Miniature Spotlight: Alternative Armies Hobgoblins

I'm always on the look out for Middle-Earth Orcs. Such is the influence of Games Workshop on our hobby that it is no mean feat to find Orcs that are not of the jut-jawed, ape built variety. Tolkien's Orcs were a different breed altogether, being twisted and warped versions of the elves. That is why I was so pleased when I saw the new releases from Alternative Armies earlier last year.
OH2 is a pack of 4 hob-goblins, perfect for my Middle Earth hordes.

I wrote to Alternative asking some questions and had a very prompt reply from Gavin Syme. He told me that that there were two more codes of foot Hob Goblins and one mounted to be released and that the sculpts dated back to the 90s, more than that he really didn't know.

Well I have been so long writing this post up that all these packs are now available from the Alternative Armies website, more on them in a minute but first lets look at the original pack.

Disclaimer: These are not the best painted examples, what little photography skills I possess also seem to have left me on this occasion.

The minis look pretty much how I expect Middle Earth Orcs to look, with quite dynamic poses for that era and twisted features. I painted them a khaki colour to match the rest of my orc tribe.

 

 Size-wise they are also pretty much perfect, being slightly smaller than a man. They can be seen below with a Greandier Orc and an old Citadel Orc from the ME range. 

 

The other packs look equally as promising, full of old school charm and character. They are marked up as Khan, Marauders and Cavalry. As the name suggests they have an eastern feel to the armour and clothes, which fits my view of Tolkien-esque Orcs quite well. Almost certainly they will form the next recruits to my version of Middle Earth.