It's been a funny twelve months. For "funny" you can sub in words such as "surreal"; "terrifying" or just plain "I'm sorry what?"
At the start of the OWAC I wasn't expecting to be making such slow progress. I was expecting by mid-January to be in a new, far more spacious home with hobby stuff spread out on a bigger table and Mrs Street cursing my very existence at every turn.
It's not really worked out like that so I apologise. The mighty ambition that I could beat Thansants and Golgfagg for output has proved as misplaced as expecting either of them to use the backseat of their Land-Rovers as a place to keep a tapped beer keg for long journeys.
I find myself 3 months in, most of my possessions and books still in crates, and with only the bare minimum of 22 models painted.
But life is what it is.
We often in the Oldhammer Community talk about a "holy grail mini". What would you most like to own? For me - as a Dwarf collector, and self confessed pre-slotta Perry nut - it has always been the counter collect dwarf.
You can keep your Ozrim Chardz or your unreleased whatever. As far as I am aware this is the rarest dwarf that was ever officially released.
I asked the largest of all the (several) Oldhammer communities for painted examples of the counter collect dwarf as painting inspiration if I could find one. It appears that in the entire community only two people own a painted example. And one of those is Richard Hale.
Enter Matt Hancock stage left. The British Secretary of State for Health (no really) - suicided my Grandmother almost exactly a year ago. Covid made everything difficult to process from certification to unattended funeral to estate processing. On Christmas Eve I received a modest inheritance. In typical nan-style she wanted me to have something nice. A holiday of a lifetime. A custom made Gordon Smith Guitar. A counter collect dwarf.
In the beginning I saw this challenge as a way to get some units finished, I've done the command for a 2nd edition Bugman's unit and thought that I would finish off 16 troopers and the champion this month to complete them. Then I had a Street-sulk about the shields. I had a bunch of placcy shields I'd guide applied decals to for painting but the teenage me had his mind set on some rickety old shields he had bought in the early 90s in the Harrow Model Shop.
Turns out that they were by Fantasy Warlord and long OOP. I had about 12 but needed at least 4 more. I've recast those 4 in greenstuff in a press mould but it all put me back a long way.
So I've decided that instead of what I had planned I am going to recreate the "sacred company" of one-hundred-and-eleven dwarfs from my Oldhammer comic "Ravenscar". The pre-slotta dwarfs fit in perfectly and with the amount of Norse Dwarfs I have I'm sure I can do this more realistically or at least make a decent start. It allows me to use my wildcard month to tackle a couple of wagons, pack animals and some "clingers on" dwarf villager types.
So I used far too much money to purchase my holy grail mini to use as "Captain Ulfric Firebeard of Ravenscar". He is not "Lord Allaric One-Horn of Ravenscar" the leader of the Raven Company but he is the brains behind the outfit.
Alongside him is his personal bodyguard and champion "Ser (nobgag nobgag nobgag)"
Ser Nobgag's shield has been copied (badly) from the same figure in the Heroes for Wargames book.
So my output for March is a pathetic two dwarfs. Although one of them cost as much in points as he is in pounds.
Captain Ulfric - Lvl 15 Hero (negotiable), light armour, 2-handed axe (132 points)
Ser Nobgag - Lvl 15 Hero (negotiable), Light Armour, Shield (131 points)
The counter collect models were only available by cutting out a section of a picture on the back of Citadel blister and then assembling into a picture of a model and sending off to Citadel to receive your model. Hence the rarity of some of them. Photo Credit and pictures used by courtesy of Stuff of Legends.
Here's to a better three quarters of 2021.
Well done for making the best of a number of bad situations, how very Dwarvish of you! As for a holy grail miniature, the missing few Lizardmen would be nice right now but the big one, literally, has to be The Citadel Imperial Dragon aka The Chicken Dragon. Went after one a few years ago but decided £1500 was too much... many regrets about that as they rarely come up for sale.
ReplyDeleteI've heard that the Chicken Dragon will soon be in production again! Fingers crossed...
