Mithril Mordor Orcs - M151, M310

I have been quite hyped with Middle-earth lately, possibly as a consequence of the new TOR RPG Kickstarter, and I decided to dig up some baddies from the Mithril leadpile. So here we are with these Mordor Orcs: M151 from 1990 ("Mordor Orcs") and M310 from 1993 ("Mordor Orc Standard Bearer").

I went for a simple paint-job: dark brown skin-tone, black and tan clothes, black leather and iron armour and weapons. I added a bit of bronze/brass here and there, and a red eye painted on the standard. Overall I am pretty pleased with the result, considering the effort - Orcs do not require too much detail after all.

Haldir Rhovanion, Grey Elf Warden - MM383 (1998) conversion

This is a special mini for me, one of the rare conversions I do, designed to represent my favourite home-made character in Middle-earth. Born as the main character of a short story I wrote as a school assignment at 14, developed into a player character in a game of MERP, and again resurrected, updated and polished in many other stories and games.

Haldir son of Handir, also called Rhovanion, is an Elf of the Grey Havens. Like many inhabitants of Mithlond he has mixed heritage, claiming ancestors in Doriath, Gondolin and the Falas, but he identifies as Sinda. Originally a border warden, he left service in Mithlond after failing to prevent an Orc raid into Elf-lands that claimed many lives, among them his bethroted Aerin. After a period of wandering, overcome with sorrow and sense of failure, he was saved by a wandering company of Elves in the Shire and was directed to seek the counsel of Elrond Half-elven who could make sense of some obscure dreams and visions he had been having. The Lord of Imladris suggested that those dreams of the fall of Gondolin, and darkness, a sword shining of blue light meant that Haldir might yet have a destiny to fulfil in Middle-earth and invited him to enter his service as a warden.

Let's now address the elephant in the room - why am I using the miniature of a Man to represent an Elf? I'll answer with a controversial statement: although Chris Tubb is possibly my favourite miniature sculptor, his male Elves are dull. They are too feminine (mostly), they all have long hair (not my vision), and they are usually dressed either in long robes or very simple tunics. I needed a warden, the Elf equivalent of a Ranger, and here it is. Mithril Miniatures, can you make an Elf equipped for ranging? Thank you.

Mithril MM 182 Mannish Captain of Orthanc, painted as an Angmar Captain

Another sculpt bought from a fellow collector, a 1991Mannish Captain of Orthanc. The figure was a bit worn out - the tips of the helm are flattened - but I didn't mind too much. Overall the quality of sculpting is very high - there's only a minor glitch, namely an empty scabbard and no sword in it or anywhere else. If I were to do a diorama, it would be great to have a sword stuck in the ground, like he is negotiating a truce or about to start a duel.

I am not a great fan of Isengard, it never really appealed me, so I painted this guy with the colours of Angmar - grey-black like the northern Misty Mountains, and red like the colour of iron-rich stone, associated with Carn-dûm.

Not my best paintjob, but still ok I believe.

Theoden, King of the Mark - Mithril M27 (1988)

 

Theoden, King of the Mark is one of the earliest miniatures of the Mithril range, from 1988. It has a nice, fixed pose that is typical of that period when casting was not so advanced and miniatures were simple and solid. It's a nice sculpt - albeit the one I have is second hand and a bit worn out.

Theoden is one of the most popular characters in the Lord of the Rings. He plays a clear archetype, the King: he represents authority, and is often used to display how power can be used for good, when wisdom helps to wield it, or how power can be a burden and ultimately be useless, when justice abandons it in favour of fear.

The story of Theoden is simple, yet great: as a King, he finds himself to rule in a time of great challenges that wear out his spirit, until he becomes the shadow of himself. Because of the dangers, the defeats and the lack of support from his councillors, Theoden grows old and enters a "Winter of the Spirit", from which he is stirred by the unexpected visit of Gandalf. Realizing his mistakes, Theoden casts aside his fears and rides to war against the enemies of his people. He will lead his warriors in a great battle where he will die bravely, after defeating the enemy general. His sacrifice and example will help shape the future world.

