Thursday 23 January 2014

Pro-Painted? Asgard Orcs allegedly painted by Aly Morrison (no doubt back in the day)?


I have been collecting Asgard miniatures ever since I interviewed Jamie Sims. I find them just as characterful as their Citadel bretheren but a great deal less expensive. A few quid here and there and you've got yourself a respectable pile of minis. 

Now I was busy picking up some minis for my next big project (due for discussion after the first stage of the Slaanesh army is completed) and clicked through to see what else the vendor was selling. I saw several lots of 'pro-painted' miniatures by none other than Aly Morrison! Now I am no naive old scroat, I was immediately suspicious about this fact, but with no real bidding interest, coupled by the fact that I was after some Asgard orcs, I put down a bid equaling £2 each for them and walked away.

Surprisingly, I won and received these models in the post yesterday. Getting them out of the Chinese takeaway box they had been sent in (?) I peered at the ancient models. The whiff of enamel paint and gloss varnish faintly tickled my nose and I saw kinship between these models and many of the figures I'd seen in Bryan Ansell's Cabinets of Chaos. I chuckled further when I flicked the minis over in my hand and saw the homemade bases cut from chunky plasticard! 


The models were destined for the Dettol bath that lurks unbeknown to the wife above the fridge - its too high for her to notice - when something stayed my hand. What if these really were models painted by Aly Morrison back in the day? Would I be committing some Oldhammer crime destroying the paintjob? So I placed them alongside the other painted miniatures on an extended stay of execution. Peering at them closely I can honestly say that the painting is far from what I would consider 'pro-painted' but the finish does have a certain presence and the shields have some wonderful designs on them, especially the red snake with arcane symbols circling it. 


The bases were very simply done and looked like sand stuck to the plasticard and painted green and brown. I am not certain, but there seems to be some attempt to drybrush the base to create highlights, but having never done this is enamels I have no idea how feasible it really is. In the right hand corner of each model is a flattened area upon which is painted A1, A2, A3 and A4 in yellow.


Next, I had a quick Google around the collecting archives in an attempt to ID the miniatures. Were they really Asgard? In about thirty seconds I knew that they were indeed. Here are the models unpainted. 

OR34 Slave Orc with spear
OR35 Slave Orc Archer
OR37 Orc Clansman
OR33 Slave Orc with scimitar 
So I am asking the readers of this blog a favour. Do you know anything about these minis? Do you know anyone who might? I would really love to have a confirmation that these are/aren't figures painted by Aly Morrison so that their eventual fate can be known. Until I do, the Dettol bath looms menacingly above them like a veritable Sword of Damocles!

Cheers in advance!

Orlygg

9 comments:

  1. Now owned by Viking Forge, along with most (all?) of the other Asgard line:

    http://vikingforge.datasquire.net/25mm-asgard-fantasy.html

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    1. My friend and I ordered a from them a couple of years ago and were delighted with the figures. The prices even have a 1980s feel about them. I think they have moulds and/or masters for more than they show on the site so it's worth checking the site once in a while.

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  2. Drop a question on the Perry Miniatures Facebook page, they are in touch with Aly and might pass it on or he might see it there.

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  3. The best orcs ever,you are a lucky man!

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  4. Dammit! You won them from me :P I forgot to put in my last bid! :D

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  5. Crazy coincidence, I just discovered Viking Forge this morning and have been drooling over them since. All kinds of old school beauty.

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  6. Big thanks to Blue in VT who emailed Aly for me. Sadly, these are not his miniatures at all so the seller was either mistaken or worse, fraudulent. Thankfully these were cheap, unlike the orcs that were also for sale alongside them but there is certainly a lesson here when buying items like this online. Still, they are perfect for a super secret skirmish project I am working on for a future Oldhammer Weekend AND I have learnt that Viking Forge sells them too!

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  7. They are by Aly, and if you don't believe it, I'll buy them off you to go with my other A.M stuff.

    Check them against sources such as 'Heroes For Wargames'.

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  8. Do you still have these? If so can you take some nice close ups for my Asgard book?? Ta

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