Painting Rivendell Knights, phase 2

The moment I put a brush onto these models it sure was obvious that the short absence from miniatures and brushes had made my already not-pro painting skills to falter even more. To get to the level that the models are on the pictures below, took me copious amounts of time, sugar and coffeine. In fact, I have added 1,5kg to my belly trying to get these expensive models to look better than what they'd look if in bare plastics.

There are two reasons for me to remove the joy of painting by just forcing me to finish these Rivendell Knights: Firstly, when I finish these I may start doing some kitbash orcs which I have looked forward to since my hobby-paus in February/March this year (2014). Secondly, when these guys are done I have a crude-mark for when renovating my Rivendell army, which is also something I have joyously anticipated.

Models aside, I can happily welcome new followers: hobbyist Sanguemarcio, historical wargamer Der Feldmarschal, the great hobbyist Herr Werner and the one and only Dalauppror. It is always nice to know that people read or at least gloss over one's texts and pictures, and followers can sometimes be a sort of reciept that people actually give a crap of at least some parts of one's hobby. 
      This may or may not be important, for me and others, but sometimes it is just plain nice to get new followers. Even though I still haven't figured out how to follow blogs myself... and what the real point is? If someone can enlighten me on this matter, I will send you a... a... gift, perhaps... ?



Midsummer

Midsummer is kind of a big deal for many Swedes (as a happy racist, I am always up for some stereotyping and discrimination, as the link might imply). However, I am not only a crazy racist, no: As a true Swede, I do not see myself as nothing else than a human because it is seen as a bit "rural" to like and identify with people genetically close to oneself, especially when these people live within the same nation-state as oneself. It is seen as old-fashioned. Regardless of these kosmopolit-tendencies, most of us fall back to our true heritage when the summer solstice comes, and we all join together and gladly celebrate whatever it is we celebrate. Some more than others, as seen in the first image in this post...

The midsummer pole is a symbol of a wiener impregnating mother Earth. Thats subtelty for you, because it took me many years before I made the connection. Nowadays, the tradition of fucking earth has gone from religious BS to more of a simple tradition, like a Christmas tree. Funny fact: Last Christmas, December 2013, it was around 8C temperature where I spent Christmas. And now, during Midsummer's Eve, it was 8C at the same time of day... not a warm summer... Or, if you are a happy, positive idiot you could say that it was a nice and warm winter... I'd prefer not to say that.
    Long story short, it's all about summer solstice and paganism. And good food.

Painting Rivendell Knights, phase 1

Text heavy update, but for once I can honestly say it is an acceptable read.

Just a quick update before moving on with other stuff: Please take notice of the sorrowful urethane copy made a few years ago. At the time this horse was cast I thought it marvellous to make a really bad copy of anything GW, because it felt I was actually making money.
     Today, I am wiser... or at least thought I'd become wiser: For some reason I wanted to save the other good horses in my bits-box for other projects that might have other homemade parts, to sort of balance things out. The philosophy behind being something like this:
      "This [Rivendell] project is so nice anyway with these beautiful models, so I might as well use something really shitty for this last conversion, because if I would use this crappy horse-copy on another project with less good-looking parts and lots of DIY-components, the whole project will look bad - so instead, I'll balance my resources, and end up with two acceptable projects, because in the end, my painting is just basic anyways and it doesn't matter if the models aren't perfect. Acceptable standards are okay."
    The above quote was my way of doing resource management in the world of 28mm wargaming. It didn't turn out as expected. It turns out this copied horse stands out like a piece of crap on royal crown. The contrast between the real models and my homemade parts was just too great.

I had to stop the project and go home because I actually ran out of Ceramite White when I tried to hide all the little failcast-bubbles, and weird miscasts on the horsie-porsie. Finecast really have a competetor in me, at least with this project.

The culprit is circled with red. Instead of writing sorrowful, I typed Saro, from the book, because it felt more appropriate. The wikipedia post is not giving a good description of that wonderful novel, so don't read it, read the book instead: The Book of Atrix Wolfe.

 Wikipedians. Yeah, that's what you are...

So, with that I bid my firewall and unplug and conclude that while this might have been a text-heavy update, it was for once quite readable. And not to mention you got yourself a personal and useful book-recommendation. Not for everyone, I agree, but nevertheless a good one [he said, overly pleased with himself].

Manly Subject of the Week: Size comparison and Smoking.

Size comparison between my DIY-28mm-deer and a Warhammer-deer from the Sisters of Thorn-box.

These guys seems too large for me to use in my Edheldu army... If you have any suggestions for what to use them for, and a nudge to some suitable rules from the War of the Ring-rulesbook (let's say I were to use them as some sort of cavalry - but without a rider - what rules to use etc), please let me know.

Size comparison shows that this deer is closer in size to the ancient and now extinct giga-deer.

Other project: Rivendell Cavalry. Not calvary, that's something else - for some reason, the co-host on Pointhammered keeps saying calvary, I know not why. Calvary has something to do with Golgatha and Christianity.

