Friday, December 25, 2020

Dwarfling Rangers ...Blue tries working with Greenstuff...


 Hi all,

I'm continuing to fill time before the kick off of the OWAC in January...

This month that "free time" took an odd turn from what I had been working on...and into a brave new world for me...convert/sculpting with Greenstuff. This is an area of the hobby I've dabbled with but in a very minimal fashion.

But, first...let me back up little.  The reason I became interested in converting some figures is founded in my current interest in the Oathmark rule set.  The world in which Oathmark is set is meant to represent a Dark Age level of technology and therefore the rules do not support Crossbows or any gunpowder weapons.  Bows are the only missile weapon option. 

I have lots of painted Crossbow dwarfs for my current army, but I have zero Bow armed dwarfs.  Now, so far I've just used those crossbow dwarfs as Bow armed troops and carried on with the game...and will probably continue to do so...but the visual here has continued to bother me (yes I know..obsessive much?).  I feel I really need to be able to deploy some actual Bow armed dwarfs.

Frustratingly there are very few Citadel or Marauder dwarfs that are armed with bows...and while I've managed to find enough for a small unit I really needed a larger variety to be able to create multiple units.  

...so my mind turned toward converting some.  When I began to consider this option I started looking around for appropriately sized and armed figures to base my conversions on.   In this process I came across my stash of 4th edition Imperial Halflings and Lumpin Croops halfling mercs...both of which are armed with bows.  I've always had a fondness for these figures...and have collected a number of both types ...but have never felt the urge to paint them, mostly because they are HUGE for halflings.  I much prefer the scale of the older smaller Marauder halflings and C-series citadel halflings.  These guys tower over those and out weigh them by about 50lbs when you compare them. 

...but maybe they would work as dwarfs!

A size comparison with marauder dwarfs show that they are of a size...and in some cases the halflings are actually larger! So the size works.  

 

Left to Right: Marauder Dwarf Thunderer (MM16), Lumpin Croops Halfling, Marauder Halfling (MM64), Lumpin Croops Halfling, Marauder Dwarf (MM10).

Stylistically, their goofy bare faces and bare feet were the most obvious concerns. ...also apparently not one single halfling is capable of wearing a shirt sufficient to cover their entire bellies...maybe its a cultural blind spot? Anyway...what ever...its stupid.  And it certainly doesn't work for dwarfs to look so inept...so I'll have to fill those in as well to keep my sanity intact.

To that end, starting with the Lumpin Croops ladz...I began adding beards and shoes to transform the Lumpin Croops Halflings into Bow armed Dwarf Rangers. 

Here are pics of my first attempt.

Encouraged by the results, and not daunted by the many flaws I saw in this example, I persisted and worked through an entire unit of 15 rangers including command.


  Here are the converted trooper models shown with an unmodified version of each figure. 


When I shared these "greens" on fb as I worked on them...it was pointed out that the banner pole topper didn't really work with the dwarfs and that it should be replaced with something like a stag.  I quickly raided the bits stash and converted the banner pole...


Anxious to see how they looked painted I picked one of my favorites and got down to priming and painting him.  With this guys jaunty cap and feather he is certainly throwing off some Robin Hood vibes...so I combined that with the Roger's Rangers inspiration I was getting off of other members of the unit...and opted for very earthy colors.  

 


This is a massive shift from the rest of the army and its Red and Blue color scheme....but a pallet much more fitting for Rangers.

Here is the completed model!


 I found this excursion into converting an entire unit of figures to be a lot of fun...and I will probably press on and work to convert some of the Imperial halflings as well.  Working with Greenstuff is still a very much a learning process... but one that I enjoyed and look forward to continuing.  I might need some proper tools though...this was all done with a tooth pick!



I do realize that these are not everyone "cup of tea"...I got a lot of push back from people upset that I had defaced such precious sculpts.  If you feel that way...well..frankly...they have just been sitting in a box for years now...and if converting them means I'm going to paint them and get them on the table for a game...then I have NO issue with converting these halflings. ...plus they're my figures...you play with yours the way You want and leave me to mine... 

Cheers,

Blue

 

21 comments:

  1. You have not only converted these halflings, but made a convert of me too, Blue!
    Well done
    Cheers
    Ths

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  3. Great conversions

    Really cannot see the issue with you converting those halflings. You've taken something that was gathering dust and turned it into a great little model and surely that's the point of having them ? I'm doing the same thing with the modern Bood dwarf figures and must say I think its making me love the models even more by knowing that I've turned them into my own unique dwarfs.

    So keep up the good work and look forward to seeing the completed unit.

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  4. Perfect putty work Blue ♥️🥰

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  5. Everything about this is impressive, from the concept to the conversion/sculpting to the paintjob. They work perfectly as dwarves! But on a practical level, I find the height comparison especially useful, so thanks for that. (Incidentally, I think the only halflings I found that worked with the MM64 halflings were the Black Tree Design ones)

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  6. Oh, quick question: what will you do with the Lumpin Croop banner pole? Your conversion of it made perfect sense, but I feel like you must have something up your sleeve for such an iconic banner pole top...

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    1. That is a valid question and one I discussed with a friend the other day. I thought I might add it to the Goblobber when I get around to painting it! You've gotta judge the wind properly when you're flinging Goblins about! hahaha

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  7. Great conversations. I loved the halflings back in 4th and you made a unique unit out of them.

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  8. Bravo pour le travail fourni!!! Personnellement j'en suis fan!!!

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  9. I think they look great - definitely a touch of Errol Flynn about them:)

    Ignore those who felt the need to criticise your decision to convert them - models were converted all the time when these were originally available - if they feel that they should be left untouched, then they can buy their own...

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  10. Really hope you post these over on Bugmans

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  11. I shake my head at people who criticise how others go about their hobby. These are YOUR miniatures and you're having fun with them. All that aside these are awesome mate, even better than your usual amazing efforts!

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  12. Love this- very creative and well executed!

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  13. I have Lumpin Croop's Halflings and am a big fan of this original Regiment of Renown but I think these themed dwarf conversions are great. They are completely in the spirit of the old 'Eavy Metal and Golden Demon articles in which many gamers would convert existing units into something that was absent in the range. Just off the top of my head, the old 40k Tallarn Desert Raiders being converted into a Mordheim Araby Warband or adding greenstuff beards and furs to Chaos Warriors to create Norse armies come to mind. This creativity and conversion has always been a part of the hobby and these guys look great!

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  14. Happy New Year, Blue! Best of 2021 to you!

    I love these guys! I have tried doing some conversions with greenstuff and have found it very challenging, so I find your detailing especially impressive. Quick question -- what tools do you use to sculpt the hair on the beards?

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    1. I did all this with a couple of tooth picks...though now I am considering some actual sculpting tools. By then end of this effort I really found myself wish I had a tool with a proper handle.

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  15. Thanks Everyone! continued painting on this unit has been over taken by the Old world Army Challenge...but if I can get some breathing room I'll return to these guys ASAP.

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  16. Nicely done, Blue! And if my comment seems untimely, blame the newsfeed on the Forum. Seems like it's months out of date on some blogs and years out of date on others. So, sure, you're doing other stuff by now. But even so, coolness! Some great conversions. Welcome to the putty pusher's club! :)

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  17. Great conversions Blue. I wondered if Rogers Rangers were a precursor of the Napoleonic period Royal Green Jackets in the British Army ( rifled musket armed skirmishers) which would make your choice of colour dead on the mark (sse what I did there ?) Green specialists and red and blue line infantry?

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  18. These are great! REally nice work on the beard. Did you ever take any pictures of them all ranked up?

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