Ithilien Rangers

Watching the Hobbit trailer a few weeks ago re-awoke my passion for the original fantasy world of the Lord of the Rings.  Well technically, the first would probably be R.E. Howard's Hyboria, but we all know it was Tolkien who kick-started the fantasy genre as we know it.

I digress.

  So I had a rummage for good LotR models and found some Southern Dúnedain to paint, because they're probably the closest thing LotR has to ninjas.

Many of you might not have played/bought the LotR wargame, so you might not know that the plastic models almost always come in packs of 12, usually in three 'wargear option' groups of four.  Ithilien Rangers come in groups of four archers, four with spears and four with swords.  That's mostly for aesthetic diversity, as the basic wargear for all of them include a sword and a bow, only the spear dudes are different in-game.  I did the four spear-dudes first.

 These were painted to be tabletop level rather than a serious go at painting, plus my camera sucks.

Also, I know some people out there don't like the LotR models (I'm looking at you, Smurf) but I still don't like Sisters of Battle, so nyah.

Anyway, that's it for naw.

Durin the Deathless.

Considering the hobby we share, it might not come as a surprise to anyone when I tell you that I was a bit of a Lord of the Rings fanboy in my early teens (i.e. directly after the movies came out) and after a spate of reading the books over and over and over, the Hobbit once (not epic enough) and the Silmarillion three times (most people find once an impossible task), I discovered the wargaming bit, through the Battle Games in Middle Earth magazine.  Needless to say, I could not fund a subscription at so young an age, the parents had trepidations about investing in a new interest that might not last (oh, how wrong they were) and it would be some time before I returned to painting little plastic men.  Or Dwarves, as it happened.  They weren't the first models for me to rediscover, but they are still my favorite LotR army.  I can't tell why I like them, and to be honest, I'd likely be collecting WHBF Dwarves by now if it weren't for the blackpowder weapons and the caricature-styled models they have.
    But I digress, it was mere days ago that I finished painting Durin, King of Khazad-Dum at the height of its power, before his reign was cut short by the awakening of the Balrog.  And I'm slightly proud of him.

Front

Back

Head-on

Over the Shoulder

Took me a while to get the files because they were taken in MPO format (look it up if you're that interested), but this is my painted Durin. He comes as part of a pair, with his bodyguard, Mardin, whom I hope to paint at some point in the intermediate future, but for now, I shall divert my attention to some INFINITY models. I wouldn't be surprised if you hadn't heard of this game system, but I bought some models simply for their fantastic quality and anime-ish look.  'Till next time.