Friday 28 June 2019

"A Clay Golem Cannot Speak Or Make Any Vocal Noise."

"It walks and moves with a slow, clumsy gait."
This 31mm tall model of a Clay Golem is produced by “Reaper Miniatures” and can be bought as Code 77170 from their “Bones” range. Sculpted by Ben Siens, the large construct made its first appearance in the November 1975 edition of the wargaming magazine "The Strategic Review", courtesy of an article entitled "Creature Features - Presenting New Dungeons & Dragons Monsters For Your Enjoyment."

Fashioned by "lawful clerics of the fifteenth level or above", the "humanoid" was undercoated using two layers of "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, washed with "The Army Painter" Strong Tone Quickshade and dry-brushed using some (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Brown. Initially I had planned to subsequently 'pick out' the Clay Golem's loincloth in a bright colour such as red or even a bright(ish) white, but then read that the monster actually wore "no clothing except for a metal or stiff leather garment around its hips."
"Reaper Miniatures" Chronoscope WIPs - Sherlock Holmes and a Deep Sea Diver
As I didn't want to use another brown on the heavily-muscled brute I resultantly just applied some "Citadel" Abaddon Black to the creature's scanty raiment and left it at that. Finally I decided to spot its eyes with a drop of "Vallejo" Heavy Red and the "Citadel" Glaze Bloodletter, as well as 'highlight' its somewhat crooked teeth using a combination of "Vallejo" White and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

Remaining with "Reaper Miniatures", albeit this time focusing upon a pair of metal miniatures from their "Chronoscope" line,  I have dug out a Deep Sea Diver figure and Sherlock Holmes to help 'expand' my current party of wanderers for "Gamma World". Based upon "the new Gammaverse", where the Hadron Collider has "caused [such] a horrific smashing together of dimensions" that the game allows "for over-the-top combinations of weird things - from dinosaurs to aliens", I thought a group of adventurers made up of heavy-weight boxer, George Foreman, undersea explorer Jacques-Yves Cousteau, fictional sleuth Sherlock Holmes and robotic landlady Missus Hudson would be rather appropriate...
Mind Flayers WIPs - The two Illithids have been undercoated and dry-brushed
I've also started pigmenting a couple of Mind Flayers I stumbled upon whilst perusing the stacked shelves of the LVL Up Gaming Store in Bournemouth. This pair of “Illithids” are actually the first models from “Wizkids” unpainted range of “Nolzur’s Marvellous Miniatures” I’ve ever bought, and originally seemed to be the perfect choice with which to accompany my trio of Mind-Eaters by “Reaper Miniatures”.

However, despite being advertised as “high-definition” I’m not currently all that impressed with either the quality of each figures’ detail or the ‘uber-bendy’ plastic from which they’re made. To matters worse, their white undercoat has meant I’ve had to apply two layers of “Citadel” Abaddon Black over their flowing gowns so as to get a consistent covering over their clothing, and this has undoubtedly lead to the frustrating loss of even more detail.

14 comments:

  1. I really like that clay golem, he looks awesome! I can't wait to see those Mindflayers done as I can't really make them out in just their undercoats. That trailer for Baldurs Gate 3 with the Mindflayer in it has made me intrigued by them! The other WIPS are clearly straight out of your whacky imagination! I shall say no more!!!

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    1. Thanks Undercoat. Hopefully you can see just why I thought the Clay Golem would be a useful proxy for any sort of Incredible Hulk? You've actually hit the nail on the head with the Mind Flayers, as due to their thick white prime its hard to see a lot of the detail already - let alone after I've applied two coats of black to their clothing...

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  2. Great work on the clay golem Simon, off to a flying start with the other models, particularly like the deep sea diver (always liked underwater models)

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    1. Cheers Dave. Hopefully Jacques-Yves Cousteau will be finished soon enough. Spookily I have a lot of "Reaper" marine-based minis coming as a result of a "Subnautica" project I want to do.

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  3. Looking good. The clay Golem looks great.

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  4. They all look great, Simon. The Clay Golem looks most impressive with that gloss varnish, which I normally don't like.

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    1. Cheers Bryan. I've actually stopped using "Vallejo" Gloss Varnish, and returned to "Coat d'Arms" brand instead, and I found the "Vallejo" stuff had a tendency to frost even when applying it with a brush.

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  5. Very impressive models you're showing off here.
    I look forward to your subnautica project, I've always liked the idea of underwater games (I blame Jules Verne) but unfortunately there seem to be so little of these on the market.

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    1. Thanks Wouter. The "Reaper Miniatures" range have unfortunately completely knocked me off my stride for painting "Blood Bowl" this month, and next month is set aside for some "Pulp City" superhero stuff. Hopefully I'll then be able to turn my attention to "Subnautica"...

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    2. Pulp City, sounds great. I have a lot of their miniatures but never got anywhere with them.

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    3. Hopefully I can tempt you into painting a few then, Wouter, as my first three are based ready for some WIP posting next week :-)

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  6. Good stuff, Simon, all the figures look great but that Clay Golem looks superb!!

    Cheers Roger.

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