Whoops, with the Skáld ok Kaupmaðr

Hello all,

Sorry I never got those Maurice AARs up but school took over my life. Been gaming regularly once a week at the club but sadly painting hasn't been very productive. By the end of the week I should have all my writing for the term done and have some painting time on my hands. That said I have snuck a few figures in here and there and now I shall share them.

First up is a notables base for my Maurice army. He will be a generic notable for now but once I've done up a few more bases they will be differentiated as to what sort of force they command and he will become a cavalry, or general staff officer.

Next up is my first unit for Muskets and Tomahawks which the club is doing in 15/18mm with figures from Blue Moon. My overall force at 200 points will be British light infantry but they will also have 4 members of a colonial militia acting as guides.

Lastly I have also begun painting a points worth of warriors for my SAGA viking warband that I picked up at Hot Lead. First up is the skáld. An older fellow retained to sing Jarl Þorstein's praise. He, like all good poets, has a horn of mead he is drinking from before going into battle.

Accompanying him is the kaupmaðr. Having made money trading with the Anglo-Saxons to the south of Jarl Þorstein's lands he has opted to spend his wealth on expensive clothes, as well as a golden ring, brooch and arm ring. When called upon by the jarl he brings his speer and red shield.

Lastly is a picture of the two together. I have also begun a Dystopian Wars naval project and have one frigate painted but forgot to get a picture of it. That will have to be a separate post later on.

Third Bondi Painted

I apologize for the lack of updates. I have been busy with school and had a serious case of the lazy but I have still been building and painting in the last few weeks. So today I decided to take some pictures and flood my blog with new posts. To start here is the third Bondi of my SAGA warband. This project has fallen down the list of priorities to be replaced with my 15mm Bolt Action platoon as the top project to complete (half way there!). Anyways here is the fellow painted primarily by using washes although future figures will be completely done by washing unless they are important enough to warrant my time to make them stand out. Made his cloak from greenstuff but not entirely happy with it, need to practice more.

First Point of Hearthguard Complete

... well save for basing which I will do once I get my hands on some mdf bases. Finished the three other Hirðmen to go with the first one I painted last week. I've also found a historical gaming club in my city who've recently started playing SAGA and on Wednesday after lecture I will be going to their club night to hopefully play some SAGA, with borrowed minis as I won't have a full warband by then. Next on the SAGA list is to finish painting the WF bonar and build another unit of Hirðmen. Anyways as always comments and criticism is encouraged.

Hirðmaður

Here is the first member of my first point of Hirðmen (hearthguard) for my SAGA warband. He is from the Gripping Beast plastic viking set and this set is far superior to the Wargames Factory one. That said there are some flaws such as the mail sleeved being huge and I prefer the shields from Wargames Factory so the next unit of hearthguard may have them instead. I've learned I absolutely love Devlan Mud when it comes to painting vikings, thus I am worried as it is running low. The one part I am very unhappy with is the shield but I don't know how I should be painting it, any advice is much appreciated.

Can't figure out how to do highlights on a flat surface.

The rest of the unit ready for some paint.

SAGA Bondar WIP

Well here we have the first two bondar painted up. I am not a fan of the Wargames Factory sculpts but again these will have to do until I can afford higher quality miniatures. Thus I will be basing these on some random bases I have laying around, rather than on magnets as I plan to with the Gripping Beast minis. Speaking of those they should be arriving either tomorrow or Wednesday along with a set of Perry mounted men at arms. As always comments and criticism is encouraged.

WIP Bondi

Yesterday I bought two and a half boxes worth of Wargames Factory Vikings for a very good price. About 8 of them were already built but I'll make use of them when I can. That said I started constructing my first point of Þorsteinn's warband, a unit of eight bondar called to service from his estates.

I have to say I do not like the Wargames Factory models. They're finicky to put together, are a bitch to get into natural poses and the detail isn't that great. I knew all this beforehand from reading reviews but somehow thought it wouldn't be so bad. Oh well they will have to do for now as bondar and Þrállar (I have a set of Gripping Beast's plastic vikings in the mail to use for the Hirðmen and my warlord). 

I also molded on two greenstuff cloaks that I am not 100% happy with but I am still very new to using greenstuff and haven't sculpted much besides fur. Anyways I will shut up now and show the pictures.

These two figures were already built but worked for my bondar.

The greenstuff cloak is hiding a glue mess that is on his back.

The two richest bondar. The figure on the right was also built.

There was an ugly gap at the back of his neck, so he got a cloak.

There you have it the first point of my SAGA warband. Hopefully on Sunday I will slap a bit of paint on a couple of them and tonight I'll plunge the two painted models into some Simple Green to strip them. Also if any of you have tips on how to better photograph miniatures I am all ears.

Prologue to Saga Þorsteinn Svarta

There was a jarl named Þorsteinn Svarti, son of Ketil Þorsteinson, the grandson of Gissur Hvíti. Þorsteinn was a well born lord in Northumbria living at Ketilstún just North of Jorvík where his father settled after coming from Norway with Ívar Loðbrókson in the the year 865.
Þorsteinn did not have black hair, wear black clothes or paint his shield black. That is why most men when first coming into contact with the jarl wondered why he was called the black, but after only minutes in his company they realized it was because of his mood. After loosing his family in a hall burning this Jarl of Northumbria had a permanent scowl affixed to his face and the temperament of a wounded badger. He lead a battle hardened band of brutal men on raids every spring to fund the lavish feasts he held to black out the pain of his memories.
In this codex, I Helgi, will endeavor to write of the events and deeds of the life of Jarl Þorsteinn Ketilsson.