Thursday, 5 December 2013

Dark and Light Alliance - Light Warriors of the Dead

The light infantry, 40 bods, 4 sprues at 10 bods each. Very little Flash, in fact the slinger was the only one who had any and that was on the shield which made it easy to remove.
As with the Heavy infantry  they appear more battered and campaign weary  than actually "Undead" looking and again, as far as I´m concerned, a Bonus.
Firstly painted as  circa 12th century marauding Bandit Viking - Norman - Saxon mix type medievals
Giving the kneeling archer a mace is a nice touch
My favourite poses from the set. They wouldn´t look out of place in a Group of vikings
And painted as "Undead"
Both sets together

Tuesday, 3 December 2013

Dark and Light Alliance - Heavy Warriors of the Dead

The heavy infantry from the two "Undead" infantry sets from Dark alliance, the other being the light infantry. There´s also two "Undead" cavalry sets, heavy and light, which each come with 10 mounted bods and two command type foot bods.
Even from the box art it´s easy to see that they appear more battered and campaign weary  than actually "Undead" looking.  Apart from some grim looking faces and a mild bone like look on some forearms (which could be taken as over developed muscles) there isn´t a lot to actually confirm them as "undead" which is, as far as I´m concerned, a Bonus. Not only can they be painted up as "Undead" but as circa 12th century marauding Bandit Viking - Norman - Saxon mix type medievals.
40 bods, 10 x 4 sprues. A good mix of active and inactive poses and some conversion potential.
The only bod that I´m not too pleased with, the one on the right  with the flail. Better to cut it off and make him into a Spear/ Standard bearer.  
Added into a norman shieldwall These would blend in quite well.
The poor bod on the left has lost his right boot!! See what I mean about the skeletal forearms?
The poses allow for creating a good looking shieldwall
The same bods with a quick paintjob as the "Undead". Straight from the sprue, no Flash removed, which shows how little flash actually needed removing for the ones above.


Sunday, 1 December 2013

Upper class roman house

High walls and few Windows facing outwards to prevent Robbers, this house has a small shop.

The "Backyard" (Horti) Basic and not as nice as it could be..maybe I´ll build a better (bigger) house with a full Horti, pillars and all,  at some Point.
The Atrium. The Roof is of the  Atrium impluviatum style (Roof slopes inwards to the courtyard) as opposed to an Atrium displuviatum (Roof slopes to the outer wall of the house and away from centre)   The construction needed to Support the roof meant that it wasn´t possible to add an Impluvium, so, as with the Horti,  maybe at some point I will re-think the roof construction and build a more historically correct version.
Covering the Roof took just under two Sheets of the corrugated biscuit protective paper.

nn

Wednesday, 27 November 2013

Edward the II

..and "friends".

Thomas Randolph, 1st Earl of Moray´s Schiltron nearly finished
The man himself
Standard bearer for Gilbert de Clare and Gilbert de la Hay, 5th feudal baron of Errol in Gowrie, Lord high constable of scotland, made Heritable Constable in 1314
And finally Edward II. Born 1284,  he would have been 13 when in 1297,  William Wallace was starting the uprising along with William the Hardy, Lord of Douglas. So yet another reason to scream at the´Historical innacuracy in the  film Braveheart,  as the actor playing him, Peter Hanly, (who was 29 -30 years old at time of making of the film) is definately NOT 13 yrs old!!!  

For Bartek, as requested, A couple of comparison pics of 1/72nd scale Bombards alongside a 28mm Perry Bod .  
1st pic Bombard (same size as the Zvezda one ) in the Zvezda base.
2nd pic,  From left to right.Mars, Fredericus-Rex and and my working bombard (same size as the zvezda one)

Sunday, 24 November 2013

Bannockburn - English camp. (pt 20)

Camp Scene. They will end up as part of what will be  more representative of the english camp  than a scottish one, but some of the bods can definately be used for both. All the bods come from the Strelets Medieval Britian set. (from which I´m still missing 12 poses )
Gilbert de Clare (Earl of Glouchester), Thomas de Ufford and Edmund de Mauley
Generic kniggits
Musicians and a Squire

Prisoner and praying kniggit. In the set he´s  posed with a kniggit (Pic above middle) as if he´s getting knighted, but I reckon he looks better as a praying Knight.
Cooks or the "where´s my contact lens ?" scene




Wednesday, 20 November 2013

AWI and House guests.

A pause from eating biscuits.This Little lot will end up as part of a wargame for Michel´s  son (Michel´s Miniaturen) for which he´s built this excellent Fort.
First up a Group of Airfix British Grenadiers, 42 years on  and still finding a use.
Close up. The officers nag has been replaced...
Some Zvezda Russian Artillery of Peter the Great painted as american artillery. Not 100% historically correct but  fine for wargaming.
Manning a gun (pinched from the Bodstonian artillery!!)
Lords (Officers) and ladies
These ladies are from Strelets Court and Army of Peter I
And now the house guests. 4 hedgehogs :-D It was weighing day so I though I´d take some pics.

This one we found running about near a busy road during the day. He was covered in ticks and wounds. Weighing only 180gm´s, toes missing on every foot, the sole of one foot shredded,  half the tip of his nose, cut on his left ear and three large cuts on his Body,  in which there were maggots. What had happened to him? Maybe a Motorscythe? A lawn mower?
He was pretty Close to death and The local hedgehog protection People took him in,  looked after him for two weeks and now he`s completely healed (except a small wound on his ear) and weighs nearly 600 gm´s.
Another male, who like his friends, is too small to survive outside through the winter. Even though we´ve got (created) a hedgehog friendly garden, there is not enough naturally occuring food at this time of year for them to gain enough weight for thier winter sleep.
A Female
Another female. when we found her she weighed 290 grams but now she weighs 390gm´s.
Sadly, because we can´t look after all 4, due to lack of space and the feeding costs,  she has gone to another carer.

It´s a bit of work looking after them, cleaning their "pens" out, making up the correct food for them but IMHO, well worth it :-D
If anyone finds one that needs caring for, this site Pro-Igel (the link is the english Version) is a Goldmine of info. For instance, Do you know wether hedgehogs are Born with or without spines ? :-D

Saturday, 16 November 2013

Roman Town (4)

The town has grown again..(and so´s my weight after eating all the biscuits :-) )

Another row of Shops.....
...a corn store...
...and an "Administration" building.

The work continues...the Upperclass house and quarry  in construction, a Lupinar(ium) planned.

Monday, 11 November 2013

Roman Town (3)

Now with the addition of a small slave market and a reconstructed temple
The slave market.
With "participants!
The temple, built a couple of years ago,  has had it´s roof re-constructed (the new Roof is also removable) one pillar removed from the front and two other pillars re-positioned, statues added,(Atlantic Gladiators and christians set and Revell´s Praetorians set)  an internal wall added, flooring and some wall decorations.


Statues made from dowling, bit´s of  Insulation foam and bods from the Atlantic Gladiators and christians set.
Upper class house, admin building and a grain store in Progress.......as soon as I can get some more rolls of bisuits :-D