Golden Gobbos 2022

 This year's Golden Gobbo painting competition (it's not a competition... oh yes it is!) has drawn to a close. Good to see so many entries this year, a nice variety as usual and the standard has been excellent!

38-Year Ali, renowned fighter

Giant Marauding Ogre

Hrothyogg of the Tower

Mad Greg (don't call him Old)

Matthog of the wicked hook

Nagash, Supreme Lord of the Undead (not chicken supreme)

Skeggit and Scraggit

Skeleton Champion, a pale bony one

A Slave to Darkness

Snotling Pump Outing

Lord Tyrell of Arden, White Dwarf cover renegade

I'm sure you'll all show your appreciation for the entries. If you'd like to vote for your favourite you can do so over on the Oldhammer Forum.

Heroes of Heldenhofen

Heldenhofen is my long-running 'Fantasy Medieval Town' project. I have boxes of furniture, architectural features, bits of half-finished buildings and have accumulated more civilians than I can shake a stick at which I am slowly plodding through. So whilst this month's submission for the Odds and Sods challenge isn't exactly army-related it is part of an unfinished project, so that counts, right?

These are a bunch of would-be heroes currently passing through Heldenhofen en route to make their names (and fortunes) in the wilderness beyond. But before that there's time for one last comfortable drink at the inn, or perhaps two. Maybe even three... 

Nicky Turnip blackened his name attempting to rob coaches on a busy stretch of road back in the empire. When he tried to hold up a hay cart in order to feed his flagging donkey the farmer recognised the young halfling tearaway immediately and Nicky was forced to flee somewhere his imagined infamy would not pursue him. He currently considers himself something of a swashbuckler.

Jacamo Passerova is a flamboyant mercenary and popular bodyguard for the ladies of the town. He is famed for the size of his sword and prowess in handling it. Secretly Jacamo is collecting dirt on as many rich and famous (or would-be rich and famous) individuals as possible so he can write his memoirs and retire on the sales.

Verbena of the sands has come to the soggy wastes of Heldenhofen from the baking south. Casting an air of mystique about her she claims to be searching for the companion-stone to the Tiger's Eye jewel set into her shield boss, a family heirloom stolen by an evil vizier. In truth she is seeking a bit of solitude and the chance to make her name, it's hard to find peace and distinction when you are one of 1001 Arabyan Knights.

Grubby Henry has a strict moral code, it's just that nobody knows what it is. It certainly isn't whatever the law of the particular province he happens to be in is. Mostly it seems to consist of 'possession is 9/10ths of the law' with the 10th 10th being 'all possessions are mine'. He is never one to elaborate or discourse at length on any subject, trusting in his large boomstick to make statements for him when required.

Cosmo Starling never takes camouflage too seriously. 'Best to be seen being daring' is his motto. A somewhat accomplished archer and swordsman he is currently trying to recruit a band of merry followers. Not to go fighting monsters but to relieve returning adventurers of some of their ill-gotten coin as they return to the town.

Lynne Ville, on the other hand, takes her stealth and secrecy much more seriously. And also believes you don't have to leave town at all to make your fortune, you just have to not get caught.

Bonnie of Tilea is the eldest daughter of a prominent duke, determined to prove she has every bit as much right to inherit her father's seat as does her young and irritating brother. The gold-plated ancestral armour certainly marks her out among the grimy streets of Heldenhofen, for good or for ill. She will have to prove she knows how wield that sword if she intends to keep it.

Lady Fuskia Sie may also be in above her head very soon. Fixated by tales of adventure and derring-do she has decided that the life of a swashbuckler is exactly what she wants. And what she wants, she gets. Having made it this far with wealth she will have to rely on her courage and determination to press onward.

The Pale Paladin is the sole survivor of a holy order wiped out by plague. She rarely speaks and acknowledges no other name than the title her companions on the ship gave her. Rumours say she didn't actually survive the plague herself, but continues to walk the land her body a vessel for all the dead paladins and her power equal to all their combined strength.

Anni the Blue Fox hails from the frozen north. Eager to forget whatever experience drove her all this way she is enthusiastic at the prospect of slaying monsters in the wilds beyond the walls.

