Monday, 26 January 2026

"I Am The Curse Of The Impure."

 "Garell had found a firing angle that allowed him to cover a large part of the zone..."

These two 28mm metal models were produced by "Rackham" in the late Nineties, and could be bought from the French company's "Confrontation" range as blister Griffin Thallions 2. Rather embarrassingly I've actually owned this pair since they were first released, and despite the odd attempt to get them tabletop ready, never actually succeeded until now.

In order to rid myself of their previous half-hearted paint-jobs, the surprisingly hefty miniatures received a solid base-coat of "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna, a generous dousing in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and an enthusiastic dry-brush of (more) "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna. I then carefully 'carved out' all of their armour/chains using a combination of "Vallejo" Gunmetal" and "Citadel" Nuln Oil, before applying a little "Vallejo" Gold and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade to any visible scabbards or religious icons.

"...Thus protecting his minelayer companion while he set the explosives."

I next gave their inner clothing a lick of "Vallejo" Heavy Green, and immediately darkened it down - as I liked the idea of these guys being assassins of some kind - with a splash of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. I did something similar with their pistols and holsters too, 'picking out' the two different areas with "Vallejo" Beasty Brown and Heavy Brown, and subsequently sploshing them both with (more) "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade.

I did however want to stick to the Griffin Thallions' 'official' colour scheme where I could, so decided to apply a little "Vallejo" Heavy Red and "Citadel" Carroburg Crimson to their gloves, as well as a smidgeon of "Vallejo" Heavy Grey and "Citadel" Biel-Tan Green on their cravats. As a final touch I carefully dabbed "Two Thin Coats" White Star on their face masks, and later shaded them with a tiny amount of "Citadel" Nuln Oil.

"Rackham" WIPs - These three Griffin Templars have had their missing shields replaced

With these rather old models completed, and my interest in both "Rackham" and "Confrontation" somewhat piqued, I have started work on a trio of Griffin Templars. As with my Thallions, I bought these three figures shortly after they came out. But appear to have lost their separate shields along the way.

Despite a bit of a rummage through various boxes and drawers, I simply can't find these missing pieces, so have decided to add some (slightly larger) Templar-themed shields by "Station Forge" I recently 3D printed as part of their Solaris Infantry [Legacy] set instead. Doubtless, having now super-glued them permanently in place I'll find the blessed parts in the next place I look - probably alongside the Wolfen of Yllia miniatures I know I purchased alongside them. However, with my enthusiasm for the range strong I didn't want to dilly-dally and risk losing interest in them...

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10 comments:

  1. Dave Stone26 January 2026 at 03:20

    Excellent work on the Rackham models Simon, and the next trio are progressing well.

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    1. Blaxkleric26 January 2026 at 03:38

      Thanks Dave. These were a real blast from the past for me. Not sure when I'll get the Griffon Templars finished. But I do like the Confrontation sculpts.

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  2. Michal DwarfCrypt26 January 2026 at 07:28

    Really love the Rackman minus. Great work 👏

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    1. Blaxkleric26 January 2026 at 12:09

      Cheers Michal. I've got a fair few Rackham figs stored away, which I may well dig out if my enthusiasm for the range continues.

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  3. myincubliss26 January 2026 at 09:28

    Those Thallions are rather nice! So sad that I was out of the hobby when Rackham were at their peak of popularity, so only have a single mini of theirs in my collection picked up in a bargain bin at a show (and it’s basically all flesh, so it’s still sealed in its blister!)

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    1. Blaxkleric26 January 2026 at 12:12

      Thanks Myincubliss. I always found the Confrontation figures were like finding Hen's Teeth even when Rackham were around, as they seemed to sell just as soon as they hit the spinner racks. These days though you can seemingly pick the models up via https://cadwallon.com/ who own the range. Perhaps that might tempt you to get some..? ;-)

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  4. Dai26 January 2026 at 10:03

    I wouldnt call them "old" per se, that would make us ancient in that case!

    Love the Thallions. Don't recall them from when I used to eye that gorgeous Rakham range, but they look like they fit into that super well designed and illustrated range of minis well.

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    1. Blaxkleric26 January 2026 at 12:15

      Cheers Dai. LOL!! There's another two-figure blister of Thallions where they're carrying long swords. I don't know if I own that one though. However, I have a ton of other Confrontation minis waiting in the wings, so perhaps I'll stumble across them at some point.

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  5. Anonymous26 January 2026 at 15:24

    I do like those Thallions, your trademark excellent black work has done them to a gruesome tee mate. I must admit though the name rings a bell I think Rackham completely passed me by back in the day, which is a shame as the figures look right up my street to be honest. Cheers Roger

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    1. Blaxkleric27 January 2026 at 01:44

      Thanks Roger. In the flesh the brown in their dark cloaks does stand out a bit more to give them better highlights than my pics probably show. You can now buy these figures from the Cadwallon webstore for a little over £13 as they seem to sell the entire Confrontation range.

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