MeSBG: 'Iron Guard' x4

Yes I know it has been awhile again since I last posted, I seemed to have slowed down quite a bit this Fall (and this is usually the time I pick things up, I guess not this year).

Part of the reason is that the main game that I am currently playing is Marvel Crisis Protocol and I already painted a lot of models for the game this year and not it is just painting models that I feel like painting.

Anyways this post is not about MCP, but instead MeSBG.  "Rings of Power" on Amazon Prime has given me a small itch that needs a little scratching, so my son and I are going to try Battle Companies at AdeptiCon 2023, Battle Companies is a very small (skirmish) version of MeSBG just to get back into the game for me, there is a chance of a full blown MeSBG for Nova Open 2023.

I figure I would start with my Kingdom of Khazad-Dum army and start to add a few models for it that may be needed during promotions in Battle Companies.

Here are four 'Iron Guard' that I have just completed.

Iron Guard x4

Painting Points: 4

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MeSBG: 'Bilbo Baggins Master Burgler'

Today marks the end of MeSBG week for me, and it was a pretty decent week.  With today's model, I already painted 2x the number of models I painted last year.

On Wednesday afternoon my package of "Champions of Erebor" arrived, so right away I had to open it up and start prepping 'Bilbo Baggins Master Burgler'.  'Bilbo' is the last Hero I need for my "Survivors of Lake-town" alliance list (for now).  I purchased this box specifically for 'Bilbo', but I do see myself occasionally adding another third alliance to my list especially if time runs out to finish painting warriors.

With this model, it is actually the first time I really painted with the Citadel Contrast paints, I did a test Tyranid model before and was not happy with the Black Templar Contrast, so I stopped, but here on 'Bilbo', I used Contrast Talassar Blue on his coat and Apothecary White for the fur on the coat.

The next step would be to test out my list in a game and we have MeSBG scheduled to be played at least once a month, but we will be missing out on January unless we get to somehow squeeze it in, otherwise it will be the second Saturday in February.  Maybe sometime between now and then I "may" work on some of the Warrior models.

Bilbo Baggins Master Burgler

Bilbo Baggins Master Burgler

Painting Points: 1

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MeSBG: 'Tauriel'

The second Hero I completed for my "Halls of Thranduil" alliance is 'Tauriel'.

Just like with 'Legolas' yesterday, 'Tauriel' is the plastic version of her model.

Now that is all that is left for the "Halls of Thranduil" alliance is 20 'Mirkwood Rangers', not sure when those will be hitting the painting table.

Tauriel

Tauriel

Painting Points: 1

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MeSBG: 'Legolas Greenleaf'

Continuing with my Hobbit week, I am working on my Heroes for my "Halls of Thranduil" alliance and today I have 'Legolas Greenleaf'.

Games Workshop does make two different kits for 'Legolas' and 'Tauriel', an older kit which is made out of resin and 'Legolas' is wielding Orcist, and a slightly newer kit which was made from the standard GW plastic.  This 'Legolas' is the plastic model which also came with a pre-molded base.

Legolas Greenleaf

Legolas Greenleaf

Painting Points: 1

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MeSBG: 'Bard the Bowman on Foot'

As I mentioned in yesterday's Weekly Chronicle, this week is going to be for Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game.

A month or so ago, I re-watched the Hobbit Trilogy of movies (first time since seeing them in the theaters) and the urge to play a Hobbit force in MeSBG really hit me.  I enjoyed the character 'Bard' in the movie and of course 'Legolas' and 'Tauriel'.  I was looking at a possible force that can combine these three characters.

'Bard' comes from the "Survivors of Lake-town" army list, and 'Legolas' and 'Tauriel' come from "Halls of Thranduil" and it was just my luck that these two lists formed an Historical Allie so I would be able to play the three characters together.  I also do have a slight variation to this list where I also add "Erebor Reclaimed" but that list is really cutting down on my number of models (it may be an option if I am behind in painting).

I enjoy painting characters more than warrior models, so first up for the "Survivors of Lake-town" is 'Bard the Bowman on Foot'.

Bard the Bowman on Foot

Bard the Bowman on Foot

Painting Points: 1

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MeSBG: 'Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast'

Merry Christmas Everyone!

I really did not think I would get another model completed before the end of 2020, but with yesterday being Christmas Eve and I took the day off from work, I sat down in the morning and started painting the 'Witch King on Fell Beast' for the Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game.

This model has been sitting in it' box since we first picked it up a little over 2 years ago when it was released at the NOVA Open and I thought it was finally time to get him done.  Instead of always playing Good vs Good, I do not occasionally mind throwing down with Evil, so this would be a fun addition.

Too make it a little easier for storage, I did magnetize the flight stand to the miniature and the base itself.

Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast

Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast

Witch-King of Angmar on Fell Beast

Painting Points: 5

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MeSBG: 'Durin'

Yes you are reading this correctly, it has been just over 2 years (26 months) since I last painted anything for Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game and it has been just as long as this model was sitting on the shelf.

I picked up 'Durin, King of Khazad-Dum' 2 years ago to add to the existing Khazad-Dum Dwarves I already add (just a little bit more strength for the army).

Now that the itch to play MeSBG has somewhat come back and looks to make the list for 2021, I thought it was time to finally paint this model up.  I thought I would just get started on him yesterday, but ended up painting start to finish.

Durin, King of Khazad-Dum

Durin, King of Khazad-Dum

Painting Points: 1

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MeSBG: The Dead of Dunharrow 'Warriors of the Dead' x10 (2)

We are on the last of September and the last post for the month.  I thought it would be a good way to close off the month with some models that I just completed yesterday.

The new Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game starter box came with 20 'Warriors of the Dead', and I finished the first block of 10 on the 18th of this month, so it was time to finish up the second half of the 20.

I did purchase another 20 'Warriors of the Dead' and 5 'Riders of the Dead' which I am hoping to maybe get to sometime in October (I should be able to get to the Riders, but we'll see, there are a lot f projects in my backlog).

 Warriors of the Dead x10 (2)

 Warriors of the Dead x10 (2)

Painting Points: 10

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MeSBG: The Dead of Dunharrow 'Warriors of the Dead' x10 (1)

The new Middle-earth Strategy Battle Game starter box came with 20 'Warriors of the Dead' and I ordered 20 more direct from Games Workshop, so I have 40 'Warriors of the Dead', 5 'Riders of the Dead' and 'The King of the Dead', that is enough points to easily make 750-800 point armies.  I really wanted 8 'Riders of the Dead' so they can be their own Warband, but GW only had 5 left in stock, I'll have to keep checking back with them.

Anyways, back to my Warriors.  With 40 models, I decided to break up my painting of them into groups of 10 for ease of painting and the feeling you get when you finish a model.  If I would paint all 40 at one time, it would get very boring and repetitious.

There is not much to painting the 'Warriors of the Dead', they are dead after-all, and there are a lot of different paint schemes out there on the internet.  I recently came across one that I really liked a lot, and if I did not come up with my own, I probably would have used his (white primer, Coelia Greenshade wash, Terminatus Stone dry brush), but instead of reinvesting in GW paints, I went with the P3 paints I currently own.  I ended up priming my model all black followed by heavy drybrush of Ironhull Grey.  Once that was dry it was a full wash of Army Painter Dark Tone to darken my grey some.  I then did a full light drybrush of Underbelly Blue, followed by a light drybrush of Morrow White on the top halves of the bodies.  The last step was to add some shades of green in a few places (I saw this on the GW studio models and I liked it a lot), this was done using Army Painted Green wash in just a few places.

I actually did have to buy some GW paint for the bases, I wanted the brown ring around the base to match the existing models I painted years ago.  For these bases I did a full basecoat of Battlefield Brown followed by a light drybrush of Menoth White Highlight.  The ring was then done in GW's Mournfang Brown

10 Warriors down, 30 to go.

 Warriors of the Dead x10 (1)

Warriors of the Dead x10 (1)

Painting Points: 10

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MeSBG: The Dead of Dunharrow 'The King of the Dead'

It has been 8 years since I last painted a model for Lord of the Rings SBG (now Middle-earth SBG) by Games Workshop, and I honestly did not think I would be painting any more.  There are two reasons for that, first, I stopped enjoying playing the game, second, Games Workshop really marked up the prices for the models.  When I first started playing, you used to get a box of 24 plastic Warriors (2 sprues) for $25, they then decided to cut it down to 12 Warriors (1 sprue) for $36, that is a huge price hike.  With the new release of MeSBG on 9/1, Games Workshop went back to some reasonable prices.  Once again you get 24 plastic Warriors, but now for $40.  It is not as good as $25, but it is much better than 12/$36.

In the new starter box that I recently picked up, it came with 20 plastic 'Warriors of the Dead', I never had this army before and I thought it would be a fun army to try and it looks to be easy to paint.  I went ahead and ordered another box of 20 'Warriors of the Dead' and some 'Riders of the Dead' direct from Games Workshop to add to the 20 I already had (they just arrived yesterday afternoon).  Now I had to find the 'The King of the Dead' to lead this army, and luckily I found one on eBay and he arrived the other day.  So unlike most people and testing their color scheme on a plastic warrior model, I decided to go right to the top and get my 'The King of the Dead' painted first.  I really like the way he came out, and the paint time was quick.  Now I have 40 more Warriors to finish and 5 Riders.

 The King of the Dead

The King of the Dead

Painting Points: 1

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