Virginia Militia

I have FINALLY finished my third AWI militia unit...

It was my original intention to use the Culpeper Militia flag, but after I finished the unit I decided to make it more personal and designed a flag to represent a militia unit raised in the Williamsburg Military District. This is purely conjecture based on the Albemarle Military District flag and here is a bonus Flag Monday flag!

 

More Vikings next week and some TYW photos...

Viking Hearthguard

The photos for my Saga Vikings I posted last week were old so I thought I'd take some better pictures (click on each image to see a larger pic)...

These are Wargames Foundry models sculpted by Mark Sims (as are all of my Vikings). These stalwart veterans will form one of my Viking Hearthguard units.

SAGA

My life seems to FINALLY be returning to normal so I can get in some quality hobby time besides Flag Monday (Don't worry - that feature should continue at least through the rest of the year). I have another unit of AWI militia finished and awaiting photography, a unit of TYW infantry around the half way mark, a load of Warfare Miniatures in the mail, and of course I decided to start something new...

I check in over at Dave Imrie's Saxon Dog blog just about every day and he has an annoying habit of making me want to paint the same period he's working on (and he changes gears as often as I do). A week or so ago, he posted a small Anglo-Dane warband designed for use with the new SAGA game from Gripping Beast. I'd heard some interesting things about this game (including Dave writing "I have played 'Saga' three or four times at the SESW Club and I have to say...I'm hooked!") so I ordered a copy and it arrived yesterday. After reading through the rules (yes I read the whole book in a day - not only does it seem like an easy game, it was a fun read) I can't wait to them out.

Without going into great detail about the rules (I can if anyone wants, but there is a great review at The Man Cave), warbands are built with a very simple point system. The Warlord who leads the force (and your alter ego in miniature) is required and is free. Remaining models cost one point per group and the number of models in each depends on the class of troops you choose... 4 Hearthguard, 8 Warriors, or 12 Levy. The basic intro game requires only four points of models, moving to six points standard once you get the hang of things. Once purchased, models are grouped into units of 4-12 models. For instance, if you spend three points on Hearthguard, you could field them as one unit of 12 models, two units of 6 models, three units of 4 models, etc. You can play your first games with only 30 or 40 models per side.

Here's the great part. I ALREADY HAVE enough Vikings painted to field a four and a half point warband (the half point comes from only having six archer levy)!

These models are left over from a WAB project I started YEARS ago. I have nearly sold off this collection several times and I'm glad I didn't. They were painted with my first foray into the Kevin Dallimore style and happen to still resemble my work today. I want to go back and weather them a bit, beat up their shields to give a more battle worn appearance, and touch up the bases, but with the addition of ten models (4 berserkers and 6 archers which I already have in my unpainted mountain of lead) I can field the following six point SAGA Viking Warband:

1 Warlord (Weglaf Ravenshelm)
2 units of Viking Hearthguard (4 models each)
1 unit of Viking Berserkers (4 models)
2 units of Viking Warriors (one unit of 12 models and a reserve of 4 models)
2 units of Viking Levy (6 models each)

The actual composition might vary once I get a few games in, but you get the idea. This afternoon I dropped enough cash on the Perry site to get a six point Norman army (based on their minis from the Crusaders line). There may be a few anachronistic details for games set before 1066, but I think they will work well enough for a heroic style skirmish game.

I am looking forward to getting back into a regular painting groove and hopefully updates will come on a more regular basis in the future.

The Second Wave

Second sales to first time customers have been very encouraging. Encouraging enough for Barry to commission the 2nd wave production moulds. This means that we should have a quantity of new packs available for CRISIS ANTWERP 4TH NOVEMBER. Preorders should probably be available on the 2nd Wave in late October at the LoA Shop.

WAVES 2 & 3 will have at least 16 packs but possibly 20. The list currently is as follows:

1.Gun of Position + 6 crew
2.Field gun + 4 crew
3.Light gun +2 crew
4.Galloper gun + 2 crew
5.Limber set
6.Tumbril cart set
7.Wagon set
8.Grenadier storming party
9.Senior Commanders (2 mounted officers)
10.Staff Group (1 mounted & 2 dismounted officers)
11.Mixed codes 1 (poses that will compliment WLOA1-WLOA9)
12.Mixed codes 2 (poses that will compliment WLOA1-WLOA9)
13.Dismounted Dragoons
14.Casualties
15.Horse troopers
16.Horse Command

Hope this is good news for you!

