Mourningcloud
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Posts posted by Mourningcloud
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oh yeah, one more thing
why are so many of the characters in both lines (dh and warlord) holding their helmets in their hands or strapped to their backs?
One thing i would really like to see is more characters with their helmets ON!
(with visors DOWN please)
I know we all like to see our character' faces-indeed that is what makes them "characters", as opposed to rank and file troops, but COME ON! some of us would prefer the visual representation of our character to be wearing a helmet, which depending on the helmet, can be just as expressive and "characterful" (if not more) as anopen face.
for example, look at mangu (dh 2483) and ilkhan (dh 2407)
both of these minis lend a certain presence, that would be lost without the helmet. (in fact the lack of a face makes them menacing, almost inhuman. I use them both for characters of mine)
now if you will consider a bare faced figure: Iris, female gnome (dh 2772)
it looks like, well, another sandra garrity female demi human - like elia shadowfeet and several other garrity female faces.
nothing against sandra garrity sculpts (better than i can do) but there isnt really a whole lot of character evident in this one. however, our fearless female fighter just happens to have a beautifully sculpted helmet strapped to her posterior, that is not only expressive, but seems to have a badger/other burrowing animal theme going on. absolutely brilliant! i would much rather have this than another cute little face giving my fierce gnomish character well...character. i cant see any way to cut it off put it on instead of her head without destroying the mini, so alas it remains a decent miniature at best.
SO TO CONCLUDE ANOTHER MOURNINGCLOUD TIRADE (which there is as yet no proof that anyone even bothers to read, but thats okay cause i re-read em enough times to make up for alla you who see my posts and skip over them, thinking "too long")
MORE MINIS WITH COOL EXPRESSIVE HELMETS AS OPPOSED TO BORING BARE HEADS
and maybe even
COOL RESCULPTS, WITH HELMS ON THIS TIME AROUND.
and if anyone can help me insert pictures-i cant seem to get them to work lol
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try riding the electromagnetic wave (surf, that is) on over to coolminiornot and check out the new freebooter barbarian. although the face looks suspiciously like one of Tom Meier's (yes i am aware that to invoke the masters name is to risk death and damnation) old elves-this is a very unique, not to mention dynamically posed mini.
and that is a really big sword.
i think we've found your elf
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thanx oh green one
if anyone cares, im the guy in frosch's last message lol
thanx again frosch-i was suffering from overlargedisembodiedhead syndrome
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seriously-someone help me. its creepy looking at myself this close up.
(and ive seen me before-i can imagine how you poor people must feel...)
i feel like the great and powerful Oz-just a big floating head with bad skin lol
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i get to be a real live boy!
heres my headshot-literally
350 bucks for these d@NM things-youd think id actually send them out for auditions, but after paying for the shoot, i cant afford the prints lol
jeez-anyone know how to make my head smaller? really, its not that swollen
im just new to the whole digital picture on computer thing-it took me like 2 hours to get the darn file down to size lol
nevermind-frosch successfully shrunk my head (my girlfriend won't believe it though-she hasn't managed in three years lol)
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actually the old school drow a la the oft imitated but never duplicated erol otus is almost purely black, with the barest hint of highlight, which could arguably be called either a brownish or magenta hue (depending on the age, condition, fading, and beverage rings and/or soda spillage of your module
)and in the words of the master himself in the original fiend folio "inky black skin"
but hey, he only invented the race
that being said, i always preferred the very subtle brown highlights of a larry elmore drow, a la the original cover of the very first drizzt book, the crystal shard.
then again, i always preferred realistic looking paint jobs, which is why i think most nmm looks like a japanese manga cartoon (not the feel i want for my dungeon crawls), although Jen Haleys and Annes gold nmm sometimes make my bladder control less than reliable.
my preferred method for highlighting this overused and now less than exotic race is black undercoat with subtle highlighting using get this:
old school Ral Partha dragonscale metallic cremes -specifically the metallic bronze color.
dang, now i feel old
am i the only cat who still owns this rare and highly treasured peice of mini memorabilia? or dares to use it?
anyway, i'll post pictures as soon a i purchase a digital camera (this week)
but i must say the outcome is somewhat...realistic looking.
