Hordes Trollbloods: Hunters Grim Resculpt Job

Alan Breck Stuart and his Hunters Grim, version 2.0.

In a continuation of working on Trollbloods (my son's lastest interest) I bought the Hunter's Grim pack from Privateer Press.  Set it aside for a while and lost the head and a coat-tail from the main figure, Grim Angus.  What to do...

Hunters Grim from Privateer Press, for comparison.

Started with a ball of putty for a noggin.

I haven't sculpted since my high school studio classes and this was a lot small than those statues.  I was worried it would turn out too chunky looking, but am ok with how it turned out for a first attempt.

Added on rough facial features.

Facial details and great kilt.

Adding on the brim of the cocked hat.

Sculpting the crow of the hat.

The tools are a sculpting kit I picked up at Harbor Freight a few months ago.

The clay pipe stem (upper left) is a piece of styrene and the bowl was sculpted
from milliput.

I decided, since Grim Angus lost his head somewhere along the way, to make him one of my favorite characters from Robert Louis Stevenson's Kidnapped:  Alan Breck Stuart.  Alan Breck was a Jacobite officer in Louis' Army if you recall from the novel.   His minions are in a mixture of highland garb (my poor imitation of the Royal Stuart tartan and a well-worn bonnet [vice bowler on the out-of-the-blister]) and the uniform of The Royal Ecossais Regiment.

On and Off the Painting Table

Genoese Crossbowmen

     Finally finished the Genoese Crossbowmen (European Mercenaries) by Perry Bros. If you've assembled these, you will find that there are not enough arms to match torsos.  Solved that issue with a bit of miliput on the shoulders to continue a short-sleeved pattern on the padded jacks.  These are for my son's French army from the late 15thc, when due to political upheaval in among the Plantagenets, powerful Yorkist and Lancastrian families, England was losing its French possessions one by one.



I glued the front rank pavises to stakes on the movement tray.  My thoughts are that

pavises look ridiculous fixed directly to a figure base.

Troll Bouncer Light Warbeast

    My oldest son got into Hordes a while back, so of course I've started picking up figures.  They are very well sculpted.  I used miliput to add hair, a bit more volume to the kilts, and on the champion a boss brooch, as well as cutting off the warhammer and replaced it with a cudgel (with iron spike).

Troll Axer Light Warbeast

Fennblade Champion

X-Wing: Rendili Stardrive "STARLIGHT"

My youngest son just got into X-Wing the other night and keeps begging to go back to the game store to buy more ships.  Problem is liquidity of accounts for an eight year old, so I figured I'd try to slap together a light freighter from modelling materials I had around the house.

Body was made from Fimo clay and baked in two pieces.  Stuck them together with
Milliput and used a part from a dishwasher for the rocket.  The cockpit is a plastic nut used to insulate the connection of two shunted electrical wires.

Painted the body with acrylics and made the card and base by taking a photo of the YT-1300 cards and manipulating the photo on Powerpoint.  Not perfect, but the second attempt at kitbashing will probably turn out better.  I think I'll mold the whole body in clay next time and then use a dremel tool or electric engraver to detail.

His special attribute is that once his shields are gone, the pilot jettisons his cargo and rolls two defense dice for the remainder of the game.  Were going to try out the ship today when his friends come over.

A Simple Game in Twenty Minutes

A small board means forces will close more quickly.  The "under 10 crowd" has neither the patience nor the knowledge for maneuvering.  They want to roll dice and pick their father's figures off the table. The rangers must be set up on their camp, with the exception of one sentry.  The Fox Warparty must enter as a group from random part of the board (d6 1-2 (L), 3-4 (C), 5-6 (R).

 



          One of the problems with not having a historical gaming club in my area (plenty of fantasy and 40K types at the local hobby shop) is that I really don't have anyone with which to play unless I head to the big conventions.  Fear, not for the Lord and my wonder wife have given me two gaming buddies that are slowly but surely coming along as historical gamers.  Games must be fast paced and simple, although my twelve year-old (the math whiz) now is capable of figuring our more complex tables and will be perfectly happy spending an entire evening with dice and rulers. The eight year old hasn't developed the patience as yet.  So this is a an example of a fast-paced easy to play game with d6 and playing cards.  With all the concerns about the "Graying of the hobby", my thoughts are that the best thing we can do is provide fast past games to get kids into the hobby (perhaps introducing them to the pastime at scout meetings, local festivals, and while dads are engaged at the big conventions).  The rules are simple:
            

Under-10 Quick-play rules

                                    Musket Range:  10 inches

                                    Movement:  Rangers:  4 inches, Fox:  6 inches

                                    Cover (Rock, Tree):  +1 to hit

                                    To Hit:  d6 4-6

                                    Wound:  Black card, Kill:  Red card  (two wounds = kill)

                                                     Wound results in  Half movement, -2 to melee

                                     Melee:  d6 (highest wins)

                                                    Tie: both fall back 2 inches.

                                                    If attacker loses, he is pushed back 2 inches

                                     Morale actions:  roll if 50% casualties 1-3 (must break off engagement)

                                     Win:  Rangers (hold camp), Fox (take camp)

The Fox split into two groups to surround the Rangers' camp.

The Rangers wisely take cover behind the rocks.

Initial volleys of musketry are ineffective, but at least one Fox warrior has closed to with hand-to-hand combat distance of a Ranger.

The Fox warrior on the cliff fires, and misses.

...but successfully rolls to jump and defeat a Ranger in hand-to-hand combat, while his fellow warrior has fallen to a Ranger tomahawk.  Another Ranger falls to a musketball, and their side must take a -1 to their initiative roll on the next round. 

Finally, the shot strikes home.  Despite two casualties, the Rangers not only roll higher for initiative, but also down two warriors on the east side of the camp.  The sentry to the northwest also drops one. With 60% casualties, this fight is not worth it for the Fox.

Time to for me to flee...



 

And so the Fox war party is defeated in a game that took twenty minutes to play.  Very simple and perhaps not the cup of tea for the experienced wargamer, but, hopefully it piques the interest of the under-10 crowd and gets them away from the video games for a while.  You know you're on the right track when they ask to play again.

On the painting table.

After being away on business for almost two months, the paints and brushes are back out.  Far left- Jacobite Troll Standard bearer (I cut off the sword and added the tam, feathers, and kilt).  I'm not a big fan of "fantasy games" so I'll add a little historical bent to that game.  Also working on Command elements for the Mexican Centralista Matamoros, Toluca, and Guerrero Battalions (L-R).  Handpainted the flags since all the Mexican flag transfers on the market are generic.  As you can  (based off the originals in Austin) the Mexican standards were unique to each battalion.