel Minis crates. These also have pretty good detail, and the resin of course isn't going to warp like the PVC plastic Bones are made of. Unfortunately, some bubbles must have formed when these were cast, leaving some rather bad pockmarks on some of these.<br />
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Despite these flaws, they look pretty good as a group.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS3FH3WS93lx6wzAMF5__QqlubYozub4K789-N7PaMeJP7jPb_vXUdEDGGIbukw_BRZ7OjnBHnbd0SXtaUCC1mkjEfkxVdSyN1ki0_JzvVun69hxaPEAuEEdjMdQmgmGrmtaFxBsYSkM/s1600/crates4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="1600" height="177" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiDS3FH3WS93lx6wzAMF5__QqlubYozub4K789-N7PaMeJP7jPb_vXUdEDGGIbukw_BRZ7OjnBHnbd0SXtaUCC1mkjEfkxVdSyN1ki0_JzvVun69hxaPEAuEEdjMdQmgmGrmtaFxBsYSkM/s400/crates4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sven playing hide-and-seek.</td></tr>
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I painted up a few more of the Reaper crates as cargo for my son's toy trains. Painting minis is tricky without a base to hold onto! I added an extra layer of Future Shine for added durability during play. They need a blast of Dullcoat, but it's been too hot for spraying.<br />
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And yes, my son painted those hopper cars himself!<br />
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P.S. I hope all my dear readers remember that I also have an RPG design blog, which isn't <i>entirely</i> moribund. I just started a series of posts on <a href="http://heartbreaker-rpg.blogspot.com/2017/07/take-initiative-please.html">initiative checks</a>, which will hopefully <i>initiate</i> more RPG blogging in the near future. Remember that the link to new posts can always be found in the sidebar.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-66221329182053637782017-06-27T19:41:00.001-05:002017-06-27T19:41:28.424-05:00Terrain Depot (Twisting Catacombs comparisons)Last month I mentioned <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2017/05/terrain-kickstarters.html">two Kickstarters</a> for terrain projects, one new, one old. The new one is <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/terraincrate-plastic-affordable-fantasy-terrain/description">TerrainCrate</a> from Mantic Games, a line of hard plastic terrain in 28mm scale for fantasy gamers. The Kickstarter is officially over, but today they've <a href="https://terraincrate.backerkit.com/">released their pledge manager</a>, and with it have begun their "late backer" program. This means that if you missed out on the Kickstarter, you can still get in on the goodies while the pledge manager is open. Just click the link, then click the "Pre-order Now" button. Terrain is often quite adaptable to different scales, and I backed this one in the hope that at least some of these pieces look good in 1/72 scale. Do check it out!<br />
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Adaptability is what I had in mind a few years ago when I late-backed the "old" terrain Kickstarter I mentioned. <a href="http://zealotminiatures.com/zealot-shop/#!/Scenery/c/23326032/offset=0&sort=normal">Twisting Catacombs</a> by Zealot Miniatures is a line of 28mm hard resin terrain. It's more expensive that the TerrainCrate pieces promise to be, but also a lot more detailed. I specifically chose the tiniest pieces they had, with the idea that they would more readily look the part for 1/72 scale. Of course I pride myself on scale pedantry, but even I know that when you're dealing with very small pieces, a few millimeters often doesn't make that much of a difference. But is that always the case? Let's compare!<br />
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Let's start with these steins. Now if you look with even just a little care, these are too big to be 1/72 scale. The things are bigger than Sven's head, and while such <a href="http://www.germansteins.com/product_images/uploaded_images/large-german-beer-stein-by-king-werk.jpg">vessels exist</a>, they aren't typical. But if you're not thinking too hard about it, looking down on the table during...whatever gaming situation calls for tactical representations of covered beer mugs, I think they'll look fine. (The table, by the way, is a kit found in Strelets Napoleonic Camp set. It's a truly awful kit, with tons of flash and poorly-fitting parts, but it's the only 1/72 scale table of this size in plastic I'm aware of.)<br />
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These goblets and potion bottles are even better. The Linear-B nobleman in holding an in-scale goblet for comparison, and the smallest goblet is just about the same size. The potion bottles are supposed to represent tiny vials, so technically they are a bit too large, but they'd be microscopic in 1/72 scale and pose no problems as far as believability is concerned.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N7WIEgq65koW0HfN7AmEN7zxiRLLrcUS0HwL0B_bA2r_nrMgoP7W4Hf-tVdtim5ZWRz-bScUwo30wlxw4LLC7sU54HMGk7mV8mEXQRI3xcd1-ARGo0_aOCGmFK7fQzB4warEB_blCtU/s1600/food2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="403" data-original-width="1600" height="100" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5N7WIEgq65koW0HfN7AmEN7zxiRLLrcUS0HwL0B_bA2r_nrMgoP7W4Hf-tVdtim5ZWRz-bScUwo30wlxw4LLC7sU54HMGk7mV8mEXQRI3xcd1-ARGo0_aOCGmFK7fQzB4warEB_blCtU/s400/food2.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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These food items, on the other hand, push credulity a little bit. The cheese and apple on the plate are big but don't <i>seem</i> big, and the pumpkins could of course just be large pumpkins. I can even buy the hamhock as a large specimen in 1/72. But the bread and the pie are just gigantic, and the cutlery is the size of Sven's axe!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFhwJDShb9M9IrYHAZFcMO_9Ttda2gBDR3aXJF34-huYd62rVjC9VP4V9t96s6fpckeJUXGZhBa0G5ZcfZCOIm0XFXplwBhHLKirrZdvLc8G42ULw-Y3WmwbWsKjzCA5ITLWFgq24_tQ/s1600/desk1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="880" data-original-width="1600" height="176" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkFhwJDShb9M9IrYHAZFcMO_9Ttda2gBDR3aXJF34-huYd62rVjC9VP4V9t96s6fpckeJUXGZhBa0G5ZcfZCOIm0XFXplwBhHLKirrZdvLc8G42ULw-Y3WmwbWsKjzCA5ITLWFgq24_tQ/s320/desk1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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We see a similar issue with these desk items. The bladed implements are supposed to be augurs or letter-openers, but look like swords. Way too big for 1/72. Same goes for the scroll, which is longer than Sven's leg! It could maybe work as an objective marker, though. The hourglass is also very large, but perhaps believable as just a very large hourglass in scale.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5JMchgN5v4KLSm13Bj5uB7tW6Rg-wFdYtZYR2C3mMm63F_h7jsxAI2l6ax2tR_JeTquKPr4TOSkp4COg8Bk6MhAi3TR83WCg-zPVSUD8hEpFZqeB0Hx7CwWmBd2jpHNFND3S0FWGN3Y/s1600/books1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="492" data-original-width="1600" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhN5JMchgN5v4KLSm13Bj5uB7tW6Rg-wFdYtZYR2C3mMm63F_h7jsxAI2l6ax2tR_JeTquKPr4TOSkp4COg8Bk6MhAi3TR83WCg-zPVSUD8hEpFZqeB0Hx7CwWmBd2jpHNFND3S0FWGN3Y/s640/books1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-lqwt4W7cu0h4Y1J6J646sSEOQ5euY8ZakfyGmwYGX-Blphrf3jCT2CqUw7w5RON-Y4jH7_iynXXofOqShTokqVO4KVQkcXi-l7Lo4zeLwP-g5wOIJx-n1m58LqZHWfXVupLm8OLCuQ/s1600/books2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="475" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiU-lqwt4W7cu0h4Y1J6J646sSEOQ5euY8ZakfyGmwYGX-Blphrf3jCT2CqUw7w5RON-Y4jH7_iynXXofOqShTokqVO4KVQkcXi-l7Lo4zeLwP-g5wOIJx-n1m58LqZHWfXVupLm8OLCuQ/s640/books2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The books are interesting in terms of adaptability to scale. The biggest is of course quite large, but old books could be <a href="https://www.ilab.org/eng/documentation/642-book_sizes_and_taking_advantage_of_bald_men.html">all sorts of sizes</a>; the largest ones could easily be large folios. And the smaller ones look just great for 1/72 scale. Books can be so many different sizes in the real world that models of books are almost scale-proof. (The two plastic pieces to Sven's left are harvested from various bases from Games Workshop's "Mines of Moria" set. The comparison shows the advantages that Zealot's resin casting has over plastic injection in terms of detail. I haven't had a chance to mention just how <i>good</i> these pieces look, as I think even my inept miniature photography shows.)<br />
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One more tabletop detail is this crystal ball, cast partially in clear resin. Totally believable in 1/72 scale. I always imagine crystal balls in movies to be a lot bigger than they often are, which I think it what sells this piece for me.<br />
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Moving to the floor now with these packs of supplies. Here's a case where the excellent detail of these pieces may be a disadvantage in terms of scale adaptability. In the aggregate they look fine, but if you look very closely, you'll see that some of these supplies look pretty darn big. That bow on the right is as tall as Sven! But on the whole, I think these are very adaptable.<br />
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Finally, some traps and switches. The trapdoor to the left is another "Mines of Moria" piece for comparison. The switches look excellent. Like the books, switches can be so many different sizes that scale matters a lot less.<br />
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I was prepared to wrap this post up with a little bit on terrain made for 1-72/20mm scale, but it turned out to be a bigger topic that deserves its own post. Coming soon!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-33691534346347351802017-06-14T18:06:00.000-05:002017-06-14T22:28:31.746-05:00Battlelore Minis for 1/72 scale<i>Interested in these figures? I'm selling a bunch on <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/p/cheap-fantasy-minis-stuff-for-sale.html">my sales page</a>, along with other minis, including from the recently-fulfilled Bones 3 Kickstarter!</i><br />
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Battlelore is a tactical minis board game produced by Fantasy Flight games that's gone through a couple editions. The first edition was set in a generic fantasy world, while the current second edition is set in the slightly less generic world of Terrinoth, home to Fantasy Flight's Runebound, Rune Wars, and Descent games. The core game and its expansions were on sale at huge markdowns at Fantasy Flight's webstore and at Cool Stuff Inc. at the end of last year, leading to some speculation that Fantasy Flight intends to stop support if not production of these games. But it was an excellent opportunity to stock up on some very interesting fantasy minis.<br />
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Why the interest? Because I knew that the minis were <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/09/miscellania.html">sort-of-kind-of close to 1/72 scale</a>, the preferred scale of this blog. How close? Let's take a look.<br />
