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 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.

Mithril Haradan Mailed Infantry (M294) - 1993

This is one of my favourite Mithril figures of all times. I purchased this sometimes in 1998-2001, probably from the old Avalon shop near Stazione Centrale in Milan. My guess is that they had this figure on display since its issue, in 1993: unfortunately they never sold well.

It took me many months to decide to assemble its three parts and paint them red, white and black. It was a quick and dirty painbrush, but effective, and I am still happy about how it turned out.

I spent years looking for this figure when I rediscovered my old box of miniatures in 2010: somehow it was missing. It resurfaced in early 2017, at a house of some friends, stuffed in a jar together with some Citadel figures we used for WFRP. What a pleasant surprise!

I always liked very much anything from Harad, since the time I read Warlords of the Desert in the early 1990s. That was my first MERP adventure material I bought and somehow imprinted me with the exotic charm of Middle-earth's Southlands.

But the reason I especially love this sculpt is the sculpt itself, the exceptional harmony of it, the dynamic movement of the fighter raising the shield to protect his chest and face and thrusting forward with his sabre, half-parrying and half-lunging at the enemy.

 

The movement is clearer without the shield. Seriously, this is one of the masterworks of Chris Tubb.