From RhysH - Rohan and proxy Wildmen of Dunland (85 Points)

Rhys spent the last two weeks working on this entry, mostly the two Rohan heroes on their horses. This post is, firstly, the two new Rohan heroes from the recent movie, the sons of Helm Hammerhand. The second part is some Warlord Games Vikings that Rhys is going to proxy in as Wildmen of Dunland.

The brothers. I noticed that I put the foot versions next to their brother rather than their own mounted version.

These models are good representations of the new state of the art that GW brings to plastics. The detail is superb but the conversion value is pretty much limited to weapon swaps, though Zorpa Zorp did some nice work with Greenstuff on his YouTube channel so it is possible.

Rhys is going for the winter fighting around Helm's Deep on these models, hence the snow bases. 

Rhys spent a lot of time on these models. They are his only Rohan and he wanted to do them justice. I think we need to work on his washes some more. He's been using them more and I think they really make the details pop where he did.

The models are very dynamic. I have a pretty serious dislike for the old Rohan horses, caused in part by the bin full of broken ones on my shelf and partly by the static, sameness of them. Rhys really made these two pop. He used Speed Paints for the first time and really liked them on the horses.

Next up is a group of Warlord Games Vikings. We're both usually a fan of Warlord but I think they bought this set off of someone else and they, frankly, suck. I showed Rhys the Victrix set and that's the one he wanted, but these were available on Amazon for his Christmas money and Victrix was not.

These are Warlord metals. Much better than the plastics, but I think Rhys had a priming problem since we are in the hand priming season in Colorado. We lost some of the detail, especially on the face of the guy on the right.

Rhys said he really enjoyed painting these. We discussed the use of washes on the grey hair but he wanted them to be "wintery" so he left them as is.

My photography didn't really capture the work he put in on the cape, but he tried his hand at layering on this, as well as the capes of the Rohan brothers. It definitely worked better live than what I captured here.

Last up is the two handed wildmen. The less said the better.

Rhys has a bunch more of these guys but has sort of stalled out on them due to just not liking the scuplts so we'll see if he pushes through or changes gears.

And the side shot.

This entry is:

13 x 28mm foot models x 5 = 65 pts

2 x 28mm mounted models x 10 = 20 pts

Total = 85 pts

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Good work here Rhys, especially with those mounted Rohan models. I like that you're brining in more shading and highlighting into your painting. It really pays off. I definitely sympathize with you on the early GW plastic horses as I had several that broke near the hoof - VERY annoying. As to winter priming, I would recommend a cheap airbrush  (the ones with their own internal compressor in the handgrip) along with any of the Vallejo series of airbrush primer paints. They have been working well for me. Here's a link to one that has had decent reviews. I hope this helps!

- Curt & Huck

From AaronH: 12 Riders of Rohan (120 points)

 My entry for this week continues my work on Rohan. This entry is 12 riders for last week's heroes to command.

They look pretty impressive all ranked up together.

First up are three with spears. They are much more expensive than non-spear dudes, and rarely get the kills, but they look so cool I always take some.

The horses were mostly done with speed paints. This is a much more acceptable process for me.

I did the capes for the rank and file in a darker, less glorious green to reflect them having access to less expensive cloth than the heroes and Guards.

Next up is the archers. The axe dude is in there to make it three guys.

All of the Riders count as having bows, and have them modeled on them.

The archer models have their shields hanging on their harness. A nice touch.

Six hand weapon and shield. This is the basic un-upgraded profile.

These model are mostly twenty year old purchases. Rhys has been at them and there are lots of broken weapons held together with super glue and hope.

The bases are Luke's APS base ready, which I love. It's a mixture of soil, grout, flock and stones and doesn't require anything done to it once it's glued on. I did add tufts though.

This is a significant jump in playability for my army. I need a few more riders and some Warriors of Rohan (foot dudes) and I'll be able to play. I'm not sure if I'm going to roll directly into more riders or take a break and hit something else. That's a tomorrow me problem.

12 x 28mm mounted models = 120 points

 

Sylvain: These models do not look static at all, they give the impression that they are furiously charging the enemy. All together, the color of the horses, the soft green of the capes and the texture of the bases immediately evoke the color palette of the trilogy of the Ring. This is the kind of paint job that makes me think: "I want to play that game". Excellent work!

 

 

From AaronH: Rohan Captains and Royal Guards (155 points)

 This week's entry is Rohan Royal Guards, captains and Eomer. I've had these models bouncing around for about 20 years, so it's good to get them painted and ready to play.

Eomer, banner bearer, outrider and mounted captain.

These are all old metal models. The outrider is no longer useable in the new army lists but I can use him for a regular rider or a captain with a bow.