Georg of the Rose is a seasoned fighter who has lead armies, slain dragons and faced terrible sorceries. He is retiring to Heldenhofen for a quiet life where he can maintain his honour (and income) training young adventurers without actually putting his life on the line any more.

Orctober fest

 

Since this month's subject for the Bits and Bobs Challenge is 'Heroes' I have a bit of space to complete some extra 'rank and file' for last month as well. It's orctober, I need to do orcs, they're not really heroic now are they? :D

These are all Bob Olley Mountain Orcs currently available from SHQ Miniatures (except the armoured guy at the centre of the top image, he's RPE) and are joining the bunch I have already painted for my non-green orc army. They're pretty big chaps, I have half a mind to count them as ogres.

These were a late addition to the army as I picked them up in a cheap ebay lot and they have lounged around at the back of the shelf for two years whilst I waited for the impulse to get back to finishing the army. They're all open-handed sculpts and came with a selection of weapons so I was able to bend arms and give them different equipment for variety. Sticking with the same basic colours as the rest of the army and trying to keep them very muted.

I've also added to the ranks of the goblins in the army. The unit has a kind of hobgoblin/Mongolian vibe so these Giaks fit nicely.

Most are Citadel Giaks, one of each, with the same red eye iconography as the previous models. These are such lovely models to paint. The poses feel really natural despite the limitations of two-part mould metal casting and the character and detail in the faces is wonderful.

These three are a pair of more recent Giaks (from Minifigs) and a Grom's Goblin Guard whose equipment and face blend in perfectly. This little chap was a gift from a generous BOYLer, I forget who but thank you!

Metal Quest Furnishings

A few years a friend had a lucky find on ebay. A set of metal dungeon furniture, in fact more than a set, a whole bag full. Someone in the casting room at GW had obviously found some furniture moulds and got excited for some Mordheim or Warhammer Quest terrain. Whoever was selling them on ebay had no idea what they were and so a bargain was had and a set found its way in my direction... we, of course, recognised it for what it was.

Here's a pre-release advert for Heroquest in White Dwarf. You can tell the character cards and the quest book cover are different. The screen and board have scruffy edges, they've clearly been printed out and trimmed with a scalpel. The maddest thing? Look at the miniatures. They're on round bases (as they should have been in production IMHO). That means they are THE METAL PROTOTYPES painted to look plastic! Each one of those figures would go for over £100 these days and here they are painted in gloss enamels! :D So this image is from before there were plastic sets to photograph. BUT... There's furniture in there. Yep, METAL PROTOTYPE furniture! It existed! And my matey had just stumbled upon a bag of it... 

Having had it for a while I decided now was the time to get it painted up. I had thought of just mounting the metal parts on card bodies like the plastic furniture, but in the end I thought it needed a bit more than that. So I set out to make full 3d pieces.

The fireplace and cupboard were foam sculpts with balsa wood and plasticard details. The tables are just coffee stirrers. I didn't have rats or skulls (though there are some in the advert pic it's not clear what they are, maybe just existing giant rats and plastic skeleton horde skulls?) so I used the excellent packs from Ral Partha Europe. My favourite giant (not too giant) rats. The candles are resin pieces (Ristull's I believe?) and the portrait was a print out of the original from the card piece.

More coffee-stirrer tables, rats from RPE and an assortment of resin and metal book and scroll castings.

The rack, alchemist's bench, chests and a few throne variants (cushions and skin in putty). One for use as the ogre throne. The chest timbers are just match sticks. The base of the alchemist table and rack are balsa with plasticard detailing and map pin drawer handles.

And finally two tombs and the sorcerer's table. It's such a joy to know the candle sticks won't break! More rats of course... The figure on top of the tomb is actually Sir Cyril Destiff from the F5 paladins range. I guess if you already have a dead knight sculpted...

The sword has been placed along his body, possibly to aid the plastic casting by not having the gap between his legs? Praying hands removed to grip the sword, but same head and body under it all.

What I am missing is a weapons rack. There's one visible in the advert, but perhaps whoever cast them up thought the weapons looked out of scale, or perhaps it didn't cast well. We can only speculate, however if anyone has a metal rack to complete the set feel free to get in touch!