Dungeons and Dragons: Wood Elf Scouts

Though they seem but a fading shadow of their ancient might, the fragile realms of the Elder folk still endure, a tower of resistance against the growing powers of Chaos and Evil.  The Elven realms that remain number fourteen, spread throughout the dark forests, hills and isles of the lands which lie to the north of the realms of the Kings of men.  The fourteen realms are guided in their foreign policy by a Sorceress of great power, who was appointed at the founding of the alliance, and who has held the leadership of the fourteen lands in trust ever since.

There can be little doubt that the Elven realms are in decline.  The people of the fourteen lands grow ever more indolent, inward looking and morose.  Yet somehow each year the Elven realms still produce numbers of gallant adventurers who raid and plunder the dungeons of the fell folk with astonishing skill and daring, while their armies remain powerful enough to send contingents to help men and Dwarves when they have need, and to keep a deadly watch upon their borders.

Shown here are a small band of some of the Elven Lady's scouts, Fierce, stealthy and resourceful, they spearhead the advance of Elven War hosts in unfriendly country and keep undesirables from raiding or straying inside her borders.

I really had fun painting these boys...until I got the eyes.  I just don't know how some people can manage painting eyes on 25mms.  I guess I'm so old now that I just can't see what the hell it is I'm painting.  What looks ok on the figure under the naked eye looks like big sloppy globs of white and blue when I bring the picture of said figure up on the computer.  I am going to have to get some kind of a magnifier or give up painting eyes on my 25s altogether.

I've been slowly assembling a force of old Tom Meier Elves for the last few years.  Tom set the standard for Elves for me, sort of like Kev Adams set the standard for Orcs and Goblins, and I don't like anyone else's compared to his.  Meier's Elves had an alien beauty and poise which nailed Elves for me, and which you can't find anywhere else. He lavished attention on his Elves' weapons and gear, and the engrossing detail of their mail, plumes, robes, helms and magic weapons and shields were perfect extensions of the unearthly beauty of their features. Now, I'm not going to go crazy, just a warband of about 50 fighters or  so, covering most of the Elves Mr. Meier did in the 70s and early to mid eighties, with a few characters and a chariot or two.  Some I can't include because they are a bit too big to fit in with the rest.  Scale was a little erratic back then, even within a single line of figures.

Better order that magnifying glass...

Probing ahead of their advancing war host, the Elf scouts flush out a band of Half Orc champions.  A bitter and savage struggle is about to begin...

Halflings of the Hollow Hills

  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.