"My Battle Masters Revival - or Orc Skool Gamin'" Topic

Well, I've finally got enough Battle Masters Greenskins painted now to show some progress here.

I missed out on this game when it first came out in 1992, and it was advertised as a kids game back then after all.

Geesh, these Milton Bradley/GDW boxed sets were loaded with goodies….and baddies!

Really, wasn't this fantasy battle gaming in its purest form – well one way or another, I'm making up for lost time now with this project.

I've made up a new fleece mat for this, and will campaign the game using the points system found on Board Game Geek (think that was from one of the add-on sets). I'm basically doubling the number of Golbin and Orc stands, and as the first army build, will use them as the initial baddies, then I'll move onto the Imperial units next.

Just taking my time, and fitting the painting in when I'm looking for some joy away from painting historicals (these are the first big fantasy figs I've painted since the 1970s – their goofy sculpting exactly fits my feeling of what I want out of this project – just Simple Fun. :)

Very nice! I have the Battlemasters warg cavalry for my Orc army – I have to say, yours are much better painted

"goofy sculpting" – I'm not sure what you mean by that. I would be happy to have those troops fielded on my table, especially with the excellent paint job you've provided them. Love the flags, too.

Thanks very much Frederick!

I could only salvage two units of Wolf Riders from the two game sets I got from a friend (and those useable figs augmented with some I bought online).

Apparently, their spears took a big hit from the gaming table over the years.

Styderg, thank you also!

When I think of fantasy gaming, and back to that Warhammer edition we played eons ago (not even sure what decade that was), but feel like the figures were more whimsical then, less realistic/vicious looking (I guess maybe more cartoonish).

I like the look of these older minis.

The game's flags staffs I've cut down from their original tall size, so the standards can look more like they're at carrying height (they'll be out of the way better for playing also).

Here's the two towers I got painted up just this morning.

Those wolf rider spears do break easily. Had my set since back in the day. Great intro minis game for kids, but fun for adults, too.
Nice to see ‘em painted. I may have to tackle mine!

Good looking as always.

Parzival, that sound likes some good Battle Masters times!

Hey Kev, hopefully I'll have this ready for game days gamin' in the New Year – maybe up to 4-players (so prime for overflow slots perhaps).

Nice work on the towers!

Thanks Frederick!

I ruined a couple brushes doing the dry-brushing on those, but the raised stone detailing pops out nicely.

Looking great! I still want to paint all mine…if only I had the time! I still haven't gotten around to printing the smaller versions either!

Matt, that's why we can call these fantasy armies. ;)

Btw, I'm just painting up a few units at a time, but really, needing just 3-5 figs to a stand….that's a very encouraging work load.

Battle Masters, as a low-figure count game per unit, a tower in each box, play mat, all the player aids…..(and yes, with a few European-marketed add-ons released along the way), but it's all a complete game right out-of-the box….with no this version, or that version needing consideration, or what army to buy and build, whose figs ….just play it.

The OGRE model -

On now to the Imperial figs….and leaving the set's Mighty Cannon model as a painting incentive.

Nice work on the Ogre!

I mined several of these games for fantasy figures for my 2e AD&D-based BattleSystem armies, back in the late 1990's. These are great miniatures! They paint up very nicely. The Goblins were my first figures I painted, after using Testor's enamel paints, back in High School, around 15 years earlier. Those Goblins launched me into my fantasy army building hobby.

Those Goblins are much larger than what I use for Goblins, today, but I still remember them, very fondly. They turned out much better than I ever expected them to. I used a black, acrylic craft paint wash, to finish them, and they looked pretty darn good!

I recently finished up some Human Knights on Plate Barded warhorses, from some BattleMasters games. They're superb for my armies, when I need ultra-heavy cavalry: they don't move fast, but they decimate most units they trample over! Not much can withstand their charge…

The Goblin's black paint wash led me into The Dip Technique (the Plate Barded Cavalry were block painted, followed by The Dip Technique), and the rest is history. These BattleMasters figures were readily available on e-Bay, in the late 1990's, at affordable prices. They were an inexpensive source to bulk up fantasy armies with. Too bad the game is long OOP… Cheers!

