Crusader Miniatures Knight (Carl)

I’ve completed another Crusader Miniatures Knight. It’s the second of four in a blue and white scheme.

Completion on the blog of number 20 for the year (I really need to take a pic of the other Minas Tirith Warrior I completed).

Crusader Miniatures Knight (Carl)

This is one completely out of left field. It’s a Crusader Miniatures Knight with sword and shield.

He’s part of a group I’m using in a micro game/scenario series I’m writing for Open Combat. These models are loads of fun to paint. I’ve given him a dirty look and feel as the scenario does involve models hitting the dirt quite a bit. Oh… and completion 19 (on the blog).

Lion Rampant - Fierce Foot (Nick)

It's like buses... nothing for months and then 3 posts come along at once - ding, ding!

Here we have more figures that have been waiting ages for static grass and tufts etc, this time my 3rd unit for Lion Rampant and only 11 months after the last one rather than 2 1/2 years... things are improving?

Again the figures are from Curtey's Miniatures, javelin men that I intended to represent Fierce Foot - however they could easily be divided into two more units of Bidowers, or added to some WIP Foot Yeomen as a mixed unit or two.

The figures are actually supplied with small shields/bucklers but haven't decided whether I want to add them or not, so I'm calling them finished for now and will come back to them later if necessary - with shields they could even be an alternative unit of Foot Yeomen themselves.

They have been painted exactly the same way as the previous Bidowers so I won't repeat the process here except to emphasise those brighter green and yellow spot colours making an appearance again.

So a few days of not actually 'painting' and already another 13 figures moved onto the done pile... I'm sure the paint brush will be out again soon, but so far it's looking promising for a strong finish to the year - here's hoping it is.

Lion Rampant - Foot Men-at-arms (Nick)

First post of the new year but  really these are still 2020 minis, and more from the 'paint on brush' every day mantra. 

These are a unit of Foot Men-at-arms (foot knights), the best and most reliable unit in the Lion Rampant game... and a nice chunky 6pts, so 1/4 of the whole 24 point retinue - also my second unit finished for Lion Rampant... just 2 1/2 years after the bidowers posted previously, and on the half finished pile for nearly 5yrs!

Figures are again from Curteys Miniatures with shield decals from Little Big Men Studios to produce great looking shields quickly (as the whole force was originally intended to be completed in 2 weeks all those many moons ago).

This time there isn't really much evidence of the green & yellow 'spot' colours I mentioned previously, except on the standard bearer, but colours were pretty much determined by the shield designs and besides these guys are knights so like to swan about doing pretty much what they please! (however green & yellow will be much more evident on the Crusader Miniatures knights I also have)

The banner itself was created and printed on the PC but painted over afterwards to make it look less like printed paper and more like it belonged with the painted figures.
For those with an interest, the design is a simplified 'affectation' of the emblem for Derby - as I'm trying to bring nods to local history into many of my ongoing projects - a buck 'couchant' (lying down with head up in heraldry terms) encircled by palings (wooden fence) - as one of the most likely Anglo-Danish origins of the name Derby means Village of the Deer or 'Deer Park'.

I used the same Vellejo Sepia dipping formula wash again over the base colours but it wasn't nearly as successful on these brighter colours as I'd hoped, needing a lot more work and highlights to bring the colours back up to something presentable - certainly not the speedy paint job as originally intended and although I'm not totally happy with them the 'damage' was done a long time ago and I'm certainly not starting over, instead moving quickly on to the next unit.

Lion Rampant - bidowers (Nick)

Ah, so the Dark Ages miniatures mentioned at the close of my last post slipped by the wayside for one reason or another and Plan B was put into action for the games at Salute - thanks to Carl for some last minute beg & borrow on that one! (don't worry they are on their way, just not finished... yet!)

Instead I finally finished my first proper unit for Lion Rampant, well two units really as they will mostly be used as bidowers which are taken in units of six.

These guys have been waiting something ridiculous like two years for the bases to get done, and although I desperately want to go back and add highlights and more detail in the faces, I guess it's better to finish some more units to this standard first!

The miniatures are all medieval slingers from Curteys Miniatures, primed with various green and brown sprays from Army Painter, Plastic Soldier Company and even and old can of Russian Green from Miniature Paints for the main tunic colours.  Then matching colours and a few alternative 'spot' colours were used throughout to hopefully create a muted, rag-tag but cohesive appearance.

If you look carefully you might notice the odd instance of a brighter green and yellow, these are my chosen livery colours which you should seen popping up in every unit.

After picking out the hands and faces with Dwarf Flesh, a liberal wash of Vallejo's Sepia Shade 'Dipping Formula' was applied and that was it apart from the long awaited basing.

The bases themselves are deliberately fussy to convey the impression of scrub and undergrowth were these skirmishing troops are most likely to be found, taking advantage of whatever cover and broken ground they can find.

Even though I only had to finish the bases on these 12 (and I may come back to them later), I'm calling them done for now which bumps my yearly total up to 46 completed so far... not that many as we are now into May, but at least I get to keep these ones and it all counts as off the lead mountain!