Victrix Numidians

I finished up my Victrix Numidian warband this weekend.  Like many of my projects, this was not planned.  I got a box of mounted Numidian warriors as part of a trade. After putting them together, I loved the look of them so much I put in an order for a whole warband.  These lads will run under the Saga Age of Hannibal rules.  I've painted Numidians so many times in 15mm.  It was a treat to finally paint them in 28mm.  I'm greatly enjoying painting and playing ancients in this scale! 

The Ellie is from Northstar Miniatures.  I took a Numidian horseman, cut his legs off (sorry!) and used greenstuff to mount him on the elephant's neck.  If you want an Ellie bigger than the Victrix model or one without a Howdah, Northstar is a great alternative. 

Shout out to Little Big Men Stuido shield transfers.  Though pricey, they pop nicely once you paint them in and dull them down with a matte sealer.  I might buy and build the Numidian Shield and Spear infantry to round out this bunch. No project is every quite done, is it?   

Easy Method to Paint White

Recently, I stumbled onto an easy method for painting white.  I have multiple white paints and I've grown to hate them all. They each have issues with coverage. Some are too thick, some too thin, some grainy or crackle after they dry. After reading a positive review on a new US paint, Monument Pro Acrylic, I bought a bottle of their Bold Titanium White and 1 of Coal Black. These come in 22ml jars with a glass agitator.  The agitator is a nice touch but to be clear, the paint itself is very close to the consistency of my Vallejo airbrush paints. It is not thick at all so the agitator is just a nice touch. 

Step 1 is to get a bottle of Monument's Pro Acrylic Bold Titanium White. I haven't been this crazy about a hobby product in a long time. You'll also need a pot of Citadel's Apothecary White contrast. With these in hand, I start with a Zenithal primer over my figures. That's a gray primer all over followed by white primer sprayed directly from above and rocking out just a bit. You're trying to keep some gray intact in the folds & shadows. This does not have to be perfect.  

Step 2, apply the Apothecary White directly into all folds and shadows. I know some people apply it all over but if you can apply it just in the recesses, step 4 goes a little faster. 

Step 3, after Apothecary White dries in the folds, block in your nonwhite colors neatly.  I also do washes here so they don't slop too much onto my nice white coat.   

Step 4, paint white neatly around the Apothecary White in the folds. If you stray, you can always go back and clean up a spot or 2. I also put down a thin line of burnt umber between the tunic and pants, and the white sleeves and skin. The white paint goes down fast, thin, with great coverage and a smooth, matte finish. I've got a bunch of Teutons on the table and I'm quite happy I stumbled on this technique. Let me know what you think. Also, if you have a neat trick for painting white, I'd love to hear it! 

Mutatawwi'a for Saga

Mutts are my Groundhog Day project. I keep painting, selling and repainting them. And usually getting a few reps in playing them as well. Looking back, this is my 4th version. This one started with me reacquiring 16 unpainted mounted Saracens I'd traded away to my buddy Brent years ago. They sat in a box until fate saw them boomerang back to me in another trade. I decided to go for a bright, colorful version. Basically, the opposite of the last version I painted a couple of years ago. Almost all Footsore figures with a few Gripping Beast Western Knights used, Gripping Beast Objective Markers and a warlord on a camel by Warlord Games.  

I decided to hand paint the shields and banner using only black, tan and white to pull the warband together. The shields started out looking quite dull and uninspiring so I slapped down highlights, washes and dirt to raise them up a bit. Overall, I'd count it as a success! 

In Saga, Mutts are a wild and wooly bunch. Really a fun lot to play.  I think they'll make a good opponent for the Teutons I've started painting. 

And to close, here are my prior 3 versions of Mutts!