Super Beast Friends!

 Enter the Beastmasters!

I won't keep harping on about how long some of my models have been waiting for paint - but these were last seen in the 1991 Citadel Catalogue.

They're the Wood Elf Beastmasters (which got changed to 'Beastfriends' for Fantasy Roleplay, which makes the elves seem cuddlier) and they were a neat, if not totally practical idea for early Fantasy Battle (I remember Chaos had them too).

I never had the animals they were supposed to master, but the individual nature of each one makes them fun additions to paint.

The Bear Master, above, was painted some time ago (I was following a bear-theme in the army) and I think I used him as an Amber wizard.

The Boar Master is a new addition, and one of my favourites. There's some great touches, like the nose ring and the tusk-like daggers. 

For some reason, he's the only one with a piratical belt buckle, rather than the more elegant torques worn by the others. Which, of course, only makes him more badass.

At first glance, the Warhound Master seems to be out for a jog (he's even got the headband), but he is festooned with small knives, bandolier to boots. The tartan wasn't so bad to do either (I'm trying to keep my practice in, so it seems less scary), and it does help to liven up an ordinary trouser.

This beastmaster was originally for wolves, but perhaps they were deemed untameable. As for his stance, I can only assume he's chasing after a disobedient dog (possibly named Fenton).

The Wildcat Master (or mistress) is distinguished by being barefoot, and having knuckledusters (I imagine they're to resemble claws, but time has blunted them).

Animal prints seemed the natural way to go (although it now occurs to me that you won't make many animal friends that way): leopard for the trousers and tiger for the cloak.

The last is an honourary member: he was once Skaw the Falconer, a minor special character. But he's another Jes Goodwin sculpt, and so close to the Bearmaster, they might have shared the same template.

He was painted a very long time ago, as part of my first Wood Elf army, but with a new base, he brings the Beastmasters up to five, which is enough to field them as a very small, very weird, unit of Wardancers.