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The core game comes with two factions, the first of which are the noble paladin-people, the Daqan. Shown here are minis from the core game and from the Daqan expansion, "Hernfar Guardians."<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri-7f0DeQMllQqFWfgclQZCqWBuh1fETah6sq_R8YDdn9eiZElraMgYCnhUeJYASAWng2XGrlYQqmN7QLvIQhn8yb1KbbYXHsc3w-wmMBASszCvQpyLYIrrY1V-XgEJbbJBdHylyI2Z4/s1600/daqan1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="388" data-original-width="1600" height="154" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgri-7f0DeQMllQqFWfgclQZCqWBuh1fETah6sq_R8YDdn9eiZElraMgYCnhUeJYASAWng2XGrlYQqmN7QLvIQhn8yb1KbbYXHsc3w-wmMBASszCvQpyLYIrrY1V-XgEJbbJBdHylyI2Z4/s640/daqan1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">An Ironbound, Greyhaven mage, Citadel Guard, and Yeoman Archer. The core game comes with the guards and archers; the expansion has the Ironbound, mages, and extra guards. They seem close in size to Sven, with similarly proportioned features, but note that Sven the comparison viking is on a taller base, meaning the Battlelore minis are actually a bit larger. But they're close!</td></tr>
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0qsoNWDigNmLXw-Tm_K9AG6Zuc-F2gd1_FVhbsEdQYqtXh4zfcBgCJ6JPXKfPl0dWLcu1xBwjOZp-8-DuJLKgmNGKdenuNpRnXqdZ6Rm1n7EhpvxEGiWIfxce6woRykm_8onH3jsCmI/s1600/daqan2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="434" data-original-width="1600" height="172" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc0qsoNWDigNmLXw-Tm_K9AG6Zuc-F2gd1_FVhbsEdQYqtXh4zfcBgCJ6JPXKfPl0dWLcu1xBwjOZp-8-DuJLKgmNGKdenuNpRnXqdZ6Rm1n7EhpvxEGiWIfxce6woRykm_8onH3jsCmI/s640/daqan2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Rune Golem, Riverwatch Rider, and Citadel Lancer, with an Eagle Games horse for comparison. The golem and rider are from the core set, the lancer from the expansion. The horses are noticeably bigger, though their human riders are actually about Sven-sized.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1JToWFFPbMxLsGvLuvGigSmHFtZcUNgZtvFlLWDpcYN8A69MBRJGDu7eMjBvw2SA6bmUHID6bIi34MN3lbS7QGck53sFTxVMx24W742ZNKlPGRO-6-Wau1kFaDhMx2DXBGOTwVzPOqI/s1600/daqan3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="847" data-original-width="1600" height="210" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgi1JToWFFPbMxLsGvLuvGigSmHFtZcUNgZtvFlLWDpcYN8A69MBRJGDu7eMjBvw2SA6bmUHID6bIi34MN3lbS7QGck53sFTxVMx24W742ZNKlPGRO-6-Wau1kFaDhMx2DXBGOTwVzPOqI/s400/daqan3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The large "Legend" figures: a Siege Golem from the expansion and a Roc Warrior from the core game. The riders are almost exactly 1/72 scale, and the large critters they ride look great next to Sven.</td></tr>
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The other faction from the core game are the Uthuk, barbaric chaos-types who are into blood magic, demons, and other such ickiness. Shown here are figures from the core game and the Uthuk expansion, "Warband of Scorn."<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCALPuNZnoj6eusMEN3sz3E8377aW6IQPpuaCmzqcaggSXSY06hAbqNUO23gtDmseE4GREsBnf9er6YIShcHO9DSp5MK0QXA0Arh8QejWuz5TZBBXcii_1fYnqz2VKZ4NwJ4GaOoDnJ54/s1600/uthuk1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="425" data-original-width="1600" height="168" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCALPuNZnoj6eusMEN3sz3E8377aW6IQPpuaCmzqcaggSXSY06hAbqNUO23gtDmseE4GREsBnf9er6YIShcHO9DSp5MK0QXA0Arh8QejWuz5TZBBXcii_1fYnqz2VKZ4NwJ4GaOoDnJ54/s640/uthuk1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Viper Legion, Blood Sister, Berserker, and Blood Harvester. The core game includes the Legion and Harvesters, while the expansion includes the Berserkers, Blood Sisters, and extra Harvesters. Like the Daqan, these human figures are actually just a bit bigger than Sven, though perhaps they are close enough.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHbbOTifnT0ODJkNvucK5_kIB-a1006J7c7ulfaGIGoEHnPL5yNB6mhiuaDzYM8gK_BuKh6CzhnxCNNzNOHmRFHqYv3hfJaWQahyphenhyphenQrE9M4Qqdvwz5Xxo5BMdUiQHy5h58bHhuRVc8apo/s1600/uthuk2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="548" data-original-width="1600" height="218" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKHbbOTifnT0ODJkNvucK5_kIB-a1006J7c7ulfaGIGoEHnPL5yNB6mhiuaDzYM8gK_BuKh6CzhnxCNNzNOHmRFHqYv3hfJaWQahyphenhyphenQrE9M4Qqdvwz5Xxo5BMdUiQHy5h58bHhuRVc8apo/s640/uthuk2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Grotesque, Obscene, and Flesh Ripper Brute. The Grotesque is from the expansion; the Obscene and Brute are from the core game. These larger creatures look fine next to Sven. If anything the Obscene almost seems too small!</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSqD_TsuvY4X_HmVxMC19AwhuiWssdgXsGDmRAErvemAA_E5FUyCUqMiLH2jEiPlH6zvofVle97DT9QsrH6Qtx9t-bANR443isDFQ7kw_ud_3C-EGmbpX6kjhD2i2-vC6wRLBPWWOtyI/s1600/uthuk3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="764" data-original-width="1600" height="190" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgeSqD_TsuvY4X_HmVxMC19AwhuiWssdgXsGDmRAErvemAA_E5FUyCUqMiLH2jEiPlH6zvofVle97DT9QsrH6Qtx9t-bANR443isDFQ7kw_ud_3C-EGmbpX6kjhD2i2-vC6wRLBPWWOtyI/s400/uthuk3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legends: The Chaos Lord from the core game, and the beetley Doombringer from the expansion.</td></tr>
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The third faction, the necromancy/undead themed Waiqar, is available in two expansion sets. The first was Heralds of Dreadfall, the second was Terrors of the Mists.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyCauApdwzBiShdX6MdBtXuu9T_xvMf_wfFtSCRdgubQjV99-AKwHOnEemAY0LdFoGUuQWkL9ITw_LeaM5-sBAMmJwI2D2xSiiaXQ-qubfaCE-1yPK7VjTHFj2z1gh-0mGfiex-pJ9L4/s1600/waiqir1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="348" data-original-width="1600" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhKyCauApdwzBiShdX6MdBtXuu9T_xvMf_wfFtSCRdgubQjV99-AKwHOnEemAY0LdFoGUuQWkL9ITw_LeaM5-sBAMmJwI2D2xSiiaXQ-qubfaCE-1yPK7VjTHFj2z1gh-0mGfiex-pJ9L4/s640/waiqir1.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Skeleton Archer, Reanimate, Necromancer, and Bone Horror. The first set includes the archers and Reanimates; the second has the Necromancers, Horrors, and more Reanimates. Included here for comparison are two painted skeletons from Caesar Miniatures undead set. The Caesar figures are just a bit shorter than Sven, but are noticeably shorter than the Battlelore figures. This perhaps shows why I'm hesitant to recommend these figures as complements to a 1/72 scale fantasy collection. On the other hand, the Bone Horror looks just fine as a 1/72 scale boney aberration.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyme-dB41Eig-rmT8WKWcLLCIQZPRJO5ph1e-098UAcljxnCFlWuMHZrlVf39y588UJOjELECy5B6jzgDkHB0B2j3tcjsrjt8nwdaRKDGEWspFeXD6QBO-VjMSQxX_7n0knPo2AAW9qQc/s1600/waiqir2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="439" data-original-width="1600" height="174" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyme-dB41Eig-rmT8WKWcLLCIQZPRJO5ph1e-098UAcljxnCFlWuMHZrlVf39y588UJOjELECy5B6jzgDkHB0B2j3tcjsrjt8nwdaRKDGEWspFeXD6QBO-VjMSQxX_7n0knPo2AAW9qQc/s640/waiqir2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Wraith, Barghest (actually two figures per base), and Death Knight, with an Eagle Games horse for comparison. The Wraith and Knight are from the first set; the Barghests from the second. As with the Daqan cavalry, the Death Knight horse is much bigger than the 1/72 scale horse. The Wraith is huge! You could probably mod it so it isn't so big, though you'd probably lose the cool bands of tattered cloth in the process. Or it can just be a really big ghost.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><img border="0" data-original-height="955" data-original-width="1600" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhudN68bQIgC1P9UfaxTgeixo5MDn_aOAmoieRr_EC-Tzc_V2J9ZW-FarI_2uP1vEwS54P6astoI33pmFBDkayg9JAi8MPXWtsOa3FQ00w6FoaSChGDxBdspdvAQOJO0BOoWqQXWJhmac4/s400/waiqir3.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" width="400" /></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Legends: A Banshee from the second set, and a Barrow Wyrm from the first. The Banshee is about as big as the Wraith, and its skeletal minders are closer to Sven-sized than the Reanimates. The Barrow Worm looks just as big as an undead dragon ought to.</td></tr>
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Conclusions? These are some great-looking pieces, and the larger figures are for the most part unobjectionable. How you feel about the humanoid and cavalry figures for 1/72 scale is pretty much a matter of taste. They are just a bit too big for my taste, but I'm decidedly a pedant about scale. If you like the look of these, it's definitely worth picking up, especially if they go on sale again.<br />
<br />1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-83243087449131491502017-06-06T22:42:00.001-05:002017-06-06T22:44:14.009-05:00Bones III for 1/72 scaleSince starting Cheap Fantasy Minis a few years ago, I've gone through 3 Kickstarters expanding Reaper Miniatures excellent Bones line of cheap plastic minis. While they are standard-sized gaming minis, I've found that many of them are readily adaptable to 1/72 scale, the preferred scale of this blog. For this <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1513061270/reaper-miniatures-bones-3-the-search-for-mr-bones">most recent Kickstarter</a>, I skipped the core set and went for the Stoneskull and the Graveyard expansion, plus a few extra add-ons. The expansions had a lot more small minis and terrain pieces, which I find are best for adapting to 1/72.<br />
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My sets arrived last week, so I've taken some comparison shots of the more interesting minis.<br />
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The Stoneskull expansion includes six new kobold sculpts, four of which are shown here. I was worried that they might be too large, like the kobold leaders from the <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/04/bones-ii-minis-for-172-scale.html">second Bones Kickstarter</a>, but they look great. If anything they are a tick smaller and more delicately featured than the original Bones kobolds, making them even better suited for 1/72 gaming. Shown for comparison are one of the original Bones kobolds, plus an unpainted kobold from the Wrath of Ashardalon game.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcp0Qrh065YjYSOSkrirem0lqLtsumRY5ojkZ_VgBB2CRbMaoAtv8mUSIHYiG5JKvEKy7Y1smWjXWFK4RA05xcFcLlFz0Fi1VrOPeMRzpl3RAgpQX5f4dP1QkxadvqdQhF_UqNmWmGQM/s1600/goblins-pygmies.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="333" data-original-width="1600" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEglcp0Qrh065YjYSOSkrirem0lqLtsumRY5ojkZ_VgBB2CRbMaoAtv8mUSIHYiG5JKvEKy7Y1smWjXWFK4RA05xcFcLlFz0Fi1VrOPeMRzpl3RAgpQX5f4dP1QkxadvqdQhF_UqNmWmGQM/s640/goblins-pygmies.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Other small critters from the Stoneskull set include the gremlins on the left and the "veggie-pygmies" on the right. A Caesar Miniatures goblin is shown for comparison. I'm not sure what a veggie-pygmy is, or what use I'd have for them, but they're just a little under human-sized even in 1/72 scale.<br />
