The Duel

 A piece that has been in my project draw for a long time, finally last week made it to the front as I was struggling with motivation to complete my big Cuirassier unit and Mamelukes. 

These miniatures I think were from gripping beast for the warhammer El CID book, so that is going back some time I think. Really happy with the results although I do have a suitable transfer somewhere for the Muslim knights shield…..Somewhere! 

The Duel, El CID and Muslim knight in combat

Cheers

Matt

Gallic Auxillia

I have really concentrating on the completion of projects in my project drawers that sit in my work area, these chaps have been awaiting completion before I move to France and were the beginnings of my gallic project before Victrix came along with the huge bags of plastics. Originally I planned to build my Gaulois tribes from metal ranges from various manufacturers to get the variants I wanted in the tribe. These are 32 of the 80 odd figures I commenced with which are a mix of Old Glory, Crusader, Warlord metals, and Gripping beast. They basically have had the base coats completed for three years, but were never finished as the shiney new Victrix figures came along to change my focus. Last week when I was restocking my 6 project drawers that sit on my workspace these guys came from the back to the front of the project table and were basically  completed in three days, the hand painted shields were another two days and basing a further one. I have added some victrix bits including plumes, weapons and a carnax.

These three units will join my other three completed Gallic Auxillia bases (which, possibly also need a review now I have completed these) as Gallic Allies for my Republican, Caesarian and Imperial Roman armies. I tried to paint them a little differently so they looked more southern or eastern Gallic in appearance with horizontal striped germanic type tunics. I really enjoyed completing these and will try to resist buying some ore as this takes my Gallic totals to over three hundred figures........

Cheers

Matt 

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Breton Army part V

Breton Liticani infantry

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, the last unit completed for my dark age 5th -6th century Amorican Bretons. A mix of Gripping Beast and Footsore miniatures. Mentioned in a number ancient references with the field army of Aetius by Gregory of Tours. Mentioned by Jordannes at Challons with the Roman army of Gaul against the Huns and with Paulus and Riothamus defending Angers against the Saxon Pirates and Visigoths.

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

Cheers

Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary skirmishers IV

Auxiliary Javelin 

 Second last unit of my Bretons completed, another simple skirmishers unit.

Figures are gripping beast hand painted shields.

Cheers

Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary spear IV

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, Third last uni completed of Breton auxiliaries off the table, 2 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

A mix of Footsore and gripping beast with mixed shields, LBM studios

Cheers

Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae auxiliary spear III

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, Breton auxiliaries off the table, 3 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

A mix of Footsore and gripping beast with mixed shields predominantly LBM transfers.

Cheers

Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Breton skirmishers III

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, skirmishers off the table, 4 more units and two command stands to go and the army will be complete for this year, I have enjoyed this build and would like to add some more pieces in the future.

Gripping beast miniatures hand painted shields

Cheers
Matt

Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae Bretons II

Breton heavy infantry 

The Liticiani-Letavi -Letavii-Letaniae, much conjecture surrounds them as to where the kingdom was located during the dark ages. Mentioned in a number ancient references with the field army of Aetius by Gregory of Tours. Mentioned by Jordannes at Challons with the Roman army of Gaul against the Huns and with Paulus and Riothamus defending Angers against the Goths and Saxons.

A mix of Footsore miniatures and Gripping beast, LBM shield transfers and flag.

Cheers
Matt

Anjou-Maine Dark age infantry V

Carolingian Frank- Anjou-Maine Infantry V

Carolingian Frank - Anjou-Maine dark age heavy infantry, miniatures are plastic gripping beast, ready to repel the Viking or Breton invaders!

Figures are gripping beast plastics with Victrix plumes, a mix of hand painted, war flag and LBM transfers, with additional dry brushing.

Cheers
Matt

Anjou-Maine dark age shieldwall III

Carolingian Franks - Anjou-Maine Infantry III

Another unit of Carolingian Frankish Anjou Maine dark age infantry circa 800 when the Count of Anjou was created up to the Northmen invasions fighting with the Bretons for Maine in the 9th and 10 centuries. 

