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Saturday, June 29, 2013

Barbarians at my gates!

And I'm not talking about the graduation party we're hosting today for my son!  Here's a quick post up of Gallic & Spanish units off the painting table.  All are Old Glory 15mm and painted for my Field of Glory armies.

Gallic Cavalry:  Since I have 12 bases of chariots painted up, 6 bases of cavalry will do for my Gallic army.  The Greek historian Strabo said of the Gauls, “They are better as cavalry than as infantry; and the best cavalry-force the Romans have comes from these people.”


Gallic Slingers:  8 bases of slingers to screen the Gauls as they go in.

Spanish Large Shield Cavalry:  These are replacements  for Spanish cavalry I sold off with my Carthaginian army months ago.  I have got to find an opportunity to get my Iberian army back on the table!


In his account of the Battle of Cannae, Livy mentions how rare it was for cavalry in the ancient world to meet head on:  "Soon the Gallic and Spanish horse on the Carthaginian left were engaged with the Roman right.  Lack of space made it an unusual cavalry encounter: the antagonists were compelled to charge head-on, front to front; there was no room for outflanking maneuvers, as the river on one side and the massed infantry on the other pinned them in, leaving them no option but to go straight ahead.  The horses soon found themselves brought to a halt, jammed close together in the inadequate space, and the riders set about dragging their opponents from the saddle, turning the contest more or less into an infantry battle.  It was fierce while it lasted, but that was not for long; the Romans were forced to yield and hurriedly withdrew."

Here's hoping the food line at Grant's graduation party today doesn't resemble this ancient mashup! 

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Gallic Chariots on Parade

I suspect the Gauls were not so different from us. Then and now, people want to be entertained. Chariots massed up and on the move would've been high entertainment in an age without TV and internet.  Perhaps the Gauls pulled their chariots out of storage for nonmilitary events.   Gallic chariots driven up and down Main Street in front of a cheering crowd might have been the original May Day parade.

I highly recommend Splintered Light Miniatures chariots, shaggy ponies and all. Great figures and great service over at Splintered Light. To tie these better into my Naked Gallic army, I filed away the pants' line on the drivers and painted them au naturel. With the upper body shirtless and the lower half mostly hidden from view, this trick worked well enough!
The original Pimp My Ride.  

In Field of Glory, Light chariots are a must have tool for the Gallic toolbox. They don't get missile fire but they do get 2 dice per front base in melee, which is a bonus over most other unit types.  If you're going to run Gauls, make sure to add light chariots to your list. Then whoop and holler when you send them crashing into your opponent's line.  And remember that as a Gaul, pants are optional!
Gallic May Day parades often ended badly. 

Saturday, June 15, 2013

Loads of HYW knights

Loads = 27 French knights for a HYW Agincourt commission. This was my first crack at Perry Miniatures and I can't say enough good things about them. The knights and their mounts come in a great variety of poses and kit. The sculpting is tops, with flourishes like bits of chainmail peeking out from the bottom of tunics.

For colors, inspiration and heraldry, I relied on a great French website found  here.  I'm painting to match an existing army so these were done with wetbrushed armor.
Pre-shade
Post-shade


And a batch of Kingmaker knights to round out the French.  I wonder if these fellows know what they'll be up against at Agincourt?
I've got English knights up next and then a Jomsviking warband for SAGA.

Things are going to get crazy busy with hosting my son's graduation party, a trip to Milwaukee for a wedding, and then my sister and her family travelling from Turkey to stay with us. I'm going to put my paintbrush down and my feet up for a bit. Summertime is truly the best!

Saturday, June 8, 2013

King of the Britons & his bard

Maredudd ab Owain, King of the Britons, is a Hero for the Welsh faction in SAGA. Maredudd was plagued by Viking raiders during his reign. In 987, Godfrey Haroldson raided Anglesey, killing thousands and taking  a thousand more as captives. Maredudd was said to have paid a huge ransom to free his people.  So you might say he was bit of a Welsh Moses!  If the ransom story is true, he was an remarkable fellow.  

