PRIESTS OF SET

Some inhabitants for a planned Temple of Set, two priests from the Minifigs SS range.

I really like the Anubis type mask which reminds me of Suthek from the Doctor Who story 'Pyramids of Mars' (that scared the life out of me).

STYGIAN CHARIOTS

Splendid models from Garrison, I really enjoyed making and painting these

Season's Greetings from shadow haunted Stygia.

STYGIAN ARCHERS

Some missile troops for the Stygians from Garrison miniatures. I like the little snake on the front of their helmets.My yacht varnish has started to dry yellowish which is mightily annoying, so I may have to re-paint these at some stage.

STYGIAN SPEARMEN

I'm not sure if Stygian infantry are described in detail in any of the Conan stories (Black Sphinx of Nebthu mentions cavalry, camelry and archers, but no descriptions of them), so here is an offering of Garrison Stygians . I think they should look a bit more Egyptian, but the helmets are rather fun, and round shields make a change.

Royal Armies of the Hyborian Age specify a Black Snake on green as the Stygian badge, so I opted for a turquoise green like faience . The orange trim will tie them in with some Set worshipers based on the followers of Thulsa Doom in the Conan film.

THOTH-AMON

Conan's arch enemy in the later pastiches by Carter, de Camp et al. the two never actually met in either of the two Howard stories that feature the Stygian wizard. He is generally described as a shaven headed giant, muscular and with 'dusky' skin,dressed in plain white, although in later pastiches his evil sorcery begins to take it's toll on his physique.

The first version here is from Garrison, and features Thoth-Amon carried on a litter. Although a lovely figure, I feel that the ascetic and austere Thoth-Amon would eschew such luxuries.

Next we have a perhaps more accurate depiction of the evil sorceror from the Minifigs SS range (I was after this figure for a very long time, and then David Wood (aka The Dozing Dragon) very kindly sent me one, so thanks Dave, he's painted at last. Accompanying the villain is the baboon like demon Thoth-Amon summons in the story "The Phoenix on the Sword" using his serpent ring 

"Blind your eyes mystic serpent

blind your eyes to the moonlight and open them on darker gulfs

What do you see O Serpent of Set?

Whom do you call from the Gulfs of the Night?

Whose Shadow falls on the waning light?

Call him to me O Serpent of Set!"

"...it's outline was not unlike that of a gigantic baboon, but no such baboon ever walked the earth."

For the baboon I used a plastic figure by Britains, so still old school , slightly converted with bigger teeth. I've painted the bases stone colour as they will be used in an urban or temple setting. 

I would also like to get hold of the Archive figure that depicts the comic book version of Thoth-Amon, with the curly horned head dress

the speech bubbles say it all.

CONAN OF THE MONTH NOVEMBER 2014

It's been a while, but here is a rather nice Conan figure from the Minifigs SS range. I painted him up for a desert theatre of war as we will be taking a look at the Stygians in the next post.

BOSSONIAN ARCHERS AND AQUILONIAN ARMY REVIEW

"...Bossonians from the westerm marches, strongly built men of medium stature in leathern jackets and iron head pieces."

Here we have the Aquilonian missile troops

The Aquilonian army as it stands so far. I will be doubling up the infantry I think as soon as the nice man at Garrison fires up his casting machine after the summer holidays.

GUNDERLAND PIKEMEN

Here are some more bold Aquilonian warriors, the Gunderland Pikemen.

Garrison figures as usual

as far as I remember they are described as having sober homespun clothing and plain steel helms and corselets. Royal Armies of the Hyborian Age also mentions  them as being fair haired, so I have given them blond beards too.

CONAN OF THE MONTH MAY 2014

Here is a nicely animated figure from Minot' Minature Armoury who released a small range of Conanesque figures called Heroic Age, many based on the paintings of Frank Frazetta, although I'm not sure if this fellow is.
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CHIVALRY OF AQUILONIA

Here are the Aquilonian shock troops. The knights and nobles each sporting there own livery. I deliberately made the heraldry simple, mainly because I hate painting heraldic beasts, but also to give the idea of very early heraldry as might be expected in the Hyborian age.

All Garrison, some from the medieval range. I really enjoyed doing these. They reminded me of model knights I saw in glass fronted cabinets as a child. (Not sure where the cabinets were.....in some model shop in Bath I think).

AQUILONIAN INFANTRY

Lets take a look at a unit of Aquilonian footsloggers. These fellows are the rank and file rather than named levies such as the Bossonian archers and Gunderland pikemen.

