"Some still live who remember it..."

The next part of the Quest of the Ringbearer presented me with the slight issue of buying and painting some miniatures which I just cannot imagine being used outside of this scenario.

And so I present, Tom Bombadil and Goldberry, the river daughter...

I know what you're thinking.

That's not Goldberry. That's Galadriel.

And you'd be right, although let's call her 'Galadberry', or 'Goldriel'.

Getting my hands on a cheap Tom Bombadil (just two quid) was no issue, but Goldberry is harder to find and more expensive (I'm also not keen on the sculpt), and also very unlikely to even show up in the game.

Just take a look at the title if this blog and you'll understand why this was an issue for me.

Initially, I went looking for a proxy in other ranges, until it occurred to me that Goldberry is described as looking like an elf. Given that in this campaign, and War in Rohan, I'd eventually be collecting a number of Lothlorien miniatures, which made Galadriel a suitable, more useful and much more affordable alternative.

The model itself is taken from. The scene where the Fellowship leave Lothlorien. It's not a dynamic pose, buy it nicely captures the concept in Tolkein's work that power isn't just about fighting.

Overly dynamic poses are actually something that I don't like about the newer MESBG miniatures (especially the Mirkwood Elves) compared to the grounded nature of the original range. They are good, but just too Games Workshop for me (altgough don't get me started on the stupidly muscular Easterlings or Dunlendings).

In terms of painting, she was ridiculously easy to do. Apothecary White contrast paint over a white base with a white drybrush, and the then usual approach to skin and blonde hair.

The silver was a little tricky given the fine nature of the details, but I've reached a level that I'm happy with.

I probably now need to sort out a mirror for her.

Tom Bombadil is a problematic character, as he seems to jar with the rest of the world Tolkien created. His quotes are also a nightmare for autocorrect, "Ring dong a dillo."

I will admit to skipping his chapter when I was younger, but I've mellowed with age and now see Bombadil as a last vestige of the fairy tale style Tolkein used in The Hobbit. He fits much better with the talking animals, comedic dwarfs and playful elves of the first novel and he's also used as a deus ex machina in the same way as Gandalf is in early chapters of The Hobbit. In fact, the hobbits' discomfort leaving his house symbolises the narrative stepping into a more grounded, dangerous and epic tone and style.

Again the painting is my usual simple approach with base coats and washes. I took a bit more care with highlighting the blue coat and yellow boots to make them stand out as the endless poetry Bombadil spouts keeps drawing attention to these elements.

So now that the good guys are done for the next scenario, attention turns to the baddies...the Barrow Wights.

Yes...there will be puns.

Although that's two more painted, needless to say, I had to buy them first, along with a few others for upcoming scenarios (some more distant than others).

Acquired: 115

Painted: 126