A friend usually plays this excellent board game (Heroquest) with his two ten years daughters. As they liked my painted miniatures i started to look for a small gift for them. First i was trying to acquire the original figures from the game, but.. uhh. they are quite expensive, even if there are a lot and they aren’t very good neither special figures. So then i started to look up for a dwarf, a mage, a barbarian and an elf in other brands.
I had pending to buy some Reaper miniatures for my own, so i took a look over his extensive range and soon i found what i was looking for.
Three of them are Reaper Bones (Except Barbarian), a very cheap range cast in a quite bendable plastic, not the best texture for paint, neither material, but for sure the cheaper one you will find around. Mage works pretty well, his stick was bended, as well as the elf sword, but a few seconds in boiling water (in a glass in the microwave), and it took a good position. I enjoyed a lot making the parchment’s details, and all areas are quite well detailed. Dwarf and over more, Elf, were not so easy to paint. In some areas detail is a bit confused, you are not very sure about what are you painting, and some details are very superficial. For example the Peacock in elf’s shield have some nice patterns everywhere.. but after prime and a base coat, neither a wash reveal them.
I read some forums before paint the Bones ones, some people seems to have problems priming this kind of miniatures. I must way it was fine to me. I primed them with white (Citadel) primer.
Barbarian is a metal cast figure, and it’s an excellent ones.
An the end, the little customers are happy with his present, so me too.
One last note, with my shipping, Reaper send a free sample paint bottle, from a brand i never tried before, called Master Series Paints (the full range is available in the Reaper store), and i must admit i like this paint.
Reaper Bones: 77054: Galladon, Male WizardReaper Bones: 77054: Galladon, Male WizardReaper Bones: 77074: Dain DeepaxeReaper Bones: 77074: Dain DeepaxeReaper Bones: 77044: Turanil, Male Elf PaladinReaper Bones: 77044: Turanil, Male Elf PaladinReaper Dark Heaven Legends: 03619: Cal Arath, Barbarian PrinceReaper Dark Heaven Legends: 03619: Cal Arath, Barbarian Prince
This will be the year of many first times.. and this is the first time about zombies…
They are from the excellent range by Red Box Games, they have 9 different undead poses within his Infernal range, called LEsser Undead.
For decorating bases i took care of and old Woodland Scenics cemetery, it’s HO scale, 1/87.. but it looks right, not ??
It’s a not very hard work, they have a beautiful detail… but almost wearing nothing.. so not many to paint. I used different skin tones just to get some variation to the ranks.
More nice Red Box Games figures will come soon.. ok.. not so soon, just this year.
HassleFree Fantasy Humans (and a Undead Necromancer)
I painted some of my single figures to start the year. All are by Hasslefree Miniatures, and all, have an excellent detail level, beautiful movement and perfect proportions. These figures, are probably the best i ever painted.
They are intended to join my Kings Of War Human’s Army. Some will be Heroes, some other will be ranked as captains. And probably Taxxis will never play.. who knows, she can be a good mage too.
I did some artistic touch on pictures this time, but i also attach original ones.
Taxxis (B)FerrusVolk the BastardAkos the ScornedLibby & Sabre-tooth Tigress
A family picture with some other beast i painted too…
And the normal pictures.. (click on them to enlarge)
Dwarf Kings Box.
Well box is not complete in this post because Berserker Lord was already painted a few weeks ago, take a look here to see him.
I used NMM everywhere in this work, they said practise is the way.. so i’m trying, but not very happy with result, seems that more practice is need. Anyway, at least Dwarf Warsmith looks quite good for me (Central figure), not so happy with other two, king (Left ones) and Army Standard Bearer (Right ones)
Not much more to say about this, this is probably last one in the year, now the stash is organized, Christmas season are not for paint, better to get drunk anywhere (and enjoy family, of course) !!!
As resume of this year i can say about 250 figures have been painted, among 4 elephants, 5 chariots and 10 guns.. not a bad year, isn’t it ?? All the works of this year can be found in the Gallery section, from Tatars & Cossacks to Ancient Indian and Macedonian Successors.
Next year will see the end of the Polish Renaissance army (Pancerni didn’t entered this year just by a couple of weeks more) and a lot of surprises and excellent miniatures by Red Box Games, Mierce, Mantic, Warlord Games or 1st Corps. We will try our best, as always (Hope to find also some time to my own KoW army, based mostly in Perry miniatures with some nice surprises by Hasslefree.).
As i will probably not will write again this year, i wish you a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Not everything can be renaissance polish… so a small update with a very nice Mantic Games figures, a Berserker Lord for their Kings of War game.
PAINT GUIDE: Skin
For the skin tones i used the Skin paint set by scale 75, following more or less their guide included.
Base colour is Pink flesh (also can be used Citadel Dwarf flesh (old name)) , then i apply a wash of Citadel Ogryn Flesh (now called Reikland flesh tone).
Then two successive highlights with a mix of Pink Flesh + Gold Flesh increasing Gold Flesh in each iteration (This can be done also mixing Citadel Dwarf flesh + Elf flesh (sorry i don’t know the new names))
As this set haves another colour called Light Flesh i added two extra highlights mixing Gold Flesh + Light Flesh.
To end, very small touches of the Pale Flesh (Vallejo haves a similar skin tone called Light Flesh)
Gold Metal parts
Trying some NMM technique here, using Vallejo Model Color, from their special set for NMM.
Base colour is Heavy Brown, to add some more contrast you can give it a wash of Devlan Mud or Dark Tone by The Army Painter.
