"Let them come. There is one dwarf yet in Moria who still draws breath."

Gimli: Oh come on, we can take 'em.

Aragorn: It's a long way.
Gimli: Toss me.
Aragorn: What?
Gimli: I cannot jump the distance, you'll have to toss me.
[pauses, looks up at Aragorn]
Gimli: Don't tell the elf.
Aragorn: Not a word.

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I have to confess to having cheated somewhat with this model as I acquired him from club mate Steve who had already applied the base colours. In one respect this was a blessing as it gave me time to experiment with black lining which is something I don’t really do with my models.

 

 

 

I do have a couple more versions of Gimli hiding out in my lead pile however, as this is somewhere south of India at the moment I’m going to have to wait until it arrives in Wellington and we’ve got some sort of home before I tackle him again.

Anyway I’m quite happy with him and once I’ve finished off Aragorn I’ll get cracking on Legolas to give him someone to argue with!

Intermission!

Well the big move starts today, were officially homeless in the UK now. The car is sold and the bags packed so it's just the big drive in the rental car to Heathrow and then the looonnnnnnnggggggggg flight(s) to Wellington!

Watch out NZ here we come.

The Usual Suspects - The Hobbits of the Fellowship

Frodo - I will take it...I will take it...I will take the Ring to Mordor. Though...I do not know the way.

Sam - Here! Mr. Frodo's not going anywhere without me.

Elrond -  No, Indeed...it is hardly possible to separate you...even when he is summoned to a secret council and you are not.

Merry - Oi! We're coming too! You'll have to send us home tied up in a sack to stop us.

Pippin - Anyway...you need people of intelligence on this sort of mission...quest...thing...

Merry - Well, that rules you out, Pip.

Text courtesy of imsdb.com

Copyrights and trademarks for the books, films, articles, and other promotional materials are held by their respective owners and their use is allowed under the Fair Use Clause of the Copyright Law.

Getting any hobbying done in a tin shed in 30+ degrees is pretty difficult, I can't tell you how many times I've tried to paint a model only to find that the paint has dried on the brush straight from the pallette. Anyway I have persevered and now present those stalwarts of any fantasy gaming table - Hobbits!

I both enjoyed and hated painting these four reprobates! Enjoyed as they are nice sculpts and really embody the character of both the book and films. I think PJ got the look and casting of the characters spot on! Hated because usually my choice of colours is quite loose and driven by impulse however these tricky little devils need to look like they did in the films, and as such I couldn’t just sit down and wack on a few colours but had to do a little homework!

Anyway I like the way they’ve come out, they’re very muted (Vallejo washes tend to do that) however I like the way it dulls down the colours. It does allow you to add very subtle highlights, the result being that models don’t “pop” as much, however my painting style isn’t particularly high contrast as I’ve never really managed to master the technique.

No, I haven't disappeared (yet)!

Our little "move to the other side of the planet" project gathers pace with flights booked, notice given to our employers, arguments with the UK Inland Revenue ongoing (we owe them money due to the ludicrously structured Tax Credit system) and various other day to day tasks being completed.

Due to this I have had very little time (or inclination) to paint or otherwise enjoy my hobby. Not to mention the difficulty of getting any form of decent light in a static caravan. Anyway I did manage to finish off a few things over the past couple of weeks and will hopefully get some photos taken and posts up next week.

However the big news is that we have an arrival date in Wellington now - 23rd August! That's the good news, the bad news is that we arrive after a 37 hour flight from the UK! For two adults that's not a problem (even though one of them is a very nervous flier) however we have a 3 and 5 year old to amuse. I'm sure that the novelty of the "big airplane" (as my youngest keeps describing it) will wear off quickly.

On the plus side I don't start my new job until the 1st of September, I've had lots of correspondence with my new colleagues and should settle in quite quickly, and to top it all I've discovered that in New Zealand they actually play with little toy soldiers and the gamers in the Wellington area are quite nice! (who'd have thought!).

So we'll be having an impromptu family holiday in and around Wellington, taking in the sites and generally getting our bearings. And now a plea to anyone in NZ who can help - any ideas as to how to entertain two young kids in Wellington?

More updates soon!
Ste