Knight Time!

 In August I hit the big half century, hooray….

On the upside, my sister bought me a box of the Wargames Atlantic foot knights as a birthday pressie (thanks Nikki!) and I’ve finally found time to assemble and paint a few.

I have to say it’s a very nice, versatile kit.  There are loads of Weapon and head options, and the assemble really easily.

My first few will play the role of Guy of Gisburne and henchmen, going up against Robin Hood.  The colours are a nod to the soldiers from the Robin of Sherwood TV series.  The kettle helmet is from the Frostgrave Soldiers kit as a bit of an experiment in compatibility.

I’ve also assembled and painted one to order for the big miniature.  This one will join her Viking and jousting knight on her bookshelf. The surcoat and helmet colours, and the wyvern charge on the shield were her requests - the Wyvern chosen as the symbol of Wessex, where I grew up.

While I had the glue out I also had a bit of another kitbash, combining a Frostgrave soldier body with the arm and weapons from the Wargames Atlantic Einherjar sprue to make an irregular/ scavenger type. Paint job is quite basic, but I think it proves the can work.

What next?

 Orctober is coming to a close, so what shall I do next?

I have an idea, and these two helmets could be a clue.  It will be a heroic project involving some excellent models from the 1980s.

Calling in air support (Empire style)

This is one of those models that has been sat uncompleted for a good couple of decades, consigned to the 'I'm too intimidated to tackle it' pile.  However once the little miniature saw it, she was absolutely insistent that I complete it.  Who am I to refuse the commands of an eight year old?

And now I have, and very pleased I am too!  This is also the largest mini I have done that isn't a vehicle.

I love this model - it has a real sense of movement.  The more recent plastic Empire Griffin may have size, but it lacks a sense of movement, and is just too big.  This one has a feel of sinuous power, and ou can almost feel those massive wings beating the air as it lifts up (and then pounces down again on some poor unfortunate soul).

Part of my problem with this model is that I make my own life difficult.  One of my other hobbies is birdwatching - that meant I was incapable of just painting some brown wings and moving on.  No, I had to do something with some basis in reality (yes, I know it's half eagle, half lion, and entirely mythical, but that's not how my mind works!).

I actually started on this some years ago.  My initial attempt was based on an Osprey - dark browns and whites.  The problem was that, whilst I was pleased with the underside of the wings, the top view was just dark brown and uninteresting, and the head just didn't quite work - it lacked impact.  You can see it in the picture below - your eye should be drawn to that head and beak, but it isn't. 

 

So I revised my thinking and based the upper wings on a Red Kite instead.  If you've never seen one, they are awesome birds of prey - bigger than the more common buzzard, and with beautiful colouring.  It's bizarre to think they used to be a common sight in the centre of London.

Much better

 

I retained some of the 'Osprey' patterning under the wings, as I was already pleased with it and didn't want to paint over it.  So my Griffon is really a hybrid of a Red Kite, Osprey, and a Lion. And I'm OK with that.

I'd painted the rider up a while ago, so he just needed a little touching up and detailing.  I do need to find a shield for him - not sure where the original one has gone

"Fly me closer so I can hit them with my sword!"

Look at that beak!

 As an extra treat, here are some photos I took of Red Kites in Rhayader in Wales, all the way back in 2009.  They're awesome, and they feed them there, so you get a really good view.

Bolsover Legendary Joust 2023

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYI5LIjSbkwA bit of a diversion today, but still sort of related to gaming and miniatures, if you think about it as inspiration.

This weekend saw the annual Legendary Joust at Bolsover Castle in Derbyshire, which we always try to attend.  A great day out but also, in one respect, a victim of its own success - the crowds are getting so big it is increasingly difficult to actually see (let alone photograph) the jousting.  Not helped by families who decide to bring folding chairs, extensive picnics, and other paraphernalia that gets in everyone else's way.

Anyway, here are the shots I got, in case they are inspiring for anyone out there painting (or planning to paint) any knights.  If these are of interest to anyone, let me know in the comments and I will do a few posts of other photos from previous years of different armours and equipment.

 

 

Particularly noteworthy was "The Wild Man", who was jousting in a highly decorated bridgandine, rather than a breastplate.  It looked fantastic!

For more on why, there is an excellent video by Zac Evans https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uYI5LIjSbkw

Ludwig Schwarzhelm

Some models take longer to complete than others.  I originally picked this one up back in 2011, when GW was mucking about with 'FineCast' as a material.

