A quick review of the Mantic models I used in my Goblin army.
GOBLIN SHARPSTICKS
The Goblins are the basic issue Goblin archers that come with metal upgrade packs for spears and shields. How I hate these models! There is nothing wrong with them as basic archers but any attempt to modify them is made difficult by their being already based. First you clip the base away around their legs, this leaves them looking as though they are wearing platform soles. Then you trim away the excess bases under the feet, and cut the foot off in the process. Having finally trimmed the base away and stuck on the metal spear and shield, you go to pin the model in place on the giant’s back, and the spear pings off. You super glue it back in place and then have to touch up the paint where the superglue has stripped it off, inadvertently getting green streaks all over the giant. You then lose the will to live.
On the other hand, the 2 multi part Goblins that come in the Vanguard pack are really easy to pose and have bags of character. You may also have spotted the armoured commander of the horde, found by adding a Goblin head to an Abyssal Dwarf body.
The Giant was one of the free issues at Clash of Kings this year. I am in the minority as I don’t actually like the look of the model, but it certainly makes a nice centrepiece for this horde.
TROLLS
The tall Trolls are Deadzone Plague Generation 1 Mutants. The model is not really designed for use in regiments and so there is only a single pose, but it would be relatively easy to modify if required. A really nice model, a dream to put together and could be painted in a variety of colour schemes to represent different large infantry or monster units. A bit pricey at £9.99 a model but maybe not when you consider that 3 Ice Elementals will set you back more than 3 Mutants. All of my previous Troll model have included one holding a bottle for use as a weapon at pub closing time and it was too good an opportunity to miss not to recreate the look in one of these hordes.
The shorter Trolls are Deadzone Plague Bursters. These are metal models and were also a dream to put together. A dream of being trapped in a mortuary with a whole load of body parts, none of which fit together properly. I eventually assembled a body and then super-glued on the left leg. The left leg fell off. I applied more super-glue and left it. A few hours later, I filled the gaping holes with green stuff. The leg fell off again. I eventually managed to attach both legs and fill the gaps with green stuff. I went for a cup of tea while I debated whether anyone else would notice that I had inadvertently attached the legs backwards. I started again. You can probably guess my assessment of these models. THEY ARE FANTASTIC. I LOVE THEM. For £14.99 you get enough components to build 2 Bursters. Two different bodies, three pairs of arms and legs and four heads. Yes, you will need to reacquaint yourself with your pinning techniques and green stuffing techniques but the end result is worth it as you can build multiple different poses and the detail is fantastic. Like the Mutants, they can fill a variety of large infantry or monster roles in a KoW army.
To generate PMC for each Troll horde, I attached a ‘cadet’ Troll taken from the Dreadball Free Agents team. It’s an expensive way of getting pretty small miniatures but they come in different poses and add a touch of the exotic.
MAWBEASTS
The Mawbeasts are another Dreadball team – The Matsudo Tectonics. For £24.99 you get 13 one-piece figures in 6 different poses. I had already decided on the colour scheme before I got the models but this does not do justice to the detail on the models. The team captain in particular has bags of detail; in fact, I have not painted him up as a Mawbeast and I am instead waiting to find another role for him as a character in one of my other armies.
CHARIOT HORDE
Two wagons with Goblin archers, towed by Deadzone, Veer-Myn Night Terrors. One resupply chariot towed by a pony from Terrain Crate, one chariot from the Terrain Create cart that has bene destroyed and a Winggit flying at very low level. This unit never does anything on the battlefield but it looks good.
FLEABAG RIDER SNIFFS
Not much to say about these. Except that they started off life as Fleabag Riders and I modified them by cutting normal Goblin archers in half and sticking the top half onto the Riders. Having made the regiment, I was one short of PMC and there was no space for another Fleabag – and so one unlucky Goblin is providing fire support while sitting atop a grave stone.
KING ON CHARIOT
Like the Giant, this model started out as a freebie, a prize for podiuming at a Vanguard tournament. It is the Trident Realm Riverguard Damburster, modified with pointy ears and a refreshing green skin. A lovely model. I built him on a 50 x 50 base to use as Kuzlo and Madfall if required, and then built a base extension to chariot size.
MOUNTED GOBLIN WIZ
A Wiz mounted on another member of the Dreadball Free Agents team which, incidentally, also provided 2 Goblins in the Sharpstick horde.
