I needed to paint something different to plastic WoMT this month, so I looked through the Gondor figure box, and pulled out something both similar but different to the usual grind. My small collection of Osgiliath Veterans. Originally, when they were released, I didn’t much like the models and got just a few to use as alternative sword captains, but more recently, I managed to pick up a few more so that I could make a small but functional unit.
I know they’re pretty good in SBG when led by Faramir, but I don’t want to purchase more of them, as they’re not cheap in metal from GW or eBay – nor do I especially want to convert a bunch of the plastic WoMT into additional OVs. I figure this single unit will do me for general gaming, and if I ever need more to use in scenario, I can use regular WoMT as proxies.
Since these Veterans have been in the field for some time, I approached painting them in a slightly different way to how I typically paint WoMT, while keeping to a similar palette. Instead of starting with black and highlighting with AP Wolf Grey, which is a blue-grey; I started with VMC Dark Grey and added a small amount of AP uniform grey for the highlights, which is much more of a neutral grey. The leather straps were done in the usual WoMT way, but all of the extra cloth parts, such as cloaks, bedrolls, satchels and shoulder bags and extra belt pouch bags were painted in a mixture of colours taken from the palette that I used for my Rangers of Gondor, since those guys will at times be used for Faramir’s rangers (along with those of Blackroot Vale and of course, the Grey Company!)
The metal of their armour was painted differently as well. I started with VGA 72.754 Gunmetal, highlighted with VMA 71.072 Gun and a very subtle highlight of Citadel Ironbreaker. After I completed my highlighting and shading of the entire model, I gave them a wash of 1:1:2 AP Dark Tone (black), AP Strong Tone (dark brown) and Windex as my thinning medium. This added a touch of grime to the models, to represent them having been out in the field for some time. The final touch (aside from flesh and hair) was a very subtle highlight of the wings embossed on the helm with Ironbreaker, to help reinforce the faces of the models as their focal point.
It turned out that I only had 10 Osgiliath Veterans, so when I spent some time late last year trying to sort out my unpainted Gondor models, I decided to give them a couple of models to act as command, rather than buy more models. I threw a Gondor standard bearer and a spare Faramir into a baggie, and job done! I’ve got another of the same Faramir model, which I’d painted several years ago, after I’d started this blog but before I started really updating it with any frequency. He was of course painted to fit in as a commander of the Gondor army, and occasionally managed to take the field. It can be seen here. This time, I wanted the Faramir model to be very much part of the Veteran unit, and so he was painted with the same palette of greys, with just a touch of AP Wolf Grey mixed into the top highlights. I also added some gold trim on his armour and the white trim to his skirts to help distinguish him as the unit commander on the tabletop. While the Faramir is a nicely understated model, it’s not really a stand-out model for someone as important as Faramir.
I found the Standard much more interesting as a model. Once again, greys are the base, and browns the additive colour rather than blue-grey. I added a bread bag from a Warlord German to his hip to help him fit in with the troops, and also took his metal head off and replaced it with a Warlord Roman Veteran head, to which I added a touch of bloodstain on his bandanna. I also painted him with blonde hair and attempted to create a stark, greasy look with a dark wash. (As we know, greasy, dirty blonde hair just ends up looking brown, but this is miniature painting.) And yeah, I know Osgiliath Veterans can’t technically have a standard bearer, but he can easily be used as a Spearman, given the pointy end on that banner pole!
The “Kings of War” style unit photos this time show off the different configurations that these guys can be set up in, in order to bring one type of weapon or another to the fore, should I decide to vary the unit profile.
Very nice – I really like the more weathered, battle hardened look for these guys!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, they gave me a reason make the paint a little more interesting than yet another unit of plastic WoMT.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I like those sculpts, and mixing them together with your variations in colour scheme results in a good looking unit. I’d put any notion of painting LOTR forces to rest but your posts keep pulling me back. With the news that the system will get future support from Forge World, I might have to dig up my Mordor Orcs sometime.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, depending on the size of your leadpile, it might be worth bringing out models you already own. You could easily use them as a Half-Orc mercenary contingent for WHFB3 as well. Not a range that ever really got any support or much (any?) in the way of official figures…
LikeLike
Really cool. They look suitably battle weary/hardened. I like the wounded guy.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks mate. Once I swapped the heads on the model kept reminding me of David Wenham’s character in 300, so I gave him blonde hair. Kind of ironic given that he’s standing aside Faramir…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haha, no joke that’s exactly who came to mind when I looked at him. 300 is a great movie. I didn’t mind the sequel but it had nothing on the first.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I still haven’t gotten around to seeing the sequel, though I’ve seen the first a few times. It’s on the list!
LikeLiked by 1 person
My favourite is the the standard bearer. Battle hardened, yet heroic, and thus very Tolkienesque. Naturally the entire unit looks superb and I actually like these sculpts better than the standard soldiers. I guess the more lived-in, battle worn look resonates with me.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thank you for the comment, and I quite agree with you, actually on the standard bearer. The headswap was a last-minute decision and turned out to really make the figure, and by extension, the unit to an extent. These metals are indeed much nicer than the decent-but-bland plastics that make up the standard troopers. I could convert some more of these with plastic pouches and greenstuff, but I’ve got too much else to paint, and I’m happy with a single, small unit of these guys. At least for the time being. Once Gondor is (almost) finished, it’ll be time to revisit anything else I’d like to do…
LikeLike
Sounds like an excellent plan. I have similar plans with my Carthaginians.
LikeLiked by 1 person