Figures by Garrison. I may have to get another couple of units of these. I love the helm with  aventail, straight from illustrations in the comics.

THE BLACK DRAGONS

Nobly arrayed behind Conan in the last post were the Black Dragons...the Aquilonian Royal Guard. I have painted 10 mounted and 10 on foot...probably more than I should have in the army but they are nice figures and dead easy to paint

In one of the de Camp/Carter stories it mentions the Black Dragons have white surcoats, but I'm sure Howard says black. Figures by Garrison again.

CONAN OF THE MONTH APRIL 2014

Here we have Conan at the zenith of his career, wearing the Royal harness of Aquilonia

...Conan's armor of black platemail, with the vizored salade and the dark plumes nodding over a wivern crest. Over all they put the silken surcoat with the royal lion worked in gold upon the breast and they girt him with a broad gold buckled belt which supporteda jewel hilted broadsword in a cloth of gold scabbard.' (Conan the Conqueror)

I have posted this figure on another blog before so apologies if you have seen it already, a lovely old Ral Partha miniature from 1976-77.

KING TARASCUS REVIEWS HIS ARMY

The devious King of Nemedia, Tarascus.

Arrayed in classic Nemedian formation. Cavalry in the centre supported by wings of infantry.

72 figures in all, all from Garrison.

NEMEDIAN KNIGHTS

Yes, more Nemedians I'm afraid. I have some other stuff painted and am trying to plough through some Stygians, but I will probably keep things orderly and review each army at a time.

Here are some knights for the Nemedians. I've painted 5 up in royal colours and 5 as an order in similar colours but individual (Teutonic) heraldry.

oops, forgot to take a rear picture of these guys

coming soon..............King Tarascus!!

NEMEDIAN ROYAL GUARD

I can't quite get my head round these figures. In Royal Armies of the Hyborian Age the Nemedian Guard are described as wearing archaic armour and the Garrison figures are Classical looking (but why have a Gorgons head on the shield?), but I can't recall these guys in any of the books. Heigh ho, they were fun to paint.

CONAN OF THE MONTH - MARCH 2014

I hope to post a different Conan figure each month, but suspect I will get sidetracked. With best intentions though, here is an offering from Ral Partha dated 1977. I think he is quite a common figure , in a rather odd pose, squatting slightly and looking constipated, but that's part of the charm of early figures I guess. I have about 6 of this guy waiting for conversion.He has the correct Conan haircut, with a square cut fringe. In fact, the unpainted face looks a bit like James Earl Jones so I might pinch the head off one to make a film Thulsa Doom character (the novel Thulsa Doom has a bare skull for a head).

NEMEDIAN FIREPOWER

As far as I can make out, the Conan books make it clear that the Nemedians use crossbows (arbalasts) as a pose to the Aquilonian use of Bossonian archers. Royal Armies of the Hyborian Age however states that bows are invariably used, and the Garrison range follows the Rules list and only manufactures archers. Happily though , they make some nice crossbowmen in their medieval range, so I painted ten of each.

CROM AND MITRA. I'VE GOT TO START THIS BLOG SOMETIME, SO HOW ABOUT NOW?

I've been fiddlearsing with this blog for ages now wondering how I'm going to start it and writing an introduction about why I like Conan the Barbarian, but I have finally come to the conclusion that I had better get posting. Most of the figures here will be pre-1983. I prefer the style of figure before they became too animated and detailed and  I was wanting to embark on an old school project with glossy figures. Having said that, the odd modern figure may pop up.

I hope to build up small (50-60 figure) armies for each nation plus personalities and figures for mini-adventures, along with features such as Conan of the Month and Frazetta Friday. 

So here goes, plunging into the fray with some Nemedians by Garrison Miniatures. Amazingly still available in the Summer months (Rob stops casting in the winter as his shed gets too cold), although I picked these up on ebay.

I don't think Howard describes how the Nemedian infantry look and Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age by Lin Carter suggests they wear drab homespun clothes, but I decided to paint them in Nemedian livery to match the Royal Nemedian banner of a gold dragon on scarlet. The Garrison range seem to have been designed to follow the descriptions given in the early rule set  Royal Armies of the Hyborean Age (as were the Minifigs SS range I think) and the Nemedians have a Teutonic  vibe about them (presumably because Nemedia roughly corresponds with Germany on the Hyborian map). I'm not sure this is how I imagine the Nemedians but they are nice figures so what the heck. 

More of this army to follow soon....thanks for looking in.