Maledrakh Burrows some Badgers

Sometimes I need a kick in the seat of my pants to get out of my comfort zone and paint something different. This year I joined the Lead Painters League over at the Lead Adventure Forums to give myself such a kick. This team was my entry for round 5.

I have over the years amassed a veritable mountain range of minis, alot of which have come from an assortment of Kickstarters that have taken my fancy…ooh shiny! …And that I might not have bought if I just came across the minis in a shop at retail.

To put it bluntly, most certainly would not have bought if I came across the minis in a shop at retail.

The Burrows and Badgers line from Oathsworn is one such line of minis. I mean…Anthros? What would I do with those?

So at the time I pledged for the first B&B KS, I did it mainly to support Oathsworn on general principle as I could afford to do so at the time.

Oathsworn is a cottage industry company consisting of the sculptor Michael Lovejoy and his lovely and talented wife Jo. These are good people with a true passion for the minis they make shining through.

Oathsworn have run several excellent little kickstarter campaigns for a diverse selection of miniatures the Michael has sculpted on his own time. No matter the subject, dwarves, heroes, halflings, norse gods, robots or anthromorphics, the miniatures he sculpts are all dripping with old school character.

Oathsworn has been great at communicating with backers, lots of behind-the-scenes info and step by step sculpting walkthroughs.

As far as I am concerned Oathsworn is a safe kickstarter creator, A+, will back again.

So anyway.  Anthro miniatures are not my usual fare, and I have no relationship with this “Redwall” that everyone is banging on about. As far as I am concerned, these minis make me think of The Wind in the Willows and Disney’s Robin Hood. Ooh-da-lally!

I said above I would not have bought this series of minis at retail, but that was back then.

After four B&B kickstarter campaigns delivered (still waiting for the fifth, which should arrive any day now) I am in the fold so to speak.

These minis, from the smallest shrew to the great big badgers, all have the trademark Oathsworn character, and I love ’em to bits.

This has, however, not stopped me from sticking the lot of them in a drawer to await painting inspiration. Just like most other KS minis I get (far to often, and far too many of). A cruel fate, to just get added to the Mountains of Minis indefinately.

But I digress.

As I started saying above, one of the reasons to join the LPL was to force myself to paint something different. And for Round 5, I dug out some of the Burrows and Badgers. Here are the results.

Please note I do not own the Burrows and Badgers rulebook, and have no idea if these minis go together in that game, or anything like that. I selected purely on the basis of “good” type animal and “faith”.

I called this team Solomon Canine and the Faithful.

I do not remember what the miniatures’ given names are, and can’t be bothered to look them up on the KS campaigns. I think these are not all from the same B&B KS anyway.

So I made up my own names:

Solomon Canine. Obvious pun there, based on the dour, black clad puritan witch-finder of Robert E Howard’s stories.

I added a buckle to the hat with some green stuff to make him even more “puritan” like Solomon Kane.

30mm base, single piece casting in metal.

I called this one Sir Beedle the Just.

This mini was a bonus model in one of the Kickstarters, and the only mounted mini in the series as far as I know. A crusader or errant knight fit in with the fanatical religious theme.

I 3D printed an oval base for him, 25x35mm. Single piece casting in metal.

Spiney Norma. Anyone get the reference?   (DINSDALE? DINSDALE?)

30mm base, single piece casting in metal.

Molly, This is about where my naming-imagination let me down.

30mm base, single piece casting in metal.

Friar Thumper. Because Friar –ahem–Thuck was a bit too much.

Exhortation and fiery sermons are a potent weapons in the hands, er, claws of someone willing to dig deep to unearth the true grit of his flock. Good thing he has learned the Good Book by heart, at least this bit that he likes to declare to the face of his opponents:

“The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the inequities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who, in the name of charity and good will, shepherds the weak through the valley of the darkness. For he is truly his brother’s keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know I am the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you!”

(Ezekiel 25:17)

30mm base, single piece casting in metal.

And fervently praying for divine intervention, this little mouse monk I call Praying James.

This is one of a very few special resin B&B minis released and also a bonus with one of the KS’s.

20mm 3D printed base. single piece casting in resin.

So this is a start, popping my bubble of procrastination for the Burrows and Badgers miniatures.

And they were a joy to paint!