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Saturday, May 4, 2013

Welsh Pony & their warrior riders

In Saga, these mounted Welsh warriors will ride into javelin range, throw, and ride away.  Hit and run horse will be very annoying for anyone facing them, I'm sure.  It will be extra annoying for warbands that don't have mounted  forces.
The Gripping Beast Welsh ponies are adorable.  I liked them enough that I read up on the breed.  The Welsh Mountain Pony predates the arrival of the Romans. They were a hardy breed on account of the harsh climate, limited shelter and sparse food. The ponies are able to thrive on minimal forage. The breed has a small head with large eyes, sloped shoulders, short back and strong hindquarters.  They're known for stamina, soundness, and intelligence.  Other horse breeds might mock the Mountain Pony for their appearance but for the fact that the Welsh are their intellectual superior.

Welsh mounted warriors with shield transfers by LBMS.  You may notice, the Welsh do love their capes!


And if that isn't enough horseflesh for you, how about the Welsh hearthguard?



One last morsel of Welsh eye candy!  Neigh, neigh, neigh, neigh!
Pony is a member of MENSA, the rider is not
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45 comments:

  1. Ben GilmourMay 4, 2013 at 8:30 AM

    Really lovely work, Monty!

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  2. DeanMMay 4, 2013 at 8:52 AM

    Superbly painted and photographed, Monty. These look great and sounds like they'll do well on the battlefield. Best, Dean

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:20 PM

      Thanks Dean! I got to see them in action today and hopefully, the pics are good enough for an AAR. They're tough as old boots!

      Delete
  3. PhilMay 4, 2013 at 9:05 AM

    Great paintjob sir! These figures are wonderful, I zoomed on each picture to appreciate your fantastic work!! The shields, also, are amazing...
    All the best,
    Phil.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:21 PM

      Thanks Phil! Great figs do help get the most from a painter, and these GBs were just fun to paint.

      Delete
  4. fireymonkeyboyMay 4, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Please tell me there are ponies named "Dobbin" and "Bill"? These look great, Monty, I really like the bright colours you worked in.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:23 PM

      Lol, and thanks Marcus! I did read that Welsh warriors loved the color red so I did put a bit more in this round.

      Delete
  5. Iowa GrognardMay 4, 2013 at 9:10 AM

    Sure the horses are smart, but the riders are smartly dressed. Really nice work on these; great variety of clothing.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:24 PM

      Thanks Iowa! Have you and your wife had a chance to give Saga a go yet? Finally, warm temps here. I hope you weren't buried too badly this week.

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    2. Iowa GrognardMay 4, 2013 at 7:21 PM

      We have unpacked most of the minis, but only prepped a few for paint. I still have a logjam of AWI stuff in line.

      I read below that your daughter rides; any chance she trains under Bill Nunn? I went up there weekly for years to ride under his tutelage. Great times. I purchased my Trakehner from him as well. My hope is to get my own kids interested and up there regularly. So many good trainers in the area surrounding the twin cities.

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    3. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 7:27 PM

      I hear you, too many periods, too little time.

      No, we have a small place near us in Lino Lakes. Going to the stables is her favorite thing. I think its great for kid to discover their passion and I hope your kids follow in their old man's spurs, er, I mean, shoes.

      Delete
  6. JonathanMay 4, 2013 at 9:11 AM

    Hooray for the ponies! Those look great Monty - I'm looking forward to hearing how they do in battle!

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:26 PM

      My daughter does horseback every week and when I'm at the stable, I'm always amazed by the variations in color and stature. I'm quite pleased with how these turned out. And hopefully, I'll get an AAR up fairly soon!

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  7. HendridMay 4, 2013 at 10:59 AM

    Very nice looking cavalry.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:28 PM

      Thanks Hendrid!

      I'm hoping Saga goes into other periods, maybe even medieval? ;-)

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  8. UnknownMay 4, 2013 at 11:01 AM

    The free hand work you are doing here is most excellent. The tartan is good and all the different cape designs you've done are fantastic. I like this bunch of figures.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:30 PM

      Thanks Anne, I really appreciate it! All the capes were a nice opportunity to sneak in a little color and variety.

