Norse go South

The Varangian Guard were elite Norse mercenaries who served the Byzantine empire from the 9th through 14th centuries. To get an idea of how important they were, consider the spoils of war.  After a victory, the Byzantine Emperor took 1/3 of the booty, the Varangians took 1/3 and the rest of the army divided the balance. The Varangians were also the first to plunder a city and upon the death of the emperor, the
privilege of plundering the palace.

Much like Napoleon's Old Guard, the Varangian Guard were committed to battle at critical moments where the action was most fierce. Chroniclers described them as "fighting like madmen, as if ablaze with wrath,"  "frightening both in appearance and in equipment, they attacked with reckless rage and neither cared about losing blood nor their wounds." During the Battle of Beroe, Byzantine troops tried but couldn't break a  Pecheneg wagon laager (fort).  Byzantine officers cried for the "Emperor's wineskins" and up came the Varangians.  Heavily outnumbered, they broke through the circle and slaughtered the enemy. 

These are all Gripping Beast figs.  The hafts on their 2-handed axes were reportedly 5' long, so I trimmed the axes to keep them at or under the height of the figures.  

In Saga, the Byzantines can take Harald Hardrada as a hero & Captain of the Varangian Guard.  Part way into the project, my customer asked to add a Harald, plus 4 Viking Hearthguard for his Viking warband.  I modded a Hereward the Wake figure by cutting the sword out of his right hand and drilling out his left.  In it, I put a clipped spear in and added an axehead. Bingo, the Captain of the Varangian Guard with a a few Vikings running amok. The Viking basing was done to match an existing Viking warband.  

I recently switched to Krylon Matt Finish for sealcoating. It dries with a satin finish that looks brighter in the photography lights than natural lighting.  I'm not sure why the matt finish is coming up satin but I knocked it down with Army Painter Matt varnish after the photos.

Byzantine warband unleashed

My friend Jack painted up a lovely Byzantine army for Impetus that he ported into Saga.  Tempted as I was to paint one up myself, I generally avoid painting over my friend's armies. Then the fellow who bought my Vikings asked if I'd paint him a Byzantine warband for Saga. When asked for painting instructions, he said I had free reign.  The opportunity to paint Byzantines to my own vision is as good as it gets!

I did have a vision in mind, thanks to a profile folder on the desktop of my PC. I love the bright, vibrant colors in their mosaics and artwork, and the story of the Eastern Roman empire chugging along 1,000 years after Rome falls is fascinating.  The Dark Age palette goes on ice for this one.  I'm using bright reds, sky blue and yellows that appear in Byzantine artwork. These colors also appear in the LBMS Byzantine banner and shields as well.  I'm guessing their Byzantine folder looks a lot like mine!

As is my habit, I started with my favorite units first.  Cavalrymen were the elite arm of the Byzantine military. One of their tactics was to soften up the enemy with compound bows. If the enemy spread out to lessen the damage from the missile fire, the Byzantine cavalry would charge in with lances.  If the enemy held in place, they were likely to be disrupted from the storm of arrows.  And then a charge would come!

The LMBS banner and shield transfers really bring these fellows to life.  Scratch painted shield are an art  but I can't match the perfection in the shields below.

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!

Old West Civilians & a kick in the rear

Up today is the last batch of figures for Dead Man's Hand.  I was glad to find a woman in the lot.  In addition to her sterling figure, she was the perfect excuse to bust out Reaper's MSP yellow triad.  Once again, Great Escape Games has served up an eclectic mix of characters including Billy the Kiddie.  This was a fun set to paint and I'm looking forward to an Old West game down the line.

This week, I went into work only to learn that I'd been furloughed and had 30 minutes to shut down and go home without pay.  Since the furlough was a slow train coming, I'd already grabbed some painting contracts to stay busy. Never one to miss an opportunity, my wife also gave me a "Honey Do" list. Once I saw none of her "Dos" involved painting, I chucked it.  Kidding!  I'd like to remain a married man so I'll work on her projects as well as the Saga contracts.  I'm spending long hours at the painting table to keep from moping around the house. Thank goodness for this hobby of ours!  

Lawmen!

In the Old West, it was up to the lawmen to enforce the Rule of Law.  In those days, the Rule of Law sprang from the barrel of a Colt .45, AKA "The Handgun that Won the West. This tough looking crew is distinguished from the Outlaws and Desperadoes only on account of their badges.

Speaking of badges, "Knockin' on Heavens Door" seems appropriate right now.

"Mama, take this badge off of me,
I can't use it any more.

It's gettin' dark, too dark to see

I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door."

Mama, put my guns in the ground

I can't shoot them anymore.

That long black cloud is comin' down

I feel I'm knockin' on heaven's door.

Cowboys & O'Leary Cowgirls!

Another set of gunslingers for Dead Man's Hand.  The cowboys should be easy to identify on the tabletop as most of them sport leather chaps.  I do like the fellow in the red shirt best.  Looks like he's checking to see if he has any bullets left in the chamber.  I can imagine him standing over a bad guy and saying "You're thinking, "Did he fire six shots or only five?" To tell you the truth, I forgot myself in all this excitement. So let me take a look. I'll be damned. I'm out."   BLAM!!!

Months ago, I had the great fortune to win the O'Leary girls in a drawing at O'Leary Miniatures.  Anne is back at it again with another giveaway, bigger and better than ever! She's got loads of prizes and her giveaway is sponsored in part by author Patrick Hatt. You can find Mr. Hatt's Amazon Writers Page HERE.  It's pretty cool that a writer and a painter teamed up like this. Do head over to her blog and put yourself in for the big drawing.

I keep Anne's girls up on my painting desk for inspiration. I'ts a double edged sword though as they can be, um, distracting. When I play Dead Man's Hand, I'll have the hottest outlaws on the table.  Thanks Anne!

"You girls are purdy!"

Showdown at Gucci Gulch...and the men were blown away.

I've got a set of lawmen and civilians to finish this project and then it's on to 2 new factions for Saga.  The bonus for the Irish warband is that they be run in Dux Britanniarum once Two Fat Lardies release the DB supplement this winter.  It's great when a set of figures can pull double duty like this.

Dead Man's Hand Desperados

"Washington is not a place to live in. The rents are high, the food is bad, the dust is disgusting and the morals are deplorable. Go West, young man, go West and grow up with the country."

Horace Greeley wrote these famous words in 1865 in a New York Tribune editorial. In it, he encouraged Civil War veterans to take advantage of the Homestead Act and colonize the public lands.  And why not? After the Civil War, some Southern soldiers returned home to discover they'd lost everything. Other veterans found it impossible to return to their old way of life on the farm or in the city. Some veterans went West for a fresh start, some for the solitude, and others dreaming of fame and fortune.  That's the long-winded explanation for the Civil War veterans in the set below.

The Desperado set might be my favorite in the Dead Man's Hand line.  They're a wild and colorful bunch, and that's how I think they've turned out. If you field this set, I wonder if there is a chance that the Union and Confederate fellow go after each other instead of the enemy?  

I can't resist the opportunity to share Linda Ronstadt's live performance of Desperado. There's no go-go dancers, bright lights, foam fingers or distractions of any kind. Just Linda, a piano and nearly silent audience. Brilliant!