Goblin Therapy

The reason I've not posted anything lately is that I've not been able to paint. This was due to me sustaining some damage to my eyes from a recent illness. Most of my sight has returned except for some slight damage to my short range vision, but this literally means I couldn't see miniatures I was holding with one hand, or where the paintbrush was in the other hand.

Thanks to some great people (GP, A&E staff, junior doctors, HCA's, local nurses and even very benevolent complete strangers), I'm well on the road to recovery. I'll need to wear glasses, and after some tests over the last week, I will have these next Wednesday - in time to paint something over Easter. (I'll also be able to read WD and other magazines that have been stacking up!). In the mean time, the optician suggested I try reading or painting with a magnifying glass for short periods only. I had a go with some Skulls Pass Night Goblins (cheap and cheerful on Ebay). I've struggled with some bits like spotting belts/chains if the whole model is base coated a dark colour. I kept missing teeth - but this is due to the magnifying glass mis-leading me into thinking the brush was still miles away - and then bang - a gobo gets a mouthful of white paint.

All in all, I'm happy. My confidence is boosted as a few weeks back everything was a blur. Also, the magnifying glass is a stop-gap. It is nowhere near as good as the lenses I'm having made up. So thanks to everybody who helped me out. I know this sounds ungrateful, but I really think the NHS should pay for the Night Goblins and paints on prescription as part of my sight rehabilitation.

It is big......and it is clever.

This is a ForgeWorld large scale Beastman that I am putting up for auction on eBay later today. These pieces are so rare that anybody who gazes at them instantly falls to their knees (well the cat saw it and then he sat down on the floor near the radiator soon after). The 2 miniatures at the beastman's base are a 28mm night goblin and an empire soldier. The House rules I use for this model in 2000+ point games go as follows:

• Opponent deploys army.
• I deploy big beastman.
• Opponent removes army from table, packs up and goes home.

If opponent wants to play on, then individual combat rules apply as follows:

• attacker rolls a single d20 (twenty sided dice).
• On a roll of 1 - 19, the attacker dies instantly.
• On a roll of 20, the attacker re-rolls (and keeps re-rolling if they get a 20)

Basically, the above rule means you die if you attack Mr Beastman, but sustained good dice rolling can be rewarded by a lingering drawn out death. There is only one way to beat MR Beastman and that is with the "lucky marksman" ranged combat rule :

• Opponent drops a single D6 vertically from a height equal to the tip of the Beastman's raised axe.
• On a score of 1 - 6, the marksman's shot misses. The Beastman will attack the marksman next turn using the combat rules. (And you already know how that turns out)
• If the dice stops one inch from hitting the table, defying gravity and physics to spin in mid-air, then the marksman scores a lucky shot and the Beastman takes a wound*.

*I should mention another house rule here about large scale Beastmen having 250 wounds.

If you want to get your hands on this Beastman, the bidding will start at £50. Insured delivery will be about £3.50 UK, £7.50 rest of world.

Skaven and Cadians on Ebay

I've just put some old mint condition "Marauder" Skaven Gutter runners up on Ebay, as well as some limited edition Cadian Guardsmen "at ease". All auctions should be listed in the top left column of this page (while the auction is in progress).

The picture above is one I so wanted to use in the auctions, but just know it would have caused me trouble. A pet hate of mine is when people supply a picture of an item they are selling, with something more impresive in the photo...with the rider "the whats-it shown in the picture is just for scale and not included in the sale". I was going to say "the Giant Forge-world rat is just shown for scale against the 28mm one, and is not included in the auction".

Like I say, I bottled out. But don't let that stop you bidding on them!

More rare Confrontation minis for sale

I've just put 3 rare blister packs of Rackham Confrontation miniatures up for auction on Ebay. There should be a link on the top left column of this blog (while the auction is still live). Even if you're not buying, please click the images above for a closer look at what were some of the best minis around. Its really sad they have stopped producing these to concentrate on pre-painted plastic "toy" miniatures.

Rare Confrontation model on Ebay

I've just put a rare Confrontation/Cadwallon miniature up on Ebay. It is the Misan the Clairvoyant model, and it is very detailed. I still can't figure out why Rackham have stopped producing these, and then destroyed the moulds/tooling.

I've also put some classic Skaven Gutter runners up for auction. I think GW have modelled them on the ravening hordes of little hooded vermin that pour out of the local schools at 4pm each day. These are only rare in the sense that they are not medium or well done. Having said that they are about 10 years old. So get bidding for Xmas.

Links to my auction listings will appear in the left hand column while the auctions are active.