Well, I have taken a proverbial leaf from simmuskhan's web-book and have created a blog following the production of my Easterling and Dwarf armies. Well, currently, it's just my Easterling army and only what I have done so far, not even including any models that I still have to complete for it, nor any lists, no games just yet, no REAL ideas for the overall army (just some cool conversions that I want to do. Note: the troll was an idea I had as soon as the Mordor Troll and Chieftain and I was disappointed that others had done similar [read: painted the armour gold and left it at that], but not as well as my ideas would like ) and such like. Regardless, I thought that this would be a good place for updates and to post a link to the blog which will have the in-depth updates.

Anyhow, without further ado, I have a company of Easterlings with pikes, two companies of basic and two companies of archers. Completed (for SBG terms) are 6 pikemen, 11 swordsmen and 10 archers. For my Dwarves, I have completed a company each of archers, shieldwarriors, Khazad guard and great axes, as well as the whole Fellowship (including Gimli of course ), Balin, a banner bearer and a captain (with shield). I have another 8 great-axes, 13 shieldwarriors and 8 iron guard, as well as adding cloaks to the archers to turn them into rangers.

So, here's Pixels & Pikes, an Easterling blog: http://pikesandpixels.blogspot.com/

(Yet to sort out the Dwarf one )

I have finished making up the Dwarf one, so without further ado, here is Mines & Models: http://minesandmodels.blogspot.com/

Any comments about the contents of the blog can be done here as it's easier for me to check back on and reply, plus it may generate discussion. Hope you enjoy them and they may inspire people and, if not, at least I'm keeping track of my own stuff and giving myself an incentive.

Thanks once more to simmuskhan whom inspired me to do as he has!

I'm hoping to finish a few more Dwarves today, so a small update hsould be on the horizon soon

Okay, well I figured I'd add a couple of teaser pictures in this thread, but they obviously are explained a bit better in their respective blogs (Pikes and Pixels is for the Easterlings and Mines and Models is for the Dwarves).


Some of my newly finished Dwarf Warriors (not loads of them as I still need to strip the others, but you can see the new scheme for the two-handers).


The new colour for the archers as a test (Catachan Green), although I plan to paint the metal armour as leather brigandine and add cloaks (which can be seen on a different four), to turn them into rangers.


Some Easterlings on sprues, totalling twenty-six. I received fifteen of these today and I plan to get them sprayed tomorrow.


I played a test game in preparation for a 350 points doubles tournaments and this guy survived a total of about nine combats on the trot, winning several (including most of his outnumbered fights) and survived the whole game! I plan to give him something that marks him out as being a little special without detracting from the theme ad style.

Wow they're coming along great!

I love reading how people are doing stuff, you've included everything, paints, models, reason behind stuff, it's a really good read - Easterlings look cool, hmm... (dreams of another project...)

I agree with you on that one dwarf, the shield is probably an easy way to distinguish him, maybe even something as simple as putting nine notches on his shield? Just so long as his friends don't think he's beaten the nine nazgul or anything =)

Great work!

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My LotR and 40k blog, Realm of Battle board, dwarves, gobs, space wolves and battle reports. http://simbattleboard.blogspot.com/

Looks pretty good. I would advise putting some highlights on the models though. And on some parts of the models, maybe put two coats on because I can see the basecoat showing through. (the paint is translucent)

Keep it up!

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My old WIP thread - http://www.one-ring.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16246&start=0

simmuskhan: Glad you enjoy it I'm going to do my best to keep them both going strongly, but I also need money to get more models. However, I have the unpainted Easterlings and some Dwarves on the way, so it shouldn't be difficult for now I thought it best to include everything, as it makes it more interesting and lets everyone know the process in case they wanted to replicate and improve upon it or give recommendations. As for the notches on the shield, maybe cut some small triangles out of the edge and scrape into the front? Then paint Boltgun Metal with a thin line of Chainmail/Mithril Silver? Lastly, I want to thank you again for the inspiration and the good reading that I've had so far Dwarfbloggers unite ^^

samoht: Thanks and thanks for reading. I was waiting for someone to say that, lol. Any tips for how to highlight the Dwarf cloth, please? Or is it more a case of painting a lighter colour on top so that the recesses are shaded? Which models have the basecoat showing through? (I know that the green on the archers is, but I need to do the other four as well, so I'm adding to theirs at the same time. The red-clothed shield-dwarves weren't painted by me and are waiting for a strip, lol.) I hadn't noticed others that needed it, but obviously want to rectify it

Thanks for comments and feedback! I'll do my best to take it all on board!

