SAGA warbands

I was due to play my first game of SAGA on Thursday but due to the wife being unwell I was unable to make it. Still I did manage to put together a couple of warbands for the game, mainly from my existing collection, though I did paint up the huscarls with the 2H axes. First up my Anglo Danes.

Next up my Viking warband. I've got too many hirdmen, mainly due to the majority of my collection being armoured.

SAGA

I've taken the plunge and decided to by the SAGA rules from Gripping Beast along with the Viking dice set. Looking forward to receiving these as I already have quite a few left over plastic vikings that I can use. Of the vikings I already have painted these are based for WAB and can easily stand in during practice games.

Border Reiver Show Pictures

Just before my cameras batteries decided to pack up I did manage to get a few pictures of the Viking game we put on at the show. The game was well received by the public and we received a number of nice comments, which is very pleasing and a bit of a reward for all the effort Jon, harry and myself put into the game. The 2 longships and the construction of the terrain boards were common topics of discussion.

Layout of the game

The Saxon Village

Viking raiders launch their attack

Saxons move to block the viking advance

Saxon relief force begins to arrive


Vikings try their hand at shepherding

The vikings making their way towards the riches in the Church.

As for the show itself, it seemed to be well supported by both traders and public. There were a variety of games on show, Project X, 15mm Sci-fi. Medieval, ECW and a Sherlock Holmes game in the sewers of London (very nice terrain).

Fury of the Norsemen

Thought I'd post up some pictures of the finished vikings. There are still another 8 awaiting basing which will bring the force up to 68. I also have the last of the Saxon defenders to base to bring them up to 30 including civilians.

First up a couple of pictures of the battleline.

Beserkers ready for action

Vikings doing what they do best

Basing

Today I managed to finish painting another 4 vikings and a couple of vignettes. The other 56 vikings have all been based, i'll post some pictures after they have dried. I've also started basing the villagers and some of the saxons that are already painted. Hasn't been a very fruitful few days, I've been unable to get hold of some polystyrene sheets for the base board, bit of a concern when the show is only a month away. At the weekend will have to travel further afield to try and locate some.

Update

Last night I managed to finish off organising my army for the Big Blenheim game in 2 weeks time. Also placed them on the map and designated the set up areas for Andrew and Jan. Orders are written, just have to hope it all pays off on the day.

On the Viking front, hit a bit of a wall, struggling with the last 8 figures and 3 vignettes. Going down to the club today to start work on the boards, give them all a coat of PVA to protect against warping when all the pollystyrene is added.

Update

Just received a box of the Wargames factory plastic Germanic warriors. Not bad figures. The intention is to combine these qwith some of the spare heads and weapons from the gripping Beast plastic viking sprues to put together a couple of berserkers (using the bare chested bodies) and some bondi (mix of a couple of bow and javelin armed figures). Will post some pictures when I get all the figures put together. These should round off the viking force to 60 figures.

Progress report

A couple of photos of one of the vignettes. It still needs basing which will get done with the rest of the figures. I'm quite happy with how the model has turned out.



Some extra shots of the viking raiders. First some of the old vikings from the original Citadel fighter series (had these for about 20 - 25 years but still nice figures)


Next photo is of some of the plastic Gb Vikings. very impressed with these figures.

Lastly the start of the Saxon defenders. The local Thegn and some of the Fyrd. Notice GB are to bring out some plastic Thegns this summer, shame it will be to late for the show (still get some anyway).

Progress report

Well most of the painting has been completed, after my holiday will need to start sculpting the terrain boards.

Figures Painted so far
51 Viking warriors
10 Saxon warriors
2 shepherds
2 monks / priests
7 women
4 cows
10 pigs
1 Vignette

I also have the tower, church, 3 houses and the 2 pig pens completed.
Still to do
9 vikings
8 Saxon Warriors
4 cows
6 sheep
1 Viking long ship
3 Vignettes

That means I must be more than 75% completed, not bad going. Also no more purchases are required on the figure front. Just need to get in the supplies for the terrain boards so well on course to be ready for Border Reiver.

Viking Killers

Picked up the viking killer set from Gripping Beast, I've stuck them on some GW bases ready for undercoating. Should proove very useful for the game.


