Community Content: Why you should go to an MESBG Tournament

In a very laborious and roundabout way Harry Parkhill (of the Entmoot podcast, and Battle Games in Middle Earth Youtube channel) discusses why you should join him at a tournament when the Great British Hobbit League restarts later this year.

I always had this preconceived notion about wargaming tournaments; that they were full of the kind of nerds you never like to think of yourself as. You know the ones, they’re a little too into the game, they know just a little too much about the profiles and they’re perhaps a little bit more touchy about how long 6 inches is.

“That’s a long Six inches”, they’d say.

I had this notion because it had been inherited from ‘groupthink’ at the gaming club in my hometown. When I told them I was heading off to Warhammer World for a 40k school league event, they said they hated tournaments. It was all “too competitive”; people were unwelcoming and often downright rude they claimed. Even though that tournament was great fun (we actually won!), I never made the effort to go to one again. I guess I was young, I didn’t have access to a car, and my mum has always been the first to laugh at my ‘nerdiness’ when I mention Warhammer so it’s fair to say I wasn’t keen on the idea of convincing her for a lift to spend the weekend doing it.

So I didn’t.

That tournament was consigned to history. History became Legend. Legend became myth. And for six-and-a-half years (roughly) that memory passed out of all knowledge.

Then the unlikeliest thing happened. I picked out one of my oldest and favourite plastic models (a Minas Tirith Warrior) from the Middle Earth range and put paint and brush to it. The reason was that in 2016 rumours had circulated that Games Workshop weren’t going to renew their license to make Middle Earth models (don’t trust rumours). I was horrified. This was my childhood; the reason I got into wargaming. I began pouring through eBay (back when it had a Capital B in the middle – aah, those were the days). I bought pretty much anything – but particularly the old metal sculpts I assumed would be first to go. It was a furious and addictive spending spree. My quizzical girlfriend was confused as to why I was buying so much and painting so little, but what does she know of such necessities!? They’re mine, I didn’t feel like parting with them, they came to me (in the post).

Then as luck would have it, I stumbled on the unlikeliest of videos. Whilst searching for painting tutorials, I stumbled across a battle report. What’s this? A ring… of people still playing the game?

I had never really played the Lord of the Rings Strategy Battle Game, I’d only played a bit on my own, and maybe with some of my friends when I was at primary school. But it was never the ‘actual’ game, using the official rules, just some weird quasi-dice-rolling-army-man game. Here were people actually doing it, and not all that long ago (I watched it, according to my Youtube watch history, in April 2016 and it had been released in November 2014).

From there I discovered the GBHL Facebook page, and the league itself. “What must I do?” I thought. I couldn’t live vicariously through these videos when the world was on my doorstep. So I bundled my sleeping roll together, grabbed my walking staff and headed to a tournament in Nottinghamshire. I met a few people who made a fantastic impression (Dan Entwistle, as the welcoming organiser particularly stood out) They helped shepherd me into a world which was simultaneously challenging and exhilarating. It’s never easy making new friends, but I tried with gusto to ingratiate myself into the groups of people who clearly knew one another (hopefully I wasn’t “that guy” who was a bit too friendly). I was taught valuable lessons about the game (mainly how to play it… but also about putting heroes behind your troops so crossbows don’t cut them down) but I also found there was passion and heart in the Middle Earth Scene.

These weren’t the finicky, unpleasant nerds I’d worried about – these were warm-hearted people I shared a great passion with. Not just the gaming and the models, but the worlds of Tolkien too. I was joining an exciting adventure, a new phase in my life with friendships that were no longer defined by school, university, work, or even where I lived, but by a fierce passion. These people were willing to travel to Nottinghamshire from around the country (and I’d been willing to travel on the gamble that I’d enjoy it), we had been united by that cause.

 From there, came more tournaments, including meeting and/or playing against various members of the Middle Earth team at Throne of Skulls, but also seeing familiar faces and building on those early games, slowly adding people to the list of people I could feel comfortable wandering over to for a chat between games.

This feeling of belonging is something difficult to find in adult life – and is something which I think most of us probably search for. We connect with people for a number of reasons, but common interests are probably top of that lists.

So think about it; SBG tournaments combine so many niche passions – reading, painting, modeling, the worlds of Tolkien, the films of Peter Jackson, the pleasure of pulling together the puzzle pieces in an army list, the delight of challenging someone to a game of wits, the spirit of adventure that comes by travelling to another part of the country (or world), and of course the social interaction that comes from spending time in the company of strangers who share all these interests. That’s a long list, and if you think any of those sounds like fun then you’d fit right in.

So why should you go to an MESBG tournament? Ultimately, you’re already interested, because you’re reading this. There’s already a box of tinder, and pyramid of wood waiting, all you need is the spark which roars into all consuming fire that this hobby can be. You can be the next companion in this Fellowship of tournament goers.

Great… When are we going?

Dan Slob: Thanks so much Harry! Check out the excellent Entmoot Podcast here! 

Conversion Corner: Corsair Reavers

Today Will is going to show you how to do some simple but effective conversions for Corsair Reavers. Enjoy.