 

I think I then started to put paint on him a couple of years ago, doing a bit at a time.  Then, over the last couple of weeks, I decided to go for it in earnest and try to complete him.

General opinion is that I am pleased with the result overall, but it was not a pleasure to paint.  The material just didn't seem to like paint, for a start.  But also it's just so.. fiddly!  It's an issue I have with GW's output over the last decade or so - everything is just so covered in detail, and gubbins, and decoration, all of it requiring a painting project by itself.  Don't get me wrong, I think GW are still creating incredible quality minis, I just don't have the patience or time for this level of detail on anything more than an occasional basis.

It didn't help that the blasted sword broke off, then had to be pinned and glued back on.

Anyway, pictures...

LEGO Jousting!

The miniature and I were left to our own devices a couple of weekends back while the other half had a night out with her sisters.  As well as introducing her to Star Wars (she wisely agreed that ‘Empire’ was the best, good girl!), I snuck in some gaming while she wasn’t looking. 

(I’ll confess I built the castle in my 20’s, when old enough to know better, it has a detailed interior and everything!)

For the joust I wanted to introduce a bit of decision making, so borrowed the scoring from the English Heritage jousts that we go to each year as a family, as she’s familiar with it.  We had three knights each - I was the ‘Lion shields’ and she took the Eagles.  Before each run, we chose one of the following:

• Head - 3 points; roll 1die
• Shield- 2 points; roll 2 dice
• Body - 1 point; roll 3 dice

If any dice rolled 4+ the relevant points were scored.  If we each got one success and rolled the same, it was a ‘barricade’ (crossed lances - no points, but it added some fun and flavour, and she remembered the concept from the jousts we've seen).

As you’d expect, she completely trounced my team!

The crowd were very impressed…

Archery next.  A similar system was used, but she was allowed a couple of extra dice as her character was Robin Hood in (a rather thin) disguise!

(Excuse the mess!)

Of course by the end, Robin was unmasked, and had to make a run for the forest, chased by knights - a series of events that were… less rules based, shall we say.  But a good time was had overall!

Warhammer! (Part 2)

Time for some photos and a quick summary of the second Warhammer game against Matt from the other weekend.

For this one, we rolled up a different scenario, getting 'breakthrough'.  I rolled to be attacker - but somehow an all cavalry army trying to breakthrough a wall of spears seemed a bit too obvious, so we switched roles.  Matt would need to get a specific points value of troops into my deployment zone by the end of turn six.

I would need to defend with a mobile force.  My battle plan was simple, advance hard and try to pin his troops away from my deployment zone until time ran out.  I deployed either side of the central temple and kept my two units of Pistoliers in reserve.

 

 

Matt's infantry advanced on my left, obscuring the view of his bolt thrower, a problem that would persist throughout the game (well, it was a problem for him)!

 

 

 

Matt's impact hit rolls were a bit better this time.  A charge from a chariot and the dragon princes saw my Knights Panther break, and the Dragon Princes overrun into the Reiksgard. 

The Pistoliers tried to buy time for the Panthers to rally.  They didn't last long.

 

This feels familiar... 

 

 

I ended up getting charged more than doing the charging, which is not good for cavalry. 

A series of unfortunate break tests and poor rolls for fleeing finally put paid to my chances.  Combined with a very stubborn eagle that took ages to die!

 

By turn six, there was just one lonely pistolier marksman flying the flag for the Empire, but even he couldn't stem the tide and bought it at the last minute

 

"Where'd all the humans go?"

 

Looks pretty bad doesn't it?  Not a great advert for using cavalry to fight a defense.  Well, yes and no.  While the result may be indisputable, Matt was only able to get sufficient scoring units into my deployment zone in the very last turn.  If the dice gods had smiled in my direction a bit more, if a couple of units had held for another combat turn, who knows? 

 

Don't get me wrong, Matt won fair and square by marshalling his forces well and keeping his eye on the objective, but that's how the best games of Warhammer should play out - tight until the very end. 

Will I try an all cavalry army again?  Probably, it was fun and presented some interesting challenges.  It was unusual facing high elves and having less units to activate for example!  It's also got me thinking about other interesting list combinations, and the role of magic in my army (the battle wizard did nothing, again).

Oh, and here's Matt's bolt thrower crew walking off in disgust at not even getting a single shot off ;-)