Monday, 30 March 2015
Thursday, 13 March 2014
28mm Viking Size Comparison
In amongst my partly painted boxes of lead, I have the basis of a Viking army for Warhammer Ancient Battles, which, with a few additions like some Norse Dwarves & Ogres, can also be used for Warhammer Fantasy. For an irregular bunch of dudes, which the Vikings were, I like the idea of using figures from different manufacturers. I'm also not fanatical about figures not being spot on 28mm to eye level - in reality men come in different heights and builds!
1. Artizan Miniatures. http://www.artizandesigns.com/list.php?man=17&cat=117&page=1
2. 80's Citadel. Still available from Foundry, but on solid bases. This one, along with #5 are old Citadel figures on slotta bases. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/vikings-normans-and-saxons
3. Foundry. 'Northern Menace' collection. These are not old Citadel figures. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/vikings
4. Crusader Miniatures. http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=4&sub=14&page=1
5. 80's Citadel. (still available from Foundry)
6. Crusader Miniatures.
By the way, I never had the intention of doing an army out of them. I only wanted enough Vikings to do a 'boatload', for a skirmish/raid type game. Then a massive boxload of them appeared CHEAP on eBay and I couldn't help myself. Most of them appear to be huscarls. I'm going to need a lot of bondi, and a few more thralls to make a WAB army out of it. I suppose I could sell some huscarls to buy some more bondi?
For the skirmish game (20-30 Vikings) I have a Revell 1/50 scale dragon ship, which I considered taking a saw to, but am going to leave full-hulled to represent it sitting on the mud. I need to get some Saxon / Viking / feudal type peasants and a handful of Saxon and possibly Norman troops. I've got lots of livestock - sheep, cows, pigs & chickens (from Mega Mini's) for the Vikings to loot. I need some women & children too. Was going to give the Vikings various amounts of points for looting all these things, for killing defenders, and maybe for some arson as well. I'll be keeping track of time though. The Vikings won't be able to leave with their plunder if the tide has gone out, and then they'll lose points for each one killed when the Reeve turns up with some cavalry and some Fyrdmen. How many hour it is before the tide comes in, and how many hours before the authorities show will be random, adjusted in the defender's favour if a messenger manages to get away. The defenders (villagers or monks) will get points for saving themselves and their stock from the fury of the Northmen, and for killing them.
In amongst my partly painted boxes of lead, I have the basis of a Viking army for Warhammer Ancient Battles, which, with a few additions like some Norse Dwarves & Ogres, can also be used for Warhammer Fantasy. For an irregular bunch of dudes, which the Vikings were, I like the idea of using figures from different manufacturers. I'm also not fanatical about figures not being spot on 28mm to eye level - in reality men come in different heights and builds!
2. 80's Citadel. Still available from Foundry, but on solid bases. This one, along with #5 are old Citadel figures on slotta bases. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/vikings-normans-and-saxons
3. Foundry. 'Northern Menace' collection. These are not old Citadel figures. http://www.wargamesfoundry.com/our-ranges/vikings
4. Crusader Miniatures. http://www.crusaderminiatures.com/list.php?cat=4&sub=14&page=1
5. 80's Citadel. (still available from Foundry)
6. Crusader Miniatures.
By the way, I never had the intention of doing an army out of them. I only wanted enough Vikings to do a 'boatload', for a skirmish/raid type game. Then a massive boxload of them appeared CHEAP on eBay and I couldn't help myself. Most of them appear to be huscarls. I'm going to need a lot of bondi, and a few more thralls to make a WAB army out of it. I suppose I could sell some huscarls to buy some more bondi?
For the skirmish game (20-30 Vikings) I have a Revell 1/50 scale dragon ship, which I considered taking a saw to, but am going to leave full-hulled to represent it sitting on the mud. I need to get some Saxon / Viking / feudal type peasants and a handful of Saxon and possibly Norman troops. I've got lots of livestock - sheep, cows, pigs & chickens (from Mega Mini's) for the Vikings to loot. I need some women & children too. Was going to give the Vikings various amounts of points for looting all these things, for killing defenders, and maybe for some arson as well. I'll be keeping track of time though. The Vikings won't be able to leave with their plunder if the tide has gone out, and then they'll lose points for each one killed when the Reeve turns up with some cavalry and some Fyrdmen. How many hour it is before the tide comes in, and how many hours before the authorities show will be random, adjusted in the defender's favour if a messenger manages to get away. The defenders (villagers or monks) will get points for saving themselves and their stock from the fury of the Northmen, and for killing them.
