For Whom the Gnoll Bellows

These gnolls are all of the metal gnolls from Reaper. Large, sturdy creatures, full of character (even if it is of a rather unsavory sort).

 

 

(having troubles with blogger - can't get some photos to load. There is one more gnoll, with a bow; and a family of goats from Foundry, and a large forest spider, provenance forgotten.)

Halflings and Big-folk

More halflings  and a couple of big-folk from Foundry. The female "Robin Hood", the villain (boo, hiss), and the halfling in green are from an old Foundry pantomime set. The rest of the halflings are from a more recent halfling set. There are 3 or 4 more halflings from that set that I haven't painted yet. I like the cartoonish look of the halflings and they fit in well with some old GW halflings I have. Similar stocky build, not the weedy (but possibly more refined/realistic) figures of some miniature lines. These are stout lads and lasses.

I have some ideas of how to use these in some games, scenarios and battles (ala Hordes of the Things or similar rules where you don't need large numbers of similar figures for each unit). The variety of figures gives me lots of ideas for characters and abilities. More on that if or when it comes to fruition.

Meanwhile, I have been enjoying playing various boardgames solo. So far, in the past couple of weeks I have played Race for the Galaxy, Tales of the Arabian Nights, Witches of Discworld, and Agents of SMERSH. All fun solo games with good thematic story-telling aspects, good artwork, various levels of challenge. Some wins and more losses, but lots of fun.

(apologies for the variable quality of the pictures - I keep trying to get good shots, but I can't tell how they really look until I upload them to my computer, and I haven't figured out the right combination of lighting, camera settings, placement, etc.)

Gutzom, Dwarf Dungeon Delver

Over at Tabletop Diversions, at http://tabletopdiversions.blogspot.com/2013/12/the-ever-expanding-dungeon-session-25b.html , in the comments section I offered up a character to join the party. The character is a dwarf dungeon delver. Doodling around the other day I came up with this "cartoony" sketch of Gutzom (and friend).

Other than that, I've been playing some solo boardgames, Race for the Galaxy, Tales of the Arabian Nights, and the Pathfinder Adventure Card Game. I have a few more games to add to the gaming queue now. And more miniatures to clean up and paint. (and, as always, more books to read). :)
Currently I'm painting up some more halflings and a few other peoples and animals.

Even More Assorted Miniatures

This time around, a mortar, which I think was a bombard from a 15mm or 10mm set (I forgot where I got this from), but seems to make a good smallish mortar for 28mm figures. The wonders of "modern miniaturization".

A snow leopard, from Reaper. The large cat is the animal ally of a druid (which I don't have).

And finally, Boadicea/Boudicca, queen of the Iceni, from Hasslefree Miniatures. I tried to do a different plaid on her cloak. It's not the best, but I guess it'll do.

More Assorted Miniatures

First, some halfling militia/home guard and a couple of halfling adventurers with their well-stocked pony, all from Foundry.

Next a female archer from Reaper and a couple of male archers, source forgotten.

And last, but not least, some female dwarf warriors. I think these were from the same manufacturer who did the Highlander dwarves I did quite some time ago. The one with the axe is a weapons conversion. Her sword was too fragile, so I used a plastic axe head from a GW dwarf sprue, a bit of wire, a bead, and some greenstuff, to give her a sturdier weapon.

Oddities (Space and Otherwise)

Making more progress clearing out some of the old lead pile. Some of the figures are ones I liked or that amused me. I don't know if I will ever have any use for them in games. They're just fun to paint.

An alien from Reaper, their Chronoscope line, I believe.

A dire crocodile, also from Reaper.

A dimetrodon. From Acheson Creations, if I recall correctly.

(Maybe I will have to do some sort of lost world/jungle thing, with aliens. ha ha)

Norse Dwarves

I painted up another batch of figures from the old lead pile. These are old Norse dwarves from Foundry. In my fantasy world they are from the island of Smorgasbergen, a dwarf holding founded several generations ago by a seafaring dwarf known as Smorgas Herringsbane. I have a small family tree worked out of him and his descendants to the current chief, Snorkil Gnarlison, along with a map of the island.

I have shields that I think came with these figures, but I'm debating whether or not to attach them.

This finishes up the Foundry dwarf figures I have. Now I'm trying to decide which figures to work on next. Also, I've been thinking about whether to base up some of my old figures on stands for use with rules like Hordes of the Things or some sort of homegrown rules using stands of figures. I could easily work up a number of fantasy armies and still have plenty of individually based figures for skirmishes and rpgs. Of course, I could use movement trays or non-permanent attachments of the individual figures to stands, but permanent stands also have some appeal to me.