Then apply Gold Brown, and then 2 or 3 successive highlights with Gold Brown + White, increasing the white in each mix.
To end, a very small touches of pure white.
Silver Metal parts
Very similar to gold tones, but varying colours used. Base colour is Cold grey (also from Vallejo Model Color NMM set), apply a black wash, and then start to highlight with Cold Grey + White. To end a final touch of pure white in the edges.
The blueish tone around the gold area in the axes is done with diluted turquoise blue, mixed with some white.
Cape (Red)
Base colour is a dark red, Citadel have some one in their range, but any other will work. I apply a first highlight of Vallejo Flat Red, and then to homogenize tone i wash with a red wash (From The Army Painter in my case).
Then i highlight again with Flat Red and to end a final touch with Vermilion Red (Vallejo)
Cape (Back)
Maybe this is the easier part, and it can be done with a lot of colours, just choose your favourite brown or grey, depend on the style of cape you want.
I used Vallejo Brown Sand, washed with Dark Tone (Army Painter) , some parts where highlighted (dry brush) with the Brown Sand again and some other with a mix of White + Brown Sand. Some final touches of this last highlight were applied by brush.
Skull
Base coat is a pale white, such “Rotting Flesh” or “Skull white” , black wash the eyes caves, and then pure white.
Dwarf beard is done with a grey colour, washing black, and highlighting with pure white, first by dry brush and then some small touches with brush to emphasize some parts.
First of all, a well bunch of Mounted Cossacks, as irregulars, the most common for those men. War in East Europe can’t be understand without Cossacks for a well bunch of centuries from Renaissance to WWII. So any army for this area period must have or fight some cossacks in their files, was usual to see these guys fighting with or against the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth, as well as fighting against Tatars, another folk with quite similar life way.
Both were famous for their raids, so cavalry was the most important part of the army.
Cossack organization were quite important and operative during this centuries and they were a pain in the ass for Ottomans, Muscovites and Polish-Lithuanian but also an important allied.
TAG provide a well bunch of blisters for this topic, so probably you can find there all you need to set up a Cossack party. Figures and casting haves the usual quality in the brand. To say and odd, maybe the horses aren’t best in the market, but they do his job reasonably well.
Paint all those hordes, with so many colour change are more tedious and laborious than other units, but at the end, the work is done. Officers’ capes are decorated using “nails decals”, yes you have read right, painting over them. Patterns are very limited but they can be useful, although this time we are not so satisfied with result as happened in the Haiduks regiments, where we used this technique for first time.
Mounted Cossacks – Registered
Part of the Cossacks were in stable service of the Polish-Commonwealth, those we call “registered” cossacks, most of them Zaporozhian Cossacks. Probably uniforms were in-existent for those unit, but we take this license inspired by a work which was published in the old TAG gallery, unfortunately they changed their web site, ans seems to be not available any more.
Figures are exactly the same used for the irregular cossacks above (Who also are registered, as are intended to be part of the Polish army).
For the officer cape decoration i tried a new method based in some custom decal print, but it was a failure, but with this experience, soon i will show more work using this technique.
Tatars & Lithuanian Tatars
Tatars are the heirs of the “Golden Horde” of Genghis Khan’s, the west part of his empire. Tatars, mainly weren’t part of the Commonwealth, but some of them, in fact, were. The term “Lithuanian Tatars” is unknown for us, we reference it because so is how TAG call that blister. But their appearance and horses, are exactly the same used in Cossacks blister, opposite to Tatars, mounting the small steppe horses and with a different and characteristic costume. In the pictures all the “Lithuanian Tatars” are those using pistols, a nice addition to the Cossack horde, while Tatars, are carrying spears and bows, maybe some old fashioned for the period, but it was so. Posses are very dynamic, we specially like ones charging with the spear and those firing the bows. Well done figures.
Cossack on Foot
Although Mounted Cossack were the most important for raids, Cossack on foot were also raised in high numbers during this period. TAG also haves a well bunch of references for this, providing pike as well as musket figures. Pistols and sabres are common too. In the ranks we see an Orthodox priest, a gift figure by TAG, as well as a drinking Cossack, which also is part of the gift range for the Renaissance era.
Completing the rank some Muscovite guards. We already used some of them in the Haiduks ranks, but here it’s just a question of clean the stash !!
Two flags are my own pattern, middle one by Battle-Flag.com
Priest is a nice figure, from the Gift figures by TAG
All the batch.
And that’s all. Sorry for the poor quality of picture below. Another batch of the army completed. We start now the last one, the well know and beautiful Pancerni. Also we are working in some gabions positions for the artillery and a small surprise which can’t uncover today.
Something different for today.
A friend will assist next Weekend to the first Official Regional Tournament of “Kings of War” in Madrid (Spain). As he run out of time to bring his army fully painted to the tournament i offered my help painting this beautiful Dwarf regiment, mounted in Brocks !! a very different subject to our usual work.
This figures are cast in a sort of soft plastic / resin, right arm is separated so you have different combinations. The three especial figures have the the right arm cast of metal. The musician, that sort of auto-drum, get a lot of metal in the right arm, so it’s a very unstable figure even once based. If you works your own one try to put the arm as closets to the body as you can.
Another hard point in this figures are the capes, you must need to work with putty to fill the junction on shoulders, is a not very well engineered part. Also for our personal taste, fabric capes would allow a more colorist / striking paint work, but they are skins, probably also of Brock, although we avoid the same pattern used in Brock to don’t homogenize to much colours used.
Also you have to take care about the cape angle, or it will avoid a correct position of the saddle over the brock, as cape block the correct position because hit the brock’s back before the saddle is in the correct position.
