Hobby Update: Eccentric Foot Guard

Like last weekend, this weekend was also unseasonably nice for Wisconsin. Unlike last weekend, I actually did get a fair amount of hobby time in, interspersed with ome long walks around the thawing Lake Monona and just generally enjoying the weather. Unfortunately, like last weekend, little got “finished.”

Of my 50ish old Greatswords, I figured I could breeze through most of them in a few hours and be done by lunch… but I was wrong. As I looked at them, I realized almost all the cloth on the models was purple… and I wanted a combination of purple and white to keep with my color scheme and fluff. Ugh.

So, much of my hobby time this weekend was spent painting a few layers of white stripes onto all those Greatsword models. All the new white makes them “pop” more now, which is what I wanted, but they still aren’t all done yet... Hopefully they will be by next week? I feel they are becoming a bit like Zeno’s Hobby project. Never quite able to call them finished.

I broke up the Greatsword grind with a few minis for D&D, and oddly enough a unit of medieval-styled Foot Guard with shields.

What? Where did these jerks come from? And who took such a bad, fuzzy picture?

When I picked up Kings of War, I made a list of all the possible KoM units, and then took my existing Empire collection and tried to map it all out, to get an idea of what models I should be picking up to cover those shortfalls. Ballistae quickly rose to the top of my list, both for use as independent war machines, and as upgrades for potential Beasts of War.

After some searching around online, I found a fantastic ballista option offered by Eccentric Miniatures. As I was browsing the site, I noticed they had some other model options. I already had more Bowmen than I really wanted, but I figured I could use some heavily armed and armored knights on foot, to use as Foot Guard with shields, and added them to the cart.

These models were neglected. They didn’t even come up on my “to-do” list from a little while back. My fluff was moving in a different direction (wanting to use Roman Legionaries as my “anvil-like” units like Shield Wall and Foot Guard).

However, after spending a large chunk of time Saturday working on the Greatswords, I needed a breather. I needed something simple, something quick, without dipping into that new plastic. So I knocked these guys out on Sunday.

Comparison shot! What tiny, wimpy-looking Foot Guard.

Unlike their Ballista pack (which gives you two Ballistae for $10 USD!), which I would enthusiastically suggest you pick up if you are looking for a ballista model, I’d struggle to actually suggest these knightly models.

The plastic is of good quality, and these are pretty easy to paint up. And, at $16 for a box... you’re spending $1/figure. That is the best price-per-model ratios I think I have ever seen.

That said, the sculpting is putting me off. The proportions of limbs and torsos just seem downright gangly to me. There are better models out there. But if you are just starting out, or are strapped for funds, these could be a good buy for you.

Now, I need to get back to working on Zeno’s Greatswords…