Thursday 25 April 2013

Filler Night

Okay, not all fillers. In fact, only a couple. I'm new to the idea of unit fillers, but I'm already a fan. Adding levels or a sense of spectacle to a unit seems like a great idea, although it's almost certainly out of my scope and price range for now. But I have a few ideas, including the possible use of some Hobbit scenery. We'll see, though, I don't want to chop that up on a whim.

The goblin cut short what would have otherwise been a pleasantly long walk on the short pier.
But in terms of having a few decorative options, I keep running into this guy from the Bag of Limitless Minions: - 

Remember when this was even an option?
A survivor of my copy of Battle Masters, which probably deserves a nostalgic column itself at some point, this guy is a Marauder Bowman. The punk look died with the army list option, thankfully. Not amazing miniatures, but they've got a lot of character, somehow. I'd already painted this one, but he was very pasty. A quick lick of paint improved things no end, other than his face. His blurry, hideous face. 

Frown of concentration or dreadful 80s  'tache?
You decide.

Another bit of filler, this time more fluff friendly, has been converted from a DnD carrion crawler. Seems if you pull their heads off, they become ravenous slug people. This one is a previous unit champion, kept as a mascot after a disasterous encounter with the Eye of the Gods table. 

Snake eyes? Why'd it have to be snake eyes?
His replacement, Bulldog Face here, is done - he'll be leading the Khornate marauders, all ten of them. Another ten are next on my list, but wouldn't have made the Woffboot. Bit like me, really. The mark on his forehead is a neat touch, from the chariot kit. 

Ee, that's champion, that is.
Now, he's not filler, and neither is the next guy really. Except that the Chaos Warriors from Battle Masters really weren't a great sculpt. Static, barely even chaotic looking other than token skulls, horrible shields.

Although I hand painted the design,
it was copied from the unit sticker the game gave him. Yuk. 
But the silhouette is close enough that packed at the back of a unit, he blends in without drawing the eye too much. So I repainted him in drab browns, to replace the Nurgley greens, and then foolishly gave him glinting golden trim.

Tomb Kings helmet, Empire halberd, Grave Guard shield.
Fits in anywhere.
It's not every day you get to say Skeletor inspired you to do good deeds. As I was fishing about in my bag of plastics, picking out the odds and ends above, I kept coming back to the original Heroquest Chaos Warriors.

And you thought my plain black bases were bad. 
Their master, Skeletor the Chaos Sorceror, has clearly done well since the early 90s, as he now drives a chariot and wears a cloak. But I thought that model came out pretty well with a fresh lick of paint, and therefore...

Ancient Spirits of Evil...

...Transform These Decayed Forms...
Shield detail







... Into...
Shield Detail


...Mumm-Ra, The Ever Living!
Oh no, wait, that's Tomb Kings. Okay, everyone can go. 

This last one is going to be my BSB until I find a better one. He's not completely done, a few details are left to fill in. This may or may not include a design for the banner, but actually, it sort of works just as it is, nicely ominous and non-denominational.

Unfinished Shield
The rock pile is the chopped up bases of two orcs, three goblins and the Barbarian hero from Heroquest. I've got to say, these old models do stand the test of time. I feel I can return to the demo models painted on the side of the box and almost hold my head high now. My 11-year-old inner self is proud. 

With the use of other fillers, I can now send forth a unit of twenty warriors. Unlikely in the Woffboot, but surely a dire prospect for other generals. If only they could actually get to the Woffboot. 

What's that?
You know the way?
  Meet Ribs, non-specific unit filler and hilarious unofficial mascot for Woffboot VII: -

'Do you know the way to Milton K?
I've been away so long...'

3 comments:

  1. "Remember when this was even an option?" - you mean rainbow-coloured mohawks? I think that's still an option.

    Excellent work bringing new life to the Heroquest miniatures - you're welcome to my old collection if you can stand to work with the layer of thick enamel.

    Loving Ribs - I can see him proud atop the WoffBoot Cup.

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  2. Well, I wouldn't say no to more chaos warriors or sorcerors. Or even the altar, particularly if your candles are intact.

    I thought my enamel would be a problem, but actually it took a new coat over the top surprisingly easily. The models don't have heaps of detail compared to new stuff, but what they have has good strong lines, which seems to help.

    As a total aside, having looked up Mumm-Ra's incantation for accuracy (I had it mentally as 'Decaying Body'), I discover there was a 2011 fancy reboot of Thundercats. Why was I not told?

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  3. I'll have a root around my old boxes, I'm sure most of them are intact. And my candles are beyond reproach.

    I really enjoyed the 2011 Thundercats (there was even one Pixar-like episode that brought a tear). True to the spirit of the source material, but inventive and exciting. And like all great series: cancelled before its time.

    It was as good as the earlier He-Man reboot. It just shows what can be done when childhood franchises are approached with affection and imagination (basically the opposite of Michael Bay).

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