Way back in 1985, Christmas Day specifically, I got my first two blister packs of Citadel Miniatures. One pack was a unit of human Archers and the 2nd pack contained skeleton warriors. As much as I was fascinated with these miniatures I didn't know what do with them. I had no idea how to use them in a game or even how to paint them. In fact the prospect of painting these guys was a very daunting thing for me to comprehend back in the '80s. So I held on to them. Over the years they have been used in D&D games. But now finally, almost 40 years later, I will use them for Warhammer. Warhammer: The Old World particularly. The skeleton warriors will get this treatment first.
For hand sculpted single piece miniatures cast in lead they are surprisingly dynamic. Take this first guy with the pointed helm. He is slogging forward in a purposeful stride with an intent to kill.
And although the shield is a simple disc, it was perfectly suited for painting in whatever style one could come up with and it could take a decal with ease.
This next one is a rare one in that he has a mace. Maces, particularly in this style, are the rarer option among the millions of fantasy miniature that ha e been produced over the decades. Most often if you wee a model or miniature with a mace it's either a cleric or a Dwarf wielding it.
Oh, and he has an even pointier hat.
My favorite one if the lot is this guy with the devil horns. I love the way his shield and blade are set. It is such an awesome pose, and it odd that I don't recall seeing this pose used on another model.
He has a mold line going right down the middle idle of that shield which used to be worse but I filed it down at some point. In fact, I remember these guys had quite a bit of flash on them I had to take off.
This next guy is going for the "I am death" cosplay award and he does achieve that goal spectacularly. I love that he has a Tim The Enchanter helm also. Sadly, his sythe proved to be too fragile and, somewhere along the way of this 40 year journey, the blade broke off.
As you might have noticed by now, these guys are pre_slotta baseand have their bases molded to them. "Pudding bases" is one thing ainhave heard them called. Oddly, the word SKELETON is stamped on the front of these bases. I assume the sculptors of this time felt the need to dispense with any potential ambiguity that their creations might convey to those new to hobby. It's a trend I am glad didn't catch on.
That's a damn fine cloak.
Originally I was going to use a scythe blade from a spare Heroquest skeleton but I never felt good about making that sacrifice. Recently I discovered I hade a scythe arm in a bag of plastic skeleton bitz and I decided to attempt to use if for this guy.
Oh, and in case your curious about the exact age of these guys they all have this stamp on the bottom of their bases: GAMES WORKSHOP 1984. I can't recall the last time I have seen dates on their metal models, but I wish they has kept it practice.
40 years later, I feel compelled, and confident enough in my painting skills, to finally take a stab at painting these guys up. The first thing to do was stick them to a 25 X 25mm base.
Next, I will use greenstuff on their bases to blend in their pudding bases. But we'll save that for part 2 of this Saga.
1 comment:
The pointy hat wearing guy looks to be wielding a crude spear more than a mace (to me).
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