#MESBG Middle Earth 3 Hunters and Fellowship - TO DONE!

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on my Middle Earth Strategy Battle Games 3 Hunters and Fellowship and I am super stoked having finished these. In particular I had no intention of attempting eyes on these. I just thought it was a complete lost cause. But I donned my magnifying glasses and did them all [except Gandalf, his brim cast too much shadow already].

I made the decision to add some flock to the 3 Hunters, alongside some of my tufts I found.

I think it adds so much, I'm really glad I did it. Overall they're still quite dark. I'm not sure why but I think I associate a lot more green with their colour scheme. But I kept referring to pictures and and dark greys, black and brown were much more common than green.

The cloaks are probably a bit too dark for their Elven cloaks but it makes them consistent with the hobbits too.

Legolas's orange fletching on the arrows might be controversial but Google it and I assure you they have something of an amber hue. It has a nice little link up with Gimli's beard too 😉

Such a great pose. I'm not sure about his eyes and teeth, but the stubble worked pretty well for an accident. It would have been nice to have him coming off a small mound of slate for height though.

Gimli too could have looked more impressive raised up a bit. His eyes are possibly the best executed though, even if it does look like he's got eyeliner. Meanwhile Legolas has some strange mark on his cheek I've failed to clean up. But I'm chuffed with putting the effort in to string his bow, even if it was ridiculously fiddly.

Gollum pretty much painted himself, but the hobbits were reasonably straight forward too.

They're backpacks were the only things I felt needed more effort.

I'd done them black but a bit of brown helped lift them off the already dark grey cloaks. The welts on Gollum's back came out really well too.

Some additional little tufts just added some extra 'bling' to the base.

I did Gollum's eyes blue and added some gloss varnish so they look glistening. Super happy with how he came out.

Frodo has the least successful eyes. But, potentially the smallest, so swings and roundabouts. I'm not totally convinced by 'Sting's' glow effect but I'm glad the browns are all distinct enough.

I think Sam might be the best executed, when it comes to still looking like Sean Astin. Close up the eyes work and it looks like the actor. Amazing considering just who rough the paintwork looks under a magnifying glass. And yet, it does look like him to me so I am super proud of this little guy.

Gandalf looks great, but I grudgingly acknowledged the guys calling him 'Gandalf the Black'. Yes his robes are very dark.

But at least that makes a nice contrast to his Gandalf the White version

And another bunch of Great Big Wooden Stamps of Approval.

And here they are with the Army of the Dead on one of Otty's boards.

I love these guys.

And the ghosts aren't half bad either.

And their new home in his display shelves, ready for when we might bring them forth to honour their oath.

#MESBG Middle Earth 3 Hunters and Fellowship - Big Build and Base TO DONE!

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on more Middle Earth Strategy Battle Games figures. First up, the 3 Hunters - Aragorn Gimli and Legolas. These were a gift from my eldest son, my Swiss cheese brain forgets if it was birthday or Christmas but it was an unexpected present in that I can't recall he'd ever indulged my hobby so directly. He knows MESBG is my current game and this was such a kind gesture. As I'd got a few other figures to do I thought I'd get them built and based. Only then did I remember/discover that I I could take Aragorn and the other two alongside the Army of the Dead I just painted of Scott's! It was meant to be.

I'd been looking for a Gollum to add to my Goblin Town force and I thought this was the best one and I got Frodo and Sam too.

As I was just about done basing, priming and base coating those 3 Otty gave me a Gandalf! And I couldn't just have him flat on the 25mm, so I gave him a bit of slate. I'd wished I'd been a bit more adventurous with the 3 Hunters, at least I experimented here.

Another trio of Great Big Wooden 'BIG BUILD' Stamps of Approval.

And with everything built I got all the bases done and did a fair bit getting them all moved forward.

They're a lot darker than I expected but I think there are still elements that will match up with Ben, Liam and Otty's way of painting. Really pleased to get these done so quickly.

And a trio of Great Big Wooden 'BIG BUILD BASE' Stamps of Approval.

#MESBG Middle Earth Army of the Dead - TO DONE!

Afternoon #Warhammer Community I've been #PaintingWarhammer on Scott's Middle Earth Army of the Dead. I did not realise just how rewarding I would find this. All of the gaming crew has done something to advance Scott's armies. I wasn't really aware it was a thing, Ben had been quietly beavering away with a newfound love for Contrast paints making him both really productive and achieving amazing results. Liam had also got stuff done but they felt I should 're-base' and fix all these ghosts.

Naturally, finishing off the army for Scott was going to feel satisfying but it's compounded by me getting 50 models painted in around 10 days. Yes 10 had been almost finished by Liam when Scott was with us but they've all had attention in varying degrees put on them. Not to mention they've all been varnished.

Some even had to be finished building. But you know me the fundamental hit I'm searching for is the serotonin high of finishing a project.

And I don't think I have EVER finished so many models in one go, nor so quickly.

Even if I hadn't been doing it for Scott I'd be proud of the achievement but the fact I got to finish it for him makes it that much more special.

I queried whether the additional highlights were needed, Contrast does do such a fantastic job with these ethereal beings.

But it has indeed added to the overall look and feel of the army.

Just enough of what Scott did initially, enhanced with some glow on the ground and highlights up top.

I don't know how consistent the bases are. Whether it's obvious that some were done by Liam, who has a much finer grain of basing material.

And the newer ones don't have any grass tufts as the only tufts I can find at the moment have flowers on from my Halfling Blood Bowl Team.

I do have some brown tufts somewhere, for when I started my Turnip28 models, but for the life of me the packet has gone AWOL.

As you can see Liam and Scott had used different colours, so some dead brown tufts would have added a third dimension.

Then again, some without would equally have helped in differentiating sub-warband groups.

I was amazed how rich the turquoise shading on the lower half became from my Craft Acrylic. This is one of the ones I've used on my Tyranid striations. It never looks this vibrant, but I think it really works. 

The question we have now is that I do have a sizeable Night Haunt army that is unbuilt. I've not intention of making them now or painting them anytime soon.

But having done these so quickly do I go with this [standard] approach. It's so quick and productive, although I like the idea of rusty metallics on the weapons. Or do I do something else a little more bloody and disgusting...

And another bunch of  Great Big Wooden Stamps of Approval.