Thanks Sarge!

After painting up these 30-year old GW plastics figs over the past few weeks, I realize I've spent a lot of my years painting on some really crappy, metal historical sculpts.

Enjoying painting these Battle Masters fantasy figs very much, and can only imagine what some of the current-day fantasy miniatures must come out like (do they almost paint themselves?). ;)

Don't do painting, so slow slog trying to get grandchildren to, and the occasional online purchase at not-to-dear.

My admiration, and thanks for the encouragement to get back at it!

Sarge, I remember when stores were trying to flush them out at less than $20. USD Mind, back when that was 'real money,' but I picked up a few, and actually made a profit selling bits to Fantasy Battles players.

Repetitive, simple sculpts that painted well and hid likewise amongst the masses…

I wish I still had the leftovers; several keeps were going to be river walls with Dark World castle 'stone wharves.'

Doug

Doug, that's about what I paid for these two good sets I got (but from a friend, who kept very good care of them too).

Hey, member Fitzovich emailed me an article just today, about Hasbro's plans to lay off 1,100 workers. IMO they should think of a refresh/reissue of Battle Masters, and maybe so before they ruined a whole lot of their employees' Christmas.

But then what do we know as customers, we only buy the games. ;)

The Imperial Army assembles for battle.

Their foot troops finished so far -

Going to play a first game with these soon!

Nice to see them on the mat, painted, with superbly decorated bases. Really spectacular. Cheers!

Thanks Sarge!

I hope the local guys take to this, since it ought to be perfect for the group's game days (colorful, easy-to-learn, and maybe able to get a few games in during an afternoon)…..and might snag a few passerby gamers at our shop events too.

If it takes here in St. Lou, I'll probably have another mat printed up for multiple games going on, and then hoping we can use a points system for some moderate player building-decisions too.

ala an ole "Orc Skool Revival" :)))

FYI: most office supply shops, like OfficeMax, have large format, color photocopiers. They also offer large format laminating services. I took in some old Judges Guild maps, which they copied (enlargement/reduction is also available on these large format copiers…), in B&W, and then laminated for me. The price was <$15 per laminated copy. I thought it was a remarkable deal.

You might need to mount the vinyl map to paper, first, but otherwise, they should be able to make color copies for you, with/without lamination. Cheers!

Sarge, I can do letter-size laminating here at home.

Anything larger, like doing game mats, I have printed up on fleece now (that's my new BM fleece mat seen above). Fleece allows for hills underneath, if wanted.

I used to do my custom mats on advertising vinyl material, but only use that medium now for air and naval games.

On cold vinyl -

Nice warm fleece ;) -

We played a couple games yesterday with what I've got painted up so far -

"Orcs On The Run" (some pesky Goblins too)

Both cold vinyl and printed fleece look superb. So, too, do the Battle Masters stuff. Thanks for sharing! Cheers!

Thanks Sarge!

The guys are already thinkin' that I need to get another mat made up soon – "so we can join them together to play big, multiplayer battles".

:))) – I'm just trying to get all the figures painted up first!

@FlyXWire "I've made up a new fleece mat for this…"

If that isn't the understatement of the century! That fleece mat is freakin' amazing!! How!? How!?

Do you have a YouTube channel? If not, consider it. You could make some $$ doing vinyl and fleece mat tutorials!!

FASAfan, just saw your posting here – thanks bud!

My motivation is always aimed towards doing that next game project (and/or getting the current one finished!), instead of trying to make money with the hobby.

Really too old to change this now, but thank you for your generous encouragement!

Fun Fun

I just won a nearly complete set on eBay. Quite affordable actually.

Do tell Chris……

It is on the way. I was surprised I was the only bidder. $66. USD

Nice!

Congrats too.