Brave Halfling Militia march out to defend their homes in the Hollow Hills. Always loved Tom Meier's old fantasy figures, but they are sadly small compared to Citadel's Warhammer stuff, so there wasn't much I could do with them until I conjured up the convenient excuse an old school Dungeons and Dragons Campaign setting.
They'll fit nicely into skirmishes against the dark hordes from the Caves of Chaos. Maybe their home in the Hollow Hills will become a way station for an adventuring party.
Troops of keen eyed, wood-crafty archers like these fellows make up the backbone of the Halfling militias. Their ability to kill the enemy from a distance is appreciated by many local human lords.
Halfling communities like The Hollow Hills and High Hay are largely wooded and pastoral, with many copses and rocky ridges from which stealthy bowmen can spring deadly ambushes.
Where the hail of arrows fails to stop the enemy, stout halfling yeomen must step forward and bring down the foe with their hunting spears and long wood-axes. Halflings dislike this kind of fighting, being smaller than most of their opponents, but sometimes only a brave heart and a sharp axe can keep the wolves from the door of the hobbit-hole.
Young lads like these are strictly forbidden, on pain of a beating, from trying to follow their fathers and older brothers into battle. But being good lads, they are determined to prove their worth, and sneak out to follow the militia anyway. Not daring to get too close to the enemy, these brave boys can nonetheless bring a deal of misery to the invader by pestering and harrying their flanks from the shelter of wood and wall. The young lads are shrewd shots with the slings they use everyday to keep wolves from their flocks. Some are said to be able to bring down a small bird in flight.
Militia Captains are usually recognizable by their more warlike appearance. This gentleman, for example, carries actual weapons and gear of war, rather than domestic tools turned to warlike purpose. He is doubtless a personage of some standing in his community, and elected to the rank of Captain by his fellows. I tried painting his shield in a checkerboard pattern at first. I learned some valuable lessons about how not to try to checkerboard in the process. It looked so bad, I just gave up and quartered the shield. Sorry, little friend.
The Captain leads his neighbors into battle! Hopefully they're not facing anything much tougher than Kobolds.
Right now my plan is to get a party of adventurers painted, along with some Treants I've just acquired, and get them into a fun little skirmish against some Tom Meier Orcs, Goblins and evil fighters from the Caves of Chaos.
