Three more Vikings Done

 I based these 3 tonight.  A couple of conversions, the two on the right are using heads from Warlord Games' barbarians.  The shields get better with the more of them that I do.  I'm also happy with the way the leather is turning out with these.  The wood tones are also different from what I have done in the past.

 So, I'm doing a variety of things with these that I do not normally do.  That is good thing as it opens my eyes and allows me to grow.  Definitely enjoying these models.

Much more to follow.....as always.

Plugging Some Fellow Bloggers

I haven't plugged anyone else's blog in awhile.  I'm sometimes very slow to do this, slow to join others blogs, I lurk about alot on blogs and forums.  A long time back when I was first getting started with this blog the Sons of Taurus blog plugged my blog and gained me much attention.  And I thank him for doing that.  So, that said I have a couple blogs that I would like to direct your attention to, because if you like the variety of things that I do or just similar things I think these two blogs will help you out and I again encourage you to join them.

The first is terrain blog.  Baddogz Engineering   This the blog is the brain child of Mark Sommer [founder and terrain master] and Mike Butcher [Blogger, mastermind, maniac modeler, and fellow Grumpy Old Coot].  I was first introduced to Mark's terrain work last year at Adepticon's WAB big game and I can tell you his terrain was awesome.  Mike needs no introduction, he and I have been friends for quite sometime, his work is inspirational and you can find a link the Butcher's Bill blog in my Blog Lists.  Mike and Mark are teaming up for this years WAB big game and you will be able to see some (if not all) of the terrain that is being built for the big game that I plan to attend with my Vikings.  I very much look forward to playing on this terrain.  So please check it out and join his blog.

The second is blog that I was lurking, failed to join and plug in my list for sometime.  The blog is
Kampgruppe Engel .  Now if you like what I do and like my variety, I think you will like the work that Engel does as he has his own style and bounces around history and scifi kind of like I do.  I don't think he races go-karts though, he really needs to take up that hobby.  I particular like his Vikings and Kushites (not a project that I would undertake, but I can appreciate it).  So please check out his work and his blog, I don't think you will be disappointed.

So what are you waiting for, go to their blogs...... ;)

WIP on the Desk....Don't try this at home

...unless you are mad.  Which sometimes I am.  Sometimes, I'm not sure why I do such things, it just sometimes, feels right to punish yourself to get a project done.  Adepticon is not that far away, and I have alot to do yet.  So why not do just about all of what remains at one time, assembly line fashion.

This is what is on my desk currently.  Yep.  75 Vikings and 6-movement trays laying on my floor.  Well....this is why I called this place the Madhouse Workshop afterall....

1st Viking Character and some of his companions...

 My first Viking character, and actually this a Anglo-Danish character model from Gripping Beasts Saga packs.  I have changed up the pose slightly.  Since he did not have a shield and he had this wimpy little axe, I decided to give him a much bigger Dane axe.  I took my time on the face even though it will get lost in the rank and file, I plan to use this model as part of a Saga force in the future.

The cape turned out fairly nice.  I do like the short fur that they put on the cape also.

The face has a very pronounced profile.  I like that.

Below is the first of the bus-car style base work for the Vikings. These models are actually in the second rank all spear and shield.  The shields are using some of the Little Big Men transfers.  So far I think my shield painting and these transfers work well together.  They don't work as well in a ultra-magnified photograph, but from a table top stand point I think they are alright.

One of the nice things about the GBPs, unlike the Warlord Games EIRs that I recently completed, is that they actually fit the 20 mm bases quite well.

The left and right model is the same pose but different spear arms.  My striped pants turned out pretty good, I will be doing more of that.

On the chainmail, I decided to go with a fairly dirty look.  I think that is working well and giving the models a nice look, and it really works well on the helmets also.  All of that is mostly using Secret Weapon washes, finished off with Vallejo Smoke.

More, More, More Vikings....

Some choice pics from first rank and file unit that I'm finishing up. I'm mostly using the Gripping Beast Plastic models for the Hirdmen. They paint up very nicely, good looking minis, really easy to paint. I'm quite impressed with their detail. The above mini is actually a converted one using a head from GW's Empire Flaggelants.

This is one of my favorites from the unit. Pretty cool mini. I think the ones without the helmets have so much character. This head is from the command sprue. It has a really cool scar. Below you can see his shield slung on his back that I painted.

This one above is a fun model. I finally figured out what to do with all of those damn Warlord Games plastic barbarian models. They have become Vikings. They unlike Warlords early Imperial Romans don't have as much of that midget feeling, and some of them actually work quite well. Many of the poses, are quite dynamic, maybe too much so. The above model uses a Gripping Beast axe, sword, shield and head. As you can see it works pretty well. The WG Barbarians are not quite as badly scaled as their EIR models.

Below are two of my front rank Dane axe wielders. They are cool mdels also. They are both converted, one using the GW Empire Flaggelant head (on the right) with the GBP two-handed axe arms, the other using a metal GB head (on the left) and axe arms from the Wargames Factory Viking kit.

Below another pic of the models.

I'm beginning to like the base work a bit more all of the time. At first I was not sure about it, but I believe its going to be pretty nice once altogether.

Until next time......

Viking Shield Wall Markers....Finished

Mike Butcher did something similar for his Saxon army.  I liked the idea so much that I completely stole it and did my own.  WAB uses shieldwall rules for the rank and file and so these are eye candy markers for gaming purposes.

It was also a good way to practice painting shields, again I was looking to match my rank & file thath will have some with the Little Big Men transfers.  Based much like my army.

I think this was a cool idea.  The shields were some metal ones leftover that Mike sent to me.

Bondi Archers part 2

Well, last post you saw the first complete unit of my Viking army.  So I took a few of the miniatures and shot some close ups.  That is what follows:

I did a painting seminar locally late last fall and picked up one of the GW blue shade colors figuring someone might ask me what I thought of them.  The two miniatures on the right in the above pic, I used that on to shade starkly highlighted blue colors.  It works fairly good.  As you see on the green, I did that with a dark green acrylic paint that was heavily watered down.  So you really don't need to go out and buy that GW stuff to achieve a shade.  But I know people like it so, and I now need to use it up.

A couple more.  These two were fun, I had shields strapped to their backs.  I'm painting some and I'm using some Little Big Men studios for others.  So the goal was to paint the shields in that style of the LBM transfers.  I think these turned out pretty good for experiments.  The next ones should be better.