Night Goblin Commission Update

Long-term readers might remember that in January 2014, I had a made a deal with a friend to paint an absurd amount of goblins.  In total, he was to paint 723 models in exchange for 645 models of mine (originally it was supposed to be a 1:1 trade, but one goblin is not equivalent to a LoTR Balrog, so we worked out an exchange rate based upon base/model size).  Anywho, I tried very hard to get Cole not to do it, but he insisted it wasn’t going to be a problem.

Throughout the year, I’d check in for status updates, but I didn’t want to nag him, and he was so staunchly sure that he wound make the deadline (even six months in, when he had still painted just a single model).

Maybe up until that point, you were thinking that there was a chance he’d completed it, right?  But the odds of painting 700+ models in six months seem atrocious.  Well, you’re right.  He didn’t manage to finish, in fact, by October, with exactly three models completed, he had conceded that he wasn’t going to make the deadline and asked if I wanted to just take them all back.

I wasn’t keen on the idea though.  Despite me fully expecting this to be the result, something about Cole’s assurances against all of my warnings that he would complete them made me think that he’d actually hold up his end of the bargain.  It was not a smart deal for him to make, but I tried very hard to dissuade him from taking it.  Because of those assurances from him, I actually believed that he’d do it.  So much so that I went out and spent too damn much money on WHFB at the beginning of the year, including movement trays, magnets, arms, etc.  I also wound up buying a few more goblin models as well and, since Cole originally was a little uneasy about the deal (because there were so many similar models that he was receiving), I also went out and purchased a couple of Warmachine forces for him to make it up to sweeten the deal).  You can references my Frugal Gaming goals for 2014 for a detailed list (one of these days, I’ll do an update post on them).

So we had a little heart-to-heart and he agreed to continue, but in order to make it less daunting of a task, the plan had changed to have him paint it up in stages and we could play some games in between to give him a purpose.  He painted up one lot and we were supposed to play a game which, to date, hasn’t happened yet.  He did come over this past weekend (well, at the time of writing this) and delivered the first lot.

I have to say that I’m pleased with the end result.  If I was painting them, I’m not sure I’d be pleased with myself, because not all of the detail has been picked out (things like their draw strings on their robes, etc.)  I have to remind myself that:

1. This is not 40k.  These models are going to be in a giant block and you won’t see those details at all.
2. There has to be a standard that’s acceptable.  Painting every little detail on 700 models would drive a person insane.

As a result, the end result looks pretty great to me.  At one point, he agreed to paint unit markings on all of those goblins: jagged teeth, checkerboards, etc.  He had agreed to all of them, including “checker pattern up to 2 boxes” (presumably deep), but I have a feeling that’s something that’s going to slip from the original requirements.  I don’t think that I can, in good conscience, hold him to it (unless you read this Cole and insist on doing it!).

Also, in the interest of keeping a friendship, I’ve also agreed to help him out.  So, when he delivered the first group of models, he also brought me 150 or so goblins so that I could clean the mold lines off them.  Again, I’m fine with this (I even volunteered) because mold lines are just ugly and it doesn’t take all that much effort.  Of course, that was my mindset before I spent a couple of hours shaving off mold lines this weekend.

My thumb hurts.  It’s as if I shoved the exacto-blade beneath my thumbnail.  I’ve had similar pains before from working with them over an extended period of time, but I’m not really sure why I have paint this time.  If it had been the hand that was holding the blade, I could understand it, but it’s the hand that was holding the models, so it wasn’t exactly exerting much pressure.  Maybe this is (largely) unrelated to my weekend’s endeavors.

Well, no matter what the reason, the goblins are cleaned and ready for primer.  Since I had them, I took the liberty to green stuff a few of them up to look a little different.  Nothing terribly fancy, mind you: I just took two of the BfSP shamen and removed their squigs, then filled in the holes with green stuff, then gave them little shields instead (can a shaman have a shield?  Heck, I don’t know, I don’t play WHFB).  That way, not all of the shaman look exactly alike.   I also green-stuffed tails onto the squigs so now I have two more (tiny) squigs to add to my squig team.

Muahahaha!  Cole now has to paint two extra models!

I’m guessing that won’t be a deal-breaker, since I am helping to clean up so many models.  I’m even willing to help out with the painting.  I’d like to see this go through, and am willing to help out in whatever way I need to.

We don’t have a new deadline (though it sounds like it might be this Summer, based upon a recent conversation), so I’m not sure when it will be done.  I’m a little excited by the prospect though.  Maybe one day, we’ll actually get a game in…