Thursday 2 February 2023

From Mike W: 28mm Dark Ages and Scots Renaissance plus more 40k Orks and others (375 Points)

Another week and another post! Really got into the swing of things now and feel that I can push on to my personal target with some confidence, despite some looming days lost down to work travel requirements!

Visiting the Book Studio, this week!

Before this week's batches, I'm evoking another lift in Lady Sarah's Limo to take me to the Book Studio, where I'll be perusing copies of Bernard Cornwell's 'Last Kingdom' series about King Alfred's resistance to the Viking invasion of England. The Vikings below will be the subject matter for this special bonus!

Lady Sarah's Limo Fare - Female Survivor with RPG7 Rocket Launcher

The fare that I'll be using for the lift is another female survivor, this time sporting an RPG7 rocket launcher, no doubt effective against multiple Zombies but likely to attract a lot of unwanted attention when used.

Another view of the same.

First off the bench this week are some more 28mm Dark Ages infantry, all plastic and  a mix of Vikings & Normans, 27 figures in all - 10 x Vikings and 17 x Normans. These Norman figures seem to be a mixture of Victrix and Conquest Games figures, whilst the Vikings are all seemingly Victrix. As a way of a change, 10 of the Norman figures have been given round shields, instead of the usual kite shield I have been using to denote at a glance which side each table top figure belongs to. 

This week's Dark Ages Batch, a mix of Vikings, Normans & Bretons.

The rationale behind this is threefold, in practical terms I purchased these figures pre-built and that 's how they came! However that give a couple of use options for me - they can be used to help denote Norman allied units such as the Bretons OR I have read that many Anglo Danish warriors were virtually identical to their Norman foes. Either way they'll be used to bulk out the infantry ranks as needed, another anomaly with this batch is that they are all unarmoured - albeit that a couple wear padded leather coats. For the Vikings these will be good for Stamford Bridge!

The Viking contingent, mostly axe armed with a couple of swordsmen.

More Vikings, in various attacking poses!

The painting method was the same as earlier batches in this challenge, although I did experiment with some Citadel contrast paint on some of these. Namely Snakebite Leather,  Militarum Green & Skeleton Horde, these were used on some figures to block in their tunics or trousers & leggings.

Another 5 Vikings, I must say that I do like the figures with the fur hats!

I was quite impressed with the 'Snakebite Brown' paint, it covered well and gave a good shading effect, 'Militarum Green' also worked pretty well but I was disappointed with the 'Skeleton Horde' - a light brown colour that didn't work that great in this context.

Some Norman types, right most has leather armour.

Bretons, with round shields

More Normans with Kite shields

Figures were based on a new supply of MDF bases in my usual manner.

More Bretons

And a final batch of Bretons, all in Leather Armour.

Next up we have a new batch of 20 x 40k Orks, fresh from the depths of space. As previously mentioned these are a fun diversion that I have been working through - you'll be pleased to know that I'm more than half way though my Orky pile of primed plastic & metal!

This week's batch of 40k Goodness...

From a slightly different perspective

This time we have an Ork Warboss, plus a Bos sin Power Armour alongside a number of regular Boyz with Choppas, Hand Blastas and Heavy Blastas.

The Warboss carries a rather angry looking squig and a hefty Blasta / Burna Combo gun.
His helmet horns are pretty impressive as well! 

Another view of the Warboss, possibly with a better view of the squig.
This figure is a venerable metal piece. He has a skull on his necklace.

Ork Boss in Armoured War Gear, sporting a nifty Skull as headwear.

Side on view of the Armoured Ork, showing his Heavy Blasta / rocket Launcher Combo

Two Boyz with Heavy Blastas

Two more Grechin to try and control the Orkish beasts!

Four more Boyz with Heavy Blastas

Another three Boyz with Heavy Blastas

Three Boyz with Choppa & Hand Blasta.
Central guy has a skull on his sword hilt

Four more Boyz with Choppa & Hand Blastas

Finally this week I have a batch of 17 x Scots Renaissance Pike to allow me to field my first Scots Schilton for the Marion Wars project. Almost all these figures are a mash-up of Wargames Atlantic Conquistadors and Warlord Games ECW infantry. I have another box of Conquistadors that I'm currently building and basing but they won't be ready for a couple of weeks yet - assuming all goes well.