Heads, some Brocks armour plates, and Brock’s heads for the capes are also separated parts. I prefer to don’t use the Brock’s heads in the capes, but they already came glued to me.
There are just a few parts were you can put colour, so i used blue, easy to highlight and very striking, to counteract so many metal and skins.
Brock can be painted in several patterns, just take a look at real ones and choose your right ones. They came in two valves and there are two different poses.
Overall detail in figures is very good, there are some small mould lines, and the soft material used not always easy to work with a knife in intricate parts, but they are very nice figures.
It have been a pleasure to work on something different for a while.
I was looking for some decent Cossack flags as well as some flags for my Haiduks regiments, but at the end i didn’t found any commercial ones of my taste. If you have been following my work for this period, you know i already used Battle-Flags.com ones but even if they are excellent flags, they don’t cover all my needs.
So, after some time looking for them, i committed myself to give a try to my skills with Photoshop, and i found on Wikipedia a great source of plain flags to work on it. Most of the work is based on Alex Tora work, but not only. After check all images copyrights, i’m allowed not only to use them but also to distribute my work, which hopefully will be used by other period enthusiast. Remember always that flags are sized for 28mm figures. It’s possible to reduce and adapt them to 15mm, but if you try to make them bigger it can implies a quality loss.
I did 3 plates to full fill my needs. Maybe the mix on the plates haven’t much sense, as it’s a mix of Polish and Cossacks flags, but i did it just thinking on my needs, and not in distribute it.
Plate 2 Credits of the image as follow: Herb Polski.svg by Follow by white rabbit . This image is in the public domain according to Article 4, case 2 of the Polish Copyright Law Act of February 4, 1994 (Dz. U. z 2006 r. Nr 90 poz. 631 with later changes) “normative acts and drafts thereof as well as official documents, materials, signs and symbols are not subject to copyrights”. Hence it is assumed that this image has been released into public domain. However in some instances the use of this image in Poland might be regulated by other laws.
Plate 3 Credits of the image as follow: Herb Polski.svg by Follow by white rabbit . This image is in the public domain according to Article 4, case 2 of the Polish Copyright Law Act of February 4, 1994 (Dz. U. z 2006 r. Nr 90 poz. 631 with later changes) “normative acts and drafts thereof as well as official documents, materials, signs and symbols are not subject to copyrights”. Hence it is assumed that this image has been released into public domain. However in some instances the use of this image in Poland might be regulated by other laws.
My design of the Haiduks flags are inspired but freely adapted from the ones showed in the Stockholm Roll
Plate III Re-Do
Changed some colours as well as size for these infantry flags, which should be bigger than cavalry ones.
Download: Please, note than images showed here, are low resolution ones, i don’t recommend to print that files, instead of them, you can use the following links to download the high resolution ones, allowing to you a good printing. (Click right button and choose “save link as” or open in new tab to see the full image) UPDATED 14/08/2014, png files changed to high resolution pdf for easier print. Plate I Full Resolution. Plate II Full Resolution. Plate III Full Resolution. (NOT RECOMMENDED USE PLATE IV INSTEAD OF THIS) Plate IV Full Resolution.
Instructions & Recommendations for printing:
High resolutions files will looks too big if you open them in an internet browser or picture viewer, this is because they are coded at 300dpi resolution images. If you open them in a image editor program such Photoshop (Commercial) or Gimp (Free), you will find they are adjusted to full fill an A4 landscape orientation paper. If you go to a professional print centre they will know how to handle this. Cost to print one single page (full digital quality) should be around or less than 50 Euro cent.
About the paper i recommend to you a matte paper, and as more slim as the printer can. Avoid thicker and brightness papers used in print centres, and ask him for standard paper, or best of all, archival matte paper (for ink-jet printers). If you plan to print yourself the flags, at home, i recommend to you the usage of the archival matte paper. It’s an inversion, but you can use this paper to print tons of flags, which surely you will need in the future.
Some colour tones like blue or red vary from printer to printer, i adjusted tones used in the images for my printer. If you feel as wrong some of the colour and can’t change colour configuration in your printer, i can supply you original PSD files, so you can directly modify the image colours.
Hope you find this useful, soon i will show how they look onto my Haiduks and then onto the Cossacks as soon as they will be available.
And now how they look !
Mostly showed here Plate IV, at the end my Haiduks regiments have some flag.
I used an old injected ink printer, with a special matte paper, at the end, i’m happy with final result, although it need several tries, printing from several programs. I used “photo quality” in the printer configuration. To save troubles to others i converted downloadable files to pdf format, which should works good for everybody.
First flag on the left is not mine, it’s one of the flags purchased at Battle-Flag.com, good to compare quality and size of my own ones.
Renaissance is a period full of interesting units, some times everything looks the same, pikes and muskets in a sort of colours populated all the armies from Germany to England. Eastern topics and Ottoman empire add a touch of colour and a well bunch of “exotic” topics. But almost each country had particular regiments which are a pleasure to paint and depict. The Krakow Militia, is one of the best exponents of this. Krakow is a western polish city and in the time, and now, very influenced by Germany, in costumes and all. Also it was a rich city and because this his militia was full equipped and dressed at the time.
Based on an excellent picture from an Osprey book, this guys are usually depicted as showed here, dated so for early 17th century.
All figures are by TAG (The Assault Group) who provide you 3 different blister for the topic, two musketeers one plus a command, which includes a drummer ,flag bearer and two officers.
The flag itself is hand painted, i did a b/w print including cross and then hand painted it, although probably blue tone is not the very right ones.