If this story seems to touch some special strings in your soul, its' probably because this is the same story as the one of another archetypical King, King Arthur, who is stirred from his Winter by Percival carrying the Holy Grail and rides one last time with his knights against Mordred, to kill him and be killed in turn.
 

And yet once again, Boorman's Excalibur proves to be the best Middle-earth adaptation of all. Not looking at anyone in particular...

Let's look at the other adaptations of Theoden, shall we?

Bakshi's LotR (1978)

The Brothers Hildebrant (1978)

"Theoden Espies the Serpent Banner" by Michael Kaluta (1994)

Angus McBride (mid 1990s)

"Theoden's charge at Helm's Deep" by Timothy Ide (1997)

Ivan Cavini (2006)

"The Ride of the Rohirrim" by Abe Papakhian (2010)

Helena Starostina (2012)

Theoden is described as having a flowing white beard reaching down to his knees (when he is seated and bent), long white hair gathered in great braids and blue, glinting eyes. Although he may look "almost like a dwarf" when he is presented, after he is freed by his fears he appears to be tall and proud.

Now, I am not 100% satisfied with my painting this time - I have tried to portray Theoden as a bright figure, dressed in colourful clothes as befitted an early medieval Saxon king. They are perhaps too bright... especially the green of the robes: what do you think? I am quite happy with the hair and the crown, though, and I am definitely imrpoving in painting yellow, one of the most difficult colours for me.

Captive Gollum conversion (from Mithril M383 Anborn & Gollum)

I have long planned a conversion of the Mithril 383 Anborn & Gollum miniature, released in 1996:

It's a great figure but extremely specific of a certain moment of the story, so I planned to substitute Gollum with a free arm. What to do with the unused bit? Well, here it is: a free-standing captive Gollum, to be used as a token in a scenario based on the capture of a prisoner.

Considering it had to be cut and filed a bit, it's not too bad. It's a shame to waste bits left from a conversion :)

Wormtongue - Mithril M181 (1990)

The early '90s are my favourite period in Mithril production and this piece clearly confirms the rule: it is just lovely. Sculpted of course by C. Tubb, it is part of the Isengard range. The figure conveys perfectly the characteristics of the character from the book, Gríma Wormtongue:

"At his feet upon the steps sat a wizened figure of a man, with a pale wise face and heavy-lidded eyes."

"He looked at them with half-closed eyes. Last of all he scanned Théoden's face and opened his mouth as if to speak. Then suddenly he drew himself up. His hands worked. His eyes glittered. Such malice was in them that men stepped back from him. He bared his teeth; and then with a hissing breath he spat before the king's feet, and darting to one side, he fled down the stair."

TT, The King of the Golden Hall

 Wormtongue is short, slightly hunched, working his hands and looking with half-closed eyes in front of him, ever calculating, ever playing his words like cards in a game. Dressed in rich garb, he looks far from noble - quite the opposite.

To do the miniature justice, I painted it in pastel colours drawing inspiration from High Middle Ages miniatures. His robe of sea green is trimmed in silver and he wears a shirt of dark purple, light purple trousers and gaiters of nice yellow leather. He is, of course, pale and blonde, like most of the Rohirrim.

Yes, blonde. It doesn't say anywhere that he was dark haired. People just picture him dark haired because he's evil.

Ralph Bakshi's version

Brothers Hildebrandt

John Howe

Peter Jackson's version

 

Seriously, what's up with him? If he's the only raven-haired person, dressed all in black, among a golden-haired people dressing in green and white, how did they not figure out he was evil? So much for subtlety XD

Mithril Hithaeglir Northman Adventurer - M305 (1993)

This is a piece deriving directly from ICE's setting and meant to be used with MERP. It represents and adventurer, from the people of the Northmen - possibly an inhabitant of the upper Anduin valley - climbing the cliffs of the Misty Mountains.

