Thursday NoelW : A squirrelicious post (415 points)

Bit of a long post this one, but hopefully you'll find something to enjoy in it.

My plan for this week was to soldier on with the 15mm Austrians, And that’s what I began. Here’s three more 20 figure battalions, 60 Minifigs.

That’s 60 x 15mm foot = 120 points.

But for your sake and mine, I thought it was time for a little variety. I’m always more motivated when I’ve several projects on the go, so I can switch to a new one when the first becomes dull. Of course, this means I’ve many unfinished projects (dozens, really) but it also means I’ve always plenty of alternatives to inspire me.

And, of course, I’ve always half an eye on those desirable Squirrel points.

One project that’s been going for years is Wars of the Roses, which I’ve always been keen on. Since the advent of the Perry plastics, this has been a wonderful period to explore, especially as it shades at the edges into other possibilities, such as the Burgundian and the Italian Wars (both of which I also fancy, but haven’t yet thought much about).

You don’t need many cavalry for WOTR, but for the side projects they’re more desirable. And it’s always nice to see clouds of horses storming across the battlefield, even if they prove peripheral to the main action. So here are 18 generic WOTR cavalry.

Men at arms in the mid to late C15th don’t wear much in the way of decoration or adornment, as they no longer carry shields or wear distinctive arms, and their horses are not caparisoned. Their gear would probably be pretty dull as a rule, too. But I’ve aimed for something a bit more colourful – always my desire in wargames figures, wherever I can get away with it. 

There’s a handful of blue and white figures amongst them, which could be extracted for a potential Burgundian army.

So that’s 18x10 28mm cavalry = 180 points. And Squirrel +1.

Next up is a bit of a squirrel problem for Paul. Here’s the start of an army of Celts.

These form part of my current Ancients plan. Previous posts have offered the first figs for my Carthaginian army, and for the Roman. The Celts will provide another opponent. Problem is, they can also be allies. So, are they a different project for squirrelated purposes, or not?

These 12 figures are all Warlord. Individually they’re attractive:

but their promise turns out to be a little disappointing. Despite being multi-pose, the range of possible combinations is, in practice, rather limited. 

And there are some lovely shield decals included, but several of them are duplicated. So, at first I was thinking of a fantastic mass army with every figure different, and bought 120 of them, but assembly showed a high degree of repetition. So now I’m looking for ways that a little more variety might be incorporated.

One way to do this, of course, is to paint my own shields freehand. However, Celtic designs are full of beautiful, clever curves, which are not the easiest thing to achieve on a 28mm shield freehand. I’ve included my initial experimental example.

12 x 28mm foot = 60 points. Squirrel?

Next are two sets of fantasy figures. Now, these pose another problem. Both sets of five are intended for the Frostgrave universe, so are effectively the same project.

One set consists of five female adventurers, from the newest plastic set, Soldiers 2. These are really good figures, configurable in several ways (despite being limited to only five basic poses), dressed in the furs one would expect in a frozen city. They will paint up nicely in the greys and browns one might expect of winter attire, but my feeling is that this is a fantasy world, so furs could be just about any colour, and adventurers might garb themselves in any fashion they fancied. This is also my first stab at Sarah's Choice.

Here's the lot:

And here are the individuals:

I really like these figures, and look forward to seeing what else can be done with them.

The other set comes from a single sprue of the earlier release of the Ghost Archipelago Crewmen. Whilst they’re still in the Frostgrave universe, chances are that, sailing the many straits and islands of the Archipelago, they will never encounter the women who wander the frozen city. So, same system, different games. Squirrel, or NoSquirrel?

These I think of as essentially piratical, though oddly equipped for the fifteenth rather than the eighteenth century. 

The group:

And the individuals:

(The fuzziness around the trouser area is not a Frostgrave spell, but a depth of field problem. I'm still learning how to use my new camera.)

I’m quite pleased with these, too, so will probably invest in more somewhere along the way.

10 x 28mm foot = 50 points. Squirrel +1 or maybe 2.

I've no idea which of these I'll be working on next week.

Total: 120 + 180 + 60 + 50 = 410 points


                                                                      


Well that's a nice big range of figures,I'm glad that squirrel isn't my shout!
The Austrians are lovely the Celts look useful,and I like both types of Frostgrave figures but your Men at Arms are splendid!
I really like this Perry range and you've done a super job on these chaps and by all means come and join us in the Great Italian wars!
I think you're right on your points but I feel I should add a few for your teeny tiny flags so let's say 415?

All the best Iain