These all have the generic plastic horses. I hate painting horses.

This army was my first LotR army, back when the Two Towers first came out and the red starter box dropped with it. They were pretty terrible and I never got them painted. I moved on to other armies but continued to buy models for this one. The Rohirrim were my favorite part of the books as a kid so I just kept picking up models any time I could find them.

These horses were painted with Speed paints, or grey primer with a dry brush. Speed paints may be the only way I can get through this army.

Next up are the Royal Guards. I have five mounted guards but eight foot guards. I've picked up odds and sods over the years as I could find the metal versions.

I really love these models. 

Everything about these models is great. The foot versions are even better.

These nine models were easy to paint and it's great to have them ready to go.

Next up is 12 foot models. These are the eight royal guards on foot along with four captains.

These are a mixture of spear and sword armed models.

I really love the capes on these guys. They are a joy to paint with great texture and shapes.

Next up are the two royal guard captains, Hama and Gamling. I've had Gamling for a long time but was finally able to source Hama from a local gamer in 2024.

Hama and Gamling. I don't know why Rohan heroes so rarely have shields.

Again with the big chonky cloaks which are so much fun to paint.

Last up are two captains. The one holding his sword up orginally came with an axe, before Rhys got a hold of him. I replaced his hand with one holding a sword from the War of the Rohirrim boxed set. He's been out of print for at least a decade, but was re-released recently.

The hand might be a little large but overall it works just fine on him.

These cloaks are not nearly as nice to paint as the guards.

The captain on the left is an amazing model and one of the best  of the Rohan metals.

I also love how he is just casually looking around as he strangles an orc with his bare hand.

This is nine mounted models x 10 points each for 90 points

12 food models and about 2/3rd of an orc, so perhaps 63 points

Total = 155 pts

 

Sylvain: For a minion, there are no such options as "2/3 of an orc", so you get full points for the foul creature. The green you use for the cape is so vibrant, I was wondering if you could share your paint recipe. And your bases immediately bring to mind the arid steppes where live the Rohirrim, with scattered bushes. Your paint job really emphasizes light and hope. Excellent!

 

 

 

From TeemuL: The Last Rohans (30 points)

"Here we have more riders of Rohan, on their way to the great outdoor studio. Yes, Murin and Drar will make an appearance in the Pelennor Fields as I told you earlier. No more elfs there, though. It is about the time to take the comic-sidekick-label out of the dwarfs and show them as serious heroes who can fight and drink all night! I need to leave you for a moment, the main director of the Studio has an important announcement, most likely some fresh Oscar winners have been casted to our lovely movie! I'll be right back and then we can continue our tour."

I guess I will not achieve my points target this year, but I'm making great progress on my Ikea box. The dwarfs I finished last week and now I have the last Rohans from the box. There are still a number of lovely Mithril minis there, but I knew I won't be painting all of the during the Challenge. I'm also working on my Director's Chair entry, so I should be able to finish this Theme Target, too. But time is running out, the end of the winter is close and the points target is too much. The absences in March and the usual slacking took their toll. After this post I plan to post the Director's Chair entry and then one other post to publish the rest and give the latest (last?) updates from Murin and Drar movie.

Here we have neglected bunch of Rohans, these were left last, because they were missing parts. Earlier in the Challenge I sculpted some flags and horns and I could have done that again, but I'm out of time. These chaps are mostly missing shields, so I just filed the studs away and they will be shieldless warriors. If I want to optimize my list, I can save one point, when the shield is not included. Cunning, I know. The lonely rider is combined from two models, one had broken horse and other a broken rider, so I managed to separate them and glue the unbroken pieces together.

There are 4 models on foot and 1 mounted model, all in 28, so that would be 30 points.

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Wonderful work Teemu! I like your idea of fielding these brave fellows without shields. It reflects them being shattered in combat AND as you say, it craftily shaves a few point offs for your list. I think you've had a great Challenge, but I look forward to seeing what you come up with in our final days before close.

- Curt

From TeemuL: Free Peoples of Middle Earth (50 points)

Going through my Ikea box this week, last of the dwarfs and some Rohans. They were rather fast to paint, since I have painted lots of them in the past and I know the colours and painting order etc.

Here are the last 5 dwarf warriors from the box and the last unpainted Lotr dwarfs I have, so army is more or less finished. I will buy reinforcements though, so don't worry. I need some specialists and rangers at least.

As I said, painted in the familiar way, green and blue for clothes and brown leather armour with yellow pouches and black shafts. Based on my usual Lotr way, paint brown, glue sand, brown wash and brown drybrush. Simple but rather nice, I think.

Next some Rohans from the same box, but there are still some to paint. I hope to finish the last during the Challenge. This army will be more or less finished by then, I wil probably buy only some character models in the future, but we will see.