These got me inspired and so i decided to create my opwn using a plastic GB viking and a couple of casualty figures from Foundry. Quite pleased with the results though the pictures aren't the best. Can't wait to get them all painted.

scenic items update

Just added a couple of photo of some of the finished items, First the watchtower has been based, using a mixture of sand, flooor varnish and static grass. I have also managed to finish both pig pens and I'm quite happy with the results.





Made another small order with Gripping Beast for a large wattle & daub building to act as the Ealdormans home, some more highland cattle and a pack of vignette vikings.

Scenic items

Just starting on a couple of the scenic items for the Viking shore raid. First up is a couple of shots of the watch tower, currently in the process of being based (using the bottom out of an old set of drawers). This is an old Amazon miniatures model. I started off with a black undercoat and gave it 2 coats of a cream dry brush but didn't come out how I liked and ended up with a brown ink wash all over that seems to have done the trick. The ladder is from the Games Workshop LOT rings just chopped down to a suitable length.





The second piece is a pig pen, utilising the Gripping beast stone out building and some wattle and daub fencing rescued from my bits box, again I have used the bottom of a drawer as a suitable base. This is still in need of re-painting and basing. The intention is to complete 2 sets of these.

update

Well work continues on the vikings, though slowly. managed to finish 3 more figures and complete building the longship, this just needs undercoating and a friend will paint it up for me allowing me to concentrate on the game boards and the rest of the figures.

Been a little distracted on this project first with the World up (though how much longer after Englands performance last night). Also dug out my old 2nd edition Blood bowl and played a couple of games with my nephews who promptly made off with the game for further practice. Forgot how much I used to enjoy playing this. Got inspired and quickly painted up a 2nd Human team with a couple of converted blitzers, just need to finish basing the Ogre. Also purchased another plastic Human team for my nephews off Ebay for them to paint up and share. They went for a simple Silver and Black colour scheme ala Oakland Raiders.

New links

Added a few links to some of the blogs that I regularly browse. One of the best things with this is you can often pick up some excellent ideas from other wargamers out there.

On the Viking front, managed to build 7 more of the plastic vikings and finished putting the longship together (a friend of mine has agreed to paint it due to tight timescales)

Vikings!! pt2

The start of my viking force for Border Reiver, They aren't based yet as I will transfer them to Renedra bases and do all the basing when all the figures are finished.
First a mix of GB plastics, 1 artizan and 1 Foundry figure. The flag is taken off the Foundry site.

These 4 are mainly foundry figs with 1 Artizan, they all seem to mix well. The flag again is from the Foundry site, but this time I have painted over the colours (looks better.

These 5 are a mix of GB plastic, Foundry and Artizan, they all size up well together.

That makes 14 painted so far out ofthe 60, not bad going for a weeks work. I have 6 more metal figures undercoated and the remaining 40 GB plastics still to build.

For the initial defenders of the village I have a Saxon lord with his 5 sons in armour, supported by about 10 warriors and another half dozen armed peasants. Jon will be putting together the relief force which should give the Saxons another 40 or so warriors.
My order from Gripping beast which brings the livestock up to 4 cattle and 10 pigs as well as 8 peasants.

Vikings!!

Started on the construction of my Long ship, had to trim the underside meant for a stand as I want to represent it as beached for the game. The revell is a nice model and well worth the money.




Also started on a possible layout of the game, no doubt the finished boards will bear no resemblence.



A couple of test build of the Gripping beast plastics, nice little models and easy enough to put together, though need to ensure the arms match up or the shoulders don't always look right.

Viking Shore raid

As part of a club demo game for the Border Reiver show at Newcastle in September, myself and jon are planning on a viking Shore raid. So far we have 3 longships (all 1/50 scale revell, very nice kits). I have already received a box of the plastic GB vikings, a superb kit. I have also purchased some of their villagers and livestock to add to the mix. Next need to start planning the layout of the board and make some purchases of MDF and polystyrene.

New Project

Well got started thinking for a display gamre for the Border Reiver show in Newcastle this September. Up to now Aa viking shore raid is looking the most likely, quite handy when Gripping Beast have just released their range of Plastices (purchase already made). UI'll be able to add these to the handful of metal Vikings i already have, should make about 60 warriors, enough to crew 2 longships. I know GB produce a longship but it always seems to be out of stock, need to browse the internet to see if anyone else manufactures one. don't particularily want to scratch build one.