Frost Fang Cavalry

Well, hello there. How you been? Yep, I'm still painting fantasy, although I have an excuse. I actually need to order paints so some of my historical models are still on hold due to lack of the right colours. 

 So, the pastel painted fantasy that is my Barbarian Dragon Rampant Army gets another unit. One of the joys of non miniature agnostic rules is you can jump around companies and just pick and choose stuff that you like the look of. So from Mantic games I ordered these amazing Frost Fang Cavalry. My Barbarian army have a Viking/Northern tribe fur wearing feel to them, so they fit in very nicely.

They are full resin, multi part kits. The beasts have two loose legs on one side and the riders have a loose head and both arms. The resin needed a good soapy bath as always. (I must recommend you must do this with any resin model kit otherwise you will find the primer layer won't adhere well at all) One model had suffered a missing foot as well, possibly an air bubble in the mould. A bit of green stuff however and my amateur sculpting skills and you couldn't tell which one.

 

 (I did have to resculpt it a couple of times though as I kept trying to hold the model by the foot when painting it before the green stuff had hardened, rookie mistake!)

The beasts were super fun and easy to paint, I only used washes on the riders, just relying on a couple of layers of dry brushing first and the painting in the details on the face and claws for the beasts. There is something so satisfying about drybrushing layers of paint on fur on a model. The sculpter has basically done all the hard work for you and with some careful selection of shades of paint you can get an awesome looking model. The riders had a choice of two different heads and two sets of arms in the kit, so to make my third guy not look the same as another (sadly there was nothing much I could do about the beasts all being in the same pose) from my bits box I grabbed a bow and arrow arm set left over from the Frostgrave plastic box set. I loved the idea of a barbarian letting loose an arrow while charging into the enemy on his roaring mount. In hindsight I realise he doesn't have a quiver now, but maybe I will find a way to add one to the saddle at some point.

 

So, as you can see, by keeping to a similar pallete and painting style models from different companies can appear as if they are from the same army. Why be beholden to one company's models? It's like a super expensive pick and mix that I can guarantee will make you feel very ill if you eat it.

Oh and finally, please do admire the background painting in my photo's. It was done by my youngest and with his permission I decided it would make an excellent background to my photo's. He came home from school clutching the A3 paper to show off his painting skills and I immediately decided it was far too good for the usual magnetic mounting to the fridge. It would be put to far better use here.

The show that never happened

As you probably know as I write this I should be delving into my post Salute shopping spoils as I'm sure you all expected to be too. At least we can know that the Excel centre is being used for a useful role in this current crisis as it has been converted so quickly into a temporary hospital. We sometimes forget how resourceful our armed forces can be and once again we are in their debt.

So hobbywise it's been a bit quiet at Chez Lead. My normal painting area is now my work desk during the week, so paints only come out at the weekend. I have got some painting done though, including some quality time with the youngest painting his own toy soldiers at the same time. Firstly something I finished a while ago.

I've painted up my cheap GW magazine models and put them on square bases. I've gone for a muted colour scheme to give a ghostly appearance.

Next something that has been on my painting table for some time now. I'm like a stuck record sometimes going on about my Napoleonic project. Well, I've finished something for it.

Prussian Cavalry from Front Rank

Field Marshall Blucher from Front Rank

Comandante Moreno - from Bad Squiddo

I don't normally photograph unfinished, but I'm proud of this civilian from Front Rank. Anyone got a sudden desire to eat some fudge chocolate?

I'm tempted now to get some Spanish Infantry, although I really should paint the giant pile of Prussian infantry I have before buying any more Napoleonics.

I've also finished another Bad Squiddo model. I bought Athena to use for Ospreys Of Gods and Mortals with some Spartans I already have.

Athena - From Bad Squiddo

It is difficult to know what to do in this troubled time. The obvious things, stay indoors, only shop for essentials are easy to do. But what about keeping the economy going? Should we be mail ordering? If we don't keep buying from the little companies, will there be anyone traders left for us to come and see at Salute 2021?  Games Workshop have shut down shop for the time being, (bad timing as they have suddenly become Hollywood cool, see here.) but a lot of the other companies are still trading. I obviously want to continue to support the trade, I'd believe a day at Salute for some companies pretty much keeps them going the rest of the year. I also don't want to expose my postie to unneccessary risk, however. Like most of yourselves I'm sure, I have a lead pile to get through already so I am going to concentrate on clearing down my to do pile, but also I have made some purchases to keep me out of mischief.

Heroquest, in, space....

I bought myself a copy of Star Saga, a bargain from Mantic Games, half price at £25. I'd thought about buying this last year when it was full price. Firstly, although my wife is fully supportive of my hobby, she probably won't want to play this with me, so the one player option seemed like a good idea for isolation time. The box is crammed with miniatures including this lovely chap that I will definitely find use for in other systems.

 

So spiky just holding the model hurts.

The box also comes with a whole load of scatter terrain pieces that I have already made a start on painting. They will come in handy for use playing Rogue Stars or Reality's Edge as well. Not too shabby a purchase really.

Just a couple of the loads of pieces of terrain you get in the box

I have treated myself to a new lamp which has yet to arrive. My daylight bulb finally gave up the ghost and to be honest it was a good excuse to go LED as I have been sweating under the heat of the old style bulb for a few years now. If I'm going to spend my summer stuck in doors painting I'd rather not boil when doing it.

For those worrying about the Illustrious Opponent, he is doing okay. I'm sure he won't mind me mentioning he got a care package the other day from his family that consisted of an Easter egg and about ten airfix kits to keep him from being bored. (Should take him less than a week.) We see each other on Zoom once a week for our group D&D session and I keep him up to date on my Napoleonics, he keeps me up to date on his WW2 painting. 

So, stay safe all. Look out for each other (from a distance). I love that to me this hobby has become more than just the painting and the games. Online I have found a group of likeminded individuals that chat about more than just the hobby. I think in this unusual time using our hobby to keep in touch with the outside world is good for mental health. If you're stuck indoors and want to talk toy soldiers then get in touch, sometimes I think this hobby is more than just playing with lead.