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Saturday, May 18, 2013

Flemish Mercenaries for Saga

Up next is the last unit for my Norman warband. Because there isn't a single non-shooting ability on the Norman battleboard for foot troops, I wasn't keen on painting these up.  My Saga-savvy friends pointed out that there are scenarios where the Normans need foot warriors to take and hold buildings.  Slow but tough, Flemish Mercenaries might serve a purpose in a Norman warband. Once I figured that out, it was on to the painting table.

Shield colors were carried into a few fashionable helms.  The color-coordinated uniforms are sure to sweep the ladies in waiting off their feet!  Gripping Beast figures with LBMS transfers. The bases still need painting, drybrushing and flocking but all the hard bits are done.

Sir Inksalot strikes again. 
In Saga, Flemish Mercenaries are made up of 8 foot warriors with an armor of 5,  +1 better than other warriors. Their movement is only Short in open terrain due to their equipment and formation. They don't generate Saga dice, which is a big negative. Their abilities include Foreigners, which allows them to activate once a turn for free. Shieldwall means that when they're engaged in melee by an enemy unit or are the target of shooting, the Flemish are considered to be in hard cover.

All in all, they're an interesting option that'll add a new wrinkle to any Norman warband. I'm going to test these fellows to see how it plays out. If nothing else, I do hope they look dashing as they slowly shieldwall their way across the Dark Ages battlefield!

I've been hearing a bit of buzz that about a shortage of sable brushes in the US.  I don't know the truth of it but the idea made me sweat. I use a sable and I never want to go back to working without one.  I went to the excellent Secret Weapons website and bought 2 Raphael Kolinsky Sables, size 0 and a 1 just in case.  In my collection of brushes, the Raphael is my workhorse.  It's durable and most importantly, always keeps a fine point.  Secret Weapons sells many cool products for hobbyists so I'm happy to recommend you check them out and the Raphael brush!

26 comments:

  1. Maybe an expectorant?

    Solid work as ever, I really like that red / yellow guy.

    FMB

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    1. lol, I see what you've done! Red and yellow do go well together.

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  2. Monty, another fine handful of figures.

    As for brushes, I have heard nothing of sable shortage and brushes seem to be plentiful. Your choice of Raphael 8404 series shows discerning taste. While the 8404s keep a point for a long time (and one of my favorites), I find the Winsor Newton Series 7 keeps a fine point even longer. Perhaps my conclusion is based upon a small sample size. My current WN7-0 has been in use for over three years and still maintains a fine point. Its companion 8404-0, entering service at same time, requires a bit of work to get back to a point.

    Since I am risk averse, I better place a brush order...just in case.

    Jon

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    1. Thanks Jonathan! I appreciate the feedback on brushes. I have many sables but I don't think I have any Winsor Newtons. I'll have to give them a spin. In my pile of Vallejo, Reaper and other Kolinsky Sables, the Rafael has held up the best by far. The experiment continues!

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  3. Yeah! The master of the colors has struck again...beautiful figures, with wonderful colors! I do like the transfers and the bases too!
    Phil.

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    1. Thanks Phil, I appreciate it! It is always a pleasure to hear from you, and visit your blog. I loved your Mongol story. There is apparently no army that you and your mates can't field!

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  4. Great colours and very nice work! I'm sure they will prove their worth.

    Christopher

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    1. Thanks Christopher! I tried Bannerman a few weeks back. Now it's time for the Secret Flemish weapon. ;-)

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  5. Excellent figures, and thanks for the brush recommendations. My own brushes need replacing. You've saved me a bit of research time figuring which brand to pick up :)

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    1. John! I know I should frame this carefully but, you won't be disappointed! The Rafael rocks!

      I meant to ask you (and may email you,) I don't get the magazine that describes the horse painting method you're using. I'd love to hear it, in your blog or otherwise!

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  6. Great figures Monty.

    As for the Norman foot, there are battleboard abilities for them, although they are aimed at shooty troops (the one which doubles the shooting ranges for a turn and another I can't remember).

    As for brushes, my go-to is the W&N Series 7 for painting figures, with various brushes used for terrain etc work.

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    1. Tamsin! Oh. My. Gosh! Big fail on my part. I had it in my head that there were no non-shooting abilities for foot in the Norman warboard. And dropped the non shooting part. UGH!

      That is such a huge blunder I'm going to do a quick edit to prevent misinformation for people who don't play Saga. Thanks for the save and congrats on hitting 100K. That is a huge milestone!

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  7. Very nice! Colourful without being "too much".

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    1. Scooting near the line without actually crossing over it, I hope! Thanks Jonas!

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  8. Wonderfully looking Normans, Monty. I like your ink/stain process. Best, Dean

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    1. Thank Dean. All of this is dwarfed figuratively and literally by your WH Empire project. Just...wow!

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  9. Nice work and I definitely plan on fielding some of these.

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    1. Iowa, I do think you'll like the Normans. They do take a few times around the field to get a handle on but once you do, look out!

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  10. Nice work, Monty. These guys should work out really well as ground takers -- slow but very reliable. From recent discussions on the forum, it appears they still move S in rough ground, so they would be great guys to get Welsh or Irish out of the woodsy, wet, rocky ground! (Oophs, did I say that out loud?)

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    1. Oooh, I missed that one. With a hard cover bonus, these fellows might be able to root the bushwacking Welsh and Irish out of their cover. I WILL try this!

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  11. You really have kicked it up a couple notches on your painting with these figures. Those shields are stellar.

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  12. Excellent Flemish mercenaries! I've found them pretty tough to play against in a couple of Saga games with my Vikings.

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    1. Thanks Cyrus! My Saga friends are pretty damn good at the game, so I can use any and all tips or trick. I'm using them next time on the field of battle!

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  13. Greate painting !!!

    Best regards Michael

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