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Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Strategos and his men

Like a proud dad, I want to show off my new "baby."  I showed this bunch to my neighbors and my parents before boxing them up for  California. Yea, you're probably wishing you were MY neighbor!
I love this warlord figure.  I do wish the horse came in full barding but perhaps this model represents a moment when the Byzantines were short of cash.  Paying the Varangian Guard and bribing invading barbarians to go away has a way of putting a dent in the treasury.

Four of these Saga fatigue markers go out the door with the warband and one goes to my Normans.

With the lovely Gripping Beast figures and bright palette, the Byzantines were my favorite war band to paint to date. I'll come back to them again by book and perhaps, by paintbrush too.  I love  painting Dark Age war bands but I'm also on the lookout for a bigger project in 2014.

63 comments:

  1. They certainly catch the eye, stunning work Monty!

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    1. Thanks Michael! You know what else catches the eye? A Stegosaurus' tail…OUCH! ;-)

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  2. Excellent looking figures! Great colours on the barding for the warlord.

    Cheers, Ross

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    1. Thanks! I almost went with baby blue and white. But this combo turned out quite nice!

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  3. Ohh, they look terific.

    Really good job on your Byzantines.

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  4. Simply stunning mate. The colours are wonderful!

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  5. Excellent piece! The barding on the horse is striking. The warlord ain't no slouch either. Nice work!

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    1. Thanks Jonathan! The Byzantines would make a nice Impetus army if I had someone to play against.

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  6. Talk about vibrant colours my friend....beautiful!

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  7. Lovely painted figures and a good choise of colors!

    Regards
    Bruno

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    1. Thanks Bruno, and thanks for following! I'll be following your blog as well!

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  8. Please, can I be you neighbour? Pretty please?!

    Brilliant work, Monty.

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    1. I bet the 6 months of winter here might put you off. So, I need to be your neighbor. I'd so love your Napoleonics games!

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  9. Superb work - camouflage was not really on the radar for these guys was it? Unless they plan on hiding in a rather bright floral arrangement, that is. The army must look great on the table.

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    1. Thanks Dan, and lol, no. I'm thinking of a nickname for them, the Butterfly Warband? ;-)

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  10. Lovely Strategos and Byzantines Monty!

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  11. Inspirational work as always Monty!

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    1. Thanks Pru! If you weren't so far away, we could have a Gallic throw down!

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    1. Thanks James and congrats on the Blog COn. Looks like it was a blast!

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  13. Hi Monty,

    Well done!

    they are great ! and not only because they are 28mm figures ;-)
    you done a great work on them .

    is the bigger project have something to do with the new Gallic light chariots in the Xyston Range ?
    or a "Longstreet Army"?

    Cheers

    thefrenchjester " Gallic breed this morning;-)"



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    1. Gillies! I didn't know Xyston is doing Gallic light chariots! Very cool, I need to scoot over to their site.

      You are a very good guesser. We're firing up Longstreet here shortly so I need to rush an ACW army out. I'm thinking something even bigger one day. I don't know what it is yet!

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  14. Fantastic work on the colors Monty, they are looking great...and I really like the markers too!

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    1. Thanks Phil! The markers are nicer than just dropping fatigue markers down.

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  15. These are stunning Monty! If it were me, I don't think I could ever part from such excellent models. :)

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    1. Thanks Jonas and that is a good point. I always think I can come back and paint up my own one day. But of course, I can't really assume that. Knock on wood!

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  16. Great stuff, as always!

    Already made this comment on your last post, but it seems bloodspot has eaten that one up, so I am doing this again. I like that you are going much brighter with your Byzantines then I did with mine (wanted a uniform look for the non-nobles to depict their roman heritage). I would not do mine any different now, but it is great to see how different these minis look with a more colorful take, so I am watching this with great excitement!

    BTW... it really looks like you will have an army for every faction in SAGA if you go on like this!

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    1. Burkhard! It is being dodgy, isn't it? I love your Byzantines! Here, I got free rein to try something different. The beauty of painting ancients and medievals is that we're not "restricted" like Napoleonic painters are. But you know that better than most anyone!

      And on to your second point, a friend gave me his Scots to paint. One more war band, one more war band. Always one more.

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    2. Ah well, Napoleonics have a certain appeal of their own. I think the worst thing with them is that even thought it is only 200 years in the past, some things can not be verified either, which unfortunately does not keep some people from knowing better! ;-)

      At least you have the option to do some other SAGA Warbands... I have had the minis for my Saxons for over a year now, but right now I am not in the mood to work on them.

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    3. I'm frankly afraid to paint Napoleonics and have a world of respect for those like you that do. I've seen too many critics pop in over the most lovely eye candy and rip them because "the sleeves aren't right for the 1813 campaign." Grognards indeed. It is the most lovely painting in 28mm but with a high cost to morale.

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    4. I know what you mean. I have been there myself. Worst are those who make clever comments what you should have different, but never realise you already did so, since they did not care to read your post in whole.

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  17. Very bright, Monty! There just aren't enough painted Byzantines out there, I'd love an army of them.

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    1. Simon, thanks! Yes, and I'm a bit embarrassed to be so late to the Byzantine fan table.

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  18. Lovely. I like the red/Yellow Combo on the warlord´s horse.

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  19. Excellent work, Monty.
    I like those bright colours especially on the warlord's horse's barding.

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    1. Thanks Monty! If I could do it a 2nd time, I think I'd go checkerboard pattern.

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  20. Greate work Monty, most impressive !

    Best regards Michael

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    1. Thanks Michael! I love the new project you're firing up!

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  21. He only needs barding in the front because he never runs away ;)

    FMB

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    1. There is the answer, right in front of my nose!

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  22. Stunning figures - the two-tone barding is a show-stopper. Best, Dean

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  23. That's some amazing stuff again! Your warlord is absolutely amazing.

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  24. Thanks Andrew, and it looks like you all had a blast at Blog Con!

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  25. Great work. Like you I have found I really enjoy painting dark age figures.
    cheers

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    1. Thanks Kiwi! Dark Ages is almost all I've painted in 2013. Its a big change for me because before 2013, I paint exactly zero Dark Age figures. I have a lot of catching up to do!

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  26. Beautiful painting....so colourful!

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    1. Thanks Ray! And thanks to you and Fran for introducing the term "budgie smuggler" into my house. Its a big hit and as a swimmer, I want to make clear that speedos are ok to wear at the pool for lap swimming. ;-)

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  27. Monty, thanks so much for these pics, they are excellent. The strategos is a riot of colour, matching the bold palette of the rest of the warband. Clearly, camo wasn't an option back then, and why should it be, when you can look this fabulous?

    The fatigue markers are a great idea as well, although for one lunatic moment there, I was wondering why each dead guy had a small blackboard easel next to him. "Hmmm, is that so you can chalk in the fatigue figure, perhaps...?" Then it dawned on me, "No, you idiot, that's a space for a die." And yes, it's been a long week!

    Who made the casualty figs, BTW?

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    1. Bright is beautiful, baby! Well, that was my theme here and I'm very happy with the results.

      That one is on me. I was a bit rushed getting the pics done and left the small dice out of the frame!

      Gripping Beast offers Viking and Norman casualties. I know there are other makers but here in the US, I can get GB easily and at a good price so they make up most of my warbands.

      Derail alert...I finally got my video card and my main functioning PC is back up and running! This calls for a celebration of some sort!

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  28. Eyecatchers indeed! Lovely colour combination on the horse!

    Greetings
    Peter

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