"Say Anything," the 987AD version.
The King was a challenge to paint. The detail was very fine and the cloak was quite flat.  For a time, I hit a wall and had to set him aside.  It didn't help that I recognized the scowl on the King's face. I saw that look every time I helped work on my dad's car and handed him the wrong tool.  Despite the difficulties in painting up my father, I did get to the finish line and that's enough on some days.

Last bit, Gripping Beast wagons for SAGA!  
"These damn nags follow me where ever I go! "

We've started a new campaign of Maurice with 8 players. The campaign rules are what make Maurice special, and there is a great deal of variety in the 8 armies in this campaign.  I'm looking forward to fielding my Turks again, and playing The Sultan.  To get in character, I read The Decline and Fall of the Ottoman Empire.  It was a decent read and I'll try to avoid making the mistakes of Sultan's past.  I'm quite sure I can top them with new, better ones!

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

My son, the composer

Our local newspaper posted an article on my son today.  It's about his love of music and how he ended up on a path to becoming a composer. He's been studying under one of the great composers of our time, Libby Larson.  This spring, he won the prestigious ASCAP Young Composer's award.  He's had a number of pieces played and performed, and he even had his first commission.  I used to worry that a career in music would be a tough road but I've seen enough that I don't worry any more.  That in spite of the fact that I'm a worrier by nature!  Enough of me talking about him; here is his story.

In August, he's off to Indiana University where he'll major in composing with an oboe concentration at the Jacob's School of Music. We'll miss him dearly but he's so ready to move.  I can't wait to see what the future brings. Oh, and speaking of the future, he's helped me put together a list of classical music to game by so you've got that to look forward to!

Thursday, May 30, 2013

Gall-Gaedhill, the Sons Of Death

The Sons of Death were lawless warriors of Norse & Gael blood, mentioned in the Irish annals of the 9th century. These looters and marauders joined the Vikings in their plundering expeditions. That speaks volumes about them because clearly, you had to be a tough SOB to run with the Vikings!  

While you'd never invite these nasty fellows to dinner, you should consider them for your Saga warband.  As mercenaries, they're available to any Saga faction for 2 points.  While pricey, they bring loads of abilities to the table.  Rather than list them and bore the non-SAGA readers, I'll instead point you to the rules for their use at this Studiotomahawk link.  You do have to be a member of the forum to access the .pdf, so keep that in mind.

Once again, these figures were a joy to paint and once again, the Gripping Beast sculptor is killing it in the Dark Ages.  The leaping Norseman with the sword might be my favorite. The baldies pushed me a bit  in getting skin tones right on their chrome domes! I used a touch of gold for sword hilts and bits, given that this lot is all thieves and looters.



One more Saga post-up from this commission and then it's on to Hundred Year War knights by Perry Miniatures.  That will be a treat!

Wednesday, May 22, 2013

Angry Monks for Saga!

Angry Monks can be included in any warband in Saga except ones that use Viking dice.  After all, how would it look to have monks fronting a pagan warband?  Unlike other levy troops, Angry Monks have a God's Shepherd's ability which allows them to generate a Saga die.  Martyrdom means each time a Monk is killed during an enemy's turn, the owning player gets to take a Saga dice, roll it and place it on his Battleboard.  They'll make an ideal screening force for non-pagan warbands.
These Gripping Beast figures are the first batch of a new commission. As soon as I got these, I pushed my 15mm projects aside because I couldn't wait to start in.  Loads of character in this crew; two thumbs up to the GB sculptor!  

I've been eyeing another Dark Age ruleset, Dux Britanniarum. Two Saga-sized warbands is all you need to run a campaign in the Age of Arthur as a Saxon Lord or a Romano-British Tribune.  In the campaign, you gain fortune and reputation on the battlefield as you fight to defend or conquer the British kingdom. I'm really drawn to the chrome DB adds to what is otherwise a one-off game.  To make the leap, I'll  need to paint up Romano-Brits and Saxons.  I've heard great things about TooFatLardies rules, so I'm really looking forward to giving this a spin!

