Hi everyone, thank you very much for coming back to week five of the second quarter of Hammer the Backlog, my Warhammer painting, productivity, accountability and self flagellation blog. Currently we are in the depths of the Lizardmen half of the Warhammer Fantasy Battles 5th edition box set, released in 1996. I hope you like both Middlehammer and slow progress!
SCORECARD
Another week of fully green scorecard, but just barely this time.
The ‘just barely’ this week is a bit different to other weeks. Things have been going reasonably well, so well in fact that I simply forgot to post to Facebook and Reddit. Another victory for the scorecard and weekly meeting, reminding me that I had to do it, even if it was a bit last minute!
I went for six skinks rather than five for the simple reason that it makes more sense not to have a single small orange boy left outstanding next week. That should mean that the Lizards will take 10 full weeks to finish, which puts them at exactly half way this week. If I allow two weeks for the Green Knight, that will leave one full week for either some Bits and Bobs, or a holiday!
I do have some Bits and Bobs around who are dying to get painted!
THIS WEEK’S MODELS
The first unit of skinks, the orange boys, is fully complete. According to some very lovely people on the Warhammer Fantasy Reddit, their orange and red colouration marks them out as a sacred spawning of Chotec. Apparently they are filled with the energy of the burning sun. Once again, I tried a slightly different technique this week, and once again they are almost impossible to tell apart. The change this week was to give them a quick blast of the new skull white spray from on top, making the upper surfaces just that little bit brighter under the contrast paint. Not quite a zenithal highlight, but half way there.
I have become intimately familiar with the two poses on offer here and I think I have a favourite. The left handed ones have a few advantages, in particular I love their little knives.
The right handed ones are my clear favourite however. The slightly more upright stance, the more open belly, the jewellery, the slightly more prominent crest! If they weren’t divided exactly 50/50, this guy would make sense to me as a champion model. One of my favourites!
On the old box art, the GW studio had all the lefties face left and all the righties face right. They definitely know their good sides!
On a side note, my lovely lady friend has named all sixteen of the orange skinks! Is this going to become a tradition? Who’s your favourite?
Orange Skinks
| 1 | Skink | 9 | Skinkmennamen |
| 2 | Skinkella | 10 | Bruce |
| 3 | Skinkalina | 11 | Skinkster |
| 4 | Skinkster | 12 | Skinkington |
| 5 | Ralph | 13 | Skinkanna |
| 6 | Skinkward | 14 | Skinksworthy |
| 7 | Skinkvard (A bad egg) | 15 | Skonk |
| 8 | Skinksy | 16 | Gareth |
I’m at a bit of an impasse now. What’s next week? I have three options.
- Start the green Skinks
- Start the dark green Saurus
- Paint the Green Knight
Don’t forget to join me next week to see which one I go with.
COMPLETING THE ARMY?
Although, to be totally honest, the Lizardmen have not quite gripped me as strongly as the Bretonnians did, I still do have a full 1,000 point army I would be interested in rounding them up to if I ever do manage to clear the backlog.
This one is also from the 5th edition Battle Book.
Unfortunately it would take a good bit more investment to get these guys up to a full army than the Brets. I would need:
1 Slann Mage Priest (10 Hammer the Backlog Points)
2 Saurus Warrior Command Groups (6 Hammer the Backlog Points)
2 Skink Command Groups (6 Hammer the Backlog Points)
6 Skink Cold One Riders (18 Hammer the Backlog Points)
1 Kroxigor (3 Hammer the Backlog Points)
For a total of 43 Hammer the Backlog points! Nearly a whole quarter’s worth of models! Nevermind that they are all much sought after out-of-print classics. I would be shocked to pick this lot up for less than €300. The Lizardmen really did get the short end of the stick in that box set, didn’t they!?
I HAVE SUCCUMBED TO TEMPTATION
Do you remember how the playstation games got me into this whole mess back in the mid nineties? Now, imagine some madman hand sculpted a mercenary unit who just so happened to look exactly like the grudgebringer infantry from the games, in the style of 90’s monopose models, with a unique command group. Then imagine that I ordered them and they should be here in the next week or so.
You can stop imagining, all of that happened.
Expect them to jump to the top of the next quarter’s rock list, and a full paint up and review shortly after.
SOCIAL MEDIA
We hit 1500 followers on Instagram this week! You really do have to stay engaged with Instagram to keep it growing! I imagine the growth will wax and wane over the next few years of Hammer the Backlog as I accidentally stumble into and out of trends!
Thanks for reading this far, see you next week for something green, whatever that may be.
Cheers, you’re good eggs.
Hammer the Backlog 
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