Grail Knights

I completed a few mounted Bretonnian kniggots over the weekend. First there is a generic Brettonian lord


And there are 6 Grail Knights, the hardest bunch of the Bretonnian muster. Two strength 6 attacks on the charge, immune to psychology:


These are really beautiful models. I like the raised shield design since I could never paint medieval heraldry freehand. I can barely pick these out. Here is the leader, I've done him in Saskatchewan Roughrider green:


Up next: men-at-arms (i.e. peasant fodder)

Bretonnians begin

I have made a start on my Bretonnians for WHFB. Like my Empire army, it will have a decidedly retro look. So far I have completed 40 peasant archers and Morgiana, the fay enchantress. Not exactly enough to make anyone quake yet, but the Grail Knights are next.


The archers are from an earlier edition, there are only two poses but I like that. I also like the way they look and feel...chunky:

The Fay Enchantress is a kick-ass magic user character mounted on a formidable steed. She points out around 500 so will not get on the field until the army reaches 2k or so. She has an amphibian familiar that Silvaron must be careful not to step on!

13th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month...

We played a Great War scenario at Chaos Gaming today. I ran my Villers-Bretonneaux scenario of the first tank battle in history that occurred in the First World War. To make a 2h story short, the Germans won this time after using a left feint to hold down more than half of the Brits while the right wing, supported by accurate and timely mortar support, successfully stormed the British line.

In the early stages, the British tanks laid up behind their lines creep out of the forest to engage the attacking Germans, there are 2 MkIV females and one male:


The Germans advance from their starting line with support from one A7V:


The Germans pick their way through the wire, using shellholes as cover from the British rifles and Lewis gun nests:


They successfully assault the Lewis gun posts, charging in after using grenades to keep their heads down:


Mark managed to twice break is MkIV, leaving it immobilized behind his lines and unable to reach the left flank where the Germans swarmed into the trench. Looks despondent, doesn't he?

Black Powder Zulu War

For the last 2 weeks or so I have been repainting and painting 1/72 British and Zulus to run a Black Powder scenario at the club. The Vimeiro scenario played well using BP, so I decided to run out my colonials after also watching Zulu again (for the 20-odd time). I have the Colonial Campaigns Zulu War scenario book which is really excellent

and helps to focus the modeling. I am going to run the Isandlwana scenario. While that battle is ostensibly one-sided and not much fun to game, the scenario is well thought-out and should provide a challenge for up to 5 players.

It requires of course, some stalwart British infantry, here painted as 24th foot with regimental and Queen's colours (Esci 1/72)


Some Natal native contingents, these were tribes that allied against the Zulu (Esci 1/72 Zulus painted with red head feathers, native contingents wore a red headband).


I picked up a new box of British mounted infantry (Hat 1/72) which will not factor into this scenario, but are very nice.


And I painted-converted half of them into Natal mounted police, which do appear in the scenario:

The artillery is a Napoleonic 9lber with US civil war crew. I head-swapped the crew for tropical helmets to make them look British, and I doubt any of my mates can tell the difference between a 9lber and the correct 7lber...


There are also some wagons to represent the baggage train, which is a Zulu objective. The Conestogas are from Imex and are excellent, the field forge is Hat (French Napoloenic).


I just need to finish off another 24 Zulus and this one is ready to go. I also need some 1/72 tents. Any suggestions?

Up next: Zulus.

Montrose is almost upon us!

Today I just about finished off my Scots ECW army, which has clearly morphed into a Montrose-Royalist force. I complete a 24-strong Irish Brigade of shot, hard nuts these blokes were:



Led by the fearsome Macolla "the devastator" with his Claymore:

Macolla can also be accompanied by a lifeguard of 6 knuckledragging highlanders, so I did another highland warband unit with Claymores and lochaber axes. I am not sure how this army will fare against a more conventional pike and shot force with strong horse regiments. My plan will be to use terrain as best as possible and hit his foot units with my warbands very quickly early on.
In other news, because we are insane we adopted a 4th cat. His name is Harry ("Prince 'arry") and he has bonded with our 4 year old male Charlie (Prince Charles? no wonder I am playing Royalists!). Not more than a day in the house and they have already perfected synchronized sleeping:

Highland warband for ECW

Since returning from Chile I completed my first Highland warband for ECW. This is a combination of Old Glory and Foundry figures, swords and targes plus some longbows. They look fierce!


Lots of animated poses, quite characteristic of Old Glory. This is quite a good range, their pikmen are also very good. I have a pile of them on my to-do list.


I chickened-out on painting tartan kilts and trews though. And really, tartan kilts didn't quite exist yet at the time of the ECW.
But there was lots of other fun going on at my house this weekend...

Next up: Some dragoons and another regiment of foot for Dave Senior...

More ECW

Today I knocked off the lifeguard cuirassiers of the Earl of Essex for Dave Sr. This is work I am doing in exchange for lead. I reckon Dave gets a pretty good deal since I paint one figure for each I receive in exchange. I wouldn't want to figure out how that works in terms of hourly wage...

They are Renegade, quite big, but they are very nice. So nice, I don't want to give them back to him...


Dave just needs to base them and hit them with some dullcote, and away we go.