POITANIAN KNIGHTS

Squeezing one last post into 2015, I have painted up a few more knights as I have an upcoming GAME!!! in early 2016.

To bump up the Aquilonians, we have here some of the knights of Poitan, armed with their trademark 2 handed swords (difficult to use on horseback I should think). Royal Armies of the Hyborian Age states the heraldry of Poitan is a silver leopard on a red field. I used a deeper red to distinguish them from the Nemedians.

There aren't many mounted knights with 2-handed swords around, but these home cast Price August figures fit the bill. I bought these on ebay, but have since got the moulds (the horse is from a skeleton knight mould) as I hope to do a lot more home casting of fantasy figures .

HAPPY NEW YEAR!!

DIVIATIX

Here is the druid Diviatix, who helps Conan out fighting Thoth-Amon in the story "Black Sphinx of Nebthu" He is described as a drunken old fellow in a white robe (but is in fact a top notch wizard)

"Druid wizard" by Garrison Miniatures, I'm sure this figure is meant to represent Diviatix. The goblet is to hold refreshment rather than being a magical item.

QUEEN OF THE BLACK COAST

The start of another mini-series, 'Conan's Girlfriends'. Here we have Conan's first love, the pirate Queen Bêlit

figure by Minot's Miniature Armoury

clearly based on the comic book illustrations

and just for good measure, here is a more recent depiction of the same er... costume.

CONAN OF THE MONTH DECEMBER 2015

More of an "I'm still alive " post, I painted this figure a long while back. This project is on a bit of a back burner, but I still intend to forge ahead with it.

Here is an early 1980's figure I was sent by Michael at Classic Minatures and I think it's by a company called Texas Miniatures? (correct me if I'm wrong).

CONAN OF THE MONTH MARCH 2015

A somewhat irregular feature, but here we are still in the desert with an offering from Nick Lund's Chronicle Range which appeared in the early 1980's.

By the way, does anyone know why random text on this blog keeps showing as pale grey and so unreadable? I have all the settings correct, but each time I look at the blog a different piece of text has faded out? Most annoying.....I blame Thoth-Amon.

TEMPLE GUARDS

Following on from the last post, here we have some temple guards to ward off large Cimmerians poorly disguised as followers of Thulsa Doom. The colour scheme is based on that worn by Doom's followers in the film.

( as soon as I saw these 1977 Ral Partha ancient figures, I thought the pointy helmet might be painted as a hat-priestly coif)

(you can tell Arnie doesn't really want that flower can't you?)

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.
.

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.