Half orcs (Dark Alliance set 3)

The "themed" set from the range of half-orcs and apart from a couple of bods which, without conversion, can only be used once which is a shame, because the sculpts are really good.
In total, 10 bods, 4 of which are as pairs.

As ever, the complete poses from the set.

Grenadiers. Grenadiers? Ok, the caeser Set of goblins has Grenadier bods so why not the Half Orcs?

Axemen. Obviously they are  reflecting the tree cutting  orcs in one of those films that I can´t remember the Name of.

"They´ve taken the Little ones!!"

Another reference to the films. Pouring molten metal. They could be pressed into Service tipping boiling oil from a Castle wall..or the bucket tipped (or replaced) so they are carrying a load (catapult ammo) but basically...what would you do with 4 lots of These?

 

Bomb carriers. Again, what anyone could do with 4 lots of These I can´t imagine.

Basically, the pouring oil, one of the "they´ve taken the Little ones!" and the Bomb carriers are without conversion, one use bods.  

So..now the conversions...

One of the Hobbit carriers has had the Hobbit surgically removed and a shield from set 2 added. The Bomb carriers relieved of thier burden and pikes added.

The infantry poses based up.

Next?? Heavy warriors of the undead cavalry?

Half Orcs (Dark Alliance Set 2)

4 sprues each with 11 bods. The poses give some conversion possibilities, unlike set 3, but more about that lot in another post.
The Inspiration for these is definately taken from a certain film..but I can´t quite remember which one, a really Long film and something about wizards, a Castle and a seige.
I´ve gone for a "classic" Hollywood colour scheme with this lot, reddish material and humanoid Skin colour.

As ever, the molded flag had to go. Why most manufacturers even bother to  mold a flag or Standard I don´t know, worse still when the dammned Thing is draped in folds around the bods shoulders making it virtually impossible to paint anything decent looking and trying, particually with historic bods, a bloody nightmare!! My Suggestion to the makers, don´t bother, just leave the thick heavy waste of plastic off please. 

The Standard was made in the same way as my Roman Vexillia except the fancy tassles have been left off.

The Standard bearer´s Sword had to be replaced as well, the original one looked like a cricket bat.

And now the conversions. Seeing as the Half Orc set 1 (Pikemen) has only 8 poses per sprue (and two of those look like repeats) and I like the bods on a stand to look slightly different, even if it´s only a head swop, more pikemen are needed. This set gives 6 possible conversions. Set 3, which is more of a film based "theme"set,  has a couple of possible candidates for converting to pikemen, so with These that makes around  16 bods for the pike block, which seems ok. These will make a decent front row.

Ok, Holding a heavy pike in one Hand and a shield in the other is virtually impossible for a Person but These guys are big and strong (although that doesn´t Seem to help them much in that film..they get cut down like straw and the good guys don´t even break into a sweat)



Massed Medieval Cavalry

A mix  of 100 Red faction and Blue faction (loosely based on the  English and French) heavy cavalry.

Not my entire collection of mounted bods, there´s a few more in the wagon Train, another 80 plus in the burgundian, Crusader/Teutonic army and  Norman armies.
Plastic, Metal and Resin, the makes used are  Valdemar, Strelets, Italeri, Airfix and Revell and a lot of conversions.

Close ups of the charging kniggits

The command/waiting cavalry

Medieval Cavalry on the march

Another 6 medieval cavalry to add to the baggage Train.

Bods and nags from Strelets Scottish Army of Robert Bruce and Military Order Sergeants.

Lances and various Hand Held weapons replaced with Florist wire.

Medieval Beggars

A subject not that often covered..the lowest of the low in medieval Society..the beggars.
The males in this set have lost use of thier lower limbs..or lost bits of them entirely, an effect of warfare or work injuries?
This set, in resin,  is from Fredericus -Rex.

The female beggar could be a nun (the crucifix..which I´ve painted up as being wooden..a poor nun would be unlikely to have had such a large crucifix made from metal)   but a poor wandering nun who has taken up the life of a mendicant ..a practice more commonly taken up by Monks. The Nuns usually stayed inside their nunneries,  relying on donations. Nuns such as the  Clarissines, named after St. Clara, who was one of the followers of St. Francis.

The lower limb injuries would probably indicate ex-soldiers or those unfortunate to have been drafted in for a battle.
The levy type soldiers would be less likely to have some form of leg protection so damage to the legs was probably common amongst the "lower orders"on medieval battlefields.

The one on the "skateboard" Spinal injury or lame due to disease or from birth?

Medieval "Zombie attack!!! "

Sometimes a mistake can be made worse. First, taking the wrong turn and then giving to a holy Person...and that attracts  the rest of the "needy"

The Beggar on the left is from Linear -b and the one on the right, Valdemar.

Medieval Civilians

The whole (well, most of ) my collection of civilians.
Lots of different makes, Mainly from Valdemar and  Strelets but also Linear -B, Italeri, Zvezda  and Imex and any others I have forgotten.

Most of the collection. Some haven´t been properly based yet, but a few more are still not that far and still attached to sprues etc.

The women folk

The priesthood.

Some more Close ups from previous Posts.

Dwarf battle line

Another element of the Alliance against the Army of the underworld  the dwarves give the needed Backbone and Stayingpower to the allies.
All of them are from Caeser´s Dwarve´s set, with a couple of conversions, shields or spears added

The Flag is from Ray´s Don´t throw a one blog and can be found on this LINK. Ok, they are viking flags but they I think they fit well with Dwarves

Elf Archers

Part of the alliance against the Army of the underworld, with a rapid rate of accurate fire, the elves supply the archer element.

I´ve gone for a uniformed look as in most fiction, especially since the LotR films,  they appear as a "militarised" folk. A couple of head swops to get variety.

The flag is from Volomir´s Blog....if you haven´t seen his High Elves Sea Guard Step by Step (or any of his other work) then I recommend going over to have a look, it really is worth it.