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"Stitch golems" on the left; "grave minions" from the Graveyard set on the right. The stitch golems are a little chunky-looking but just about the size of Sven. Similarly, the graveyard minions have somewhat large heads and hands but are otherwise human-sized. As mockeries of human form, they look just fine!<br />
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Plant monsters: A "saproling," and a couple of "death star lillies." The saproling is just a bit bigger than Sven, which is what I'd expect from a modestly-sized tree monster. The lillies look big enough for Sven to fit inside, if he gets too close.<br />
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Getting a little bigger. Here we have a naga from the Stoneskull set and a "carrion worm" from the Graveyard set. These would be just a little bigger than Reaper-sized humans but look suitably monstrous next to Sven.<br />
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Even bigger: a flesh golem, minotaur, and larger stitch golem from Stoneskull, plus one of the ogres from the core set. I always like when large minis are looking down, like the minotaur is doing here. It makes it look like they're sizing up smaller adversaries like Sven.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQJn5OHel3ZlFlqIxtRVwF1cOc3AkmEzvv9l9qAd4zd30rF6lE4_dd65kBgrwqPDWZWit-YjYcnN2trTY3moMDL7lAOIAQVxpTRnyAXbIxKig2oiCD9iRxfoLtewh0LMC-Hw2g2iHqc4/s1600/huguns.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="808" data-original-width="1600" height="201" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMQJn5OHel3ZlFlqIxtRVwF1cOc3AkmEzvv9l9qAd4zd30rF6lE4_dd65kBgrwqPDWZWit-YjYcnN2trTY3moMDL7lAOIAQVxpTRnyAXbIxKig2oiCD9iRxfoLtewh0LMC-Hw2g2iHqc4/s400/huguns.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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Finally, the biggest: an absolutely titanic iron golem, and a clear plastic air elemental. The latter should make a fine companion to the <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/06/fire-and-water.html">fire and water elementals</a> from the previous Kickstarters.<br />
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I expect that soon after Reaper finishes fulfilling the current Kickstarter, the Kickstarter for Bones IV: I Can't Believe We're Doing <i>Another</i> One will launch soon after. I'm not sure I have the scratch to back this one (depends on how well I do on <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/p/cheap-fantasy-minis-stuff-for-sale.html">my sales page!</a>), but I'll definitely keep an eye on it and live-blog updates. In the meantime, <a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/hHKoL">check out this gallery</a> for a preview.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-56131498863118252372017-05-19T22:17:00.000-05:002017-05-19T22:17:53.332-05:00Bandits<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I finally painted something this year!</div>
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Bandits, or peasant partisans, or village militia, etc. They're a mix of Zvezda peasants and Hat/Airfix Robin Hood figures with a few mods, as I first showed off <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/08/guards-and-bandits-and-bondic.html">back in August</a> (ugh). They look pretty good as a group, but let's take a closer look.<br />
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Melee dudes. You can see that the Zvezda figures are similar in style but noticeably taller. My wife asked me one time if I ever tried painting non-Caucasian figures. I pointed out that most of my figures had green skin, but she had a point that all my humans so far were people of pallor, so I tried a darker skin tone on some of these.<br />
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The Lord of Loxley himself, plus a fiddler, converted from a sitting Imex pioneer figure with some legs pilfered from one of the Merry Men. I'm pretty pleased with how seamless it looks.<br />
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Ranged units. The Zvezda slinger and archer with the mondo longbow absolutely tower over their Airfix counterparts, alas.<br />
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I've got a few more post ideas lined up, plus the guards I started at the same time I started the bandit project to finish up. Stay tuned!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-14927399482211435422017-05-12T23:42:00.000-05:002017-06-24T18:52:46.224-05:00Terrain KickstartersA few years ago, the hotness in fantasy minis Kickstarters was <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1207385459/twisting-catacombs-miniature-dungeon-scenery">Twisting Catacombs</a>, a series of resin terrain pieces for dungeons and such by Zealot Miniatures. They are 28mm scale, but I was curious if some of the smaller pieces would look okay in 1/72, the <i>official</i> CFM scale. They had all kinds of fiddly bits like food and tankards and bottles that I thought would look, if not exactly in scale, close enough to work at the table. I was a very late backer, and with the vagaries of Kickstarter fulfillment, I only just got my order a month ago, and have been meaning to take some comparison pics.<br />
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I have not done so :(. I intend to, but simply need to take the time. The reason I'm mentioning it now is because of <i>another</i> 28mm fantasy terrain Kickstarter that's still taking backers. <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1744629938/terraincrate-plastic-affordable-fantasy-terrain/description">TerrainCrate</a> is a project by Mantic Games, whom I didn't realize, in addition to aggressively competing with GamesWorkshop for great justice, was also quietly building a line of plastic terrain pieces. Obviously they're intending to blow up the line, marrying plastic and terrain for value, much like what Reaper Miniatures did for plastic and mini figures years ago with their Bones line. Anyway, the "crates" of terrain look like a fantastic value, and there are still a couple of days left to back the project. It's fairly certain that not everything will work with 1/72 pieces, but I'm hoping many of these plastic pieces might readily be modded or adapted.<br />
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PS: Speaking of Reaper and Kickstarters: Bones IV is coming! Reaper won't start it until they've finished fulfilling the <i>last</i> Bones Kickstarter, but you can check out <a href="http://imgur.com/gallery/hHKoL">this gallery</a> from a ReaperCon attendee to get a preview. It took me longer than it should have to realize the hut had legs (as described in legends).1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-36215470732647707952017-05-02T20:34:00.002-05:002017-05-02T20:34:29.045-05:00Stuff for Sale!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDReog82zB-5NASA3pBgtVGBXHf9ZHsz02Em-W4w9QDZZACkJKBPZOK5bPUJIxVrfMdGcXKz_um7RL0KKamv0tSjAdjNtHw4ehfXXVaQeCVI-CKu0oDkYlMwYCOXvEW1JnBVPu11p1Dgo/s1600/amazons-sprue.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDReog82zB-5NASA3pBgtVGBXHf9ZHsz02Em-W4w9QDZZACkJKBPZOK5bPUJIxVrfMdGcXKz_um7RL0KKamv0tSjAdjNtHw4ehfXXVaQeCVI-CKu0oDkYlMwYCOXvEW1JnBVPu11p1Dgo/s320/amazons-sprue.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
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Long time, no blog, but I finally got around to updating <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/p/cheap-fantasy-minis-stuff-for-sale.html">my sales page</a>. Check it out, not only for new 1/72 sprues, but for board game pieces from Battlelore 2nd Edition, Shadows of Brimstone, Arcane Legions, Temple of Elemental Evil, the World of Warcraft boardgame and lots more. I'm also selling a few old board games and RPG books that are worth a look. Plus, Reaper's Bones III Kickstarter should be shipping some time later this year, and I'll have a lot of stuff to add when it does!<br />
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I've actually had time to paint a bit lately so hopefully I'll have an actual finished project to share soon. I've also been acquiring a lot of minis lately (hence the sale) that I'd like to show off soon. Thanks for reading!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-2497677573532723382017-03-18T19:12:00.001-05:002017-03-19T15:08:17.150-05:00Storage Solutions<i>[RPG fans: Don't forget that I have a <a href="http://heartbreaker-rpg.blogspot.com/">stand-alone RPG blog</a>! I've been putting up a few new posts lately. Some are reposts from when I did RPG blogging on this blog, but there's also new content to check out. Please do so!]</i><br />
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One could say that <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/painting">I've painted a few minis</a>, but I was never too satisfied with how I was storing them. I have a few drawer sets atop my painting table, including a mini hardware set of the sort intended to store screws and washers and things like that. It stores most of my 1 inch high minis quite well, and each set can live in its own somewhat portable drawer, but I have a few problems with this system. For one, it's not a display solution; it hides my completed projects instead of showing them off. More importantly, these drawers aren't at all airtight. That's not a problem for bolts and nails, but for minis it means they get quite dusty. So over the past year I've been leaning toward a better way.<br />
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Let's start with my new approach to storage trays.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IHWUY4CbJMmYEkTgz_-4yV_aNsz9cDTRYDfUiWrx5c5eN6EAN-r1Cvki1IMZJRFHWScM3MRbG0ll3A4sn3-GVpccPpTh-frVsKjXwChQhG3ehM6XK8cBqRaYWN1sC35ZQKsxzN2QfKc/s1600/storage-tray.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="339" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9IHWUY4CbJMmYEkTgz_-4yV_aNsz9cDTRYDfUiWrx5c5eN6EAN-r1Cvki1IMZJRFHWScM3MRbG0ll3A4sn3-GVpccPpTh-frVsKjXwChQhG3ehM6XK8cBqRaYWN1sC35ZQKsxzN2QfKc/s640/storage-tray.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Special points if you know what you're looking at. It's an <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/arcane%20legions">Arcane Legions</a> movement tray, of the sort that I've accrued in a plethora. I cut and superglued a bit of magnetic sheeting to fit, the kind designed to let you print your own refrigerator magnets. The magnet is strong enough to keep my metal washer bases in place so long as they aren't rocked too hard. I can even turn some of my lighter figures upside-down and have them stick for a bit. This way I can keep my little troops together and move them all at once.</div>
