Shadows of Brimstone: Guardian of Targa (Jewel of July ’18)

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Shadows of Brimstone: Guardian of Targa

Have you ever pained something, finished it, but not been happy with some part of it. Then after a few days, just said “screw it” and entirely redone that part of it? That’s what happened with one of the figures in the post that was going to go up today – my final June-It unit. So I’m going to do my best to have it redone for tomorrow. So for today, we’re going out of sequence and I’m posting up the first of my “Jewel of July” models. That model being the big lug above – the Guardian of Targa, from Shadows of Brimstone.

The Guardian of Targa is the final one of the three “Targa” sets (I don’t really know what ‘Targa’ is, so don’t ask!)

Shadows of Brimstone: Guardian of Targa

I’ve painted it more or less in line with the Custodians and the Dark Stone Pylons – that is to say, as the “iron”-looking metal of the Custodians combined with black panels reminiscent of the Dark Stone Pylons, with green glowies that all three sets have in common. With just a touch of brass on the cabling to add some additional colour. As it turned out, on a model this size, it still wasn’t enough. The solution was to add some wear via my Vallejo Model Washes – Oiled Earth and Dark Brown. Are they oil stains, corrosion or just dust and grime from being outdoors? Who knows if the metal of Targa corrodes or needs lubrication? Not me. The important thing was that it subtly added a bit more interest to the model and took it away from looking so monochrome (yes, even with the green and brass!)

Shadows of Brimstone: Guardian of Targa, Custodians of Targa, Dark Pylons

Here it is, alongside the aforementioned other Shadows of Brimstone Targa models. I think they fit in pretty well together. I was half-tempted to repaint some of the legs of the Guardians with some black panels like the big guy, but  …naaaaaa. They’re not the best or most important models and they look fine as is. I’d rather spend that time and/or effort on painting more models or on more centrepiece/boss mob models like the Guardian.

Shadows of Brimstone: Guardian of Targa, Custodians of Targa, Dark Pylons, Iron Warrior

To finish up, I slipped an Iron Warrior Space Marine into the previous shot. The main reason being to give a visual size reference, since the other figures are far from your standard humanoids. As you can see, he’s a big boy! I suppose I could also it into 40k as a Close-combat geared Dreadnought, or some sort of Mechanicus/Mechanicum Robot, depending on which ones have rules at the time. Visually it could kinda-sorta fit in with the Necrons due to the colour scheme, but I don’t think they have anything very like this, and besides – all of my Necrons are still attached to their sprues at present!

With all of that done, I’ll do my best to get that last June-It Unit posted up tomorrow, and if I can motivate some help around here to help clean out the table in the War Room and its surrounds from being Junktown, I may even be able to do my round-up posts right after that! Crossed fingers!

Celtos: Fir Bolg Skeleton Archers (June-It ’18)

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Three years ago I ordered a big bunch of “Fir Bolg” Skeletons from Brigade Models that were originally produced and still sold for the “Celtos” skirmish miniatures wargame. They arrived a couple of weeks later, in Mid-June – and have only gotten around to painting the last of them this year. So three years from order arrival to completion. That’s actually pretty good for me! These models are actually the third “set” that I got from them. The first once I painted were done in August 2015,  a unit of “Warscythes” to use in Kings of War followed in March 2016 with a whole lot of Spears (one large unit, or two small units) and then finally is September another dozen of them armed with sickles and shields.

Celtos Fir Bolg Skeleton Archers

By the time I got to the end of 2016, I was well and truly over painting undead, as I’d churned out at least one unit per month for Marouda’s Undead Army and also my own Gondor Army. (You can see all the half-painted Nazgûl in that pic as well as some of the half-painted named Nazgûl filling out the numbers!)

But… we haven’t played KoW for ages now. Not for a couple of years after a period of pretty regular play. Got to get back to that, of course. But need to clean up the War Room a bit more first since there’s so much shit in there that I can’t even fully lay a mat down on the table right now. So these guys sat idle until I had a few days away from home for work at the start of this year, so I took them with me along with a few paints and started work on them. Before putting them away to one side when I got back. Until now. June. June-It.

Celtos Fir Bolg Skeleton Archers

And now they’re done. 16 models. 2 units of 8 models to count-as two “troop” formations in KoW, or just 16 skeleton archers for AoS or whatever other game. I’ll have to find my cut MDF bases at some stage and blu-tac them down, but for now, they’re good enough. The two troop leaders are the standard hero models that have both had a hand removed and replaced with a bow-hand from the old Citadel Skeleton Army box. A last-minute modification but one that I think works with them being archer units.

I’ve retaken the blurry mess that was the original header photo, and replaced it so I could finally post these models up – chalk up another two units for June-It! And there’s still one more to come… (yes, there was a spray varnish backlog caused by our cold weather).