"New" Citadel, "Old" Citadel, Foundry size comparison.
1 is a mid 80's Citadel (pre-slotta) C26 Men at Arms range mini. His base is 2mm balsa wood.
2 is a mid 90's Citadel plastic Bretonnian. He's on a Citadel base. I measure it at 3mm.
3 is a Foundry Conquistador from 2000. 3mm balsa base.
4 is a mid 80's Citadel C26 Men at Arms range mini.
5 is a Citadel plastic Mordheim mini.
6 is a mid 80's Citadel C26 Men at Arms range mini.
7 is a Foundry Viking. I think he's the same age as the Conquistador.
8 is a Citadel 'red pack' range Bertand the Brigand, mid-late 90's I think.
2 is a mid 90's Citadel plastic Bretonnian. He's on a Citadel base. I measure it at 3mm.
3 is a Foundry Conquistador from 2000. 3mm balsa base.
4 is a mid 80's Citadel C26 Men at Arms range mini.
5 is a Citadel plastic Mordheim mini.
6 is a mid 80's Citadel C26 Men at Arms range mini.
7 is a Foundry Viking. I think he's the same age as the Conquistador.
8 is a Citadel 'red pack' range Bertand the Brigand, mid-late 90's I think.
Wednesday, 25 September 2013
Eventually...
I hope to have photos of all the miniatures I've got or have painted for other people here. My camera skills are rather basic though and I've read not too much at all about photography. I shall eventually get better at it I hope. Here's a couple of photos of my (always very neat) painting table...
Loads of lovely old lead....
Here's some 15mm/1:100 scale resin aircraft from Armaments in Miniature.
The Typhoon I did as a birthday present for Earl, I think the transfers I used were from Goblin Factory. They're very good regarding colour & register but they are very thin. The only place it really shows is with the fuselage roundels. Next time I do one of these with invasion stripes on it I'll remember to fill in behind them with white.The Il-2 is the later 'arrow wing' version and is wearing a late war camouflage scheme based on one of the two standard cammo templates and colour photos I found on the net of an Il-2 unit based at Prague airport in June 1945. The Bell P-39 I finished as a 'Kobra' for the mid-war period. I really like AIM's aircraft. Great detail, given their size; minimal assembly - one big piece essentially with little bits like aerial masts & bombs separate; excellent casting quality and minimal cleanup required. I have a Fokker C.X and a Ju-88 for my Finns, and a Ju-87D/G but haven't finished them yet. I'll eventually wind up getting loads of these as aircraft modelling is an older hobby for me than wargaming, and I like 'em because I'm a bit limited for space in my flat. If I keep collecting I'm going to have to move into a house!
Here's some 15mm/1:100 scale resin aircraft from Armaments in Miniature.
In the Beginning...
I began wargaming in the sandpit at about age seven I suppose, with 1/32 scale matchbox and airfix plastic soldiers. Nothing was painted to begin with and that was just as well as rifle fire was represented by trying to knock over the enemy's soldiers by throwing a small stone, machine gun fire by a handful of stones and artillery varied by calibre up to 1/2 a brick. I've progressed since then somewhat.
I went to a model & hobby expo in 1983 and discovered that there was a wargaming club in my city, the 'Townsville Historical Wargames Society'. I met many people there who are now old friends. I'd started high school the same year and there happened to be three blokes, Tony,Nick & Derek - club members who were also two year's ahead of me at the same school. It's of some possible significance that the book my English teacher had us study that year was 'The Hobbit'.
What sort of stuff did we play back in the pre-Warhammer days? The main thing going back then at the club that used miniatures was 15mm ancients using WRG 6th. edition. I guess my introduction to fantasy wargaming would have been the fantasy supplement in the back of the book. The club's president, John, used to host games of WW2 using 1/35 scale models & infantry! (We used the basketball court for that - the club met of a Saturday at a school who allowed us use of some rooms). A guy called Clint used to host games of Diekplus, which was ancient naval battles using galleys in 1/1200 scale I think. There was a Canadian or American guy called Aaron who used to show up occasionally with a ready to roll American Civil War battle using his huge collection of 20mm plastics, all lovingly painted. There was also the very occasional game of 25mm Napoleonics, I liked Napoleonics but couldn't afford the metal figures so I began amassing a French corps in 20mm Airfix & Esci plastics and another couple of young blokes, Patrick & Kelvin began building up British and Russians.There were lots of great boardgames back in the eighties...Star Fleet Battles, Squad Leader, Car Wars, Civilization, Circus Maximus, Empires in Arms, Junta, Diplomacy, Machiavelli...those are just the ones I remember the most, some are still around and bigger than ever, some sadly gone or only available on eBay.