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But I still needed a place to put them all.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGLHLCkeY7aEOa4G1LbbyYsIZnGEvc1ZmVDZk4zqADLFIlhbeqr49P598IEBgxtDAoKTyt-A57j-nUUA6GeUZbtStFmAblgM_ETTDqyWu6gaCYhJ0KoOQWfLuLAVn-OWIgs78Vhq_chs/s1600/storage1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiPGLHLCkeY7aEOa4G1LbbyYsIZnGEvc1ZmVDZk4zqADLFIlhbeqr49P598IEBgxtDAoKTyt-A57j-nUUA6GeUZbtStFmAblgM_ETTDqyWu6gaCYhJ0KoOQWfLuLAVn-OWIgs78Vhq_chs/s400/storage1.JPG" width="182" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJTOgBAIP9j1aHM4YF4W4RVxs4AIzvw47ZLr9MkjKPSlbFUC0Eye1ZmfJLLZg1Rbn6_1vLB4AUk5EivZtNMhnpMmQq4PfLGQ9pFj4OzavD30mr_AXkV3JS83D6KMcUT6IMRzIwkbRjfw/s1600/storage2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQJTOgBAIP9j1aHM4YF4W4RVxs4AIzvw47ZLr9MkjKPSlbFUC0Eye1ZmfJLLZg1Rbn6_1vLB4AUk5EivZtNMhnpMmQq4PfLGQ9pFj4OzavD30mr_AXkV3JS83D6KMcUT6IMRzIwkbRjfw/s400/storage2.JPG" width="225" /></a></div>
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It's an Ikea display case, dubbed a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50245665/">Hemnes</a>, to be specific. It was actually a Father's Day present from last year that I managed to finally build in the fall. It's a very nice piece, though I admit that the price tag is not exactly consistent with the Cheap Fantasy Minis ethos. I considered the cheaper <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/10119206/">Detolf</a> that is often mentioned for mini storage, but while I liked the unobstructed all-glass look, it has a number of gaps on the edges and is not at all air-tight. If I wanted a dust-free solution, I had to splurge a bit. I'd like to upgrade with a <a href="http://www.ikea.com/us/en/catalog/products/50192365/">Dioder</a> lighting kit, and possibly some more shelves, but it looks pretty good for now.<br />
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Let's see how everything looks up close. Sorry for the intense flash on these.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Ranks of little troopers.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUYq0aLShfpVMuRSvyrh8lHHoyrxCsxx9S1AtV7En5IBVyGXgeT6EuJRibMUN57Cgm2ZMTTlU48qt_uvPsTJot-jOgt4M3VtzmgoVIkzDJI2Rf-RtKv4DcOeF9u_JFUzt85PizlbNn4Q/s1600/storage4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="342" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJUYq0aLShfpVMuRSvyrh8lHHoyrxCsxx9S1AtV7En5IBVyGXgeT6EuJRibMUN57Cgm2ZMTTlU48qt_uvPsTJot-jOgt4M3VtzmgoVIkzDJI2Rf-RtKv4DcOeF9u_JFUzt85PizlbNn4Q/s640/storage4.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A mass of larger beasts.</td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZgmAuOqbu1yzX20x3eLJHUyNu4RKnpq7sxCQkZhkB6Cqy6CovX4Sc5jZcOHJUE4KK8Hx1l5Zp1hkH38fsLh_c_4XF3GYPE7xTaxbUcZ77E-o8zO5JZXbp3dp74Rz2jfjjlJW9rPNRXI/s1600/storage5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="327" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgWZgmAuOqbu1yzX20x3eLJHUyNu4RKnpq7sxCQkZhkB6Cqy6CovX4Sc5jZcOHJUE4KK8Hx1l5Zp1hkH38fsLh_c_4XF3GYPE7xTaxbUcZ77E-o8zO5JZXbp3dp74Rz2jfjjlJW9rPNRXI/s400/storage5.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">My small but growing collection of stony <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/terrain">terrain</a>.</td></tr>
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Regular CFM readers may realize that the three above shots do not represent <a href="https://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/painting">everything I have painted</a>. I need to make more magnetic trays and migrate everyone else to their new home. Ironically, that means that all those Arcane Legions movement trays I've collected, which were previously an albatross, are now in hot demand at the 1Mac household. Seriously, if any readers have any they'd like to be rid of, drop me a line!</div>
1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-69768317531474617272017-01-21T19:02:00.000-06:002017-06-24T18:52:46.229-05:00Fountain and BridgeHere are some terrain pieces I finally finished painting last weekend. The first is a resin fountain by Airfix, first <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/07/fountains.html">mentioned here</a>.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUXJDGlPgmUfa6D4jc_2C6eBbteuFUiUcaAfSKifwldHbLrlNI9AuNK2rFWMVF_H_UwZ-nrSTN8cf180-mVQg_euqLYz_6lR5FshGkveuHMPDcycuglD4syYCzktf49KWqvs8TuNU4qM/s1600/airfix-fountain3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="278" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLUXJDGlPgmUfa6D4jc_2C6eBbteuFUiUcaAfSKifwldHbLrlNI9AuNK2rFWMVF_H_UwZ-nrSTN8cf180-mVQg_euqLYz_6lR5FshGkveuHMPDcycuglD4syYCzktf49KWqvs8TuNU4qM/s640/airfix-fountain3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sven and Reaper fountain added for comparison.</i></td></tr>
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Painting is done, though I'd like to add some water effects to the basin and fount. Painting was a simple gray basecoat and a few stones painted brown for contrast, with a couple layers of drybrushing and a blackwash to bring out details. Some of my drybrushing was a little coarse, but I'm very pleased with this overall.<br />
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Next is a nice bridge kit by Italeri. I think I first read about this kit on <a href="http://seanswgcorner.blogspot.com/">Sean's blog</a>, though I can't find the post.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZZz9DI-AnS_xeAzIo85nSNPl4SLFpdsfkfB7VibGOIyP3UpYwSKIcQYSqO9_Tdm1wAW3Puqhxw25iAmN57aCsgcOHlgMNb5aozlc_Rz9zGC9P7krTrbeuTuKl0Czj_KNse1jrW3993Y/s1600/italeri-bridge2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="186" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipZZz9DI-AnS_xeAzIo85nSNPl4SLFpdsfkfB7VibGOIyP3UpYwSKIcQYSqO9_Tdm1wAW3Puqhxw25iAmN57aCsgcOHlgMNb5aozlc_Rz9zGC9P7krTrbeuTuKl0Czj_KNse1jrW3993Y/s640/italeri-bridge2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Even though it's marketed as 1/72, it's a pretty big bridge, probably designed for scale vehicles to drive over. It could definitely be used for larger-scale gaming.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l2wTZyxHL7PbiMbbBBjXu5WHP4StnS2y2lQ5q_-7pxfm6IF6P91ObPZoH4TWbTqsdfw6NEHfwMD9M0NrxF9Yg_08eby0f9rs_hYO3nQVk77G8_1GzAkoIHlYlcd8Def-vbtnNtShSmA/s1600/italeri-bridge4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2l2wTZyxHL7PbiMbbBBjXu5WHP4StnS2y2lQ5q_-7pxfm6IF6P91ObPZoH4TWbTqsdfw6NEHfwMD9M0NrxF9Yg_08eby0f9rs_hYO3nQVk77G8_1GzAkoIHlYlcd8Def-vbtnNtShSmA/s400/italeri-bridge4.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>The <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2014/06/party-at-cfms.html">One Inch Guild</a> square off against some pesky goblins for control of a key strategic landmark.</i></td></tr>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2pVFLXxb3rqUi2Rwe4it3ndLn3Ir-oTrt-XB3kOTBUzR3glZX5L3G-pWgdaEiPBpw-XgxaizsQjSHXZq3rUqGk3L4_5NM1I15UPJMxR1JFdnztZw1_IRUZdOvS8wQCr7qmpFFf9t7Nw/s1600/italeri-bridge5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="290" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg-2pVFLXxb3rqUi2Rwe4it3ndLn3Ir-oTrt-XB3kOTBUzR3glZX5L3G-pWgdaEiPBpw-XgxaizsQjSHXZq3rUqGk3L4_5NM1I15UPJMxR1JFdnztZw1_IRUZdOvS8wQCr7qmpFFf9t7Nw/s640/italeri-bridge5.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Sven hides from the obligatory bridge troll.</i></td></tr>
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Painting was basically the same as with the fountain, though the drybrushing is even rougher here. The resin fountain had a nice stone texture that was completely absent from the Italeri plastic, so my drybrushing was really a sort of sloppy highlighting. The kit went together pretty well, though I had some issues getting the curved bed to fit in the sides, and the seems on the support bits at the base are pretty obvious. Still, this is an attractive, solid piece of terrain. I've already let my son play with it (while supervised!), and it handles toy cars going over it without a problem. Speaking of, here he is, helping daddy with the basecoat.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOdFwznMjFA_qiUbCxgBOG6ZngFv-716VM-mdDh4VRRKzrqeVxU8aIjagvUTzfE7xMQ8EpOwq8-EJZtcyux7uyPxhETJ-p6175_qxKcLP7Ksyo0n2FAJyFRNUaxOIT32smvZhaDrkT1Q/s1600/little-helper.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzOdFwznMjFA_qiUbCxgBOG6ZngFv-716VM-mdDh4VRRKzrqeVxU8aIjagvUTzfE7xMQ8EpOwq8-EJZtcyux7uyPxhETJ-p6175_qxKcLP7Ksyo0n2FAJyFRNUaxOIT32smvZhaDrkT1Q/s320/little-helper.jpg" width="203" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Little helper.</i></td></tr>
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P.S. Thanks to those of you who posted comments this month. Sorry they are only going up just now. I only caught them in the "Awaiting Moderation" cue today. I love hearing from my readers, and I'll be more diligent about posting comments in the future.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-41357372160099692012017-01-14T10:54:00.002-06:002017-01-14T10:54:42.642-06:00Alliance Trolls comparisonSlowly getting back into the habit of blogging, starting with some pics of <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/10/more-news-alliance-trolls-caesar-orcs.html">the new Alliance trolls</a>. EY already has a <a href="http://72-multiverse.blogspot.fr/2016/10/olog-hai.html">nice review</a>, and new 1/72 fantasy blogger Philotep has <a href="http://philotepsfigures.blogspot.com/2017/01/to-paint-troll.html">a great how-to on painting</a> one of them. My contribution will be this comparison shot with some similar miniatures.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qz_E3j24-LjwnLkAFHWtLiui2FG7wdsDj6qYWD35_ey1C1AAJs7grywJyW8SQU4g7Pd5-PzRmJ7wtAKvETkiwuS5ibbAMmZoXREripMorPF_Ob1dUEaG0n46VhRc29AJvBTDuRgqaeA/s1600/rb-trolls-compare1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="254" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2qz_E3j24-LjwnLkAFHWtLiui2FG7wdsDj6qYWD35_ey1C1AAJs7grywJyW8SQU4g7Pd5-PzRmJ7wtAKvETkiwuS5ibbAMmZoXREripMorPF_Ob1dUEaG0n46VhRc29AJvBTDuRgqaeA/s640/rb-trolls-compare1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Left to right: a Reaper Bones "Cave Troll," Sven the 1/72 comparison mini, one of the Alliance trolls, a Bones "Mountain Troll," and a Games Workshop "Mines of Moria" troll. These Alliance trolls are big; not as big as some "normal"-scale gaming minis, but big enough to compare favorably. Even if you don't game in 1/72 scale, they're big enough to work, and at 8 figures for ~$10, they're quite a deal. Stylistically they are quite similar to the Mountain Troll, which could serve as an alpha or captain of these Tolkein/Jackson-inspired bigguns.</div>
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Here's a quick height comparison with Sven:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_jRH8O_uQNgn1j2bX38N6k7HbnfW-wH3F9CtTHyVULtuH09CpuEW-V9cLXTh7X29pZjA0JGnRovPRZUXxyiebmBqyJ1SmLb8F0hqqi9Gsu75w02AoTMlNC44ZqPDHD8OkInjx0sTMCw/s1600/rb-trolls-compare4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5_jRH8O_uQNgn1j2bX38N6k7HbnfW-wH3F9CtTHyVULtuH09CpuEW-V9cLXTh7X29pZjA0JGnRovPRZUXxyiebmBqyJ1SmLb8F0hqqi9Gsu75w02AoTMlNC44ZqPDHD8OkInjx0sTMCw/s400/rb-trolls-compare4.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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And here are the four poses in the set, of which there are two each. From the front:</div>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2RzfkRobRUcwPCJwx1f_CRzICHs4BN1ewnTcmbgZcrkO8U1-UHRhPxCW5W17N4gLoLLUxpm7obbbW9EKHjS12UAVwiDRoKPFmJNgoEa5wMN8fPNuKcsE6vUyl_qty_UeXvzCJnpPzIY/s1600/rb-trolls-compare2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="208" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgz2RzfkRobRUcwPCJwx1f_CRzICHs4BN1ewnTcmbgZcrkO8U1-UHRhPxCW5W17N4gLoLLUxpm7obbbW9EKHjS12UAVwiDRoKPFmJNgoEa5wMN8fPNuKcsE6vUyl_qty_UeXvzCJnpPzIY/s640/rb-trolls-compare2.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>We gonna stomp your citadel!!</i></td></tr>
