From BenG - 28mm Welsh Warriors for SAGA (40 Points)

This is the first 8-figure unit of warriors for my Welsh warband. They are all javelin armed to sow confusion amongst the enemy. Vikings don't like being pelted with pointy sticks!

These chaps have been painted with muted colours and have plain shields and cloaks. none of this fancy tartan and shield patterns for them! Those who feel the need have daubed the chi-rho symbol on their shields prior to battle, but otherwise it's no fuss for these hill-tribesmen!

I spent a fair bit of time cursing over my pin-vice while drilling through the fists of several of these figures to give them the second javelin. A lot of effort and very fiddly, but I reckon it was worth the effort!

The second 8-figure unit will be armed with pikes and axes for close quarter combat. The axemen will whale away at the enemy shieldwall, while the pikemen will poke their long pointy sticks over the top at the enemy's faces. Lastly will be the levy archers to round off a really tricky warband.


From Curt:

Great work Ben! Even though it was a paint to drill the addition of the second javelin really adds a lot to this unit. I particularly like the grizzled bald guy - he looks badass (if cigars were available in Wales in the Dark Ages he'd be chomping on one).

From BenG - Welsh Hearthguard (25 Points)

My attention to this year's Challenge has been limited by lack of time at home. I've been too busy with the family during our summer break, having fun in the sun at the beach most recently!

My Welsh Warlord needed a band of loyal retainers, so these were the next on the painting table. They would have been finished a long time ago, except I had some trouble with the shield designs, especially with the axe-wielding chap. I had drawn a great Celtic wild boar on the shield with a fine-liner style pen, but when I varnished the shield, the ink just smeared all over the place! My blood pressure soared and a few expletives were uttered and after a cooling down period I settled on a trefoil pattern instead, which isn't really up to scratch, but I thought I'd quit while I was ahead :-(

On the other hand, I'm quite pleased with the other shield designs, the tartan patterns on the cloaks, and while the colours are a little plain, I'm pleased with how the knot design turned out on the banner.

From BenG: Württemberg Jäger zu Pferd and Welsh Warlord (70 Points)

Happy New Year, everyone!

For my second entry, I have a mix of scales and periods.

The first is 20mm HaT Württemberg Jäger-Regiment zu Pferd Nr. 3 Herzog Louis.

No conversions here, besides adding a little plume to the officer's helmet made from rolled tissue paper and PVA glue. The bugler and the figure holding the carbine are the same figure but with separate arms attached. HaT has started providing optional arms for certain figures, which certainly provides more bang for your buck. Also, you aren't left with multiple buglers from the one pack you're never going to use!

The second entry is a 28mm Gripping Beast Welsh Warlord from the SAGA 4pt Welsh Warband pack I got for Christmas!

I'm not overly happy with the results after varnishing him. The varnish is getting a little thick and I feel I ruined the cape, even though I tried to salvage it with a bit of dry brushing. Still, not the result I was hoping for.

I'm happy with the free hand shield, though. Sticking with his Romanesque leather muscled cuirass, officer's belt and Spangenhelm, I gave him a Roman style Christian motif for the shield. Also, as the Welsh warlord is allowed thrown missile weapons, I gave him a javelin and a hand axe. The pose is a curious one, but I felt he was winding up to throw his javelin under-arm like a plumbata. He had no sword or scabbard, so I glued on a spare plastic one from my Anglo-Saxons.

Now I've got the SAGA rules and expansion pack, I'll be painting more Anglo-Saxons to give them the numbers they're allowed, as well as continuing with the rest of the Welsh warband.

From Curt:Great work Ben. I always enjoy the mods you do on your Napoleonics and this entry is no different - the tissue paper plume on the officer is a nice, subtle touch.

I really like the freehand shield on your Welsh warlord - a fine bit of brushwork there. The addition of the scabbarded sword was a good decision as the figure would seem somehow odd without it (especially for a warlord).

Well done! 

From BenG - 20mm Württemberg Horse Artillery (23 Points)

Hi, all! Another year, another Analogue Hobbies Painting Challenge!

Most of you have jumped out of the blocks with entries already, but I am starting slowly with a very modest target of 400 points. As I don't have the pressure of getting a corps ready for our big January game, I'm taking it slowly with what I really want to focus on, this time it's my Württemberg project.

I had a battalion of infantry half done when the starting gun was fired, so I can't enter them in the challenge, but my first battery of artillery made the cut! The gun and figures are all 1/72nd plastic from HäT set 8232. The ammunition carrier has a head conversion using the metal conversion heads from Franznap after I used several artillery heads in a conversion experiment to produce some Bavarian cavalry for last year's Borodino project.

I was a bit heavy handed with the varnish shading, so the uniforms are a lot darker than I was hoping for, but I'm happy with overall result.

From Curt:
Welcome back Ben! It's always a pleasure to see your work in 20mm (1/72) plastics. This gun team looks wonderful and I particularly like your signature smoke from your portfire artillerist. What is the game this January? Leipzig or a battle from the 1814 campaign? Judging from seeing last year's Borodino game this one should be a feast for the eyes as well.

This gun team will give you a base of 20 points but I'm giving you some extra for the head swaps.  Well done.