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| Plastic frames awaiting assembly |
I'm trying to concentrate on a couple of projects this week, however, somehow I doubt I'll be able to keep focused! First I have a pile of Gripping Beast plastic Dark Age figures - which I have had kicking around for some time. My aim is to build these as Bretons to fight alongside their Norman allies at the Battle of Hastings.
There are six frames of five figures on each and I was able to rummage through my spares box to find enough spare 'Norman heads', heads with helmets and kite shields to make 21 Bretons.
A number of the spare heads were from the Saxon Warrior box, sounds fiddly (and t was) but using a sharp modelling knife - I cut off any mustaches from the Saxon heads as the Normans at the time were clean shaven...
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| Battle Fag Transfers |
In my mind,the Bretons are the poorer cousins of the Normans, keen to follow Norman fashion but not quite at their level, not sure about the historical accuracy of this assumption but I will have their men not quite so well equipped and so these generic Dark Age warrior types can make up their back ranks, giving the units a distinctive look and feel.
The figures are based on 2 pence pieces and so once glued on, I undercoated in white before painting the little guys in largely muted colours - although I have done one in red, a couple in maroon and a few in light or dark blue.
I used shield transfers on these figures and then painted over with matte varnish. Figures were based in my normal manner.
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| First Line of 7 Bretons |
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| Second Line of Bretons |
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| Third Line of Bretons |
These photos taken just before I sprayed the figures with matt varnish, to remove the shine
Calculations: 21 x 28mm Foot figures @ 5 Points ea = 105 Points
Next item are 4 x 28mm 17th Century Spanish Musicians from The Morados Viejos, or "Old Purples", this unit originated in 1632 as the Tercio de Sevilla, or Regiment of Seville, and was the oldest "standing" Tercio in service through to the early 1700s.
The figures are from Phoenix Miniatures, previously available from North Star but sadly these seem to have disappeared from sight about 18 months ago. I have a regiment of the 'Old Purples' already painted-up, I thought I'd add a small vignette of some musicians playing to add colour to the table top, not that colour was in short supply for Spanish armies of the period - each Tercio being uniformed in separate distinctive colours!
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| Spanish Musicians from the 'Old Purples' Tercio |
So in the group is a drummer, 2 fifers and a piper - yes the Bagpipes were a reasonably common musical installment of the period and not limited to the Scottish Highlands!
Figures were undercoated in white and painted in my normal way, then based on an 80 x 40mm base. Job Done!
Calculations: 4 x 28mm Foot figures @ 5 Points ea = 20 Points
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| Raw plastic figures |
Next item are a group of WW1 British Infantry, heavy Weapons Squad, painted up for my VBCW project. Alsofound were a group of 4mounted figures, believe these were with the Artillery set and these are going to be pressed into service as VNCW Cavalrymen.
Again they represent the Liverpool Workers Council and again they are from a plastic HaT set.
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| Liverpool Workers Council Heavy Weapons Team |
BTW, I found another Field Gun team, which I will tackle in a future week...
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| Mounted Figures |
Calculations: 5 x 20mm Foot figures @ 4 Points ea = 20 Points
2 x 20mm Prone Figures @ 2 Points ea = 4 Points
4 x 20mm Mounted Figures @ 8 Points ea = 32 Points
Total 56 Points
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Next Batch of 17th Century Figures,
incl Spanish Musicians
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I mention it here to 'force' myself to do the painting! Even if it's in between other items I may decide to paint up, who knows if I'll get them finished this week!
Calculations: 21 x 28mm Foot figures @ 5 Points ea = 105 Points
4 x 28mm Foot figures @ 5 Points ea = 20 Points
5 x 20mm Foot figures @ 4 Points ea = 20 Points
4 x 20mm Mounted Figures @ 8 Points ea = 32 Points
2 x 20mm Prone Figures @ 2 Points ea = 4 Points
TOTAL = 105 + 20 +20 +32 +4 = 181 Points
