Three-headed Pyrohydra / Tryclyde

This three-headed beast was wayyy off script, but it was a really fun way to finish off my painting goal for 2024 - model number 52! I try to average at least one model a week every year, and almost always fail horribly, but in 2024 I squeaked under the deadline with this huge sized monster. I went with it because it was a great opportunity to play with the airbrush I had just gotten for xmas. With big blocks of color I was able to knock out the base coats in no time at all, even with my ham-fisted spidery airbrushing. In retrospect, red was not the best starting point for my first color palate (so tough to highlight well), but it definitely gave me confidence to bring the airbrush into my regular rotation of painting techniques. I'm a little embarrassed it took me this long to try out - it was intimidating at first, but actually pretty easy to do. The paint work isn't perfect, but, dang, it was definitely fast for a model of this size. Of all the different elements in this piece, I really like how the eyes and tongues turned out. The scales need more pop but, hey, I was on a deadline. 

The sculpt itself is great - another gem from Schlossbauer. I really appreciated the Mario-D&D crossover potential. I know a three-headed pyrohydra isn't normally a D&D thing, but that is a missed opportunity (Wizards, take note). I stayed true to the tryclyde color palate, or at least my interpretation of it, and I'm happy I did. In fact, I'd like to make some shooting fireball models so I can really geek out on the Mario style encounter. 

Hydras are a favorite monster of mine, and all too often I find myself "saving" models like that until some magical future time when I am "good enough" or "have enough time to do it justice," but I end up just keeping them in the pile-o'-shame. But, not this time! I committed to try something new, and my first hydra is done! Only like 50 to go.....

Smoke Paraelemental, Medium

 This is a great little model from Ral Parth's crucible line that really hits the spot for me. I like the coals effect and cinders on the base, and it strikes me a "moody" for an elemental creature. He its in perfectly with my other paraelementals.  

Edit: I just realized this is another MM2 monster! added the label.

Fire Elemental Daemon

 This toasty fellow is one of the oldest pieces in my collection, both in terms of the paint job is a very early one and because the model itself is a classic Ral Partha piece. I think it holds up pretty well after all these years.

Flameskull swarm!

 I needed a single flameskull mini for the Lost Mine of Phandelver, and after some hunting I settled on these nice designs from Mini Monster Mayhem. It had a few different poses and some grouped models so, naturally, I went a bit nuts printing a whole swarm of them. I found the models to be too large, so I shrank them down to half-size to be a little closer to "tiny" (still a little big, but...urm...they are magic, so...yeah, big heads). I used several base sizes for singles, pairs, and the 5 head swarm (gulp!).

 It wasn't until after making them that it occurred to me just how terrifying an encounter with a swarm of flameskulls would be - sooooooo many fireballs. 

I went with red fire because I tend to overuse green for my undead and there was a demilich on deck with a similar effect in blue-green. I didn't push the skulls to cream/bone because I thought a darker tone would make the fire pop a bit better; it worked out pretty well and I think they read as scorched.

Taki-bi no Oni, Greater and Lesser Elemental Terror of Fire

 While I am thinking about Rokugan, I figured I would follow with this pair of miniatures completed in 2013 - nearly a decade old! My Rokugan project is one of my first paint projects, and may be my longest running. I am not a fan of the Clan War model for the Terror of Fire, but I found a suitable pair of miniatures to represent both the Greater and Lesser forms in my collection of Reaper Bones. They are described as female forms of bright green fire, hence the unusual color for these elementals, but I have come to really appreciate them. This color palate is broadly used in my collection to symbolize spirits, so its use here has good continuity with the rest of my collection.  They definitely stand out!

Inferno Spider

 

 

 I was looking for something to serve as the BBEG of the excellent introductory module "A Most Potent Brew" by Winghorn press, and I was delighted when I came across this STL! I can no longer find it, but it is a simple remix of an undead spider from one of my favorite 3D modellers, Schlossbauer, and a simple flame sculpt. Very effective, I think. I am running this adventure with my kids, and this piece definitely created the moment I was hoping for. 

In terms of painting, it isn't a very clean piece, even for a speed paint, but the fire looks good and hot, and the spider looks ....spidery, so I am calling it a win. The OSL on the floor isn't quite right - I still haven't mastered that technique without being paralyzed by fear that I will ruin the model and spending waaaay to long on it. So, even there it is a step in the right direction - I was faster at least!