Final assembly was pretty anticlimactic. I used a two-part epoxy you can find at the hardware store to secure the pins in the holes I had drilled into the plaster steps.
Then I had a good chuckle at my own expense, because I discovered that the folds of the cape I had labored over were... not visible!
Final Thoughts
I had difficulty holding the miniature throughout the painting sessions, until I remembered the trick with the GTM. That kept my paints from rubbing off the figure. I don't know of any other way I could have held it on a base, unless it was to glue/epoxy it to a paint can or something and then paint the shoes at the last. In retrospect, this might have been a better technique and one less fraught with worry.
The initial sketch had the barbarian holding a shield strapped to his left arm. As the painting progressed, I decided I would drop the shield as it obscured too much of the miniature's detail. I considered adding some of the spare shields to the base, but felt like that would detract from the figure as the centerpiece, as it would have added too much color at the bottom of the diorama.
The miniatures that Alpha Miniatures produces are very nice. I found very little flash on the miniature or the accessories.
Once you get accustomed to painting larger figures, they come together very nicely. I recommend them for display or playing purposes!