Warfare Miniatures Painting Competition

We are running a painting competition focusing on the new WARFARE MINIATURES range!

To enter, all you have to do is paint a regiment of WARFARE MINIATURES. 16 figures minimum, no max but ideally they could be up to 4 stands of 6 models if based for BLB. Alternatively they could be based however you like.

The units will be judged by myself, Barry Hilton, David Imrie and Dave O'Brien. The competition will run over September and October in order to give people enough time to get a unit finished. The units can be painted in any style, to any standard. We'll be judging them 'as a unit'.

The prizes are I think quite nice:

1st Prize : Signed copy of Beneath the Lily Banners plus 8 packs of any WARFARE MINIATURES code combination the winner chooses. There will also be an additional 'specials' pack which will for now remain a mystery.

2nd Prize: 8 packs of any WARFARE MINIATURES code combination the winner chooses.

3rd Prize: A signed copy of Beneath the Lily Banners

4th Prize: 4 packs of WARFARE MINIATURES code combination the winner chooses.

5th Prize: Set of BLB order markers code as the winner chooses.

You do not need to send the units to us. All you need to do is post minimum 2 photos showing at least a front and rear view. Post your photos in the Warfare Miniatures Competition Thread on the LoA Fighting Talk forum. There is no limit to the number of entries from a single individual. You MUST have painted the models yourself to qualify.

Look forward to seeing the entries!

Cover Sketch for a New Book

With BLB2 behind us, the next book is on the way - no rest for the wicked.

This will be for the Crimean War, working title is FOUR EMPIRES, and you will need a copy of REPUBLIC TO EMPIRE to play. However, even if you don't use our rules, this book will be a great reference because we intend to cover the armies and uniforms in detail from a wargamer's perspective. Of course there will also be tons of photos of well painted minis on fantastic terrain, all the rules you need to bring R2E to the Crimea, and a turn-by-turn battle report.

No date has been set for release... watch this space!

Fife & Drum Miniatures

With all of the AWI posts loading up the blog, Jim Purkey of Fife & Drum Miniatures wrote to me a while back and asked if I'd like some samples of their new AWI militia models. The only models I have to compare them with my Perry minis. The photos below feature Fife & Drum on the left and Perrys on the right.

First of all, let me say that my photos do not either brand justice. There is an art to taking pictures of unpainted castings that I don't have down. These models were sculpted by Richard Ansell. All of the models I received are accurately proportioned and well posed. The castings are very clean with very little flash or mold lines. The details, particularly on the faces and hands*, are nicely sculpted and the models carry a nice variety of equipment for that campaign look.

The models are a bit smaller and much slimmer than the Perry and I'm not sure I'd mix the two in units, but I would have no problem fielding them in units along side my existing units. The range is expanding - the continental greens look even better than the militia and the new mounted officer looks fantastic.

Thanks to Jim for sending the models. I haven't had time to paint anything of late, but I intend to paint some of these when I get the chance (and I will of course post them here)!

*Not to take away thunder from F&D, but maybe this adds another thing in their favor. One of the problems I've had with the Perry AWI models has been the hands. Many of the 'open handed' officers have 'paws' with short stubby fingers. A pointing officer's extended finger is only moderately longer than the thumb next to it. Some of the hands holding weapons seem to only have three fingers! My Napoleonic Perry minis don't suffer from this so I'm not sure why my AWI models are so afflicted... maybe they were simply bad casts? Anyway - Bravo to F&D for the hands on their models.

Go West, Young Man

I am off to Texas in a few hours. I'll have my laptop with me, and I'll be checking in from time to time, but my wife has to go to El Paso for an operation and I will be riding shotgun - posts will be sparse for the next ten days or so. However, Flag Monday will proceed as scheduled with another Virginia flag tomorrow and a series of variations on the stars and stripes lined up for the entire month of July!