Lizard Warrior Archers

To my surprise, I stuck with my plan and finished up my Reaper Dark Heaven lizard warrior archers and drummer (from the command pack) for my planned howdah crew. Although I prefer to stick to three figures or less at a time, they are only 28mm and fairly simple paint jobs - although they do have ample detail for those who go for that sort of thing.

Not sure why some are naked and some wear loin cloths. Must be a cultural thing.

I based them like the others on 1"- 1.25" rounds, which, though it will make the howdah a little oversized, means I can dismount them if I choose. Frankly, I love the sculpts of the Dark Heaven lizard warriors and may pick up some melee weapon armed figures to allow me to filed a 10-12 figure unit. They are also some of the very few metal 28mm figures I have and I do like the heft they have. I almost understand why people like metal figures so much.

I can only assume the fletching is green because there are lots of green-feathered parrot people on Venus. I didn't say the lizards were friendly chaps. Blue to match their tongues might have tied the look together better though.

While I've been working on these, I have been making some additional Venusian/Lost World jungle terrain. The picture in the previous post looks quite full, but in reality that's a trick of cramming as much of terrain into the camera's view, not a table thick with vegetation.

However, due to the wedding I'm in next weekend and the cost of travel there, the rental car, the hotel, having to buy a suit and a tie (I don't use those things for work and I have but one that does not meet the requirements set by the bride and groom), I'm trying to keep expenses in check (mostly). 

Behold, the masking tape, paper, and florist's wire palm:

I got the idea from Reese's recent Rumble in the Jungle post over on Heroes of the 54mm Empire. I believe those trees use pipe cleaner, but I have none. I do have a roll of florist's wire though. The paper by the way is not the palm leaves (those are masking tape over a florist wire stem), but the core for the trunk (it's just a paper roll covered in spiraling masking table and painted with watered down Raw Sienna - "highlights" are where more of the masking tape shows through).

I'm using fairly narrow tape because it's what I have on hand, but a wider roll would work quite well for some broad leaf palms no doubt. I have a few more in progress. My goal is a dozen. They aren't hard to make, but I wanted to spend more time painting the howdah crew.

Next on the paint table? I don't know. I might start making the howdah as I have a few different ideas or it might be the French Legionairres with red trousers. Or perhaps tackling some arditi.Or maybe I'll actually play a game.