Game of Thrones 2020 Review Part 1 - The North forgets a bit - Freefolkerama
As 2020 drags its sorry arse out the door and 2021 edges in sideways with a hopeful look in its eye I thought I would do another of my reviews. If you have had time to spare/waste and have read my overall Top 10 of 2020 here https://www.firstcommissionpainting.co.uk/single-post/2020-review-of-a-bad-years-good-bits
you may have noticed the distinct lack of Game of Thrones minis on the list. Reason being that I have painted loads this year and just couldn't pick my favourite. Instead I decided to do a quick ASOIAF top ten and here it isn't as that was also a fail. 'Too much too young' as the specials said irrelevently and in the end I gave up and went with "2020 lots of pictures of stuff I've painted - part un"
Probably my favourite Freefolk mini - Ygritte. Female minis are notoriously difficult in 28mm but apart from the Melty face Melisandre I think CMON have done well but Ygritte is that bit better as she isnt in the sexy Cersei/Dany pose, she is in the going to shoot your eye out while dressed in heavy skins pose. But still looks good.
Below are a selection of Heroes starting with the Weeper in a generic man with Scythe pose. Genuinely can't remember a thing about him from the books. Great name though, if a bit confusing. Is it actually the Reaper? That would make more sense in a lot of ways. Just checked on Wiki - it is The Weeper...thought I was developing a weird speech to text impediment for a minute.
No idea who this is either but went with a sort of older lady look, not quite witch, not quite princess. Possibly Lady Macbeth, she was North of the Wall. Geographically and in her mental state I guess.
Rattleshirt, Lord of Bones...not going to say anything as its just too childish and puerile
Craster I think. Fatter than I imagined but a really cool looking mini. Glad he got killed.
Harma and standard bearer. Again literally no recollection of her in the books which is surprising as she looks quite epic here. Certainly I wouldn't want to upset her even if she didnt have a big axe. This is the way I think about the famous female warriors of history like Mulan - not as pretty girly things but proper scary women!
Trackers - above - were an early Free Folk box and were one of the first I painted. They were the ones that defined the blue grey cold fur colour I have used since. It representa for me some creature from the snowy wastes like a big land walrus. It is actually VMC French Mirage Blue
Another Hero and a bit of a Flash Harry with hit fancy hat and metal sword. Once again I literally can't remember his name but I regret the Gold colour. Should have gone with Bronze and will do next time.
Giants and fantastic minis. painted a few of these now and they are the best ever. They are as realistic and characterful as you could want without becoming pastiche (GW). This first one looks so moody and clearly hasnt been working out...possibly old and bald and just CBA anymore...
...in contrast to Mr Grumpy here with his dynamic hair.
Freefolk warriors with flint weapons and manly beards.
Cave men with bigger beards, less clothes and boney stick based weaponry. No Cave women produced as yet but I assume they are on the way with similar beards and lack of clothing. Possibly.
Another of the Freefolk Heroes about whom I again no nothing. In many ways this is like my shameful ignorance of Scottish Kings and history in general. Life imitating art. Macbeth, James VI, Robert the Bruce? King Kenny Dalglish. That's it for me and Scottish Kings.
Followers of Bone with some Big Boys...Fnargh! (Apologies to Viz comics)
Painted these early in the year and remember they took bloody ages as there are SO many bones on these minis. I kept finding new ones as I went along. It was like the designer had seen 40k stuff and thought " I know what we need here, more bones"
Thenns - the heavy infantry with proper Bronze weapons and armour which was fun to paint - also still some bones which were not.
The stone winter terrain is from THMiniatures in Canada and is really outstanding in quality with bigger pieces and lots of scatter bits like these.
Basically two base skins colours were used for the boxes I did and swapped around for variety. Walrus blue described earlier and Burnt Umber - which I think of as Moose coloured. As an aside if you arent Canadian you like me probably think Moose are just a sort of large Deer. No - they are like something left from the age of Dinosaurs - 2m at the shoulder and 2 to 3m long. These bad boys can be 600kg which is as you are aware heavy. I have added them to the list of animals to avoid.
"Here come the girls" though not the scantily clad beauties from an M&S advert - rather more like the women from Kipling's poem The Young British Soldier.
"When you're lying out wounded on Afghanistan's plains
and the women come out to cut up what remains..."
Like Ygritte at the start we have CMON doing women warriors right. Lithe and feminine without fur bikinis and chainmail g strings. These girls look the part as skirmishers, harassing the enemy from afar then closing in on the weak to kill.
If you've read this far well done. I will not prey upon your patience any more at the moment. Next time will be The Nights Watch as it appears I have also painted a metric tonne of Crows in 2020!
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