PTS, Therapy and Bargains

It's Paint Table Saturday and normally by now I would have squeezed in a Sunday or mid-week post for those of you with nothing better to do but read this nonsense (no offence...). However, the first full week back to work has been ridiculously busy, and somewhat intense in nature. Nevertheless I managed to carry on with some more dungeon scenery from the collection of unpainted stuff in the Shed of Delights. After a tough day at work I find these little items extremely therapeutic - I can make up colour schemes, even invent little tales around each piece as I paint them. No pressure to get the uniform correct or churn out masses of troops, so they have proved ideal for my current circumstances - I may never use them, but I have enjoyed painting them, and they've helped me switch off.

 

 

Once again most of the items are from Scotia Grendel. I also found time to knock up a dungeon adventurer or possibly a dungeon hireling from a Fireforge plastic Foot Sergeant:

 

 

 

 

 



I shall have to improve his base at some point - perhaps one of those fancy cast-resin items with sculpted flagstones. 

I also picked up some great bargains in North Star's January Sale, although I fear these are now sold out. £4.90 per pack of 8 figures - now that's a bargain!

 

 

 

These are all Crusader Miniatures - I love their chunky no-nonsense look. Despite the Christmas rush, and North Star being extremely busy I had these within days - Excellent work Nick. I haven't always been a fan of North Star's customer service - they botched up the first three orders I ever made to them! Now, however the service is always good, and they do a huge range of great figures. They are also now importing Bob Murch's delightful Pulp figures. Whilst they (and Pulp gaming in general) is a temptation, I shall try and abstain. I just wish they'd been around when I used to run my Call of Cthulhu games - they would have been fantastic on the tabletop!

 

Anyway, January continues apace. I am very much looking forward to participating in Roy Williamson's Play-by-Blog western gunfight: I am The Ysabel Kid, and I am one mean 'ornery SOB!

 

 



 

 

Until next time............................

 

 



Planning Ahead

Whilst I'm having fun with my Wars of the Roses figures, I am also looking ahead to next year - I happen to know I am getting some early medievals for Christmas from the Current Wife, so I thought I would see what I had in the Shed of Delights in order to add to them in order to create a couple of retinues for Lion Rampant from the period 1250 - 1400 approximately - Scottish Wars of Independence, the Barons War, Conquest of Wales etc. - You get the picture.
Problem is I am a bit of a scale Nazi, and like my troops to suit each other on the tabletop if you see what I mean.

So I dug out miniatures from Perry, Ebob, Fireforge and Crusader for a bit of a comparison:

L to R: Ebob, Perry, Fireforge.

L to R: Crusader, Fireforge, Perry.



Whilst I can live with the Fireforge plastic figure being slightly smaller than the others (even with the outsize base - What was I thinking of?!), the Ebob figure unfortunately doesn't cut the mustard.
This is unfortunate on two counts. Firstly Ebob's Rebellion miniatures are some of the nicest ever sculpted, but they only blend well with themselves (and possibly GW's Lord of the Rings range). Secondly I have a fair few of them, but not enough to make two retinues! I may keep the personality figures, but will probably put the rest on ebay in the new year.
Generally Perry, Fireforge and Crusader will live together happily on the tabletop, to my mind. From memory Foundry were a little too small too, although I didn't have any to hand to check.

Eagle-eyed regular readers will have spotted that instead of black undercoat I am experimenting with grey. I am not convinced of its merits yet, but will report back later.

I am about to post out my Santa Clause and Secret Santa gifts, so that's another little job out of the way.


Until next time........