Irish warlord & champions

In Saga, the Irish can take up to 2 champions (Curaidh).  They have better armor, more attack dice in shooting and melee, and ignore the first non-cancelled hit.  They're a must have for the faction and I do like the way Gripping Beast modeled them with their uberspears.

Our special guest today is a traveling bard.  As you can see, he got lost in the dark forests of Killkenny. Luckily, he found two local boys to point him the way back!

The Irish were primed white and washed with Daler Rowney's Burnt Umber acrylic ink.  Basing was a blend of Woodland Scenic fine and medium ballast topped with Americana craft paint Milk Chocolate. Once dry, the bases got a Burnt Umber ink wash and highlights. I'm going to use this for basing my future Saga warbands.  With this, the Irish warband is complete.  These are going to a local friend so I look forward to seeing them in our Saga matches as well as Dux Britanniarum once they release the next supplement.  

I've been scrounging for quality military history podcasts to listen to lately. Last week, I signed up at audible.com for a free audiobook. Since Byzantines are up in the painting queue, I chose Lars Brownworth's "Lost to the West: The Forgotten Byzantine Empire That Rescued Western Civilization." Painting to a quality audiobook is a treat. If you can afford the monthly fee, I highly recommend it.  Their military history selection is huge and the hardest part for me will be to limit myself to just one book a month.  

If you see a head, hit it! Irish, Pt 2.

This delightful quote was Brig. General Michael Lawler's favorite Tipperary saying, which explains his decision to lead 4 Union regiments in an assault on rebel entrenchments at Vicksburg.  Charging entrenchments was a recipe for slaughter in the American Civil War. To make matters worse, Lawler and his troops had to wade chest deep through a bayou to get at the rebels.  A reporter described the charge as "the most perilous and ludicrous charge I witnessed in the war." As the Irish are prone to do, Lawler and his men achieved the impossible. They got through the bayou, into the trenches and routed the rebels, capturing 1,200 prisoners for their efforts.

There were times I almost hit my head against the painting desk while painting up the Irish hearthguard. Tartan is exceedingly slow work. You really can lose yourself and your sanity between those stripes! I do like how Gripping Beast modeled the Dark Age Irish here. There are only 2 figures of the 12 with chain-mail and most are barefoot.  A couple men sport leather helmets. Don't let the ragtag look fool you. As the rebels learned, the Irish can wade through a bog, hit you upside your head and then run you down for good measure. Long odds and common sense be damned!

I've thought about having a T-shirt made with the old Irish saying,  "If you see a head, hit it."  I still might one day but what if someone takes me up on it? For now, I'll safely wear my favorite Pogues shirt featuring a man fighting the devil.  Does the devil represent whiskey, lust or addiction to painting? Depending on the wearer, it might represent all 3! 

The Irish unleashed!

The Irish are tough as nails in Saga.  Armed with javelins and a battleboard that amps up shooting, they'll bleed our an opponent with deadly missile fire. Sons of Dana allows them to shoot out of terrain even when they don't have a unit in it.  Imagine one minute you're walking next to some trees and the next, you've got a javelin in your backside!

When I start a new painting project, I'll often lead with my favorite unit from the bunch.  I love the energy of these Gripping Beast figures so they were the first on the painting table. The Irish can field up to 8 Irish Wolfhounds.  The hounds move as fast as mounted units and they're not slowed down by terrain.  That makes them a fast moving left hook and another reason to avoid terrain. Javelins and man eating dogs, how much worse can it get? Whenever I go against the Irish with my Vikings or Normans, it always turns out badly for me.

The tufts are from tajima1 and the plowed field is from Andrew's terra firma studios.  Shield transfers and the banner are by LBMS.  I kept the painting schemes fairly simple for the warriors, saving the tartan for the hearthguard in the next round.

Today, I ran a demo game of Saga at The Source Comics and Games with the Normans facing off against the Vikings.  There was a steady flow of onlookers to our table and I might have picked up 2 new converts to the system.  While it's a challenge to book a table at the store, the foot traffic and the compliments on my painting make it worthwhile!