DeleteLovely job mate, you've done him the justice he deserves. He's certainly one of the finest Perry dwarfs from any era, pre slotta and onwards.
ReplyDeleteCheers Ned much appreciated. He's quite a big bastard, so he fits in with later perry slotta stuff nicely. They both do in fact, but noticeability bigger than the Fantasy tribes stuff.
DeleteFascinating! Wasn't aware that such a model existed.
ReplyDeleteAnd now you want one. Mwah ha ha!
Delete*twists moustache....
I've been thinking about it, and I think the Dwarf and the Halfling are the only ones from this set that I've ever seen in real life.
ReplyDeleteYes I think it relies on the fact that collecting the counters was random, then sending off. AND THEN whether you kept the mini into adulthood and if you did then did you sell it.
DeleteGW said specifically they would never release them another way. So I wonder how many there are.
Got to say - I'm quite taken with dropping a keg into the back of the Landrover a tempting idea, especially as we don't know how we'll stand with pubs in Newark for BOYL, time will tell.
ReplyDeleteYou knew Steve and I were going to go silly with this challenge, so I wouldn't be so hard on yourself and you're making a few pieces of classic lead - sing, well done sir.
Right first off - Street - you absolute bugger. You must have known I've never even heard of "counter collect" miniatures and then you say how rare and expensive they are. Then you show me a group picture of them with both an Orc and a Chaos (my new Precious) Warrior in it. Curse you a thousand times! The Troll is pretty sweet and all XD Secondly - Oi - Paul - I 'aint being silly with this challenge. Just got too much time on me 'ands innit ;)
DeleteThirdly - and my main point I would have made first like - lovely job on those Dwarves bud - the shield work is lovely. Really like the idea of your Sacred Company of 111 Dwarves - looking forward to reading the comic.
As for the Street-sulk - we LOVE you when you're angry ;)
Oi Beale, would you prefer me to say that your initial posting for this challenge was so over the top, it was half way down the other side! Just how many unpainted figures did you have in that first post? This challenge was for ten figures a month over six month, I just gave chase and now someone's chomping at your heels you don't like it;0 Tough.
DeleteI presume you'll both be joining me for a beer on Thursday night, in Newark, before BOYL this year, covid restrictions permitting?
Firstly Paul, I'll hope we'll be enjoying a pint of unknown strength cloudy cider in the Bounty as soon as we are able. Beales will curse leaving Maidenhead for Mordor!
DeleteRegards the pre BOYL ales. I'm travelling up on the Thursday too. But Im taking in Warhammer World and (providing he doesn't change his mind) staying over at John Ratcliffe's on the Derbyshire side of Nottingham so not 100 percent sure I'll be able to get over to Newark on Thursday night but happy to pencil it in.
Unless you want to divert to warhammer world for a pint in Bugmans bar first on your way to Newark :-)
I don't foresee an issue with a slight diversion to Bugman's bar, shall we scare the locals and play a game of third?
DeleteTotes up for that. Sure John will be too. Let's do it narrative with a mental points imbalance and a ragged dwarf baggage and seige train :-)
DeleteDon't foresee any issues, knock out the detail closer the time.
DeleteYup - over the top will do me Paul - I seem to remember 10 minis a month was the minimum! XD
DeleteI'm working on getting down on the Thursday but it's looking more likely to be Friday morning at this rate. Would love a look round Warhammer world though... Will keep you both posted.
Mathew - you'll have to work harder than that to make me regret leaving Maidenhead! XD
Cool dwarf characters. I'd seen the mini before but didn't know the story behind that collection! Sorry to hear the process you ended with one. The paintjob made justice to such a rare dwarf.
ReplyDeleteThank you kind sir!
DeleteHuh! I was unaware of such a thing as the counter collect models. What a hard way to end up with one though - but kudos to you for a magnificent mini! Lovely freehand on the shield too. great job!
ReplyDeleteWell, first time I hear about those models as well - well done obtaining one! I am also sorry about your loss. At least you managed to ultimatelly achieve something positive and memorable out of such bad circumstances. Very cool painting - I like the nmm and the shield especially.
ReplyDelete