First things first... I realised looking at my Blogger reading list that Grinning Loon has been claimed by Dave Powell for his excellent Grinning Loon Project, so in deference to his claim I have adjusted the name of my goblin clan. I originally wanted to use Grimacing or Leering but they didn't seem to have quite as satisfying a ring as Grinning for this purpose. Leering Visage was what I was initially going to go with, but it felt a bit too erudite for mere goblins. Anyway, the alliterative Leering Lune (with Lune suggesting crescent-shaped rather than mad, but both moon references) will do. It also lets me step aside from clan so as not to risk any supposed links with their pointy white-ish hoods and robes...
Month 2 of the Tale of 4th Gamers challenge and the purpose of this month was to make the army 'legal' according to the 4th edition lists. I did the points calculations a the end of the last post if you're interested. That meant another big block of goblins, this time with hand weapons and shields, their requisite fanatics and a character model just to keep things interesting.
Second attempt at a banner printed onto fabric from a design in Forces of Fantasy. Ok, but still not happy with the distressing. It looks too dabbed on and not natural enough. Will revisit after I have practiced some more!
The champion is a regular goblin, but his pointy helmet spike means he doesn't look out of place. I probably ought to have put him in my unit of goblins with pointy head spikes... but maybe it's better he stands out. The musician I realised when I started painting is the same model as in the first unit. I probably should have done some conversion work on him to make him a bit different.
Middle finger gobbo is, of course, the best of the night goblin models. A unit of thirty of him would be nice... but he is also the hardest to get hold of. Probably because everyone is hanging on to theirs! I swapped the middle guy's axe for a big hammer so he can sit in the front rank and stomp elves whenever he gets the chance. Actually, I think this may be my favourite night goblin sculpt, the mischievous grinning expression is perfectly goblin. The flail goblin may be my least favourite of all the goblin sculpts, I'm not keen on the shorter robe. I think it was a mistake to highlight this by painting them with brightly-coloured shoes but I'm not going back now and painting their socks brown.
More weapon swaps for the same of variation and some bending of wrists. As it's a mixed unit and not a monopose one I want to avoid ranks of the same figure.
I will hold my hands up to a bunch of these shields being resin casts from a simple mould of the originals. Unfortunately I didn't have enough of the plastic ones in my bits box and finding bulk lots of just this shield design doesn't seem likely. I'm not totally sold on the grey metal that I have give them. It's nice and muted but quite similar to the look of the weapons in my Skaven force and I feel like the goblins should have more rusted, weathered implements. I have some rust effects and weathering powders to play with so these may get used in the future... but I don't want to duplicate the rusted effects of my Undead!
The little dudes creeping into the middle of the back ranks of this unit are Goblin Hood models (available from CP Models I believe, though I bought these from Macrocosm) placed to bulk out the numbers. I had to cut their legs off, putty long robes onto them and extend their hoods to make them pointy but having Kev Adams faces they don't look too out of place.
As you can see the Goblin Hood models are still taller and less hunched than the actual night goblins. Can't really do much about that short of basically rebuilding the models. They're ok though, it means their heads can be seen above the ranks in front and I don't expect they will be on the table for very long...
Of course every unit of night gobbos needs to have its fanatics. I wanted to get as many different fanatic models into the force as possible as they are all great. These are some C27 pre-slotta ones. Their hoods kepe them blending in nicely. I did have to make a decision as to what colour goblin hair should be. Purple and bright green crossed my mind, but I think the contrasting orange sets it off nicely and keeps the model unified with his unit.
I had to trim the metal base on the hairy goblin to fit him on his round base. This left the ball and chain exposed and, naturally enough, it has already snapped once. Soft lead and all that. I am hoping the pin, superglue and green stuff will keep it attached. The third Compendium calls two of these guys Agrat and Zitty and lists them as Perry sculpts. The sulky chap that looks the most night goblin doesn't seem to have been included in the lineup after the second Compendium but I assume he's also the work of the Perrys.
From some things much older than the rest of the unit to something newer. The goblins from 5th edition onwards (after Kev left GW) take a radical shift in aesthetic to one I'm not keen on, with the exception of this guy. Since he appeared as Oddgit the shaman in the Idol of Gork campaign and again on the cover of the 6th edition Ravening Hordes I have been a fan. He's got just enough continuity with the previous generation of goblins and as a special character some distinguishing features aren't too big a deal. I've since decided to give all my goblin shamans (yes, lots of them!) familiars so he'll be getting his next month.
Lastly, here's a preview of what's coming for October. I finally managed to get a Kev 'Ed done at BOYL! Well, actually once again I got my model in late and it was bumped down the queue, but Kev was very kind and said he'd take it away to do, then ended up staying late at Foundry and doing it there so Diane sent it through the post to me and it arrived a couple of weeks ago. Champion for the next unit.
Cult of the Leering Lune- Night Goblins month 2
