Great hall construction complete, now its time for the paint!

Its time to get this awesome piece into the painting workshop!  Construction was very simple anyone can do it.  Especially due to the frame being a pre-made birdhouse.  All you have to do is throw on some Popsicle stick details and you are good to go.  The finishing touch is the roof thatching.  I used a terry cloth (a car washing rag for you youngsters).  I looked at some tutorials that used pot scourers, but found they were way to difficult to work with.  Next project is another great hall esque building and some thatched huts!

Input on whether I should base this model would be greatly appreciated.  I find I prefer terrain with a base. I base everything with a standard dirt and grass theme however that means the great hall will look odd on a snow themed table..... with no base it wont matter......decisions decisions.

Finished Jomsviking Boxed Set

I am very pleased to announce that I have finished the models from the Jomsviking set!

As some of you may know I also intend on using them as Baltic pagan infantry.

Emerging from the swampy and forested homeland, the Pagans gather for Battle!

(sorry about my finger in the bottom left corner...I have since cut it off)

The Hearth Guard await on the high ground

Warriors surge forward to the edge of the marsh to reduce the effectiveness of the heavy Crusader Cavalry

This group of warriors wait in the protection of the forest.  They are either ready to defend in favorable ground or emerge for a surprise attack 

The Pagans are prepared to defend their faith and land against the Christian Onslaught!

The final Jomsviking warrior unit is painted!

Hey everyone.  I finished the last group of Jomsviking warriors today.  Sadly they are not based yet. Once they are I'll post some nice army shots!

Group Shot 

Here we have my favorite warrior with the wolkskin 

The Unit leader dawns the blue cloak and if you look closely he is adorned with an amber brooch. (The Amber supply of Europe came from the Baltic coast. The Baltic tribes are mentioned by Tacitus at the turn of the first century AD, and are referred  as amber gatherers.) 

The plastic spears from wargames factory are far easier to glue on than metal spears.  Due to their flexibility it seems they are more resistant to breakage. YAY!

Saturday, a day for painting and Black Adder!

Today I am painting my last  unpainted unit from the Gripping Beast Jomsvikings Warband!

I am new to historical miniatures and I am not used to fussing so much with spear armed troops.  After having loads of frustration with the GB metal spears, I decided to go the plastic route and use the Viking spears from Wargames Factory. They were far easier to glue and hopefully they won't break off as easily, only time will tell...

Now for some Black Adder background music from the awesome voice of Brian Blessed

My First SAGA Battle Report (not my first saga battle)

Here we have a SAGA battle using the escort scenario.  The escorting team must take 3 pieces of baggage across the battlefield.  If 2 pieces of baggage reach the opposite side the escorting player wins, the attacking player must destroy all three baggage pieces for a victory.  Any other outcome is a draw.  Apparently there is no turn limit either... I haven't figured out if I like the unlimited turns for the scenario.

Here is the table set up! (The mountainous terrain is out of play)

Breakdown of Forces

Jomsvikings: 3x8 Warriors, 1x4 hearth guard, 1x8 Hearth Guard. (1 warrior unit armed with dane axes). 6pts

Scots: 1x12 levy, 3x8 warriors, 1x8 hearth guard. 6pts

A view from behind the Scottish Battleline

And Another

Side view of the Battlelines

The Jomsviking player begins the game sending his pagan forces surging forward with all but one dice used on activations.  Sadly activations have to be used on the baggage as well!

The Scots cautiously advanced forward.  The levy unit was targeted by the Jomsviking punishment ability cancelling their shooting activation.

The Jomsvikings slow down their advance. Weary of the Scottish player, who was negating to increase their level of wrath.

The scots are keen on seeing some combat  this turn and a unit of warriors charge the unit of  Jomsviking warriors on the road.  The Scots cause 5 casualties and the Jomsvikings cause 4.  However, the Scots have to break because the Jomsvikings warriors have another unit of warriors behind them.

The Scots place an inordinant amount of dice on levy activations.  3 activations of bow fire, 1 cancelled via Jomsviking punishment. 2 Hearth Guard are slain by bow fire.  Another Hearth Guard is killed by a  tricky javelin ability from the warriors.  Only 1 Hearth Guard left in my unit! 

Sadly as the battle raged on I neglected to take pictures.  The action became far to engrossing to lollygag with a camera.  In summary, our warlords clashed several times and neither were slain.  The Scottish 8 man Hearth guard unit was cut down by 5 warriors and my warlord.  A largely decimated Scottish warrior unit charged in to the Dreng warriors. Both suffered heavy casualties.  My large unit of Hearth Guard charged a full strength Scottish Warrior unit annihilating 6 of them sending 2 running for their lives.  At the end of the battle I was left with a 7 man Hearth Guard Unit, my warlord, and a 5 man warrior unit.  He was left with 12 levy bowmen his warlord, and 2 warriors.  At this point we gave the victory to the Jomsvikings. It seemed there was little the Scots could do to the baggage loot.  

The Survivors of the battle

As I said before I don't know whether I agree with allowing the scenario to have unlimited turns.  After a while I neglected in moving the baggage loot so I would not have to waste Saga dice on them.  This decision makes the scenario a head to head battle with victory going to the player who controls the battlefield at the end of the game.