The Nine-But eighteen??

 Hi, I received the Black Riders from Alliance ..Indeed accurate representation from the 9 Peter Jackson Ringwraiths/Nazgul, including a foot witch King and a mounted Mouth of Sauron...

some if the poses were added to my own custom Horse and Foot Nazgul (with armors and Helmets, quite inspired by Ralph Bakshi old film and other old references)..So I completed  9 of each!!

Easy fast painting Work of black-grey-white

I Will also make another flying Fell-Beast conversión and the remaining figures Will be possibly painted as genéric ghosts por wraiths for Undead fórces.

dwarves are slow (II)

Hi, very small progresses on the Vault Wardens..

I completed shields for 2 companies, each company including 4 teams of  shield warrior +Pike warrior

I gave the Pikemen really solid and sturdy weapons, taking som 28mm sparesparts from other bits i keepre..  Which really look appropiate for these kind or Warfare! 

The formation is comlpicated to create, but it gives good visual result.. The goblins will have real troubles to go trough this dwarf  steel wall

(My free advice for you:Never throw away any plastics even if it is out of scale.. it will be soemday...)

Hope to paint them any week...

Big Buddies

 Hello, I painted these children some weeks ago but finnally I made some pics

The technique I used for the Trolls was really fast and effective (Necrotic yellow as priming-base and then soft shade with blue..it works!!)They Will join my Big orc Horde

Then I painted a Big Hills Giant...I liked his "scottish" look..:)

Hope you like that, including the Big unicorn...

Men Of Gondor

 

Hello, after investing some time in my prevois Work on a Imperial War griffon which turned to be quite succesful, I moved again to Middle Earth, trying to expand that area with a new important army.

This time is for the human Kingdom of Gondor and the warriors of Minas Tirith

I firstly want to declare: even as big fan of Peter Jackspn trilogy, I never really liked the look of the Gondor troops  there(in comparison with Rohan which I really loved). 

Too uniform looking, too plate, too shiny... It was not the hardened army of an old strong Kingdom in troubles, they were just dressed figurants running all time around and  simulating they were fighting an orc invasion....

I was searching from the beggining for a very different inspiration... According to Tolkien himself, this kingdom was more some kind of representation of Late Roman empire or even Byzantium... So more chainmail, quilt and scale was probably to find ..  And troops could not be very uniform...

Here several nice inspiration pictures I found (not esy to find.. Internet is firstly giving you hunderds of pictures from the Peter JAckson version, inlcuding of course the Games Wirkshop minuatures... I spent some time to get to these: 

The next one was the best inspiration (some converted 28mm normans!! In addition to all previous suggestion pictures,  believed then that long  feudal mail hauberk could also work fine for this faction....

(In the other hand, as extreme alternative I also found other more intrincate designs like classical roman-greek which inspired for example the old mithril miniatures range.. i did not like that version either.)

Then, after deciding the desired look, I had to look for adequate 1/72 recruits... Although some late romans were in my sight too, I decided myself for several orion byzantine troops  and also differentr Strelets Normans 8form which I have a lot rpeeated form Strelets big-sets!)

Here my first tetst company of Minas Tirith infantrymen... I think they match what I had imagined and I like their part.. Now I have to look for some archers and then Cavalry, Ithilien rangers... 

And if it goes good , I will add special troop types ( Knights of Dol Amrtoh, Lossarnach Axemen...)

Preparing to repele some nasty goblins:

Here in simulated ofrmation for game "War of the Ring":

Work in progress. the bridge of Khazad Dum (II)

 Hi, I finished the Wip with some Epox for simulating the fire around it and the thongs) ) and painted the Balrog,

I am more or less happy woith the combined Shadow and Flame effect I got...

I also managed som etrick in the skin under the black scales... Some "lava "effect is tried 

Have a look at the pictures (I made on with Flash and afterwards working a little on the images )

What is really a nightmare is keeping the big wire Wip in place.. Glue and putty are not strong enough till now! Need to work on it still.

Anyway I think it reminds good to the Movie...

Work In Progress. The bridge of Khazad Dhum

Hello, Just yesterday I decidid to develope a fast project.. I found by accident the "Fire demons" figures form Dark Alliance set  lying around in my figure collection, while tryinjg to give some organization to it and to my upcoming works... Sadly as many of you already realized, my working table and also my shelves and boxes ara a total mess...

While taking the demon in hand, I remembered instantly the Fellowship of The Ring movie from Peter Jackson , when Wizarsd Gandalf the Grey  fights one the big Demons of Morgoth, the Balrog , in a very iconic scene, when he says the following Words to the Demon. (I could not find the original Tokien text, must search deeper)...

I am a servant of the Secret Fire, wielder of the flame of Anor. You cannot pass! The dark fire will not avail you, flame of Udûn. Go back to the Shadow! You cannot pass!

I will represent this epic scene, A small old human looking wizard with a Sword and a staff stays in the Way of a thousands year old Giant Fire Demon creature, who tries to catch him and his scaping companions down..  Shall the Monster Pass or not?

.. However I  relaized that, even if the concept of the figures is good, the final result is a little silly or dissapointing..specially because of the Wings size...

 

These strange wings  made me also think in the old Bakshi version, a lovely film, but with some horrible effects at some points.. The Lion-Butterfly  Balrg was an example...

But anyway the Alliance figurtres themselves arre quite good and aprroppiate.. 

Specially the demon of the right , who has a good pose and has exatcly the same Head and horns ans the Peter Jackson film

So I had to find new bigger wings for the Monster..And I was lucky..  I find in my mess another strange demon-monster with Bat or dragons wings big enough for the BAlrog of Morgoth!! Just some surgery needed 

For Gandalf, although I like much the wild bareheaded version in the film (as Gandalf hast lost the Hat during the scpae form the Moria goblins), I found a plastic figure from game "BAttle of the Five Armies" which looks quite apoprpate, This figure wears Hat and looks the same as... guess who???  Gandalf in the old Bakshi movie!! hahaha.. i chose him!

Here first test of Balrog wirth new wings and first tets with thick wire to make the final element of the monste, apart from the fire sworr: The Fire Whip!!!! This element is very iconic, and appears in the film as well as in the Book.

 Must be long, and I have to simulate fine the dinamics of fire combined with the natural curves of a whip movement, produiced by the user´s hand and gravity!!! It was  difficult but also funny..

All this decisions, first works and tests wew made in only 2-3hours

I was quite inspired, I even watched the Move scene again!!

I had even time in the sam enight for quick painting Gandalf.. this figure is very easy and grateful to paint (some detail stilll missimng, but tunic, hat and beard are there.. What else is Gandalf the Grey???

 ...

In the bext morning I primed the Balrog black... Only this and the monster already looks scary

Good looking, isn it??

Next progresses soon