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And from the back:<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwRbBs-yE3Rw2w5R2m-zverjni7wUWm8a5G7lJFijvhIvKd5bCpC8IBz_e8ifMQN6yCdZ5BOd0spH5El4Axy4UlTfGP_NdU_dleJP2pn2QPA87Tzi4T89kqKDuAgmG0uvV62WdD9Qv2U/s1600/rb-trolls-compare3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvwRbBs-yE3Rw2w5R2m-zverjni7wUWm8a5G7lJFijvhIvKd5bCpC8IBz_e8ifMQN6yCdZ5BOd0spH5El4Axy4UlTfGP_NdU_dleJP2pn2QPA87Tzi4T89kqKDuAgmG0uvV62WdD9Qv2U/s640/rb-trolls-compare3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Oops, wrong citadel.</i></td></tr>
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Flash is a bit of a problem, as is sometimes the case with Red Box/Alliance. The poses are maybe a bit flat (to simplify the molding), but not as much as they could be. And the detail is actually really good; again, check out Philotep's excellent <a href="http://philotepsfigures.blogspot.com/2017/01/to-paint-troll.html">"tabletop" paintjob</a> to see just how nice they can look. That Bones Mountain Troll is clearly a better figure, but it also <a href="https://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/mountain%20troll/latest/77333">retails for over $5</a> (it's <a href="https://www.reapermini.com/OnlineStore/mountain%20troll/latest/02877">metal counterpart is $22</a>!). The dollar-to-quality ratio of the Alliance figures should be very tempting. Good, not great, and on a budget, which is sort of the motto around here!</div>
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1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-70727231961398190182017-01-02T21:59:00.001-06:002017-01-02T21:59:41.883-06:00New Year reviewHail, loyal readers! Since 2016 was a bit slack on the new CFM content, and since New Year's is a good time to consider the past and look forward to the future, I thought you all might appreciate knowing what's going on with me hobby-wise.<br />
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I've not had as much hobby time recently as I'd like, which I regret. I have an excuse though! I started a new job in the fall, which I love, but which calls for a lot more time than my previous job. Between it and my normal parenting duties, I'd probably still have been able to do more hobby stuff than I was able. The big wrinkle is that before I was even looking for a new job, I also committed to a big freelance project that's still taking a lot of additional time. I probably wouldn't have taken it on if I knew about the new job, but now I'm obligated. Again, I'm happy to do it, but something had to give, and if you can believe it, making and painting tiny figures had to take a back seat.<br />
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The good news is that once this freelance project is finally complete, I believe I'll get some balance back in my life that I can dedicate to more hobby time. Hopefully I can get in done in the next few months. In the meantime, I've done a little painting, including <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/08/guards-and-bandits-and-bondic.html">these guys</a>. I've also been doing some collecting: I got many of the new Caesar and Alliance fantasy sets in trade that I want to do review/comparison posts for. The same goes for the Battlelore 2nd Edition figures I got when the games were marked down in a recent Cool Stuff Inc. sale.<br />
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I've not given up on the hobby and hope to do more posting in the future. So keep an eye on this space! Thanks for reading, and Happy New Year!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-85298859036530877172016-10-01T17:46:00.001-05:002016-10-01T17:46:43.494-05:00More News! (Alliance trolls, Caesar orcs, mystery Strelets)Here are a few quick news items to complement my <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2016/09/new-alliance-minis.html">last news post</a>. First, Alliance released previews of their first troll set.<br />
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<a href="https://pp.vk.me/c637525/v637525355/11683/9wUP78ubRiE.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://pp.vk.me/c637525/v637525355/11683/9wUP78ubRiE.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://pp.vk.me/c637525/v637525355/1167c/9xqzNyt1uK8.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="442" src="https://pp.vk.me/c637525/v637525355/1167c/9xqzNyt1uK8.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="http://cs633328.vk.me/v633328863/9195/eQUvdaMYIA0.jpg">This earlier preview</a> shows that these will be large enough for scales larger than 1/72. They look pretty good, plus 8 large minis for less than the $15 Alliance sets tend to retail for is a really good deal! Now we just need to wait for images of the "balrogs" they promised.<br />
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Second! Caesar released these preview shots of their next orc set.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://www.michtoy.com/michtoy2015/products/Caesar-MIniatures-F109-Orc-Warriors-Sets-2-pt.-figs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="363" src="https://www.michtoy.com/michtoy2015/products/Caesar-MIniatures-F109-Orc-Warriors-Sets-2-pt.-figs.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Via <a href="https://www.michtoy.com/item-CMF%20F109-Orc_Warriors_Sets_2.html">Michigan Toy Soldiers</a>.</i></td></tr>
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/"></a>The heavy blacklining makes the detail look a little exaggerated, but I think these are compatible with Caesar's <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh7j264ORWO7sruqrCMM_IWMfPlvClThblqd8CPbmCBEKWVgtnGdlr-k0WD3hJfP93j439C-XPVAPl2IDK9GPRAY4wRZ29sC5INgv4VSAwqdetDU7K_o7ZCda_bzM7CRVLnWblSYpHo2K8/s1600/orc-horde.JPG">now sort-of classic set</a> (which now seems OOP). Pretty nifty! The old set was heavy on the primitive-looking orcs; these aren't exactly civilized, but seem to be a better mix of armored and unarmored. Note the chieftan/shaman dude in front.<br />
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Last bit of news: As noted in <a href="http://pub33.bravenet.com/forum/static/show.php?usernum=2833323740&frmid=6&msgid=1056343&cmd=show">this forum thread</a>, Strelets has a new "campaign" (i.e. historical era) listed on their site. This one is mysteriously called, er, "Mystery." There's <a href="http://www.strelets-r.com/Pages/Campaign.aspx?CamID=16">nothing there currently</a>, but such a heading invites speculation. The aforementioned thread suggests Strelets may be jumping into fantasy or some other non-historical genre, which seems like a natural conclusion. Of course we'll have to see, but it's worth keeping an eye on.1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-37419671790076949362016-09-15T18:22:00.000-05:002016-09-15T18:22:19.680-05:00New Alliance minis!We've been <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/12/heartbreaker-rethinking-critical-hit.html">awaiting these sets for a while</a>, but Redbox just recently put up previews of many of their new sets. Check out the new "Modern Amazons" and "Cimmerians."<div>
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<a href="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72025_600.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72025_600.jpg" height="272" width="400" /></a></div>
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The "Modern" part seems to simply mean the opposite of "Ancient" or "Hellenistic," as these have a more generic look that Alliance's <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/05/alliance-amazons-pics-review.html">previous Amazons</a>. I had half a notion that "Modern" might mean something like "appealing to more modern, edified ideas about women in fantasy;" I think it's safe to say that's not the direction Red Box took the line. These are still pretty heavy on the cheesy, chainmail bikini side of things.</div>
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But let's look at the figures:</div>
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<a href="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72025_600_zad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72025_600_zad.jpg" height="438" width="640" /></a></div>
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It's always hard to tell with the low-contrast red that Alliance uses for their preview shots, but the figures are certainly consistent with the battle-stripper look of the box art. They don't seem <i>too</i> egregious, though, and may be adaptable for more sanely dressed female fighters. And I can see that this previewed, <a href="http://cs623817.vk.me/v623817863/5666a/B5TpECgLnL8.jpg">super-sensible figure</a> is in the middle of the bottom row of the first set, so maybe they won't be so bad. But I'm not really thinking too much about that now, because <i style="font-weight: bold;">holy smoke, unicorns!</i> That's right, the <a href="http://cs621530.vk.me/v621530355/18a19/jCglN3CAKXY.jpg">cool Amazon mounts </a>that were previewed ages ago have materialized, and they're more bizarre and wonderful than I expected. Stags! Felines! A gorram dinosaur, for goodness sakes! Here's hoping Redbox puts out an "Amazon mounts" or "Exotic mounts" set, similar to their wargs set. It could see a lot of use for all kinds of modeling beyond fantasy mounts.</div>
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Let's move on to the "Cimmerians," Howard-inspired barbarians with a definite Chaos look to them:</div>
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The box are features a generous gamut of barbarian archetypes, from bare-chested Conans to horsey steppelords to the bundled-up Viking type in the middle. The figures are similarly variegated.</div>
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<a href="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72028_600_zad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72028_600_zad.jpg" height="442" width="640" /></a></div>
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Two foot sets, unlike just one for the Amazons, presumably because they've already released an Amazon foot set. Again, a mix of shirts and skins here: I actually like this, since more variety means more use from a single set, but they'd certainly make a ragtag unit! Also, lots of horns, spikes, and oversized weapons, perfect for fantasy Chaos warriors. Note the shaman-guy in the bottom left of Set 2.</div>
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Cavalry:</div>
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<a href="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72029_600_zad.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://theredbox.com.ua/ckfinder/userfiles/images/ALL72029_600_zad.jpg" height="440" width="640" /></a></div>
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Normal mounts this time, though unsaddled. Again, pointy bits and crazy arms galore.</div>