 

And finally, this came to my attention: While trawling the "world wibe wedd" this picture had been posted somewhere. It might seem as a normal LotR-hobby table, but something struck me as different. Yes, you are correct. The ciggarettes. For some reason I never see hobbyists with ciggarettes... Why is that? It looks kind of cool, so I skillfully photoshopped some things onto my favourite table (the beautiful and tasteful golf-club-leg table which I have standing in my hallway) to make me look as "rad" and "groovy" as I should be.

But jokes aside, why is that most hobbyists tend not to smoke? Or are all you smokers hiding your habit as a homophiliac hid his habits during the 50's? For some reason, 80% of my boardgaming group are smokers, with mandatory smoke-breaks once an hour... Perhaps it has to do with the nature of our hobby, all this concentrated painting, hunkered down for hours on end is disallowing smokers to really get into it and hence rather quit the hobby than smoking?

Review of Deer Riders

This review actually concentrates on the mounts, because this is a blog dedicated to War of the Ring and not Warhammer.

The box cost me circa 260 SEK, bought at a store in Stockholm and contained, except for three sprues and five bases, the little pamphlet below:

As most cavalry sets for Warhammer, there are five models in the box. They come with the regular cavalry bases, the rectangular ones. We can also find very detailed instructions on how to assemble the two different variants of the models. Superfluous, in my opinion - it is not difficult to assemble them - but I am going to kit-bash and convert the shit out of these, so what do I know or care?

Mouldlines are okay - however (as with Tuvok on the Voyager, there is always a "however" on this blog), in an unusual turn of events, these particular models actually had some mouldlines that was notable: This early in production, I have noted that the mouldlines typically are small to almost non-existant, but with these sprues this was not the case. Granted, the sprues might very well have already gotten a slight wear by the time these particular models were cast. Or, the moulds are perhaps so demanding in their construction, that notable mouldlines are to be expected?

As a sidenote, the worst mouldlines I've ever experienced stands in a tie between some Zvedza-models in 1:72-scale and in the infamous polyethylene-plastic (the kind that buckets are made of) and, surprisingly enough: Games Workshop's Warriors of Minas Tirith, from our beloved Lord of the Rings-line, the WoMT:s actually looked like cheap counterfeits, with the mouldlines as grave as it almost looked like a miscast.

Sidenotes aside: These models are dynamic. Earlier, I sculpted a little stag. That stag was a static stag. These models are not static, no, they are full of life, well sculpted and have correct proportions - all in +32 mm scale. Games Workshop have, as some of us suspected a few years ago (after the influence of the Lord of the Rings-line), slowly made some great progress ever so slightly from the super-cartoony to a more "realistic cartoony" look. These stags are simply put great!

For the riders, you will have to go to another blogger or reviewer, as I am very biased against the typical look of humans from the Warhammer-world. Very much too gay for me, with the big muscles and homo-erotic overcompensating looks on their faces. Some actually look like they've got a broom up their bum. Again, I am not a good reviewer on WHFB-men, so go someplace else for a fair treatment on these.

What I can review, though, are the bits and pieces: The selections and designs are more than okay. While it is very possible that the pinecone-inspired helmets on the riders of the Wild Riders might be offputting to some, they still are well done and works well with the theme, without going over the "bordering to hyper-kitsch"-edge. Warhammer is about stereotypes and obvious themes, which is what draws the fans of that particular hobby to it, so there's nothing more to say except for: Thumbs up for pinecone-heads.

When cleaning mouldlines, I had some problems with some small parts on the deers: Tiny plastic thingies (looking like some sort of straps or ends of reins or similar) that were very difficult to clean without destroying totally. Be careful when filing or scraping these little pieces.

Lastly, the price. I am not going to say much about this. I payed around 50 SEK for each deer and I find it acceptable. If you play Warhammer, you'll get a whole rider for 50 SEK and parts to make some extra stuff, if you have some spare mounts laying around. Obviously, the price was fine with me, since I bought it.


Sprues: 5/5.
Mouldlines: 4/5.
Bits: 4/5.
Rider design: 4/5.
Mount design: 5/5.
Price: 4/5.

Total points: 21.5 out 25 possible points, so a strong 4 (out of 5 in total).

Thank you fellow bloggers!

Thank you for all your nice words and nominations! It is a good way to spread the word of our hobby by promoting each others' blogs.
    I have been away for a little while, as I might have noted in an earlier update (or perhaps not... ). Hobby-time is still sparse, but I'll try to crowbar in something.
    Thank you Scott for the nomination, there are a lot of nice blogs on your list which I and others have/will peruse. Also, mr Karavatis, AKA mr Manolo, nominated a whole bunch of nice blogs which is appreciated.

My other computer where I put the rules works on War of the Ring is currently packed and stowed away someplace, so I haven't done anything at all hobby-related except for buying a box of really nice deer-riders for Warhammer. I'll try to get a review up before the 8th this month.