Friday, 22 May 2026

Night Horrors: Medusa


Hello there to all you old lead enthusiasts. I've just painted up this lovely old Night Horror Medusa figure after picking it up for £10 a few weeks ago. I spotted it unloved on a well known online sales site (MFM loves the app) and snapped it up as a reward. 

I've had to have all my dental work removed rather brutally this week. It seems that my body was rejecting the repairs somehow causing me great pain, pressure and swelling. All gone now and I'm on the second day of recovery... dealing with huge, empty sockets is a real killjoy though I'm able to potter about a bit more now. 

I've got loads of little projects and various stages of completion and everything has had to stop so its pleasing to get back in the saddle. I've been snapping up any bargains I can spot and these have been rather eclectic to say the least. Thankfully, I've another Night Horror close to completion too. Look out for that in the next few days I hope. 


Unusually for me, this figure didn't need any restoration. It was in mint condition when it arrived. So it was a simple case of cleaning it up (it still had flash after all these years) and basing it. I brushed on a white undercoat and set to work. I wanted to keep things simple and provide a nod to the Ancient World in my colour scheme so stuck to fairly natural hues.

I used colour harmony for everything save the base. A little dot of Woodland Green found its way into everything, or indeed a lot more in regards to the snake-like hair. The skin is Orc Brown, Woodland Green with Bleached Bone and Skull White added to create the highlights. I added Sunburst Yellow and then Skull White to the Woodland Green while highlighting the snakes. I added a little reddy pink glaze to the lips, hands and toes after finishing the eyes. Painting those was fairly easy. Dark red as a base (Blood Red with Woodland Green), then highlighting with Hobgoblin Orange and Sunburst Yellow. 

Her robe was Orc Brown with a tiny dot of Woodland Green highlighted up with Bleached Bone and Skull White. The base my classic method. 

What do you reckon of the toothless invalid? 

Of course, she isn't the only medusa inspired figure GW put out back in the '80s. Any fan of teh Night Horrors Range will know that there are two more figures, though in my mind this one is the best. Graeme Davis did a lovely, short article about the other figures and even devised some homebrew rules for them in WFB3 some years ago. Here's the link if you are interested


The other two Gorgon style figures can be spotted above... with the bow.... and below in armour.


Right I'm off. My face feels twice its normal size (thankfully, it doesn't look it) and I'm hoping that when I return to the Chaos Wastes of the 1980s things have improved somewhat. Until then, enjoy the sun if you are in the UK this next week. 

Orlygg

14 comments:

  1. The Night Horrrors are great, and you've done her proud. I really like the naturalistic colours. I wish I still had my collection of them.

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    1. I was never a collector of the range in the past. It has only been pure luck that I have managed to snaffle a few of the figures recently online for reasonable prices. I've been paying £10 on average which doesn't seem bad these days. It is such a fun range and very varied too. I understand that many of the figures were intended for Gothic Horror and were merged with the previous undead line. So they are perfect for my undead horde...

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  2. Very nice work on her. I painted mine a few years ago now but yours looks great with the muted palette. https://azazelx.com/2018/02/23/c18-night-horror-medusa-1987-fembruary-painting-challenge-success-again/ I really do need to paint more of my oldhammer models!

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    1. Azazel thanks for commenting. Your work on the Night Horrors has really helped inspire me on my own figures. I read this post before starting work and loved the freehand detail you included (Greek influenced) along the base of her robe. This is why I went for the muted realistic Greek look in the first place. That ape-man figure you did back then is awe-inspiring too- you really have mastered the naturalist, animal look there. Cracking stuff!

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  3. Great job and nice choice of colours. One of many interesting minis from this Oldhammer range.

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    1. Interesting it is. So much imagination, fun and little nods to horror classics. Shame that there is more imagination and fun in this little range than the entire output of entire companies these days :(

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  4. Jebus how have you managed to paint stuff in this wretched heat?

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    1. Easy, my strict adherence to nudism Chico (: The acrylic paint and ink washes don't stain my Essex Boy threads this way...

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  5. Lovely eclectic range. I gave up on them maybe two years ago and sold them on when I was down to the last 4 minis (fly man, axe man, emerging zombie and death spirit) - some of the prices they go for are redonkulous.

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    1. Bet you start buying them up again in the future (; We all do it!

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  6. Excellent work indeed, what a beauty. Hope you get better about the mouth!

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  7. She looks great! I love that line!

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    1. So many fans Mouse, which is why you see them being painted up regularly even today as as Sleepysod says, the collectors market is competitive for the rarer figures.

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