"Sam Will Give You A Ride."

"Just tell him where to go, and he'll go.”

This decidedly diminutive 28mm scale metal model of Samwise Gamgee was produced by "Games Workshop", and could be bought as part of the two figure Frodo & Sam In Orc Armour blister from the Nottingham-based company's "The Lord Of The Rings" range. Now OOP (Out Of Production), I actually picked this miniature up from a wargaming show's second-hand stall many years ago, and have been meaning to get around to painting him ever since.

Despite the figure already having some sort of black undercoat on it, courtesy of its former owner, I decided to dust it down and give it an additional lick of "Citadel" Abaddon Black. The "loyal companion" was then layered with Thrash Metal by "Scale 75", shaded in "Citadel" Nuln Oil and very lightly dry-brushed with (more) "Scale 75" Thrash Metal.

"We are the Uruk-hai: we do not stop the fight for night or day, for fair weather or for storm."

I next began 'picking out' all of the sculpt's fur leggings, sword scabbard, belt and cloth under garments with either "Vallejo" Heavy Brown, Heavy Sienna, and Beasty Brown, before treating them to a splosh of "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade. Finally, the heavily-disguised Hobbit's numerous leather straps, and thick gloves were simply layered in "Citadel" Abaddon Black.

Alongside Samwise the Brave, I have also finished work on another 28mm scale Uruk-hai armed with a crossbow. This metal "Games Workshop" miniature had already been primed "Citadel" Abaddon Black from an earlier attempt to make it tabletop ready, so I simply gave the model's armour and hand-weapon a lick of "Scale 75" Decayed Metal, Thrash Metal and “Citadel” Nuln Oil.

"Wargames Foundry" WIPs - This Austrian Infantryman is being painted from the boots up

I achieved the colour of the Orc's bare flesh by using "Vallejo" Heavy Red with a "Citadel” Devlan Mud wash, and carefully applied some "Vallejo" Heavy Sienna and "Citadel" Agrax Earthshade on the creature's shoes, loincloth, hair, gloves, straps, belt, pouches and crossbow. As a last step, I treated the brute’s knife sheath to a little “Vallejo” Heavy Brown and highlighted his teeth in White. Both of these areas were later washed with (more) “Citadel” Agrax Earthshade.

With this month's big push towards progressing my Napoleonic Black Powder forces still foremost in my mind, I have begun plugging away at the predominantly white uniforms of four Austrian infantrymen by "Wargames Foundry". I've already pigmented a quartet of these 28mm scale metal from the company's AN002 German Infantry Marching blister in the past to create a tiny unit for my Coalition army, and plan to use this miniatures to double its strength so I can field a small unit instead...