No. As much as we would like it to, building models doesn't take them out of your backlog. At the same time, building models can be seen as a way of helping to better manage your backlog.
Let me explain – if you're like me, and you end up collecting multiple boxes of models, eventually you're going to run out of space for those boxes. So, much like those adverts you used to see on TV about consolidating your debts, I set about consolidating my multiple boxes into one single, manageable [I hope!] box of models.
My starting point for this building extravaganza was the Battle for Edoras boxed set. I’d been meaning to put this together for a while and, fresh from Seven Stones, I wanted to do some more leisurely hobbying. Along with a couple of others who'd also bought the boxed set, I donated the two Rohan house kits to a friend, so they could put together a table of terrain for the EAHC, so they were one less thing to worry about.
I started by assembling the Rohan half of the box. Now, I've read a lot of comments that the newer plastics are fiddly models to build, and they are correct. However, as someone who has put together a lot of multi-part warrior models previously (and anyone who has played 40k or Fantasy might also say similar), I didn't necessarily find them as challenging as someone who is new to the hobby might find them. Of course, this isn’t intended as a boast – I'm simply saying that experienced hobbyists who are used to fiddly kits (in theory) find them easier to build. As I was building them, I did appreciate the level of detail, even if you're living in fear of dropping a piece and never finding it again. Fortunately, that didn’t happen.
The two heroes, Haleth and Hama, were also fun to put together – ever since GW started making the multi-part plastic hero kits, the quality and level of detail has improved exponentially – really excited to see what else they might have in store down the road. With the heroes done, the Rohan half of the box was assembled!
Next in the queue was a model I'd been looking forward to building for some time – the Snow Troll! Forgeworld models always take a little longer to assemble, given you have to give the model a soak and a scrub first to remove any release agent – the individual parts also need a fair amount of cleanup. However, the quality of the miniatures is superb. After another evening's work and a little bit of Green Stuff, the Snow Troll and his handlers Shank and Wrot were assembled!
With those models done, I quickly realised I was well on the way to having a sizeable Besiegers of the Hornberg force. A quick bit of list writing later, and I'd worked I only needed to buy another box of Hilltribesmen, plus two boxes of Crebain, and I'd have an 800 point army. So that’s exactly what I did!
Next up, I turned my attention to the rapidly growing collection of unassembled Rohirrim in my backlog. I'd picked up a number of them through various eBay and Facebook Marketplace trades, and decided the time was right to assemble them. Fortunately, all of the warriors were the original Rohirrim sculpts, so it was simply a matter of clipping them off the sprue and tidying up the moldlines. This turned out to be quite laborious, as over the years I'd managed to collect four whole sprues, giving me a total of 48 Rohirrim, plus the 24 in the Edoras boxed set – 72 Rohirrim warriors!
I then turned my attention to the Riders of Rohan I had still not assembled – fortunately, I only had 18 of them. I have a couple of armies planned that they can go into, such as a Fords of Isen list, as well as Eomer's Riders. To complement the forces, I also assembled the Eomer, Knight of the Pelennor model, as well as Grimbold and his Helmingas command. Last but not least, I managed to get my hands on Eorl the Young – with him put together, my collection of Rohirrim was finally fully assembled!
So, with everything assembled, I did a quick count up and realised I had condensed over 100 models from their separate boxes into one single box – it's slightly mind-blowing to realise just how many models you accumulate just by buying the odd random box here and there. However, both armies will be great projects to work on when I (again, eventually) get around to painting them.
Having assembled the two armies of Rohan and Dunland, I was finally ready to get back to some painting, and now that Armies of Middle Earth is finally here, I could at last turn my attention to an army I've been waiting to paint for ages – my Easterlings!
My collection of Easterlings comes in two parts – I have a contingent lead by Amdur, that fights alongside my Pelennor-themed Mordor list, which is fully painted. This portion of the army would be lead by the Dragon Emperor! I also added a number of Black Dragons, plus some regular warriors to be lead by Rutabi and Brorgir. Last but not least, I added a Dragon Knight leading a warband of Dragon Cult Acolytes.
As for the colour scheme, I wanted them to look different from Amdur's cohort, and to try a painting technique I'd used previously and see if it could be applied over a whole army. Fortunately, when Battle Streams in Middle Earth hosted its Easterling week, I had the perfect opportunity to try it out.
I started by painting the armour with Iron Hands Steel, before applying a drybrush of Stormhost Silver, doing the same to the weapons. I then applied a Sepia wash over the armour, trying to build up a gold colour over a silver base – it took about four layers of wash to get the desired effect, but I was really happy with how it came out – I then painted the red cloth in the same way as Amdur's Easterlings.
With my test piece sorted, it was time to see if I could paint the entire army in the same way. I started with a warband of regular warriors, plus a captain and standard bearer. The trick to painting turned out to be patience, as each painting session became a case of applying the layer of wash and then leaving it to dry, before repeating the process in the next session. However, once the armour was done, the rest of the model painted up very quickly – much like Warriors of Minas Tirith, Easterlings consist of two big blocks of colour – the armour and the cloth, plus a few additional details to pick out. A few painting sessions later, and I had my first warband of Easterlings! I based them to match my Erebor and Dale armies, and they were ready to assault the Lonely Mountain!
The captain, banner bearer, Warpriest, Rutabi and Brorgir were painted in the exact same way the warriors, apart from the banner itself, which I painted using actual gold paints in order to make it look different from the armour – I also used a brighter shade of red for the banner to distinguish it from the cloth. Brorgir and Rutabi also got some additional highlights, such as their armour, cloth and cloaks to help them stand out against the regular warriors – with those models done, my Easterling army was well on the way!
The next test were the Acolytes – these are slightly different to the rest of the army as there is much less armour to paint. However, I used the same techniques as the warriors, and the armour really looks great – I then painted the cloth and leather parts in the same way as the warriors, and I was left with some really unique looking models! I also did a bit of conversion work on the Dragon Knight, replacing the wonky Finecast swords with spares from the Black Dragon kit, which handily comes with a left-handed sword if you decide to give one of them a banner – win-win!
With those models done, I turned my attention to the Black Dragons. They were painted in similar fashion, with the exception of painting the usual red areas black instead - another couple of weeks’ work and they were done too. The Host of the Dragon Emperor was nearing completion!
So, with those Easterlings done, I've managed to pass 130 models painted for the year. This army is turning out to be a really fun project, although I know the Dragon Emperor is going to pose some challenges – at the moment, he's sitting in multiple sub-assemblies, some of which I'll need to paint together to make sure they're consistent. Fortunately, I also have the motivation of an upcoming EAHC event at the end of September – having a fixed deadline will be a great incentive to actually get these models painted, and I can't wait to get them on the tabletop.
Now, if only GW would hurry up and send me those War Drakes I pre-ordered…
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