Warhammer first appeared at the club in 1984. 2nd. edition it was. I wanted to play it but the mini's were just too expensive for me as I wasn't old enough to work and the money I made mowing the yard seemed better spent on my 15mm Teutonic Order army, which was the first lot of lead I ever painted. Minifigs I think they were. After I got a weekend morning job I could indulge in buying the odd blister of Citadel mini's, either because I liked 'em and wanted to paint them or for roleplaying purposes (I'd started playing AD&D). When 3rd.ed. came out I went and put together an insane Bretonnian army that eventually could pack an entire deployment zone full. I ended up splitting it and selling it off as two 3000 point armies (I went through a 'sell everything' phase in the early nineties). They were made up of Citadel historics/C26 men at arms used mainly as leaders mixed with mostly Essex 25mm Medievals. It's a pity I haven't got any photos of them as I still think of them as some of the best paintjobs I've ever done. I hope somewhere they're still being used with my paint on them. They might possibly be used for 28mm DBMM or WAB these days, they were painted as Burgundian Ordonnance - rather like Dave Andrew's Bretonnians in the 3rd.ed Warhammer Armies.
In '93 I gave up on wargaming almost entirely as a number of things happened at that time, or had been happening by that time.I'd started riding a bike and transport became an issue, I'd got a girlfriend, the club was also breaking up along the lines of the fantasy & 40K gamers and the ancients players who disliked the noise and who also took the 'historical' bit of their name maybe a little too seriously (these guys seriously thought there was nothing wrong or fantastic with the idea of a 15th century Samurai army fighting Vikings or Marian Romans). They had a point with the noise though. You can get right into a game of anything and don't have to be too loud but by the time I left a lot of the WHFB/40K players were younger than I was when I'd started and they'd bought their mates - the club was getting like a child-minding center. I gave up on Warhammer when 4th.ed. Fantasy & 2nd.ed. 40Kcame out. Rubbish. I'll say no more. In '94 my daughter came along and that was pretty much the end of wargaming, I still roleplayed though. I gave up buying AD&D books when 2nd.ed. came out but kept on playing for over a decade with a group of people playing Palladium or Rifts, that a mate Rik ran and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, which I ran. Life, jobs and other stuff eventually broke this group up and I also eventually broke up with my girlfriend - these things happen, I'm happy to have a lovely daughter who's turning 19 in about a week.
In the early 2000's my mate Earl went for a trip over to New Zealand and came back with this WW2 game called Flames of War. When he told me it had Finns in it I began building up a mid-war Finn army that now has almost all options covered for the infantry, jäger and tank companies with a load of add-ons for late-war. They're a mixture of Battlefront and Resistant Roosters Finns with a few Old Glory and Battlefront Germans & Russians here and there, I like the Rooster's lads although some of them are pushing almost 18mm and some of the OG guys are a bit on small side I think they look pretty good on the table. I like variation with WW2 figures, there are big, tall men and short skinny ones as well as average sized blokes too. Some of my artillery is made by Quality Castings. I also have an ever-expanding horde of Soviets to fight them with.
Earl's an old gamer who kept playing WFB and still has quite a bit of his old stuff, including his 3rd.ed books. Not too long ago he talked me into putting all the gobbos I had together and having a fight with his Imperials. That was so much fun I've been adding to the greenskins ever since and when they're finished they'll be probably the biggest Orc & Goblin army I've ever seen. I also share a flat with another old friend, Wayne, who has a Slaanesh army. Among other things I'm also slowly painting up a Napoleonic 15mm Peninsular War French Corps, which I'm hoping to use with Empire 3rd.ed. if I can ever find a copy for sale.
I went to a model & hobby expo in 1983 and discovered that there was a wargaming club in my city, the 'Townsville Historical Wargames Society'. I met many people there who are now old friends. I'd started high school the same year and there happened to be three blokes, Tony,Nick & Derek - club members who were also two year's ahead of me at the same school. It's of some possible significance that the book my English teacher had us study that year was 'The Hobbit'.