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Oooh, in addition to the normal things I usually post on thsi topic, how about a dwarven sniper holding a crossbow in front of him at an 'at rest' position. HAve him wearing a mixtureof leather and chain armor, wide brimmed hat, a cloak with a quiver over it for easy access to his arrows, and a pipe or a cigar in his mouth.
lol yeah, you could it Dirty, Hairy Dwarf
or White Crossbow, Dark Dwarf
or Flint Stonewood,
or The Dwarf with No Na- nah, thats a stupid name.
You could even expand the set to include three dwarves with crossbows held ready and call it The Short, the Stout, and the Stumpy.
jeez, i think ive just about beaten this one like a baby seal.
if any of you dont get these jokes, you are either too young, or just havent been gaming long enough to remember classic Ral Partha Imports from waaaaay back.
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It's a tiny, tiny dark fairy, very cute though. The green was never posted.
She is holding out her trick or treat bag in front of her, but behind her she's got a tail holding a dagger. Little feathered wings.
Sculpted by Mr. C. Elliott.
i for one am very happy to see Mr. C. Elliot (may i call you Chaz?) working for reaper.
i really liked his work for wotc, even though the pre-chainmail metals got a bad rap (i think the poor quality was the casting, not so much the sculpts-especially Chaz's work-love the ogre and female ftr/mage!)
now onto my list of demands:
any chance of seing a wemic? (ahem "lion Centaur")
a mantis warrior? (with cool giant beetle shell armor & shields)
an armored fighter with a crossbow? (human AND dwarven?)
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real shrimp are about the right size for giant versions of the mini ones
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I came across this little april fools gag on Actors Access-an industry website for actors, agents and such (compared to landing a role in Hollywood, playing characters in imaginary worlds with magic and monsters seems like "realistic fantasy"
Anyway, here is the address (im no good with these thingys so if it dont work, go to actorsaccess.com, click on breakdowns-los angeles, scroll down to bottom, go to page two and look for CSI-Middle Earth under titles.)
www.actorsaccess.com/breakdowns.cfm?view=project&project=16970®ion=1
I laughed so hard i woke my 2 year old up from his nap. again.
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my first and foremost desire is:
A darn fighter with a crossbow. there is not one decent Human fighter/man at arms type with a crossbow sculpted in "modern" 28 mm scale in all of existence.
ironwind metals has one, but from his floppy hat to hes one oversized boot, he looks like "Huclkeberry, riverboat crossbowman" seriously-it looks like hes gonna use it to do some fishin at the pond.
Im talking an armored, player character detailed, reaper quality sculpt, not "empire crossbowman" rank and file joe schmoe (no offense if anyone named joe schmoe is reading). Anyway, i cant stand gw empire sculpts. most of them look like Don Quixote in colorful tights to me.
both the warlord weapons pack and one of the dh weapons packs have crossbows
(the warlord one is really fantasy/spiky/neato looking), but very few minis are even i a position where they could be convincingly converted to hold one, unless you want them holding their precious bow aloft like he-man's sword, or in some other ridiculous pose.
phew, now that i got that off my chest.
wemics would rock. Mr. Seins, Mr. Weibe, are you listening?
mantis warriors too. put some cool wooden armor on them, or maybe giant beetle carapaces (or other big bugs)-remember what a mantis eats.
no more dual scimitar wielding "half" elf (yeah sure) or "wood" elf (come on!) rangers. i like to think most players are inventive enough to avoid cliches (even really really cool ones, Mr. Salvatore) and make up their own fantasy icons to play and enjoy-lets keep the minis the same way, okay? (okay, one unnamed drow ranger-with-two-scimitars miniature is okay)
more humanoids 28 mm scale are needed, especially hobgoblins (orcs are pretty well covered)
mounted versions of characters would be highly appreciated, and maybe seperate packaged horses soz you could pick yer own (horse, that is). maybe even other types of saddled mounts. personally the only time ive even seen griffins in any campaign ive played in is when either A) Ive been ridin one or B) someone else has.
oh yeah, for the frogmaster: Bullywugs
there i said it. wheres my five bucks
another (crazy) idea-things you might encounter lots of (gobbos right up through the barbed devil Julie Guthrie sculpted-and other demon types too)
maybe consider multi part, biuld your own blisters. i dont know the logistics of it, but it seems single parts like arms and limbs would be easier to cast than full body sculpts, and of course the create-your-own-army appeal (gw is good for something)
would guarantee the success of such a venture. (yes i am trying to sell you, Reaper Miniatures Incorporated, on the idea)P.S. besides the missing crossbowman, there seems to be a dearth of human archers as well. not every elf has a bow, and vice versa.