Yellow strips are already sculpted in trouser but not in jackets. Best way (for me) to handle this was to paint a wider yellow strip and then one slim blue strip in the middle, that works better (for me) than try to paint two slim parallels yellow strips.
This ends the infantry scheduled for the Polish army (that think my client), joining the four Haiduks regiments already delivered, for a big total of around 125 infantry figures.
A nice mix of brands to make a whole artillery battery for the Polish Renaissance Army. It includes from “super” heavy pieces to the very small Cossack sled guns, and a mix of artillery crews in eastern/Cossack style and German/Western style.
From big to small they are as follows.
Super Heavy Artillery. Lead Adventure BRU-42 Cannon “God’s Hammer”
Lead Adventure produces some awesome miniatures, based on Fantasy subjects, but within his Bruegelburg range, a sort of dystopia Renaissance, you can find several useful items. Specially caught my eyes the beautiful and big cannons, and i choose the God’s Hammer ones to reinforce this artillery battery. It can look some fantasy at first sight, but as other times, truth is stranger than fiction, and after take a look at Tsar Cannon i found this Lead Adventure gun more than possible to happen in truth.
Tsar Gun
To give the whole scene more contrast i painted crew in red tones.
Cast quality is top level, as the sculpture is. I painted it using a sort of NMM technique in a base of metallic colours, using mainly vallejo model color paints.
The artillery crew is by The Assault Group, Russian labourers/gun crew REN208 painted in a mix of old Citadel & Vallejo paints.
Washes here, as in the whole lot, are mainly from the Army Painter, including coloured ones.
Tufts are this time a novelty for me, as for first time i’m using Tajima1 tufts, who haves a good and recommendable range.
Size Comparison with the largest guns by TAG & Warlord.
Heavy Artillery. TAG – Warlord – Bicorne (Only Crew)
Next we have 4 ordinance pieces, 3 by The Assault Group and one by Warlord Games. The Crews are a mixing of TAG, Warlord and Bicorne, plus two Warlod Plastic conversions, to fill gaps in the crew numbers. The group is intended to have 4 crew men per gun, Bicorne pack has five figures and the Warlord conversion fill the gap of Fuse men not included in the TAG pack (TAG has another pack which include Fuse men). Fuses itself are a separate accessory pack also by TAG.
As the intention for the whole Polish Army is to cover from early 17th to late 17th century different period weapons are depicted here.
Warlord guys, second figure in the left, is probably the best figure in all this batch. The right guy comes with Bicorne crew. The officer has changed his sword by a fuse to make numbers.Bicorne guys, they are quite big for 28mm scale, but are good figures. The officer remember to me to that 1/72 used by Revell in his artillery set for the period.
The Assault Group guys, they come 4 per pack, but the pack used here haven’t fuse men.
Two Warlord Plastic guys reinforce TAG crews.
And now a size comparison picture with all the crews used in this batch.
Warlord Plastic and Bicorne are quite big for the scale, while Warlord Metal and TAG are the smaller in the batch. In the middle, a guy from the Krakow Militia by TAG
All figures and guns have a good cast and sculpture. Probably, about the sculpture, Warlord metal guys are one step above, plenty full of crispy detail.
Light Artillery. The Assault Group (TAG)
To end this batch, the smallest pieces. All by TAG, also the crew used here, which is Cossack labourers/gun crew
REN207. This is just a way to depict the batch, as all the crews are intended to operate any of the guns. Only the two sled guns are purely intended for this Cossack guys.
Again, a mix of early and not so early pieces are showed here to cover all the 17th century.
A family picture. All the guns.
All the guns & Crews.
So at the end, we have 10 guns, 2 sled guns, 3 light guns, 4 heavy guns and 1 super heavy gun. I hope it’s artillery enough to support the Polish army. The 38 crew men are intended to be used in crews of 4, except the sled guns, with two crew men assigned, and can be used in a lot of combinations, having all crews at least one fuse men, and there is one extra crew, the Russian style ones.
One client commissioned me to reinforce two of his existing armies, and antagonist ones. By one side, Macedonian successors, a term which can mean a lot of different kingdoms over a couple of centuries at least. By the other side, Ancient Indians, suitable to face Alexander The Great himself or one of his successor kingdoms.
All the batch is based in 1st Corps Miniatures, a brand with a wide range from Ancients to Sci-Fi, through Medieval or Second World war.
This have been my first time with ancients 28mm, and mixing feelings came in the end. Is not my best work, for sure, I’ve enjoyed some parts and not so much others, but at the end, the work is done at an acceptable quality, i hope.
To begin the show, some very nice beast of war, two war elephants, references EL, C. Indian Elephant and EL, D Indian Elephant as well as two dead elephants, reference EL,M. Dead Elephant with tower.
This elephants are all cast in resin, with some metal parts as fangs and trunk (except the dead elephant who haves it already cast in resin). Cast is very fine, no bubbles neither resin excess. To correctly fit trunks and fangs you will need some putty to fill gaps, but nothing specially hard. Crews used here are reference ELC07 Successor crew 5, this reference seems to be intended for larger towers, as it comes with five figures, one driver and 4 men for the tower, two armed with bow, and two armed with pike. In this case, as my client need all the crew to be removable, it means more flexibility, as he can aim them with 2 bows, 2 pikes or 1 & 1. Fit drivers in a right position was the harder task about these elephants. I made two putty cushions to solve this, as well as all the figures haves a neodymium magnet in the base, towers has a metal plate in the bottom, so all the figures you see in the pictures are easily removable or changeable to fit my client needs.
