goblinpaladin's Wood Elves - a June update (235 points)

oink

'We are here to kill the humans and save the forest...'

We're here! We've done it, friends. It's a good feeling, being so productive! If only I were in similar challenges for all 64523 of my other projects, might I be as productive elsewhere? (no.)

For the final month of the challenge I offer up:

1 glade runner. 16 points

Celarn, Level 10 Hero + shield + light armour. 91 points.

Jos'Mel, Level 10 Hero + shield + light armour. 91 points.

1 beastmaster. 13 points.

4 boars. 24 points.

Total: 235 points. That's mathematics!

This means I've painted everything I hoped to get done for the challenge, an absolutely fantastic feeling. Of course, I've still got enough lead and plastic to keep me busy until Pryp'yat' is again safe for human habitation. Just gives me something to do next challenge, right?

boar clan

I've been looking forward to painting these guys all Challenge. I love the animalistic, totemistic aspects of the third edition take on wood elves. Shapeshifters, beastmasters, falconers - they all combine to give a really feral edge to the elven subrace that is lacking from the later editions. Sixth edition brought in spites and a kind of bloody grim/dark brutality, but it lacked a certain earthiness that can only come from literal animals.

go on, say 'bacon' again, buddy

I mostly painted them with drybrushes and washes. The sculpts would probably work perfectly with the new Contrast paints, but I've been too lazy to get any to try 'em out. Instead, I used a much more simple version of this chap's method, involving much less repainting. The nose rings are bronzey golds, to reflect their status as sacred animals.

"Nago was beautiful and strong!"

Princess Mononoke is such a great film. The markings are just rough dryish strokes of Pallid Wych Flesh. 

i just want to touch him

How hot is this sculpt? Bloody hell. Those muscles were a lot of fun to paint, let me tell you. Whew.

why does he have a belt-pouch?

This is another Goodwin sculpt that shows tons of character and narrative with just a few careful sculpting choices. I painted his ragged fur vest in the same colours as the boars. Makes sense, given the boar is his totem. The trousers were done in neutral browns, mostly with washes, as I figure that he's a rough, on-the-edge-of-acceptable-society type. 

yeah, close-ups aren't great for my painting style

I usually steer away from close-ups for a reason, but I wanted to point out that the boarmaster has a nose ring like his charges. I considered painting them all iron, including his, to reflect his kinship with the animals. After I decided to paint them with bronze nose rings to reflect their sacred status, I figured that his should match.

twang

I couldn't show this model off at the beginning of the Challenge, because she was still in production! Ember the wood elf was part of Tim Prow's last Diehard Miniatures kickstarter. I pledged to get her specifically so that she could join the glade runners. I'm really pleased she arrived before the end of the Challenge so that I could get her in. She's a real pleasure to paint.

always love a good ragged quiver with big stitches

She's a great sculpt, but she is a little tall next to my other elves from the early-to-mid-90s. In her power crouch, she's still about the same height as her kin. That means she'd stand about a head taller than most of them, if she were standing tall. It's not a deal-breaker for me, mostly because the glade runners are a deliberately eclectic regiment, but it's something of which to be aware.

another close-up! get it together, goblin

Because I'm an idiot, I didn't clean her up properly, and I missed a vicious mould line right across her face. I applied a thin red wash before highlighting, and I think it works okay as an oddly straight scar. Just adds to her ranger cred, right? yeah

the mace is just a cigar

As promised, I did paint up the two Melnibonean officers! I had a bit of trouble with deciding on colour schemes and basing angles for them, but after some good advice from my last post, I went with white leathers and diagonal basing.

elves have the best conditioner

To emphasise their status as officers and aristocrats, I gave them some royal purples. To hint back to the decadence of their intended use as Melniboneans rather than elves, I used some pale grey-pinks on the clothing. I thought that strong colours like the reds or magentas I've used on some wardancers would be too much against the white leather armour. The exception is their belts, but those tie in with other sculpts with similar wide belts.

a fencing pose. a giant axe. definitely has a high weapon skill

Jos'Mel got a bronze helm. Again, this ties him back to the Melniboneans, but also reflects my occasional use of bronze elsewhere in the army. Plus, it could be an ancient artefact, from before the Age of Iron. Too often, the 'distant history' in fantasy bears a strong resemblance to the current period, so having Bronze Age-esque artefacts helps emphasise just how ancient and eternal elven cultures are.

Plus, it looks cool.

presumably the muster was called before labour day

The fur cloaks were done to appear roughly like a golden lion and a wolf, respectively. I wanted at least one to be other than the very common 'grey' that fur seems to default to, but then decided I did like that for Jos'El, to contrast with his big yellow helmet. I think it works.

These two were intended to lead a regiment of spearmen - but I was only going to get one. Now that I have two, maybe I should get two regiments - one of spearmen, one of axemen or something. Then again, I don't know that 'expand the project just because of one model' is a great and rational plan.

From Princess Mononoke, directed by Hayao Miyazaki. © Studio Ghibli, 1997.

This Challenge has been such a pleasure. It's great to be able to work on a project surrounded by like-minded and supportive folks, who offer great advice and unwavering encouragement. I can't wait for the forthcoming wrap-up posts, and get to see everyone's phenomenal projects in their final form.