My experiments using the Kings of War rules forced me to
rediscover a box of old fantasy figures that I had acquired second–hand over
the years, that has lain unloved and forgotten in the attic. The good news was
that they are largely unpainted and therefore my painting stocks were suddenly
increased. I had previously thought my stock of unpainted lead was very low,
but I was not inspired about what to buy next. If I don’t have a painting
project on the go, I tend to become restless and make foolish purchasing
decisions!
After completing the intricate uniforms of my Napoleonic
British Hussars, I needed something light-hearted to paint, so Goblins seemed a
good choice. Normally I paint 28mm figures in small batches of 1-2 dozen
figures, but for some reason I decided to paint all 60+ Night Goblins as a
single batch! Also, contrary to my opinion that fantasy figures can use any
colour palette, I decided to stick with the ‘traditional’ GW palette (just in
case I wish to sell these figures on).
I am happy with the final results, and must admit to
enjoying painting these characterful, cartoonish figures. The black cloaks were
a pain to paint: Black cloth is always problematic, the Wargames Foundry 3-tone
scheme for black comes out too grey, so I used a panzer grey on a black
undercoat. This gives the right dark appearance whilst the ragged nature of the
cloth is still clear. The strange thing with these figures is that they only
come ‘alive’ once the red eyes and white teeth are painted in, up until this
point they looked rather bland. Also painting the bases really helps because
these dark figures need the contrast with a lighter base. The only thing I’m
disappointed about is the dark blue used on the banner, a brighter mid-blue
would have been better.
I think the next figures to be painted will be
some more Goblins, this time riding giant spiders! It is strange because I’m
still not ‘convinced’ about the fantasy genera, but I will ride with it until a
new historical bug bites!
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