What sort of stuff did we play back in the pre-Warhammer days? The main thing going back then at the club that used miniatures was 15mm ancients using WRG 6th. edition. I guess my introduction to fantasy wargaming would have been the fantasy supplement in the back of the book. The club's president, John, used to host games of WW2 using 1/35 scale models & infantry! (We used the basketball court for that - the club met of a Saturday at a school who allowed us use of some rooms). A guy called Clint used to host games of Diekplus, which was ancient naval battles using galleys in 1/1200 scale I think. There was a Canadian or American guy called Aaron who used to show up occasionally with a ready to roll American Civil War battle using his huge collection of 20mm plastics, all lovingly painted. There was also the very occasional game of 25mm Napoleonics, I liked Napoleonics but couldn't afford the metal figures so I began amassing a French corps in 20mm Airfix & Esci plastics and another couple of young blokes, Patrick & Kelvin began building up British and Russians.There were lots of great boardgames back in the eighties...Star Fleet Battles, Squad Leader, Car Wars, Civilization, Circus Maximus, Empires in Arms, Junta, Diplomacy, Machiavelli...those are just the ones I remember the most, some are still around and bigger than ever, some sadly gone or only available on eBay.
Warhammer first appeared at the club in 1984. 2nd. edition it was. I wanted to play it but the mini's were just too expensive for me as I wasn't old enough to work and the money I made mowing the yard seemed better spent on my 15mm Teutonic Order army, which was the first lot of lead I ever painted. Minifigs I think they were. After I got a weekend morning job I could indulge in buying the odd blister of Citadel mini's, either because I liked 'em and wanted to paint them or for roleplaying purposes (I'd started playing AD&D). When 3rd.ed. came out I went and put together an insane Bretonnian army that eventually could pack an entire deployment zone full. I ended up splitting it and selling it off as two 3000 point armies (I went through a 'sell everything' phase in the early nineties). They were made up of Citadel historics/C26 men at arms used mainly as leaders mixed with mostly Essex 25mm Medievals. It's a pity I haven't got any photos of them as I still think of them as some of the best paintjobs I've ever done. I hope somewhere they're still being used with my paint on them. They might possibly be used for 28mm DBMM or WAB these days, they were painted as Burgundian Ordonnance - rather like Dave Andrew's Bretonnians in the 3rd.ed Warhammer Armies.
In '93 I gave up on wargaming almost entirely as a number of things happened at that time, or had been happening by that time.I'd started riding a bike and transport became an issue, I'd got a girlfriend, the club was also breaking up along the lines of the fantasy & 40K gamers and the ancients players who disliked the noise and who also took the 'historical' bit of their name maybe a little too seriously (these guys seriously thought there was nothing wrong or fantastic with the idea of a 15th century Samurai army fighting Vikings or Marian Romans). They had a point with the noise though. You can get right into a game of anything and don't have to be too loud but by the time I left a lot of the WHFB/40K players were younger than I was when I'd started and they'd bought their mates - the club was getting like a child-minding center. I gave up on Warhammer when 4th.ed. Fantasy & 2nd.ed. 40Kcame out. Rubbish. I'll say no more. In '94 my daughter came along and that was pretty much the end of wargaming, I still roleplayed though. I gave up buying AD&D books when 2nd.ed. came out but kept on playing for over a decade with a group of people playing Palladium or Rifts, that a mate Rik ran and Warhammer Fantasy Roleplay, which I ran. Life, jobs and other stuff eventually broke this group up and I also eventually broke up with my girlfriend - these things happen, I'm happy to have a lovely daughter who's turning 19 in about a week.
In the early 2000's my mate Earl went for a trip over to New Zealand and came back with this WW2 game called Flames of War. When he told me it had Finns in it I began building up a mid-war Finn army that now has almost all options covered for the infantry, jäger and tank companies with a load of add-ons for late-war. They're a mixture of Battlefront and Resistant Roosters Finns with a few Old Glory and Battlefront Germans & Russians here and there, I like the Rooster's lads although some of them are pushing almost 18mm and some of the OG guys are a bit on small side I think they look pretty good on the table. I like variation with WW2 figures, there are big, tall men and short skinny ones as well as average sized blokes too. Some of my artillery is made by Quality Castings. I also have an ever-expanding horde of Soviets to fight them with.
Earl's an old gamer who kept playing WFB and still has quite a bit of his old stuff, including his 3rd.ed books. Not too long ago he talked me into putting all the gobbos I had together and having a fight with his Imperials. That was so much fun I've been adding to the greenskins ever since and when they're finished they'll be probably the biggest Orc & Goblin army I've ever seen. I also share a flat with another old friend, Wayne, who has a Slaanesh army. Among other things I'm also slowly painting up a Napoleonic 15mm Peninsular War French Corps, which I'm hoping to use with Empire 3rd.ed. if I can ever find a copy for sale.
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