More of the Scottish figures - RAFM and EM4

 

Thought it was about time I started  to record some of the latest figures from Mike. Some of this lot are all 90s RAFM figures from the Call of Cthulhu range, others are EM4 from the Dunwich Detectives range.. 

A couple of these are from set 2970, Expedition to Egypt. The central figure isn't quite a Pharaoh, but would still serve very well as Nyarlathotep in human form. Mr Muscle is from the Lovecraft Country set.

The guy in the white shirt is from set 2902 'Professor (male). The man with the scroll is another one from the Expedition to Egypt set. One in the middle is EM4.

Not sure where these ladies are from... one may be from 2905 Parapsychologist  (female).  Must check out the online RAFM catalogue instead of the 1994 paper version. (Doing it!) They have more figures listed but no codes and not always in the 'original' sets. For example 'Nyarlathotep' is in the 'Adventurers (assorted) set, and also in the Expedition to Egypt set! (Recheck: All are EM4 Dunwich Detectives)

Not sure what sets these two are from... Update, EM4!

Again few different sets. Back right is from the Police set online. Not sure of the scientist, other 4 are EM4.

What I really need to do is gather all my RAFM figures and the ones from Mike and sort them into their sets. On the other, perhaps not - Mike's are painted to a far higher standard than mine!

There's nothing there...

I'm seeing things. It's a mirage...

There's nothing there...

There's nothing...

There...

A few of the other figures I got from Mike. They're painted better than I paint them.

Some of the other figures from the RAFM Dunwich Horror set. Gives an idea of the size of the Horror! Again, all figures were painted when Mike sent them.

Some RAFM Adventurers.

 The two men and standing  woman are from the M.U. Expedition to the Amazon set while the sitting woman is from the M.U. Expedition up the Mekong set.

 

I've gone for eyes plus shading look rather than block colours,

 

 

Have to admit I'm quite pleased at how they've turned out.

 

The intention is to catch up a bit on my 25/28mm pulp figures - they've been sadly neglected lately!

Chariot of the Apocalypse

There are still a lot of individual or small groups of  figures in my collection I don't seem to have covered yet. One of these is a model in the RAFM Demons of Darkness range - number 3705, the Chariot of the Apocalypse. (Actually, thought I had but can't find it so....)

Painting style a bit different from my current block painting efforts. Could probably touch up the chariot wheels.

One thing I like is how the charioteer's head turned out

It's one of those figures I'm not sure about. Not convinced I like the horses for instance. Quite happy with the painting though - comes under the heading 'once upon a time I could paint'

Banshee and Wendigo

Couple of newly-painted figures for the collection.

The Banshee is by Rafm and I also did an old Admins figure (willowy dryad?) as a sidekick. The Wendigo is by Reaper.

I've gone for a very indistinct drybrushing technique for these. The idea is that the human eye is not really designed to see this type of supernatural figure... although Banshees did apparently appear in human form. In which case could be wearing a green dress under a grey cloak.

All bone and ragged fur, but again not meant to be seen. The look I'm trying for is 'you can sort of see something out of the corner of your eye. Which is is a good thing.'  Perhaps not really 'true' Wendigo - which is often described as a spirit that takes over a human - but certainly fits supernatural better.

RAFM MU Expedition to the Antarctic

Quietly working through various RAFM figures - these were bought in two lots, one several years ago when I simply bought one of each set of RAFM Cthulhu Classics (but missed the big boxed sets) then another a couple of years ago as I started building up Newhaven. One sled just didn't seem to be enough if I wanted to do an expedition!

At a distance, don't look too bad...

Pity about close up - especially obvious I can't paint huskies.

Demons of Darkness - 3705 the Chariot of the Apocalypse.

By RAFM circa 1990.

And mostly painted back then...

Probably took 20 minutes or so to finish off after a delay of nearly 30 years!

The reason is simple - never really happy with how it looked. Still not 100% but felt I really did need to get it finished! I've photographed it before glossing and basing as I think it will look better now!

I've got quite a few odd models/units that can be descibed as orphans - in the banking sense of old neglected accounts - perhaps I'll be able to gradually bring them back into service over the next few months.

