I am still to find out why I like goblins so much and why I feel the urge to collect them no matter which brand they come from.
So, unsurprisingly, I ended up buying these Freebooter goblin pirates. Not that I was immediately drawn to the set; its original price was a bit too high for my taste, so I kept postponing the purchase.
It was only when I saw a civilised auction on eBay that I decided to go for it. Half-price for a brand new boxed set in the end. Not bad.
The set comes with five goblins and an orc. All pirates, and all distinct from each other. In other words, characterful, which is something that I always appreciate in miniatures.
I was sort of dreading painting them as they looked so detailed and finely sculpted. But once I got my brush and paints on them all went fine.
I started with the skin (GW Knarloc Green, wash with Devlan Mud and gradual highlights of Knarloc Green with Golden Yellow and then a bit of Tanned Flesh into the final mix for the cheeks and nose). The clothes were painted with a variety of creams, blues and browns, but no stripes as I still haven't tried that technique.
I probably could have done more and better, but decided to stop here and just base the little rascals.
I left the orc for a later effort and in the meantime got a few additional goblin pirates from the range. I will post pictures of all of them once I get 'round to paint them.
In the meantime, here is the first batch:
Goblin Mariner. Notice the fish bone tied to the belt.
Goblin Velero. That inflated eye adds a lot of character. The paddle is also a suitable nautical element for this model.
Bajo. The smallest of the group. He could be trying to listen to a conversation or just covering his ears, anticipating an explosion or gunshot.
Moby Dugg. By far, the coolest model of the set - in my humble opinion. There is so much detail in him. The chained dead shark is one of those priceless elements. The bomb in his hand also adds some sense of mindlessness to the miniature.
And here they are, causing havoc on the streets:
João
They look great. I especially like the one with the grenade.
ReplyDeleteVery lovely paint jobs! They look great. And those "in-game" shots are amazing. Lovely!
ReplyDeleteI also just noticed the super flat bases. They integrate with the board perfectly. It's almost like they're not there.
Thanks Simon! He's my favourite too! There is another pirate I have to paint who is disguised as a crab. That one should be fun to paint.
ReplyDeleteChris, thanks a lot for the comments. I'm planning of making some dockyards for my town, so hopefully I will be able to use it as a backdrop for the little pirates.
As for the bases, these are made of vinyl (from floor tiles). I cut them and round them with scissors. After that I scrape the edges of the circular bases. The idea is precisely to have the models blending in with the board a little bit more.
On the other hand, no matter how thin they are, they won't necessarily match my future cobblestone board - but I'll have to see how it will look like.
Joao
Hasslefree does a nice goblin pirate that would fit right in.
ReplyDeleteCool! Thanks for the nudge, Jeff. I'll check it out.
ReplyDeleteJoao
I saw these miniatures in a model shop in Worcester last week.
ReplyDeleteI think they look great, but are a little over-priced.
Tony
Hi Tony,
ReplyDeleteI agree. I actually think they are very over-priced! Luckly I got these with a considerable discount on eBay; otherwise I would've stayed away from them! :)
Joao