The Underfolk

I love these figures! They're the plastic Goblins from Games Workshop's "The Hobbit" miniatures game. I liked them in the film - the variety in the unwashed, debased, inbred hordes was nice, as was the pale flesh like the cave creatures that dwell in unlit caverns. I decided to pick some up when I found them cheap enough - I believe these were £8.99 inc postage on eBay. 

I have a few different plans on how to use these, so I've kept their basing nice and neutral (although I did try something new - swamp or sewer bases!) so they can fit any number of roles, but I mainly have them in mind for either the Necromundan underhive (from the very bottom of the sump, hence "Underfolk") or for a project I've started jotting ideas down for - a skirmish campaign game set in a huge space station or Space Hulk - these would be devolved mutant humans - smaller to fit through the sewer/bilge systems, poor eyesight but better hearing, hence the larger ears. 

These really are great plastics - they took barely any cleaning up and the main work was cutting off their base tabs - I prefer to have as many figures as possible on the hollow-bottom plastic bases weighted with pennies. Adds a nice amount of heft to plastics! 

With the basing I only added the finer sand I use (no gravel), painted the figures and bases as normal, hit the bases with a dark wash and then a few layers of satin varnish (in this case it was actually furniture/wood varnish - Wilkos brand clear satin - I have a tin left over from a DIY project - I'll definitely be using this to work on some swamp terrain!). I added various washes of green, blue, reddy-brown etc. over the varnish, then added varnish again. I also added a few tufts of grass or the odd leaf here and there - these were also varnished to look semi-submerged.

These were a lovely easy painting job and definitely suit my style! I particularly enjoyed painting their sore, weeping eyes, the blood and grime and rust. My favourite kind of painting!

I'll be adding a round-up post for Zombtober shortly! These are somewhat a continuation as they'll be filling a similar role in the various games they'll be seeing use in! Thanks for reading - feel free to comment!