Adding to my Pictish Warband for Saga...and some carts!

Two of my Pictish long spearmen (I believe from Foundry)...the guy on the far left is my favorite

One of my long-term plans for Saga Dark Ages miniatures is to field a Pictish warband. I've always been interested in the Picts ever since reading about Robert E. Howard's fantasy depiction of them in his Conan the barbarian stories. Learning about the historical kingdom is even more interesting, though. They ruled what is now Scotland for many centuries before merging with the Scots-Irish, who'd immigrated from Ireland. Many of what we think of as "Scottish" names are Pictish, such as McNaughton (after the Pictish name Nechtan) and McBride (Brude, or some form of it, was also a Pictish one).

Judge for yourself my job on the Pictish checkered, tartan, or stripe cloaks

Back in my 15mm DBA Ancients days, I fielded a Pictish army, too. In fact, I still own them, and don't ever expect to get rid of them. WAY too many checkered and tartan cloaks, and tattoes (i.e., Picts, or "painted people"). I also remember vowing NEVER to do that army, again. So, here I am, creating them once more, but in 28mm! It is also interesting comparing my painting skill back then to what it is now. I honestly think I had a steadier hand and a better eye for fine detail then. I know and use more techniques now, such as washes and dry brushing, that I didn't use back then. But it could simply be the difference between a young man and a 56-year-old one!

I decided not to replace the horn blowers spear, while all the others have been cut out and replaced with wire spears

Anyway, the Saga list I will be using for the Picts is actually the "Scottish" one. Their actual Pictish list in Aetius & Arthur is meant for the early Picts that fought the Romans - not the ones who fought the Vikings, Saxons, etc. The early armies of Scotland actually had more in common, fighting style, I feel, with the Picts than with the Scots-Irish armies of Dal Riata. They used closely huddled masses of infantry armed with long spears, so I have been painting more and more infantry armed with long spears.

My newest-painted 28mm Essex, 2-horse wagon

In fact, I have been modifying the figures -- cutting out the cast-on lead spears with an X-acto knife and then replacing them with copper spears from North Star Miniatures. This has been a lot of work, but I am almost done. I have one final batch of long spear armed Picts on my painting table now, ready to be primed. These pictures are of a batch of six I just finished. I kept the lead spear for the guy blowing the horn, as I rationalized he might be towards the back and perhaps wield a smaller spear.

A close up of the loads I created for each of my three wagons, which can be popped in and out easily

One thing I also finished recently was an 28mm Essex 2-horse wagon. I've had it in my unpainted drawer for years, having finished off the two others I bought at the same time. A Saga scenario from Book of Battles called for three baggage elements (Prized Possessions), so I decided to see if I could get it painted up in time. When I first painted the other two wagons/carts, I left them empty, rationalizing that would give me good flexibility using them for various scenarios and periods. This has been true, as I even put French & Indian War women and children in them for a scenario where the menfolk are trying to escort their families to the local blockhouse. Well, I decided that while painting this last wagon I would make some bundles of goods that I could place in the wagon (or leave out), as the scenario dictated.

The load I created for the Essex two-wheeled cart I painted up years ago

I used some of the resin or plaster-cast scenery that I've obtained from various sources, epoxying the pieces down onto pieces of bass wood that were trimmed to fit exactly into each cart or wagon. Besides the treasure chests or sacks of food, I added a few beads from the local craft store that look like amphorae. I like how these pieces turned out, and think they add a lot to the look of the wagons.

Besides sacks of food and a treasure chest, I also included beads that looked like amphorae

The wagon itself was not too difficult to assemble and paint. I scratched my head a bit over how the pieces all went together, and still have one long pole I ended up not using because I could figure it out. Once it was all epoxied together, I spray-painted the bottom of it with Krylon acrylic black. I went over it with a 50/50 mixture of black acrylic paint and water, to make sure all the cracks and crevices were covered. Then, I did dark brown wet brush followed by a medium brown dry brush after the first coat had dried.

For the sides and top of the wagon, I used brush on black paint as a primer, then repeated the next two layers. I topped it off with a Khaki dry brush for highlights to bring out the wood grain. I know that an older wagon would end up being more gray than brown. I just like more how my version of wood looks than real life...ha, ha!

This burst in painting progress has been aided by my two Winter week break from school. Sadly, it is drawing to a close. I expect I can get started on the last of the Pictish long spearmen before class begins, again, though. Stay tuned to see!

Toob Lizards!

Touched up giant lizards from the clear plastic "Toob" creatures that you can find at craft and toy stores

I apologize for the very short update, but I wanted to post a photo of some more monsters I finished for my upcoming Ghost Archipelago games. When going through the list of wandering monsters, I saw the "Giant Lizard" category. I have one painted 25mm Iron Wind Metals Komodo dragon, but I hadn't thought to stock up. So, I needed more, in case more than one makes it way onto a board. I don't buy them very often, but the craft store Toob creatures can sometimes come in handy for miniature gamers. In this case, they had some that looked good, and would fit the bill.

