bench update 1 Apr 2022

Couple of progress shots of the technique I'm using on my Anglo-Danes.

The latex calk is rich earth and charcoal, both by Selleys. Fine grit mixes into the wet grey calk, and that goes on first. I used to premix, but that makes getting the mini in harder. Now I surface-sprinkle. 

Earth calk goes on then while everything is still wet (dab on more water as needed) embed the minis.

Use a edging brush to work the calk or grit-mix onto the bases thoroughly, you should ideally barely glimpse the base.

In this particular case I'm drifting flock on immediately, using a basic summer mix from Warlord Games. 

Once everything is dry I can add in brush and grass tufts.

Late Imperial Roman shield decals

Little Big Men decals arrived yesterday and after choking down a mix of panic and disappointment I've mounted 28.

No real attempt at accuracy... 

All except bottom right are scaled for Legio Heroica 18mm. The exceptions are a small set I ordered years ago, scaled for Gripping Beast 28mm. These are cut down (top and bottom trimmed) but otherwise fit well;

LH decals fit HaT cavalry pretty well. The huge heavies shields are a poor fit and will take some painting.

I have 28 more shields to do with decals, but they are all small ovoid or even circular, for auxilia. No immediate plan for them.

bench update 30 March 2022

With the 2nd run of 10, it may be time to turn to basing what I have finished.

The 2nd line was pretty easy as 2 minis were already painted (the Emhar pair) and just needed harmonizing with the others. I also had the advantage of knowing what style I'm going for now.

Basing is very much best done in total, but I'd like to see what combinations of basing I'm aiming for. Fact is, I don't have too many current-style British-Isles-based armies. All I can find are these Ancients: 

That there is red terracotta, grey stone, a thick flocking, and green foliage. Should be OK for the Anglo-Danes as far as supplies of materials goes.

highlights, shields

These are the shields I've ended up with for my four select fyrd. 

As a whole, these 10 are done except for a wash and probably some black fill, where mould undercuts leave chunks of plastic.

bench update 27 March 2022

I decided to work on one strip at a time, to not use primer, and to aim for brightness. On these (2 with Danish longbow, 4 select fyrd, 3 huscarls, and the standard bearer) I use yellow primrose undercoat for what you see here. 

bench update 24 March 2022

These updates are working - I hit a Roadblock again but powered through. 

I was reviewing the minis against my paper picklist and realized I had not solved the 8 huscarl minis, just the select fyrd.

So I circled back to conversion work I started last year (or 2020? 2019?) and got on with the job. Added in two of the Emhar minis with long hauberks (still don't look right but mixed among the others they should be OK). 

This shot has the extra huscarls to fore, the others (the first four I got sorted) behind.

bench update 23 March 2022

Trimmed out all but 8, and sealed most of those. My back is sore! 

bench update 22 March 2022

Few changes made, the Emhar minis are in the bin and most of the El Cid Spearman are back in their box. 

Emhar - too delicate to strip safely.

HaT - they just don't look quite right next to the Strelets. I'm using as many javelinmen as I can though, adding them into the Fyrd. 

Aside from washing mounting and vanishing one row, I've cut axes and swords off and drilled ready for spears, on all.

trimming out begins

Not much to report today. I've gotten a handle on the minis I'll use, made some initial decisions on replacing swords and axes with spears, put 11 Emhar minis in pine tar solution to begin paint stripping, and trimmed 10 minis ready. 

I'm most pleased to have 3 Danish axe armed huscarls and a standard bearer, for the command group. Two come from the El Cid Spanish set, two from Strelets' medieval Irish. They are all dressed wrong but look much more impressive and how do I put it, command-worthy, than the skinny Emhar minis.

The HaT minis are a soft but firm material most akin to rubber, while the Strelets plastic is firm but delicate. Very different under the blade! Care is needed to avoid over trimming Strelets or even lopping off a weapon.

I still have one more idea, using an Emhar top half with a Strelets bottom half, but that's pretty unlikely given the diametrically opposite sculpting style!

Anglo-Dane project (re)begins

So a while back I started trying to locate decent looking huscarl minis so that my rubbish mish-mash of Anglo-Saxon armies could morph to a distinct C11 Anglo-Dane army.

But what i concluded was that i just didn't have the minis. Over the Christmas break I ordered Strelets M003 Anglo-Saxons. They are very nice but sadly lacking in true huscarls wielding Danish axes.

Today I'm looking at the upgrade work, totted up what the army needs and what resources I have.

One of my chief resources is the Spanish Medieval Foot AKA El Cid Spanish Infantry from HaT. There are some great minis in there and plenty of spares, as it's a big-box.

Let's try to keep the momentum!

LIR II/78a done and ready to play!

Awaiting decals and a final decision on silver highlights but otherwise complete.

Basing is designed to blend with C5 Germanics and Hunnic, so as to add vexillii from that source or morph into Patrician period.

final detail on

Eyes, hands, some tunic detail, all done. Ready to flock barring a couple of black line corrections. Or maybe add silver to blade edges and spears?

results of focused work - six mounts

This is an afternoon's work!

set those doubts aside and get on with it!

After reviewing available art, I've decided to use the light horse from HaT late Roman light cavalry. It's a big box set, so I still have plenty to spare. 

So as a sign of commitment, I've ripped the riders off and the next stage will be to work on the six horses needed.

based but a hefty problem arises

I spent about 3 hours getting the lads off the double-sided tape (which is excellent btw) and onto bases.

But. 

There are two elements of heavies - the half-armored horses that depending on your source is cataphracts or not - and those really ought to be clothed but not armored.

Plastic Soldier Review made the same point, but it's only now they are assembled I can see how wrong they'll look pretending to be equites.

PSR suggests using other horses but I'm not really keen on a conversion project right now...

ready to base

Once I get those last stages in, the pace picks up, I feel motivated. Details details! Gotta balance what goes on before the magic wash and what after. 

I'm using Vallejo wash (really really dark) with about the same amount of clear varnish, because remember these are plastic, the varnish is vital to sandwich all main paint layers and hold delicate plastic joints together.

I used a big artist's brush to get rid of excess wash, bit slow on a couple leaving a black runnel. Probably should have tried one of the makeup brushes I ordered.

I need them on common bases so I can select the same highlights for each element. Eg helmet crests, silver highlights on belts.

bench update 14 March

With white on the shield faces and color on the horses everything looks a lot more finished!

The horse color was interesting. Since everything is black base and gray highlights I have just used highlight brown and top highlight red brown or tan.

bench update 11 March 2022

Just a quick shot of the Artillery element. This is from HaT's light troops. I decided to cope with the 3-part assembly by fixing the stands first then adding the ballistae.

bench update 7 March 2022

Definitely seeing some color!