MACEDONIAN SUCCESSORS WAR ELEPHANTS
Although crew set comes with several small rounded shields, i used here spare parts from the Wargames Factory Amazon Warriors, and transfers by Vini Vidi Vinci Studios.
Continuing the show, two beautiful scythed chariots, reference MSS61 4 horse scythed chariot which is randomly supplied with two different drivers. They are beautiful pieces, i made an error putting the reins, as all left side ones must go to one side, and all the right ones, to the other, otherwise it should be impossible to govern these horses. The archers showed in pictures are from the elephants, i just put them there to avoid have them loose in the table. In this case, drivers are fixed. To complete this part, also two 2 Wrecked scythed chariot, reference MSS62, are showed here. This reference came in two parts (resin cast), plus some small parts cast in metal, but i build a single scenery piece for each.
I tried to give these horses a different appearance, and i think i achieved it.
SCYTHED CHARIOTS
The Indian army also haves his own chariots, in this case a unit pack reference INDU9 Light Chariots which includes three chariots and i aimed them with two crew each. These figures are removable, also haves a neodymium magnet in the base and chariot base haves a metal plate. With this condition, i didn’t find a way to put reins.
To decorate this chariots i tried a new (for me) technique, i printed some patterns and then paint over the pattern. Final result is not bad to my eyes, so i will try again this technique in the future if possible.
CLASSIC INDIAN LIGHT WAR CHARIOTS
Macedonian Successors still got some more reinforcements, now reference MSSU01 Thureophoros attacking overarm x 16
Standard is a Vini Vidi Vinci transfer. All decorations here are hand made.
THUREOPHOROS
Last for Macedonian, a Greek Oxybeles, reference GRK38.
GREEK OXYBELES
The Indian army still got a large batch of reinforcements, comprising the following references: INDU5 Cavalry x12, IND22 Forest Indians / bow, IND13 Maiden Guard command and INDU4 Longbow men x 40 and the pictures below are showed in the same order. Deal with skin tones was a real pain, and at the end, this is the part which makes me less happy in the project. All the standards are made of paper and hand painted.
ANCIENT INDIAN CAVALRY
FOREST INDIAN WITH BOW
MAIDEN GUARD COMMAND
ANCIENT INDIAN LONGBOW MEN
Most of these figures haves a separate hand, the one with the bow, which not always fit well, so some trim is need in a few of them. Many of them haves also quite visible mould lines. Fortunately white metal is very workable with a knife, although it means spent more time than you desire to clean figures. This, and the continuous change of colour to achieve variety made this batch the most tired to paint
A couple of family pictures to end.
Bases are mostly decorated with The Army Painter tufts, plus some natural small stones (re-painted) and leaves are by “Secret Weapons Miniatures”. Paints used includes Vallejo (Model Color & Game Color), Citadel (Old Range) and The Army Painter (mostly washes).
As part of the commissioned Polish Renaissance Army, some Haiduk regiments were need. They are just 4.
First showed is the Guards unit, totally based in TAG figures, which haves a well bunch of blister dedicated to this topic, including a command, so TAG, bring you 2 different command blister, which includes Officer, Boy and two Standard Bearers. Musicians are taken from another TAG blister, only dedicated to this.
To complete de 27 figures, i used in this regiment an halberdier in Muscovite costume.
Guards unit
I take some special care of most of the officers, decorating his capes.
Guards command detail
Second unit is a common blue-red pattern, also 27 figures, showing a mix of Foundry and TAG, although TAG numbers are higher. TAG provide you a Command blister, 3 different Haiduks blisters (Firing, Loading and Advancing). Plus the already commented Musicians blister and some other extras as the horse holders i used with the Bears.
Command detail
Third regiment shows an also well know pattern, blue-yellow, and also is a mix of Foundry & TAG. Foundry sculpture is pretty nice, but they have two problems for my taste, their command set is very good, you have musicians included there as well as Officers, two of each poses, but they haven’t boys. The Haiduks blister contains 8 figures each, one blister is firing and the other is marching, but all the figures are exactly the same pose. While figures are pretty nice sculpted, casting have several problems in both poses, which becomes to have moulding problems, and some areas have a lot of extra metal and no detail. That’s really an odd.
Command detail
Last pattern is based in a picture, showed in an Osprey book, but i found it searching in the net, coloured with this pattern, as Osprey book show it in black&white.
While Foundry blisters are too repetitive and have some moulding problems, TAG bring you a lot of flexibility to built the army, 3 different blisters of 4 figures each, all in different poses, plus two commands including the Guards one, a musician blister and the horse holders one. Also used in this unit is a gift figure, the one drinking.
This scheme is based in a picture included in an Osprey book, Osprey show it black and white, but you can found it colored searching on the net
To don’t get bored painting so many equal figures, i imagined an extra unit for this army, for sure it’s not historically correct, but…
Bears are done by Foundry, three different poses, I found useful here the Horse Holders blister by TAG, as well as the peasants blister. The peasant blister is clearly inspired in the Osprey illustrations, as well as many other figures by TAG. The other problem was to find an appropriate chain for this… it was solved one day with my girlfriend in a H&M store. A jewelry chain is used here, it cost to me 5€.
It’s an item not useful for games, but, i found it’s a good decoration ones, and a distinctive for this army.
When Foundry bears meet TAG and H&M
With so many blisters purchased, at the end i had several extra figures, together with another TAG gift, the excellent Ottoman figure. Also included here, is a Cossack foot officer, which comes in another TAG blister. This cossack officer is also depicted in an Osprey illustration, and i tried to paint him as showed there.
