Reaper Bones 77670: Dire Crocodile (Monster MAYhem ’21)

Reaper Bones 77670: Dire Crocodile

OK, it’s not the biggest model I’ve painted this month, but this Dire Crocodile from Reaper’s “Bones Black” line still counts to me, as it’s safely larger than an orc. Counts as what? Well, counts as another submission for Monster MAYhem, over at the Angry Piper’s Blog – aka Dead Dick’s Tavern and Temporary Lodging.

Reaper Bones 77670: Dire Crocodile

Chainsaw Lass once again provides scale, while the angle shows the base, with judicious application of Vallejo Mud and some Woodland Scenics water effects. Not sure why Reaper’s calling it a “Dire” Croc, though – it’s size is well within the normal range for Australian Saltwater Crocs…

Reaper Bones 77670: Dire Crocodile

It’s another good example of “Painting Triage”. It’s not the most important model, nor is it the most detailed. It therefore doesn’t warrant my top tier of effort in order to get it painted, but it’s still the kind of model that’s very possible to get looking pretty good with relatively little work. I mean, you can’t even really see the lighter underbelly and under… neck. Some weathering powder added to the croc helps to give that feeling of embedded dirt to the model, while the slight sheen from ther satin spray helps with the slight wet look to this terror of the waterholes and estuaries.

D&D Monster Manual 64: The Legend of Drizzt – Errtu, Balor

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

Back to the D&D stuff for this post – this time it’s the Big Bad from the Legend of Drizzt D&D Adventure Boardgame. Errtu, the Balor. A Balor of course, is a supernatural being from Irish Mythology.  In D&D of course, a Balor is pretty clearly their non-copyrightable version of Tolkien’s Balrog. Just as an aside, Warhammer’s Balrog archetype evolved into the Bloodthirster of Khorne, which also follows the same visual archetype.

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

This one has been sitting around on my painting desk for a long time as well – a simple model that I hadn’t been especially inspired to work on, but admittedly, without the distate that I hold for the previous model from yesterday’s post. Over a couple of months, I did two or four sessions to add in the putty for the flagstones on the floor, and with Monster MAYhem, over at Dead Dick’s Tavern and Temporary Lodging happening this month (and not having gotten to it during Monster March) the challenge gave me the nessecary kick up the arse, I got cracking on it.

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

I clipped the flame-whip from its anchored spot on the model, and had some trouble with the wings not wanting to stay set in a more open position, but both look okay at least. lot of Contrast paint here, though layered and with various highlighting and so forth over the top, as well as a reasonably simple flame effect on both the whip and sword.

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

I also added some weathering powder to the ground, to give a scorched look to where the Balor has walked and stands. I now see a little reddish spot on the base there that I’ll have to get to and remove.

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

And now I’ve got the big bad from the third D&D Board Game done – there’s a few regular villain and monster models left to go, but once they’re done I’ll have the third set of these models complete, which will be nice.

Dungeons and Dragons, D&D, The Legend of Drizzt - Errtu, Balor

And here, a group of adventurers help provide a scale shot for the big boy.