This is actually Mithril mini of King Theoden, so coming from the Mithril department of the previously mentioned Ikea box. Two challenges ago I painted the old metal GW mini and the "new" plastic models from the Pelennor box. This one is mounted and without a shield, so gives some options. And I think I like this more than the plastic one, the horse has a nice pose, could be from the movie...

Not as detailed as modern plastics, but very characterful metal mini, I'd say. Painted with Contrast paints and metallics from GW.

Then three metal Rohan Royal Guards from GW. I painted three mounted and unmounted with spears some time ago, but managed to buy these second hand. I decided to give two swords and one spear, just to get some variation and options. I have painted the characters and royal guard with red cloaks, regular warriors with green cloaks, and I think these elite warriors pop up rather nicely. I especially like how the shields came up, I got lucky with the Contrasts, I guess.

From this angle they don't look that special... I'm writing this on Sunday, since I will be the whole week in the military refreshment and the following weekend at the scout camp. My access to phone will be limited (and no laptop at all), so I won't be able to comment much this week. Next week I need to focus on my Director's Chair challenge, but I won't be able to finish it by Wednesday, so I will need to think something else to keep my at-least-one-post-a-week schedule. And I guess I need to give some updates regarding the Muir and Drar movie, too. I have been too busy to write anything.

8 28mm minis for 40 points and 1 28mm mounted for 10 points, 50 in total.

Minion Miles: Love the shields!  

From FrederickC - Defenders of the Riddermark (180 points)

 This week's submission is a force of Rohan warriors and commanders consisting of a box of 24 plastic Warriors of Rohan, three metal Rohan Royal Guard on foot, Merriadoc Esquire of Rohan from the 'Heroes of the West' boxed set, King Théoden in full armour, a dismounted Captain and Banner from the Rohan Mounted Commander set, four resin figures from the Rohan Commanders set, and a converted Gamling figure, all from the Games Workshop's Lord of the Rings line of miniatures.

Defenders of the Riddermark in front of Helm's Deep

 

All these figures were cleaned up, assembled where necessary, mounted on their bases, and some sand was glued on with PVA. They were then primed black with an airbrush since it is too cold to go outside to use a rattle can. As with the Dwarves I did earlier in the competition, I left the shields off until all the painting was complete. All the figures were painted with primarily Vallejo acrylics, along with a few craft paints. I used a variety of browns (Chocolate Brown, Leather Brown, Beige Brown, Cavalry Brown) and a selection of greens that aren't usually associated with fantasy figures (Camouflage Olive Green, Camouflage Luftwaffe Green, German Feldgrau). Once all the basic colours were applied, the figures got a coat of Army Painter Strong Tone Quickshade. The easiest to paint were the plastic Warriors of Rohan, followed by the various commanders. The hardest were the Royal Guard, Théoden, and Gamling due to the insanely detailed armour that is covered with horse-related iconography. At least the metal figures are more durable that the resin figures. The resin banner got snapped off as I was packing the figures up after taking all the photos. 😝

 

Group 1 of the plastic Warriors of Rohan

 

Group 2 of the plastic Warriors of Rohan

Set of resin Rohan Commanders (front view)

 

Set of resin Rohan Commanders (rear view)

Metal Dismounted Rohan Captain and Banner (front view)

Metal Dismounted Rohan Captain and Banner (rear view)

Metal Dismounted Rohan Royal Guard

Metal Gamling, Théoden, and Merry (front view)

Metal Gamling, Théoden, and Merry (rear view)

 

The figure of Gamling with the banner is a conversion of the original miniature released by Games Workshop. The figure has since been re-released with him holding the Rohan Royal Banner in his left hand and his sword in a lower position. I had two minis of the early version, one which I painted up a few years ago. I decided to convert the other one to give him a banner since I have a mounted version of Gamling where he is carrying one. To make it easy on myself, I just replaced his left hand with one fashioned out of fine wire wrapped around a length of florist wire that forms the pole and some epoxy putty to build it up a bit and form the thumb of his hand. The pole itself is anchored to a hole drilled into the base with super glue. The banner is from an image plucked from the internet, tweaked to make it two-sided and printed off on my laser printer. Once the figure was all painted, I applied some PVA glue to half of what would end up on the inside, wrapped it around the florist wire pole and shaped it while the glue was still wet. Here is a comparison of the two versions.

 

Original and 'New Improved' Gamling

The points being claimed are as follows:

36 x 28mm figures @ 5 points each = 180 points

Thanks for reading. Next stop - The Pelennor Fields

 My goodness Fredeick you are pumping out the LoTR goodies this year.  Tremendous quality and quantity.  Really nice work all around.