Figures are Plastic gripping beast with LBM transfers, need to pick up another three boxes to complete the army I think

Cheers
Matt

Dark Age Franks heavy infantry I

Carolingian Frank Heavy Infantry I

Another unit completed for my dark age Franks, ready to fight the troublesome Bretons. Figures are gripping beast armoured dark age plastics with Victrix Roman and Celt plumes, flags and transfers a mix of LBM and warflag, getting low on transfers so need to make a order this week, hopefully they will make it through the border!

The yellow flower I place on all of my French bases is a common weed here locally and where Geoffrey V of Anjou got the Plantagenet nickname from, as he fathered a lot of bastard children so many they were like a weeds. The original name for the plant was planta genista in Latin before being changed in the 1900s to Cytisus scoparius or common broom. The plant was also used as a heraldic badge by five other Plantagenet kings of England, Anjou, Maine, Normandy and Aquitaine as the royal emblem.The "broomscod", or seed-pod, was also the personal emblem of Charles VI of France.

Much on the desk at the moment with six units awaiting basing, just waiting on yellow tufts to arrive from Germany.

Cheers

Matt

Breton Skirmishers III

Breton Javelin skirmishers

Another unit completed, Breton Javelin Skirmishers based for impetus, actually they would suit the Franks of Anjou Maine also,  figures are gripping beast plastic with a few Victrix heads.

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

Cheers
Matt

Anjou Maine medieval infantry IIII

Anjou - Maine Infantry IIII

Another unit of medieval Anjou Maine Infantry to defend against the Norman and Breton invasions in the 11th century. William the Conqueror and Conan of Brittany bring the two main opponents in the period.

Figures are from the plastic gripping beast dark Age set with some Victrix heads, and additional metal or plastic hand painted shields.

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

Cheers
Matt

28mm Dark Age Breton Coloni I

Breton Coloni

Off the desk this week some Breton Coloni (colonizers from Britain) peons, adding to my Dark Age Domnonée army, this base could also be used as Carolingian Franks Anjou-Maine, saxon pirates or early Normans.

28mm Gripping beast plastics with some Victrix heads and hands, plus some metal shields, several more units not to far away from completion.

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

Cheers
Matt

Sir William Douglas, Lord of Douglas and retinue

Sir William Douglas, Lord of Douglas 

This unit represents Lord Douglas and his retinue, the Douglas family were heavily involved in the politics of Scotland, either William the elder (longleg) or his sons Hugh or William (the bold) Douglas May of served at Lewes, but I am yet to find out conclusively.

Figures are a mix of Mirliton, Foundry, Gripping Beast, and Fireforge miniatures.

Cheers
Matt

John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lord of Lochaber and retainers

John II Comyn, Lord of Badenoch and Lord of Lochaber (died 1302) or John "the Black", he was present at Lewes, and stood by John de Balliol claim to the Scottish Crown.

The figures are a mix of Mirliton, Foundry, and Gripping Beast medieval ranges.

Cheers

Matt

Norman Heavy Infantry part one

Norman heavy infantry from the Perry and Gripping beast ranges, flags are LBM, sheilds hand painted, another four units to come of these.

Norman Javelin

Norman javelin from the gripping beast range, these are touch ups and rebase jobs

cheers
Matt

Norman Casualty markers

For some time I have been painting a mates Norman army it is days from completion, the next few days I will post some pictures of the figures, some were touch ups and rebasing others were complete paint jobs, they are from a number of ranges so enjoy! They are based and marked up for Impetus but could be used for other rules.

cheers
Matt

Foederati

Roman Foederati

Painted these for our clubs latest painting competition, I will be using them as late Romans and Foederati! The miniatures are a mix of old glory and Gripping Beast and LBM transfers.

Foederati