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So far I like these. The Cimmerians could see a lot of uses in fantasy gaming. The Amazons disappointingly seem once again to be a little heavy on the cheesecake, but the crazy mounts make up for it. I haven't seen them available on Hannants yet, but I look forward to it!</div>
1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-79246087759407604902016-08-13T18:40:00.000-05:002017-09-25T08:12:37.088-05:00Guards and Bandits and BondicNo I'm not dead, real life vs. hobby time, etc. Let's move on:
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I finally got a chance to take some pics of my next project, these bandits and guards.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9t9z8fbVlfvtjW6_7wbF-CsdMY61kJL51vD59mhBwxALjRQKWa6y5gQbsv8qon_I3iDV3IKSLySPKW1Bclfj_wzY-QolpEmiXJZYo13MFFlVtzZIRgMnFfvGyhhMK9qj67yibWJvWZg/s1600/guards-bandits-up.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="306" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjG9t9z8fbVlfvtjW6_7wbF-CsdMY61kJL51vD59mhBwxALjRQKWa6y5gQbsv8qon_I3iDV3IKSLySPKW1Bclfj_wzY-QolpEmiXJZYo13MFFlVtzZIRgMnFfvGyhhMK9qj67yibWJvWZg/s640/guards-bandits-up.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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The bandits are a mix of Hat's reissued Airfix "Robin Hood" figures and Zvezda's medieval peasant levy. The guards are mostly Caesar medieval soldiers, with a couple Accurate knights (acquired in a trade with <a href="https://mikemonaco.wordpress.com/">Mike</a>) thrown in. Most are out of the box, but I indulged in a few mods.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiJEtcG237WmKwc1LV02GRFCnBZs55BW6GaPmV3gmyy-ny88iJroOdgvBTnOw-qTn_5m3SifcR1as-5-z1DKAW4AHR93HaZ_fv3p_vaU5kCvQaTKMzKi2NDEj7cZCzM96lhc-qXMftWE/s1600/guard-mods-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="142" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgOiJEtcG237WmKwc1LV02GRFCnBZs55BW6GaPmV3gmyy-ny88iJroOdgvBTnOw-qTn_5m3SifcR1as-5-z1DKAW4AHR93HaZ_fv3p_vaU5kCvQaTKMzKi2NDEj7cZCzM96lhc-qXMftWE/s640/guard-mods-1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Fantasy guards are often depicted with polearms and crossbows for some reason, so I tried to select the Caesar figures that were so armed. This only left a few available poses. The answer: headswaps, plus some knifework to remove scabbards and the like for variety.<br />
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The bandits didn't need as many mods, but some of them that would otherwise have been wielding scythes and similar peasant weapons got armswaps (a scythe-wielding bandit seemed very strange!). Here you can see my new fascination in use. Normally when doing mods like this, I'd use wood glue to fill any gaps. But lately I've been experimenting with a newish product called <a href="http://notaglue.com/">Bondic</a>, and I'm pretty happy with it.<br />
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Bondic is a non-adhesive bonding agent that's sort of magical. It's a solution with various plastic elements as the solutes. These plastics tend to form a solid, <strike>except the solution prevents them from doing so almost indefinitely. Zap the liquid with a UV light (the orange device in the pic above) after applying it with the pen-like tip, though, and the solvent evaporates.</strike> [<i>edit: I didn't have this exactly right. See my comment below</i>] The result is a solid mass of plastic in about four seconds where there once was a liquid. Magic!<br />
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I've found all sorts of household applications for the stuff, but the relevant use is for filling gaps in modded figures.<br />
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I also made up this bard-type figure, using an Imex pioneer figure for the torso (<a href="http://seanswgcorner.blogspot.com/">Sean</a> did something similar, but I can't find the post right now).<br />
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You can perhaps see that the gaps around the arms of the gray Zvezda figures have some clear plastic around them. The base of the tan Hat fig also has some to fill the visible part of the hole in the washer I used as a base. That's the cured Bondic in use. The big advantage Bondic has over glue for this sort of thing is ease of control: you can add as little as you need, it tends to flow into crevices, and you can always build up applications if you need more. It's also a lot more durable than glue, as it's solid plastic. Just remember that it can't be used to glue things together like adhesive, but for filling visible gaps it's hard to beat.<br />
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I also took some shots after priming, just so you can see how it looks painted. No gaps!<br />
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I'm still in the middle of a big freelance job, but hopefully I'll have more time to work on figures soon. Thanks for checking in!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-12297186151870504852016-05-11T18:13:00.000-05:002016-06-11T22:26:18.012-05:00Using "Magic Water"Hey all, before we begin, I thought I'd officially announce something a few of you have already noticed: I've spun off <a href="http://heartbreaker-rpg.blogspot.com/">Heartbreaker</a> to its own blog. Now I've got a place all on its own to share my quite unqualified thoughts on RPG design and homebrewing. I've already got a <a href="http://heartbreaker-rpg.blogspot.com/2016/05/an-intro-and-anti-vancian-diatribe.html">firecracker of a screed</a> posted by way of introduction, followed soon by some hopefully more measured thoughts. I've got a link on the sidebar, so you can always see when there are new posts just by visiting this page. Or feel free to follow the new blog!<br />
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Today's topic: water. As though two hobbies weren't enough, my dad and I have started to build a model railroad. Ostensibly it's for my son, but let's not fool ourselves: this is a hobby at least as much for the adults as for the kid. We actually were model railroaders when I was growing up, and in fact my love of figure painting comes from painting HO scale Preiser people for our layouts. Anyway, this time we're trying a few things we've never tried before, including modeling water. Prudently I decided to make a little diorama to give making water a go, and it occurred to me that miniaturists and wargame terrain makers who read this blog might get something out of my experiment.<br />
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The key product is <a href="http://www.unrealdetails.com/">Magic Water</a>, a two-part resin specifically designed to model water. I bought my package at a local hobby shop, and you can also order direct from the manufacturer. It's $35 for the regular size (a smaller size is available for miniaturists), and the guy who makes it is the only distributor, so you aren't going to find a lot of discounts. But it won't shrink or yellow, dries clear, and doesn't eat styrofoam, which makes it superior to similar two-part resin products.<br />
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So here's how it went:<br />
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If you're wondering about the white ridge in the middle, that's my bad attempt at modeling rapids; more on that later. You can see that the rest does indeed dry clear and looks very wet and watery.<br />
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I made a 1 foot square base out of two layers of extruded styrofoam. I used a box cutter and a dull breadknife to cut the foam and shape the terrain before gluing the two layers together. I used joint compound to seal everything; this was a misadventure, as the compound had gone bad, something that I didn't realize could happen. So you know, if joint compound smells like rotten eggs, don't use it, and throw it out right away! In addition to being gross and perhaps dangerously unhygienic, this wasn't even entirely necessary, but at the time I didn't realize Magic Water wouldn't eat foam. It did serve the purpose of sealing the gap between layers, something that a bead of clear caulk would also accomplish. This is necessary because Magic Water is very devious about finding any gap or cranny to flow into while it cures.<br />
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This photo show how profound the illusion of depth can be with this product, as the layer of Magic Water is only a few millimeters thick. I painted the shore and part of the riverbed brown and used black for the rest, blending together the two colors along the outer edge. This does a good job of simulating shallow water near the banks and deeper water in the middle of the river.<br />
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I mixed the two parts together in a disposable cup as per instructions. Mixing is pretty tedious; the instructions say to mix three times, five minutes at a time. I dammed the edges of the river with green painters tape (which turned out to be wholly inadequate; next time I'm using perforated metal plates and clear caulk. Be sure to do your pour over some kind of drop cloth in case of leaks!). I then poured along the the middle. Magic Water is self-leveling, so you don't need to do anything to spread it around; in fact you should ensure that your pour surface is completely level so it doesn't pool. You may see some bubbles; I believe the instructions say these will pop on their own, but you can also pop them by blowing on them gently with a straw while the resin is still liquid.<br />
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The instructions say the resin will cure completely in 24 hours at 70˚ F. My setup was in a basement near a door during a spate of somewhat chilly weather, so it took more than twice that time. Do wait at least 24 hours before seeing if it cured, and use a toothpick or other fine instrument to test it. Fully cured Magic Water is totally hard and not at all sticky, and you don't want to handle it before it cures lest you leave fingerprints.<br />
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Magic Water resembles clear, still water when it cures. I experimented with stippling some clear acrylic gel to create some ripples. The effect isn't too bad for a first try but could be more natural. Apparently you can create some larger wave effects with these resin products by blowing with a straw around 8 hours into the cure time, as shown in <a href="http://youtu.be/MGKmhmo79zw">this helpful video</a>. I also tried modeling larger rapid waves with the acrylic gel, but unlike the ripples it never dried clear. I probably should have used smaller layers instead of one big glob of the stuff.<br />
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Messing with the acrylic gel left some unsightly brushmarks on the Magic Water. Fortunately I was able to erase them with a layer of Future Shine, as this admittedly obscure photo hopefully shows. You can see those brushmarks on the right; on the left they have been removed. The Future Shine does leave a sort of border, so you may have to cover a lot of water surface for a realistic effect.</div>
