Sunday 11 January 2015

More Argonauts

Introduction

It's been a quiet time for model-making recently.  Too many things (world events, hospital visits, work, depressing weather...) have been getting in the way.  However, I did recently manage to finish off some more Greeks for my Jason and the Argonauts project.  These are the last Greek Myth figures from my unpainted model mountain, so if I want more then I'll need to buy something else!

The Figures

First up is Exion.  He's a regular hoplite - just one of the grunts, really.  However I think I did a much better job of the shield decal on this model than on previous ones.  The earlier hoplites (here) suffered rather a lot from silvering of the decals.  This time, I made sure that I moistened the shield with Klear (liquid floor wax/varnish) before applying the decal - it seems to have done the trick.

Next is another Greek king: Phineas.  He was blinded by the gods for some misdemeanour and was then cursed with visits from the harpies.  These creatures would foul or steal all food that was placed in front of him, until they were finally driven off by the Argonauts.

I'm wondering if I should repaint his eyes to make it more obvious that he is blind.  On reflection, it may have been a mistake to paint them in my normal manner.

My next character is Coronos.  He's made with the last of my Warlord Games plastic hoplite bodies, but with a sling and head taken from the Gripping Beat Dark Age Warriors set.  The left arm is, oddly enough, from the Studio Miniatures Zombies plastic set; it doesn't quite match the right arm, but is close enough for me.

I see this man as an elderly shepherd or something simple like that.  It's possible that his left arm is deformed or paralysed, hence the slightly unusual appearance.

Lastly, I have 3 new archers.  These models are from Black Tree Designs, just like the Greek king above.  Although the models are well enough detailed and moulded, their postures are all a bit unusual for archers.  I suspect that people who don't look closely enough will mistake them for swordsmen or something else.  Still, I had the models sitting there unpainted and it didn't take a whole lot of effort to complete them...

Conclusion

These figures give me some more options for the Argonauts (especially the archers).  I just need to make up some 7th Voyage quick-reference cards for all my characters and then I'm ready to play the game!

25 comments:

  1. Nice looking figures, I bet that shield was heavy!

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    1. Thanks, Ray! Nah, the shield is just plastic - it's quite light, really.

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  2. A fine array of minis, and I thoroughly enjoyed the back stories behind them. Great stuff and hopefully they'll be some 7th Voyage AARs in the near future? Not played that one myself.

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    1. I'm hoping to get started playing 7th Voyage really soon now! Perhaps within the next week or two?

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  3. nice looking additions! I have always liked blacktree stuff but have been put off in recent years due to difficulty in getting the stuff once you've paid. maybe they are the way back up again...

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    1. It's true that Black Tree Design did have delivery problems, but that was all some years ago. I've not had any problem with them in more recent times (and they keep running these heavy discounts if you register, such as the current 50% off all infantry!)

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  4. They are great! The Hoplite is my favorite, but then again they are the flashy ones.
    Archers do look odd indeed, apart from their pose, the helmet is most unusual, but they have a great "Argonauts" feel to them.

    I think you should go make the cards really soon so we can see the Argonauts battle it against the pirates before they even depart or something similarly mythical!

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    1. I think you're right, Mathyoo - I need to make the reference cards as soon as possible!

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  5. Great looking figures C^, but Phineas has to be the outstanding one with the detail on his tunic; the archers are indeed strnge, with the shortst shot-bows I think I've ever seen.

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    1. Thanks, Joe. The ancient Greeks weren't generally renowned for their archery skills, though there were a few notable exceptions.

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  6. You do inspire me to follow you on the 7th Voyage. I may also set sail this year.

    The detail on the blind kings tunic is spot on. It harks back to a time he was in poer and could afford nice clothes.

    Good job on all of them.

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    1. Thanks, Clint. Surely you've got too much to do already, without venturing into mythical ancient skirmishes as well :-) ?

      I was indeed aiming to make Phineas look like a rich man fallen on hard times. It seems that I succeeded!

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    2. yes far too much to do!! But that won't stop me I am sure!

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  7. I like the phalange and the fact you don't forget about non-fighting characters. All looks good for a C6 scenario.

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    1. Thanks, Cedric. The hoplites are very pretty but I do need a variety of other characters as well, as you've observed. I'm thinking of getting some peltasts (javelin-throwers) and I'll certainly need some sorceresses at some time (Circe, Medea, Pasiphae...)

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  8. These look great, I must have a closer look 7th Voyage rules.

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    1. Thanks, Michael. I expect that you could find a review of 7th Voyage somewhere on the internet. I'm hoping to report on my first battle in the near future (I have to to play the game first, of course!)

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  9. Good looking Greeks C6!
    Love the fact you used a zombie arm.

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    1. Thanks, Bob. The zombie arm just happened to be the only sleeveless left arm I could find from all the kits I have; there was no deeper meaning behind the decision!

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  10. Excellent job on the Greeks, I love Exion!

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    1. Thanks, Phil. Being a grunt, Exion probably doesn't have a particularly good life expectancy!

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