Once again, I paint a Bones model...

Since Reaper's Bones models came out a couple of years ago, I've been a little skeptical. Low price point and look good once painted... just a little too good to be true. About a year and a half ago, I picked up a few models on Ebay to give them a whirl... to see how they painted up and to see how much time and effort would have to go in to get them to a level I deem acceptable.

I started off with the Orc Champion in 2014. He painted up decently... although I regretted my choice of primer and I wasn't a fan of how bendy his axe was. Still, not a bad looking model when finished.

Size wise, I'd classify him as a Biggun.. but on the lower end of that spectrum. Bigger than a human model, but smaller than an Ogre or Giant.

At the time, the only other Bones model I had was Garnuk, the Ogre Champ. Definitely a potentially fun model to paint, but I wanted to check out some of the smaller Bones kits. As many people know, I am a fan of Dwarves... and if I could collect a big group of dwarf NPCs for under 20 bucks... that would be awesome. And so, I purchased some smaller models... human sized and down.

That brings us to Hellakin. I'd painted him before, so I figured why not go with a more familiar model. It took a bit of doing, but I got him painted up to a decent standard... not close to my usual "old school 'Eavy Metal" level... but close enough to use as an NPC. Again, not a fan of how bendy his dagger was... nor was I a fan of the primer color I used (Uniform Gray was not the best choice for detailed models).

Again, I didn't have a horrible experience with the model... just a "different" experience. I ended up going a little heavier on the Foundry painting style than I usually do, but in the end I think I ended up with a guy who'd prance about the wilderness stabbing folks with a poisoned knife.

And so, like a dumbass, I went smaller. It took forever to come up with a workflow that allowed me to get that kind of detail on the fur as the details were either really shallow... or just not there. I actually ended up hand highlighting some of the fur to get it to pop more. To be fair, a six pack of metal rats would set you back about $6-$7... where as I think these could be got for less than $3. Still, I think I'd have spent the extra $$$ and gotten metal.

After the rats, I decided to up the size a notch and went with a goblin. No photo... I hated that one so damn much I threw it away. 

Which brings me to my newest addition... the Mimic.

Not a bad model... although you might notice the line where the teeth got a little offset from the rest of the mouth. I tried to minimize it as much as possible, but there is only so much you can do... plus it's a Bones model and there is no way in hell I'm breaking out putty for it.

Still, I'm pretty happy with the end result. I'd be proud to place this on the tabletop and let it devour foolish adventureres.