BOYL 2015

Do I intend participating in the Lichemaster game? Oh yes!

 

Can I Count Three Points?

I found a little extra time before the Space Hulk challenge yesterday, so...

 

 

... I thought it would be a constructive use of time to start cutting out LBM shield transfers and applying static grass to bases.

 

 

This Norse Gael unit will include 10 Dane Axe armed warriors. The two extra figures will be added to an eight strong unit of metal figures (base coat started on these believe it or not). Shield transfers were added to 13 plastic shields (one spare 'just in case'). Since the figures will all be used for gaming, I've attached the shields to figures using epoxy resin for a firm bond. Since epoxy takes a while to dry, I also used a small spot of superglue to hold each shield in place while the epoxy dried.

 

 

I repeated my earlier two colour blend when applying static grass. PVA glue (watered down to make it flow into gaps better) is first applied to each base. I have two sheets of paper on the floor with one shade of grass in a plastic applicator on each. The dark shade is applied first, followed by the lighter shade. I then use a make-up 'blusher' brush to gently remove grass from unglued parts of the models. By brushing around the edges of the base upwards, it also helps to make the grass stand erect. A dry paint brush is used to get to fidly parts, especially feet.

The two boxes show the vegetation tufts I use for the Norse Gaels. Most figures have heather, but one or two have wild grass instead - for variety. These work a treat and really add character to the figures.

 

 

When I returned home last night, the glue had dried sufficiently to allow me to touch up the paintwork on the shields. The shield rims are leather, with a sepia ink wash applied. I decided to get this done last night so I can varnish this morning. Although the figures are already varnished, the transfers need a coat of gloss to protect them and prevent future shrinking. Once the gloss has fully dried (probably Sunday), I will apply a final coat of matt to remove the glossy shine. And then they are done! twenty four figures completed representing three points of warriors. Next up are more Dane Axe warriors, but we are now talking metal. Stay tuned!

 

Shifting Sands in Rochester

This isn't a battle report, but I thought I'd post my thoughts on Saracens after playing against them for the first time Wednesday night in Rochester. No photos alas. My opponent was Omer and we played at Rochester Games and Models. This is a really great shop that has whole heaps of stock for a diverse range of wargames etc.

I was playing my Anglo Danes of course and must say that I found it quite entertaining that one of the Saracens' abilities required me to choose a Saracen unit to add fatigue to (Rise of the Crescent). This ability allowed Omer to nominate three of his units, I then chose one to add a fatigue to, with the benefit to the Saracens that the two other units get activations. Of course as an Anglo Dane, it is my job to distribute as much fatigue as possible. I therefore enjoyed watching the Saracens give themselves yet more fatigue with another ability (Shifting Sands). My Anglo Danes received fatigue as well, but by now the fatigue was really mounting on the Saracens. The Anglo Danes won on points (just). I nearly had the Saracen warlord, but he galloped off into the sunset when his hearthguard died around him. Omer claims this was a tactical retreat, but all I could see was dust ;-)

My take on the Saracens is that they aren't particulary strong in melee. One double six ability was effective and helped eliminate one of my four man hearthguard units (Faith Strike - activations and attack/defence dice), but it was only used once during our game so I couldn't really judge whether it was something to really fear. Other abilities benefitted Saracen archers, but they were a bit thin on the ground in the Saracen warband (especially after I trapped and exhausted the levy and then pelted the mounted hearthguard archers with my own levy). If I was playing Saracens, I think I would consider building in more missile armed mounted units, but use them at a distance. In our game a unit of mounted warriors (with spears) managed to outflank the Anglo Danes, but a lack of battle board abilities meant they were whittled down and easily exhausted. They would perhaps have been more effective if they had been armed with bows. Keep them at a distance and shoot the enemy before they can get to you. It's perhaps even worthwhile to move, shoot and then try to use Rise of the Crescent to move back to safety. Yes the unit gets a fatigue, but can be rested next turn. One of Omer's mounted hearthguard units did have bows, but allowed themselves to sit in missile range of the Anglo Dane levy and charge range of hearthguard Dane axes...

There was definitely a lot of gambling going on with the Saracen battleboard and it seemed to me that the gambles failed more than they came off. The ability of Omens in particular made us both laugh, especially when sixes were rolled on a bet of a sword or crescent! It was the first time either of us had played with Saracens so still lots to learn. Definitely fun to play and a big thanks to Omer for a very enjoyable game.

As for the Norse Gaels, well a bunch of Dane axe warriors is nearly finished. They are even varnished! Hoping to get the bases and shields completed over the weekend. I'm playing Space Hulk tomorrow night at the Friday Night Firefight Club, so no more painting until Saturday.

 

 

Stop Throwing Those Bloody Spears at Me!

Here we go, the first fully painted unit of Norse Gael - 12 javelin armed warriors.

 

 

These are made up from a mix of Gripping Beast's Dark Age Warriors and Wargames Factory Viking Bondi. All figures are plastic and shield transfers are once again by Little Big Men. I'm not a great fan of plastic figures, detail tends to be a bit 'soft' and I find them a bit of a challenge to paint (if you'll excuse the Norse Gael pun). But at least they are relatively cheap and can be assembled in lots of different poses.

