Let's Paint - Snakes! (RPG Mini Painting)
Snakes... Why did it have to be snakes?
With my own D&D party adventuring into dangerous swamp territory, I was desperately in need of some slippery creatures to pit them against. The vision of them entering the ruins of a city sunken deep into a mud pit just wasn't complete without snakes. I sorted through my boxes of minis and found some medium sized snakes from the Wrath of Ashardalon board game, as well as a large cobra from Reaper Bones. But that didn't quite fit my swarms of serpents image. I needed more. I needed... well, swarms!
DIY Snake Swarms
I had recently purchased some green stuff to help blend bases and fill gaps on minis, but i was feeling inspired and decided it couldn't be that hard to make some snake swarms.
I started by kneading a small amount of green stuff and then rolling it out into long strands, like a kid making snakes with play-doh. From here I simply coiled them around one another and stuck them to bases.
A word of warning, green stuff has a 5-hour cure time and without a proper skeleton, gravity tends to work against your design. I checked in periodically at first to reshape the snake heads which kept sinking. They ultimately didn't turn out exactly how I wanted, but they were close enough.
I would also advise anyone new to green stuff to wet their fingers while working with it. It's incredibly sticky and your hard work can be ruined by a stubbornly sticky piece of the stuff. Just don't over-do it or the green stuff won't blend properly.
With a bit of sand basing and some simple paints, these swarms were complete and ready to terrorize my adventurers.
More Snakes
For these three snakes from Wrath of Ashardalon, I decided to go for some brighter colors. While I had avoided the stereotypical green for the swarms, I felt these snakes looked more like dragons and decided to go for some more saturated tones.
Each was primed in grey, and then given a dark wash corresponding to their color. I then built up layers of increasingly brighter tones to finish them off.
While I avoided green with the swarms, I did think it was worth it to make a classic colored snake. I like how bright this one turned out.
For the red snake, in particular, I made sure to save the pure red for the highest highlight, as adding white to red can ruin the overall color. Instead, I started with darker mixes and slowly added more of the pure red.
The black snake needed a different approach, and I opted for shades of grey instead.
I still think he's the least dynamic of these three snakes, but I'm satisfied none-the-less.
These guys are simple but I like them. I enjoy having some color to brighten up my table.
The King Cobra
No fight is complete without a big boss baddie, the Giant Cobra from Reaper Bones. I really love how this one turned out. He's big and intimidating and turned out incredible considering the quick paint job I was giving all of these in order to finish before my next game.
I wanted him to have earthy colors, like the swarms, so he could fit in a desert scenario as well as a muddy earthy terrain. I try not to get too caught up on bases and would rather have an interesting base that doesn't fit the current game, than a generic base with little interest.
While I prefer to base all my minis, I tend to make exception for the larger reaper minis, especially when they don't quite fit the base footprint of their size, like these Orcs, or these Yeti and Winter Wolf. With this cobra, however, I felt it was a great opportunity to really do something cool with the base. I glued down some aquarium stones, and sprinkled the rest with sand and baking soda. I'm especially pleased with how the stones kind of blend in with the sculpted ruins on the snake model.
I was prepared to leave him as tan all over, but I figured a cobra wasn't complete without some fun markings on its back. I quickly got carried away, but I think the final result is striking and really separates him from the crowd.
Snakes in Action
In their most recent adventure, two of my players descended into a sunken city to negotiate with a powerful and ancient sorcerer. Finding their way blocked by a flooded chamber, they were left with the choice of choosing one of three potions to gain water breathing. The others were poisoned. The druid gave the ranger Protection from Poison and she drank all three overcoming the challenge. They emerged in a grand chamber where the terrifying sorcerer made his appearance. The two PCs watched nervously as thousands of snakes slithered through the water and ruins around them.
After tense negotiations and making a deal to trade an eye for the lifting of a curse, the sorcerer left them with cryptic information and pointed them to the exit. But not before warning them that he wouldn't deny his children a meal.
Deciding to flee instead of fight, the two PCs battled their way towards the exit, stopping long enough to slay the Giant Cobra blocking their path, and very thankful for that Protection from Poison spell.
Final Thoughts
The snakes made for a dramatic and memorable encounter and looked good on top of it. I've been busy with running games and trying to make videos, but there's always something battling for my attention. If you want to see a video of the step-by-step process for making the snake swarms, or even painting the other snakes, leave a comment and I'll make it happen.
Minis Used:
Snake Swarms - Custom DIY Miniatures
Wrath of Ashardalon Board Game: Snakes
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