Extra figures, the Ottoman officer is a very nice figure, gift by TAG guys.Back details for the extra figures
Some family pictures here…
Family picture, the four regiments plus bears and extra command.
I’m sorry to show these units without flags, but i still waiting for a new Flag Sheet for Haiduks promised by Battle Flag.
Family picture, the four regiments plus bears and extra command.
Back details for the extra figures
Extra figures, the Ottoman officer is a very nice figure, gift by TAG guys.
When Foundry bears meet TAG and H&M
This scheme is based in a picture included in an Osprey book, Osprey show it black and white, but you can found it colored searching on the net
28mm Polish Winged Hussars. The Assault Group & Warlord Games. Polish Renaissance Winged Hussars
Well, i have been working around these guys some days. Well… many days !!!!
Although both brands are quite compatible in terms of size, Warlord ones are sightly smaller, both are intended for different periods, and seems hard or very inaccurate put them together in a tabletop game.
From ancient to modern the guys from The Assault Group are the oldies, according to Osprey books very appropriated for around 1600. The assault group have 3 different blister for this subject (REN004,REN005,REN006), one of them is the command one, which includes a trumpeter and a drummer plus the officer. I also used a special blister (REN069), to have an special command and flag-bearer.
I replaced the original poles of The Assault Group, they are more accurate, as they are ticker, but they seems to be quite bendable, and that can be a problem to play with them. These men only have a pistol in one of the horse sides, and you haven’t any weapon option, all the conversion that you can see in the pictures are done with spare parts form the Warlord guys.
The guys in formation. You have several skin patterns, clearly showing that not all are leopards or tigers.Overall, these figures have some less ornamentation than the Warlord ones, so they are a bit easier to paint.The helmets allow to paint faces and eyes.I had some problems putting lances in the right position. You must drill the hands and you must force them to achieve a right position for all.All the wings are equal, so i used some of the spare wings from Warlord to achieve more variation, although it’s a bit historically incorrect. All these wings are attached to the saddle.The cross in the trumpeter is made of paper. To make the two colored poles i used masking tape.
The Warlord guys are very appropriated for Vienna, 1683.
These figures are plenty full of details and poses are very good, with the exception of a horse pose, which for my personal taste, is a bit odd. Warlord have these guys available as a boxed set and also in a blister of three. The problem of the blister is that the content is random. Poles are wired ones, a real weapon, but appropriates for games, as they will not bend easily.
You have different wings patterns, that’s very good, and some of the figures accept one or two wings, and some of them can be attached to the saddle, although i put most of them in their backs.
Two of three plumes in the command helmet came broken so i replaced them by spares from other Warlord sets.
Details in horses and figures will give you a lot of entertainment.
Some of the figures allow 1 or 2 wings, although most of them clearly are intended for two wings.You have several weapons option, although you must cut the original hand and drill a hole to correctly pose the alternative weapon, which includes the hand.
Some family pictures.
It has been my very first commissioned work. Hopefully the client will be happy. I pray every night (to the spaghetti monster) so these guys will arrive safely and a happy customer will purchase again.
By the way, i think i will never paint again Winged Hussars, at least the Warlord Games ones, or at least in not so great number.
I have seen great works with these nice figures, i made a lot mistakes as always, but i’m quite happy with final result.
In this work the paper flags have been very important, and they are provided by Battle-Flag. You must deal with borders, as with any other paper flag, but they bend specially well. I didn’t do anything special with them, just follow their instructions here. My problem with the Warlord ones are that paper is too tick, and in this case i needed more flags than the ones provided in the Warlord boxes. It’s a pity because their designs are pretty nice.
Also a mention for the guys of http://www.warbases.co.uk/, who always have some more bases than the ones you ordered.
Our second incursion in the 28mm Thirty Years War is not so successful as the first one.
The subject is a very beautiful one, the Cuirassiers or Reiters, used by any side at this time, but we have chosen to depict them as an Imperial unit.
Warlord figures are very nice as always, box comprise 12 mounted metal figures plus 12 plastic horses. If i’m not wrong, horses are the same used in many other Warlord boxes.
Figures have some spare arms to built a unit based in swords or pistols, and it includes a trumpeter and an ensign.
The box also comes with several paper flags, as the used.
This flags are very nice, but paper is too tight, so these flags are hard to handle.
As you can see in the pictures there are three figures not included in the Warlord Games box, they are from “The Assault Group” range, who produces a very interesting range of metal figures highly compatibles with the Warlord range.
If you want to buy them unpainted, take a look in our utility to find them at Ebay.
28mm Warlord Games French Musketeers King’s Guard.
Painted 28mm French Musketeers.
Warlord Games figures are easy to put together and easy to paint, they have and excellent plastic and metal range covering English Civil War and/or Thirty Years Wars. One of the odds is than you get the same plastic sprue in many different boxes, together with different metal accessories and/or special metal figures plus different flags and history fragments. That isn’t of our total approval, but any way they are excellent figures.
After paint a whole box of Imperial Infantry we needed to make something different with these figures, maybe isn’t a very accurate depiction, surely more cinematographic, but it has been a nice exercise for convert these figures in something different.
To make the well know French Musketeers King’s Guard cape we have used standard tissue paper, after several tries we use the best looking one as template to make the rest, it haves 4 parts, chest, back and the two arms.
The cross in the cape have a more intricate design than the one showed here, but we opted for this basic pattern to simplify the paint work.
More complicated was the conversion of the boots, the Warlord Games figures didn’t came with mount boots, so some green stuff was used to create the boots and the spurs (made from metal bits).