      Delete
  9. DalaupprorMay 4, 2013 at 11:38 AM

    Absolutely stunning paint job, like them very much !!!

    Best regards Michael

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:30 PM

      You helped start me down this path with all of your eye candy and AARs. So thanks very much, Michael.

      Delete
  10. Jonas MMay 4, 2013 at 12:10 PM

    Lovely painting Monty! I too, am very fond of the GB ponies.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:31 PM

      Jonas, thanks! Just as I dug in on my Welsh, I saw your work and was inspired with this bunch.

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  11. thefrenchjesterMay 4, 2013 at 12:46 PM

    Hi Monty,

    they are jewels! the horse colours are really top!
    you've got the rough riders now! this is the dark age pony express the saga players with no shooters will love them ;-)

    Cheers

    thefrenchjester " running up that hill ;-)"

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:33 PM

      Gilles! The Vikings will say, "We don't need no stinking ponies" just as a javelin flies in and cuts them down. You can get to Valhalla faster on horseback I hear.

      Delete
  12. Jonathan FreitagMay 4, 2013 at 2:15 PM

    This comment has been removed by the author.

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  13. Jonathan FreitagMay 4, 2013 at 2:16 PM

    Monty, very handsome figures! Those GB sculpts are quite nice as are the shields. The size disparity between man and beast is striking and really lends to the effect of riding very small ponies. Well done!

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:35 PM

      Thanks Jonathan, I'm glad it comes through in the photos. The Welsh almost have to lift their feet to keep them from dragging on the ground.

      Delete
  14. Ray RousellMay 4, 2013 at 2:50 PM

    Beautiful painting Monty, they look excellent!

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  15. EinarOlafsonMay 4, 2013 at 2:52 PM

    Beautiful painting jobs!! It's a very colourful unit!!

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  16. TamsinPMay 4, 2013 at 3:03 PM

    Lovely painting Monty :)

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 3:38 PM

      Tamsin, thanks! Speaking of pretty horses, you have an amazing amount of barded and beautiful horses under way (or maybe nearly finished) for your Korean project. That is a cool FoG army!

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  17. MillsyMay 4, 2013 at 5:55 PM

    Great stuff Monty. The ponies are lovely as you say. I'm just getting into SAGA and these are a real inspiration.

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    1. MontyMay 4, 2013 at 7:16 PM

      Millsy, thanks so much! It is quite addicting. I was just looking at your blog and wow, I need to learn to make some of my own Dark Ages terrain like you.

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  18. Christopher(aka Axebreaker)May 6, 2013 at 4:54 AM

    Very nice work and really look the part!

    Christopher

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  19. Artar İnciduzenMay 6, 2013 at 2:50 PM

    It seems snow hasn't melted yet. :)

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    1. MontyMay 6, 2013 at 10:03 PM

      Snow went out just this week...FINALLY! We've waited a long time for this.

      Delete
  20. BrentMay 6, 2013 at 6:27 PM

    Wow! Don't stop painting for Saga now -- how about Strathclyde or Bretons?

    These lads are striking, and I'm sure they will be full of pride on the battlefield.

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    1. MontyMay 6, 2013 at 10:06 PM

      :-)

      Thanks Brent! Hugh has some more work in the pipeline for me so no stopping! The Welsh are going to drive people mad. I don't want to spoil all of their surprises but Taunting is really deadly.

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  21. Sidney RoundwoodMay 7, 2013 at 3:05 AM

    Monty, that looks really excellent. I like the detail on the ponies, and the shields are wonderful. Some very nice capes there as well! Top class, Sir! And yes, swirling Welsh cavalry raiders on the Black Hills and Welsh Borders against formed Saxons are lots of fun for the Welsh player!!

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    1. MontyMay 7, 2013 at 4:04 PM

      Sidney, thank you so much! Great figures do help a painter do their best. And I'm very much looking forward to my first game of Dux B. later this year. In the meantime, I can enjoy your AAR on the Welsh!

      Delete
  22. john de terre neuveMay 7, 2013 at 8:53 AM

    You have done a very nice job there Monty, the figures are lovely to behold.

    John

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    1. MontyMay 7, 2013 at 4:05 PM

      John, I appreciate your kind comments! One last post up on the Welsh and then on to the next thing.

      Delete

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