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!

Sunday, May 12, 2013

Rally 'round the Raven - Saga AAR

Hugh and I got to set up a Viking vs. Welsh smackdown.  The Viking way in Saga is to go for the jugular whereas the Welsh are shooty, hit-and-run bunch.

I knew I'd have difficulty in this match-up so I decided to try out a new tactic.  In the Raven's Shadow supplement, Saga introduced "Rally Round the Banner."  You can add a War Banner to any one unit.  The banner allows the unit to rest other than the first activation and remove a fatigue.  It's a double-edged sword.   You'll need to use an activation ability or die for the rest.  Activating multiple times in a turn means that unit will use up your Saga dice and find itself alone in the face of the enemy. Also, the banner figure does not generate attack dice.

My Viking warband was Warlord plus 1 unit Hearthguard -12 figs with a War Banner, 3 units of Warriors with 8 figs each.  The risk is that the first time Hugh kills a unit, I'll be down a Saga dice.  It's a quick strike force with a Mike Tyson punch in the form of the hearthguard with the banner.  If my right hook doesn't drop the Welsh quickly, I'll die in a hail of javelins.  Hugh's Welsh warband was Warlord plus 1 unit of Levy -12 figures, 1 unit of Hearthguard-8 figs each, 3 units of Warriors-8 figs each.

GAME 1:  "Clash of Warlords." I won terrain initiative and dropped a hill in the middle of the board. Hugh tried but couldn't get his 2 woods on the table and that spelled trouble for the Welsh.  I've never played a game of Saga with so little terrain.  Could the hand of Odin have been at work?
My warriors screened the hearthguard from javelin fire.  The Welsh javelins were deadly in the early game and I could see I wouldn't have the luxury of waiting for everyone to line up "just so" before going in.
Hugh was forming the dreaded fishhook formation and he intended to bait his hook with my Vikings!
I split my Saga dice between activating the hearthguard 3 times (plus a free activation with "We Obey") and the abilities Thor (melee 2x in a turn) and Ulllr (reroll attack dice that miss).  With this combo, my hearthguard wiped out a unit of Welsh warriors, rested, and in the next activation, wiped out a unit of Welsh hearthguard.
My 6 surviving hearthguard descended on the Welsh warlord.  6 on 1 is not a fair fight and the brave Welsh warlord went down fighting.  A quick victory to the Vikings...skol, Vikings!
GAME 2:  "Clash of Warlords" again with the same warbands.  This time, Odin was off cavorting and the Welsh dropped 2 woods in the middle of the table.  I asked Hugh if he was creating a Dark Age Agincourt. All we needed was a muddy field in the center and a charge.  Being the Vikings, I had no choice but to go up the gut and deliver.
Hugh's dicing was better in this game.  He played "The Rising Out" to activate 4 units to pitch javelins.  My warband was melting in the face of sustained missile fire and I had to go all in with my hearthguard.  I needed to chew through the Welsh hearthguard to open a path to their warlord. When my 12 hearthguard hit Hugh's 8 hearthguard, there was a tremendous crash that ended with his men wiped out and nearly all of mine!  I couldn't deliver the killer punch and was left to look about the battlefield for any chance to pull my coals from the fire!
Desperate, I sent my warlord after his.  I bumbled and pushed his warriors back to within Very Short distance of his warlord.  This allowed his warriors to sacrifice themselves and soak up hits that my warlord delivered on his warlord. My Viking warlord went down in personal combat and the game went to the Welsh.
There is some debate on the Saga forums about the usefulness of "Rally Round the Banner."  After two tries, I'd say it's moderately risky with a moderate opportunity for payout.  If you go for the kill and fail, you've probably lost the game.  Still, I think it's useful tool for the Vikings.

All in all, a great day of gaming and a good showing by the Welsh.