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Mini figure posts coming soon, as well as more RPG stuff at <a href="http://hearbreaker-rpg.blogspot.com/">the new blog</a>. Do stay tuned to both!</div>
1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-19805001935519869412016-04-29T21:33:00.000-05:002016-04-29T21:33:27.084-05:00Heartbreaker Next, plus blog bloggingI've gotten into D&D 5th Edition lately, aka "D&D Next," and since I find it hard to encounter a new system without messing with it, I've been doing a lot of homebrewing. So today's Heartbreaker breaks the thread of recent installments, as I'll instead show off some of what I've been doing.<br />
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But first! Those of you with blogs know of the carbuncular irritation that is <a href="https://www.searchenginejournal.com/referrer-spam-get-rid/135855/">referral spam</a>. I thought it had largely subsided here at my humble micro-acre of the web, but like Hydra, or fever blisters, it always seems to come back. It appears that the only way I can filter it out is installing Google Analytics. I kind of hate to do this, since I believe it means installing cookies on visitors' computers. Rest assured if I do go down this path, I'm not trying to spy on you or steal your data. I'm just trying to make blogging a little less annoying for myself, and possibly do my part to put a stop to these guys. If you have concerns, do let me know.<br />
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Also! I may spin the Heartbreaker stuff off to a different blog in the near future. I know I said I'd keep everything in house, but if I'm going to do more homebrew stuff, I'd kind of like for it to have its own space on the web. I'll link to new Heartbreaker posts at this space if I start a new blog.<br />
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For now, new Heartbreaker stuff below the fold. But first, how about some news? A few upcoming sets have caught my attention. New producer "Linear-A," which seems to be the crew from "Linear-B" breaking off their relationship with Strelets, have an upcoming set, "<a href="http://bennosfiguresforum.com/viewtopic.php?t=18822&p=203173">Folk of Judea</a>," with lots of great looking civilian figures. They've also announced a set of "Silk Road" figures.<br />
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Strelets has another neat civilian set in the pipeline, "<a href="http://www.strelets-r.com/Pages/Set.aspx?SetID=225&M=M">Norman Army Camp</a>." Lots of interesting poses to look forward to.<br />
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Brief RPG design stuff below the fold!<br />
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<a name='more'></a>This will probably only make sense to those of you familiar with D&D 5th edition, or at least D&D in general. I've been futzing with various class redesigns and have been sharing them at ENWorld. I've got two projects in the wild so far. "<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?484114-I-think-this-alt-Ranger-I-made-is-pretty-good&p=6880310#post6880310">The Quarry Ranger</a>," one of the endless parade of homebrew ranger class hacks homebrewers have emitted. And "<a href="http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?481481-The-Hierophant-a-cleric-warlock-variant">The Hierophant,</a>" a cleric with the mechanics of the warlock class. Maybe I'll do some design diary type stuff here, but for now, please follow the links if they might be of interest, and feel free to leave a comment at ENWorld, or if not, here. I think you should be able to view the files without an ENWorld account, but if not, let me know and I can host them on GoogleDrive. Thanks!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-47863418066176072752016-04-16T15:39:00.002-05:002016-04-16T15:39:39.493-05:00Big Tree and the Big DSee, I told you I'd pick up the blogging pace. Two posts in one month; it's an Easter-liturgical-season miracle! I've a couple new minis to share, plus <b>some fellow mini bloggers</b> I'd like to spotlight at the end. Read this entire post, I say!<br />
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Let's start with this bloke:<br />
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It's a Reaper Bones "Spirit of the Forest." The poor fellow remained untouched except as a repository for unused brown paint for too long; I actually think this is less dignified that mouldering in the "lead mountain of shame" (or in my case, the "plastic tor of chagrin"). He deserves much more respect than that.<br />
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A closeup of some details. A lot of the really great paintjobs of this figure feature charming red toadstools, but I thought that sort of thing looked a little too cute. I went with more natural earth tones and greens for a more naturalistic look, at least as naturalistic as a pile of animate vegetation can be.<br />
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From the back. Lots of details adorn this figure, and I'd have gone mad trying to distinguish all of them. I focused on fungi, leaves, and vines, and let drybrushing do the rest.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjRn2HDXk88xbVYBi3o0ye0gWj8J3p_rSIZc7aWwBugMd79CkC2Qzm_HIIX9VnrpVu7moI9b3dLn7KjuzMCAGrlPEZwUDjJUa-oTgbFdYIMeGOIgG3i9z3DhtxvAZP48V-47MleJ0Hnw/s1600/Ent4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="508" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCjRn2HDXk88xbVYBi3o0ye0gWj8J3p_rSIZc7aWwBugMd79CkC2Qzm_HIIX9VnrpVu7moI9b3dLn7KjuzMCAGrlPEZwUDjJUa-oTgbFdYIMeGOIgG3i9z3DhtxvAZP48V-47MleJ0Hnw/s640/Ent4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Comparison with Sven, who remember is one inch tall. Reaper's larger minis always seem like they are looking down on my 1/72 figures, which I like a lot. A subtle effect is that the treeman's head and fists are a lighter shade of brown than the rest of him; it's the same color that you see on the vine around his right foot. I think it helps those features pop a bit without looking like they were deliberately highlighted.<br />
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Now the next surprise project. Remember this fellow?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUycbijJfB9ZmOBK8kM8ljZwxjWMPOaMEUgln3kDoVJa7IEuF8ssj2AT8EwN-DTB-KAEPqm-TV1Bemh0UBmvbMy39MuexqVv8ONcezpCrPuF6HCbA3IOXIT2MuM7dIz0CJki7VzKOadw/s1600/demon-big.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="355" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYUycbijJfB9ZmOBK8kM8ljZwxjWMPOaMEUgln3kDoVJa7IEuF8ssj2AT8EwN-DTB-KAEPqm-TV1Bemh0UBmvbMy39MuexqVv8ONcezpCrPuF6HCbA3IOXIT2MuM7dIz0CJki7VzKOadw/s400/demon-big.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
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He's ready.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye_Bqom7qI1R53MLsmkjxMlGllzD-ldIxp8_0YSglu5dvr6lzpOp48ZvUaX8ZAbLcLPbbukisslO-QHrEs-diceuUU1WI9ZEjEYZ-hnMmEqMWloA-IdUHSfDfUHsN2tgbLlnsZOSzo1k/s1600/bigdevil1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgye_Bqom7qI1R53MLsmkjxMlGllzD-ldIxp8_0YSglu5dvr6lzpOp48ZvUaX8ZAbLcLPbbukisslO-QHrEs-diceuUU1WI9ZEjEYZ-hnMmEqMWloA-IdUHSfDfUHsN2tgbLlnsZOSzo1k/s640/bigdevil1.JPG" width="614" /></a></div>
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It's a big <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/demons">demon</a> from the World of Warcraft boardgame, with a trident borrowed from a Mines of Moria troll. What was holding me back was all the detailing on his armor. "Sure," I thought to myself, "how hard can it be to paint the raised areas a different color?" Ugh. After the initial rough highlighting months ago, it probably took me two hours of futzing with red paint, then gray to cover mistakes, then red to cover the mistakes I made trying to cover the mistakes I made before, in a maddening circle of persnicketiness (By the way, Autocorrect thinks "persnicketiness" is a totally legit word, but has reservations about "boardgame."). Eventually I had to choose between settling and going insane; I think I made the right choice.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01jV3nG1O4M3rK6jQ_X5WunE4h_w67CE2HP52ZnMx7_7hir9IB7CPoHcO-Limjozro_L_eKYQwbzQ1v2L537MR7PdfaHZTd2lGfI5oJ1XyWbDX-tfFipVWmaiSoD3jxCRv79thdrCMb0/s1600/bigdevil2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="468" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj01jV3nG1O4M3rK6jQ_X5WunE4h_w67CE2HP52ZnMx7_7hir9IB7CPoHcO-Limjozro_L_eKYQwbzQ1v2L537MR7PdfaHZTd2lGfI5oJ1XyWbDX-tfFipVWmaiSoD3jxCRv79thdrCMb0/s640/bigdevil2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here's a closeup show the extent of the detail work. It also shows how my "magic" blackwash, while good enough for the tabletop, isn't going to win me any prizes. I've done something I thought I'd never do, which is buy some actual quality hobby paint, in this case a dropper of flat black from Vallejo. I'm hoping it makes my washes a little smoother and less splotchy.<br />
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Here's the comparison shot with Sven.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2Oilm3iL40hRzursM8HqBU2o63PwM9CrVHSvim_q8avLPCYJGC9tumVBdOhk2IVyqWhrLLM2f26alIdd3EG06HL9MtwiiddBjFqQhhvlh0e4CTa83MrCnvfMQ4abMYm_RgOBfRfF5eM/s1600/bigdevil3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="276" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc2Oilm3iL40hRzursM8HqBU2o63PwM9CrVHSvim_q8avLPCYJGC9tumVBdOhk2IVyqWhrLLM2f26alIdd3EG06HL9MtwiiddBjFqQhhvlh0e4CTa83MrCnvfMQ4abMYm_RgOBfRfF5eM/s400/bigdevil3.JPG" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Worst prom photo ever.</i></td></tr>
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And here he is with the treeman, for some reason.<br />
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<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX4Gz201qqiL1ErqlGchvzSst_XVPFNoUIwyS7OSEng-3Pn_WeJ6GDwp_ww-1XQRp_dJZi_GAm2s6o0mM23xOUHk4h6zmINrSQqiIIChkIkz276r3fvfbtRFDSgEacALKKoLg1L9SLsg/s1600/bigdevil-ent-compare.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="364" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwX4Gz201qqiL1ErqlGchvzSst_XVPFNoUIwyS7OSEng-3Pn_WeJ6GDwp_ww-1XQRp_dJZi_GAm2s6o0mM23xOUHk4h6zmINrSQqiIIChkIkz276r3fvfbtRFDSgEacALKKoLg1L9SLsg/s640/bigdevil-ent-compare.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Caption contest.</i></td></tr>
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I mentioned blog sharing, which I wanted to spotlight as I've recently updated my blogroll. Most of those guys don't need me to promote them, but a few stand out as special friends here at Cheap Fantasy Minis. First is <a href="http://sceavusall172.blogspot.com/">Sceavus' 1/72 blog</a>. Sceavus contacted me a few weeks ago to share some very cool fantasy conversions he's done, and I thought he should blog about them. Do check them out! Here's <a href="http://sceavusall172.blogspot.com/2016/03/greetings-and-some-ideas-for-172-dwarves.html">an example</a>:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6OKROLS4XMYlUevO6mpugijE827BpBWS-FIaEpNM677uMD-yxaZvPca6b7JP0AvVo6dIoGNJ6uQzDC-zQeP093nbvF4L9UZo8dpkBmsRHuJAVgolf0yh7Rg1D9rfopUFAD-ZA9UGI-Nt/s320/dwarves+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg6OKROLS4XMYlUevO6mpugijE827BpBWS-FIaEpNM677uMD-yxaZvPca6b7JP0AvVo6dIoGNJ6uQzDC-zQeP093nbvF4L9UZo8dpkBmsRHuJAVgolf0yh7Rg1D9rfopUFAD-ZA9UGI-Nt/s400/dwarves+1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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Next is Automato's <a href="https://strokeofmeh.wordpress.com/">Stroke of Meh</a> blog. He's got some great <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/DnD%20miniatures">D&D</a> boardgame minis painted up, among other projects. Despite his self-deprecation, he's <a href="https://strokeofmeh.wordpress.com/2016/04/14/warlock-wrath-of-ashardalon/">a great painter</a>; much better than I!<br />
