77001: Skeletal Spearmen (Reaper Bones)

[scipio.au]

Recently I showed the Bones Skeletal Swordsmen that I finished for Marouda's Mythical Greek force. These six are the other half of the group. Originally the twelve of them were to make up a single unit of more generic undead troops, whether spear or blade worked out simply by swapping the front rank as appropriate. Since the Mythical Greeks are now becoming a thing with the addition of a big load of stuff from Wargames Foundry, they got split into the Blade regiment and these guys, who I finished last Friday and will be the back half of the Spear regiment. 

 

 

You may well have noticed that the spears appear to be made of rubber. Well, that's Bones PVC for you! While I could have replaced the spear shafts with wire by cutting them off, drilling out the hands, and reattaching the spearheads, just look at the sculpts! They're hardly worth that kind of effort! I did what I think is a nice enough job on the actual bones, but that's because I enjoy painting bone most of the time. I've painted the shields with a kind of pseudo-Verginia Sun to give a Greek-Macedonian vibe to go with the preudo-Dipylon style shields. I left the shield bosses bronze rather than painting them the colours of the rays, or carving them off as I did on the swordsmen.

 

 

The unit will be completed soon, hopefully. I've got the four Foundry skeletons with spear completed, though I still have to do a shield for one of them and I'm unsure about shields for the other three, due to their poses. I've used a Wargames Factory Model for a fifth, but I'm still struggling to find an appropriate sixth to complete the unit. Any ideas? I'm looking for an unarmoured skeleton armed with a spear, sturdy one piece casting, nice enough sculpt, and preferring metal or at least sturdy HIPS. (The Wargames Factory ones seem a little fragile).

Edited February 26, 2015 by scipio.au

[kitenerd]

Love the skellies - i like the warm tones better - I am doing the LTP Bones skeleton and they wash him with gray - just looks dirty

 

yours are fantastic!

[Citrine]

Those look great!  Have you considered the new bones skellie from Bones II? http://www.reapermini.com/Miniatures/previews/latest/77244

[scipio.au]

Thanks! Not sure if I have any of those coming to me since my package hasn't arrived yet. It might work, (and I have spare shields) though I'd prefer a nicer-then-bones one. Doesn't seem that the figure you linked is available in metal, which is a shame. 

[Maledrakh]

great job there. Love the shields, so simple yet effective!

 

I find the bones skeleton to be a bit too soft and bendy. They are a nightmare to drybrush as they will not ...stand...still!

 

Boiling and straightening the spear shafts worked quite well for me with this model. Trick is to let the mini soak long enough in the hot water to make it really floppy so it resets its "memory", then straight into ice cold bath while the shafts are pulled straightish. (still not perfect, but servicable) Got them to stand properly on their bases too.

[scipio.au]

 

Yep – *all* of these guys were straightened before priming via boiling water/ice water. They all straightened up, stayed straight, and then bent back over time. (A few months at this stage). It’s the Bones. As far as base litter goes, it's one option, but since these were started and based, they got finished.   This sculpt is never going to be a display piece, so it's good enough for the back ranks of a wargaming unit where they will mostly be hidden by better models and simply give an impression of more skeletons. My favourite source of base litter bones and skulls and such are the Wargames Factory Skeleton plastics. Nice and fine, nicely detailed, nicely proportioned.. and cheap! And even better - nice Greek-style shields, spears and kopis - as well as some straight swords. The Greek gear is also generic looking enough that you can paint them for D&D, etc just as easily. 

[Chaoswolf]

Nice looking skellie horde you've got going there.

[Laoke]

The other option I've seen, and used myself, is to chop the head off the spears, remove the staves, and attach the spear heads as daggers.

Edited February 27, 2015 by Laoke

[scipio.au]

That would work - but I do want these guys to be spearmen. My cunning plan will hopefully come to fruition in about another week or two when I get the unit completed.

[DrSmackMatters]

Nicely done Sir.  I like the shields.  

Edited February 27, 2015 by DrSmackMatters