Continental Cousins

With an upcoming DBA-ish campaign based around either the Norman Conquest of Sicily or the First Crusade on the horizon, I decided to get some Normans on the painting bench, in order that I could take part properly, rather than using my much later Scots as proxies, or sponging off the other players for appropriate figures.

So far I've only managed to get the general finished and based, along with his standard bearer and loyal attendant/ evil henchman (depending on your viewpoint).

Baron D'Guyerre* (10 pts for spotting the movie reference...)

I also procured some Vikings (since that's my prime, if not only real, interest in dark age/early mediaeval forces) however, haven't made a start on them yet, since they'll be of limited utility in the campaign we have planned (unless there are some spectacularly unlucky dice rolls...). However, the dread fleet of Haakon the Bastard and Magnus Trollhammern should make an appearance at some point soon. Maybe...

Quite pleased with how these have turned out, if only that they don't somehow look especially "Norman", though hopefully the next few batches should remedy that. The bases were intended to be a bit of a compromise; I'd initially just intended on doing them in plain desert colours, but then thought that I would like them to be usable as Conquest era Normans against Saxons, Scots, Vikings, etc, so had to get some sort of greenery into them, without making them exclusively North West European looking. I think the trade off worked reasonably well. Like MTP, it doesn't blend in perfectly with temperate or desert settings, but doesn't look hopelessly out of place in either of those either.

However, I'm now engaged in a bit of a push to get some more Cold War Soviets done, so we'll see when the next batch of Normans gets finished...

Cheers
Iain


*In the fine tradition of "William the Bastard,", he was going simply be "Stephen the Cunt", but I decded against it.

More Mediaevals...

Managed to get another couple of bases of mediaevals done in time for the deadline of Task 2 of the Guild's 2014 build. Another base each of archers and pike for my 15mm Feudal Scots. Minis are, predictably, Essex.

And a group shot of my entry for the task. One day I'll have enough for a proper group shot...

Of late, the hot weather has made my workbench a thouroughly unpleasant place to be (it's in the loft), and real life has been somewhat hectic both at work and home. However, come the Autumn, I should be able to get beasted on with some more regular painting...

Cheers
Iain

Ane Mediaeval Update

As is probably evident from the scarcity of posts on here of late, I’ve been languishing in the depths of the dreaded Painter’s Block for the last few weeks. Outside pressures at work, a recent spell of warm weather and other things are major contributing factors in this, and hopefully I should be able to shake it off soon, and return to some sort of productive output.

Thankfully before the rot set in, I did manage to turn out another couple bases of 15mm Feudal Scots, and finish off Sir Gilbert.

Another base of pikemen for the second rank. Had a slight disaster with the matt varnish on these boys, and a desperate rescue attempt ensued.  Again, probably mainly down to me thinning it down too much and putting too much on…

My first base of archers. Note the longbows! As I’ve ranted about previously, there’s no historical basis for the assertion that the Scots used a “shortbow”. The inferiority of the Scots archers in these campaigns derived more from their lack of numbers and tactical employment, rather than any deficiencies in equipment. Indeed, given that in years to come, during the Hundred Years War, the King of France instituted his Scots Archer Guard, the ability of Scots archers on a one-to-one basis must have been fairly well respected.

Also, a further myth is that “all Scottish archers came from the Ettrick Forest”. Not so. The forest of Ettrick may well have(and probably did) supplied a higher percentage of archers, or indeed some of markedly superior quality, but it was by no means the sole source of bowmen in the Scottish Army. Amongst other places, Kilsyth was named in muster rolls as supplying a quantity of archers as its contribution to the war effort. With this in mind, I’m trying hard to avoid painting my archers as a raft of Robin Hood clones in varying shades of green and brown…!

Sir Gilbert de la Haye. He’s finished and awaiting the completion of the Marschal and High Steward to join him on a base of three.

I’d made a start on another base of pike, another base of archers and Sir Robert Keith, when the dreaded Block set in, so no further progress for now. Disturbingly, I’m being tempted back to the Cold War lately, so who knows when they’ll get finished…

Cheers,

Iain.

Mediaeval Steel

I now challenge you to get this out of your head;

Now that’s the background music sorted, on with the toys. Since I’m now back on the15mm Mediaeval swing, thought I’d take some better pictures of the Feudal Scots I’d previously posted here, in addition to new work in progress.

As previously noted, the plan behind this project is the Feudal host of Alexander III, with a bit of forward stretch to Bannockburn. Maybe.  At some point. Essentially it was an excuse to paint the heraldry of the combined nobility of Scotland in 15mm. Not one of my brighter ideas, I grant you. With this in mind, some heavy horse were the first pieces to be painted. Normal DBM rules call for a maximum of 5 bases of these guys, at three figures a pop. I’ve got 12 to do, as conventional DBM games, featuring “what everyone knows” as the composition of Scottish mediaeval armies do not figure in my plans.

The Community  of the Realm

The first couple of bases finished feature some of the pre-eminent Earls and Lords of the Kingdom. From left to right-

John de Strathbogie, Earl of Atholl; Uilleam II, Earl of Ross; Maol Iosa III, Earl of Strathearn; Domhnall I, Earl of Mar; John Comyn, Earl of Buchan; John II “The Black” Comyn, Lord of Badenoch.

Atholl, Ross, Strathearn 

Mar, Buchan, Badenoch

Work in Progress, Gilbert de la Haye, Constable of Scotland.

He’ll feature on a base with two of the other Great Officers of Scotland; Walter Stewart, the High Steward, and William Keith, the Earl Marschall.

The Commonality of the Realm

The inevitable pike blocks. In this case, lead by Robert Wishart, the indefatigable Bishop of Glasgow. Wishart can be seen in the front rank, resplendent in his red and white heraldry, attired “like a man of war”, and in possession of his trusty flanged mace; as a churchman, Wishart was forbidden to use an edge against another man, however this did not it would seem, prohibit  him from spattering out their brains with a blunt object…

When finished, the schiltron will be 4 rank deep, with the well equipped, semi-professional soldiers in the front rank, with the better off burgesses and farmers behind them, backed up by the more poorly equipped subtenants, cottars and other “arrant scum”.

Wishart and Co.

“Never mind your leaky roof, Abbot, The Cause needs more lead for a trebuchet counterweight…”

Front ranks

Second rank

I’m currently working on another base of second rank men, and making a start on the Earl Marschall. However, doinf nothing but heavy horse and pike has sent me a little strange, so to counteract this, I’ve ordered some archers from Essex Miniatures, enough to do 8 bases of three, under the command of Sir John Stewart of Bonkyll.

Other more esoteric units to follow will be ribaulds (also on order), hobilars, Highlanders and Islesmen. I’ll intersperse the painting of these with more pike and heavy horse, in a desperate bid to preserve my sanity, or at least until I get another attack of the Ooh Shinies, and whale off to do more 20mm Cold War, or 28mm French & Indian War, or Hundred Years War, or…

Cheers

Iain