Big Scorpions Converted with 10mm Goblin Mounts: Figures 89 & 90

Last week I worked on the two big scorpions from the Vermin set.  When I first looked at these after they had arrived last year, I had begun to consider the possibility of using them  as mounts for some sort of 10mm riders for use with my 10mm armies for our soon to be published mass fantasy combat rules, "Bear Yourselves Valiantly".  So, a couple months ago I sat down with the scorpions, and a couple of riders commandeered from a pack of Eureka's 10mm Elves Riding Stags that I had; and I began to fiddle with seeing how they looked mounted on the scorpions. I ended up having to trim the bottom of their boots off to make their legs fit down in between the legs of the scorpions, but in general I was pleased.  

I knew two wasn't going to be enough, so I ordered another pack of the scorpions from Reaper, and after they arrived, I fixed them up with riders as well.  I decided even though the castings were of Elves, I was going to paint them up as Goblins, so I could use them in my already existing Goblin army.  I ended up trimming off the fancy crested helmets a couple of them wore, that can be seen on the rider on the left in the photo above, as I felt they were a bit much for Goblins.
 So, to back track a little, before I started putting any of the riders on the scorpions I soaked them overnight in some water with a little dish soap in it, and then gave them a light scrub with a soft toothbrush and rinsed them.  When dry, I began gluing the riders on using Gorilla brand super glue.  I then glued the figures onto a 3"x1" steel base (the standard unit sized base for BYV) using Aleene's Tacky glue and then sprayed everything with the Krylon Fusion flat black. I subsequently had to go back and use black craft paint to paint in between the little scorpion legs to cover some areas the spray paint missed.

I now gave the scorpions a coat of Ceramcoat "Maple Sugar Tan", and then  went back and painted the central part of their body with DecoArt "Cinnamon Brown".

Next, I gave them a wash with GW Devlan Mud wash, and then added highlights to all the legs and tail with the "Maple Sugar Tan" mixed with a little Americana "Buttermilk". Now I drybrushed the two riders wearing chainmail with  Ceramcoat "Metallic Pewter", followed with painting all the Goblins' skin with Folk Art "Hausser Green Medium".

I then proceeded to the shields, painting them Americana "Cadmium Red." Their tunics I painted with Apple Barrle "Burnt Sienna", and their boots with GW "Scorched Brown". Next I did the spear shafts with Americana "Mississippi Mud", and lastly the wolf skin the one Goblin is wearing I drybrushed with Folk Art "Medium Gray".

Lastly, I painted the spear tips and the sword with Ceramcoat Metallic Pewter, and I added some scary face decorations to the Goblins' shields with white. When everything had time to dry, I then gave it a coat of Ceramcoat "Matte Varnish", and when this was dry. I flocked the bases.  I actually had to flock then in two steps; first using a very fine brush to paint my glue/paint mix between all the legs and the front claws and then flocking those areas, and then going back when that had dried and painting and flocking the larger areas with a larger brush.  After all the flock had time to dry, I then sprayed the base with Testor's "Dullcote". 

     I'm pleased with how these turned out. I think they make a perfect mount for the 10mm figures, and I am considering getting some more to expand my Goblin scorpion-cavalry force.

Figures 89 & 90: Complete