Partizan haul a little bit of shopping

 Shopinnnnggggg

Finally back home from my first ever Partizan and what a blast it was. I managed to get a great amount of supplies and miniatures from Partizan and photograph it. First up I did have a lot in pre order and some was paid for back in January (my Christmas shopping time), so could be packed and sent in time for my return from Australia and has been sitting at Shaun’s awaiting pick up at this Partizan, particularly as the customs duties to France are punishing if the value is high……oh well Brexit continues to hurt UK small wargaming businesses. 

AB miniatures

20mm American Para, artillery crews and vehicle crews

Ready to Roll 

Raventhorpe British airborne jeeps 

Alder miniatures 

20mm American para, British airborne vehicle crews, German vehicle crews

Early War Miniatures 

Early War Miniatures, British artillery bits

EWM Dutch hussars and artillery crews 

Belgian Hussars, cyclists frontiers and some AA crew

Books

First up we met Harry Sidebottom, and received signed copies of his books, a thrill as I have been reading the stories of Ballista since his first one. 

A lot of books, a lot of these were from my mate in Wales who is clearing his library, but a great selection available and cheap! Even my wife purchased two. 

Old Glory

Two packs of French casualties and wounded for markers for my revolutionary -1809 French army

Gripping Beast 

28mm Gothic cavalry so I can compete my goth cavalry units. 

Foundry miniatures

Imperial Roman Command, praetorian shields, gladiators 

Random stores and Hinds miniatures 

Imperial Roman’s, dark age skirmish types, goths, Bolt action Dice, random truck loads, glue, paint and clippers 

ABC Paint brushes 

First time trying the Pro art series, picked up work horse acrylic and sable they are a great price 

Warbases 

Always need these, possibly should of purchased another 20 or so for my Napoleonic casualties 

Plastic kits 

I had to rescue two Horsa gliders and a German fighter for a tenner

ww2 new kits and a modern jet for my Cold War warpac.

Resin bits 

Bridges from Kallistra, really nice and suitable up to 28mm 

So a huge haul, only a little over budget, a lot of painting ahead of me! 

Cheers

Matt

King of the Visigoths Alaric II

My painting mojo returned this week, I guess because I am over the hump of plastering, plumbing brickwork and timber work I need to finish so I could move forward on the top floor of the house. I also managed to get some time on the desk not tired which helps.

Hot off the desk (ok been part painted since March) is King Alaric II, King of the Visigoths. I need to add another three cavalry units at least to put a decent army in the field, so I have my eye on a purchase soon.....figure are Footsore miniatures and very lovely they are too

Figures are from the Footsore Miniatures range

Alaric II/Alaricus (Latin) (Alareiks, "ruler of all"), c. 458/466 – August 507) was the King of the Visigoths from 484–507. He succeeded his father Euric as king of the Visigoths in Toulouse on December 28, 484. His capital at Vicus Julio (modern Aire-sur-l'Adour, Aquitaine). His dominions included not only the majority of southern France but also Spain(excluding its northwestern corner)

The border with the Franks was established along the Loire river, Clovis seems to have tested the borders against the Goths resulting in the battle of Vouillé (near Poiters) where Alaric fell, Alain by Clovis in single combat according to Gregory of Tours. 

Cheers

Matt

28mm Dark Age Breton Warlord Cavalry

Breton Warlord Cavalry I

Off the desk this week another unit of Breton warlord cavalry, again from the footsore miniatures range. Should be quite flexible to be Alans, Goths, Franks and late Romans. A real pleasure to paint with LBM transfers.

"walk the battlefield in the morning, wargame in the afternoon"™

Cheers
Matt

28mm Dark Age Goth-Alani cavalry I

Gothic Alani Cavalry I

Next unit to join my Breton army are some Alani-Goth cavalry from the Footsore range. These. Will be for my later 5th century Armorican army, but I will possibly also use them for Goths, Visigoths or Burgundians.

The Vandals, Alani (including Sarmation confederation tribes) and other confederate Germans crossed the Rhine in 406AD pushing far into western Roman territory. Alan tribes settled along the Loire and up the Sarthe river beyond Le Mans and west to the Mayenne river. Many place names in the Pays de la Loire region still relate to this period of 40 odd years of occupation. This I believe also lead to the unique horse breeds in western Pays de la Loire

The Alani leader Goar agreed with the romans to ally with them and in 440 the Alan's were gifted Orleans and the lower And Upper Loire to act as a buffer in the west with the Bucaudae of Armorica, and to the south the Visigoths and Burgundians. The Alani also played in the internal politics of the western empire supporting Jovinus as emperor 411-13. The Alani had contingents in the Roman army at Chalons against the Huns and again at at Orleans against the Visigoths. Contingents were still with the Roman army at Soissons, and retreated to Armorica after the defeat, coming to terms with Clovis and the Franks, becoming part of the Merovingian and Carolingian empires.

Ammianus Marcellinus writes their military customs resemble the Huns "they enter battle drawn up in a wedge shaped masses, while their medley of voices make a savage noise". The Alans like the Huns disliked fighting on foot, and unlike the Huns they seemed to have utilised armour for themselves and their horses.

References
Alans in Gaul Bernard S Bachrach.
The History of the Alans in the West Bernard S Bachrach 
Long Haired Kings JM Wallac-Hadrill
Rerum Gestartum libri qui supersunt XXXI 2,21. Ammianus Marcellinus. 

Cheers

Matt

Greuthungi Ostrogothic Pirates

In the campaign I was awarded 20 (impetus) points of Ostrogothic Pirates to help me raid the Roman eastern territory's on the black sea, so of course I needed some unit to represent them! So I hunted around my spare fig box and came up a little short with a few BTD archers that would be suitable. Alas I had no warband types, so I trundled off to the cardinals house of wonders and sure enough he had some spare dark age figures I could use. The old glory miniatures are from the viking pack (I think) and were castoffs........so I ended up with the infamous bard figure, so what better figure for a leader!!!!!

cheers

Matt

German heavy cavalry

Goth Heavy Cavalry 

Another addition to the Late Roman army some German Heavy cavalry a real mix of ranges, gripping beast, foundry, old glory on gripping beast horses (I think?), the shields are a mix of hand painted and LBM dark age transfers. The Draco is from the WF plastic Saxons I think..... I will be using these in my Frank, Goth, Alamannii and Roman armies

cheers
Matt

Halani Sagittarii

Some Alan Or Goth horse archers off the table this week who will no doubt get use in my Roman and Sassanid armies. I am very pleased with the result of their stripey pajamas, The A  and A range captures the movement of the horses well, again I have based them in a circulus cantabricus.

Only five more bases to go of horse archers, which I ordered from A and A last week and my Sassanid army will be nearly ready for action!

cheers

Matt