On The Horizon - June 2012

It's the start of another month and that means another On The Horizon post.  Well, actually it's already a week into June but the idea is still the same.....to showcase some of the projects I'll be working on this month.  For this column in the past, I've basically showcased my entire workbench of current models.  At any given time though, I have over 50 miniatures in some stage of completion and at my glacial painting speed, there is actually little change from one month to the next.  Many of the same minis are visible each month, some with little to no progress.  The lack of change makes for a fairly uninteresting monthly column (which also explains why it has been so sporadic). So this month I'll be doing the column a bit differently and only showcasing the miniatures that I keep directly in front of me....my so called "imminent completion" models.  They are the ones that get the most attention and therefore may actually change from month to month.

Here is a quick peek at the first six miniatures:

Harald Hardradda (HVA03) is the top left miniature.  He is part of the Heroes of the Viking Age line produced by Gripping Beast Miniatures.  Harald will be serving as a warband leader for much of my Dark Age gaming.

To the right of Harald is another great sculpt from the Elmore Masterworks line by Dark Sword Miniatures.  She is titled Female Wild Elf (DSM1164). I grew up with the fantasy imagery of Larry Elmore and love being able to paint those images Dark Sword has brought to life in 3D.

On the far right of the upper row is a Barwench (HFV001) from Hasslefree Miniatures.  She is another useful model found in their Villagers line.  She will be serving as yet another female inhabitant of Port Largo in my Legends of the High Seas campaign.

Looking quite dashing and fierce on the bottom left is Damian Helthorne, a bandit from Reaper Miniatures (03201).  I usually avoid the big "cartoony" looking figures but this particular sculpt caught my eye right away.  All the features in the mini are very pronounced and I thought he might be a pleasure to paint.  So far I was correct.

Saruman stands in the center of the bottom row.  He, along with a second version, have been in the queue since sometime last year. I finally finished one and this version is nearing completion as well.  All that remains to finish are his flowing robes.

James St. Johnson rounds out the bottom row.  He too is from Reaper (02663) but unlike Damian, his features are quite a bit more realistic and much more to my liking.


And here are the final seven:

The first in line is the Governor from Black Scorpion Miniatures.  Just a few more details and highlights are all that's keeping this chap from joining the other citizens of Port Largo.

Autumn Bronzeleaf (03492) is next.  She is another Reaper miniature.  Although the name suggests otherwise, I've decided to paint her in very spring-like colors.  Her intricate sandals are giving me a bit of a fit though so she'll remain in the queue for some time.

One of my favorite miniatures from this round is third from the left.  Alejandra (CMN0020) is from Coolminiornot.  She is a wonderfully simple but alluring sculpt from Steve Buddle of Spyglass and Eolith Miniatures fame.  She originally came with a giant scythe but I thought the dimensions looked all wrong so I did a very minor conversion and changed the weapon into a magical staff. 

Speaking of Spyglass, next to Alejandra is Shae (SGM003).  She is another simple but elegant sculpt and I very much look forward to painting her.

Just in front and to the side of Shae is a mini I will be using as a merchant captain in my Legends of the High Seas campaign.  He is from the Pirate Captains (OGP-01) collection by Old Glory Miniatures.  I've had this fellow since Christmas 2010 and it's definitely time for him to make his way from the bench to the table.

I found the next miniature completely by chance.  It's from a Spanish company called Tercio Creativo.  The mini is listed as Mochilero, a rogue warrior, but since my Spanish is terrible I can't be sure I'm reading the label correctly.  Anyhow, I simply loved the sculpt and had to give the company a try.  I can't wait to see how the little halfling-looking guy turns out.

Finally, I have another mini from Black Scorpion to round out the queue.  He is from the Privateers 2 blister.  Just like the Governor and Merchant Captain, he too is destined to walk the streets of Port Largo.

So that's my plan for the next month.  Hopefully when July rolls around I'll not be taking photos of the exact same miniatures.  Doing so would not really honor the meaning of the phrase "imminent completion".