A good Book
in Off-Topic Rampancy
Posted
jeez sycophant-such a stickler for the classics.
salvatore has a minimalist style which flows off the page very smoothly and easily (and quickly), and makes his pleasant little fantasy jaunts very readable (and likeable) if not exactly "literature". drizzt's existential musings at the beginnings of chapters are pure drivel, yet they manage to be poignant and compelling all the same. i have religious discussions with literate and studied folks, and i still use his (drizzt's) description of what faith is to illustrate my own opinion on it, and constantly receive nods of approval from religious intellectual types.
as for the rest:
you all liked the deathgate cycle? i read part of the first book and got rid of it-it was like ooh, weiss and hickman came up with another quasi D&D world ( $#*t, elves in this one too!) with cool gimmicks ( floating peices and layers and gates, oh my!) i just got tired of their writing after about 9th grade (im 30 now). when they put out later dragonlance stuff it was like visiting old friends after you've grown up and gone your seperate ways-its more just because they ARE old friends than because they are your closest anymore-youve just outgrown them. also their writing itself seemed to stagnate after about the end of the first trilogy, unlike salvatore who keeps getting better (story, plot, characterization and character development-he can do it all!)
sycophant, if you've only read drizzt's first 3, man you are missing out.
as far as stuff mentioned:
raymond feist-best characters around ( i too have shed a tear due to his stories)
Tolkein: still the master-nuthin else has the same magic, and nowhere else does the language ring as true.
tad williams-memory sorrow and thorn is my favorite in recent years-heavy, but if your coming off dragonlance you might be craving something heavier. (DL is the o'douls of fantasy-still tasty and refreshing, but lacking something...)
terry brooks-shanarra reads like a fairy tale-its got a nice once upon a time kinda feel,(mostly due to brooks gentle yet succinct style) with excellent stories that never get repetitive despite the stories all starting the same way. (go figure)
robert jordan: cant seem to put them down. wish hed finish it, so i can (my car is really dirty, and my kids want lunch)
a few not mentioned:
christopher rowley-the bazil broketail books (about a 20 foot long sword wielding dragon) are pretty original, with rip roaring battles and hillarious hijinks. although a couple of the middle books do get a little repetitive, its still worth reading the whole serious. hard to find, little known, but worth the effort.
joel rosenburg-the guardians of the flame series. college kids go to play d&d with professor, who being exiled super wizard from other world whisks them there in the form of their characters to help him reenter the realm and conquer. every d&d players dream right? wrong. no heroic fantasy drivel here. gritty as it gets with terrified kids trapped in a place where everyone wants to kill them, the sting of sweat in your eye as you are fighting for your life, the smell of $#*t from the guys bowels you just opened (and slipped in), and blood everywhere. did i mention its gritty?
almost forgot- harry potter. yes, i said harry potter-believe me they are definitely not written at a kids only level-excellent enjoyable fantasy for readers of all ages (one of the best written on this page too)
oh yeah, if youre tired of series:
mathemagics by margaret ball (hillarious and very well written)
anything by William browning spencer-not xctly fantasy, but modern toungue in cheek neo-lovecraft stories (actually uses cthulu mythos). brilliant and funny-hard to find and only like 4 books total (all different stand alone's)
sharyn mccrumb: actually a mystery writer, but Bimbos of the Death Sun (about a murder at a fantasy convention) and its sequel Zombies of the Gene Pool (a murder at a gathering of golden age sci fi authors) are funnier than adam sandlers last three movies and also present some rather uncomfortable insights into the hobbies/lifestyles that all of us on this website espouse.
thank you
this has been another mourningcloud dissertation
wherein he said around 72% too much