This week I’m still getting some more Games Workshop Lord of the Rings themed figures off the paint desk. The figure on the left is Theoden from the OOP Warg Attack boxed set. It came with five metal figures: a mounted Theoden and Aragon figure, and three warg riders - finally all finished. The figure on the right is something called “Sons of Eorl” which can still be found on the GW webstore - by their standards, it’s surprisingly cheap. He looks like a trusted retainer.
The Theoden figure, like all the Perry sculpts, does a fine job of capturing the likenesses of the actors, in this case Bernard Hill. I am currently watching Bernard Hill as Norfolk in the BBC series Wiolf Hall, based on the Hilary Mantel novels. So much better than the terrible series, “The Tudors”. Do yourself a favour and watch it.
Trademark Rohan green cloaks.
I also refurbished these three Rohan Royal Guard figures.
Elite hearth guards for the heart of the battle line. Not sure why the Rohirrim would fight dismounted in any situation other than defending Helms Deep, but there you go.
“Forth, Eorlingas!"
While I hope to get some more Rohirrim into the ranks, I think I will be looking elsewhere than GW for them. The Footsore Miniatures Goths are very tempting. I just found some amazing shield transfers and banners from Gripping Beast; even with the Christian images I think the banner is fantastic.
Many thanks for looking! Blessings to your brushes!
These figures bring my 2016 totals to:
28mm: Foot Figures: 76; Mounted Figures: 10; Buildings: 3; Terrain Features: 2
20mm: Buildings: 1
6mm: Mounted figures: 36; Buildings: 2
Oh, I like your guardsmen very much!
ReplyDeleteThanks Jonathan. The Guardsmen turned out well, quite satisfyingly fierce.
DeleteThere are also the Fords of Isengard to defend
ReplyDeleteLooking good!
That's true. It's one of those battles that happen off camera in Two Towers, and is reported to Théoden. I imagine it as a shield wall blocking the foot, with archers on the flanks, and a mounted reserve to repair any breaches in the line.
DeleteIt would be the perfect use for one or two trolls to go in first as shock troops to break up the Rohan line and drive them off the ford. I must think more on this.
Cracking additions Michael, I've always liked that Theoden sculpt and you done a great job on it.
ReplyDeleteAs always, Michael, you are very kind.
DeleteLovely work Padre :)
ReplyDeleteThank you Tamsin, and thank you for stopping by!
DeleteLovely Rohirrim figures. Perhaps those on foot could be used in a last stand against a (insert the collective noun of your choice) of orcs.Theoden looks excellent re the actor. How do you do your bases?
ReplyDeleteThanks Alan. See my reply to James above - that would be one sort of gallant last stand, to be sure.
DeleteI will be happy to do a post here about my basing technique. I rely a lot (bigly, as Mr. Trump would say) on model railroad products for the flocking and foliage.
Very nicely presented figures, Michael. I was thinking about the 'Tudors', and while I like historical TV shows, I agree that 'The Tudors' was unwatchable for any length of time. I don't know what it is about modern handling of historical themes that makes them into storyless narratives long on violence and sex (not that I mind a bit of how's-your-father you realise) and sensationalism.
ReplyDeleteI know what it is: the sensationalism, and the unengaging characters. Possibly the Thomas Cromwell story succeeds on TC being an engaging character - not likeable, withal, but one whose career one follows with considerable interest.
I don't know whether you ever saw Glenda Jackson as Elizabeth I or Keith Michell as Henry VIII back in the seventies. Both gave their characters the verve and panache often lacking these days. Mind you, it isn't all bad. Probably my favourite lead characters in Game of Thrones are Tyrion Lannister and Daenerys Targaryen with a side order of Anya Stark, but there are two problems with that show (apart from the gratuitous descent into sex and violence - one can have too much of a bad thing). One is that there are too many characters. The other is that GRRM is too fiond of killing off main characters. This is OK-ish for the baddies, but when it happens too often with characters that engage our sympathy and liking, one tends to tune out.
Yeah. Well. Just sayin'...
Thanks Ion. I didn't watch all of The Tudors, only as much as I needed to. I also thought that the focus was on violence and sex, and was particularly arid. I get quite cross when people say that the English Reformation happened because Henry VIII was a horny goat. It was so much more complicated than that, a confluence of geopolitics, social change, and religious ideas. I think Mantel handled all of these ideas well, and chose an interesting character, Cromwell, to use as the narrative focus. Of course Mantel has her own lens, and sometimes she uses TC as a spokesman for her view that modernity was a welcome change to the medieval culture that was passing away in Tudor times. I am thinking of the scene where TC is examining a whip used by his master, Cardinal Wolsely, to scourge himself. "Who makes these things?' he asks himself, then says, 'We have to find better jobs for people'. Moments like that open the door to a rich world of ideas that The Tudors, like so much contemporary entertainment, could not care less about.
DeleteI saw the 1970s series you mentioned when I was young, I should revisit them now that I am much older and slightly wiser.
GoT is a fascinating series. We could write a whole blog on it.
Thanks as always for your rich and thoughtful response to a silly post on lead soldiers. You and chaps like Polemarch are a blessing.
Nice Rohan types, plenty of options for non gw types out there, gripping beast plastic for infantry I guess.
ReplyDeleteThey all look great and I really like yosser Hughes!
Best Iain
Thank you kindly.
DeleteI remember Yosser Hughes - Giza job. What a bleak bleak series that was. Did the world improve, or did we just stop thinking about it.
Excellent work Padre! The forces of Rohan seem to be well prepared to fight the evil that looms in the east...
ReplyDeleteMuch appreciated. There is some evil from Isengard looming on my painting desk, so these Rohirrim will be sorely tested!
DeleteLovely work. More fine additions to the hosts of Rohan Forth Eorlingas!
ReplyDeleteThanks mate.
DeleteMany thanks, Pat!
ReplyDeleteExcellent pieces of work, Michael.
ReplyDeleteCertainly evocative of the film characters and scenes - very nice work.
ReplyDeleteFootsore minis in general are indeed lovely - keep in mind they don't come with shields or spears, at least not the last time I looked into ordering from them.