So here we are again in Conversion Corner, this article is going to show you how to convert some of your unused Corsair bowmen models into Reavers. Seeing as there is no model for these and the fact the bowmen are the most underused model in the faction it makes sense to at least use these to your advantage. I am going to show you the 4 different bowmen models and show you different ways to convert each one. Also a nice little trick even if you don't have any bits at all. Being pirates you can use all sorts of different styles of weapons so raid your unwanted/unused models and see what you can come up with.

Things you'll need:

The sculpting tools and tweezers aren't 100% necessary. A cocktail stick will do the job just as well.

Bowman 1

So here is the trick using the first one and probably the easiest. Firstly, cut the bow bits off the top and bottom...DON'T throw the cut off bits away.  Clean up the model's rough bits left from cutting and flatten off 1 of the off cuts at the bottom using a hobby knife or file. The other one should be left with a V shaped end.

A) Using Plastic cement glue the flat ended piece to the left hand of the model. You can create a less curved style sword by cutting at a different angle, but I liked the funky style of this one and thought it suited their pirate nature.

B) Again, using plastic cement glue the second one into the recess of the hand. You will notice it is much easier to place due to the v shape created by the clippers. 

And hey presto, one simple and easy Reaver using no extra parts or much hassle.

**You could if you wanted to create a more pointed shape on these "swords" before fitting them if you wished but for the purposes of this and who I wanted to target with this I didn't bother.

Bowman 2

The beauty of this bowman is he basically comes pre-prepped for you. Firstly, find a sword/axe or any sort of weapon you like that can be placed in the hand and a right hand and weapon off an old model or out of a bit box. I found here that a Morannon Orc axe hand was perfect and a serpent horde sword from the serpent rider kit fit perfectly. File down the hand to sit as flush as possibly with the rest of the arm. If you need to cut down the inside, you can as this will not be seen.

Simply glue or stick the hand with weapon and the weapon green stuff making a smooth transition using water and a tool or even a cocktail stick. and you are done.

Bowman 3

This one takes a little more finesse than the previous 2.  Initially you need to cut the bow off, but this is also attached to the leg so be as careful as possible and just clean up the leg as you would normally if you were cutting it from a sprue. The hand is a little trickier. Cut off the hand from the end of the fabric up to the hair and the feathers of the arrows. You essentially want to cut out the block like in the third picture. Don't worry too much about how smooth it is as this will not be seen.

Again, for this I used the same morannon axe hand as I did in the previous model.  I had to play around with my hobby knife for a little while to fiddle with the correct fit, but it didn't take long. I then used the green stuff to stick it in place and shape some more hair. You can again use plastic cement for this which is also great as it melts the plastic creating a smooth transition.

The left hand I used a random sword I had lying about and used the same method as the previous models. Like I said, these are pirates not soldiers, so I like the fact they have different weapons.

After an hour I revisited any excess green stuff I didn't like the look of and just cut it out. Another one done.

Bowman 4

Again, another tricky on but believe me when I say if I can do it you can too. Cutting off the bow...no change. The hand though was a little more difficult. In order to cut the hand, you must cut it flat along the model initially and then chop in at the wrist. I then dry fitted the hand I found in my bits box which after a little shaving on the model fit nicely. Here I have used an axe but I previously had a practice model using a Minas Tirith sword hand which also fit well. This will take a little time and shaving the flat part of your cut. Just be patient and don't expect it to fit perfectly. You always have green stuff to help make it look natural.

To attach the hand, I used plastic glue to melt the inside of the hand a little better to the model and then used a tiny amount of green stuff to finish it off. Again, after an hour I trimmed any excess off that I didn't like. The sword I attached in the same way as the others also adding a little pommel underneath.

And there you have it. 4 quick and easy Reavers from your unused models. Let us know what you think and if you have some of your own why not show us.  I'll try and get them painted up for another blog so you can see how they turned out.

Community Content: Brilliant Basing

Today the very talented Mike Schalk takes us through how to make some lovely looking bases. You can see more of his work here: https://www.instagram.com/mschalk12/ . If you would like to contribute to our Community Content please get in touch at DrawnCombat@gmail.com

In this article, I'll be presenting an in depth how-to on the basics of crafting and painting bases from materials you can find almost exclusively at your local Dollar or Pound shop.  I've made hundreds of these bases, with some variation, for my armies over the years to great effect; a few of these armies now have event awards for appearance next to them in my display cases thanks, in large part, to the foundations they're glued to!

Gather Your Materials

The bulk of this technique is founded on you rounding up some cork sheeting.  Avoid getting yours from hobby shops; this stuff is prone to price gouging, and I'd hate to see you paying $20 a roll for it.  The roll that I'm working with here came from the Dollar General (a U.S. Chain retailer) and cost me a whopping $3USD.  It's not a huge roll, but 36 square inches will do about 30 bases if you're smart with your materials.  You can also find it sold in square sheets, which will do just fine too!