The guy with the red cloths, sliver armor and blue shield has undercoat showing through. That is the only one.

I apologize because I said the basecoat was showing through. I mean the undercoat (black). I'm not sure if you even painted it.

The ones you did paint look good!

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My old WIP thread - http://www.one-ring.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16246&start=0

samoht: I am very pleased to tell you that he is one of the ones that I received already painted and I am trying to scrounge the money together to buy some Dettol to strip him and repaint him

So, thank you, very much Your main criticism wasn't even relevant, hehehe

Your dwarves are coming along nicely. It's nice to see some different color schemes than the regular greens, even though I myself prefer the green better.
Keep it up!

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My WIP thread: http://one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18247

Well, PowerofWill, you're in luck as my archer models are getting redone in green With brown on the armour to make it leather and sculpted on cloaks.

Tiny update here: I have sprayed my Easterlings, but have had a ridiculously busy weekend, where I've been away from the models, but I'm planning to get to work on them tonight. The Dwarves also have a small update - I now have another box of Balin's Guard and a blister of Vault Wardens! W00t!

Cool! I can't wait to see them!

-PoW

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My WIP thread: http://one-ring.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=50&t=18247

Well, sorry to disappoint, but I have at least made a step-by-step of my Easterlings and got some more Dwarfs ^^ Not sure which is next, but it will most likely be trying to complet more of the models that I currently have and need finishing before I finish my updating the current models (the archer-ranger conversions and the Dwarfs that need to be repainted).

Anyhow, here are some teasers.

Sorry everyone for the lateness of this, but I have posted on both blogs once more! No sneak peak pictures this time, but I am trying to get to work on these and shall post up army lists, maybe a battle report and plans for a table (once I've made them!).

Why are you painting them still on their sprue?

And it would appear that you have not filed them.

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My old WIP thread - http://www.one-ring.co.uk/phpBB2/viewtopic.php?t=16246&start=0

I'm painting them on the sprue because it allows me to paint a little better in parts that are closer to the body (such as in armpits) without having to go back and tidy the slightly less easy areas, lol.

The mould lines aren't actually visible in real life, but pictures always find things the naked eye can't normally see. Still, I'd best get to filing them

Well, just updating the blogs! Unfortunately, my camera had low battery and so I couldn;t take great pictures, but I will upload them during the day tomorrow.

Apologies for the delay, once more, this time it's because my Dutch friend came to stay for two weeks and I was a little too busy entertaining to get much work done.

Finished a large number of Easterlings in one sitting (took about an hour) and decided upon the new scheme for my Dwarf Rangers! Anyhow, go take a look for more info!

Updated both blogs again, all infor in them. no sneak peaks for you this time, but lots completed compared to last time

Love your colorscheme! I myself went Red Gore/black and gold for my Eastrlings but the purple has turnedo ut very well in combination with black and metal. It still comes across as regal and insidious.

I'm going to have to try and paint on the sprue too and see what advantages it brings.
Good pick on Dwarves vs Easterlings. Lore-wise they're good as adversaries so you can borrow one of the two to an opponent.

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A shadow rises in the East...
The Easterlings march to war!!!

Darthvegeta800: Thanks for the kind words Purple is an expensive colour to produce, so by having it be common to the basic warriors of the army helps to convey their wealth as well, which I thought was quite cool, since (if memory serves) they are clad in golden armour and with the best equipment/weapons because of the wealth

I wouldn't say that there are any real advantages, at least not on LotR/WotR models. It's mostly for multipart/pose models where it can be difficult to paint inside the shields/armpits etc etc.

I hadn't really thought of the fluff implications for them opposing each other, but thanks for mentioning it

Anything that you think I can improve upon yet?

I like the Easterlings, the color scheme you have chosen is very nice. Though i am sucker for alternate color schemes. And 10 in minis in one hour! Thats insane. I painted 8 minis in 16 hours and I though i was going fast.

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