Cult of the Leering Lune- the final month

 

Well that's it everyone, the final month of the Tale of Fourth Gamers army challenge. All the goblins are painted. It's been a bit of a mammoth one, but some fun stuff this month. The army's not finished of course (when are they ever?), there are still some trolls and a giant to do, but all the goblins was what I wanted from this challenge and that has been achieved.

Most of the rank and file for July have been Oakbound sculpts which I did last summer. They were an experiment which I was pleased with and have gone into a project that's due for launch in September.

The champion and standard bearer are Old School Miniatures and (converted) Citadel. It's the only banner not to be made of fabric, but I don't think it clashes too badly. I wanted to go more classic Night Goblin colours on these units, keeping the majority in cream robes for uniformity. The web imagery is a hint of something to come...

Another big block of spears, Oakbound troops again. Those spear tips are very pointy!

Niblet, a Harlequin (I think) champion and an OSM musician. Again, more typical Night Goblin colours to wrap up the project.

Here's why there are webs! I wanted some cave spider riders instead of forest goblin spider riders. The spiders themselves are Mark Copplestone sculpts from North Star and the riders are converted 4th ed models. I hope purists will forgive that they aren't on cavalry bases, the squarish spiders looked a bit silly on big long bases. Their frontage is the same. Now I will confess- I did not want to chop up rare and expensive metal goblins to put them on spiders, so these are actually resin casts (apart from the champion). Shh, don't tell anyone.

The musician's gong and standard top are donations from Mike at Broadsword Miniatures, who is a very generous guy and also donated the final, fun piece of the army...

I believe this chap is a Satanic Panic version of a Citadel classic. To my eye he looked very much like a goblin, so a goblin he now is! With his massive throne and lectern he just had to be riding a a palanquin so a couple of squig herders were yolked to the task. Various spare heads have come in handy adorning poles and other 'boring' bits of the litter.

The back of the throne I adorned with this glorious chunk of leering lead by Kev Adams (of course) and from Foundry (Warmonger). An appropriate visage to round off the Cult of the Leering Lune with! But, of course, it would not be complete without the Warhammer Armies full army pose!

On to the next project!

Cult of the Leering Lune- the final month

Search for La Maisontaal- The Hills Have I

 

Just a little update today. Two hills. That biggun on the right with the ramp leading up to it is the base for the expanded La Maisontaal which occupies a full eighth of the far side of the board.

This close up of the assault on the gates shows the ramp up, almost 40mm of space in front of the main gate (ogres almost fit!), a slight lip at the top (enough to perch a 20mm base on, just), the striations in the hill below the ruined tower and a whole lotta lichen blending it into the base board!

Those base sizes are a really handy gauge for measurement! Wouldn't get that help with an integral base... The building itself looks to be base on the ruined building from the Citadel Journal with an added hall on the left hand side and possibly a bit of oversizing. I have the templates so I can build a mock-up and see how the sizing looks on the hill.

The second hill is a little riser for the watchtower. In my previous test-fit photo it almost vanished behind the farmhouse when viewed from table level so to have the photo right it must be on a hill. Entirely appropriate given it's a watchtower...

That's better. Placed a bit further away from the house and viewed at a slightly higher angle it should look fine. You can't see anything at all of the hill in the photo and there are no other angles of this building so I had free rein. I decided on a low mound with a slope leading to the door and very little behind the tower itself so it can fit nice and tightly in the space. 

Search for La Maisontaal- The Hills Have I

Search for La Maisontaal- a shrubbery!

The village next to La Maisontaal is beginning to look inhabited! Buildings undercoated, Britains trees built, Merit fences and rubberised horsehair hedges affixed to bases.

I'm very glad Mike put me onto the Merit fences. They're much smaller (OO scale) than I would have built them had I scratchbuilt. I did the bases before the fences arrived based off guesswork form comparison with the buildings and size of the boards. When I first saw the fences I thought they'd be way too small, but they match up pretty perfectly, so that's a nice confirmation from both ends. Thanks also to Mike for the trees! You can have them back afterwards. :)

Need to get the angle right and find a suitable camera lens, but it feels close. That watchtower needs a hill!

Search for La Maisontaal- a shrubbery!

Cult of the Leering Lune, penultimate month

 

This month's submission for the Tale of Fourth Gamers feels like it's been super-productive, but I think that's because the number of goblins is actually (comparatively) small. Only just over 30 whereas in previous months I have been averaging 55. Squigs are relatively quick to paint and the bolt throwers (Foundry and Knightmare respectively) were actually much faster and less of a chore to do than I had been expecting. Mostly washes and a bit of choice highlighting. 

These are my final fanatics. End of an era finishing painting these guys. I saved this trio for last as they're my favourites. All three of them I have painted before, the one on the left I stripped and repainted but the centre and right are duplicates for the army as my first painting attempts of them were Gruk the Loon from the Combat Cards set and Angus McHammer from the first ever Golden Gobbo competition. 

Three more, two from a same era and a more modern addition to make up the numbers. The guy on the left I had to replace his right leg as he'd obviously been spinning too vigorously.

I'd also been holding off on the Squig Herd as a reward for nearly finishing the army, things to drive me forwards... like a herd of squigs!

This pair of herders are from the Goblin Hood range (now with CP models? Bought from Macrocosm). This is clearly their intended purpose but as with the others I shortened their legs and puttied in robes to make them fit a bit better height wise. 

I got a bunch of the RT squiggly beasts for my snotlings years ago but decided they'd be better in amongst the herd. Adding variation and flavour to the bases.

There are a couple of the newer squigs in here too, again for variation.

The little red bouncing bugger in the middle here I can't help feel is another hidden Trap Door reference. If it had tiny little wings it would look just like the 'Nasty Thing' that makes Berk huge, Drutt change colour and gives Boney a body. I was tempted to paint him purple in reference but that would have looked a bit weird. Maybe I'll get another one someday and do it.

I have recently obtained one of the squig hopper variants massing from my set so he bounded in among the herd. Better late than never.

The bulk of the actual goblins this month have been these armoured common goblins. They have to be common goblins because night goblins can't have armour apparently.

Most of the figures are the Heartbreaker Kev Adams range but there are a few others tucked away in here. Like the Blood Bowl gobbo (equipped with sword and shield) on the right. I don't know if it's intentional but the guy on the left looks just like a goblin version of the 3rd edition rulebook's Hammer-wielding warrior, so I painted him accordingly. 

The right-hand goblin is a Harlequin/BTD nightling, just to show that the unit is night goblins really, they're wearing their robes under the mail!

An older goblin with a hood is also lurking in the front rank, whilst a brand-spanking-new Knightmare leads the unit. 

The shields for this unit are all based on an illustration in Warhammer Armies. Here are some of the ones that can't be seen in the above photos.

Only 55 more goblins to paint!

Cult of the Leering Lune, penultimate month