From SimonG: Some Heretics and a Hellion (45 points)

Wow, my third submission already and time is flying by (my target somehow appearing to move equally quickly in the opposite direction). Anyway this week I'm returning to my 15mm Cathar Crusade project with a stand of five mounted Cathar knights from Khurasan Miniatures.  

Obviously being supporters of the heretical Cathar's this contribution fulfils the requirements for the Sixth Circle of hell, the heretics. I will however require some transport to this location and have called upon the services of Malebranche to give us a lift!

Malebranche, or "Evil Claws" [1]

This is once again a Black Rose Wars Inferno supplement figure in appx. 28mm. He's a rather ancient Egyptian inspired devil and not a particularly well cast plastic figure with rather soft detail and some obvious mold lines that I should have removed. Anyway it was a good chance to experiment with a red wash on a corpse like skin to get the devil tone I wanted. I also enjoyed his colourful eyes and claws -- plus of course his bright necklace!

The knights are really neat sculpts and paint up very well. The principal on this stand is Isoard de Die d'Aix-Artaud [2]. 

I rather liked how his hand painted/sketched (0.03mm black pen) heraldry came out. Less so my attempt at a sillitoe tartan (the blue and white one) -- quite effective on the pleats at the skirt level but a bit of a mess above!

My favourite when doing knights is always the horses, giving each one a distinct character and look, and of course those deep brown doey eyes!

So that's all for this week I'm afraid -- my pace is sorely lacking, far from getting quicker I seem to be taking more time with each figure every year! I will struggle on however and strive to achieve my target.

For this week my contribution is only 45 points -- five mounted 15mm at 4 points each plus the 20pt sixth circle bonus, then another 5 for one 28mm devil that I used to get me to the sixth circle. I may have to skip a week dealing with some family issues but hope to be back soon with some more Jewish Wars Romans with some fearsome war machines!

[1] The back drop for our little devil is Sandow Birk's illustrated Inferno, very apposite with fires where I used to live in LA. It's a re-intepretation of Dante in modern slang with illustrations that tip the hat at Doré but set in a mash up of the major cities of California -- really worth a look if you have the chance.

[2] Isoard de Die d’Aix-Artaud (c.1190-1243), Lord of Montmaur. Isoard was the son of Guillaume I d’Aix-Artaud de Die (c.1165-1230), who also fought in the campaign, and Raynaude d’Aix. Their holdings were in the County of Diois in Provence. Isoard was present at the siege of the Château de Beaucaire, a siege remarkable for the fact that Simon de Montfort was both besieged and besieger (some of his troops were in the castle under siege while he in turn gave siege to the besiegers!)

TeemuL: Excellent knights, Simon. I'm not sure if tartan and other complex designs in 15mm would be anything else than a mess, but you have proved it otherwise. Your horses look great, as well as their eyes. I personally struggle with horses, trying to close my eyes when deciding they are done... I'll score your devil as a cavalry model, because he is rather big and has wings etc. And he is pretty, too, in his own devilish way.