Daily Tips and Tricks for Painting Miniatures – Day 3: The essential tools for miniature painting
March 9, 2023
FIN: Ulthwe Aeldari Ranger, Games Workshop, 28mm
March 10, 2023
It is our great pleasure to present an article written by Mark Stevenson who runs the Asgard Miniatures group on Facebook and who has been invaluable in Alternative Armies efforts to restore these classic 1980’s ranges of miniatures and models. This is his story of his love for Asgard, his collection and his encounters over forty years with the mighty
I first started frequenting the Asgard miniatures shop in the late 70’s, buying the odd miniature from the DA and FM ranges to supplement my games of D&D. Then I clearly remember walking into the shop and seeing this MASSIVE dragon ! Must have been 1982 and they were displaying a built NB2. At the time it would have cost a good few pounds – well beyond my reach back then!
This was followed by a gap of some 30-odd years where life came between me and minis and D&D, until in about 2016 I found a box containing some figures and a bunch of old White Dwarf magazines.
Nostalgia prompted me to research what happened to Asgard. Finding they were out of business I used eBay to add to my collection, eventually deciding to try to find every miniature they made (and paint them!)… I’ve only a handful out of about 650 to find now.
Of course the big ticket items – the Dragon and the Giant – were not exactly popping up…. until one day I saw some bits on eBay which I recognised…and at an affordable price! Thus I found my first NB2, albeit in an extremely sorry state – bent, bashed and with bits broken off.
With the aid of photos from Richard Scott I was able to repair and rebuild it into the Red Dragon above. Nick Bibby kindly signed a plinth for this one too.
A couple of years on and Richard decided he did not need two Asgard dragons (the fool … why on Earth not!?) and sold me a second, which became the Green Dragon.
In the meantime I had started up the Asgard Facebook Group, using a photo I had found on the internet.
This was a diorama made by Michael Immig – check his work out in WD 100 – called Donnerechse (Thunder Lizard). Imagine my amazement when this later also appeared for sale ! Dragon number 3 !
Of course, 3 dragons were not enough – so along came number 4 – boxed with the rider, saddle and original paints.
Number 5 followed. Neither numbers 4 or 5 were built, and I sent number 5 to Alternative Armies to use for remoulding purposes.
On the other side of the effort to restore the model they kindly sent me the first pre-production casting of NB2 of theirs which I painted up as a golden dragon.
Having seen what a great job they did with the Dragon I just had to buy another one of the 200 numbered limited edition run in metal and thus… Along comes number 6. And blow me down ! just found another on eBay – so number 7…. Seven Asgard Dragons ! – There will be 5 painted (4 by me plus Michael’s). I will keep the boxed original and Alternative Armies Ltd edition as they are, as display pieces in my collection. I even asked Gavin Syme and Sam Croes to sign the new one on the box.
This print of the original box cover (which is on the limited boxes of the new run too) is on my wall and is signed by all involved. Have a gander at those signatures.
So there you go a total of seven of this Dragon and as many as any sane man might want. Well perhaps!
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We thank Mark for this story of a life time of collecting and the joy of owning mighty fire lizards. In the second half of this article we present some pictures of different takes on NB2 Dragon as well as historical photos from 1982 as well for you to enjoy. Some from Mark’s collection and some from the internet and Lost Mini Wiki too.
Published by Penguin this book introduced many young men into the hobby in 1982.
A French magazine which had NB2 Dragon grace its cover in 1982
An NB2 Dragon under assembly on Mark Stevenson’s work desk. See FM23 Slug behind it?
NB2 Dragon painted by Richard Scott note the rider in place
NB2 Dragon painted by Ketil Trout and mounted on a rocky plinth base
NB3 and NB4 Dragon Rider and Dragon Saddle painted by Paul Sanderson
Thank you for your time.
GBS