17 Scots for their Spear & Pike Schiltron

Another view of the 17,
which includes 2 x Billmen, 1 x Drummer and 14 x Pike / Spear men.

Within the pike block these is a drummer (newly created as part if this group) and two billmen, their metal bills are from Perry Miniatures.

Five pike with weapons at ready

Most all of the figures are combinations of Warlord Games ECW and Wargames Atlantic Conquistadores. Left figure has a WA arms, second left is entirely WA. The drummer is a WG torso with drum and arms from the spares box and a WA hat. Right is entirely WG with a WA sword.
 

Five more pike & bill men, with a mix of heads and Perry Bills.

Again WG figures with WA heads and some arms

In the of the shiltron pictured below, I have added 8 figures from the test batch painted earlier in this challenge, making the unit up to 25 figures

View of the completed Schiltron, with figures completed earlier this challenge

Another view

Final View

I have also created two new,  Two Handed Swordsmen, based upon Warlord Games ECW Armoured Pikemen with Wargames Atlantic arms and swords added.



POINTS

27 x 28mm Dark Ages @ 5Pts ea                         135 Points

20 x 40k Orks @ 5Pts ea                                      100 Points

19 x 28mm Scots Renaissance Foot @ 5Pts ea      95 Points

Lady Sarah Limo Bonus                                         20 Points

28mm Female Survivor                                            5 Points

Book Studio Bonus                                                 20 Points

TOTAL                                                                   375 Points


Side Challenges

Codpieces & Feathers                                            +95 Points

Skulls                                                                        +3 Points

From TeemuL: That's an impressive output again, Mike! You really seem to have found the joy of miniature painting again, that is wonderful news. This Challenge does some miracles, doesn't it? The Scots renaissance minis look great, the absolute favourite of mine! And the Skeleton Horde paint, it is very light, it is almost white. Looks more colourful in the pot. I hope you find some good use for that. And you have a good pace to reach your Challenge target, good job.

19 comments:

  1. What a wonderful mixed bag, Mike! :)

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  2. Excellent submission, great variety and nice paint work

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  3. Great entry, lots to look at, but my favorite is the Warboss with attack squig! Loved that model way back, and painted a fair few of them as a kid.. but probably not this good!

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  4. Great stuff - I liked the Pike block at the end and interesting to focus on a Scottish renaissance army. I wonder at this time did they still have Highlands in the army? Any plans for painting these?

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  5. Hi Jez. Yes Highlanders were involved on bot sides - according to the loyalties of their clan leaders, which in turn was largely split along religious lines. Yes, I will be doing some of these guys but need to source some suitable figures. Luckily they did not really wear recognisable tartans at this time so painting them might be a little easier!

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    1. Thanks looking forward to seeing them - glad no plaid to do!

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  6. Great points bomb here. Love those orks.

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  7. Love the kit bashed Scots- very nicely done.

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  8. Fantastic. I'll echo others in that the Scots are awesome.

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  9. A nice mix, I really like the Scots

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  10. Nice work. The kitbashed zwiehanders are neat!

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  11. Great stuff, Mike! I like the schiltron and the vikings! I agree that snakebite leather is a great colour. I use skeleton bone a lot, but it takes some getting used too. Great for ropes and the like though. And bones of course 😂

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  12. I read the title and thought the first figure was a Dark Age warrior...

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  13. Great looking mixed posting, all good but I really like the Scots renaissance force, I was going to get some of the conquistadors but I might get more now!
    Best Iain

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  14. Wonderful work, Mike! A lot to enjoy here. They may be a pallet cleaner, but I always have a soft spot for da green onez. They are delightfully filthy and full of themselves as they should be! I quite like the work you did on the Scott's too! I am really going to be looking at wargames Atlantic now.

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  15. Fabulous work Mike, and good to see a wide variety

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