I’ve finished some more of my many Reaper Bones figures that fit under the rather broad undead umbrella that I use. No stretch this time, though, as they’re a bunch of skeletons. Originally sculpted by Bob Ridolfi, the Bones versions – somewhat predictably – suffer from mould lines, wobbly weapons and soft details. Still, they’re not the most terrible models and they’re good enough for RPGs or even standard troops on the table.
As usual, these guys were painted piecemeal over a period of time, mostly at work. They were a bit of an experiment – primed with the spray can and done in the normal manner, they were as sticky as all hell for awhile, but the acrylic paint over the top and the polyurethane spray seems to have settled it down. I skipped the decals on these guys because I didn’t want to “waste” 20-year-old decals on Bones models and instead did the shield designs freehand… and of course they came out far better than decals would have.
They’re a pretty odd number to make a unit out of, with nine models. Bones II backers got one of each, while they’re now being sold in sets of three of each sculpts. I usually make a regiment from a dozen models, since they work out about right when based on 25mm rounds for the correct footprint of a KoW regiment.
With nine models here, I’ll just shove the archers out of the front rank, and add a couple of random skeletons to make up the numbers. Turned out I could only find two, but good enough. I’m calling it a done regiment, but if (when) I end up with more random skeletons down the line, I can split or remake these guys into 2-hander, sword and board or archer regiments. For the time being, it gives me a second Undead unit for September’s monthly Tale of Gamers challenge that I’m running on Dakka.
The unit is filled out with a couple of spare skeletons. One (the archer) is from Bones 1, and the other is from Dark World, which I’ve mentioned previously. It only gives me 11 so I’ll have to sort out a 12th, but I’m still calling the unit functional for now.
And finally, as is the norm – the completed unit shots.
I wrote the following thoughts along with one of the first batches of Bones Skeletons I posted, and they’re just as relevant now, so hey.
As models go, like many Bones, these do what they say on the tin, in a very basic manner. I’d really only recommend them for roleplayers. If you’re playing D&D and want some cheap and cheerful skellys for your adventures, then these are a perfectly serviceable way to go. They even work okay if you’re the kind of roleplayer who never paints their models, or just gives them a wash to bring out the detail. For wargamers, there are many better options out there, especially for $2 each/$6 for three. Still, I already owned these, they pass the three-foot test, and they’ve now gone from Unpainted to Painted, and we know that every time a miniature gets painted, a Kitten gets their Wings, so it’s all good.
Azazel's Bitz Box. 
All good indeed – nice job with these mate! I know Bones can be a bit iffy, but these look just fine 🙂
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Thanks Alex. Like many Bones models, they’re not all that much fun to paint, but they finish up decently in the end.
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What a fantastic looking group. Well done. They’re inspiration for my new skeleton project.
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Thanks mate. I’ve gotten some ideas off you that I’ll use in turn when I get back to doing more plastic Skellies.
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Like what? Like what? Hehe
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Some chop-up combos of my Mantic and GW skellies. 🙂
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Ahhh got ya. I was pleasantly surprised with how well the went together. Relieved as well.
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As always your paintjob elevates even the wonkiest Bones sculpt 🙂 I think the freehands are splendid and the colouration of the bones is spot on. I actually replace now all the Bones weapons with some bitz I have collected over the years. Just easier than trying to straighten the swords or spears.
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I can certainly see that working, though I’m dedicating the majority of my Bones painting to avoiding any extra work of any kind, since I know how easily distracted I am and how easily I fall down the road of procrastination when I try to fix things. The soft bendy plastic is probably safer with some people I know…
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Fair enough. Bones are indeed a better choice if people are a bit clumsy.
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These will be the skeletons that come out for the rare sessions of Pathfinder that we have – as opposed to the WGF ones or some of the more fragile Oldhammer ones… 🙂
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The Bones stuff is perfect for RPG sessions with non-painters. Many people do not appreciate at first the time spent per miniature or scenic piece, so should they grab them roughly no damage is done in most cases.
The WGF skeletons are always a worry and I move them for the players. I think such delicate models would work well in PVC, but only if they can find a good compromise between being bendy and being reasonably sturdy.
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Agreed on all of that. Most non-painters really don’t understand. When I finish up with most terrain it gets a serious coat of gloss before being matted down. The more delicate models get kept on their model trays, though I still wince sometimes the way they’re handled.
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