The figure is quite complex, requiring the assembling of three pieces together. It's quite well done, possibly a bit dull to paint since he's only wearing hides, but suitably realistic. The pose is good and well balanced, a fine job from Chris Tubb.

I really like how he's laden with baggage, and seems to struggle upwards, pushing himself with the staff and holding the rope on his right shoulder.

I've been experimenting a bit again with the style I used with Boromir, but pushing it a bit more far with the highlights. What do you think? Yay or nay? I'm still not quite sure.

Boromir - Mithril M128 (1989)

Today's figure is one of the classics of Mithril, released in 1989 as M128 and then again as MC13 Mithril Classics in 1997. Like Elrond and the Elvenking, it belongs to the Golden Age of Mithril, when sculpts were simple but elegant, cheap and easily available. It's beautifully sculpted, and it was easy and fun to paint. 

 Boromir is represented rather faithfully, according to the description we have of him at the Council of Elrond.

"[...] seated a little apart was a tall man with a fair and noble face, dark-haired and grey-eyed, proud and stern of glance.
 "He was cloaked and booted as if for a journey on horseback; and indeed though his garments were rich, and his cloak was lined with fur, they were stained with long travel. He had a collar of silver in which a single white stone was set; his locks were shorn about his shoulders. On a baldric he wore a great horn tipped with silver that now was laid upon his knees. [...]"
FotR, The Council of Elrond

"[...] Boromir had a long sword, in fashion like Andúril but of less lineage and he bore also a shield and his war-horn."

FotR, The Ring goes South

Other authors have followed this description to depict the Man of Gondor. Others didn't. At all. Let's have a look at a few of them.

Ralph Bakshi's animated movie, 1978. Yep, that's him.

Sergey Yuhimov, one of my favourites Tolkien illustrators

Ted Nasmith

Catherine Karina Chmiel drew and painted Boromir many times. She did a wonderful job every time.

Sean Bean in Peter Jackson's FotR (2001)

Donato Giancola kills it, though. It's just perfect.

Quite inspiring, isn't it? But there's a single piece that inspired Chris Tubb on this sculpt, and that is Angus McBride's portait of the Fellowship, used by I.C.E. as the cover art for MERP in 1986. Boromir is second from the right.

It's only a model.

But what of Boromir himself? The character from the book, I mean. He is one of the few "grey" characters of LotR: like Saruman, he starts off among the champions of the Free Peoples but, along the way, he is corrupted - by the power promised by the Ring, by the burden of fighting an apparently losing war against Shadow. He tries to wrest the Ring from Frodo, and his actions ultimately split the Company.

But unlike Saruman, Boromir finds redemption. Understanding his mistakes, he valiantly gives his life defending the Hobbits against Orcs, slaying twenty of them single-handedly before being brought down by archers.

Yet, most people remember Boromir as a dick, the asshole of the Company: since his introduction in Rivendell, he has a haughty demeanor and challenges everyone else's words. While the main characters support each other, Boromir always takes the side of contradiction and especially casts doubts on everything Aragorn says. He complains a lot about Gondor bearing the burden of keeping the Shadow in check and getting little credit and no help from others, who benefit from its defence. He is clearly not a team player.

"By our valour the wild folk of the East are still restrained, and the terror of Morgul kept at bay; and thus alone are peace and freedom maintained in the lands behind us, bulwark of the West. But if the passages of the River should be won, what then?"

`I was not sent to beg any boon, but to seek only the meaning of a riddle,' answered Boromir proudly. `Yet we are hard pressed, and the Sword of Elendil would be a help beyond our hope-if such a thing could indeed return out of the shadows of the past.' He looked again at Aragorn, and doubt was in his eyes.