I touched them up by dry-brushing them (light green for the green lizards, and pink for the red ones). I re-applied the speckled pattern, and touched up the eyes and mouth. Finally, I gave them a black wash and epoxied them onto a base and flocked them. I think they look pretty good for a little over $1 each.

Next up: Splintered Light Rats (which will be taking the place of the "Dricheans" on my South Seas Islands).

Another Two Units of Splintered Light mice

    Two more units for my Mice army to be used in my fantasy miniatures battle project

With the Lead Painter League done, I was free to work on any project that I wanted. I have a huge batch of Acheson Creations buildings coming in, but they have not arrived, yet. So, I foresee a lot of French & Indian War terrain, like forts, blockhouses, log cabins, and such in my near future. For the time being, though, I needed something else to paint up. I decided to do another two bases' worth of Splintered Light Miniatures mice for my fantasy miniatures battle project. I'd completed the first two stands for Round 1 of the League, so decided to add a couple more units.

    On the left, the Muenster regiment (motto on flag: "Here be Muensters!"....thanks, Nicole!)

Under these rules, each stand will be a self-contained unit. Awhile back, I'd purchased a huge bag of hexagons bases (about 1 3/4" across) from Litko for an -- as yet -- unrealized gladiator project. When I decided to slip this particular project in front of the gladiator one, I'd decided to use some of the hexagons as bases for my troops. The reason for that is the movement system will utilize a "gridless" hexagon board. If you have ever played the clicky aerial game "Crimson Skies" then you know what I am talking about. A unit lays down a number of hexagons in front of their position to indicate their path of movement. The unit base is then placed atop the final hex and that is its location.

    On the right, the Camembert regiment (motto on flag: "Oh Camembert, we stand on guard for thee!")

The result of all that is "units" are composed of 3-5 figures based on a single hexagon base. I sorted through my mice and decided to paint up a unit of spear and one of axes. I tossed one spear in with the axes to be its standard bearer, and added a hero mouse to the spear, as well. If you remember, the theme for the units in my mouse army is cheese. Each unit, or regiment, will take its name from a type of cheese. My first two units were Gouda and Brie. Each also has a battle slogan that uses the cheese brand as a pun. For these two units, I decided to go with Camembert ("Oh Camembert, we stand on guard for thee!") and Muenster ("Here be Muensters!"). I have my friend Nicole to thank for the Muenster slogan, by the way.

    Back view of the two regiments. I really like how the purple came out with its color wash!

The 18mm Splintered Light Miniatures I am using have very medieval-looking uniforms. So, I'd earlier decided to use the "rules of Heraldry" for my color patterns, as well. That meant no "color" (Black, Red, Green, Blue, Purple) on color, and no "Metal" (White, Yellow) on metal. The Muenster regiment has hooded cloaks, so I decided to go with a split Purple and Yellow color scheme. I decided to be lazy and not quarter the Camembert regiment, and also go with a split, half and half scheme. They would be blue and white.

I also decided to continue using the skills I'd picked up in this last round of the Lead Painters League. I did color washes on the four colors used for the mice's uniforms. I particularly liked how the purple came out. I painted it a base coat of lavender followed by a watered down wash of Iron Wind Metals "Tongue Purple." The same format was used for the other colors -- a pale base coat followed by a richer color wash. This is finished off by a dry brush of a very light shade in that tone. The three colors and the shaded tones of the wash gives it a more vibrant color, I feel.

The banners I once again produced in photoshop. The Muenster one had to be very narrow to fit in the small space between the mouse's head and the tip of the spear. So, I made it a long, flowing pennon type. For the Camembert regiment, I used a 28mm metal spear trimmed to size. I then used a pin vice to drill a hole in the base to secure it into. It was then pressed up against the outstretched paw of the hero mouse to make it look like he is grasping the standard.

Although I am painting very small miniatures when doing the mice, they still seem to go easier than the 28mm skirmish figures I paint with their riot of equipment -- especially the Conquest Miniatures Indians who will often have several bags, powder horns, etc., festooned all over them. Measuring about 14mm in height from feet to tips of their ears, these are small figures. The detail is well-cast, though, and I never really feel that anything is a stretch to do. I do their belts, for example, in two tones, just as I do for larger figures. I have always loved Splintered Light's line of miniatures. Every time I finish up a batch of them, I love them that much more...!

Rhinos, Hippos, and Apes, oh my!

    Beware the hungry, hungry hippo lurking in the rivers of my tabletop...

I have always enjoyed painting animals, whether in 28mm or 15mm. I think that even if they're used just for scenery, they always seem to make a good table look even better. So, when I finished my Southeast Asian temples awhile back, I thought I should raid my unpainted lead drawer and see what animals I have that would fit the locale. I have a decent-sized stock, and there were bound to be some in there that I could use in my games.

    A 28mm Iron Wind (Ral Partha) Rhino. This is probably my second favorite, after the hippo, of this batch of animals

What's more, Pulp Alley -- the rules I'm using for these games -- has a concept called "Perilous Areas." This is meant to be that generic dangerous part of the miniature tabletop. It could because of treacherous footing, a creaky old rope bridge, or even savage animals that might ambush the player. In the game, opponents can play a Fortune Card on a rival player when he enters one of those areas. These are "challenges" that they must pass using a designated character's statistic -- such as Cunning, Might, Dodge, etc. I envisioned these animals I painted up as perfect "markers" for perilous areas. You want to cross that jungle stream? Well, see that hippo in the water, that means it is a perilous area...will one get territorial and attack you, or will you pass the test?

