Painting Challenge "Theme" Entry - Rohan Outriders

Outriders of Rohan in 28mm, figures from GW

Curt's "Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge" features a number of bonus theme rounds, running every two weeks or so throughout the Challenge period.  Participants are encouraged to paint and share a figure that matches a given theme.  The first theme for this Ninth Edition of the Painting Challenge was "Reconnaissance" - and while I had a lot of options which might have fit the bill, in the end I opted for something I stumbled across while rummaging around in my hoard-o-unpainted-stuff - some Rohan Outriders.  These are 28mm metal castings from GW's "Lord of the Rings" ("LOTR") figure range.

Each blister pack contained one mounted and one dismounted outrider, so you see two packs' worth of painting here.

That one leg on the bottom is holding the whole thing up...yikes...

Beautiful sculpting, as always, by the Perrys

LOTR is a fine set of rules, and we have enjoyed many games over the years, if maybe a little less recently as Peter Jackson's brilliant 2001 movie trilogy fades from view and other interests have arisen in the intervening years to take its place.  I do have a small force of Riders of Rohan for the game, and there have been some memorable encounters for this force on Fawcett Avenue gaming tables over the years.  But my brushes haven't touched an LOTR figure in at least...10 years, maybe more?

Love this fellow drawing the bow while riding to battle, a great pose.

This pose really screams "Rohan" to me!

Anyway, I stumbled on these figures in the hoard, and resolved to get them painted up.  I couldn't tell you what an "outrider" does, as these seem more contrived for the game as opposed to matching a specific character from the books or movies.  But the GW website portrays them as scouts, and as such I thought they fit this theme round very well. They are little more armoured, and seem a little tougher, than the standard Rohan warrior, but are not as armoured as the Royal Guardsmen are.

I opted for fairly muted brown colours, although the green of the cloak and the metal bits of the armour do "pop" a bit. 

A distinctive green on the cloaks is a big part of the Rohan look, in my opinion at least :)

The GW figures for LOTR were top-shelf castings - I had forgotten just how nice they were. As an added treat, these are proper, honourable metal figures.  The proportions are slim and realistic, an attribute so seldom attributed anymore to a GW sculpt of anything meant to be a human or person.  The only downside to these beautiful figures is the plastic horses - they are connected to the base by means of only a single plastic leg...I'm worried how long the metal rider and plastic horse will last together while being used during a game...

These Outriders were a treat to paint. It has been great to visit the LOTR setting on the painting table again, and I'm hopeful that more LOTR stuff will be done this winter.