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<a href="https://strokeofmeh.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/20160414_2247341.jpg?w=324&h=324&crop=1" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://strokeofmeh.files.wordpress.com/2016/04/20160414_2247341.jpg?w=324&h=324&crop=1" width="320" /></a></div>
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Finally, here's <a href="http://umpapas.blogspot.com/">Umpapa's blog</a>. Umpapa does more modern/scifi stuff and less fantasy than I, but we're both interested in finding <a href="http://theminiaturespage.com/boards/msg.mv?id=349922">non-historical options for 1/72-20mm scale</a>. Plus he's a <a href="http://umpapas.blogspot.com/2015/11/172-20-mm-ww2-usa-paratroopers.html">pretty good modeler too</a>!<br />
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<a href="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5746/22632995052_a31275206e.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://farm6.staticflickr.com/5746/22632995052_a31275206e.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
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These are folks who I think deserve some special attention, but everyone in my blogroll is great, and folks like Sam, Paul, and Kris have been really supportive. Really, everyone who has ever commented here or at one of my posts elsewhere, or who's bought something from me, or sent an email, or linked here: it's great to know that my ideas are interesting to a few people! You all really do make hobby blogging worthwhile. More stuff coming soon, I hope!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-45347223129111472642016-04-06T16:29:00.001-05:002016-04-06T16:29:52.026-05:00Bugbearable puns<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
I know these puns bug you, but just bear with me.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-tQX3BSp5-etksAekoxOZuKSNBHkJWE7WzVrv-9OE1ac6QUdgjjuKWmyhGFjf60Yvak1SC1ar6mM-T4cEXi1v2QQ2rMIMbsExm4UZ3xROHd5Ay4z0ZtVCacIIdTI2FWWh4WiPz6dszs/s1600/Bugbears1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="280" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgq-tQX3BSp5-etksAekoxOZuKSNBHkJWE7WzVrv-9OE1ac6QUdgjjuKWmyhGFjf60Yvak1SC1ar6mM-T4cEXi1v2QQ2rMIMbsExm4UZ3xROHd5Ay4z0ZtVCacIIdTI2FWWh4WiPz6dszs/s640/Bugbears1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Here is a small troupe of bugbears. These are various D&D minis and game pieces, <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/12/giganticisms-and-bugbear-icisms.html">modified in various ways</a>. The one mod not mentioned in the linked post is the second-from-left, which was carrying a bizarre hafted weapon that terminated in a fist which <i>itself</i> was holding a second dagger. Maybe those who know their D&D lore could explain it, but I just don't know. At the last minute I thought it was too goofy and hacked and repinned the blade so it looks a little more normal.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcDgduYYj4dgvAfz3VG5PXd2PLzZYwmwGbrYW8U5DyfrRyQClLeOz74xUHhNc9SDpwLB3GjashQE9_M-FLKARbm6NrA5LutCWfUhodddN8-RCG7ko5YZsvpAevowK4-HhBzFo_Myqjsk/s1600/Bugbears2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="184" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlcDgduYYj4dgvAfz3VG5PXd2PLzZYwmwGbrYW8U5DyfrRyQClLeOz74xUHhNc9SDpwLB3GjashQE9_M-FLKARbm6NrA5LutCWfUhodddN8-RCG7ko5YZsvpAevowK4-HhBzFo_Myqjsk/s640/Bugbears2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Comparison time. The bugbears are a little smaller than what's shown, since they stick out from the background a bit. My 3.5e Monster Manual says bugbears are supposed to be 7 feet tall. That comes out to more like 30mm. These blokes are more like 8 feet tall or taller, but I think that's fine. If they aren't obviously bigger, they're otherwise just another flavor of orc.<br />
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Here's a final shot, including the other two <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/bugbears">D&D bugbears</a> I've painted so far.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnkW3-gZHLpfxUCBFpS0SJw0OSnNUdkQTb3RIicEl_iV35ZgDz6_cmsPFr_dgjNOLw2gddlNhcJLce0pj1Ji5neCNoortHzGSdK-8kvmqbL7yxWjpocZpcyBg0F4DqFuFFxEQgebXyvU/s1600/Bugbears3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="326" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcnkW3-gZHLpfxUCBFpS0SJw0OSnNUdkQTb3RIicEl_iV35ZgDz6_cmsPFr_dgjNOLw2gddlNhcJLce0pj1Ji5neCNoortHzGSdK-8kvmqbL7yxWjpocZpcyBg0F4DqFuFFxEQgebXyvU/s640/Bugbears3.JPG" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>"Oh sorry, wrong room number."</i></td></tr>
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I'm hoping the spate of sluggish posting here has ebbed for now. I've got one other surprise project completed, and I may soon have another to show off. Plus more <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/search/label/heartbreaker">Heartbreaker RPG</a> stuff, and the results of <a href="http://snack.to/q7jq1ea3">that poll</a> to contend with. Thanks for reading!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1614088065682049316.post-52997479293350517042016-03-07T18:24:00.001-06:002017-01-13T15:24:37.268-06:00My Giant EgoHello completed-project-town. It's been too long!<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddDy5MwWWb7_y2R95qLiY4dmigGBkN2HGeV5NPzf0zR38rqlpJB33XPB4C4aeeg5UEwrgLVhEMBd-O7f6ZP_2tPoryl7Gzff297a637xELJ6IAEHAIZniMMn4hYQuMqcN09ffqVm5oAs/s1600/giants1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="406" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiddDy5MwWWb7_y2R95qLiY4dmigGBkN2HGeV5NPzf0zR38rqlpJB33XPB4C4aeeg5UEwrgLVhEMBd-O7f6ZP_2tPoryl7Gzff297a637xELJ6IAEHAIZniMMn4hYQuMqcN09ffqVm5oAs/s640/giants1.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Hill giants, or possibly ogres. I was never too sure of the difference. They are mostly Tim Mee cavemen, mostly with headswaps from some Warhammer ogres. Conversions were <a href="http://cheapfantasyminis.blogspot.com/2015/12/giganticisms-and-bugbear-icisms.html">described previously</a>.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOqUjRul-0GguxuOYwDyeoGLww8sotdPRSN6-keadYMJGR4T6-p2c-GkspTeXxtKKSeQttEwr22OsjILDxrActNCel3U-YSshQ7GsHhZvHpExH4g3IE6XjuUEf-j8zx7f0RD_k08CKAs/s1600/giants2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="304" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibOqUjRul-0GguxuOYwDyeoGLww8sotdPRSN6-keadYMJGR4T6-p2c-GkspTeXxtKKSeQttEwr22OsjILDxrActNCel3U-YSshQ7GsHhZvHpExH4g3IE6XjuUEf-j8zx7f0RD_k08CKAs/s640/giants2.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBR7zPKqltVdM6jPJguEpmsY1vWjPElOBS0bQNNYpBTG0uVAA6muddPObe-9IPwG6yVRmBi_BMAOEMb-bwm1atO3QVUfI5NXT_slmugE1TWzy-CT6zaR1xFSZC1NSC2UnDaQuwlnYkd24/s1600/giants3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBR7zPKqltVdM6jPJguEpmsY1vWjPElOBS0bQNNYpBTG0uVAA6muddPObe-9IPwG6yVRmBi_BMAOEMb-bwm1atO3QVUfI5NXT_slmugE1TWzy-CT6zaR1xFSZC1NSC2UnDaQuwlnYkd24/s640/giants3.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Tim Mee bods, Warhammer heads. Because the heads had some large gaps in the back, I had to do some sculpting, which I think turned out well. The back of the rock hurler's noggin in particular looks pretty good, I think.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqEKdxr0PWxXJuXvEskiiHnRW9R4DrCb5kBNlBFBS5PNpE0awD0BaDOBupYYAIhwN4AQ_GbVBU24H-WzIaZbYoJWrf6WZHdSuJV-R5Xo5XbG3D9raFmrdkFGyq-i-LNqosQtvDp4Kg_s/s1600/giants4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="418" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiuqEKdxr0PWxXJuXvEskiiHnRW9R4DrCb5kBNlBFBS5PNpE0awD0BaDOBupYYAIhwN4AQ_GbVBU24H-WzIaZbYoJWrf6WZHdSuJV-R5Xo5XbG3D9raFmrdkFGyq-i-LNqosQtvDp4Kg_s/s640/giants4.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnLVU_0com5RLfS6Y9TXAj0f4X870BMTtLWhnKA4pXg9faKOXcBTOnGBepiuKyhWbblWRAngO3VmQbT60hXbPllLRKLwJfcTC0QST5v_o2pITxF5ZEVThA5KBkkj0GMZ8Uh7cfctZN7A/s1600/giants5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="346" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimnLVU_0com5RLfS6Y9TXAj0f4X870BMTtLWhnKA4pXg9faKOXcBTOnGBepiuKyhWbblWRAngO3VmQbT60hXbPllLRKLwJfcTC0QST5v_o2pITxF5ZEVThA5KBkkj0GMZ8Uh7cfctZN7A/s640/giants5.JPG" width="640" /></a></div>
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These two are a little different from their Brobdingnagian brothers above. The one on the left is an unmodded Tim Mee caveman, the best sculpt in the set, I think. On the right is a World of Warcraft boardgame ogre with a Warhammer head. The berserker-rage head-uptilt was sort of an accident, but I think it works.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEill0KLNIjH0PoSy5C5wRrW8hfO-Wn3oMXp-H6ObA55drvg2Iigj0fxudea6owo4Cj6SFIlOvu01p13FCEk5BYyjqPH2MIHfqFMtrzbjGafZuTY0VXSTM4sXSvBmRsIUTOL1v2ak78zEN0/s1600/ettin1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEill0KLNIjH0PoSy5C5wRrW8hfO-Wn3oMXp-H6ObA55drvg2Iigj0fxudea6owo4Cj6SFIlOvu01p13FCEk5BYyjqPH2MIHfqFMtrzbjGafZuTY0VXSTM4sXSvBmRsIUTOL1v2ak78zEN0/s320/ettin1.JPG" width="258" /></a>
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The ettin, or two-headed giant, is a Reaper Bones sculpt. More complex than his monocephalic comrades, but a lot of fun to paint. I don't know why it's carrying fish on its belt.<br />
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Comparison with Sven.</div>
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I'm fairly pleased with these. One regret is that my usual black magic-wash looks a little sloppy here. If I used a brown wash they might look a little neater. Another issue is the figures, and here we see the difference between toy-quality and hobby-quality minis. The Tim Mee bods are great figures, but many lack a lot of deep detail. The point of the magic wash is to bring out those details, so with such details absent, the wash often just sort of flowed and pooled. I think the Warhammer heads and the Reaper ettin look a lot better since they are just better models, even if they are plastic. Still, that's the tradeoff between price and quality, and speaking as the Cheap Fantasy Miniaturist I have no regrets!<br />
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Unusually, I don't have a new project cued up. I have lots of options but no clear ideas. So I'll let you guys decide!<br />
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A poll should appear above; if not you can <a href="http://snack.to/q7jq1ea3">find it here</a>. Let me know what you think!1Machttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00347246355201436067noreply@blogger.com2