The trickier, yet equally important, material that you'll need to source is some wood chips.  In the photo above, these are the silver chunks; mine came from the Dollar Store, a Canadian retailer, and cost me $4CAD.  The best way to find this is to make your way to any store that's going to be selling “Filler” for vases and the sort of decorative things that your mum likes to set out on tables or shelves.  Failing that, I've seen folks make good use of tree bark.  If you have to go this route, make sure the tree is dead already; not only will this mean the bark is dry enough to not lift any paint you apply, but you're less likely to wake up to some Ents storming your house.

The last elements are easy enough to get a hold of: some fine sand (also easy to find at bargain shops or your yard), the cheapest acrylic  paint you can find in grey, white, and black, some primer, a cheap glue gun, and some PVA glue.

Optionally, you can usually find some tufts of flowers or clumps of bush to dress the finished product to your taste; I like the Woodland Scenics stuff, but cheaper alternatives are easy enough to find.  If a can of black or grey primer is out of your price range, any junk from the bargain shops that you can brush on works fine too.  Finally, I've got some Woodland Scenics Adhesive shown that I like to brush on to seal the bases at the end, but it can be hard to find/expensive, so either forego that altogether or brush on some PVA, as listed above. Finally, the GW Shades in Reikland Fleshshade and Athonian Camoshade are what will really make these pop, but you can absolutely made do without them in a pinch.  Everything needed to follow these steps cost me about $25CAD, aside from the Shade paints.

Assembling the Components

Start by gluing your bases face down onto your sheet of cork with your hot glue gun, ensuring that they're not too close to each other.  Be sure to use enough glue to cover the surface of the base, but not so much that it squishes out the sides when you press them to the cork.  Next, tear around each base and set aside all the scrap cork that will naturally start piling up; you'll need it for the next step.  Be sure that you tear as close to the edge of the bases as you can can so that opponents can still get their models in base contact with you. 

Next, hit each base with a chunk of wood.  Be aware of what models you're going to be fixing to each base at this point; you're going to add layers and bits of cork around the wood next, but models don't adhere to the wood well.  This is rarely an issue with plastic models, but some heavier metal figures will often detach during handling if they don't have some cork underfoot.  The job now is to simply fish through your pile of odd cork bits and build up a few layers (depending on the thickness of your material) around the wood.  Be careful about making the base too tall, as you can inadvertently make your model top heavy and potentially get accused of modelling for advantage by ornery opponents. To avoid harsh edges to the cork, grab some hobby clippers and try to blend the cork bits into each other

Lastly, and this is optional, I like to use some fine grit sand to emulate moss growth on the rock. The sand I used for this tutorial was a little too heavy, but I've included a shot of what it looks like with much finer grit sand at the end of this article. Run a bead of glue along one face of the base and sprinkle some sand over it. Remember that moss always faces one direction in nature (North maybe? I can't remember) so don't go wild with the sand here.

Painting Your Bases

Painting rock that looks convincing relies on your skill at drybrushing.  Nature is not consistent, predictable, or ordered, and your bases will look more convincing as you layer colours and texture on top of them.  For now, start by priming them black and brushing them all over with grey.  You can skip the priming, but be ABSOLUTELY certain that all of the cork is covered. Nothing ruins the suspension of disbelief like a nasty chunk of cork showing through. 

Next, dilute some black acrylic with water to make a poor man's wash.  Don't use GW shades for this; not only does the Citadel stuff sometimes come out glossy, but there's no reason to cover a 25 cent base in 27 cents of expensive wash anyway. Depending on how dilute you go, you may want to do this process twice. It is absolutely critical that you let your coats dry between steps.  If you try to wash over wet grey then you'll end up with a weirdly muddy looking mess.  Be patient.  If you're doing 25 of these in a row, then the first few you do might well be dry by the time you get through the whole line of them. 

Next, after the washes have dried, hit the whole base with a white drybrush.  Cheap acrylic white does a fine job, but an off white like GW's Screaming Skull or Ushtabi Bone gives a warmer hue.  A great tip for anyone frustrated by drybrushing that looks chalky would be to try a makeup brush; my wife donated a little eyeshadow brush to me a while ago and it's the best for drybrush applications.  The softer bristles make control so much easier! Don't overdue it, but do take advantage of the texture of the cork, and remember to always make downward strokes to catch the edges.

Next, feel start alternating washes and drybrushes.  I like Athonian Camoshade for the cork and Reikland Fleshshade for the wood chunk. If you want to follow up with another drybrush to re-establish the edges, just make sure you go lightly.

Finally, hit the moss that we did with any green you have on hand, wash once with our black wash, and touch the very top surfaces with a yellow (Balor Brown is a great pick),  This will give the moss some variation and add a bit more colour to our work.  Don't forget to paint your rims and you're all set!

Closing Thoughts

Basing is an easy way to take your army to the next level, and requires only some basic, cheap materials and some experimentation. Even if painting your models isn't your favourite part of the hobby, doing some nice work here can elevate the appearance of even the most basic armies. Always remember to let your paints dry between steps, be aware that a model has to have somewhere to stand, and avoid shapes and patterns that look unnatural. Cheers, and happy hobbying folks!