Sauron

Here is the Games Workshop Sauron figure which I got some time ago.  I painted this using lots of layers of Citadel Blotgun Metal, Chainmail, Tin Bitz and Mithril Silver with Humrol enamels for the black cape and base.  I need to finish the Elendil and Isildur figures which came with it too.

I haven't tried using him a game yet but I suspect he will need some major heroes to bring him down!

Cave Troll

One of the things I don't like about the Warhammer universe is the use of monsters.  Oddly, I basically want my fantasy armies to feature men rather than creatures.  Likewise I don't like magic so the surrent focus on this from GW is not to my taste at all, either. I know, I might just as well play Saxons and Vikings!  The current White Dwarf is pushing the Warhammer Ogre army which seems to feature large, fat, ugly bald men not dissimilar to many of the scooter riders I saw over the Bank Holiday on the Isle of Wight.  Why anyone would want an army of slaphead bikers is beyond me.

There are monsters in the Lord of the Rings, of course, but they are the exception not the rule.  This is the first one which appears in the films and I needed to paint it for a game (Balin's Tomb) we had at Guildford some years ago. 

I couldn't find many source pictures at the time as a colour guide.  In the film he is basically just grey so I toned down the skin tone that GW used on their examples.  I was quite happy with the way he turned out and recently put together a plastic armoured troll to have a go at for a change.

Orc Tracker

I found this at the back of the workbench and gave him a quick and rough paint job earlier this month.  Somewhere I must have his two fellows and as he didn't take long to do I must try and dig them out.  It's not that important to paint Orcs nicely; you just need to get them done as you are going to need a lot!  I am not too keen on the non film-based figures as they usually have a completely different style to the, mainly Perry sculpted, ones that were representations of the film originals.  These aren't too bad though.

In one of those GW oddities the Orc trackers cost the same as an Orc bowman but have a better shooting value.  They hit on a 4, 5 or 6 rather than a 5 or 6.  They lose a point in defence but archers are less likely to get into hand to hand combat. 

Uruk Hai Scouts completed

Well it's taken rather longer than I had intended but I have finished the last twelve Uruk Hai scouts to go with the dozen I did some time ago.

These are now ready for an Amon Hen scenario or to battle Riders of Rohan at the edge of Fangorn forest. Possibly I will get some more Rohan cavalry done next.

Ruins of Osgiliath

I haven't been too excited by much of Games Workshop's recent Lord of the Rings stuff as the further it gets from the films the less I am interested in it. I did buy the new plastic fell beast. however, and may start that this weekend.

Their latest announcement is much more interesting: plastic Osgiliath ruins and for the comparatively bargain price of £15 a set.

Guy and I like the Minas Tirith warriors and they are very quick to paint and even though Orcs take a bit longer we are both enthused about street fighting in the ruins so may start to get some more figures painted before the ruins come out in May.

Orc captains

Mordor Orc Captains

I got given these for Christmas by Guy and got them painted in a record two days. Particularly lovely figures to paint, I must say. Shortly after that we had a Battle Companies game and I realised the night before we were due to play that Guy needed two more Orcs for his Isengard battle company. I managed to get them all based and painted except for the metal work that evening and so could finish them off first thing before our game.

Two more Orcs

I really don't think it would take too long to finish the figures I need for an Orc battle company especially as I already have them based so will undercoat them this weekend.

Galadhrim Warriors

I continue single-handely to regenerate the economy of Nottingham

One thing I do not need at present is any more Lord of the Rings figures. I have hundreds to paint! However I couldn't resist this latest box set from GW of Galadhrim Warriors.

I love the scene in The Two Towers where Haldir brings his elves to the relief of Helm's Deep but up until now you have had to fork out a fortune (well £7.85 for three figures) to build this force. So the £20 for 24 figures is a bargain (by Games Workshop reckoning).

It's still pretty steep for plastic figures given that Victrix sell 60 Napoleonic French for the same price.

Interestingly, if you look at the scenes from The Two Towers (very much my favourite of the trilogy) quite a few of Haldir's Elves are women (see far left in the picture above). This is probably not reflected in the plastic models! GW no longer call them Haldir's Elves but just "Elves with bows" or "swords".

I might take them on holiday with me to paint but will try and ensure that they don't look too bright but more Peter Jackson (or Weta) muted. Guy is keen that I build a Helm's Deep model but all those curved walls may be beyond my capabilities!

GW do captains and a banner bearer (at an eye watering £5.85) to make a War of the Ring unit. I suppose it's less than half the price of a Martini at the Langham Hotel down the road. I have a GW exactly 170 paces from where I work and it's a good thing I took this new job last year with its threefold salary increase or I'd be stuffed!