Ghasts and Shoggoths

The ghasts are RAFM, the shoggoth Mirliton - for some reason I don't have a RAFM shoggoth.

Again, virtually pure drybrushing so very quick to do.

Very simple colour schemes!

This figure is a bit different from the Lovecraftian description - hoofed kangaroo-type legs? No forehead? - not quite, personally prefer to use them as desert predators rather than underground types.

Paint job is simply black undercoat dry brushed with flat earth then tan earth. I originally thought about another layer of sand but decided against it.

Basically black iridescent slime with lots of temporary greenish eyes... well, pure black a bit boring and I went for eyes with a more 'human' aspect... hopefully a bit more 'creepy'.

Again flat earth over black but more black left. Then tan earth then a light brushing of an orange/flesh mix to give that orange 'glow'. Looks very effective.

Cthulhu and Tsuthoggua

There's a need to get on with more Newhaven stuff, especially the major monsters. On that basis, had a go at painting up Cthulu and Tsuthoggua. My problem with these is that I'm never sure how to do - colour schemes I've tried in the past just never looked right.

This time, though, I'm actually happy with the results!

In the photos, Cthulu looks better than Tsuthoggua.

Tsuthoggua looks better in 'life' - perhaps I should have turned the model to one side slightly? The figure is by RAFM.

Virtually all a matter of layer upon layer drybrushed. Tsuthoggua is a difficult subject because of the fact that descriptions vary. A 'lazy' god, this one will probably not do much in the way of direct evil, but lots in the way of directed evil.

Not sure who made this figure - I thought it was RAFM but not in the RAFM catalogue. Doesn't seem to be Mirliton either.

Probably (certainly?) the best known of Lovecraft's creatures, this one should definitely cause mayhem in it's own right - but this could mean the end of the world?

At the end of the day, the question is always going to be: 'Do you read Sutter Cane?'

A Liche Lord and 2 ladies

These ones look a lot better 'in the flesh' than they do in photos.

The RAFM Liche Lord in his tomb entrance seems to have been made from the same dolly as the Egyptian Queen figure. It seemed reasonable to group them together, and they really do look nice on the table.

 The Liche Lord with a couple of winged friends. 

These are two of the 'Egyptian' ladies - one painted 25 years ago, one a couple of weeks ago.  

These figures are some of my favourite RAFM figures - but a picture over twice the size of the  original figure does show up painting defects!

More on Chinese dragons

As I said on an earlier post, I intended to get another Chinese dragon and probably paint it blue.

Done.

I've also put together a vaguely Oriental wizard element, shown here with both dragons. Note to self: do a better photo of these sometime!

RAFM Wizards and Clerics

Well, this is the third posting of the day - but seemed more logical than putting everything in one.

I've continued to find more of my old 1990s RAFM figures, some of which will give me some useful command/wizard/cleric stands. One, of course, was the 'Khitai' stand:

These three are probably not on their final bases. The Pharoah type is from the Call of Cthulhu Range set 2937, Cultists.  The others are from the Wanders and Warriors sets, the one with the skull from set 3808, the staff bearer set 3801.

These will be kept together as a group. the monk/cleric at the front is from set 3804. I haven't identified where the two behind him come from - can't find them in the RAFM (or any other) catalogue, square bases show that they're not RAFM anyway.

Still a lot more RAFM of mine to find, plus I've sent off a birthday order that my wife Sandra can give me, also 'found' many of the Grenadier are still available - hard to find as some not in the online catalogue, others renamed/spread all over the place - so at some stage I'll be ordering some of them. I'll also probably get in a stock of some Ral Partha.

RAFM website

Ral Partha website

Grenadier Minatures figures

One problem is I'm finding, buying or casting lots of Chaos/Evil/Good characters, wizards, clerics, monsters, gods and demons but not many rank and file. For humans I can use available armies, but the elves, dwarves and goblins realy need to be sorted!

The Greek artillery train

My Greek army does have a small artillery train. Garrison Greek artillery crew and RAFM catapults - "Small Catapult, Onager" and "Small Catapult, Dart Thrower" available from RAFM Miniatures . Mine were bought when RAFM were sold by outlets in the UK.

There's nothing much to say about these, so I'll just let the photos talk.