Hibernation over

Well, not really hibernation, more lengthy periods of semi-consciousness.

I cannot believe I have not posted anything since the middle of December!

A combination of changed working hours, family commitments, poor light caused by almost incessant rain and a number of sundry other factors have led to a slow start to 2016's painting season.

There is also one other factor which has adversely contributed - the absence of a big project for this year.

Unlike each of the past few years, I am not faced with the prospect of several hundred figures to prepare and paint for the next Wyrley Retinue show game, with our "season" traditionally starting with the Wargamer show in December. We have not seen each other since Wargamer back in December 2015 and have neither discussed nor even mooted what next year's game should be. That means it will have to be something we basically already have or one that will require minimal time outlay. Or perhaps a year off...

I have not been entirely idle, however. "Frostgrave" was the last major purchase of 2015 and I have finally got round to building and painting a warband and some wizardry. Fantasy figures have not so far featured on the blog, so, for the inaugural outing in this genre, I give you some wintry, sorcerous fare and sundry hangers-on.

(For the record, I have also knocked out a few Mordor Orcs, some more bits for our Swiss-Burgundian game and started some Woodland Indians, but all in good time...)

The humans are from the standard "Frostgrave" plastic figure set, in which you get  twenty figures to build largely as you would like. I used ten only, however, and sold the rest, as I did not want basically identical warbands. It is not beyond the wit of even this man to sculpt some Greenstuff fur on the odd figure. And I have various Fireforge and other plastics that I need to do something with!

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First purchase was the Witch and apprentice. I like the feral nature of the Witch's spell repertoire and the connection with animals and faunal imagery. The figures are the official Frostgrave ones.

And, given my passion for pyrotechnics in wargames (just hand me the lascannon and stand back!), An Elementalist and apprentice had to follow. I was determined to avoid the clichéd fireball, however, so I call this particular spell "Stream of Mucus".

Some regular soldiery.

And some licenced thuggery.

The whole warband at present, including Fluffy and Binky, the savage warhounds. All the humans are built from the "Frostgrave" plastic figure boxed set, the hounds are Mastiffs from Vendel Miniatures.