I've had a rethink about bases and decided to mix static grass with tufts (or heather in this case). I used two diffent shades of grass, with a darker blend applied first and the lighter grass applied over the top.

 

 

I'm quite pleased with the effect and am now considering redoing my Anglo Danes in a similar way (with grass tufts rather than heather of course).

 

Next up are more plastic warriors, this time with Dane Axes. These are also approaching completion and more photos will follow soon.

 

 

Norse Gael Progress Update

Lids have been opened, cans sprayed and brushes, er, brushed. They are not finished yet, but a start has been made on the Norse Gaels!

 

 

The whole warband has now been under coated. After reading some comments on a web forum, I decided to try a different primer. I prefer to undercoat figures grey and until now have used Plasticote (or something) from the local craft shop. It's ok, but does tend to gum up and after painting the Anglo Danes I'm convinced it leaves a grainy surface. Anyway after a bit of research I decided to buy a can of primer from Halfords.

 

 

It's early days but the spray appears to cover figures very evenly and leaves a nice smooth surface for painting.

 

 

The first lot of figures I'm tackling are Norse Gael warriors, armed with javelins - 12 of them. These are all plastic figures and the base coat is now complete. Washes and highlights will be applied hopefully later today. These warriors will also have shields, but these are being painted separately.

On a different note I recently had a really great game of SAGA at the Friday Night Firefight Club. My Anglo Danes faced Adam's nasty Normans. It was a close game of Clash of Warlords with the Normans slightly ahead on points until the last turn of the game. My warlord with huscarls then cleared away a unit of crossbow armed warriors to leave the Norman warlord all alone. Fourteen attack dice later and it was all over. One interesting thing about this game was the impact of the new terrain rules on the Norman cavalry. In short, don't charge horse mounted troops into uneven ground! The fatigue mounted very quickly on Adam's warriors and after a clash with my levy, they became exhausted and I was able to eliminate the two surviving warriors using the Anglo Dane Exhausted battle board ability. We didn't think that this rule change unbalanced the game in any way, but I'm sure it will affect how other warbands deploy cavalry.

 

Dun Beag

Dun Beag ('Small Fort') is a well preserved broch that I visited with the family during our recent holiday on Isle of Skye.

 

 

Dun Beag is situated on a hill that provides an ideal vantage point overlooking the surrounding countryside and nearby loch. The broch was almost certainly occupied by an important local warlord...

 

 

...who would have woken each morning to quite a view!

 

 

Brochs are dry-stone round-houses that were built on the Scottish Hebridean island during the Iron Age (between 700 BC and 550 AD). They were constructed with double-skinned walls that supported each other making possible a high building that was still relatively lightweight. Rather tantilisingly, amongst the Iron Age items found around the broch were also some Viking artefacts including a gold norse ring and buckle; suggesting the broch may have been raided (and even occupied) during the later Dark Ages.

 

 

Thoughts of Norse Gael warlords surveying their conquered lands seem to have gone to Mighty Kyle's head!

 

 

Since the broch was constructed from stone, there are lots of surviving features of interest. The double-skinned wall can be seen next to Kyle, while a small room is visible next to the entrance in the photo above. Stairs that descend into the broch are shown below.

 

 

If nothing else, the broch offered a fascinating glimpse into the lives of early Skye inhabitants and the rugged landscape provides good inspiration for terrain.

 

 

 

One things for certain, purple heather will definitely appear on the bases of the Norse Gael! Something that struck me on Skye was how pale many of the rocks and boulders appeared amongst the heather. This is certainly something I want to pick up on in my terrain painting.

 

 

On closer inspection it appears that much of the pale colour is derived not from the rock itself, but from the surface lichen.

 

 

The last photo is not very Dark Age related, but to be fair it's not everyday you see a dinosaur footprint on the beach! This one is located at An Corran and can be seen at low tide.

 

 

I Do Like the New Terrain Set Up Rules...

A little something arrived in the post today.

There are no dramatic changes to the main SAGA rules, but it's good to have all the tweaks and corrections now available in a single volume. A very nicely produced volume at that.

There are of course new factions, new scenarios and priests! The spoiler in the title gave away my favourite addition though. New terrain set-up rules that appear at first glance to be only slightly different than before, but will I think be well received by most players. The old table that randomly determined where terrain was placed is gone. Within certain constraints, players now choose where their terrain is placed. Terrain placement is going to become more strategic, with players better able to position woods and inclinations to block enemy archers and slow down advancing cavalry (there are still no hills - only 'inclinations'. But that's a whole new blog post...). If horse mounted units end their movement in uneven ground they gain a fatigue! Oh yes, my Anglo Danes like that one! A new terrain table means that players can attempt to move (or even discard) one item that an opponent has placed.

Really looking forward to taking this for a spin. I rather suspect that there may also be some camels on the horizon...