September was not a bumper month as expected, but I still managed to paint 52 figures while only buying 76. Even though the month was lost, this still keeps the total figures barely floating.

September is never a good month due to the film festival eating up my time, but a certain lack of focus is even more even more evident. Apart from the resolutions figures, I was completely in desk clearance mode painting old stuff that has been cluttering my desk for some time now.

Thus the output included an armored train, a semi-random selection of WWII tanks and a bunch of starter box orcs... wait a minute, I just figured the common denominator between these!

I bought all of them because they were cheap, thinking the deal was too good to pass and that I'd find some use for them despite having no clear idea at the time.

Well, now I've painted them and I still have no idea where to use them... an impassionate observer on Mars might be inclined to say this behavior is not exactly productive...

That said, I actually like these starter box orcs quite a bit. To fully appreciate this statement, you have to understand a few key points:

1) I hate assembling bulk figures. Assembly and conversion is fun for a few individuals, but when I 'm filling the ranks, every itsy bitsy separate part is an irritation.

2) I hate fragile models, which includes pretty much all Perry plastics and a bunch of other stuff, also in metal.

3) I hate plastic artefacts. People who have grown with plastic figures seem blind to them, but I have grown with figures where the the chainmail links are round all around the figure and not getting that pisses me off.

The starter box orcs are darn good for what they are.

They are big and sturdy, no snapping spearshafts here.

They are almost single-part, and the separate head has been used to good effect.

Through clever design, the impact of plastic artefacts has been minimised. Wonder why they don't have back armor? This is the reason. The armor stops at the mold line.

Yes the poses are a bit kooky and the design is partly weird -- is the armor glued on or how does it stay there? But on the whole, pretty darn good.

Next month were are going to see some masai warriors, explorers and... a huge black sail on the horizon ready to sink my output figures.

You see, there was this really good deal I just couldn't pass with a few hundred 15mm infantry figures...

maxxon