    A nasty, ill-tempered denizen of my jungles are these over-sized porkers

So, when I hunted through my unpainted lead drawer (okay, rolling set of drawers!), I found a hippo. I also found a rhino, gorilla, wild board, cobra, and two water buffaloes. Yes, yes, I know. Not all of these animals are necessarily Southeast Asian, but it is close enough. These are Pulp games after all. Once you accept that you are being attacked by Pygmy Cannibals of the South Seas, you're not going to quibble about whether the type of rhino I painted up is native to the jungles of Southeast Asia!

    "Out of bananas again...? Why I oughta take the head offa the first dope who comes along...say, who's that over there?"

    I painted this up as an Egyptian banded cobra because I loved the yellow and black pattern

I believe all of these except for the water buffalo are from Iron Wind Metals. The descendants of Ral Partha, this company is a regular at the conventions I attend. I love sorting through their loose lead bin, and have a hard time coming away without my hands silvery and a brown paper bag full of animals that you-just-never-know if I'll need one day. After all, look at these beauties! Who knew that I'd be needing them to mark out perilous areas on a 28mm Pulp game? But there they are! Anyway, I highly, highly recommend hitting up Iron Wind at conventions. You'd be hard-pressed to find a better assortment of animals, dinosaurs, and various other loose metal bits that what they carry. They charge by the pound, too, so you can mix and match to your heart's desire.

    Two water buffalo posing by the second, smaller jungle hut I built in less than a week leading up to my second game of Dakota Smith's Oriental Adventures. Notice the improvised staircase of crates. Clever, aren't I? Ha, ha!

When I finished running the second installment of Dakota Smith's Oriental Adventures at my buddy Keith's the other night, one of my friends found these three Easter Island moai on his table. I snatched them up and told him I'd touch them up and flock them. I knew they'd be perfect for the next game. Yes, yes, I know Easter Island is nowhere near Southeast Asia! But these could fill the bill as primitive stone idols. I mean, last time I checked, Easter Island has never copyrighted the concept of a giant stone head. And if they did, their copyright expired with their civilization! Seriously, all I did to these guys was dry brush a lighter shade on exposed areas, give them a nice dark ink wash, and put flocking on the bases. It'll be a shame to give them back to Keith...I've always loved that otherworldly look of the moai. And yes, I have been to Easter Island in my travels. Here's a couple of my favorite photos from that trip to close out this post.

    I have no idea where these came from -- well, other than my friend's basement! I just had to snag them, touch them up, and get them ready for my next game.

What's up next? A small project and a really big one, size-wise...more to come soon!

    Iconic shot from Ranu Raruku -- the quarry on Easter Island

    One of my all-time favorite sunset shots I've ever taken

Chickens and Goats

    28mm chickens doing what chickens do...

A few of my purchases at Historicon 2013 this year were farm or village animals in 28mm. I figured they'd be useful for skirmishes for everything from the Dark Ages to the French & Indian War to Pulp or modern games. I already had painted up cows, horses, and pigs. I jumped when I saw a dealer selling 28mm chickens and goats, and snagged a pack of each. Sorry, I can't remember which dealer it was (but I do remember they were very reasonably priced). If anyone recognizes these figs and knows the manufacturer, feel free to comment. Jason Mirosavich responded to say they are from Architects of War.

Anyway, here are the chickens first. I was happy with the color patterns and think they turned out well. They will probably appear in a number of games from this point on. I mean, everybody likes chicken, right? It tastes just like....well, chicken! I based them up first on tiny washers, then used white glue to attach them to cardboard to hold onto while painting. I used a base coat of "Autumn brown," then dry brushed them Khaki very lightly. I added splotches of white after pulling up some images of chickens on Google. I think it is very important to look at photos of the animal you're trying to paint and not just do it form memory. There are often subtle colorings that you may have forgotten about that make them look realistic when complete. I added a red-brown "combs," dun-colored beaks, and black dots for eyes and they were done.

    28mm goats near a Celtic hut from Acheson Creations...Jenny insisted the white one be called "Cuddles" after a goat her aunt owned...!

The goats to a little more time -- mainly because I decided to paint them in a variety of colors. I used a Google image search to select 6 colorings and saved the photos onto my desktop. I then painted them either white, "Bambi Brown," or dark brown for a base coat. A lighter dry brush was followed by splotches of white or darker coloring to reproduce the photos. These painted up quickly as well, and will also likely see use in a variety of games. Sometimes, it is the little touches like barn yard animals that can make a game table look realistic and complete.

Next up are some Pygmy Cannibals of the South Pacific...seriously! Or was that Pygmy Headhunters? I painted a batch of 10 a little more than a year ago, and now I've got the rest of the pack to finish up. And yes...expect them to pop up in my Pulp skirmish games...!