Saga - Anglo Danish 4pt starter Warband

I joined in with a great group of hobbyists on a Facebook group called Miniature Modelling Mayhem, the idea being to inspire and motivate people to get a project of their own completed over a month. Each month you set your own target. They hold regular Google+ hangouts so you can chat to other like minded individuals regardless of your own location. As yet I have not joined a hangout, I need a better pc than I have to run the application and likewise a decent webcam.

The group can be found HERE 

So this month I set a small target, having several projects on the go at the moment I decided it would be good to use this monthly target to help me clear the lead pile one bit at a time. So for me it was one of the 2 Saga box sets I have.

I hit my target, basing these up last night. 4pts of Anglo Danish a total of 25 figures. 2 x 4 figure Hearthguards, 2 x 8 figure Warriors and a Warlord. The shields are all freehand and the Banner is of my own design.

Front and rear view of the Hearthguards and Warlord. I decided to raise the Warlord on a suitable rocky base, as if to give him a more commanding presence. 

This first point of warriors I decided to give plain or quartered shields too for identification purposes.

This 2nd point is differentiated by having a simple cross on the shields. Now before any rivet counters say purple was not a common colour, it is lilac and is a natural dye obtained from Elder berries and has been used in Britain for centuries.

Well that's me with a project completed and under my belt is a reduction in my personal lead pile. I have not decided on next months project yet, but it will either be to complete the half finished battalion of French Napoleonic Infantry or the Saga Saracen 4 pt warband I had started and not got very far with either.

Loki

War gaming chatter and a major rant

It's my 500th post on this here little bit of the internet, but I wont be doing a celebration post or giveaway on this occasion. Mainly as one is quite unprepared and my workload for the coming months is going to be very busy. Instead in this post I am going to give you my thoughts regarding

Sunday saw me jumping into the longship and travelling the short journey to Newark for Partizan.

Now I realise my situation as a professional painter means that often my main reason for attending shows is to deliver freshly painted figures, for either a manufacturer or a customer and sometimes both. However that does not mean I have too as the postal service is adequate on many occasions through the year. Some shows are just on my radar as ones I want to go to, because I like them. Sadly there are less shows on my must attend list than previous years, more on that later in this post. So let me get back to Partizan.

I arrived early in order to deliver my current package to EMP games who on Saturday opened up a Boxer Rebellion Kickstarter, if you want to know more about that please go HERE, for all the details as I dont want to repeat what has been said. I also had arranged to meet some customers and of course fellow Bloggers. Now the new venue, well its good with free parking and easy to get too. The Hall is large enough for a good one day show and even gives you room to navigate the crowds in relative comfort. The cost of entry is reasonable, and although the early crowds were a little heavy and possibly surprised the organisers, I expect partly due to the attendance at the Old Kelham hall venue was not large in recent years and it caught them out a little at how well attended it was from the off in its new home. 

I really liked how the new venue for this show was laid out, with a good mix of traders, although I think there is room to improve on the traders that attend. Some of the traders I would expect to see at a show like this were not there and the balance for me was a little off. As an example I like Magister Militum, always good for a proper browse with a wealth of products to entice me to part with cash easily and they carry many different scale products. There are many others I could have used as an example. Some of those that did attend had more space than product, warlord for example had a huge amount of floor space, that really looked to be twice what they actually needed and thus other companies could have plied their wares from.

Now being a gamer who likes to play with 15mm, I was sadly disappointed at the complete under representation of this scale, the only trader with 15's was Old Glory. No Timecast, Lancashire games etc. Maybe that situation will change in the future, or maybe I am just being selfish as it suits me to have a selection to choose from. That said it is my blog so I can say it!!

Of course the Blogger meet was a given although I managed to avoid the camera, thank you Sydney for being just the right size to hide my expanding waistline.

For a proper who's who here take a visit to Tamsin's BLOG where not only will you get a run down of all the faces in this motley gathering but you will be treated to a visual feast of the days games and an entertaining read. Which you are unlikely to get here....

Overall a nice show and one that will stay on my want to attend list....

Now get ready for the rant..... 

The Backpack, what is it with this item of apparel that the ubiquitous, smelly, overweight and down right ignorant, feck-wits think is suitable for using in a crowded venue whilst browsing the displays and games. I am sick to the back teeth of going to a show and some Feckin' arse wipe wearing one of these decides to barrel his way round and planting his pack right in your face without so much as an acknowledgment of being a dick. The bloody things are used for Hiking or Outdoor Pursuits, designed to hold your clothes, and other essential items whilst you hike the Feckin' Pennine way, or climb a mountain, not walk around a warehouse full of toy soldiers and other human beings....

While we are at it this next product is also designed for them too.....

Not that you would know it, as lurking in the same guise is awful personal hygiene. I mean come on how bloody hard can it be to actually get some water and a bar of feckin' soap and actually make everyone else's day out a little more pleasant an experience after all they should be essential items in your Feckin' backpack.

Right thats me in need of a nice soothing green tea, or some form of herbal remedy to calm and relax myself, until next time..

Loki

Relocating the Great Hall and other stuff

Hobby time has fallen somewhat into neglect for the short term. The main reason for this is I am packing away all the non essential gaming, research material, lead and ephemera, due to a relocation of the Great Hall. A few years ago I moved inside the house, taking up residence in the small spare bedroom, for betterment of my own physical health. However now my sons are not so small and have reached that age, where they could really do with a room each I am taking a short trip back into the wilderness. I have been steadily working away on my weekends preparing the site for my new Great Hall over the last month. Shifting Flower beds, removing Dry stone walls, repairing and painting fences. Currently I have the site cleared and am almost ready to begin construction.

Yes it's not looking very pretty at the moment I will agree, but I have cleared enough ground to allow me the luxury of building a new home that is at least 12ft x 6ft, which will be an improvement on the overcrowded situation in the current 6ft x 7ft room by some 30 sqft. This should allow me room to fit everything I have currently into a purpose built space, and have adequate storage as well and a larger amount of wall space. I have designed the new Hall with painting firmly in mind, positioning the windows to maximise the available indirect sunlight coming in. Combining this with proper plans for the interior layout to utilise the space optimally and I should be good to go in a couple of months. Certainly before the Summer is out, and definitely before Winter sets in. I am building it with a keen regard to ensuring that my health will not be affected by the cold, so it will be equipped with plenty of good quality insulation, and of course the all important ventilation required to ensure it does not get damp either.

One advantage I hope to achieve is the ability to have enough floor space to build a Command and Colours table, using Hexon terrain. That way I will be able to make plans for war in the Great Hall and get the mini generals playing more often, with a cramped house we are currently reduced to using the original game board only. More on this subject in the future.

Now I have finally managed to lock away the demon depression for a few months and have been flat out working on a whole variety of figures for Brigantes studio. Furthermore I have been finding some personal project time and have quite a bit currently underway.

I am working away at a battalion of pre 1812 French Napoleonic Infantry, and a 4pt warband of Saga Anglo Danes. There is no logical reason for me having started two projects at the same time, but in my warped mine lays a plan at least.

I also gave into temptation and bought another book recently, One that has been languishing on my wish list for far too long. There is a second volume that deals with the Cavalry and Artillery.

Staying on the subject of books I have also added all the latest PDF's that have been made available from the History book man to me these are invaluable resources for painting and the level of information and detail is superb for the cost. If you have any interest in Napoleonic uniforms then I can highly recommend a visit to the site, click the banner advert on the sidebar.

Well good reader that is all I have time for currently.

Regards
Loki