Boromir looked at them doubtfully, but he bowed his head. `So be it,' he said. `Then in Gondor we must trust to such weapons as we have. And at the least, while the Wise ones guard this Ring, we will fight on. Mayhap the Sword-that-was-Broken may still stem the tide – if the hand that wields it has inherited not an heirloom only, but the sinews of the Kings of Men.'
`Who can tell?' said Aragorn. `But we will put it to the test one day.'
`May the day not be too long delayed,' said Boromir. 'For though I do not ask for aid, we need it. It would comfort us to know that others fought also with all the means that they have.'

I mean, if you are half aware of the troubles Gandalf and Aragorn have gone through to fight the Shadow in the North and the Wilderland, how can you not want to punch Boromir in the face?

For the rest of the journey to Lorien, Boromir makes himself useful but has no kind words for anyone. Mostly he offers suggestions on how to proceed, and he is often loth to follow Gandalf's directions, not mention Aragorn's. He would like to go to Rohan and he's most vocal against going through Moria, even more than Legolas. There's really a lot of complaining, muttering, moaning and bickering from him.

"At that moment from far off the wind bore to their listening ears the howling of wolves. Bill the pony started in fear, and Sam sprang to his side and whispered softly to him.
'Do not let him run away! ' said Boromir. 'It seems that we shall need him still, if the wolves do not find us. How I hate this foul pool! ' He stooped and picking up a large stone he cast it far into the dark water.
The stone vanished with a soft slap; but at the same instant there was a swish and a bubble. Great rippling rings formed on the surface out beyond where the stone had fallen, and they moved slowly towards the foot of the cliff.
FotR, A Journey in the Dark

Well done, pal.

Boromir's complaining goes on all the time; before, during and after the Fellowship reaches Lórien. He is most suspicious of Elves, even more than Gimli. Then, while on the banks of Anduin, Boromir becomes Frodo's stalker. He follows him, clumsily attempts to look friendly and presses him, trying badly to manipulate him until, unsuccessful, he freaks out and prompts Frodo's flight. The Man of Gondor then goes into confusion: he does not warn others, but wanders alone for half an hour, maybe an hour, and when his companions find him, he can't really help them in locating Frodo.

At this point the Orcs come and Boromir dies. His moment of redemption comes at the very end, but it's too little, too late.

A mile, maybe, from Parth Galen in a little glade not far from the lake he found Boromir. He was sitting with his back to a great tree, as if he was resting. But Aragorn saw that he was pierced with many black-feathered arrows; his sword was still in his hand, but it was broken near the hilt; his horn cloven in two was at his side. Many Orcs lay slain, piled all about him and at his feet.
Aragorn knelt beside him. Boromir opened his eyes and strove to speak. At last slow words came. 'I tried to take the Ring from Frodo ' he said. 'I am sorry. I have paid.' His glance strayed to his fallen enemies; twenty at least lay there. 'They have gone: the Halflings: the Orcs have taken them. I think they are not dead. Orcs bound them.' He paused and his eyes closed wearily. After a moment he spoke again.
'Farewell, Aragorn! Go to Minas Tirith and save my people! I have failed.'
'No!' said Aragorn, taking his hand and kissing his brow. 'You have conquered. Few have gained such a victory. Be at peace! Minas Tirith shall not fall!'
Boromir smiled.
'Which way did they go? Was Frodo there?' said Aragorn.
But Boromir did not speak again.

 

Even later, when Frodo meets Faramir in Ithilien, the memory of Boromir lives on as the favourite son of the other dick of the story, his father Denethor. He may be dead, but more reasons to hate him continue to pop up. And yet he lives among heroes, everyone just having good words about him, especially his brother Faramir.

In Tolkien's plan, Boromir was a tragic hero. The greatest warrior and captain of Gondor seduced by the power of the enemy, but still able to redeem himself before the end. Defeated, but with honour.

To us, it's a Sea Bean meme. Possibly befitting, not sure.

One does not simply forget about this.

Still, Chris Tubb's figure rocks.