It is also highly encouraging to see all new follower's of the blog. There is work going on to update the sidebar with links - the hope is that I will soon learn to "follow" blogs and then be able to publish their latest updates like on many other blogs. This is a very good way to publish links, methinks...
Anyway:
Renovation on the Easterlings continue. Today, I have a question for you. I am almost 100% certain that a lion will be used in one of the formations as an upgrade - some ideas for rules exist, but none are decided on. The question is: Of the two lions below, one is a conversion of a warg that need a little more work and repainting, and the other is a WHFB pulling-lion from a High elf chariot. The WHFB lion is huge but it looks better - especially when some trimming of exaggerated details have been executed. Which one should I use?
I should also mention that the painting is in its early state.
I saw another blogger that had made a little drummer boy. I am toying with the idea of working some slaves into this army. Why not use a half-dressed male model as a drummer? I must read up on Easterling culture before continuing with this...
And the box of Easterlings waiting to be dealt with. How, I do not know. And where to fit them, I know neither...
In other self-related news I can informe you that the goblin project has been put on hold, it is mainly an issue of space. I found this goblin king look-a-like on a video-gaming blog...
Image mirrored and slightly altered to avoid (c)-issues.
the WHFB lion looks more like a lion, but I love the idea of the warg conversion as some eastern lion-like creature, so I vote for the conversion. Maybe you can just use the wild warg profile?
SvaraRaderaAs a fellow Easterling lover, I can tell you that one of the really nice thing about Easterlings is that Tolkien's writings on them are very limited, So you have a lot of flexibility to use your imagination. What we call "easterlings" were actually for Toklien a number of cultures that just lived "to the east" of the happenings in his books. Peter Jackson and GW have come up with a couple specific cultures to represent them, but those already don't fully match Tolkien.
In fact, they really based their Easterlings off of Tolkien's discription of the Haradrim - wearing scarlet tunics and corslets of brazen scales.
I'm really looking forward to seeing what else you come up with!
This is exactly the answer I am hoping for: "Tolkien's writings on them are very limited" - which means I'll skip the reading and start planning my own things!
RaderaThis whole mess with the movies' Haradrim/Easterling I was sort of aware of - somehow it didn't bother me as much as expected when it came to my attention, but it doesn't mean I understand it... nevertheless, they looked great - and of course, many of our "good" journalists and PC-people condemned the movies as being "r@cist". I guess the anticipation of shallow and stupid reactions like that could've played in when designing the Harad and Easterlings.
Like Jeff of Podhammer said in regards of using the mahûd warriors for a regiment of his: He noted that they were pale and thought it was a PC-decision. His co-hosts thought they weren't and they left the [perhaps pointless] discussion. Still, I found it interesting, and it was probably true what Jeff thought. And I can certainly understand GW's decision if it were so - not to mention how well the models look with paler skin than expected. Those officially painted mahûds are some of the better models in all their simplicity, IMO.
A long and convoluted reply here... the point I was trying to make was probably lost somewhere :)
The lion is a nice idea! I choose the WHFB one! You can use some Perry's plastic Mahdist Ansar Sudanese Tribesmen to reach the number of Easterlings you want.
SvaraRaderaThe Dol Amroth drummer boy was the Farmer Maggot with drumsticks instead of his scythe! If yu have the figure give him a dark skin tone and paint his clothes red and you have your Easterling drummer boy!
Good luck with all these conversions!
Panagiotis.
WHFB lion: 1
RaderaConverted warg-lion: 1
We need one more voter :)
The sudanese tribesmen are perfect for this, some tinkering with the heads and then this sub-project should be on its way. At least I hope so.
And of course the drummer boy was yours - but it's been a while since I saw it, so we can excuse me for not remembering who'd made it ;)
Llama,
SvaraRaderaI'm your huckleberry: I vote High Elf lion. I've painted four of 'em. They're nice. And they look like lions. Don't know how I'd advise you on dealing with the shoulder armor; but you're obviously clever and will figure it out.
Love the cartoon of the llamas.
I'll be circling back to my WotR - and in particular my Easterlings - later this year.
Like what you're doing here!
You could probably use your own modded warg if you gave it a more obvious mane and sharpened up the face sculpt. It could definitely work but if you want to avoid the hazzle I give another vote to the WHFB lion.
SvaraRaderaFoB
@ Dilettante Gamer: You are indeed my huckleberry - with the little caveat that Dan of FoB provided input of the opposite direction. I am going to ignore the fact that you were first and tally the score:
SvaraRaderaWHFB-lion: 2
Warg-conversion: 2
We need one more voter... hehe...
It will be interesting to see what you do with your Easterlings. And also, welcome to the sidebar, but I seriously need to do what many other bloggers have done: To fix like a "feed" or whatever it is called, where the blog that was last updated is shifted to the top of the list. As it is now, you won't get much information from just the links and which one is updated or not.
And of course, thank you for your kind words 8)
@ Dan of FoB: The mane! Of course! That's what's missing - I never could see what the problem was... I'll get to it as fast as work and life permits!
"WHFB-lion: 2
SvaraRaderaWarg-conversion: 2
We need one more voter... hehe..."
I see what you're doing here, Llama. That's called "chumming the water". ;-)
Thank you for the welcome and the kind words. Now I better get off the interwebz and back to my project, huh?
Glad to find one of the handful of WotRing fans out there. I've got enough models for 4 3000pt armies: Gondor, Mordor, Fallen Kingdoms, Rohan.
I'm not buying another (overpriced) model until I get all these finished.
But I don't judge you for impulse buying the Men of Dale. Godspeed!
Wade
Hahaha! "Chumming the water" - yes indeed I did ;)
RaderaThe models for Hobbit-LotR are even more expensive than WHFB/40K nowadays! And that says a lot. The impulse to buy the Dalings was actually partially an evil scheme of mine: If I dare, I will post some images within the end of second quarter of my evil doings with these 10 overpriced warriors. I just have to consult (once again) my small legal team.
And as you said, it is always great to find a fellow WotR-fan. I priggishly* assume you will post explanations and pictures of your upcoming work of your backlog? Otherwise I can help you by regular and annoying nagging until it happens ;)
/L M
*) Thank you google translate. These kinds of words are not on the top 10 words you learn in school (or top 1000 for that matter).