If you want to buy these figures unpainted as new, take a look at our utility to find them on Ebay. Note than several boxes come with these figures, we have linked only the Imperial Infantry box.
A brief tutorial about how to paint 28mm Warlord Games Roman Imperial Legionaries.
Once it is black primed, our first step is to paint silver armour parts.
1- First a base coat of Citadel Boltgum Metal (Games Workshop).
2- Wash it with Babab Black
3- Once dried, highlight exposed areas with Boltgum Metal again.
4- To ends, apply a final highlight with Mithril Silver.
If you use other paint brands, as you can see, steps uses once darker silver colours, black wash and a lighter silver color. Even if you only have one silver colour, try to mix it with black, to darkener it.
Secondly it’s time to gold areas.
1- Base coat with Tin Bitz
2- Apply a layer of Burnishing Gold over the base coat, without cover it entirely.
3- Wash with Sepia or Devlan mud.
4- Restore some parts with Burnishing Gold and a final highlight with Shining Gold.
For generic paints, steps are based in an oxide colour and two gold tones, with a brown/sepia wash.
Red parts:
1- Base coat with Mechrite Red.
2- Devlan Mud wash.
3- A mix of Mechrite red and Blood Red without cover all the base coat.
4- A final highlight adding Vomit brown to the Mechrite red and Blood Red mix.
For generic colours technique is based in a medium red, brown wash, and brilliant red and yellow brown or ochre. Another alternative for the final step is to apply a diluted layer of orange in the prominent areas. Don’t forget than red+white = pink, not a good way to highlight red capes. 🙂
Brown tones:
1- Base colour is a dark brown, such Citadel Scorched Brown
2-Higlight belts with Bestial brown, pilum with a mix of scorched and a lighter brown 75%/25%, and Sandals with Khemri Brown.
3- Wash with Devlan Mud.
4- highlight each area with their step 2 colour, and for the Sandals use dry brush with a mix of Khemri Brown and Bleached Bone (Bone White)
Flesh:
1- Base colour with a mix of Tallarn Flesh and a bit of red.
2- Wash with Ogryn Flesh.
3- Highlight with Tallarn Flesh+Red
4- A final highlight with Tallarn Flesh.
5- To shadow eyes use a it of black or dark brown.
(Easy )Basing:
1- Pumice stone paste, be careful with the figure.
2- Wash with Devlan Mud or a very diluted brown tone.
3- Add static grass or tufts in some areas.
Shields:
1- Black primed.
2- golden edges and Silver center.
3- Cut the transfer a bit smaller than the marks, they are some big, with the centre hole happens the opposite, it’s a bit small.
You can follow this video tutorial: How to aply Transfers.
5- If some black primed area is at sight cover it with dark brown or red.
6- Wash with Devlan Mud.
7- Matt Varnish.
Step by Step picture.
Final result:
If you want to try with some Romans you can buy those here.
Wargames Factory continues their WWII expansion with a U.S infantry set. Includes 30 multi-part hard plastic figures, depicting an infantry platoon for the late war, with the common weapons for their role, not any heavy weapon.
28mm News – Wargames Factory launches their first World War Two set. German Infantry Platoon (Late War)
Good news for 28mm World War Two lovers, Wargames Factory has released their first set for the subject, the German late war Platoon.
Set includes 30 multi part figures + 30 round bases. Arms, heads and weapons are separated. Also some of the equipment is separated, but the way they do it,most of them seems difficult to interchange.
Figures seems to have a quite good quality. Recommended price for them is $19.95.
This Wargames Factory’s set includes parts to built up 32 Viking Huscarls. It comes spread in 12 sprue, 8 for bodies and arms and 8 for weapons and shields. There are axes, spears, swords and even 16 archers are available. Weapons variety is not a problem. Some swords are sheathed to complement figures and you have 12 different heads to choose. A horn per weapon sprue is also included, so some “musician” can be built.
Each sprue comes with 4 bodies (body and legs in one piece, so poses are limited), with a quite better detail than their Roman sets, although it’s still improvable. Depend on the way you built up the figures you will get a well spare bunch of pieces, something which i like :).
Poses are a bit an odd, and some special character to make a command group are needed, but figures are good enough to built up a mass troop.
Paint work was easy, base coat, Devlan mud wash (black ones for the metal zones) and the highlight with base colour again.
Figures after wash:
One highlight and bases almost finished. Bases worked as always with “Vandall” (pumice stone) and once dried washed with an earth colour or Devlan Mud.
The Roman Scorpion. Crewed by two men this war machine was capable to fire a heavy arrow against troop formations or fortifications. Each centuria of each legion owned one scorpion, so around 60 scorpions were in a legion. The metal model from warlord includes two legionaries, the scorpion itself and a bunch of arrows.
Once the Greek States were conquered by the Romans in the 146-BC, the Greek war machines, more advanced, found their place in the Roman army. The most famous and used probably was the Ballista (a catapult) capable of fire stones against walls or formations.
After rework the Greek design the Ballista become to a very precise weapon, with a psychological and physic effect against enemies. The Warlord set comes with a metal Ballista, three legionaries and a stone pile.
About the set, it is very well details, although some problems were found to built up the ballista, the torsion springs are too shot and don’t fit properly their place, so some liquid putty (Citadel) was used to fill the gaps.
Ballista even had the wooden pattern in some parts and overall all the detail is good and the set is a pleasure to paint. The bases was primed all together, keeping the crew in position with “blu-tack” over temporal square bases to paint them separately.
Once painted is time to work the base, without the figures to work it comfortable.
