Sarmation Auxillia command

Sarmations are coming....

 Completed these two as the same time as the main unit but I needed to cut out some 50mm command stands from mdf and then base them.

Both 28mm warlord figures the standard bearers hose had to be filled a little with green stuff. The warlords mace is quite flimsy and I did consider replacing it, on the next set that will get painted next year I will do I have some variation for the command. 

Cheers

Matt

Coloured WW2 and Modern smoke markers tutorial

 

 Making WW2 Smoke markers

Terrain Tuesday

Since lock down began here in France I have been concentrating predominantly on my medieval and ancients collection painting over 600 28mm miniatures. This coming week I am shifting my focus back to ww2.

I was recently on John Bonds blog looking at his lovely ww2 terrain. So I have also decided to make from now on "Tuesdays Terrain day", making terrain or tabletop scatter a priority each week to get through the tonnes of small projects I have in my head for ww2 and modern bits, predominantly though for ww2. Most of these pieces will take several days and possibly weeks, but spending a dedicated day on them will help me get through the list.  

For year and years of ww2 and modern gaming I have just used cotton wool or lounge stuffing that is white for smoke markers, and while watching Band of Brothers...again, I watched the scene at the ferry crossing and thought....I do not use coloured smoke in my games...I have just used white smoke markers, but as we know they were mostly coloured for  ww2 and moderns warfare.

Anyone who served in the military will know they are not particularly good for your health, but neither is getting shot!  The smoke delivery could be via a grenade, mortar or artillery round, or a smoke generator either vehicle or a pump (normally white/grey though) the main colours available were, Red, Blue, Green, Purple, yellow, white, plus pink and  Orange (both post ww2)

So I have put together a simple tutorial.

Step 1 :Lounge stuffing is my choice of product, easy to find and cheap.

Step 2: I selected my colours and made up a wash, with a drop of detergent to break the surface tension of the stuffing and allow colour to penetrate. A few drops of paint 10% to 90% water. Dropped in the pieces that were teased out to shape. 

Step three. Rinse with water, to get rid of any settled pigment otherwise they will shed bits. allow to dry. 

Step 4. I based mine on clear plastic with a hot glue gun. 

Step 5. Put them on the table ! 

Lessons.

Quite happy with the result, but  I think it would be faster to use a spray paint tin in the desired colour or a airbrush, plus the colour will be more vibrant,  I will try again soon on another Tuesday! 

Cheers

Matt

Guerre Folle-Mad War Breton Arrie Ban Longbow archers

Breton Arrie Ban Longbow archers

Contrary to the belief of many, the bretons also conducted practice for archery, quite often gathering at the local parish church, after 1425, 1 in every ten hearths raised a longbowman, at Saint Aubin du Cormier only about 1700 of the army was armed with them and a further 500 with the crossbow.  This Archer unit will join my Rennes contingent. I do like painting livery, it is very quick, I have another couple of units not far behind.  

Cheers

Matt

Aulerci Cénomani II

Gauls Aulerci Cénomani II

 More Skirmishers for my second Gallic tribe, I can see them now with another 50 mounted on bottle tops and prepared for painting. I think I may finish those and take a break whole I crack on with more medievals, then to focus on my ww2 collection before Christmas.  

Again miniatures from the 28mm Victrix plastics, and LBm transfers.

Cheers

Matt

13th century painted helms

A discussion on the 13th Century Heraldry wargamers forum on Facebook about painted helms in the 13th century. As the 13th is one of my favourite periods I thought I should share my reference pictures I have put together from early thirteenth to the later half.

The first place to look for references are in bibles, possibly the most famous is the Morgan Bible of Louis IX (1226-1270) or the crusader bible to portray the 7th crusade (1248-50 to Egypt), later becoming known as the Maciejowski bible after it was gifted in the 16th century to the Shah of Iran, Abbas I. 

Possibly illuminated from 1244 to 1250,  although much discussion surrounds this, two copies survive in the National Library of France in Paris.

Collection of troubadours poems

Recuil des poésies de troubadours, contenant leurs vies..1201-1300 Bibiotheque Nataionale de France

Quite interesting pieces of knights, a total of 60 in the collection, each knights coat of arms is also on the helm, predominantly great lords are pictured, I digital copy is available here

hopefully we shall see some more painted helms o the wargames table

cheers

Matt

Aulerci Cénomani I

 Aulerci Cénomani (Auerques Cénomans)

The next Gallic tribe I am beginning is the Aulerci Cénomani, the largest of the Aulerque tribal confederation, the Oppidum and the capital of the Aulerci federation was known as Vindinon, or Vindunum as mentioned by Ptolemy, today we know it today Le Mans. 

Vindunum is a Gallic word 'Vindo" white and dunum citadel fortified mount, or the White Citadel, it is thought from the latest archeology that the site may of been in the location of the current cathedral and Plantagenet city, south of the current city is Allones which had a sanctuary sites to the Gallic god March Mullo.

I plan to paint 80 miniatures for the tribe and will make them a little different. Miniatures as usual are from the Victrix plastics range

cheers

Matt