The base is worked with Vandall (like Vallejo Pumice Stone) plus some natural stones. Devlan Mud was applied directly over the pumice stone and natural stones was worked with grey colours and dry-brush technique, applying light grey each time. After this some grass and turf were applied.
To built the turf (or moss) i used static grass, matt varnish and white glue. The string in the Ballista is made with a thick thread.
To paint the machines itself i used a mix of Bestial Brown and Fortress Grey (Both Citadel colours) and then Devlan Mud eash was applied. Highlight with dry brush of Fortress Grey (very dry). Metal parts are painted with Bolt Gun Metal, Devlan Mud and Bolt Gun Metal dry brushed again.
The roman legionaries are painted as in previous posts here.
A beautiful high quality set. You can find it through our utility here.
It’s time to present the Roman Testudo, probably the most well know formation in history. Warlord Games manufacture it a 6 resin parts set. One for the cover shields, with a head looking out of the testudo, front, rear and 2 sides parts. Sets also comes with a separate Centurion and some arrows, to use as the box cover depict.
Once it is finished it will look great in any army, but to achieve this there is a long way. I can’t lie, at least my set, as you can see in the pictures, was damaged and mould quality wasn’t the best. The main problem a big bubble in the resin, damaging feet, plus other minor bubbles ans some resin burr.
It was purchased in UK in order to avoid the long process to claim for a new one y go ahead, reworking the damaged areas with putty.
Some areas are difficult to access to clean the mould lines, but it’s not important in all the interior side. Some other were hidden with the flock and grass in the base :). Total result is so impressive which probably nobody will notice this.
Set also comes with a transfer sheet for the shields, with some redundant decals, but probably you will broke some one during process…
There is no clear way to fix the cover shields with the other parts so i used some metal paper clips to do it.
About the painting you can work only the visible side of the parts, letting a basic coat for the interior side, as it will not be visible at all once finished, unless you prefer to let the cover shields unglued to show the interior…
Even if i get pissed off in some steps, final result is so good than i thinking in buy some more. 🙂
If you still haven’t this interesting set, take a look here.
Well, today I want to introduce an excellent set from the British brand Warlord Games. This one is the old box, still available in some retailers, which allows to built up 30 full legionaries with a complete command group. The new box only allows to built 20 legionaries, but also includes a Scorpion.
Set is spread in 3 sprue, 2 only for legionaries and the other which also includes the command group, Centurion, a Cornicern and a Signifer (Sargent, musician and standard bearer). It also includes transfers for 39 square shields and 3 for circular ones.
As you can see the sprue are very well detailed and with a lot of extra parts as helmets, Pilums and some shields. Legionaries can wear the Pilum or the standard short sword “Gladius”.
The figure which is in the corner close to the Signifier is an Option, the Centurion assistant. This figure is not part of this set, you can found it as individual figure from Warlord or in a blister with 3 different ones.
All the figures are very well detailed and you will enjoy a lot painting them. Their size is a bit small for some manufacturers, but for example they are quite compatible with the Foundry ones.
They are painted with Games Workshop/Citadel paints.
Picture above shows the paint work process, as you can see i paint heads and capes and some other parts separate of the figures. You can feel it is a tedious work but if you try it surely you will like it, as it ensures a good result and easy paint work over the figures.
Just finished my latest commissioned work, some beautiful minis for a client/friend who allows us to publish them here. A High Elf Blood Bowl team ! (Note: Blood Bowl is a funny Games Workshop game, give it a try !)
Team is formed by 13 minis, although number 13 it’s not numbered here, by client demand, and it haves one Quarterback, 2 Blitzers, 3 Receptors and 7 Line men.
This team is formerly named Mou-Drith CBB, a tribute to Real Madrid C.F by client demand, and because this are painted in a white-black scheme and yellow-black for the Quarterback.
All figures are white metal cast with a good detail level, although some mould marks must be cleaned.
Paint Guide:
The yellow Quarterback is painted with Iyanden Darksun, Regal Blue and Ice blue for lights on black plates. The rest are painted with Astronomican Grey as base and highlighted with a mix of Skull white + Astronomican Grey.
Auxiliary troops fought like their counterparts, the Legion, despite what we think today, this troops were not inferior, as they had the same training and fighting capacity.
Initially recruited from the free provinces subjects of Rome, later began to be recruited in the new territories conquered by the legions, so it was not unusual to see Legion Celts Auxiliary Legions.
Armed with his spear, the Gladius, and protected by a mail’s coat and an oval shield, Auxiliary cohorts did a splendid job in the name of several emperors, but the glory always was for the legions.
Warlord Games Auxiliaries can be used in any scenario where the Roman war machine were. The box’s illustration shows a Celtic auxiliary unit in the Middle East performing “police” tasks against people who did not like the “police”, 😉 , one of the common tasks undertaken by the Auxilia (as they are called).
The 24 Auxiliary are equipped with chain mail and carry the sharp spears (Gladius) and short swords. They have the usual oval shield, and may be used supporting the legions, or fighting their own battles.
This set contains:
Enough parts to built 24 figures.
·Decal sheet for 35 shields, with a transparent background, to be used with any shield colour.
This a perfect set to escort you Roman legionaries, or even to built his own armies. Set have some minor issues.
-Limited poses, there are only 4 poses, with some different heads, although some conversions are possible.
– Size of this men is a bit bigger than the other Roman’s sets from Warlord.
This set haven’t command group (older box), the new boxes came with four less auxiliaries and incorporate 4 metal figures as command, a Centurion, one Option, one Cornice, and the Signifier. But again there are some size problem with this command if you have and old box of auxiliaries.
